“Wait here,” Astrid instructed. Then she was gone, breaking through the bushes and trees of the forest border.

Arcturus, Cass, Andromeda, and Antares crouched within the forest, peeking through the leaves at the Ash Guard base within their sights. The night cloaked them with shadows, masking Eclipse who was already sneaking out in the open grounds. Arcturus watched nervously, his eyes lingering on Eclipse’s retreating form.

Their four horses grazed within the forest behind them, tied to the trees to keep them from running off. The shortsword Arcturus had trained with hung at his side, an airy cloak covering his hair and clothes. He tugged on his mask, identical to the ones everyone else was wearing. Although it was uncomfortable, it was vital on such a risky mission—there was no way they could let anyone know who they were.

Arcturus peered through the bushes. Eclipse had finally approached the side of the wall. He could see her reaching for her waist, swiping the coil of rope she was carrying. Arcturus directed his gaze to the top of the wall, searching for any guards that may be passing by.

Clear…thank the stars.

She unraveled the rope, letting it trail to the floor. Eclipse was too far for Arcturus to see her face, but he watched her tilt her head up, surveying the wall. Arcturus silently gulped as she went for a swing, tossing the rope up the stone. It didn’t latch on to anything, and loosely fell to the ground.

Eclipse tried again, closer this time, but still failed to secure the loop on the protruding stone bricks at the top.

“Should someone go help her?” Cass asked dryly.

“No,” replied Antares. “Let’s wait a bit longer. I’m sure she can do it.”

She tried it again, tossing it sharply into the air before it landed around one of the bricks. Eclipse jerked the rope back, testing its strength from below. With a turn of her head, she stared at the place where the others were waiting as if she knew they had doubted her. Arcturus could practically see the boastful smirk under her mask.

Arcturus watched her pull herself onto the wall, the rope firmly clipped to her belt. She began to walk up the rough stone, her feet moving to find purchase as her arms pulled her body up. Arcturus bit his lip, an anxious feeling overtaking him.

Before he knew it, she reached the top of the wall, hurdling over the bricks. She paused and bent over. She was higher up and even further away now, her miniscule figure almost vanishing into the night. The thin rope snaked its way up the wall as Eclipse coiled it together, the four watching her in tense silence.

Arcturus squinted. He was quite sure she had nodded in their direction from above before proceeding to the Southwest tower, her hand reaching for the sword at her side. Without missing a beat, she darted into the tower, disappearing from their view.

All was dark and silent, not a sound coming from the tower. Even after a few moments, there was no sign of Eclipse emerging.

“Do you think she’s all right?” Andromeda asked with concern.

“Well,” said Antares, “we don’t see any guards rushing or alarm bells ringing. I’d say she’s in.”

“So what do we do now?” Cass whispered.

“We wait for the signal…”

Arcturus nervously toyed with the hilt of his sword.

Stop worrying. She’s perfectly capable of defending herself.

“There it is,” Antares suddenly said, and Arcturus gazed back up the enclosure. Eclipse stood at the tower, safe and accounted for as she waved a hand in the night. Antares shuffled through a space in the bushes, preparing to run off towards the gate.

He looked back at the others, his eyes holding a nervous but determined look. Arcturus shot him an encouraging nod, and Antares turned back to the clearing. He shifted his feet, aiming himself forward, before taking off in a rush before Arcturus’ eyes.

Arcturus, Cass, and Andromeda could see the blur that was Antares breaking through the open grounds and striking one of the guards. He immediately tumbled to the ground, his partner jumping with alarm, before she was knocked down beside him a second later.

Just as soon as he had left, the front gate swung open, and Antares dashed in, faint bumps and yelps echoing in the air. The three waited in the forest, readying their weapons as they searched for their cue.

“Where’s the rope?” Arcturus asked his partners.

“Right here.” Andromeda held up the thread in her hand.

He nodded, looking back to the gate. In a split second, Antares’ dark, distant form appeared at the doorway, signaling for them to run.

“I see him. Let’s go!”

Arcturus broke through the foliage, Andromeda and Cass following behind as they ran. The open grass lay before them as he led them to the front gates, stealing quick glances at the towers above.

Once he was in, his eyes drifted around as he surveyed the courtyard. Torches burned brightly through the dark, hanging at the walls and illuminating the cobblestone floors. The entrances of the two front towers sat in their respective corners, the stone rising into the sky above the doors in a cylindrical fashion. Four guards lay at the floor by the front gate. Arcturus looked ahead to see Antares standing at the base entrance, two more soldiers by his feet.

Antares quickly bent down and heaved one of them under the arms to drag them away. Arcturus silently went for the other one as Cass and Andromeda stayed behind, each grabbing two of the four by the gate.

“There, that tower,” Antares said under his breath, gesturing towards the one at their right.

Arcturus nodded, following Antares as he dragged his guard along the paved ground, his head slumped against Arcturus’ arms. Cass and Andromeda understood their cue and headed towards the tower as well, each of them lugging a soldier by the arms.

Arcturus hurried towards the door, struggling to pull the man fast enough for his liking. The man’s head shifted against his arms, and Arcturus looked back down to hear a pained groan come from the guard, his eyes moving under his eyelids as he started to come to his senses.

No, no, no!

In a panicked jolt, Arcturus brought up his knee and slammed it into the man’s head with all the force he could muster. He winced at the impact, his kneecap blooming with brief pain.

That’s got to hurt… he thought.

The guard’s head instantly dropped, returning to his death-like state.

“Nice job,” Antares remarked quietly. Arcturus shot him an uneasy look.

They finally reached the door of the tower, Arcturus taking a glance behind them for any guards who may have heard the commotion. Antares pushed open the door with his shoulder, peering inside.

“Look who it is,” Astrid’s voice sang, still half hidden by the door. “Took you long enough.”

Antares grunted and shuffled inside. An unconscious guard lay against the stairs, his body slumped and covered with fresh bruises. A slight shiver ran through Arcturus.

He was unfortunate enough to have to deal with Astrid.

Antares seemed to have similar thoughts. “I thought we were only supposed to knock them out, Astrid? You beat this one half to death.” Cass and Andromeda entered as he spoke.

Astrid shrugged as she took the guard from Cass’ grasp. “I did what I had to do. He wouldn’t go down without a fight.”

Arcturus tugged the soldier forward, shoving him towards the collective pile. Cass and Andromeda dashed out of the room, heading back for the other two they had left behind.

“Search them for weapons,” Astrid ordered as she dug through one of the guard’s clothing. Arcturus crouched down and reached for the belt of his soldier, the hilt of a knife peeking out. He quickly pulled it into the dim light, its leather cover embroidered with red thread.

“What do we do with them?” he asked.

She turned to him, wiping away a bead of sweat. “Keep them, hide them away, toss them in a fire, I don’t care! Just get them away from here. We need to keep them incapacitated for as long as possible.”

She tossed the spare sword in her hand out the open door, Arcturus flinching as it flew past him. Tossing the knife, he removed the long sword as well, sliding it out of the sheath tied around the guard’s hip. With a swing, he followed suit of Astrid, throwing it out the room.

“Once you’ve cleared them, tie them up,” Astrid ordered as she moved on to another soldier. “About three to a rope, and tightly.”

Arcturus nodded, bringing his now weaponless soldier towards Antares’. The two slid them together, placing them back-to-back. Antares reached for the one Astrid had searched, bringing the three guards together. Arcturus held them upright as they balanced them against each other, their heads hanging in stupor.

“Hand us the rope, would you?” Arcturus asked Astrid. She reached for her waist, tossing them the looped cord.

Arcturus undid the rope and threw one end to Antares, who wrapped it around the three guards. Arcturus pushed them together tightly, his partner wrapping it around and beginning to tie a strong knot.

Just as he finished securing the rope, Andromeda appeared in the doorway, her back to them as she dragged a man inside. She hauled him into the room, Cass following just as Astrid flung a small knife through the open door.

“Careful with that,” Cass said with an annoyed tone, ducking to the side.

“Search those two for weapons,” Antares directed. “Then tie them up.”

“Antares, come with me,” Astrid said as she stood up. “We need to make sure no one’s out in the courtyard.”

He nodded as he quickly rose, maneuvering through the fallen bodies to the door. Cass and Andromeda dragged over their guards, more weapons sprawled over the floor in a messy pile. They tied the remaining soldiers together as they had done with the first three.

Now for the weapons.

Arcturus picked himself up and headed for the leftover weapons. He reached down for the bare blades, gripping a handful of them by the hilts. With careful steps, he strode out of the room, greeted by the cool night air. The cobblestone ground was empty of the weapons they had discarded, and Arcturus guessed Astrid and Antares had something to do with that.

He looked up to see Astrid running up towards him. Without stopping, she pointed to his weapons.

“Stuff them in that tower,” she said through a winded breath as she passed by.

Arcturus broke into a run, cautious of the blades in his hands. He picked up his pace, realizing how far he had to go. When he had first entered the base, he hadn’t noticed how wide the courtyard really was.

Ahead of him, Antares broke out of the door, sprinting for the weapons as well. He nodded to Arcturus as he ran past him.

The door had been left wide open by Antares, and Arcturus rushed inside. The weapons lay in a chaotic pile on the floor, and he dropped his own blades to join them. With a quick lookover of the room, he turned on his heel, heading back out to the courtyard with a thud of the door.

Three of his teammates were gathered around a fallen guard near the front door of the base, their hooded backs turned to him. One of them crouched on the floor, trying to shake him awake.

Arcturus ignored them for the moment, heading back for the rest of the weapons.

“There’s none left, Arcturus,” Astrid called, running past him again as she held multiple blades. “Go join the others at the door.”

Arcturus followed her orders, hurrying to get to the gathered group. As he approached closer and closer, he could start to make out the angered voice of one of the girls.

“Wake up, you imbecile!” Eclipse spat as she smacked the sleeping guard right in the face. She received no response. Andromeda and Cass hovered over her as they waited, Antares running up from the northwest tower.

Arcturus joined the three, peering over at the guard at the floor. Antares walked up next to him a moment later, his eyes narrowed at Eclipse over his mask.

“I thought you were only supposed to Persuade him?” he said, crossing his arms.

She sighed, looking up at him. “I did. But you were taking a while to finish up with the guards, and it was difficult to hold him for long. So I knocked him out.” She turned back to her guard, nudging him again. “Can someone please get him to wake up?”

Antares stepped forward, crouching down next to her. “How hard did you hit him?”

“Barely at all.”

“Is he even breathing?” Cass asked with concern.

Antares grabbed the man’s wrist, checking his pulse. “He is.”

“I didn’t kill him,” huffed Eclipse.

Cass exchanged a look with Arcturus, her eyebrows raised. He looked at her blankly, shrugging.

Soon enough, Astrid jogged into the group, her hands empty of the weapons she had disposed of. “What’s the holdup?”

“We have a…situation with the guard,” Eclipse explained with widening eyes. Just as Astrid peered over to look, the guard started to shift, letting out a small groan.

“Never mind,” Eclipse said hastily, scrambling off the ground. Antares rose as well, a hand reaching for his sword. Arcturus gently stepped back, getting his weapon ready. Cass pulled out her spear, a shorter version of her normal one to carry around easily.

The guard lifted a hand to his head, rubbing it in pain. Everyone around him nervously began to back away, yet Eclipse stood firmly in her spot. He fluttered his eyes open before alarmingly glancing around.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Eclipse cut him off.

“Stand,” she said firmly, and all the worry in his eyes slowly started to melt away. His expression became blank as he pushed himself to his feet. He faced Eclipse lifelessly, waiting for instruction.

“Take us to the Ember Legion.”

He only stared at her, unmoving from his position. Eclipse let out a huff.

“Take us to the Ember Legion,” she repeated, this time more aggressively.

Yet he didn’t oblige. He stood there in his trance, unable to comply.

“Why is he not listening?” asked Andromeda.

“I don’t think he knows where it is…” Eclipse said as she studied him. “But that doesn’t matter. We can still find it. Take us to the stairway.”

At her command, the guard immediately turned away on his heel. Eclipse nodded proudly, breaking into a stride. He gently opened the large doors, the wood creaking eerily against the stone. Andromeda pushed them wider at Arcturus’ side.

They entered the building, the stone floors covered by a wide roll of red carpet. Arcturus’ boots sank into the lush fabric, muting his steps. Heavy torches lit the halls, a pair of doors embedded into the walls ahead. Banners to match the carpet hung above them, identical to the ones displayed outside. The place held an air of importance, paintings and words threaded through the banners in bold, proud colors. The ceiling rose high above them, and Arcturus felt his heart skip a beat as he saw stone walkways overhead.

Can anyone see us from up there?

They stopped as they reached an intersecting hallway, Antares and Eclipse further up ahead with the guard, who was continuing to walk stiffly in a straight line. Astrid glanced into the hallway suspiciously.

“There’s a guard down there…” Astrid whispered as she ducked back. Yet their guide continued forward unbothered. Antares and Eclipse didn’t hear her, still walking ahead of them. Cass and Andromeda silently pressed themselves against the wall.

Arcturus took a look for himself. A woman in red stood tall in the corner, her body facing towards another hall. She was alone for a moment, before three more men walked in to join her.

Yet something was different about two of them. Instead of the deep maroon of the Ash Guard uniforms, theirs were of a rich green, brown sashes and medals pinned along them.

What?

“Terris Court guards?” said Arcturus. “What are they doing here?”

“I don’t know, but they’re coming this way!” Astrid drew her head back, Arcturus doing the same.

They heard footsteps and mutters and then the creak of a door. After a brief moment of silence, Astrid glanced back out into the hall.

“Clear. Go!”

The four dashed past the open hall, trying to avoid making too much noise. Antares, Eclipse, and the guard were nowhere in sight.

Acrturus stopped the four by the corner of another corridor. He took a deep breath and looked past the edge before letting out a sigh. Antares and Eclipse were already in that hall, walking freely with their swords drawn. A light buzz began to hum, but Arcturus disregarded it.

He followed them into the corridor, his ears straining to catch any noises with a hand on his blade. One of the taller girls walked beside him, stealing nervous glances all around them. She held her bow in one hand, an arrow ready in the other. Andromeda. He had seen how she shot before, and her aim was improving every day. Arcturus’ mask covered a slight smile—he was confident to have her watching their backs.

Suddenly, Antares and Eclipse darted for the walls, each into the indent of the hallway, leaving their guide to continue on in the middle of the path. Eclipse stood at one end, Antares at the other, both of them cautiously peering over their shoulders.

Arcturus stopped with Andromeda, shooting her a confused look. They both ducked to the side, silent as they crept forward. As they slowly approached Eclipse, Arcturus could see the corner where Antares stood. Cass and Astrid were behind him as well.

Arcturus slid up to Eclipse, who stood frozen at the edge of the wall. “What is it?” he whispered.

She glanced at him quickly before responding. “Guards. Coming this way.”

He listened as he clung to the wall, the sounds of heavy footsteps muted in the thick walls. Yet they seemed to be getting louder. And louder. The quiet buzz he heard from before had now turned into recognizable voices, mingling with the moving of their feet, drowning out their words.

Antares shot Eclipse a firm nod, Eclipse returning it as she adjusted her stance. From the corner of his eye, Arcturus noticed Cass and Astrid shifting into position. With each of their weapons at the ready, they all waited against the sides, Arcturus still unsure of what was happening.

“Hey! You there!” a deep voice called out, and Arcturus braced himself.

In an instant, three guards appeared from the main hall, each of them darting for Antares, not taking notice of Arcturus and the girls at the other wall.

That is, until Eclipse vanished from his side, sprinting forward with her sword.

“Move back!” Andromeda called, grabbing his arm and jerking him back. A split second later, Cass came barreling right into where he had been standing, a guard caught between the wall and her spear. The guard had her mouth open in a yell before her head hit the wall with a loud crack.

“Thanks,” he breathed, watching the guard slump against the wall. His eyes widened at the small red stain against the stone.

Stop it, Arcturus, he thought as he shook his head. Focus.

A sharp yelp came from behind him, and Arcturus spun around. Eclipse was struggling with another guard, his sword pressed against hers. Antares was dealing with the other soldier—a rather large one too—as Astrid tried to sneak up on him, her cloak slightly pushed back and exposing some of her silver hair. Arcturus quickly scanned the scene and bounded toward Eclipse, whose back was to him.

He raised his sword, recalling one of Astrid's teachings. “Eclipse, shed and drop!”

Without turning around, she obliged, letting the guard’s sword slide off hers with a hiss before dropping to her knees. Arcturus was right behind her, swinging his blade defiantly. It sunk into the guard’s arm before he pulled back, the red uniform becoming even darker.

The soldier dropped with a howl.

No, no, quiet, quiet!

“Silence! Don’t move!” cried Eclipse, and he immediately stilled, his face a mixture of pain trying to be washed away. She scrambled to her feet and raised her sword to slam the hilt down.

“Eclipse! The guard!” Andromeda exclaimed, pointing down the hall ahead of them. Arcturus took a glance forward to see their guide, still heading towards his destination, but faltering. He was already approaching the end of the hall. They couldn’t afford to lose him now.

“You two! After him!” Astrid said as she blocked one of the guard’s strikes. “We’ll handle these guys.”

Eclipse hesitated, her sword still raised as her brown eyes darted between the two guards, alight with adrenaline.

“Go, go!” said Arcturus. “Don’t lose your hold on the guide, we’ve got this.”

Eclipse nodded and made her escape, Andromeda at her feet as they ran down the hall.

Arcturus turned back to the guard, and without hesitation, brought his hilt down to his head. His body slumped, immediately becoming a dead weight. Turning around, he saw Cass dragging her guard down the hall, kicking down a door to the side and pushing her in. Arcturus followed, bringing the bleeding soldier inside.

Thank the stars the Ash Court loves red so much.

“Dammit!” Astrid’s voice rang out.

“Come on!” said Cass, dashing back to the scene. He followed her, and they ran back to find Astrid and Antares both locked with the large man, a sword in each of his hands. It was a strange sight, really. He was holding them both back.

“Strength!” said Cass, which answered his question. She made a move towards them, but Arcturus reached a hand out to stop her.

“Wait, I have an idea.” He searched around, his eyes landing on Cass’ spear. Without another word, he focused on it, pushing out his Gift in a hurried thread. Grabbing the spear, he tugged it from Cass’ hand. Her grip tightened reflexively before she shot him a worried look. Releasing the spear, Arcturus immediately turned around, bringing the weapon in front of him as it hovered. With a thrust of his hand, the spear shot itself forward, the blunt end slamming into the guard’s neck.

He let out a choked sound, the heavy metal hitting his vein before bouncing back. The soldier dropped to his knees, clutching his throat. Astrid swiftly brought her knee up and crashed it into his nose with a sickening crunch. Before the poor man could yell, Antares dealt one more blow to his head, and he finally, finally dropped.

For a moment, the hall was filled with nothing but sharp breaths. Then Astrid sheathed her sword and grabbed an arm of the knocked-out guard.

“Antares, help me with him. Who knows how much was heard…”

As the pair stuffed the last guard into the small room, Arcturus brought Cass’ spear back into her hands. Astrid and Anatres joined them again, and the hall was clear once more.

Cass exhaled. “Well, that was eventful.”

“Less clandestine than I had hoped…” Astrid said as she adjusted her cloak back into place. “Now, let’s get out of here before their friends can join us.”

The four darted through past the intersection, not bothering to check for more guards. Arcturus’ feet thumped against the carpeted floor as he ran, the mask across his face loosening. He felt the fabric slide down his nose, and he quickly pulled it back up, but it did little to keep it secure. He would just have to fix it later.

They reached the end of the corridor, a turn leading off to another hall on their left. The impressive red and gold decor continued to stretch on. Arcturus spotted Andromeda down the hall, her eyes alert with her bow at the ready. She instantly pointed it towards them in the distance, before standing down as she recognized them.

“Where’s Eclipse?” Astrid asked as they ran up to catch her.

“Here,” Eclipse called as she stuck her head out of a door at the side. She hastily stepped out, shutting it behind her. “Our guard led us to the stairs, so I knocked him out again and stuffed him in a closet.”

“Will he remember what happened?” said Antares.

“Nope. I told him to forget everything. I’m not an amateur, you know.”

Antares ignored her gloating. “So where are the stairs?”

“Right here,” called Andromeda, and the rest of them turned towards her.

A small door was nestled into the very end of the hall, hidden in a deep, dark corner. Arcturus stole a glance behind them, only to see a tunnel of darkness that way as well.

I don’t think any guards would be hanging around there.

Andromeda pulled open the door and peered down, before stepping into the small chamber. Her dark attire immediately blended into the black enclosure. She began to climb down the steps, Antares following closely behind with a deep breath. Astrid stepped away from the door, walking over to the rear, and drew out her sword.

“I’ll watch our backs” she assured Arcturus, her eyes alert as she searched behind them.

After Cass had gone in, Arcturus followed, and he was acutely aware of Astrid stepping after him slowly. The creaky wooden stairs trailed in a blocky spiral, the center of the chamber empty. Arcturus shuffled near the wall, careful to avoid falling into the deep, dark void.

Who knows how far down that hole goes.

From the backs of his fellow infiltrators, it was difficult to make out who was who. Each of them wore a hooded cloak over their clothes. Excessive, yes, yet Astrid had said it was necessary. Even letting the Guard know of their hair colors would give them away. Their heights were skewed by the steps, but even on flat grounds, it was still difficult to tell them apart.

“Shit!” Eclipse’s voice suddenly called out, and Andromeda and Antares immediately whipped their heads around to face her.

“What happened?” asked Antares.

“My knife dropped to the bottom. It just slipped through my hands.”

“So? Just pick it up when we get there.”

Her sigh could be heard by everyone. “I was planning on it. What kind of secret army doesn’t invest in a railing for their staircase anyway?”

Arcturus chuckled to himself. He had certainly never seen this side of Eclipse during his days in the apothecary. He always thought her to be a polite and elegant aristocrat with perfect decorum at all times. It appeared he had been wrong.

Though, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he found it quite amusing.

As they descended, the light at the top seemed to get dimmer and dimmer, before Arcturus was gradually cloaked in darkness. With careful steps, his fingers dug to find the grooves in the walls, unable to clearly see the edge of the planks.

Soon enough, a soft light appeared below them and got brighter and brighter as they went down.

“In here,” Antares suddenly said. With a click of his boots, Arcturus stepped off the last plank, his feet resting at the bottom of the stairs. An open doorway sat in the side of the wall.

Antares reached for the torch that hung on the wall, holding it into the doorway. Pieces of the dark room began to come into view, the fire illuminating it warmly. They slowly entered.

Barrels and boxes and wooden crates lay scattered all around Arcturus. Some of them small and some of them enormous. An open one sat just at his right, and he peered in to see its contents. Piles of broken knives and rusted blades sat within, ones that couldn’t be made for much use. He stepped away from it slowly, his eyes drifting off as he attempted to study what he could see of the room.

“It appears to be some sort of storage room,” Cass remarked.

“Not at all what I would expect a terrorist base to look like,” Eclipse muttered.

Arcturus turned to Astrid, who seemed to be just as confused as he was. “Something must be wrong… ” she said, her hands at her hips and eyes narrowed. “Keep searching. Maybe we’ll find something.”

A pile of rusted armor lay at Arcturus’ feet, and curiosity easily got the best of him. He ducked down to examine it, studying its tarnished exterior.

Looks like it hasn’t been used in a while. That’s a shame. It could have been some perfectly good armor.

“Uh…Astrid?” Eclipse called from the stairs. “There’s something you should see.”

Arcturus exchanged a look with Astrid beside him and pushed himself off the floor. Everyone in the room made for the stairs, Antares carrying the torch out the doorway.

Eclipse stood up from the floor, blade in hand. She must have found it where it had dropped. Arcturus glanced at her covered face, noticing her eyes glued to a sight ahead. He peered underneath the stairs, only to see a hidden compartment within the wall.

“Look,” Eclipse said, circling around to the chamber. “There’s another set of stairs. One that leads down. This storage room isn’t the bottom floor, it’s a decoy.”

She pushed open the wood, revealing stone stairs which looked like they had been carved within the wall itself. Arcturus took careful steps as he followed her down, his feet struggling to find the stairs in the dark. The light of Antares’ torch illuminated the back where he stood, but what lay ahead was still an eerie mystery.

Eclipse led them to the bottom of the stone, a wide chamber spanning out at the end. She stepped into the room, Arcturus following with confusion. It was an empty room, nothing but stone and mortar surrounding them on all sides like a box. He walked towards the center, making way for the others to emerge out of the cramped stairway.

“All right, this is just getting ridiculous,” huffed Eclipse.

“Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere?” Andromeda suggested.

“How? The guard led us to these stairs. We followed him perfectly.”

“Or maybe he didn’t lead us to the right stairs? There could be others. I think something went wrong when you Persuaded him,” Cass cut in.

Eclipse did not take that well. “How do we know that the Legion is even under the Guard to begin with? Perhaps something went wrong when you Read him,” she shot back.

The sudden outburst from the girls caught Arcturus off guard, skewing his already jittery feelings.

This isn’t helping anyone.

“Both of you, stop!” Arcturus interrupted, his voice echoing as he frowned. “No one is at fault, and there’s no need to argue. I’m sure both of you are very capable of using your Gifts. You two are the only reason we’ve made it this far. And even though it seems like we’re stuck, we haven’t even started checking this place, so we don’t even know if this is a dead end yet.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Astrid murmured approvingly.

Cass looked at him, the anger in her eyes slowly fading. “But what is there to check here? Nothing but stone and mortar and maybe some spiders.”

“Then we check the walls,” he answered. “The walls, the floors, everything. And if we don’t find anything, we can easily go back to the storage room.”

“Arcturus is right, these people already proved they’re capable of some tricks,” said Antares, stepping to the middle of the room and raising the torch.

Arcturus headed over the wall, analyzing stone with the little light they had. He poked at the bricks, his fingers scraping over the course rock. It was cold, the air buried underground for who knows how long.

“No levers. No secret compartments. Nothing. I say we go back upstairs now,” Cass said impatiently.

Astrid nodded, following her to the stairway. Antares trailed after them with the torch, but Arcturus didn’t want to leave yet.

We’ve barely checked the room, I’m sure something’s got to be here!

Eclipse turned around hesitantly, clearly thinking the same thing. With a defeated sigh, she headed back for the stairs as well.

“Wait,” Andromeda said, and everyone instantly stopped and turned to her. She stood under the stone stairs, her eyes scanning the stone. “This brick. It’s loose.”

Arcturus furrowed his eyebrows, making his way towards her. “What do you mean?”

“Look.”

He searched at the wall to see one of the bricks sticking out slightly among the others, hidden by the stairs and the layers of grey.

“Maybe there’s something behind it,” he guessed.

Arcturus reached forward to touch it, his nails scraping the small purchase of stone to pull it outward. Yet it stayed in its place, resisting.

Huh. For something so loose, why won’t it come out?

“Or maybe,” Andromeda advised, “you’re supposed to push it instead.”

He laid his palm on the brick, feeling it slide back in effortlessly. The stone fit into its place, perfectly aligned with the rest of the wall.

The walls began to shake, the sounds of mechanical buzz and whirring all around them.

“Everyone to the center, weapons out!” Astrid called over the noise. Arcturus obliged, huddling with his partners in the middle of the room. He grabbed his sword, the hilt still a little warm from when he had clutched it beforehand.

With an echoing crack, the wall in front of them began to pull apart, each side of it leading off away from the center. A sliver of light slipped through the room, and another hallway could be seen from the split in the wall.

Suddenly, Astrid ducked to the side of the wall. “Guards,” she said grimly. Antares nodded and leapt to the other side, Arcturus and the others doing the same.

The crack became wider and wider, the room expanding before their eyes.

A secret entrance. Nice.

They had definitely found the base now. A secret entrance would provide a good way of “hiding in plain sight,” as Antares had said. What else could the Guard be hiding over a hundred feet below?

Just through the wall, Arcturus caught sight of a soldier, standing firmly at the side ahead of Astrid. Antares nodded to her from across, and she understood.

The walls finally froze, a good distance away from each other, and the two of them immediately leapt to the guards in front of them. Arcturus couldn't get a good look at their faces, but the two attacked them swiftly, Astrid grabbing her target by the neck and throwing him down to the ground in a violent motion. His head pounded against the floor, and he was unconscious before he could groan. She heaved him into the empty chamber.

Antares’ guard was already on the ground as he dealt him a few strikes to his chest. Arcturus stepped out of the cramped room, the four others following. A long hallway lay ahead, lighted by dozens of torches spanning out. A shiver ran through Arcturus, the cool atmosphere of the base dropping again, a contrast to the summer heat above. He pulled his cloak tighter around him, readjusting his mask again.

Antares stood up, rubbing his knuckles. The grinding resumed, the walls starting to move.

“It’s closing. Toss him in!” said Eclipse.

Antares shoved the guard into the room, the walls inching closer by the second. The guard’s leg bumped against the moving wall, and Antares jumped back to avoid being closed in. Arcturus stepped away, watching as the ends slowly came together.

Eclipse ran her hand over the solid stone. “It’s sealed shut. I don’t think there’s a way back in.”

“We’ll have to find another exit,” said Astrid. “That’s a problem for later. Now that we’re in, we do what we came here to do.”

She started to walk forward into the enormous hallway. The sides spanned out far wider than the ones in the Guard base above. The decor was also similar to the Guard base, with stark red banners hanging against the walls. Only these ones were slightly different. Instead of the peaceful firebirds of the Guard, this one held a different emblem. A mighty flame surrounded by a shield of swords, a fine script written around it. Although Arcturus couldn’t read it from below, the sight of the powerful symbol gave him chills as he walked.

As they trekked through the hall, Astrid abruptly stopped, the corridor breaking off into three different ways. The red carpet split with the halls, each inviting them to follow.

Antares peered off to the right. “There’s another hall down here. And I’m sure another one leads off over there.” He pointed to the left side. “I assume the whole base circles around. It will take a while for us to find our record room. These hallways already look confusing enough.”

“You may not like this idea,” Astrid started. “but we should split up. We’ll cover more ground in less time.”

Arcturus shot her a worried look. “I’m not sure about that…I think it’s safer if we stay together.”

“As much as I want to agree,” Eclipse said, “Astrid’s right. We don’t have much time. Guards could flood these halls at any moment, and we’re too exposed as one big crowd.”

“She’s right,” Antares said. “If we split up into smaller groups, it’ll be easier to sneak around and stay hidden.”

Astrid nodded in agreement. “There are three paths. We can split up into groups of two. Each pair takes a hall.” Arcturus continued to look at her, still skeptical about this plan. Catching his eye, she turned to him. “You can come with me, Alchemist. We’ll take the right.”

“Antares,” Eclipse asked with a gesture of her head. “Left?”

He nodded, his hand on his hilt.

“Guess that leaves you and me,” Cass said to Andromeda, her eyes crinkling in the corners as they did when she smiled. “We’ll take center.”

I still don’t like this… Arcturus thought uneasily.

Astrid cast them each a firm look. “We’ll rendezvous back here once we’re done. Find anything you can.” She turned on her heel, before stopping midway. Astrid glanced back. “And…be careful.”

She took off in a run down the hall, Arcturus following behind after nodding to everyone else. They dashed to the end of the hall, only to be met with another corridor running past them at an odd angle.

“Which way should we go?” Arcturus asked.

Astrid peeked over both corners. “The right side ends just over there. I say we go left.”

Just as they turned into the hall, another path extended to their right. Only a few feet ahead was a path to the left, the long hallway leading out in front of them as well.

Astrid looked to the right. “I think that’s the edge of the base. There must be a room right here,” she said as she knocked against the stone wall. “I’ll head down here. You go straight. Check those two doors.” She pointed to ones that lay ahead.

He really didn’t like this plan.

“Wait! I don’t want to split up any more than we already have. What if I get lost?”

“You’re not going to get lost. Just stay in this hallway. Don’t take any turns. I’ll meet you back here in only a few minutes. Now go!”

She broke into a run and left him there, Arcturus still doubtful.

It’ll be fine. Stay in the hallway, like she said.

He straightened his shoulders and went for the first door, glancing behind him. He slowly turned the handle, pushing the door open gently to not cause a sound. With a peek of his head, he scanned the room, not a single person within his sights.

He crept inside, closing the door behind him. A long table sat in the middle of the room, almost a dozen seats scattered around it. On top of the table sat a roll of paper, tied together with a knotted string. Arcturus started for the thick scroll, before taking note of the area. The room was practically empty except for a large map hanging against the wall.

A zoomed map of Aldebaran and the Court cities was painstakingly painted on the paper, Arcturus recognizing King Altair’s palace and the small village where he lived. Just beside his village was the familiar marketplace, yet something was different about it. A bright red dart was impaled into the paper, its point passing through the site of the marketplace.

Could it be…the raid?

All thoughts of the tied scroll vanishing, he approached the map. His eyes locked onto the etched-in drawings and symbols, each one a curious mystery. Small script was written in sloppy ink, one that was difficult to read.

Arcturus looked to where he was, the Ash Court. The Guard base was marked on the map, a bright red cross painted over the spot. He looked towards the Zephyr Court, his eye catching the same symbol in a small corner just above the city.

There aren’t any other darts…what could their next move be? And what do those symbols mean?

As he continued to study the map, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rustle at the door. Arcturus immediately ducked down. He could hear the creaking coming from the wood and the thumping of footsteps walking in. With a silent breath, he crawled towards the thick base of the table, maneuvering his body around the legs of the seats.

A sudden voice rang out. “What do you suppose the captain needs this for?”

Another voice. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. But whatever it is, it better be important. I wasted good training time for this.”

“Ha! I’m actually glad to have an excuse to get out. Training is exhausting.”

Arcturus froze under the table, his heart loud enough to almost believe they could hear it.

Don’t look down, don’t look down, please don’t look down.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” one of them said, his voice quieting. “Want to hit the mess hall before we go back? I could use a bit of food before the captain goes through me again in the training grounds.”

“Sounds tempting…why not?”

“See? And he doesn’t have to find—” They shut the door behind them, their voices silenced through the walls.

Arcturus let out a heavy puff, inching out from under the table. He peeked over the top—no sign of the men. As he stood up, he looked over the bare table, the scroll missing from it.

So that’s what they came for.

He cursed at himself for not studying it sooner. Perhaps it could have contained some sort of valuable information. But there was no time for that now—he had other rooms to check.

He made his way to the door, glancing outside for the guards. He heard faint voices trailing down the halls and guessed it was those two.

Where did they say they were going? The mess hall?

As long as he avoided the mess hall—wherever it may be—he knew he would be fine.

He darted straight down the corridor for the second room, biting his lip as his footsteps echoed around him. With a hand on his hilt, he reached for the door, slowly checking inside.

The room was shrouded in darkness, crowded shelves and boxes scattered around the sides in huge piles. Helmets and armors of all sorts of designs were displayed across the walls, some stacked and molded into full standing suits. Some pieces were still intact, and others were shattered and reduced to thin slabs of dented metal.

Fascinating, but not really of much use.

He gently closed the door, his feet not even having left the hall. As he turned to glance behind him, his ears caught a pair of approaching footsteps. He instantly went for his sword, sliding it out as he jumped into his learned defensive stance.

“Relax, it’s just me,” Astrid said as she appeared before him. He lowered his blade, relaxing. “Did you find anything?”

“Just a map and some armor. Nothing worth noting,” he informed her. “You?”

“I checked four rooms, none of them our record room.” She started down the hall, and he trailed behind. “I saw three more down this way, we’ll take them together.”

He nodded, feeling slightly reassured. The two sprinted down the corridor, an intersection just a few feet ahead. Astrid stopped at the edge of the corner, glancing in both directions before stepping out. She turned to the left.

“Wait, let’s check that room there first,” Arcturus said, pointing at a small chamber up ahead. Astrid quickly slid over to the door, Arcturus stumbling across to the other side. As she opened the door to the room, Arcturus kept watch from the corner, his eyes scanning the three different paths that lay before him. Any one of them could be swamped with guards at any second.

The sooner we find our information, the sooner we can get out.

“Find anything?” Arcturus whispered, his eyes still locked ahead.

A slam of the door. “Nothing.” He turned to find her eyes narrowed in thought. “All right, let’s go.”

Arcturus crept out of his corner, walking out into the hall. A door was nestled in at his right side, and he made his way towards it with light steps.

He placed his hand on the doorknob before a noise snaked through the corridors. Footsteps paired with voices. Mutters and whispers with the rhythm of feet, all of it coming from ahead. Arcturus glanced back at Astrid in alarm, and she nodded her head behind them. The two scrambled back to their corner, hiding at the side of the wall.

Their backs against the stone, Arcturus tried to limit his heavy breaths as the noises became louder and louder. The words had become much clearer now, yet Arcturus still couldn’t make out what was being said. He glanced over the wall.

“What do you see?” whispered Astrid.

A group of soldiers gathered around in an organized formation, each one clad in the red uniforms of the Ash Guard. One man stood out in front of the others, this one dressed in long, familiar flowing robes.

“There’s a group of guards,” he said. “About seven of them. One of them is leading another man. I think he’s a councilman.”

“Oberon?”

“Uh…I don’t know.” In all honesty, he never cared to know about the councilmen of other Courts besides his own Zephyr Council. Still, he faintly recognized this man’s face. His darker shade of skin, neatly trimmed beard, and large forehead, yet he couldn’t remember his name.

Astrid took a look for herself. “That’s Councilman Nash.”

Arcturus’ eyes widened. “Didn’t Eclipse mention something about him?”

“That he may or may not be involved in Oberon’s plans…” The group disappeared into a doorway, the last of them shuffling in. “Let’s follow them. See what they’re up to.” She stepped out into the open.

Arcturus followed her cautiously, gripping his sword. Wherever they were headed, he was sure they would run into some guards this time. They had been lucky thus far. The pair paced down the hall, reaching the door at the very end. The room was embedded into a corner, and Arcturus turned a watchful eye to his side.

Astrid reached for the door handle, casting a firm look to Arcturus. He readied his sword, preparing for whatever lay ahead. With a hand on her own blade, she swiftly slipped inside. She cast out her sword, her eyes sharp and alert, yet slowly relaxed within a few moments.

“There’s no one here,” she said as she surveyed the room. Arcturus stepped in to join her, thoroughly confused. Yet when he searched the dim room, he quickly noticed she was right. The men from before were nowhere to be seen.

A few stacks of shelves and books lay in organized rows. A desk sat in one of the dark corners, books and papers scattered with quills above it. The walls were lined with their own shelves, decorative statues and symbols perched atop them. Unlit torches were stationed around the room, the only light emitting from a small lantern at the side. At another corner was a spiral set of stairs, leading upwards through the ceiling and out of the room.

“That’s where they must have gone,” Arcturus said as he pointed.

Astrid nodded. “Well, while they’re gone, I say we do a little digging.”

She headed towards the corner desk, gazing over the disorganized array. Arcturus walked by one of the shelves, his hand reaching for a dusty book.

“A History of the Terris Court,” he read aloud. “What could an Ash Court organization need to know about the Terris?”

“Probably their weaknesses. The most efficient ways to destroy them,” Astrid guessed as she picked up a book of her own. “Look at this one, The Best Tactics of Battle.”

“I’m not surprised they have that one.”

“I am,” Astrid said, pushing back into place. “Battle is about action. It’s about experience. The line between life or death. It’s not something you can learn from a book. If this is their best source of strategy, I suddenly feel a lot more confident in our plans.”

Arcturus drifted over to another shelf, his eyes scanning over the thin books. Each one was identical in design, the same deep green cover, carrying about fifty pages or so. He pulled one off the shelf.

“Do you think this could be our record room?” he asked as Astrid walked over to join him. She grabbed hold of one of the green books, taking a glance inside.

“If this is our record room, I’d say they don’t have very many records, do they?” She nudged the open pages at Arcturus, and he saw that they lay blank.

Arcturus opened the book in his hand, his fingers flipping to the very first page. Like the other book, it was also barren, but the first page was different. At the top corner of the blank white, there was a small script scribbled in ink.

Dazetsk, Fil. What does that mean?

He reached for another one, flipping open to the same page.

Miko, Hithana. Are these...names?

“Right this way, sir.”

Arcturus whipped his head to the stairs, muffled voices spilling from the top. He glanced at Astrid, panic immediately rising.

“Hide. Now!”

He stuffed the books back into the shelves, not bothering to adjust them straight. Astrid slid underneath the desk, and Arcturus crawled in to join her.

His body tensed, curling up underneath the heavy oak. Astrid sat frozen beside him, her eyes hardened. He sat back against the base of the table, bringing his feet in further.

Footsteps marched down onto the ground, and Arcturus could practically feel the floor shaking beneath him.

“That’s odd,” a somewhat familiar voice said, one he guessed was the councilman. “I could have sworn I heard something down here.”

“It was probably nothing,” another one assured.

Arcturus stiffened as their voices grew louder, the sounds of footsteps approaching them.

“Well, that will be all then,” said the councilman, his red robes visible from the corner of Arcturus’ eye. “You may return to your duties while I attend to some work.”

Arcturus exchanged an alarmed glance with Astrid. It was all over. He would surely find them now.

Astrid took a breath. “You need to get yourself up those stairs. Go check what’s so important up there, and meet me at the rendezvous point,” she breathed almost imperceptibly.

Arcturus widened his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t follow me.” She slid her sword out an inch in the cramped space.

“All of you are dismissed,” said Nash. “For ashes and—”

“Go stick your ashes up your ass!” Astrid yelled as she sprung from under the desk. She whipped her sword forward, Nash spinning around and flinching in alarm.

She said to stick it up where? Arcturus thought as he slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a yelp.

“Intruder! Seize her!”

Arcturus couldn’t see what was happening, the clash of metal and thundering of feet against stone erupted in the room. Grunts and yelps and muffled words, flying around as Arcturus drew himself in.

“Sir, we need to get you out of here,” someone shouted.

“Oh no you don’t, you bastards!” Astrid cried, her feet pounding against the floor as she took off.

A slam of the door, and all went silent. Arcturus waited for a brief moment, listening quietly for signs of anyone at all. Nothing but his own shaky breathing. He nervously crept out of the desk, his eyes peeking out into the room. No one was there. It seemed they had all left to run after Astrid.

So much for not being seen.

Arcturus headed towards the stairs, his heart still racing. He stepped onto the planks, reaching for the railing at the side. With a hesitant breath, he pulled himself up, his feet gently tapping as he ascended.

As he neared the top, a faint noise began to increase. A muffled crash. A yell. Cries of war and fighting breaking out. Yet it seemed so distant. Arcturus glanced around, unable to find where it was coming from.

An icy thought ran through his veins. Did they find everyone else?

He climbed out of the stairway, the sounds amplifying around him. An open room lay around him, empty of all but a glassy door. Light shined through it, illuminating the barren chamber. Arcturus stepped towards it, curious to what lay behind.

He gently pushed the door, and it silently drifted open. In an instant, he was met with the roaring sounds of before, the light of hundreds of torches flooding against his eyes. An open balcony lay before him, and he curiously approached it.

His hands clasped the edges of the balcony, peering down to look.

Horror struck him hard and swift, his stomach turning. Dozens—no, hundreds—of soldiers lined up in organised rows, their weapons clashing against each other as they fought. Commanders barked orders at them as they trained, their attacks ruthless and strong as they aimed to kill. Even from high above, Arcturus could see the marks of bruises and scratches on their faces. Blazing torches hung on the walls, leaving the entire chamber bright and warmer than before.

Yet what really horrified him was their numbers. The enormous room was filled with enough men to rival that of an individual Court Guard.

So many of them…How could so many people be committed to this? How could so many people be responsible—

He cut himself off, trying not to think of it. Yet it still clouded his mind, poking at him like a vicious thorn.

Arcturus silently watched them train, the haunting memories playing over and over again in his head, paired with emerging thoughts.

The thought that this was the threat they faced.