Beads of radiant energy ascended from the ground and absorbed into the thick aura surrounding Koda. He grunted as the task strained him greatly.

“Good work, Koda, now concentrate the Magi into your hands. Let your fingers be a foci,” Megan encouraged from his side.

Sweat ran down his forehead and dripped off of his chin. His eyes became bloodshot as he quaked with stress. The Verdant Academy shook from the immense power being drawn. Dust and stone rumbled and swirled around the two spell casters.

“You almost have it, a little more…” she said, coaching her student. The Magi ebbed in a globular form within Koda’s hands. Its form convulsed as the strain became greater than Koda could handle, “No, Koda, don’t let go! Focus! Focus!”

“I-I c-can’t! I-t’s it's too much power!” Koda screamed as the Magi exploded in his hands triggering a surge of light to blow across the underground battlefield. Both Megan and Koda were flung backwards in its mighty wake.

Recovering slowly, Koda sat up and punched the stone floor. He mashed at the ground screaming until his hands were bruised and bleeding.

“Koda, we’ll get there, we’ll get there,” Megan reassured him.

“What use is all this power if I can’t control it?! What use is any of this if I can’t use it to save the people I love?!” Koda heard a bone crack in his hand, but continued to beat the ground until his hand was a blood-smeared mess.”

“Koda, stop it!” Megan grabbed his hand to restrain him, “It’s broken. Come we’ll get it taken care of.”

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters anymore,” Koda whispered, defeated.

“Listen to yourself. Really listen. Do you hear yourself?” Koda was silent. His hand and heart throbbed in agony, “You want to know what I hear?”

Koda frowned, “I’m not in the mood for your lectures.”

“Too bad,” she said firmly, “I hear a boy who wants to give up because for the first time in his precious, sheltered life things have taken a dark and terrible turn.” Megan manifested a thick stick and took her gold sash, wrapping her students hand tightly with the splint. Koda winced, either at the pain or the sharp reproach.

“My father was killed in front of me!” Koda protested.

“Yes, Koda, he was. Now what? Where do you go from here? Do you pick up the mantle of king and try to salvage the great kingdom that your father fought so hard to forge? Will you scurry off to Nashoon to become the so-called ’Arcane Guardian’ while the other tribes fight to take the reigns of power from you? Or will you cower even lower and vanish into absolute obscurity and leave your life behind? What you do now, Koda, is all that matters.”

Koda inspected the dressed hand gingerly, taking in what she had said.

“I don’t know,” Koda said flatly, “What would you do?”

Megan spoke without even the slightest trace of hesitation, “If it were my decision, I would have already had myself crowned.”

“Will you be there with me when I address the nobles?” Koda asked.

“It’s not my place to be in that room.”

“It’s your place if I want you there,” Koda stood up, favoring his broken hand, “and I want you there.”

“Well, then, I suppose I’ll be there, your grace.”

***

“The king is dead,” a cold, stern voice called out.

Koda sat in the dimly lit war room. Around him were the seven lords of the united tribes. Tull, Megan, and Marcus stood by his side. His father’s blood-stained crown rested on the heavy oak table. Carved in the center of the table was an exquisitely detailed image of the elder tree. The leaves were painted meticulously with a vivid emerald green. Arching above the tree were the sigils of the seven noble tribes. In the center of the trunk was the sigil of the Dawnedge tribe.

Koda stared wordlessly at the crown, still in a daze. It taunted him. He wished that the night before had never happened. He wished he was alone in his room with Wildeye, the only one that he cared to be with at this particular moment. Most of all, he wished he was not Koda Dawnedge. He had always looked up to his uncle Tull for breaking with tradition and chasing his own ambitions rather than accepting the fate handed down to him by his father. But even Tull seemed every bit as nervous as Koda. Would Tull accept the crown if he left for Nashoon? Megan stood at his other side, clearly anxious by the stillness in the air and feeling quite out of place. Then there was the commander of the White Cloaks, Marcus Newsun, attempting to save face after the most monumental failure of his lifetime. Koda sneered.

The noblemen were silent, waiting for the prince to say the words they all waited to hear. Eyes locked on Koda’s sleepless face. Athar Moonfall broke the uncomfortable tension, “My Prince, I said the king is dead. We are all awaiting your decision. Will you ascend to the throne or should we begin to discuss another successor?”

Koda sluggishly turned his head toward Athar.

“Yes, I know my father is dead. I was there when he was killed. Where were you again?”

Athar attempted to maintain his composure in the face of such an insult. He spoke, ignoring Koda’s question, “We, the Seven, feel that perhaps…”

Koda’s heavy eyes narrowed as he replied, “You think I should walk away from all this? My father counted on me to carry on his legacy. There was a time when I fought him every step of the way, but that time is far behind us.”

Tull put a gentle hand on his nephew’s shoulder, “Koda, it is okay if you wish to take a leave of absence and mourn. You don’t need to make such a decision right now.”

Athar stood to interject, “Actually adviser Tull, this needs to be decided now. We need a leader now more than ever. The city is in a panic. The Black Rabbits not only killed our king, but laid siege to the hopes and dreams of this city. No one will want to live, trade, or study here anymore. We must act decisively.”

“My Prince, I will send for double the amount of White Clo–” Marcus started.

“Are you suggesting, Captain Newsun, that we ought to invest even more time, money, and resources into hiring countless more of your cloaks?” Koda said with a biting charm, “How convenient. They were so worth the money the first go round. No, I do not believe that even more cloaks will solve the problems facing us here today.” Koda locked eyes with Commander Newsun, weighed his next words carefully, and spoke, “The White Cloaks, however, have not overstayed their welcome in Lost Dawns. There is a way that we can increase our military might without paying for the quartering of hundreds more cloaks. Instead, we must raise an army of our own, trained by the White Cloaks. We, our people, can stand up against those who would dare rise against us.” He stood up and slid back his chair.

The room broke out into a loud murmur of argument between the seven lords, but all were stricken with silence as Koda pounded his good fist on the table.

“The White Cloaks alone can not defend us. We need a standing army of our own!”

The nobles began whispering amongst themselves. The wooden table vibrated as Fendrick Redroot slapped his hand down, “What utter foolishness! Who among us can fight? You, Prince Koda? Do not be so rash.”

“Do you have no faith in our people at all, Fendrick? With proper training anyone can fight!”

Fendrick looked back at Koda, considering the boy’s words. Koda turned toward Megan, “High Mage Megan, what are your thoughts.”

“My Prince,” Athar said before Megan could speak, “she is but a mage, she has no say in th–”

Koda silenced him with his hand and beckoned Megan to speak.

“Lord Moonfall, I have seen more war than you, and I can see that the White Cloaks have failed at the most important task put before them. It is clear to me that Long Whisper needs its own army.”

“Yes, yes. That is exactly what I have been thinking. The people of Lost Dawns love this city, not because we pay them to do so, but because it is their home. They would take up arms to defend their home—our home—from those who would see us perish,” Koda spoke with fire in his eyes.

“Even though we are without the warrior tribes, I think he is right. Our people could be trained to battle,” Tull agreed.

Koda rose from his chair, “These may be the darkest of days,” Koda stared into the faces of the seven nobles before him, “but I will lead us out of them.”