Dink watched Darby's dejected figure disappear inside the Rusty Blade Inn, feeling slightly guilty. He paused for only a moment before hauling on Murkuk's arm to chase after the departing cart getting further away in the distance. While they walked after it, Dink became lost in thought.

I sounded like my beardsplitter father just then. He said almost the exact same thing to me out in the rain when he married my older sister off. Mother would have been turning in her grave to learn that my father gambled away the family fortune.

He basically sold her to a decrepit old merchant in exchange for a large bride dowry. I'm not sure what the lecher wanted more, the title of nobility or a bride less than a quarter his age. He certainly couldn't restrain himself for very long. My sister revealed to me in a letter that he had torn off her bodice the moment the carriage left the estate.

For our family to still hold the title to the estate, I would have been less than ten years of age. She was only five years older than me. Fortunately for him, the pervert died of old age before I ever held a sword.

I never learned what became of my father after I became the Sword Saint. I expect that he died forgotten in a ditch somewhere with either a bottle in his hand or a knife in his back.

The cart was approaching the edge of Burrowton. The pair were less than a house distance behind them. Axion glanced over his shoulder, after seeing them he pulled on the reigns to bring Betsy to a halt. Dink shook himself out of his reminiscing on his family, once again climbing onto the driver's bench beside Axion.

Betsy took the initiative to start moving again before Murkuk could get in. He yelped in dismay and leapt toward the rear of the cart, landing precariously on the edge. He furiously kicked his legs while crawling forward on his forearms. After a mighty struggle, he managed to gain purchase on the flatbed, scrambling on board.

Feeling some of the concern for Estra alleviated by his antics, the girls quietly giggled among themselves. Axion's face remained impassive as he focused on the road, darkness was quickly stretching towards them.

"How are we going to see the road when it's dark," Martha asked, propping herself up on the back of the driver's bench.

"Good question. Tahlea, can you do something about that?" Axion asked, glancing at Tahlea over his shoulder.

"Yes, magelight is an easy spell to maintain. I can also augment Betsy to allow her to push on through the night, which will be a little more difficult. Estra is much better at that kind of magic than I am," Tahlea replied.

"In that case, we should be able to cross the border into Todrana and arrive at Mount Grace by sundown tomorrow. Are you sure that you can handle it?" Dink asked.

"Calculating the probabilities, I should be able to. The only loose variable is if I can remain focused that long without sleep. I believe that I'm up for the task. I can reverse the same spell for Betsy to borrow energy from each of you to supplement my vitality," Tahlea confidently replied.

"Then do it. Starting with me. I could use a nap," Dink replied.

"Okay, give me a moment to cast the spells," Tahlea said.

Dink felt the familiar tingle of mana gathering as Tahlea started to draw with her finger in the air. Glowing lines appeared behind each stroke, hovering in space to form arcane Sigils.

As he watched the symbols dance around Tahlea's finger, aligning into a magic circle. His eyes lost focus while he felt a tugging sensation at the edge of his consciousness. The feeling transformed into an enormous wave of energy that rushed into the spell being cast. The arcane script flared extremely bright then began to disfigure.

"What is this power? I can't control it!" Tahlea screamed in panic while struggling to maintain the arcane circle's shape, wisps of light streaming away.

Riva was at her side, clutching onto her wrists as she attempted to pry her away from the spell. Their hair billowed out behind them in a wind made of streaming light coming from Dink's body.

Strange, I feel detached from my body. Reading the arcane script, I can see what went wrong. Tahlea made a mistake with her spell. She's drawing on my Legend realm mana pool instead of my vitality. That's beyond the capabilities of a Magus of her level to endure. If I don't do something, she will end up in the same situation as Estra with mana backlash.

Dink wrested away control of his mana pool from Tahlea. Unseen under his basilisk coat, the draconic Sigils along his spine lit up with power. Blue energy buffeted the outside of his body until his mind was drawn inward.

An unwelcome image was surfacing inside his consciousness. Staring at the all too familiar shape, he felt his pulse quicken. Unbeknownst to him, his body was trembling erratically. His hands fell limply to his side as he surrendered control of his mana pool.

Tendrils of power lashed out in every direction, erupting in a shower of sparks where they collided. No damage was caused by the impact but everyone in the cart started to panic.

Murkuk went so far as to throw himself overboard. While Riva attempted to shield Tahlea from the onslaught as she attempted to reign it under control. Estra lay unconscious in the cart bed, unperturbed by the chaos.

Axion enwrapped Martha in a vice-like hug, dragging her over the back of the driver's bench. He acted instinctively to dive headfirst into the mud while protecting Martha from the fall with his body. Their shouts of confusion couldn't be heard over the raging mana gathering around Dink.

The only one completely unconcerned by it all was Betsy. She wandered away and began happily gnawing on the grass growing at the edge of the road. Sparing Dink only a sideways glance as she feasted.

Dink was oblivious to all of this. A strange talisman hovered in front of his vision, visible only to him. The mana accumulating around him grew larger until it lit up the dark sky for miles. An aurora formed of blue light erupted outward through the clouds in every direction. The disturbance alerted something very far away, buried deep within the heart of the Expanding Woods.

"Sword Saint, doth thou forget the terms of our pact? Thou must not allow the slumbering one's death to be discovered. To break the balance with the true dragons invites misery," A mysterious female voice said inside Dink's mind.

"Sister, his actions bespoke that he hath. Now he hath awoken the slumbering one, the true dragons will become restless should they learn of his death," A second female voice replied.

"Nonsense, I upheld my end of our bargain. I was to be granted eternal life in exchange for slaying the ancient true dragon, Akarad!" Dink shouted into the sky.

"Thou was warned the price of our magick, Sword Saint. Thou was not to disturb the slumbering one, Akarad, under any circumstances. Perhaps thou hath forgotten what transpired that day? Sisters, let us remind him," a third female voice said.