The journey took them to the docks at the end of the coast of Yaveria. A large ship stood ready for them, its sails furled tightly against the mast, painted a deep navy that mirrored the twilight sky. Kael took the lead towards the captain, “How many days?” He asked quietly to the captain, a large tan-skinned man with hooded eyes and scar-filled face, “Three days.” His voice was dark and hoarse. His eyes covered all of them, as he swiftly took a small sack with gold coins that Kael discreetly handed to him.
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a golden hue across the calm waters as Aerin stepped onto the narrow wooden dock. The air was thick with the scent of salt and sea, mingling with the faint echoes of gulls calling overhead.
As they climbed aboard, the boat creaked beneath their weight, and Aerin felt the gentle sway beneath her feet.
The deck was smooth, worn by countless journeys, and a sense of anticipation thrummed in Aerin’s chest. The soft lapping of the waves against the hull was a soothing contrast to the tension that had lingered between all of them since the journey had begun.
Talon adjusted the endless leather straps of his armor, casting a sidelong glance at Elden. “So, do you think you can manage not to fall overboard this time?” he teased, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
Elden shot him a dry look as he leaned against the ship’s railing. “I’ll have you know I’ve mastered the art of standing on solid ground. It’s you who should worry about not tripping over your own feet.”
Aerin chuckled softly, feeling the tension between them ease a little. “At this rate, we’ll be at each other’s throats before we even leave the harbor.”
Talon waved a dismissive hand towards her. “Just keeping our resident aristocrat in check. Can’t have him thinking he owns the place just because he looks like he stepped out of a royal portrait.”
Elden straightened, a playful glint in his eye. “And I can’t have you forgetting that I have impeccable taste. After all, who else would wear leather like this?”
“Impeccable taste or not,” Talon replied, crossing his arms, “just remember to keep your fancy robes away from the railing. Wouldn’t want them to catch on to something... or worse, go overboard with you.”
The boat rocked gently beneath them, cutting through the dark waters that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. Thalindria loomed far away in the distance, shrouded in mist, its jagged cliffs rising like sentinels from the sea. The air was thick with salt and something else—something ancient, like the weight of forgotten memories pressing down on them.
Aerin stood at the bow, her eyes fixed on the silhouette of the island. She could feel the pulse of magic in the air carefully seeping through from Thalindria, subtle but undeniable, like a low hum that thrummed beneath her skin. “How far now?” she asked quietly, her voice almost lost in the sound of the waves.
“Not far,” Kael answered from close behind her, his eyes steady on the approaching island. “We should be there by tomorrow at nightfall, if the winds stay with us.”
She had felt him even before he stepped up behind her, like her magic spoke to his presence. His soul seemed to have its own voice, she looked at him. Four, five, six heartbeats later he looked back at her. He was the most beautiful man she had ever witnessed, his strength unbelievable. He had endured so much, like she had endured so much. All these years they had been apart, she had never forgotten him.
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The sky above was heavy with clouds, their dark shapes reflected in the churning sea below. The air was damp and cold, carrying the faint scent of rain. Talon leaned against the side of the boat, his arms crossed as he watched the island grow closer. “This place better be worth the trouble,” he muttered, his voice low.
Mara, sitting on a crate near the mast, glanced at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Thalindria is not like any place you’ve seen before, Talon. It’s... different.”
Talon raised an eyebrow. “Different how?”
Mara’s smile faded, her eyes growing distant. “The magic there is alive. It’s in the air, the water, the trees. You’ll feel it the moment we step on the shore. And it doesn’t take kindly to outsiders. For a person stands on the very edge of everything, between the light and the dark, between life and death.”
Talon smirked at her, though there was a flicker of unease in his eyes. “Good to know. I’ll be sure to introduce myself properly.”
Kael’s voice cut through as they spoke, sharper now. “This isn’t a joke. Thalindria isn’t just an island—it’s a sanctuary, but also a fortress. The people there don’t trust easily, and we can’t afford to make any enemies.”
Aerin glanced at Kael, noting the tension in his jaw and the way his hand rested on the hilt of his sword even now, out on the open sea. “You’ve been here before,” she said, more a statement than a question.
Kael’s gaze flicked to her and for a moment, she saw something in his eyes—something heavy, like the weight of years spent in exile. “A long time ago,” he murmured. “After my father died. After everything changed.”
The wind picked up, sending a spray of seawater across the deck, and Aerin turned her face toward the salt-laden breeze, letting it sting her skin. There was a quiet sorrow in Kael’s voice that tugged at her, a reminder of the loss they all carried in their own way. She knew what it was like to lose everything.
Kael had been just a boy when his father fled her family's estate, carrying him away from the burning ruins of their home. His father had fought valiantly, cutting down an army that had marched toward their city with bloodlust in their eyes. But even the strongest man couldn’t fight forever. Kael had watched, helpless, only a small child, as his father bled out, too far from any healer who could save him. And so, Kael had been left to pick up the pieces, forging alliances in the shadows, trying to piece together the truth of what had happened to Aerin’s family.
And now, finally after all those years, he had returned—not as the boy she had known, but as a man shaped by war and loss, with secrets that clung to him like a second skin.
He had come to Thalindria, the island of true magic. Only the truly gifted were welcomed there. He had spent time there, not only for forging alliances but for that, magic.
The boat lurched as they neared the shore, and Mara stood, her expression unreadable as she gazed at the island. “I haven’t been back here since I left and lost time is never found again,” she said quietly. “Since the priestess sent me away before I could finish my training.”
Talon glanced at her, his usual sarcasm tempered by a rare curiosity. “This priestess of yours... what’s she like?”
Mara’s lips pressed into a thin line. “She’s... formidable. The island listens to her. She’s the one who taught me everything I know about magic, about control.” Her fingers brushed the small pendant at her neck. “But returning... it’s not something I ever thought I’d do.” She sighed deeply. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. I have aged since”.
Aerin caught the hesitation in her voice, the way Mara’s fingers lingered on the pendant as if it were the only thing tethering her to that place. “You don’t have to face her alone,” Aerin said softly.
Mara’s gaze flicked to hers, and for a moment, the walls between them seemed to lower. “No. But some things we have to face on our own. Where there is no struggle, there is no strength. Storms make trees take deeper roots”.
As the boat slid into the shallow waters near the shore, the mist thickened, curling around the jagged rocks like a living thing. The island was eerily silent, the only sound the gentle lap of waves against the hull.
They disembarked, the cold, wet sand sinking beneath their boots. Aerin could feel the magic now, stronger, more insistent. It pressed against her skin, whispering in a language she couldn’t understand.
Kael moved ahead, leading them toward a narrow path that cut through the cliffs. “We’ll meet my contacts first,” he said over his shoulder. “Then we’ll find the priestess.”
“And after that?” Talon asked, his tone light but his eyes wary.
Kael’s lips thinned. “After that, we prepare. King Hazrael’s plans reach farther than we thought. Thalindria is only the beginning.”
Aerin’s chest tightened at the mention of Hazrael, the weight of her destiny pressing down on her. Thalindria might hold answers, but it also held more questions—about her magic, her heritage, and the role she was meant to play in the war to come.
As they followed the winding path deeper into the island, the mist clinging to them like a second skin, Aerin couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The island itself seemed to be waiting, biding its time, testing their resolve.