I came to slowly, my whole body aching like I’d been stomped on by a herd of horses. Every bruise, every burn felt like it was screaming at me. Rheka was next to me, still out cold, looking just as beat up - scorched hands, smudged face, and a few burns here and there.

The cart bumped along the road, every jolt sending another wave of pain through me. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog from my head, and there was Hern, riding next to us like he hadn’t just gone through the same mess we did. He looked annoyingly calm, reins in one hand, the other resting casually on his rapier. Parts of the fight still flashed through my mind. How could one man be that fast?

“Ah, awake at last.” Hern said, his tone way too light for my liking. “Congratulations on your first real victory.”

I grunted, trying to sit up without waking Rheka. “Victory? Feels more like I got hit by a car.”

"A car?" Hern asked, raising a brow.

Ah fuck.

"Nevermind. I just feel terrible."

Hern chuckled. “That’s the mark of a good fight. You both did well.”

I glanced over at Rheka, still out cold but breathing steady. “So... what happened back there? At the castle? And the camp?”

Hern’s expression shifted slightly, a touch colder. “The Rathan ambushed us in the castle. It's always the same with these rats. Caught us by surprise, though it didn’t help them much in the end.” He paused, his gaze steady. “They failed..”

“Failed how?” I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew.

Hern’s voice was calm, almost too calm. “My men... handled it. Your little smoke trick gave us the cover we needed to finish the job.”

I felt my stomach twist. “So, the Rathan...?”

“They’re gone.” Hern said, not bothering to hide it. I was beginning to believe that he wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of these Rathan folk.

“Don’t dwell on it too much,” Hern said, his voice softening a little. “It’s the way of things. Sometimes, to achieve victory, you have to make the hard decisions.”

I leaned back against the cart, staring up at the sky. “Right.”

It looked like early in the morning, meaning we must've slept through the entire night and then some.

The conversation died after that, the sound of the cart wheels and the occasional grunt from the horses filling the silence. I wasn’t sure what to feel - victory, sure, but also a weight, knowing what went down. Hern had decided to retreat. It was my little charade that got us in there. Though, at the same time I felt... nothing. One might go ahead and say that their blood is on my hands now. But then, even if we'd left to return another day, Hern and his men would have slaughtered them anyways.

Two days later, we were rolling into Gipuzk. The capital was just as huge as I remembered, one colossal wall towering over everything. I wondered if someone had evver dared to take that place. You would need a whole lot more fake tents and fires for this one. Perhaps even an Iron Titan or two.

I chuckled. Nah. Who in their right mind would ever want go up against that. Even after everything, it still made me twitch a little, seeing it again.

Rheka stirred next to me, blinking herself awake. “We’re here?”

"Yeah." I muttered, trying not to wince as the cart hit another bump. The roads in this kingdom weren't exactly of top notch quality. “We're back in the big city.”

"You did it Argi, I saw your magic." Despite everything she was still able to muster that signature Rheka smile.

"If you want to call it that. Still got no clue how I pulled it off." I said, scraping some ash off my face. "I don't even remember half of it."

People crowded the road leading up to the main gate. Merchants, travelers, soldiers - all trying to get in or out. The gates loomed ahead, and the familiar buzz of the city wrapped around us as we passed through the first few. I could feel my favorite sensation kicking in already. And there was another thing on my mind. We had a serious problem on our hands, yet my mind was busy with being afraid instead of finding a solution. I looked over at a bruised and burned up Rheka. She was still grinning, but she looked like absolute shit.

How in hell... do we explain this?

***

The cart rolled to a stop at the palace stairway. The grand dragon fan's wet dream of a structure looming over us. I was quickly reminded of just how out of place I always felt here. Even on a normal day, this place made me twitchy. And today? Wounded, burnt, and half-dead? Yeah, it wasn’t going to be a pleasant stroll through the palace halls.

Hern dismounted first, gesturing for some of his men to help. “Take them to their chamber.” he said, his voice calm as always. Two Silverplates stepped forward, gently lifting Rheka and me out of the cart.

I groaned as they helped me down. My wings ached, and I could feel every bruise protesting as I tried to walk. Rheka, still a bit dazed but awake, managed a small smile. “At least we’re not dead?” she muttered, leaning against one of the guards.

“Always looking on the bright side.” I chuckled, internally screaming with every step.

We made our way into the palace, and of course, it turned into a bit of a spectacle. Which... wasn't exactly great. Servants and nobles alike stopped what they were doing to stare as we limped our way down the hall. My face burned - partly from embarrassment, partly from, you know, actual burns. I could feel the whispers following us, but I was too exhausted to care.

Fuck these people. Everywhere its the same.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Finally, we reached our chamber, and the Silverplates gently set us down on the plush bedding. A healer arrived not long after, fussing over our wounds with salves and bandages. I let out a sigh of relief as the sting started to fade. Though I wondered, was... healing magic not a thing?

It wasn’t long before Zilra and Tavrin showed up, bursting into the room like they’d been waiting for this moment. Zilra’s eyes widened when she saw us, her usual bratty demeanor cracking just a little.

“What in... what happened to you two?” she asked, rushing over to Rheka’s side. Tavrin followed, hovering near the door, concern written all over his face.

“We had a... rough time.” I muttered, leaning back into the pillows. “The fort wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.”

"Fort?! What are you talking about?" Zilra asked. And in that moment it hit me - we hadn't even told these two either. I'd completely forgotten about that. Well, it didn't matter now. Everyone knew now.

Rheka, still pale but managing a weak grin, looked over at Zilra. “You should’ve seen Argi! He actually used magic.”

Zilra raised an eyebrow, glancing between us. “Magic? Really?”

“Smoke.” I said, before going on a coughing fit. “Lots of it.”

Tavrin snorted. “Still counts, I guess.”

"So that means I can't make fun of you anymore?" Zilra asked.

But before I could answer, the door creaked open again, and Vrintas and Visla stepped in, looking every bit the concerned parents - or, well, parents and grandparents. Vrintas’ eyes swept over us, his expression unreadable as per usual, but I could see the tension in his jaw. Visla, on the other hand, rushed straight to Rheka’s side, brushing her hair back gently.

“What in Enkef's name happened?” Vrintas asked, his voice low but sharp.

“We were at the fort...” I started, but before I could go on, Vrintas raised a hand.

“Later.” he said, glancing at Rheka’s burns with a frown.

“Where’s Urs?” I asked, trying to shift the conversation.

“He’ll be back this evening.” Vrintas said, still focused on Rheka. “He was called away.”

"What did you do, girl?" he continued, eyeing over her burned skin.

"I tried to fight, but I didn't win." Rheka said.

"Didn't win." He scoffed with a smile on his face. This was hitting him harder than Rheka's own mother.

"You're lucky to be alive. I can see it. You overdid it, didn't you?"

She nodded, still grinning.

"Oh, my poor girl. If I had known it would come to this I would have never-" He turned around, pausing, as his gaze found Tavrin still standing at the back of the room.

"Ursus will be consumed with rage." Vrintas continued.

"I can take the blame." Visla interjected herself back into the conversation.

Vrintas turned to her in an instant. "No you will not. It was time for us to talk anyways. Now is as good a time as any other."

He leaned onto my bed. "And how do you feel?"

"I've been better." I said, coughing slightly.

Vrintas chuckled a bit. Hearing him soften up made me feel a lot better indeed. "Good. Seems like you haven't lost your sense for the humorous."

"I did it." I said. "I did a spell."

He leaned into me even further. "Really? What changed?"

"I got desperate. But it worked." I coughed some more.

"That's fantastic. The timing couldn't be more perfect."

I nodded, trying to relax. Why is it perfect, exactly?

Vrintas straightened up, his expression softening even more. “There’s some more good news then.” he added. “Your tutor has finally arrived.”

That was great news. Not really for me, but more so for Rheka. While you could say I'd finally managed to cast my first ever spell, I wouldn't really call it a great success. It was pure luck combined with the right circumstance. Meanwhile the training was a necessity for Rheka. Now more than ever. I did not want a repeat of what happened in Felsvar ever again. Though I knew that was a lot to ask for with this child.

The rest of the day was spent mostly resting. The healer came back a couple more times, checking our bandages and making sure we weren’t about to keel over. I still couldn't believe that healing magic supposedly wasn't a thing here. Rheka finally fell asleep, the exhaustion catching up to her. I tried to rest too, but between the dull ache in my wings and the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my head, it wasn’t easy.

I was still processing everything, confused, perplexed even. Back then. Did she not consider what Vrintas taught us even for just a second? This isn't a bloody game, for hell's sake. We couldn't afford to go overboard like that! She fired like what- ten Embers? Maybe fifteen, but that was pushing it. And still, we got absolutely annihilated. We couldn't even manage to leave a single scratch on that guy. We desperately needed this training.

Evening came faster than I expected, and soon enough, the door to our chamber creaked open. I pushed myself up a little, wincing as my bruises protested. Hern had mentioned our tutor would arrive today, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

When the door fully opened, in stepped an older man, probably around Vrintas’ age. Whatever the hell that was. He was dressed simply, almost like a priest, with a long, modest robe and a belt tied loosely around his waist. His hair was grey, his face lined with age, but his eyes were sharp and kind. Despite the wrinkles, he had an air of energy about him, like someone who didn’t let age slow him down.

“I see you two are still in one piece.” he said with a smile, his voice warm. “I’m Arcon Themion. Your new tutor, as I’m sure you’ve been told.”

Behind him, another figure stepped in - a younger man with striking... purple hair, of all colors. Cut short, and a sharp, angular face. He was dressed like he’d just walked out of an ancient battlefield, wearing armor that looked like it belonged into a Greek museum - bronze chestplate, greaves, and all. He didn’t smile, barely even glanced at us. His posture was rigid and distant.

“This,” Arcon Themion gestured to the younger man, “is my... apprentice, Damarion. He’s here to observe... and maybe help if he feels like it.”

Damarion crossed his arms, not bothering to correct or add anything to the introduction. His purple hair stood out even more against the bronze armor, but it was his distant demeanor that felt like a wall. That guy was definitely not here to make any new friends. If he had any, in the first place.

Something about these two struck me as familiar. The way they looked. But I couldn't quite pinpoint it.

I exchanged a glance with Rheka, who had woken up but was staying quiet for now.

“I know this must be a strange time to meet your tutor.” Arcon Themion continued, stepping closer to Rheka. “But it’s better to start now than wait, especially with the strain your magic is already under.”

She nodded, still a bit dazed.

“You’re... Heraklean, right?” I asked from the side.

The Arcon turned to me. “Indeed. Well done.” he said, smiling again. “From the Chovolian Archipelago, just like my apprentice. Though we come from slightly different parts.”

Damarion shifted slightly, his eyes wandering the room like he was already bored.

These two were Herakleans. Think about the most generic ancient Greek civilization you could come up with and it's probably these guys. Jokes aside though, if I recall correctly, these folks live quite a distance away. So getting here was probably not a simple undertaking. I didn't know much about these people, except for the fact that they weren't a united one. There was no one united Heraklean country. Most of them lived in seperated, smaller kingdoms or even singular cities. Their description from the books definitely seemed to match, you couldn't get any more hellenic than this. That stupid island, the one that Tavrin so desperately wanted to go to, was also in that same archipelago. I'm assuming Arcon meant that either he or both of them were from the Arcongress. This was as official as official could be.

“I can't say I've ever had the pleasure of conversing with a dragon. Much less a speaking one." Arcon Themion said with a chuckle. “I've been informed that you two have already had your introduction to the ways of the arcane."

Rheka and I nodded in unison. Though, I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Vrintas wasn't exactly a... certified teacher.

"Splendid. We can get right into the interesting part then." Themion said, straightening himself. Huh. I guess it doesn't matter. "We will start when the two of you feel like you've recovered enough." He gave a slight bow, turned and headed for the exit. Damarion followed suit.

Just as they were about to leave through the door the Arcon turned one last time. "Oh and before I forget! I'm uncertain if Vrintas mentioned it, but I specialize in Nekronomy, so I hope you'll find my methods... effective. It was a pleasure meeting you, Argius." He chuckled before the two of them dissapeared through the door.

Wait. Nekronomy? So, that means...

...he's a Nekro too?