After a fun-family filled night, the time off Aunty P. had given the Inquisitors came to an end. It wasn’t that she wished to keep the boys from their parents, but rather there were dangers around every corner. It wasn’t just someone wishing to kidnap Sybil but also opportunistic individuals wishing to cash-in on the royal presence in the city.

Sybil and her aunt technically didn’t arrive in the city for another day, but those with a keen eye already knew the royals were present. No one thought anyone was going to attack before the Royal Dream, but there was always the possibility.

All of this together caused Leland to ask his dad to portal him outside the city limits and into the nearby forest.

“Why?” Spencer asked.

“Err,” Leland looked to Sybil who was having breakfast at the same table, “because I want to exercise.”

A snort sounded from near the hearth. Isobel then said, “A mage looking to exercise? I’ve seen it all!”

Lucia frowned and sent a weak wave of electricity. It wasn’t enough to hurt anyone in the room, but for Isobel, her hair suddenly found itself sticking straight up.

“If Leland wants to exercise, then who are we to stop him?”

Still frowning, Spencer asked, “But why outside the city? There is plenty of room in the courtyards to run around.”

Leland swayed a bit, catching a glance from Glenny. The rogue was sitting a few seats away, unenthusiastically toying with half of a grapefruit. His dad was nowhere to be seen, but since he was the leading expert of stealth for miles around, Leland suspected he was much closer than it appeared.

Glenny took the hint and spoke up, “Well I was going to go with him if you didn’t mind portaling us both. I wanted to test out my cloak without prying eyes.”

Spencer made a face that clearly revealed he did not believe the boys.

Leland sighed. “I’m embarrassed, okay? I’ve run the last few mornings and each time I’ve thrown up.” He didn’t miss Sybil glancing away while the Huntress snorted.

Lucia leaned over and rubbed her son’s back. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about something like that. Everyone has to start somewhere.”

“Mages further behind than most!” The Huntress laughed.

Even Sybil frowned at her, unamused.

“Want to wait for Jude and his parents to get back?” Spencer asked.

Aunty P. may have had their parents working despite the boys being in town , but that didn’t mean she was apathetic to the fact they hadn’t seen each other in some time. And since not everyone was needed at all times of the day, she had organized a rotation of time off for the Inquisitors, which was especially easy since the Huntress was assigned to guarding Sybil as well.

Jude had drawn the largest stick and his parents got time off first.

“No,” Leland said. “I’m sure Jude will be unconcerned that he didn’t get to exercise with us this morning…”

“Well alright then,” Spencer said. “Don’t be out too long. The Reflections should be starting in a few hours.”

Today marked the start of the Royal Dream, the beginning of Ruinsforth and the Reflection Kingdom starting to become one. What it truly meant, the boys didn’t fully know. Only that specters and ghosts were among the more tame attractions.

And with that, Spencer, a powerful Legacy of the Mage specializing in spatial magic, opened a portal to a random spot in the forest where he sensed no living things besides plants and mundane animals.

Glenny and Leland stepped through, leaving their parents, Sybil, and the Huntress alone. Lucia and Spencer, while worried, also knew certain aspects of Leland’s abilities. They, not even for a moment, believed he was just embarrassed to be seen huffing and puffing. Which, to them, meant more than they let on.

Leland obviously didn’t trust someone in close proximity. The obvious answer was the Huntress. It was no secret to them that Isobel was following and helping the boys. It was also no secret that something had happened to Leland after they last spoke to him via portal.

Whispers that the High Inquisitor and the Huntress had a meeting in the field were well known at this point. And along with the Huntress randomly being on Sybil’s guard duty? Lucia and Spencer could easily make guesses.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Now, the question was, was the Huntress tasked with following Leland and reporting back to the High Inquisitor about a potential Harbinger threat? Because if that was the case, Lucia and Spencer needed to know sooner than later.

There was also the possibility that Leland didn’t trust Glenny’s dad or Jude’s parents. But Lucia and Spencer found that unlikely. Which left Aunty P. and Sybil. Sybil was incredibly unlikely to be the subject of Leland’s distrust, leaving only Aunty P. Lucia and Spencer could see their son worrying about those close to the Queen, but he’d known Aunty P. since he was a kid.

Which routed their rationale back to the Huntress.

It only took a glance for the husband and wife to read each other’s minds on the subject matter. They agreed, looking over to where the Huntress—

“Where’d she go?” Spencer asked, standing.

Sybil patted her face with a napkin, then stuck her mask on. Her voice came out a bit augmented. “Don’t know. But Aunty P. warned me about her. She said the Huntress was ‘unreliable but trustworthy.’”

Lucia looked to the corner where an invisible figure sat beneath a cloak of blades. Carmon slowly appeared, her eyes adjusting to the odd field of aura his Legacy created. “Did you see where she went?”

Carmon nodded, “Into the portal with our kids.”

“What?” Spencer yelled. It was his portal, how did she go through without him noticing?

“That weapon of hers. It held the ability to blink. She must have killed a mage of some kind recently.”

Spencer was about to protest more, but the doors of the hall opened and Aunty P. stepped in. He grit his teeth, much like his wife was already doing. They had a job to do, they couldn’t just leave because they had a hunch the Huntress was investigating their child. If their instincts were incorrect, a lot of things would instantly go wrong.

“Ready to go?” Aunty P. asked, looking around. “Where’s Isobel? She was supposed to be on overwatch.”

“Outside the city with Leland and Glenny,” Carmon casually said, oblivious to any possible behind the scenes happenings.

Aunty P. sighed, removing a pad of paper from her pocket. She marked it, and said, “That’s strike one. Two more and she’s being sent back for my sister and the High Inquisitor to deal with.”

Lucia and Spencer shared a glance. They could orchestrate two more strikes, right? Send Isobel home before she could truly start her investigation? They were expert mages, that should be a cake walk.

----------------------------------------

As Leland sprinted around the forest to complete the Lord of Endurance’s daily training, he couldn’t help but feel he was being watched. It wasn’t until the third lap around the makeshift track that a figure stepped into focus. He groaned.

To his right, Glenny sat with his cloak of shadows blazing like a phoenix’s fiery mane feathers. He was doing… something, to manipulate the parasitic cloak, but Leland had no idea of the specifics. Truthfully, he was more focused on the figure before him.

“Isobel,” he said, slowing his pace somewhat.

“Oh don’t stop exercising on my account,” she said with a laugh, kicking off to match his speed.

Leland groaned again, “What do you want?”

“Just to see what this is all about.”

“’This,’” he gestured around, his breath starting to hitch, “is me making a conscious effort to better myself so something like that never happens again.”

The Huntress watched him carefully, the running not affecting her whatsoever. She knew what he was referring to, the battle with the Toy Maker. She wanted to stop him where he stood and interrogate him, but she was hesitant. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the details. She had played off Leland’s involvement to the High Inquisitor well enough, but if she knew more information… she might not be able to skirt around future questions.

She had decided already though, she trusted Leland. She didn’t need more details.

Isobel turned back, facing the track with new eyes. “I see. In that case, I will help you.”

Leland snorted. He had an exercise plan from a Lord, he didn’t think whatever she could suggest would be all that helpful. As he went on to explain as much, albeit in a very much redacted way, he startled.

The Huntress was gone and suddenly he had a heavy sinking feeling in his gut. His fears were all but confirmed when a small twig ripped through his striding legs. He almost tripped, finding the twig barrel through the dirt like a launched cannon ball. Leland froze, the ground resembling a meteor’s aftermath.

“That was a warning shot!” the Huntress called from somewhere in the canopy. “Unless you dodge, next time I won’t miss!”

“You’re going to take my leg off!” Leland shouted back.

“Eh, you have a healing spell, remember? And I’ve got potions if something really bad does happen!”

“No! I’m not doing this!”

The Huntress appeared back at his side, silently leaping dozens of yards without making so much as a leaf fall. “You don’t want my help?”

Leland hesitated on answering. If she was offering, then yes. He eyed the twig buried in the ground. “N-not like this…”

She gave a large huff. “What do you have in mind then?”

He thought back to his battle with the Harbinger, specifically the puppets he controlled. Leland had spent the battle dodging fists and blunt weapons. And while he did survive, he was closer to death in the aftermath than ever before.

“Close range,” he said with a bit of determination. “I don’t want to be able to beat someone in a melee, I’m not that kind of fighter, but I want to be able to survive a scrape.”

The Huntress pondered the request. “I think I can help with that.”

“Fine, but no hurting me to the point either of us have to expend a healing resource.” Leland paused. “My definition of a healing resource,” the Huntress frowned, “And we start after my run. I can’t break my daily streak without good reason.”