It was incredibly dark by the time they reached the Square of Faith, but you wouldn’t know it from the amount of lamps which were set about the perimeter. Jano had been here once, the last time that the Emperor had visited the Empire’s namesake. The entirety of the city had attended, or so it had seemed at the time. Now though, it looked much bigger in the empty darkness.

Massive stone houses strafed the Square, with each trying to outdo one another. Further ahead was the start of the palace road and Jano could just see the tips of the university spires in the distance, themselves lit up with an eldritch glow. A few people mulled about, but it was far too late for respectable citizens to still be awake, so they seemed to keep to themselves.

Jano and Nara kept to the edge of the Square near the shadows, without trying to appear suspicious. There was enough cover provided, because the houses were palatial. Long, exquisite flowing walls guarded off the gardens which surrounded each house. Jano could hear the soft sound of water flowing as he passed. He peered over the nearest wall and saw two stone dragons, blowing water at each other in a large loop.

In the distance, not far from the spires, Jano could see tall blocks of stone five or six stories high, which were apparently built for the students. He was struck by how much light was afforded to this part of the city. The Slums had to contend with total darkness in between the few lamps which weren’t broken.

They weren’t here for sightseeing though. “Come on, we can get to the University this way.” Nara said. Before they had left the House of Trin, they had draped some thin robes over their regular clothing. If they were investigated with any real vigour, they’d be discovered. But as long as they kept out of the way, they should pass for junior Mages. At least that’s what Jano told himself.

The Square of Faith was extremely well kept, as Jano had expected. But the contrast was stark. He was used to the dusty, filthy streets of the Slums. Here, there didn’t seem to be even a pebble out of place. The smooth stone paths were decorated with a beautiful green colour, which shimmered even in the cloud. Jano looked up and noticed that even the weather seemed better in this part of the city. It seemed much less grey.

The buildings were not the same stone of the Middle, but ancient stone, shaped in beautiful ways. Though it was aged, it was pristine and not even a chip in sight. Jano could feel the strength of its essence without even focussing. They passed a building to their left across an elaborate courtyard. It was a church, massive and imposing. It had been years since Jano had seen one. They didn’t allow them in the Slums, ever since one had been set on fire.

They continued down past the church, Jano’s new shoes tapping lightly on the stone below. His feet started to chafe and he cursed himself for not fully breaking them in. It had been a long time since he had anything new to break in after all.

Out of the shadows, a couple of figures started walking towards them. He stiffened up and his heart started pounding. He moved closer to Nara, who looked remarkably comfortable. Her gait hadn’t changed, even a little. She continued to walk. The figures turned down a side street without much more than a cursory look toward them.

It was only then that Jano realised she had waited for him. She must have clocked the figures even further than he had. He had heard of the physical advantages of being a Guard, that they channeled essence to strengthen themselves. But he hadn’t ever experienced it. Even when he was arrested, he went willingly. He tried to push it out of his mind.

Either way, he stayed as close to her as he could get. They walked in silence the rest of the way, until the University loomed above. Its shape was sharp and it looked sinister in the darkness. There were two huge spire structures on either side of the building, and the structure itself was interspersed with large glass windows and intricate stone carvings.

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“Come on! Quickly. We don’t want to be caught here.” She said in a muted voice. He started to run, but she was off. He took a big sigh and lowered his head. He seemed to be constantly running after someone.

Jano began trying to anticipate Nara’s movements so he could gain a little distance, but no matter what he tried, she just seemed to pull further and further away. Sweat began to pour down his back as he turned this way and that. His robes flapped around him with unfamiliarity. He pulled himself around a blind corner, but he passed a little too close to the wall and lost his balance. With a quiet swooshing sound and a larger thump, he tripped over some small steel railings. They were no higher than his ankles and he landed face first in a small garden. He cursed while attempting to stand, wobbling a little. He corrected himself a little too well and almost fell into the bushes by his sides, which had thorns the size of his fingers.

Nara had taken up a position crouching by the side of a stone porch which jutted out at the rear of the University. It seemed to be slightly newer than the rest of the building. She watched him almost stumble. Fantastic. She had to see it didn’t she? He thought.

He was at least glad it was dark, so he couldn’t see the look of disapproval she inevitably wore.

He joined her as quickly as he could, taking care not to trip again. “Are you quite ready? Or are there any more gardens you’d like to visit before we get started?” She asked. He looked down at the floor. Realising what they were there to do, he felt the essence of the stone of the University. It almost overwhelmed him. He withdrew his hands. He stayed silent as he tried to figure out whether his spirit could process such power.

“Is everything okay?” She looked concerned, though he wasn’t sure if it was at him or the job at hand.

“Yeah. It’s… it’s fine. It’s just very strong. Like the essence is trying to force its way into my spirit. I need a second to temper it or I could bring the entire thing down.”

She looked at the stone. “Can you get us in or not?” She asked.

He spread his fingers on the stone. He could do his work without this step, but with stone this ancient, he would rather be safe than sorry. He crouched down. He tapped his power and began pulling on the stone brick. He could feel that it was at least two arms span lengths thick. It weighed on his spirit. It moved very slowly.

Nara took a step back. Force was gathering around the stone. He had been practicing this for weeks now and he had gained much of his former mastery back. Just like riding a horse, he thought.

“Hurry up.” Nara said.

Jano thought he was moving along at a decent clip, so he was a little upset at the remark. He had one brick removed, he held the remaining structure with his power. After a few moments, the hole was almost big enough for them to get through. “Can you get through that? She asked.

“One more just to be safe.”

“Quick as you can.” Her voice was different.

He removed the remaining stone and they managed to stumble into the University. He could feel that he was starting to shake a little as he held the remaining structure in place. As a Class Ten, this would have pulled his spirit in half. Ripped it irreparably. Nara ducked through the freshly opened doorway and he followed, while holding his concentration. He placed the stone back as quickly as possible.

“As good as new.” Nara said. She almost sounded impressed as the dust settled and the stone formed a solid wall once more. It was pitch black.