Wherever the king went, Legosia would follow. One a scholar, the other a warrior, they fended off their enemies together.

Legosia would continue to rise through the ranks, until eventually he took his position as the new Remont of Elneshe.

On the day he was given his title, a parade was held. And Legosia swore in front of the entire nation, “Elneshe is my body. It’s rivers my blood. I will protect it till my dying breath.”

-From the 6th Chapter of “The Remont of Elneshe”

“This feels familiar, doesn’t it?” Leane noted as they flew over the skies. Galeon didn’t look down, focusing ahead of him.

“I remember how scared you were the first time I took you flying like this,” Galeon told her. How long ago had that even been? A month or two had passed, and Leane had adjusted to camp life almost immediately.

He couldn’t imagine his friends without her in there. But the same could be said of Isil and…. He didn’t want to think about it. Galeon shook his head.

“I didn’t know you could fly before that!” Leane said, chuckling.

“I showed you, didn’t I?” Galeon told her.

“Some of the other Afterburners wanted to show me around too, after that,” Leane said idly. The words had been said in passing, but they made Galeon pause.

“Did you… take them up on it?” Galeon asked. Leane looked confused.

“Wouldn’t they be the ones taking me up?” she asked.

“It’s a phrase, Leane.”

“Oh. No, I didn’t want to with them,” she said, continuing to stare off into the skies.

Galeon felt an easing in his heart. Something like gladness. He shook his head, stuffing those feelings for later. Noviselle’s office approached far ahead of them, and they had to land to get close.

****

Noviselle was busy with another order of requests. It seemed every day that more and more soldiers applied for leave, and she’d have to reject the appeal. It didn’t feel good, but her hands were tied. All that power as a Countess, and yet she had to listen to the whims of a noble higher along the chain.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. Split ends. Another worry she’d have to deal with.

A sound slowly started getting louder, and Noviselle took note. She looked outside of the window, jets on the feet of an Afterburner blowing snow inside. And only one Afterburner entered so brazenly.

Galeon smiled slightly at her, and Leane waved from his arms.

“You brought her here?” Noviselle asked him.

“She needs to know,” Galeon told her. Noviselle didn’t agree. She liked the girl, but Leane was new. And naïve. That meant she could be taken advantage of. But if Galeon trusted her…

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“Close the windows then. We don’t want anyone hearing in,” Noviselle told him. Galeon set Leane down on the ground, and moved back towards the opening. Leane glanced at Noviselle.

“Precautions,” Noviselle simply stated.

“Against who? Leon wouldn’t tell me the entire way here!” Leane said. Noviselle shot him a look and he winced.

“You’re better at these things,” Galeon said.

Noviselle sighed. Catching her up would be an issue, but she supposed the girl deserved it.

“You’ll want to sit down, Leane,” she told the woman.

****

Leane had her hands on her knees.

“I… didn’t know. Are you sure they were leaving?” she asked Galeon.

“Positive. All their tents, belongings, why else would they pack it?” he replied.

“I know it sounds absurd. Whatever that traitor told Galeon, we should take with a grain of salt,” Noviselle said. Leane stayed quiet, and Noviselle realized something.

“’Grain of salt’ is also an expression,” she corrected.

“I know…” Leane replied, dejectedly.

An awkward feeling permeated the room. It wasn’t easy to accept that your life was in danger, especially if it seemed so serene before. Noviselle looked around the room, trying to give the girl room. Her eyes landed on the documents she’d been working on, and she remembered.

“Is that everything you could gather on Arelia?” Galeon asked her. He was glancing at the notes, focused with his arms crossed.

“As much as I could discover,” Noviselle replied. “She was part of some territorial conflict before coming here. Before that, she was just some historian. But after resolving that issue, the king accepted her request to bring her and her soldiers to Elneshe,” Noviselle explained.

“She couldn’t come here sooner?” Galeon asked. Noviselle shook her head.

“His Highness needs some of the nobles to stay back. Keep the people happy,” Noviselle told him.

Leane was sitting quietly while Galeon and Noviselle conversed further. She seemed to fade into the background amongst their bickering.

“What are you and Galeon going to do now?” she interrupted them.

“We’re going to break into the Duchess’ office,” Noviselle said.

“What?!” Leane said, slamming her hands onto the table. Galeon winced again, and the young woman composed herself.

“We could use your help too, Leane,” Noviselle asked.

“Absolutely not,” Galeon interjected.

“She can get to places we can’t! Think about how much easier it would be with her!” Noviselle argued.

“And put her in danger? Novi, she’s not a hallowmancer!” Galeon fired back.

“Neither am I, yet I’m still risking my life for the mission.”

“Stop it, both of you!” Leane came between them, holding up a hand to each. Galeon had balled his fists, and Novi was snarling at him. They both looked so angry, but it only took a moment for the rage to fade.

“Novi, what are you going to do when you expose the Duchess?” Leane asked her. Noviselle steeled her eyes.

“Force her to tell us who else she was working with. Exorcise any other information that we can from her. Then have her assets taken and her executed.”

The words were presented as matter of fact, and Leane scowled. She glanced at Galeon, who didn’t dare meet her look.

“And you’re fine with letting this happen?” she asked him. the Afterburner gave no reply.

“If that’s what you’re going to do, then I can’t help you, Novi.”

“She killed Emile and Isil!” Noviselle countered.

“You don’t know that for sure! Maybe the person Galeon found was playing a trick on him! Didn’t you say so yourself? ‘Grain of salt’ and all that?” Leane asked her.

Noviselle flinched. It was the first time Galeon had seen such a thing. Noviselle was strong and confident, even if she could be stubborn. But seeing her like this? Doubtful? It made him reconsider his own actions.

“If you’re both going to do this, I can’t help you,” Leane told them. “Thank you for telling me, Novi. If there’s anything else I can do, please call me over. It was nice seeing you again,” Leane told her.

She walked out on both of them. Slammed the door behind her, leaving the both of them by themselves. Noviselle sank down back into her chair, holding her head in her hands. Her breaths were the only sound in the room.

Galeon started to walk away, when she spoke.

“We can do it without her. Arelia was asking for recent troop numbers. Are you with me, Galeon?” she asked him. Less an order and more of a plea. Galeon nodded.

“Always, Novi.”