The only upside of Cayden's walk across campus was that his blindness saved him the embarrassment of seeing any observers.

Not that he wasn't embarrassed. Just that he avoided the extra embarrassment of seeing them.

His hearing was good enough to detect the steps of the occasional student as they hurried to wherever they were going. Perhaps his estimation of his noble classmates was lower than it should have been, because they surprised him by the absence of laughter at his expense. Even better was the lack of offers of assistance. As bad as laughter would have been, pity would have been worse; unlike laughter, he couldn't hold that against them.

Regardless, he eventually found his way to his destination. It wasn’t easy, but one of the first things Cayden had done after losing his sight was memorize all the different paths across campus and which ones he'd need to take to get to each of the major buildings. It was more difficult without his spear to feel his way, but he was able to use his feet – and occasionally, in the more embarrassing moments, his hands – to manage.

He wasn't completely certain, but he was at least ninety percent sure that he was at the correct building as he felt around for the door handle, hearing the scratching of a pen against paper stop at the sound of the door opening.

"Hello? Can I help you?" he heard, and he smiled toward the feminine-sounding voice.

"Yes, please. I'm looking for Instructor Blyre's office?"

"Up the stairs, first door on the left," the voice said, and then the quiet scritching resumed. But when Cayden didn't immediately start moving, he heard the quiet clack of the pen being set on a table. "Was there anything else?"

"Um, where are the stairs?" Cayden asked as he gestured to his bound eyes with a wry smile.

"Oh. Oh! Do you need me to guide you there?"

"No, just point me in the right direction and I'll figure it out."

"Are you sure? It's no trouble."

"Yeah, I'll be fine." There was a moment of silence, the woman evidently not convinced, and Cayden sighed. "I'm hoping to increase my perception."

"Ah! Of course. In that case, if you turn left and take ten steps, the stairs will be on your right. Good luck!"

Cayden smiled and nodded his thanks. If there was one thing people at the academy understood, it was training. And technically, he was training his perception – even if it wasn't the main reason for the blindfold.

Following the directions, he managed to make his way up the stairs and find the first doorway on the left in the hallway at the top. He lifted a hand to knock, but before he could bring his fist forward, he heard a voice call as the door swung open.

"Enter."

Instructor Blyre had always been one of his most intimidating instructors, at least in Cayden's mind. She was a vampire, a race whose requirements Cayden and Elise had never managed to uncover, and his first impression of her was that she seemed like a stereotypical elementary school teacher: calm, strict, yet still approachable in her demeanor. It was only through his [Mind is a Temple] skill that he was able to detect the subtle mental manipulations she used with every sentence, and only after he'd detected her manipulations that she'd revealed her more...predatory...nature.

Not that he thought she was hostile. Thus far, none of her detected manipulations had seemed malicious, and her actions all appeared to be in defense of the academy and the students housed therein.

That didn't stop Cayden from pausing before crossing the threshold, switching [Taunt] for [Immutable]. He was still leery of having the tier-three skill active, but he was much more scared of the instructor.

"Have a seat, Cayden," the instructor said, and a thin tendril of...something...wrapped around his wrist, gently guiding him forward, turning him, and then pressing on his shoulders until he sat back into a cushioned chair. "I presume this is about your sister's living situation?"

"Oh, you got the message already? Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk about."

"Message? No, I haven't received any message, but if one is on its way I'll keep an eye out for it. I've simply been expecting this conversation. I've unfortunately had to have several like it already." Cayden felt a creeping sense of foreboding. "...and just as unfortunately, I'm going to say the same thing that I said in those conversations: at this time, we will not be making any exceptions for access to the academy."

"But she was already living here! She's just a thirteen-year-old, what's she going to hurt? And it's not like anyone else is using the space..."

"I understand, and the timing is certainly less than ideal. We normally would allow siblings of students and others like your sister to live at the academy during the off-season, even if they weren't formally enrolled. As you said, we have the space, and we understand how this environment can be conducive to learning even without classes and official lesson plans. But I've already had to deny three different sets of noble parents with children just as young as Tiana. I hope you can understand that, in light of recent events, we've had to make changes, and can’t allow exceptions to those rules."

"Recent events?? What's happened to cause all of this?!"

"You don't know?" Instructor Blyre asked, a note of surprise entering her voice for the first time.

"I know about the curfew, but that's it. I've been on a delving trip for the last two days, and just got back last night."

"Ah, well...then I suppose I can understand your surprise," Instructor Blyre replied. "I am perhaps not the best person to tell you...but in short, the conflict between the new Queen Aerilyn and a faction of nobles has escalated. With the added danger to our students, we have upped the security of the academy to compensate – but we will not be used as a shelter by those attempting to escape violence. Callous though it may be, the academy will remain neutral in political affairs, which, for the moment, means no admittance to anyone not actively enrolled."

"But we don't care about all that political stuff! We..." Cayden began, but then he hesitated. He wanted to claim that he and Tiana were different – she was just a kid, and they were no noble family hiding from the wrath of political rivals. But each excuse died on his lips.

Were they truly different from the other nobles seeking shelter? Nobles had children too, and he and Tiana were perhaps more involved in the attempted coup than many noble families. As much as he wanted to argue otherwise, Tiana had no more right to be at the academy than any random noble brat.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It was a startling realization. He’d expected to come in here arguing for his and his sister’s rights, demanding to be treated equally with the noble students. Expected that of course noble families would be granted exceptions to the new rules, because why wouldn’t they?

The fact that the rules were being enforced against the nobles too took apart every argument he might have made. He prided himself on being different than the arrogant nobles – how could he hold onto that pride while demanding special concessions for himself? Sure, it was against a rule he disagreed with, but if it was being applied fairly, how could he contest it?

What else could they do, though? He enjoyed the academy and had grown immensely in the months since he'd arrived. He wanted that same opportunity for Tiana – either in the main Delver's academy or at the affiliate academy with Delphia – but even more, he wanted the safety that it provided. Without that, there was little reason for them to remain in the capital.

But where else could they go? The primary soldiers of both the crown and the nobility had wings. The legionnaires had found Tiana in Avernon within hours of completing her change. Sure, they could flee to some far-off no-name village, but would obscurity truly keep them safe, especially when their enemies possessed the resources of those as powerful as fateweavers?

And potentially even more importantly, Cayden realized: would Tiana accept that?

She'd gotten a taste of power with her fateweaver race. It was the whole reason she'd accepted her relocation to the capital in the first place: a chance to mingle with nobles and grasp at real power beyond what normally could be held by common orphans. He hoped she'd learned her lesson...but he knew Tiana well enough to doubt she'd accept fading into obscurity.

And now that he considered it, was that something he could accept? After tasting the excitement of delving and the exhilaration of pushing his race, class, and skills as far as they could go...would he be able to accept going back to being a simple [Apprentice Blacksmith]?

"I understand this presents issues for you, and apologize for the timing. If I'd known this was coming, I wouldn't have agreed to let Tiana stay here in the first place," Instructor Blyre eventually said, distracting him from his musings. "The academy will provide Tiana with one week's worth of temporary housing nearby – the details of which should be waiting for you in your dorm. Although..." she hesitated. "Are you truly hoping to distance yourself from the politics of the kingdom? Your goal for yourself and your sister is to grow and learn? Irrespective of location or noble influence?"

"Yes, of course," Cayden immediately responded. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised by the note of doubt in Instructor Blyre's voice – as much as they'd tried to keep his involvement in the duke's death and his employment by the princess a secret, it wouldn't surprise him if Instructor Blyre knew the truth. Maybe it was just the mystique she'd built, but Cayden got the feeling that few things that happened within her academy remained secret from her for long.

But, despite the evidence to the contrary, Cayden cared nothing for the nobles or the political power they wielded. All he wanted was for him and his sister to be able to learn and grow in safety.

"In that case, there may be another option," Instructor Blyre began, and Cayden leaned forward in his chair. "Once every three years, the academy sends a team of promising students to compete in an annual international tournament hosted in Meletar, our neighbors to the north. It has a sub-twenty age category for entrants, and those who participate almost always come out of it for the better."

"Only once every three years? Why not every year, then, if it's annual?"

"The host of the tournament rotates between three allied nations, and the other two hosts are too difficult to visit to make it worthwhile. This year we normally wouldn't send competitors, but one of our students has generously offered to fund an expedition to participate. And any student under the age of twenty in good standing is invited to join – along with whatever attendants they may require."

Cayden immediately understood the instructor's implication. He could leave the kingdom, escaping – potentially for months – any political ramifications of his actions, and bring Tiana along as an 'attendant'. But then he frowned. "That's gotta be expensive; why would someone be willing to pay for all that?"

"Their exact motives are their own," Instructor Blyre responded. "But the route is not without danger, which a larger group would help mitigate. And while we cannot guarantee your safety, we have verified that the sponsor has no ill intent toward anyone who might join the expedition. An instructor will also be joining the expedition, both for safety and guidance during the journey."

"That's...certainly intriguing," Cayden finally said. "How long do I have to decide?"

"The expedition plans to leave in three days, and they will need to know if you are joining within the next two. Let me know if you plan to do so by then."

Hearing the dismissal in her tone, Cayden stood from his chair. "I'll do that, thanks."

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

The walk to his dorm was easier than his search for Instructor Blyre's office. He was more familiar with the pathways, so it didn't take too long before he unlocked the door to his dorm room and stepped into the familiar space with relief.

"Cayden! You're back!" Elise called as he crossed the threshold. "Gimme a second, let me clean up – I made a bit of a mess."

Cayden stood in place as he listened to the rustling of Elise rushing around the dorm. "Hey, Elise. Have you been living here?"

"Yeah, but just for the last day, waiting for the two of you to get back. I was at first just checking if you had returned, but found some messages for you that the academy had slipped under the door. I read them – I hope you don't mind – but they're kicking Tiana out!"

Cayden sighed. He didn't mind that Elise had come into the dorm or opened his mail. It made the process of tracking her down infinitely easier, but the fact she'd been living in his common area, even if just for a day, was disappointing.

There was a reason he'd avoided visiting his friend's place since losing his sight.

"Yeah, I heard. I just had a meeting with Instructor Blyre to try and get special permission for her."

"And?" Elise asked, backdropped by the unmistakable sound of garbage being smushed down to make more room in the trash can.

"No luck," Cayden replied with a frown. "Apparently, there's been some instability that's keeping them from housing non-students. Do you know anything about that?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? It was pretty much all anyone was talking about yesterday."

"What happened?"

"Keep in mind that everything I've heard is just rumors, so it might not be completely true...but two nights ago, the queen attempted to continue her spree of executing minor nobles. This time, though, the target was prepared. I don't know how he knew he'd be the target, but he'd allied with several other minor nobles, with their combined forces lying in wait – and they were able to repel the queen's attack."

"Oh wow…and then what happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Some say the allied nobles attempted to retaliate, while others say a different group of nobles, ones who previously supported the queen, turned against her. Regardless, both the targeted baron and the queen are still alive, but the queen was worried enough about assassinations that she declared a curfew, with everyone entering and exiting the capital to be searched and [Inspected]." She paused. "Even before the news broke, there have been more and more noble parents visiting campus, attempting to house their kids here for their safety. Evidently, it was enough of an issue that the administration decided they needed to limit who could use the campus. Basura has been in two minds about it – the affiliate academy has a less strict on- and off-season than the main academy, and they accept a wider range of ages, too, so applications have skyrocketed in the last few days. He's concerned about the quality of the applicants, though."

Cayden frowned. The reasoning behind the academy's restrictions were good to know, but ultimately less important – aside from hoping Instructor Blyre changed her mind about Tiana, there wasn't much they could do to try to get her back on campus. Unless...

"Could Tiana get accepted to the affiliate academy?"

"...I suppose it's possible," Elise responded, though her tone didn't inspire confidence. "But most students at the affiliate academy are a bit older than in the main academy, not younger. She'd be the youngest student I know of by at least two years. And she'd have to show a project or other demonstration of her goals to impress the teachers." She hesitated. "I can ask Basura, but it's a long shot."

Cayden shook his head. That was an option, but more important – for the moment – was the state of the capital and the kingdom as a whole. He wasn't entirely sure what it all meant, but at least the conflict was currently confined to the nobles and their soldiers. They wouldn't have any time to be angry with him or track down a wayward fateweaver if they were too busy fighting each other.

Elise had stopped cleaning up the common area, so Cayden tentatively started moving toward his room, hoping his path was clear. "We should check in with Tiana and Jeremy. Can you help me pack an overnight bag from her room?"