The cool night breeze carried the scents of the meadows, mingling with the earthy aroma of the forest. There in the middle of the night, the shimmering portal activated by Thornewood still glowed brightly.

“I may not be able to open this portal,” Thornewood said, his eyes reflecting the portal’s glow, “but I know someone who might have some answers… or at least some clues.”

Ardwyn’s head snapped up, a spark of hope rekindling in his chest. “Who?”

“An old friend. Her name is Elara. She’s an arch-mage, and one of the foremost experts on portals in all of Aerolia.”

“Can we trust her?” Ardwyn asked, remembering Thornewood’s earlier warnings about lurking dangers.

Thornewood’s smile widened. “Let’s just say she owes me a favor. A rather significant one.”

He gestured towards the portal he had opened earlier. “This will take us to the outskirts of the citadel of the Academy.” He turned towards Ardwyn and with a glint in his eyes said, “Are you ready?”

Ardwyn didn’t have a choice to respond. Thornewood had already disappeared through the portal.

For a moment Ardwyn stood there, considering the possibilities and his situation. Could he really trust Thornewood? The stranger seemed trustworthy enough, paying for his food back at the inn.

And the flowers? He had almost forgotten about the Ethereal Blossoms. He found them rested against a stone where he had left them. They started to glow with a sparkly shimmer next to the portal. He considered his situation for one more moment, grabbed the Ethereal Blossoms, and then stepped through the portal.

The portal’s energy wrapped around Ardwyn with a sensation of light and warmth. On the other side of the portal he tumbled, falling forwards. When he looked around, he found himself in a mountainous landscape. Ardwyn stood on a rocky outcrop, the ground beneath his feet hard. A biting wind whipped around him, carrying flecks of ice and snow that stung his face.

Before him stretched a vast, desolate plain, broken only by jagged rocks and patches of snow. In the distance, towering mountains rose like silent sentinels, their peaks shrouded in mist and perpetual snow. The sky above, a combination of muted grays and silvers, cast an otherworldly appearance to the landscape.

But it was what lay at the center of this harsh view that captured Ardwyn’s attention. There, nestled between the mountains, stood a magnificent citadel. It's spires reached towards the sky. The central tower, taller and more imposing than the rest, pierced the low-hanging clouds like a blade.

Despite the distance, Ardwyn could make out the flickering lights in the citadels’ windows, hinting at life within its stone walls. The structure seemed to both belong and stand apart from the rugged landscape, a bastion of civilization in this wild, untamed realm.

To his left, Thornewood stood, pulling his cloak over him to fight the cold. He seemed to also be taking an awe-inspired view of the citadel.

“Still just as marvelous as the first time,” Thornewood’s voice was barely audible above the howling wind. There was a note of reverence in his tone, tinged with something else — perhaps a hint of longing or regret. “Come, let’s make our way before nightfall. The paths here can be treacherous after dark”

As they began their descent from the rocky outcrop, Ardwyn felt the uneven ground shift beneath his feet. Loose stones skittered away, disappearing into the mist that clung to the lower slopes. The Ethereal Blossoms in his arms pulsed with a warm, comforting light.

“Couldn’t you just have opened the portal somewhere closer to the citadel?” Ardwyn shouted, trying to make his voice louder than the howling wind.

“Strict rules of the Council of Mages forbid opening a portal any closer to the Academy’s citadel.” He said turning to Ardwyn. “There is a sound reason behind that, as you might not expect what you bring back with you.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Thornewood moved with the sure-footed grace of someone who had walked these paths before. His hand occasionally reached out to steady Ardwyn on a particularly treacherous slope. “Watch your step,” he said, pointing to a patch of deceptively smooth ground. “The ice here is thin enough to see through, and to fall through.”

As they carefully made their way down the slope, the citadel loomed larger, its architecture becoming clearer in the cold mists. Ardwyn could now make out the details on the towers. Some strange feeling caused Ardwyn to feel like in this realm he was not alone, or perhaps not entirely welcome. He looked behind him, following the forms of the mountains and crevices, the shadows they made in the last moments of dusk.

As the last rays of the fading day painted the sky in hues of grays and dark blues, Thornewood paused, his gaze fixed on the citadel. “We’re entering the outer wards now,” he said. “From here on, every step, every word, might be observed.”

Ardwyn clutched the Ethereal Blossoms closer, drawing strength from their warm glow. Whatever lay ahead he knew there was no turning back now.

As they approached the massive gates of the citadel, Ardwyn noticed the air hummed with an energy that he couldn’t describe. Maybe it was the effect of the Ethereal Blossoms. He wasn’t quite sure.

The stone walls towered above them, seeming much larger now that they were up close than in the distance. Thornewood raised his hand, palm outward, towards the gate. For a moment, nothing happened. Then with the sound of heavy metal chains the gates began to open.

Ardwyn clutched his shirt tight. He was freezing. Just a little more up ahead, and they could find some cover, he thought. The harsh, cold environment covered a courtyard that he was able to make out the details of as they approached. In the center of the courtyard stood a massive tree, its branches reaching towards the sky, the leaves shimmering with an inner light. The tree’s glow intensified, and suddenly small orbs of light detached from its branches, floating gently towards the Ethereal Blossoms Ardwyn held tightly under his arms.

“Magical potential indeed,” Thornewood said, looking back at the blossoms. “I am sure Elara would be interested to study the effect.”

As they made their way deeper into the academy grounds, an elderly mage looked down on them, standing on one of the balconies. He waved at them, and Thornewood waved back.

“You know him?” Ardwyn asked.

“Used to be one of my professors.”

“Professors?”

“I studied here,” Thornewood said. “At the Academy. That was a long time ago. Some of the professors still recognize me from that time.”

Ardwyn noticed what looked like an idyllic courtyard with gazebos and rows of neatly trimmed hedges. “Is this where the mages are trained?” Ardwyn asked.

Thornewood nodded. “Among other things. The Academy is also a center of research, and a repository of ancient knowledge.” He paused, his voice dropping low. “And a seat of considerable power.”

They approached the main building. The spires that Ardwyn saw earlier in the distances where now in front of them, as if guarding the entrance.

For its size, the place looked rather empty. “Where is everyone?” Ardwyn asked.

“The semester is not in session. Starts next week I believe. The students are enjoying the last of their vacation.”

Ardwyn thought back to the summer break before school. He could relate. Hanging out at the school while on summer break was the last thing that he would ever consider. He understood why the citadel was so empty all of a sudden, and felt more comforted by the strangeness of his surroundings.

Ardwyn followed Thornewood up a flight of stone stairs, that arched up to a large hall filled with wooden tables. Then beyond the hall, through a series of corridors, and chambers of all sorts of various sizes, they came to a hall with a series of large wooden doors.

“This is the Arcane Arts department,” Thornewood said. “and Elara’s office is right through here.” He walked to one of the large wooden doors, with a metal sculpture of a dragon’s head. In the dragon’s jaws rested a large iron door knob ring. Thornewood lifted the metal ring and then let it fall on the door with a large thud. He repeated the motion three times.

The doors opened almost on their own accord, and in front of them, behind a large wooden desk, surrounded by shelves of books, papers and various alchemical apparatus, a woman spun around in her chair.

The woman’s hair, shimmered in the candlelight of the room, with braids tied around her hair. She wore a robe of deep indigo, with golden spiraling patterns. Her fingers were adorned with rings of various metals and gemstones, which shined in the candlelight.

She was noticeably surprised to see Thornewood along with Ardwyn. She said in surprise, “Thornewood?”

They seemed to have not seen each other in a long time.

“Elara,” Thornewood said, “it’s been a while.”

“It has. Hasn’t it?” Elara said matter of fact, and then looked over Ardwyn and studied him, especially the Ethereal Blossoms flower pot he carried under his arm.

Thornewood said, “What are you doing working in the office this late?”

“Catching up. New classes are starting and I am preparing coursework.”

“Well, I’m glad I found you,” Thornewood said. “Even at this late hour.” Thornewood placed his hand on Ardwyn’s shoulder. “We’ve come to you in need of your help. Perhaps you could shed some of your expertise on the matter.”

“What sort of matter?” Elara asked, and perked up, somewhat relieved from a break of the drudgery of going through her stack of papers. Her gaze fixated again on the Ethereal Blossoms.