'Bring him to me alive and willing to cooperate, or get rid of him.'

Those were the words I received from my brother as a farewell.

Well... he didn't exactly know it was a farewell. After all, I didn't bother telling him that I don't plan to return in the first place. When I later looked back at it, maybe I should have... Whatever the path was that led to my goal though, I was determined to stop this madness. Even if it meant turning my back on my only family. For a while at least.

My first impression of the City of Peaks... cold. Earlindon was only just bathing in the mid-autumn sun, but Hreshia already felt freezing. Being born in the cold land of mages in the north, I should have been used to it, but the air in the Elkjar Mountains somehow felt even rawer than in my homeland. Maybe it was the vicinity of the ever snow-covered summits, or just the fact that the city was hidden in their shadows for the most part of the day. I didn't know.

Despite the harsh environment, the people seemed rather friendly. The fact that I came from the south and wasn't wearing any of my traditional robes might have helped the matter. I quickly understood how they were able to stay cheerful and motivated to work in the cold when I tried a generous helping of the stew made from mountain venison and the herb infusion at the local tavern. They didn't even mind feeding Sivath.

Soon though, I had to stop acting like I was on vacation and take care of less pleasant business.

The Nitrael palace wasn't hard to find. The biggest and fanciest building in the city, yet still modest, hidden at the very back of the settlement, the forest behind it looking ready to swallow it at any moment. I chose to observe for a while, wondering what the garden surrounding it looked like in summer. Surely it would be much different from what could be found further south on the lowlands.

I spotted the man I came here for rather quickly.

Tall and dignified, his presence immediately commanded respect. But even so... there was more silence and calmness in him than on the loneliest peaks surrounding us. His hair was so black that at first I thought my brother mixed something up and that man was Sariarin's Disciple and not Ralethiel's. The proof of him being a Disciple first and foremost though was the fact that he went out of the palace and wandered off into the forest to the west wearing only simple trousers and a thin shirt. Madman.

Allowing him some distance, I followed, wondering how I should approach it. Would it be better to try to get to know him first, gain his trust, or just put the whole truth on the table straight away? It was hard to tell without knowing anything about his personality...

I twitched a little at the faintest rustle among the undergrowth behind my back. I almost forgot about Sharish's assassin's following me...

My lips curved into a tiny smile. Truth it is then.

As soon as we reached a safe distance from the palace, I stopped and turned around to make it obvious for my two shadows that I wanted to talk. Sure enough, after a few moments of silence, one of them came out into the open, his brown-grayish clothing making him almost melt into the surroundings.

"What is it?" he asked simply, his narrow, dark eyes wandering off from mine for just a second to glance in the direction the Disciple disappeared to.

"I'll handle this alone," I announced, making sure my voice would reach his partner hidden in the tree crowns as well.

The assassin frowned. "That wasn't the deal."

"Deals change. So do alliances, just like snow shifts in the strong, northern wind. I'm sorry my friends, but I can't let you inform my brother about this."

The rustle of needles above was almost inaudible, but was enough of a message. All the more because the man before me also reached to his belt. But unfortunately for them, I already had my hand on the shard of the Sunrise in my pocket.

A short spell was enough to render them both immobile and give myself some breathing space. Another spell and I had two coils of rope in my hands, one of which I swiftly used to restrain the guy whose eyes were throwing daggers at me as if wanting to compensate for the frustrating fact that he didn't manage to throw his real one. I wasn't even halfway done with him when I heard some louder rustle and the solid thud of his partner falling from the tree.

"Oh dear, sorry friend," I turned my head towards the swaying bush to my left, my hands not stopping to work. "I should've warned you to hold on better."

"You think you'll just get away with that...?" the luckier assassin growled at me when I took the blade that he dropped and threw it into a bush. Not the one his partner fell into.

"I don't. In fact, I know I'll get into serious trouble because of this. But you know what? There are..."

I trailed off and looked up upon noticing movement among the cold greens of the forest. Both me and the assassin froze for a second.

The Disciple of Ralethiel stood right there, next to a young pine, watching us with moderate interest. "What's going on here?" he asked, voice passive.

I looked back down at my former accomplice. "Want to tell him or should I?" The assassin stubbornly kept quiet, so I walked around him to be face to face with our target. "Those two were sent here to get rid of you. So was I, to be perfectly honest, but I didn't exactly like the idea."

Siaril's dark eyebrows shifted closer to each other in confusion. "What have I done to you to earn this kind of attention?"

"To us, nothing. But my brother is unfortunately very interested in having you at his side or deceased."

"Your brother?"

"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself," I wiped the sweat off of my hand and extended it to him. "I'm Light. Light Caydranth."

I must have looked like an idiot, standing there like that after introducing myself with that name to a Disciple of all people. But Siaril didn't even flinch.

"So the guy he sent last time was just a prelude? He didn't even try to touch me, so why does Sharish think he needs three people to handle me now?"

His tone was... strange. Apathetic, like he wasn't impressed at all by what was happening and didn't even care. I lowered my hand, taking the second rope. "Well..." I started, walking over to the bush that still concealed the other assassin. "I have no idea what happened between you and Canidralth, maybe Sharish didn't know the whole truth either and thought more spicy means were necessary."

"They weren't. You can take me or kill me if that will make your life easier."

I almost dropped the weapons I deprived my former co-worker of. I did notice the shadow of grief and sadness deeper than the ravine we were in from the get go, but now I thought I understood the reason for it. This man lost his will to live... no, he lost something more important than that, probably only just recently. Was it Canidralth's doing? What in the world could he have done though? He was only supposed to try and persuade the Disciple, and he was known for never doing more than what he was paid for...

If the Disciple was willing to give himself up to Sharish, would he even bother to listen to me?

Those thoughts were abruptly cut short by a dull pain in my stomach.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

I was too surprised to keep my concentration on the previous spell and too dumbstruck to react with another. I saw the assassin sprint for Siaril, luckily bare handed. Even so, it didn't stop the terror from almost freezing my blood solid as I stumbled backwards to find support on the trunk of the tree. If the Disciple didn't even care about his own life...

But Siaril unexpectedly drew a short dagger from the belt at his back, making the assassin hesitate. Whether it was just instinct on the Disciple's part or something else, it gave Sivath enough time to jump forward with a growl that would probably utterly terrify anyone other than me, tackle the man and pin him to the ground. Sivath wasn't very heavy or anything, so the assassin wouldn't have had a problem throwing him off, but the paw that pressed into his chest and the fangs barred right in front of his face effectively conveyed the message.

For a moment, none of us moved.

"Thanks... I guess..." Siaril muttered when I approached them, massaging my stomach. I was glad it was just a fist.

"Nothing to thank for... I should rather apologize. Your words caught me by surprise, which must have caused my spell to sort of loosen up..."

I was just about to lean down to at last bind the second assassin, but Siaril took the rope from my hands like it was the most casual thing to do and started restraining him himself.

"So... why exactly did you decide to act against your brother?" he asked, not looking at me.

"I just... want to stop him. I get that he has no reason to like humans, especially after the last few years, but I believe there's a better way than genocide... I don't want any of our races to end up like dragons just because there was too much pride and hatred to just sit down and talk."

Siaril straightened up after making sure the assassin was harmless and looked me in the eyes. His were cold... a deep green like a lake that bloomed in spring and got surprised by the ice of returning winter. "And how do you suggest we achieve that?" he asked.

I blinked. "We?"

"I thought that's what you came here for?"

"Well... yeah, but... do you really want to help me? Just like that?"

"It's not like I will get any peace if I don't... and there seem to be a lot of things that I'm not aware of yet... I really don't fancy seeing a massacre either. I didn't lose everything I want to protect just yet..."

Relief warmed my chest. So there was hope left...

Taking a deep breath to focus, I used another spell, making the two assassins disappear.

"What did you do to them?" Siaril asked, seeming slightly surprised for the first time.

"I just sent them to a nicer place... actually, I was going to ask you if you would like to hide there too. It's an old mansion I found, protected by numerous old spells. It'll be difficult for Sharish to find us there."

"Sounds good... is it far?"

"Near the new capital..."

"Oh..." Siaril gave it a brief thought, way too short for such a grave decision. "Would you give me time till tomorrow? I need to pack some stuff and inform my family..."

"Of course, I'll wait. I rented a room in the inn."

"Good..." he breathed, then suddenly extended his hand to me. When I blinked again, an explanation followed: "We got interrupted before. I'm Siaril Nitrael."

Smiling happily, I took his hand, so warm despite the cold surrounding us. "Light Caydranth."

It was all way too swift and way too smooth. But I learned the reason for Siaril's unnatural behavior shortly after we arrived at the mansion and decided to not question it any further. And so, we started plotting.

Our very first objective was to try and free the unfortunate young illathan from my brother's clutches, if possible, undetected. When we arrived at the valley of the Shinestone Stronghold though, awaiting us was only another surprise on the long string that started since I decided to escape that place.

Whether it was for the worse or better, we didn't find either Sharish's nor Yasenka's nor Canidralth's corpses among the grim ruins. He was still out there somewhere, the only question was if he learned something from this destructive lesson or not. I somehow felt it was the latter. But at that point, we decided to stop worrying about my brother for a while.

I knew from Canidralth that the Disciple of Sariarin escaped the royal castle and was most probably not far away yet. Yasenka likely returned to the Silivren Forest to hide from the world far better than she did before my brother paid her a visit... But no matter where they were, it was up to us to find them and bring all three Disciples together. Only then could we hope to be able to face the madness that overcame the man I still held so dear...

"And so here we are, two fools wondering why you didn't trust us, while it should have been us to trust you first..."

Absently stroking Sivath's silvery fur, I smiled to myself. "What became of the assassins?"

"I'm guilty of handing them over to Canidralth, but I'm not responsible for what happened to them next. I didn't ask either."

"Could he have set them free?"

"Unlikely. Why?"

"I just thought that maybe one of them could be the hooded bard that's following us..."

"Oh..." Light gently pinched his chin, remembering the conversation we once had.

"It wasn't you either, was it?"

"Nope."

"Oh well... And where did you get Siaril's sirath from?"

"Sharish. Don't ask me where he got it from though. He was looking for the shards of the Ilmerast for a long time, and eventually returned home with both the sirath and this piece," Light nodded towards the crystal still resting on the floor. I picked it up at last. "Sharish gave me that one to make my mission easier, so I thought it probably wouldn't bug him if I took the sirath as well... I have to say, I was really lucky to find this mansion. There were still old spells protecting the walls, allowing me to convince you all that I don't have as much power as the shard gave me..."

"Why did you give it to Canidralth though?"

Light sighed. "He paid me a visit a few weeks before Sharish found this place. He warned that my brother is on my trail, guided by the magic of the shard. It also turned out that I was the reason why those two went on their separate ways. Sharish didn't want to believe that his own brother stole the crystals and he stubbornly accused Canidralth," Light smiled a little. "Canidralth is a curious mage, with death in place of his shadow... but for some reason very veracious. Which is why I entrusted my shard to him, so he could wander around Earlindon with it, confusing Sharish in the process. I had to force him to promise me something though. If Sharish were to find this place, he was to return and pass the shard on to you, along with an explanation..."

For a moment, I stopped listening, diving into a tangled maze of thoughts. Canidralth killed Sitriel, even though that wasn't what he was paid for... If Light forced him to make a promise, that probably meant he didn't pay for the service, yet Canidralth still stayed true to his word... I understood that guy less and less every time someone spoke about him.

"Luckily," Light continued, "the shard was no longer in my possession when Sharish arrived here. Otherwise he would surely have combed through the mansion and found me trembling in fear in my bedroom... A rather pathetic sight for someone who so valiantly swore that he'd stop this madness... The will to help is not always enough. Right now, my magic is like kid's play compared to Sharish's..."

"No it's not," I stood up, one hand clenched around the shard he threw away, the other on my own on my neck. It stayed cold during the whole explanation, but it wasn't this icy, painful cold from before. This chill was mysteriously pleasant, calming... "You're way more powerful than him." I took his hand and returned the crystal to him, then reached into my pocket to add the newest one to it. "You have five shards at your disposal, while he possesses two."

My master's forehead wrinkled slightly in confusion. "Five? What in the world are you..." he trailed off when I loosened my other hand, allowing my sirath to dangle free. When he looked up to hesitantly seek confirmation, I didn't have to turn around to see that Siaril and Yasenka gave him supportive nods of their own. "I..." his voice got caught in his throat.

I didn't let him finish, hugging him and squeezing tight. I wasn't going to allow any of his tears to fall uncaught. Just like he always caught me when I struggled, now it was my turn to support this brave soul that suffered alone, trying to make sure that we wouldn't...

"I'm sorry..." he sobbed, so unlike the unyielding master who taught me firmness and determination. "I'm so, so sorry... I mislead you, I made Siaril seem untrustworthy... All I wanted was to just one day stand side by side with you... defeat my brother with his own weapon..."

"How about you just say it next time?"

A small puff of laughter made the tears stop. "You seriously think there will be a next time?"

"I never know with you."

"You're silly..." Light moved away a little, ruffling my hair.

The moment I leaned away from the threat to my hairstyle, Ertralia was already next to us, looking up at my master with those big, sapphire eyes. He barely managed to glance at her before her thin arms swung around his waist, her head nuzzling into his chest. Surprise bloomed on the face of the Caydranth lineage's young successor, along with a faint blush.

"I'm sorry..." the sykerien mumbled into his shirt. "I'm sorry I ran away..."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Light reassured warmly, giving her head a few careful pats. Somehow he managed to perfectly mix cheerfulness with a silent apology towards us all in every word. He was the type of person one couldn't be mad at for long anyway...

"Then what was all that arguing for?" we heard Armailith's voice from outside.

"You said yourself that we like to complicate things," I shot back.

"You should have learned by now that even if there are hundreds of clues, there is only one truth."

"Yeah, and it seems that knowing half of the truth is far more dangerous than knowing it all..."

"Well then," the genuine smile finally returned to Light's face, though something about it changed. The secret that he long struggled to conceal he now wore in the open and with pride in front of the people he trusted. "How about I go lock myself up in the kitchen, and you three..." he threw an amused look around, "could set yourselves in order in the meantime. You look like something the cat dragged in."

I glanced at Siaril, catching his stare that appraised my deplorable state. Yasenka was the first to laugh.