It took Ander three days to wake up. While his defending of Flyte was incredible and necessary, he had definitely overworked himself.

Flyte greeted Ander as pulled himself of his tent. "Morning sleepyhead, do you want some cider? Last time that I conked out to magic usage it was like a boon from Aliran, although now that I think about it, Ontin making this cider means it kind of is a boon, more or less at least."

"I'm glad you're okay Flyte," Ander managed to grumble. His voice was really hoarse. "And I would love some cider."

Flyte came back with the cider and watched as Ander sipped the still-hot drink, but all Ander could think about was his change in power.

'After being stuck in prison I lost my powers, shades, I even blocked out my memories of my short time with them. How did they grow so much?'

"Flyte," Ander began, lowering his cider. "Do you know how or why our magics have improved so much?"

Flyte smiled. "Yours is easy to explain. Your magic is both innate and just one of the ten types of magic, so your growth is naturally massive. For me, Ontin says the spirits like me, and that makes them lower their spells costs and requirements as much as they can for me."

"Oh wait," Flyte began. "While you were asleep, Ontin tracked Will's movements to the rift. Ontin thinks that he's planning to go toe Atula's scar."

"The most dangerous place in Chraith?" Ander questioned confusedly. "Why would he want to go there?"

"He would go there because it is dangerous," Flyte lamented. "The fallen members of Riftwatch make for easy pickings. Even just a few weeks in the rift would give Will a decent army." Flyte paused for a moment, a scowl forming on his face. "I saw the shades' torment in Dark Haven, and I won't let Will take any more victims."

"I'm with you on that one. Do you know why Ontin didn't join us when we defended you?"

Flyte laughed outright. "He said that he had his first-time constraint in a long while, so he had to prepare himself. Mirror rehearsals and the such."

Thinking about the honorsoul saying lines in front of a mirror raised Ander's spirits.

"Oh!" Ander had a quick thought. "It's very out of the way, but if we stop by my old fortress, I might be able to convince my army to come with us."

"Sounds like a great idea," Ontin said, pulling out a map of Chraith. "Could you point it out to me?"

As Ander pointed it out, Ontin seemed to take a mental note. "Lion's Watch then. I'll be sure to have an of mine pick you up from there."

"Were you there the whole time?" a bewildered Flyte asked Ontin.

"Well, I had to know how everyone felt about the cider," Ontin said so matter-of-factly that his antics seemed normal. "How was the cider, by the way?"

Ander gave a thumbs up to Ontin, who smiled happily. "Ontin, do you happen to be Une?"

"Yes, but I haven't heard that name since I was last in Retun." Ontin's eyes blinked for a moment, then his face scrunched up. "Wait, are we in Retun right now? Ander, give me that map."

"Huh," Ontin scratched his head. "How long has this mountain been in Retun?"

"I think it's been in Retun since Retun was founded," Flyte answered.

"But when would you consider Retun founded? After Ithilles set up Chraith, Retun and Balis were merely groupings of separately cultured people on opposite sides of Chraith. Over time, people eventually thought of one as one and the other as the other, and everyone rolled with it."

"Okay," Flyte said. "But I'm pretty sure the mountain hasn't been moving around."

"Fair enough," Ontin conceded.

"How certain are you that the mountains haven't been moved at all?" Ander smiled.

"He does bring up a good point," Ontin's smile widened.

"Ugh," Flyte groaned. "I think I can feel my brain cells dying, can we just get back on track."

"Fine," Ontin said. "Why did you need to know if I was Une?"

"I was just thinking that if my skillset is similar to Kili's, then I have no chance to become as strong as you, right?"

Ontin's eyes grew sadder. "That's not true. Even the strongest fighters can make mistakes. Trelifar, or Kili if you prefer the Retun name, was a good friend of mine. We had some minor scuffle and decided to spar in the honorsoul arena with the rest of the honorsouls watching. We did a lot of this really; it was like a joke only the two of us shared. We were younger then, not so experienced or wary. In our fight, I accidentally pushed Trelifar into Aliran's sword, which was meant only for him."

"Trelifar instantly burned, leaving no body to bury. That's why Frenick and Farlan hate me and have locked themselves in war with me. I failed to keep my friend safe, so they insist on tormenting me, seeing how long I can lead my army without losing any of my other friends. See, they were also good friends of Trelifar. Honestly, I'm only hanging on because if I don't, Riftgard itself might not."

"Care to explain?" Flyte asked.

"Maybe another time," Ontin put up a false smile. "Sorry about dampening the mood, now where were we?"

Ander put a hand on Ontin's shoulder. "Ontin, from what you've said, Trelifar's death was not your fault."

"I should have been-" Ontin started, but Ander wouldn't have it.

"It's true that you both could have kept each other safer, but no one plotted to kill Trelifar, and based on the amount of time you'd spent on Riftgard, neither of you could have known that the sword was so deadly. Accidents happen, and tragic ones can take years to work through, but just because two people made a mistake doesn't that mean either of them are evil or irredeemable. Think of everyone you've helped."

"But have I truly helped anyone?" Ontin asked, his tone not self-pitying, but rather truly wondering.

"Obviously," Kayr said, waling up to steal Ander's cider. "Open your eyes Ontin, you've got the time to. How many companies of dead soldiers would there be without you. Look at your six newest pupils. One would have died without you, three would have been stuck with Telin, and two would have spent their entire lives on a goose chase."

"I guess you're right," Ontin realized.

"You good now?" Flyte asked.

"Yep," Ontin smiled genuinely. "Now, if you two and Elliot go straight to Lion's Watch, I can have a friend bring you just north of Kev. There you can stock up and travel to the scar, although you might want to visit the oracle there as it could benefit you. At the scar, tell Atula about your situation and you'll have another army backing you."

"Thank you so much for your help," Flyte said. "We'll come back once we end Will."

"If you do," Kayr said. "Oops, sorry guys, you'll do great." He smiled and gave a double thumbs up.

"You'll be fine," Ontin said. "Although, it might be easier if you get your hands on a Balesian death knife."

"Wait," Ander said. "Is that knife with sinister purple runes on its side."

"Why yes," Ontin said. "You know where one is, don't you?"

"That's right," Ander said. "We have to make it to Lion's watch."

"Perfect," Ontin's grin exuded confidence. "You guys always manage to surprise me."

"Ander," Flyte started. "If you'll find Elliot, I have to say my goodbyes."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

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When Flyte got to the training grounds he found Jim, Hilda, and Thammeus all resting up.

"Hey guys," he called out to them. "How's training going?"

"It's going well," Thammeus responded. "What's bringing you down here today?"

"Well," Flyte started. "Me, Elliot, and Ander are all leaving for the rift, so it'll be a while, and I wanted to say my goodbyes."

"Oh, it's sweet of you to have come," Hilda began. "I'm glad we all became friends in such a short time. It might take a while, but we'll be here to celebrate when you make it back."

"It's been good knowing you, Flyte," Thammeus said. "But when you get back, I want to spar with you and find out how much the two of us have grown."

"Wait," Jim demanded, jogging away to his tent. "I've got something to give you." Jim returned with a bird and a spare falconer's glove. "I bought these off one of the fateless around here without any idea as to what I'd do with them. You can send us letters only about weekly, so make sure to pack them with details. I'll find a corresponding bird and we'll keep in touch."

"Does it have a name?" Flyte asked.

"Not yet," Jim said. "But I'll leave that to you."

"Okay," Flyte said thoughtfully. "I'll give it the best name it can hope to receive."

"Flyte," Ander's voice called.

"Oh, that's me." Flyte said. "I'll see you guys in two or three months."

"We'll see you Flyte!" Thammeus yelled back as Flyte ran up the hill.

Flyte waved goodbye to his friends as him and Ander walked away at the top of the hill.

"So," Ander started. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," Flyte answered.

"That's good," Ander said. "It's a long trip to Lion's Watch and we're travelling with your favorite form of transportation."

"Not horses," Flyte questioned, aghast. He wasn't ready to be as sore as horses would make him.

"Yep, get ready, it's going to be especially rough this time."

"Really? I don't hate the horses themselves, but I think I'd rather run with a few speed spells going."

"Me and Elliot aren't going to carry you at night," Ander's muted stare was stifling.

"At night?" Flyte asked. "Who came up with this idea?"

"Ontin, and I told you it would be an especially rough horse ride this time. Come on, we're already late. We need to be at Lion's watch in a few days."

"Wait!" Flyte realized there was a hole in Ander's logic. "I see what you're doing here. You're lowering my hopes so that I'm ecstatic when we don't ride horses, that way Iam extra happy when we meet your army friends."

"Oh really?" Ander smiled.

"Why would we ride horses when Ontin can just make us a gate?"

"You got me," Ander chuckled. "Now, are you sure that you have everything? We won't be back for at least two months."

"He did forget one thing," Jim said, handing Flyte the messenger bird and a falconry glove. "It would be quite sad to be caught without this one your trip. That glove should serve as a compass for the bird, as that breed is known for connections to specific objects. See you guys in a while."

As Jim left Flyte said goodbye again.

"It's a good thing he noticed, huh," Ander smiled. "Do you want to check your pack again?"

"Yes," Flyte said quickly.

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

"Okay, all packed," Flyte said after a quick triple-check.

"Good," Elliot said joyfully. Each of the three had a small backpack carrying spare clothes, knives, and other daily necessities. They would eat at Lion's Watch and prepare everyone to travel west along the Thalkan river. Porting at Kev, they would visit the oracle then head southwest to the rift where they would fight Will once and for all.

Flyte carried the most luggage, as he had a bird with him, and his friends did not. Because of this, Elliot held the tent door open for his as he walked outside.

"Thank you," Flyte said.

"No problem," Elliot replied.

"You guys all ready?" Ontin asked. It appeared that he had yet again been waiting right outside.

"Yes," Flyte said. "But you need a hobby. If you want, I'm sure you would love the art of engraving."

"I think that I've gotten engraving all squared away," Ontin said. "I could; however, learn to juggle. It might benefit me just as much."

Flyte frowned, but Ander laughed. "Well," he started. "We better get going."

"Alright," Ontin said, forming a gate. "I'll see you guys soon, stay safe."

"Sounds good to me," Elliot said.

The three of them walked through, traveling hundreds of miles in a single step.

The fortress that laid in front of Flyte was foreboding. Rather than a nice wooden gate, Lion's Watch sported a massive stone block, only able to be raised by many chains connected to a winch. Lion's Watch also happened to be stout with plenty of vantage points for archers and watchmen to defend from. The entire bastion was surrounded by a deep moat, only crossable through the use of an obviously collapsible bridge.

"It's certainly impressive," Flyte said.

"That it is, Flyte" Ander gladly supplied. "When my army first got here we had no clue why this fortress was abandoned. Turns out, the king just didn't want to spend any time on the small renovations it would take to fully restore this place. Given that my whole group was hiding away with no clue when we could leave, we finished fixing Lion's Watch in no time."

"How do we know that your allies are still in there?" Elliot asked.

"You know," Ander began to say. "That's a really good question. There are few places that would accept us in Chraith, but they may have left for Retun. I suppose we should find out if they're there."

"Yes," Elliot said. "Let's."

Walking across the bridge, Flyte prepared himself to meet Ander's other friends.

Ander knocked on the massive stone door, using magic to make it ripple.

In a few minutes, the chains screeched as they raised the gate, revealing an armored woman holding a longsword standing in the entrance.

After a few moments, her eyebrows scrunched a little and she cocked her head, confused.

"Ander," she said. "Is that you?"

"Who else," Ander smiled, clearly glad to see her. "Are the others also still here?"

"Almost," she said. "Although Caedric left for the Glade of Life a few weeks ago. He wanted to have his arm grown back."

"I see," Ander took that in for a moment. "It must have taken a lot of effort on his part to do that, good for him. Wanna catch up inside?"

"Sure," Ander's army friend said. "Might I ask about your new friends?"

"I'm Flyte," Flyte supplied almost helpfully. "And the other one is Elliot."

Ander felt the need to explain more. "Flyte was a prisoner alongside me, and Elliot used to be Honorious's apprentice before Honorious died in Ithiles sacking. Elliot kind of just popped out of nowhere. Flyte, of course, was making the friendships, as that's not my strong suit."

"Interesting," the woman said, turning around for a moment. "For you two, my name is Eris. I used to lead my own army alongside Ander. Left the barracks when he did. Get ready now, there's a lot of introductions ahead of you, and me and Ander are going to catch up."

They shared a look, but before Flyte could interpret it, they all walked into a room with about a hundred faces all eating what appeared to be dinner.

"Hello everyone," Ander said. "I'm back."

Flyte experienced the sound of a hundred cheers as all but a few of the soldiers yelled exuberantly. The few who weren't cheering were eating, but they were clearly happy.

It all felt slightly awkward to Flyte, but he understood the emotion. If one of his parents just showed up out of nowhere he doubted he could stifle his joy. That was likely the same joy Ander's army was feeling.

As soon as the sound died down a voice rose from the crowd. "How did it take you so long to get back?"

"Ah Henry," Ander chuckled. "It took a while for my cellmate to get the guards' attention. I'll tell you more later tonight, but very little of my escape went as planned."

"Ah, you're no fun," Henry smiled. "Can we at least spar your new friends while we wait?"

"As long as they're fine with it," Ander responded. "That being said, Elliot will need a few weapons."

"Shades," Flyte said. "I left my sword at camp."

"How?" Ander sighed. "Of course you're missing it. Flyte will need a shortsword too."

After accompanying Eris to get some weapons, the entire group, other than Ander and Eris, went to an arena in the basement of the fortress. Many sat, preparing to watch the fights from above, but behind small gates there was a healer and a few soldiers, all prepared for the worst sparring outcomes.

After Flyte and Elliot introduced themselves, they heard introductions from each person that they would take turns sparring. All of them were division leaders in the army. The rules enabled magic, so long as it was kept safe, but Flyte decided to limit himself to only the defensive stuff. It was hard to tell what was deadly or not.

Flyte was the first to fight, his sparring partner being Than, a fighter who only wielded a few shields. The black-haired man was slightly shorter than Flyte, but much more muscular.

It was time for Flyte to show off what he'd learned.

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

Flyte lost every single match. It probably didn't help that he didn't use his speed spells, but that felt like it would have been too similar to cheating.

Ferris, the healer, approached him, smiling. "You're a mage, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah," Flyte said. "But I figured that with the learning I've done over the last month of so that my bladework would've been better."

"I'm almost certain that your month or so of training couldn't have competed with the several years of work that everyone else here has spent on specializing in their specific skillsets," Ferris said knowingly. "Plus, I'll bet that you've only ever sparred with swordsmen, which you didn't get to fight at all. Give it some time, you'll get to be as good a fighter as anyone here if you put more work into it."

"Thanks," Flyte said. "I just don't know how Elliot did so much better than me. He was on parr with his matches for nearly every spar."

"Again," Ferris smiled. "It's the time. Elliot has had years of formal training, and he's visibly older than you. Everyone you fought had at least six years on you."

"Honorious was older than me too, but I beat him as often as he beat me."

"Come on now," Ferris said. "Shades don't count. Honorious was nearly as good at fighting as Ander back in the day. Don't be discouraged, you'll grow."

"You know what," Ferris said. "We can put you up against Henry. He uses a sword and is younger than most of us. Just remember, magic is another tool in your belt, you can use it."

Flyte nodded and walked back into the arena, where Henry waited. Yuri the spear leader nodded to Flyte approvingly.

"Well," Flyte said. "Let's do this."

"Sure," Henry said. "Don't worry about those other fights either. Just pay attention to this one and you'll fight at your best." Henry smiled kindly and the match began.

Flyte opened the exchange with a thrown knife, which was knocked out of the air by Henry.

Henry ran forward, his feet low to the ground in an attempt to hit Flyte with an overhead strike, but Flyte blocked it with zwerchhau, then flipped the sword's direction, going in for the attack.

Henry managed blocked Flyte's sword, but he wasn't prepared for magic.

"Nelar," Flyte said brightly.

Henry managed to block one attack while temporarily blinded, but Flyte won out.

Flyte and Henry shook hands, and then Flyte walked back to Ferris. "Honestly," the young mage said. "Magic feels like cheating."

"How fairly do your opponents generally fight?" Ferris asked. "When you surprise us in a spar, you're just preparing us for when we get on the battlefield."

"Flyte," Ander started, finally in the arena. "You didn't use your magic? How am I supposed to explain my losses to you in our magic-only spars?"

"Wait," Ferris said. "You beat Ander?!"

"It was pretty even," Flyte said.

"I'm not infallible," Ander smiled.

"Still..." Ferris was in shock.

Ander gathered his forces and told everyone about the events that took place after his capture.