Jedeoheim’s festival spanned the city celebrating the night of the Wild Blossom. The trees for which the festival was named bloomed spectacular flowers of sky blue with speckles of bright pink. The shopkeepers and citizens placed banquets of delicious breads from the bakers, stews from the inns, and sausages and game hens from the butchers.

Koda and his company strolled in wonder, drooling over the various foods and in complete awe of the colorful city as petals danced in the star-filled night. The journey to Blight was an arduous boat ride testing their endurance through nasty storms and long bouts of boredom. However they were rewarded by this beautiful welcome.

Avalon approached them with open arms. “Koda, I am relieved you made it to Jedeoheim in one piece”

“As am I,” Koda chuckled.

Avalon bowed to Elucard. “How many years has it been, my friend?”

Elucard returned the bow. “Too long, Avalon, too long.”

“I need to head to the cathedral and discuss political matters with Avalon,” Koda said to Elucard. “You and the others enjoy yourselves.”

Elucard nodded to Koda, “Are you sure you do not need me?”

Avalon placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “He is in the safest city in the world, and he will be in my presence. I am Prime Gold Wing of the Silent Ones.”

Elucard gave her a roguish smirk. “Don’t forget the former High Blade of the Black Rabbits.”

“That too, my friend,” laughed Avalon.

“I will meet up with all of you once I am through,” said Koda.

Cade looked at Elucard. “What do you say, weary warrior, would you like a night of relaxation?”

Elucard snatched a honey dipped roll from a nearby table and munched on it. He gave Cade a kind wink. “Sure, friend.”

Raine spotted a rare bookshop out of the corner of her eye. “I’ll wait in here,” she said with an excited giggle.

Koda placed a hand on his familiar’s shoulder. “Wildeye, will you join me?” he asked. “I could use your wisdom.

“Of course, Koda,” the wolf said with a short nod.

***

“I would like to help you, Koda,” said Avalon. She leaned over the stone table within the center of the meeting room. Lit candles melted around the room, illuminating her stern face. “But you must know, I can not trust Queen Fainn, nor her sister.”

“Why not? Fainn seems to rule her country with poise and respect for her people. As far as I can tell she is a just ruler,” argued Koda.

Avalon rubbed her forehead. “We Silent Ones have a reason to believe she is an Amber Man. Natal as well.”

“Amber Man?” Wildeye questioned, just as confused as Koda.

“An Amber Man is a demon that takes another form. Usually a human, but sometimes an elf. They could be your cobbler, personal chef, even your best friend. Without a Silencer you would never know the difference.”

Koda hid his emotions. Amber Man. He knew one. Calsoon, his faithful bodyguard and savior. However, despite his deviant nature, Calsoon had been nothing but good to him. What of Fainn? If she was a demon in disguise, what if she was one of the good demons like Calsoon. Perhaps Koda couldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“How do you know they are what you suspect they are? Do you have any proof?” asked Wildeye. Interested in the theory, but still skeptical.

Avalon paced around the room. “The higher ups in my order had always been suspicious of the queen of Seru. Her entry into power was too swift. When the power was transferred from Seru’s former ruler Aedon to Fainn, immediately the Red Wing at the time questioned this act,” explained Avalon. “Natal as well. She seemed to always have Aric wrapped around her finger.”

“Hmm,” Koda murmured.

“Hadn’t you ever noticed anything odd about Tashna during your time as her prisoner? If Tashna is the true daughter of Natal, she would be half demon and may have picked up a power or two from her mother.”

“I believe Tashna had hypnotic abilities…” Koda recalled. “Yes, I am sure of it.”

“I knew it!” exclaimed Avalon.

“But, all the same,” interrupted Koda. He looked at Wildeye, who nodded. “We still must work with Fainn if we are to save the realms.”

“Her army could be vital if we are to go headlong into a war with these shadow men that wish to end the seals,” added Wildeye.

“I refuse to work with a demon!”

“Please reconsider, Avalon,” begged Koda. “Without Silent One support, finding and protecting the other seals may be a more daunting task than it already is.”

Avalon slapped both hands down on the table startling Koda and Wildeye. “You ask me to align with my enemy!” roared Avalon.

“Only temporary,” asserted Wildeye. “For the sake of the realms.”

Avalon sagged her head in frustration. She held silent mulling over her decision. “I trust you Koda. Do not make me regret this alliance,” she finally said, “I doubt my Silent Ones will like this decision and I know my Red Wing will not favor this temporary alliance, but she trusts me as her High Blade. So for now we will join your ranks.”

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Koda gave her a smile of relief. “Thank you Avalon. The support of the Silent Ones is greatly appreciated.”

***

Cade sloshed a goblet full of skyberry wine. The wine matched the blue sky, coining the name for the sweet fruit. He wrapped his arm around Elucard’s shoulder and gave a slightly inebriated hoot. “What a great night, eh Elucard?”

Elucard gave the shadow elf a cheerful smile and joyful laugh. “Definitely!”

He reached to a table and palmed two golden apples. Taking a large bite into one, he pointed to a pair of jugglers tossing pins of fire. “Look!” he said with his mouth stuffed. Juice dribbled the side of his lips as he tried to swallow his food.

Cade pulled out two kunai from his belt and juggled them in one hand. “Too easy!” he snickered.

“Show off!” Elucard grinned wickedly and tossed the second apple to Cade.

The hydro shroud effortlessly caught the apple with one hand and without skipping a beat incorporated it into his routine.

Elucard applauded. “You have a talent, Cade.”

Cade sighed with a smile. He looked at Elucard fondly. I missed this, he thought to himself. Elucard, my best friend—my only friend.

Cade put away the kunai and apple and touched his head, hiding his tears. He combed his hand through his hair and huffed.

“What’s wrong?” Elucard asked.

How can I tell him that I’m not Cade? That I am not the friend he thinks he has?

Cade only smiled. “Nothing.”

Inle, that was his real name—his real identity. He was growing closer to Elucard everyday, and Elucard to him, but Inle knew their relationship was built on a lie. He wanted Elucard to love him—to love Inle, not Cade, but he knew it could never be. In the end he was still Inle and Inle was Elucard’s sworn enemy.

The two continued to walk down the street, the revelaires seemed to fade the further down the street they traveled. Finally they found themselves at a small statue of the black winged angel, Alanna. Her bow in hand and a quiver around her waist. Along the feet of the statue were burning incense and small prayer scrolls. The scrolls wished for a safe winter or a plentiful harvest. Perhaps the safety of a son or daughter in the Silent One order.

Cade watched as Elucard knelt before the shrine. “It has been some time since I paid my respects to my goddess,” Elucard said.

He whispered a prayer to his patron deity

“Alanna, hear my cry

For the challenges that I face

Wait for me before I die

And always grant me grace”

Cade crouched down next to Elucard. “Do you really believe she still watches over you?”

Elucard closed his eyes. “She will one day shepherd my soul to the Roaming Plane. Does she watch over me? I’d like to think so,” he said. “I have survived so many encounters with her Hand. So many times I thought that I was going to die; so many times I wished I would die.”

“Yet...” Cade whispered. “You are still here.”

Elucard chuckled under a deep sigh. “Yeah, I am.”

“I... used to pray to Alanna too,” said Cade. His throat burned. “I lost my faith in my religion…everything I’ve seen—everything I have done…I just thought that I-I”

“Didn’t deserve it,” finished Elucard.

Cade nodded slowly in agreement. He gave Elucard a short laugh. “Yeah, that.”

Elucard sat backwards on the cobblestone ground and crossed his legs. “If I learned anything from my experiences and sins, it's that everyone deserves a second go—a second chance. Everyone can change. They just need to put in the effort.”

Even me? Cade asked himself. “Kind words, Elucard,” Cade said, half to himself.

“Live by them Cade,” Elucard said. “Live by them.”

***

Koda, Wildeye, Raine and Stryneth stood in a circle within the great park found at the center of the city. Together they practiced their magic. Flinging spells at each other and deflecting them with shields and counterspells.

Koda tried to weave his newly obtained fire magic with his vernal magic, but found that no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn’t combine the two magics. His first attempt was to whip a vine forward enchanted with fire, but to his dismay, the fire just burned the vine to cinders. He also tried to combine smoke with sleep powder, but the vernal magic just became diluted by the choking haze.

“Is it even possible to use red and green magic together?” Koda whined with a sigh.

Stryneth canceled an ice spell forming on his arm. “Possible? Yes. Practical? No.”

Koda threw his hands up in the air. “Ruens, why have you made elemental magic so difficult to work with?”

“It’s not all that bad, Koda,” chirped Raine. “Take me for example. I’m trying to get my water element to use the Tempest Style. Lightning, wind, and water, that is. It is challenging to fuse all three together in a spell, but rewarding.”

Koda tilted his head. “Does your school specialize in that?”

“Yes, Head Master Michael uses Tempest Style too, although to a greater effect.”

Stryneth folded his arms. “Most mages stay away from the more complicated styles such as using fire and vernal.”

Koda frowned.

Stryneth caught the young king’s expression. “Why don’t you try the Magma Style, earth and fire?”

“Or the Evergreen Style!” Raine added. “Earth and vernal.”

Wildeye patted Koda’s back with encouragement. “You are already adept in green magic and you picked up brown magic much easier than with red.”

Koda rubbed his chin and looked back at Raine. “What does the Evergreen Style entail?”

Raine smiled. “Well, you summon soil all over the battlefield and then sprout pine trees until the field is a lush and thick forest. Giving you cover and natural defenses with the help of the trees!”

“Oh, and sight,” said Koda with a nod. “I can see through the trees.”

Stryneth chuckled. “I think you found your chosen style and if that fails there is also fire and earth’s disgusting and devilish Glass Style.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” muttered Wildeye.

Raine put a firm hand on Koda’s shoulder. “Ignore that suggestion, Koda. It falls into Forbidden Magic territory.”

“Forbidden Magic?” questioned the wolf.

“Any magic used in duels that would cause excessive harm to the opponent,” explained Stryneth.

“But wounds and deaths are healed after a mage battle,” argued Koda.

Raine shook her head. “Not all mage battles take place in a school. The Academy has outlawed certain uses of elemental magic deemed too brutal to be taught.” Raine said as she shot a mean glare to the hydro mage.

Koda curiously looked at Stryneth. Perhaps the duke teaches it? He thought to himself.

“Yes…no one teaches it,” Stryneth repeated slowly. “Why don’t we go over the Evergreen Style in preparation for Blight City’s lightning school?”

Koda looked from Stryneth to Raine then nodded, followed by a laugh. “The angels know I could use the practice!”