Several days had passed when they reached the borders of Calbar. They didn't get to see much, but the north end of Calbar was highly guarded and clouded in smoke. Jet assumed Wrathel was up to something dangerous that was probably costing the lives of those in the city.

Coria knew it wasn't their job to investigate. That's why there were multiple scouts. They had to keep going beyond the capital and head to the desert.

The journey to the border was long. It took them a few more weeks to reach the desert wall because Coria had to keep on her appearance and trade goods along the way. While they stopped, she would also teach all three of them what she could about using weapons like her bow and swords. None of them were experts by the time the Soul Empire's wall came into view, but Coria was happy that they could at least defend themselves if it came to it.

The border wall was just how Jet imagined from the stories his brother had told him. It was large and menacing. It held several jagged stone sections that jutted in and out of the main wall. There seemed to be no way in or out of the fortress that guarded the border.

"How are we going to get in there?" Jet asked Coria.

"We don't have to. The order was to observe what they were doing up here, not go into the desert."

Jet frowned. He wondered if he would ever get to see his people. He was so close but the wall sealed the border to the desert. He glanced at Heyvl and Irina. They both could tell that Jet wanted to get beyond the wall.

Heyvl took it upon himself to continue the conversation. "So where will observe from?"

"The trader cover won't get us any closer. They'll be suspicious if we try to get to the wall from here. We'll have to set up nearby and watch what they are doing."

They all looked around. The surrounding area was barely covered in trees and a light snow. The land was mostly flat but had a few hills.

"We could set up on the hill over there," Irina said while pointing to the east of the wall. There was a small hill that would give them a bit of ground to look over the area. There were a few trees on it too that would give them some cover.

"Perfect. Let's head that way." Coria moved the reigns to notify the horses to move once again. The sound of horse trots and the caravan wheels were all that Jet heard as he kept his eyes on the wall. He could see a few soldiers patrolling the top. It felt like he was so close to something big, but the Emperor stood in the way once again. His people could be the key to stopping the Emperor from killing any more innocent people.

They didn't take long to set up a temporary camp. The caravan provided excellent shelter from the cold, and the trader supplies gave them enough materials to camp a bit more luxuriously. Heyvl was the most excited out of the four of them. He had always dreamed of exploring different lands other than Lonava. The Empire was far different. Even with the cold being harsh on Heyvl's sun-spoiled skin didn't hinder any excitement.

Jet sat at the back of the caravan, still gazing at the wall through the few trees. "We'll figure out something," Heyvl whispered lowly to Jet. Jet raised his eyebrow as his friend sat next to him. "I know you want to stop the Emperor, and I know sitting here and reporting to the Queen of the Kingdom isn't going to do that anytime soon."

"So what do you have in mind?"

"Well Coria won't let us wander too far, I'm sure."

"Probably not," Jet said with a frown.

"But don't give up. I'm sure your family on the other side of that wall are going to help us stop the Emperor."

"I hope so. What do you plan we do to get through the wall?"

Heyvl leaned back with his hands behind his head. The caravan blocked the light cold wind that blew outside. He shivered slightly. "We should go check out if there is any ways to pass through the wall."

"That's what I was thinking," Jet replied, more excited.

Jet turned his attention to Coria and Irina. They insisted that they set up a small campfire. There were plenty of braziers on the wall that the smoke wouldn't be noticed. Coria mentioned that they might not be able to use it at night because the fire would probably be spotted. Jet didn't know much about spying and observing, but Coria had told the other three that the fire would also impair her vision to keep watch.

"Let's go take a look around," Jet told Heyvl.

"Yes please," Heyvl chuckled, eager to do something.

Coria looked up as she set the last few stone around the fire pit. "Where are you two off to?"

"Going to look around," Jet replied.

"Well take some of the cloaks in the caravan. It'll be getting colder soon."

Irina eyed the two boys as she helped Coria finish the fire pit. She could tell they were up to something. She wasn't exactly sure, but she wanted to go with them. "I'll go too. You don't need me here, right Coria?"

Coria eyed the three of them carefully. She shook her head. "I scout best on my own. You three are fine. Just don't go too far. And don't be gone when it gets dark."

Heyvl had just wrapped himself in a winter trader cloak. It was light grey and brown. Jet could see the immediate relief from the cold on Heyvl's face. Jet was fine with it. He was actually more used to this weather than the weathers of the other two lands.

Irina grabbed a cloak as well. She tied it around her and soon felt the warmth it brought. It made her feel more comfortable in the snowy field.

"Ready?" Jet asked the other two. He received two nods. "Great, let's go see what we can find out about this wall." The last part Jet made sure not to say too loudly.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"I knew that's what you were up to," Irina hissed at the two boys.

"I've got to get passed it Irina," Jet pleaded to her.

She frowned. She wasn't happy with the idea of lying to Coria, but she also knew Jet's importance to get through. "Fine, but we need to come back before it gets dark. I don't want to keep lying to Coria."

Jet gave Heyvl a glance that said 'she's got a point.' Heyvl nodded in return. The three of them agreed that they would try to make it back for Coria's sake. She was a representative of the Queen, and even though two of them weren't Kingdom citizens, they didn't want to upset the Queen.

The three headed away from the camp, further into the smaller forest. Jet made sure to look like they were heading away from the wall as well. Once they were several minutes in the trees, they began to head more towards the looming stone construction. Jet was expecting to see soldiers patrolling the forest around the wall, but his Element showed no one else out there with them.

"Do you think they even care about guarding it?" Irina asked. She could tell Jet was looking around for more of the Empire's soldiers.

"It doesn't seem so. Maybe they only care about the desert side?" Heyvl suggested.

"I think Heyvl might be right. On the way to the campsite, the soldiers seemed preoccupied with the other side. I don't even think they noticed us, even with their advantage of height."

"Understandable. Maybe it's to keep the illusion that the Emperor thinks there is an important reason to keep the Spirit Elementalists locked away from the rest of the world."

Jet didn't reply. He was upset that the Emperor held the control over the desert. It wasn't fair. They needed to know what he did to Dustan.

The three approached the edge of the forest that lie next to the wall. It was as close as they could get. The wall was even more towering up close. Jet imagined that if the sun was rising, the shadow would be cast for miles. He couldn't see the soldiers at the top anymore. He took that as an advantage. They probably wouldn't see them in return, or at least not bother looking straight down.

"How do they get up there?" Heyvl asked as he gazed up the wall.

"There must be some sort of entrance around here. A stairway or something," Jet explained. The wall was made of the same material that the Emperor's castle was. It made him hesitant to approach it any further.

"You okay?" Irina asked Jet. She and Heyvl had already started to walk towards the wall. She looked back at the small boy who eyed the gray bricks.

"I'm fine. Just bringing back memories."

"We'll be fine. You have Heyvl and me here with you." That made Jet feel better. It also helped that he had his Element and a sword in his hand.

"Alright, let's look for the entrance," Jet said with a slight smile to the Crystal Elementalist. He walked out of the forest and just in front of the other two. He led them up to the wall. The fresh fallen snow made their approach silent.

"How far does the wall go?" Irina asked as they reached one of the juts of the wall.

"I believe as far the desert meets the Empire," Jet told the two others. "Probably goes until there's no way into the desert but over water."

"I've never seen large bodies of water before," Irina replied.

"The other side of Calbar has a pretty large body of water," Jet said, almost nostalgic of the city he grew up in.

"I'd like to see it, hopefully under better circumstances," Irina added.

Jet nodded. He kept his face stern as he ran his hand along the gray brick. It was strangely warm compared to the cold air and ground. He knew deserts were hot, but he couldn't imagine that it was hot enough to radiate through the massive stone construction.

"This way, I think," Heyvl said as they moved further into the triangle shape angle the wall made with the parts that jutted out.

"Do you think they'll be an entrance in here?" Jet asked.

"Probably one of them."

The section closed in until they reached the point closest to the wall. The shadows of the point were thick, but Jet could see through it as his eyes adjusted. "I think there is an entrance over there," he told the others. Together, they slowly moved to the point. The darkness and gray brick seemed to blend into each other.

"There is!" Heyvl whispered in excitement. He knew they had to keep their voices down now. There could be soldiers on any of the dozens of floors that the wall held.

Jet led the other two inside. The darkness didn't continue. The room was dimly lit once they were through the opening. Jet wasn't sure where the light was coming from. His sword also didn't seem to illuminate as much.

"Do we head up?" Irina asked as she pointed her thumb at the stairs nearby.

Jet began to think for a second. He wasn't sure if they should see if the ground floor held an exit to the desert side. He assumed that would be too easy if they were able to get in so quick. "Maybe the exit is higher up. The desert could be built up against the wall."

"Could be. We got in here way too easily for the Emperor to not protect the desert side," Heyvl replied.

"Let's head up then," Irina said.

Jet led the three of them up the stairs. They took their time, stepping carefully and quietly. Jet held his sword tightly while keeping his eyes open for the sign of soldiers. His Element flared out of his eyes slowly. He could see Irina clenching her fists.

Moving up the stairs was far slower than Jet had anticipated. He didn't mind the pace. He figured they moved that slow because they all had the same fear in mind; running into Soul Elementalist soldiers. They could overwhelm them too quickly. Jet wasn't sure if he could replicated the power he did with the bandits.

They reached the second floor after several minutes went by. The stairs were much longer than any stairs he had climbed before. Jet figured they did that so they didn't need more floors than necessary.

"Let's look around to see if there are any windows or exits on either side. I'm not sure how high in the wall we are anymore," Jet told the other two.

"Should we split up?" Heyvl asked. The Lonavain boy was somewhat eager to see what lie in the rooms inside the wall. He knew that splitting up would cover more ground, but might get them caught easier.

"We should stick together unless we come across some rooms that are all nearby and within whispering distance. I don't want one of us to get caught off guard by a soldier and the others not know," Jet replied.

Heyvl smiled and nodded to him. He completely understood the Spirit Elementalist's urgency and caution. "Let's see if we can find a way out of here then."

The three of them began to move through the dimly lit hallways. There were a few rooms on the way they went, but the doors were already open and the rooms seemed to be empty. Jet was beginning to think that the lower floors might not be used. He couldn't see any soldiers through the walls with his Element. He did begin to wonder if Soul Elementalists could do the same.

They did their best to stay quiet. Even with not seeing any spirit silhouettes, they were making sure to be as silent as possible.

"We should try and find the next stairway. I think these lower floors are abandoned. Just be sure to stay close. I can see silhouettes with my Element," Jet told the others.

"I think you might be right...but good to know you can give us a warning," Heyvl mumbled.

Jet stood up straight. He whispered back to Heyvl and Irina that he would let them know if he saw anyone coming. For now, they could walk normally until they reached the next stairway.

Every few rooms, Jet poked his head in to see if there were signs of anything at all. The rooms held some dusty old-looking barrels and crates. He began to assume they started to use the lower floors for storage. He frowned as he thought how easy it would be to hinder the Empire's supplies if they were raided. Maybe the wall was so intimidating that it thwarted any raiders and bandits from stealing supplies if any were left. It did add to the ego that the Emperor seemed to have.

The wall hallways were long and empty. Eventually the three kids found the next stairs and headed up. Once they reached the 3rd floor, they began to sneak again. Jet began to see small hints of light green aura in the distance. There were soldiers on this floor. Jet was actually more eager to deal with the soldiers. He felt like he would be more aware now that he knew they were there.