“How are you doing?” Nox said as he sat down beside Erian’s bed.

The Wind Wielder had seen better days. His entire body, save for his head, was wrapped in bandages. The healers said the burns would heal in a week, but it certainly looked like it wouldn’t heal in two.

“Fine,” Erian said dryly. “Wrapped like a living mummy, but fine.”

Nox smiled. “Now you know how Estella feels. At least you’re only there for a week or two.”

“At least Estella wasn’t attacked by her own Squire.”

A chuckle escaped Nox’s lips. “It’s your fault, you know. You did neglect Reina.”

“And now I’m paying the price for that.”

“Is that remorse I hear?”

Nox meant to say it as a joke, but the sincere look of guilt in his friend’s eyes made him regard him. In a softer tone, he added, “She is awake. Do you want to see her?”

Erian turned his gaze outside the window. They were on the second floor, and the western courtyard spread below them, the festival tents’ varied colors offering a mesmerizing view. The sun was still high in the horizon, but there was already a thin strip of orange in the distance.

It was a minute before Erian spoke. “Have I ever told you about my mother?”

“A bit. You told me once that she left.”

“Yes. And I found out where she is just before I returned here.”

“That’s why you want to leave.” The pieces were falling into their proper places now.

Erian nodded and sighed, looking down at his legs, nearly paralyzed by the surge of electricity they had suffered from. “I thought by failing at my duty, Father would pull me out of the Academy.”

“He still would if you want to.”

Erian shook his head. “No. I’ll stay. Reina… What I did to her was unfair.” A rueful smile split his lips as he looked at Nox. “Besides, I don’t want to see my mother knowing that I left someone too.”

Nox nodded. “You learned your lesson the hard way, then.”

At that, Erian laughed.

***

The exhibition match incident was gradually forgotten in the following weeks. Erian recovered in less than a week and returned to teaching Reina, much to the girl’s joy.

“The Dauros won’t press charges anymore, of course,” Estella said during breakfast, “But Reina will still need therapy.”

It was just past seven in the morning, so there were few students in the dining hall, giving them so privacy. “How long?” Nox asked before spearing a mouthful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

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“Three months at most. The girl needs help.”

“You think her environment has something to do with her behavior during the exhibition match?”

It was a topic of discussion among the students ever since the incident. Nox often hear it whispered, that Reina had a troubled childhood, craving for affection that she never received.

Estella shrugged. “Possible. And it would explain her dual affinity. Fire and lightning together, that usually happens when a Wielder harbors resentment.”

They fell silent. More students were starting to pour in. Nox waved at Ireela, beckoning her to him. She still looked sleepy as she sat down with her food tray, mumbling, “Good morning, Master. Good morning, Teacher.”

Estella smiled. “Good morning to you as well, Ireela.”

“Slept late again?” Nox asked. There were bags under his Squire’s eyes.

“My assignments are getting difficult.”

“We’re in the second trimester now. It’s natural.” He looked at Estella. “Speaking of which, where is the expedition for this year?”

“The Wind Isles,” Estella said, sipping her grape juice.

Nox raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that unexplored yet?”

“It is. That’s why they asked the Academy. The Explorers Association can’t spare anyone to map it out.”

“Wonderful.” He could think of a lot of ways the expedition could go wrong. “So they are really culling us.”

Estella smiled. “That’s my line, love.”

“Yes. And I’m using it.” He shook his head. “The Wind Isles is a Rank A Ancient Site. Not even the best Wielders go there.”

For good reasons.

What do you know about it? Nox asked.

There was no response.

“You’re not going into anything dangerous,” Estella continued. “Besides, the Headmaster will accompany us.”

“Who else among the teachers will be coming?”

“I will, of course. And so is Lady Lyris and Sir Balor.”

Some of the strongest teachers in the Academy, Nox thought, which only reinforced his earlier comment. He chewed his food for a moment. After swallowing another bite, he asked, “How many days?”

“Ten days. It’s a three-day journey on a skyship. Two days of rest, another two for exploration. Then we return.” She grimaced slightly. “Assuming everything goes well.”

“Yes. Because everything went well last time.” He could still not forget the long fall to the depths of the Coltar Ruins and their flight in the darkness.

“Are expeditions really that bad?” Ireela asked.

“Yes,” Nox and Estella said together. “But last year was the worst,” Estella murmured, shivering.

Nox briefly squeezed her hand, then turned to his Squire. “Don’t worry. We’ll be safe. But I want you to start researching about the Wind Isles. Get any information you can find about it.”

“Yes, Master!”

***

The expedition was still a week away, so Nox reduced Ireela’s training to help her with her assignments. Preparing for the trip took much of the week, however, and Nox found himself scouring the library for any materials regarding the floating archipelago.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the Academy’s administration, but after the Remnant attack last year, it was essential to know what they would be dealing with before they arrived.

At least there was information about it, he thought as he wrote down an anecdote from an explorer. No one had brave the isles’ ruins, however, so there wasn’t a single map. But twenty islands would be impossible to explore in two days, even for a hundred students.

“Master?” Ireele asked.

“Yes?” He flipped through another page of the Diary of Wesmon Tark: Exploring The World’s Ruins. It was fascinating how he traveled across continents with only one arm, often in dangerous places.

“What’s the Cult of Azrael?”

“The what?” Nox looked up. Ireela was pointing at a sketch in the book she was reading. “May I?”

He took the book, studying the image. Four dark wings spread in flight, bearing aloft a figure enshrouded in deep shadows. It was a much better depiction than the one he and Estella had seen in the Coltar Ruins.

But still inaccurate.

The contents were vague just explanations of how the cult rose two hundred years ago before being eradicated by Thurin, and that they sacrificed young children in their hopes of summoning the demon.

Typical.

Do you know about this?

No. But the Wind Isles was often a mecca for evil deeds.

“What do you think, Master?” Ireela asked.

Nox handed the book back to her. “It’s an ancient cult. I doubt if we can find anything about them in the Wind Isles.”

“But do you think Azrael is real?”

“Maybe. Who knows?”

And Nox smiled.