Fuck my kingdom. The one good act I willingly take may come at the cost of the Duchies I have ruled for almost a century. One last selfish act of a despot. One last self-indulgence at the cost of others. It's funny when viewed in that light, nothing has changed. It makes my decision more palatable. - Private Diary of Gideon Vandrel, King of Lucendia

Talia watched the bustling palace grounds from the carriage window where she and the ladies of house Lovell sat. Servants scrambled to complete last-minute preparations before the departure. The sounds of men shouting, horses neighing, and the clatter of all the goods needed to accommodate a king, a duke, and all the various lords and ladies accompanying them to the hunting grounds filled the air. It amazed Talia how much was needed for a simple hunting trip. An even larger group had already been sent to establish the campgrounds and see them prepared for their arrival.

The hunt was a welcoming gift for Gavriel Thral, Duke of Thralos, and his niece. Gavriel Thral was a tall man. Dark and imposing, he looked more Zarinian than Lucendian. It made sense to Talia; Thralos had once been a part of Zarinia and had been conquered by her father early in his reign. It had been the war he'd needed to unite the duchies behind him and solidify his rule—a just and righteous war.

The duke had been invited here by her father. But why? The relationship between Thralos and the rest of the duchies had always been one of respectful political distance. Aside from their border disputes with Belmara, Thralos stayed as far from duchie affairs as possible. Talia had been insulated from the royal court and their plots and schemes. Still, even she knew that Thralos had never truly integrated into the duchies, and it was said that many of the older families longed to break their oaths to her father and pledge themselves back to the Shah Zarinia.

The door to their carriage slammed open, causing Talia to jump in surprise, "Mother, father told me to make sure you had everything you needed before we left."

It was Sevrin, his face flushed with excitement. Talia couldn't help but think he looked rather dashing, with plain work pants, a black leather belt, and an arming sword in a simple black sheath at his waist. The sword was big for him. Still, he moved as if accustomed to its weight and bulk. His crimson tunic made his platinum hair stand out.

Talia and Sevrin took after their mother; they'd inherited her profound natural beauty instead of their father's more common features. That's not fair. Lord Ven wasn't quite handsome, but describing him as plain was uncharitable. The Valkarian and Aldrecrest blonde do fit him well.

Elara smiled softly. "Tell your father my answer hasn't changed; everything we need has already been sent ahead."

Sevrin nodded, "Talia, Serena, do you…" Talia snorted out a laugh as a cushion, thrown by Serena, smacked his face. Sevrin recoiled, almost falling back through the open door. "What was that for," he demanded.

"It was rude to barge in here," huffed Serena.

Sevrin turned to face her, and the faint scar on his cheek distracted Talia from his wicked smile. "How about you, Talia? Do you need anything before we depart?" The gash had been healed, and the scar would likely fade completely in time.

Talia laughed at their antics. It was common for the twins to harass each other, but Gods help anyone who tried the same, anyone but her. She'd grown up around the pair; many of her 14 years had been spent on their father’s lands, and it wasn't uncommon for Talia’s father to send her there for long periods. As she had gotten older, her trips extended, with the longest she had been there being almost an entire year. They were as much her family as her father and far more so than her brother.

"I'm fine, thank you, Sevrin."

"Then we're off," he exclaimed. The carriage rocked side to side, and he jumped back down the stairs attached to the carriage and closed the door.

"How am I nervous, but he's excited," asked Serena. "That never happens."

"He's never been on a royal hunt," Elara said, looking over the top of the book she'd been reading. “As dangerous as being outside cities or towns might be, the royal hunting grounds are well maintained. Traveling up and down the Lucent is more hazardous than the camp will be." Talia watched as Elara's eyes swiveled towards her. They were twinkling when they met. "Your smile is radiant, dear."

Talia blushed. She had been smiling like an idiot. "Thank you, ma'am." She wanted to bury her face into the cushions. Thankfully, Serena didn't seem to notice or was taking pity on her by not teasing. Talia suspected the latter. Not much got past Serena. "What are you reading, if I might ask?" Talia was eager to distance herself from… whatever Elara had been smirking about.

"It's one of Ven's old projects," Elara flipped the book around. One page had a diagram of a small, multifaceted globe.

"Resonance Orb," Talia read out loud, "What does it do?"

Serena moved next to Talia, "Yeah, what is father working on now?"

Elara sighed, "It got put to the side years ago. In theory, you could use them to converse with someone on the other side of the duchies. Unfortunately, we never got the prototype working. It was an interesting concept, and I believe it is worth revisiting."

There was a shout from outside, and their driver cracked a whip as the carriage lurched into motion.

Talia and Serena stared wide-eyed at Elara. "I see you two understand such a device's utility."

Talia looked closer at the diagram. She could pick out notations for chords and melodies. They were comprised of the 12 magical notes, bound together into multiple interwoven symphonic spells. The complexity of the spells that the resonance orb would require to function theoretically was astounding.

Like all children of noble lineage, Talia had been taught the foundational structures of magic. She was descended from one of many magical bloodlines, the bloodlines that had been blessed by the Gods with the power to rule. Magic was all but guaranteed for her.

"I don't understand any of this," Said Serena.

Elara's laugh was soft and sweet. "You will one day. Both of you will. You have bright futures ahead of you." She set her book down in her lap and, beaming, reached out and clasped both girls' hands. "I am so excited to see the women you two will become."

They continued talking as the carriage rolled through the city of Vistaluce; they traveled down the tiered city layer by layer. Talia loved watching the changes in architecture as they descended, the modern magical constructs of the upper districts slowly giving way to the more simplistic and older builds. In the oldest, it was still possible to see the original ruins they had built around their ancient white stones, which defied time as they refused to weather, but only the palace compared to the royal college. An entire town unto itself, the college was housed within its own walls outside the city.

It's a pity we won't be driving through, She thought.

The college grounds were always spectacular, and being the center of magical knowledge not just for the Duchies but foremost among all the human kingdoms made it a place of wonders. Zarinians, Crestians, Valkanians, Aurelians, and even the strange Niledians or the mysterious Maqiry came there to learn.

"You're thinking about the college, aren't you?" asked Serena.

"Yes," Smiled Talia. "There is so much to learn and so many people to meet," her heart began to race, beating an excited staccato. "Magic is wonderful; we could do so much with it."

"The king's decision to lift restrictions was smart. Anything more complicated than a mage light would still be illegal if not for him." Serena glanced at her mother before scooting closer to whisper in Talia's ear. "I'm going to convince my father to let Sevrin and I awaken our magic at the same time you do; that way, we can all go together."

"You are going to have to whisper quieter than that, dear," said Elara while still reading her book.

"Mother approves," Serena continued, "She doesn't want you going alone."

Talia's heart swelled with excitement, and something else—something heavier and warm— she had to blink to keep her vision clear. She loved the Lovells, and they constantly reminded her that they loved her in return—not because she was a princess, not because her father had asked it of them. They loved her for her.

Even with the city guard keeping the streets clear, it took nearly two hours just to leave the city. They could have moved faster, but the king wanted to maintain a stately procession, so they traveled slowly.

Once outside the city, the long line of wagons and carriages picked up speed, and mounted guard troops began to patrol up and down the column. They passed through the rolling fields of crops surrounding Vistaluce and continued down the Wood Road. As they traveled southward, the rolling hills turned into woods. The trees grew in density and height as they continued deeper into the King’s wood until, eventually, the ground was covered in permanent shadow. It took several hours to reach the campgrounds, if they could be called that. A wooden palisade ringing the camp was the only permanent structure.

As they rolled through the gate, both girls popped their heads out the window. They saw large tents erected, wagons unloading, and servants lighting cookfires, but everywhere Talia looked, there were mage lords and their retainers. This was the first royal hunt in years, and every lord able to weasel their way into an invitation had done so. Her father had to limit the number of retainers and servants that could be brought. Otherwise, the camp would spill into the surrounding forest.

Talia smirked; the Lovells weren't limited. Even then, Ven had limited their numbers out of courtesy, leaving his servants behind in favor of his children and a few extra loyal men with strong arms and even more potent magic. They would have no servants, but they would make due.

"Talia, Serena," shouted Sevrin as he skidded to a stop just past the carriage, his grey kicking up dust as it trotted. "I'm going on a hunt," he said with excitement. "Father's arranged for Valdric to take me out. I was hoping you'd both come."

Serena and Talia looked at each other and then back at Sevrin. "We're ladies; are you really asking us to go tromping through the woods?" Serena asked.

Sevrin nodded without hesitating.

"He's oblivious," muttered Serena.

"He's earnest," replied Talia, "But… yes."

"You coming?" Sevrin looked like he was ready to ride off that very moment.

"Yes," Talia shouted back.

"We are?"

"Why not," asked Talia.

He spun his horse and trotted off, yelling back toward them, "I'll go tell Father!

"Are we really going? It's dangerous outside the cities," said Serena.

"Dear, Valdric can handle a small army; add the escort the king will want for Talia, and you won't have anything to worry about. These woods are well maintained." She closed her book and stood up, reaching for the trunks above them. "Let's get you two changed. I hope you packed pants and boots because you are not running around the woods in slippers and dresses."

Talia and Serena looked at each other, each taking in the other's dress. They both wore matching green gowns with simple silver embroidery around the collar and hems.

"You had a servant pack for you, didn't you?" asked Talia.

"You did, too," accused Serena.

"Oh dear," sighed Elara.

While the servants had not packed trousers, they packed divided skirts for riding and sturdy leather boots. It didn't take long for the two girls to change in the privacy of the carriage while Elara stood outside to make sure no one entered.

"I can't believe they didn't pack us any pants," huffed Serena.

Talia, struggling to fit her feet in the boots, said, "It's what we get for not packing ourselves."

"What are servants for?"

"Your mother did tell us to pack."

"My mother likes to have me do things we pay people to do for us," she paused as she shoved a foot into a tight boot. "Something about knowing how even simple things are done."

Talia straightened, inspecting her riding skirts. They were simple, red with black embroidery. "How do I look?"

"Like a princess." Serena smoothed out her own attire, "How do I look?"

"Like a smart mouth," Talia glared back.

"A princess and a smart mouth walk out of a carriage," Serena smiled widely, "There's a joke," They both started to giggle.

Fully dressed, Talia opened the carriage door, and both girls stepped into the organized chaos of the hunting camp. Talia was surprised at how loud it was outside of the carriage. Noise dampening spells. Despite all her time with the Lovells, it still impressed her how much magic they seemed to put into everything. It was one of the things she loved about Red Lake and the Star Fort. It had all been built from the ground up by their family, and they had poured their heart and souls into it, sparing no expense.

Elara pointed the girls to where Sevrin was bouncing from foot to foot beside his horse. Flanking him was Valdric, a big man with seemingly no fat to be found on him. His face was framed by tan shoulder-length hair, and his blue eyes were striking. He wore common work clothes. He could have passed for a commoner if it wasn’t for the scabbard at his waist. Crafted with dark leather and chased with silver, it was a piece of art. Talia knew the scabbard was a pale comparison to the blade it housed.

Why is he scowling, thought Talia. A glower had replaced Valdric's customary, confident smirk. What has Sevrin done?

On the other side of Sevrin stood Zara. Her short black hair and tan skin complimented the blacks and red of her gambison. She was slight but stood with the stiff-backed posture of a professional. She looked like a model royal guard. Both Valdric and Zara held extra sets of reins, keeping the horses meant for the girls from wandering among the chaos.

"Lady Talia, Lady Serena," a ghost of Valdric's smirk peaked through. :It's a pleasure to have you join us. We should only be gone for a couple of hours. The hunt master says a herd of quilhide lives around a hill about five miles away." Valdric was a large man in every way; even his voice was big; it could pick you up and carry you away if you weren't careful.

Talia's eyes widened, "Quilhide, they're quite dangerous, aren't they?"

"It's a small pack, Your Highness; even so, sir Valdric and Sevrin will be the ones to approach while we stay back," Zara said.

Valdric’s scowl deepened as he turned his horse towards the campground gate and gave it a nudge with his boot heels. "Sevrin, you are upfront with me. Talia and Serena stay in the middle, and Zara, you'll take the rear."

"It's not normal to see him… unhappy," whispered Serena. Do you think Sevrin did something?"

"Probably," agreed Talia.

Valdric tightened their formation as they left the campground, "Zara, let me know if anything comes near us."

She nodded in a quiet response.

They moved quickly through the forest, following game trails that wound through the giant trees. It was Talia's first time in these woods, and she was surprised at how clear the ground was from clutter. It mainly was hard-packed earth with small bushes clustered around the base of trees, with some growing up the tree's trunk.

"You know how to use that wand I gave you, Sevrin," asked Valdric.

"Point and say the mnemonic."

"What's the important part about pointing it?"

"Never point it at anything I don't want to destroy."

Valdric nodded, "Good lad."

Soon enough, the trees began to thin out, growing shorter in stature, and pools of sunlight began to break through the canopy above them. Around those pools, flowers in multitudes of oranges and yellow bloomed among grass beds. They then reached the edge of the tree line and found themselves a little ways from the base of a small hill.

The hill was covered in tall grass and a few small willowy trees. Valdric pointed out a sizeable bare batch of earth where all the plants had been dug up. It sat in front of a thick stand of willows.

"That's the Quilhides wallow," whispered Sevrin.

Talia smiled at his barely contained excitement; it was infectious.

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"Hard to tell from here, but it looks old." Valdric looked back to the girls, his face slowly splitting into his usual smirk, "want to come up?"

"Valdric…" Zara said slowly. It sounded like a warning.

"Well," he asked.

"Let's go, Talia," Serena said.

"Lead the way, Sevrin," commanded Valdric, "after you ladies."

Sevrin kicked his horse to a trot, ascending the hill towards the quilhide wallow. Talia moved slower than the twins and followed behind Serena.

"You are being childish, Valdric," Talia was surprised to hear Zara's hiss.

"I'm doing my job."

"It's dangerous."

"Living is dangerous, and we know nothing is on this hill. Utility magic is a weak point of mine, but I can manage a scrying spell." Valdric kicked his horse into a gallop, shooting past Talia and heading for Sevrin.

They rode up the hill following the widening game trail. There were signs of the quilhide everywhere. Freshly disturbed soil uprooted plants, but the most significant sign was the smell. Talia gagged at what smelled like a sweat-soaked cloth left to bake in the sun.

Sevrin was already afoot, having looped his horse's reigns around a willow branch. "Where do you think they are," he asked.

Valdric dismounted and took a closer look at the tracks. "This is where they would have bedded down last night." He and Sevrin both began to look around them, following the path of what looked to be fresher tracks. "They bolted," he said, confused. Talia watched the pair drift further down the trail, following the tracks the Quilhide had left behind.

"Talia," Serena's excited whisper dragged Talia's attention from the pair of hunters. "There's a cave entrance behind these willows."

With Serena pointing it out, Talia could see it; there was a shadowed entrance into the hill. From what little Talia could see, the foliage made it look square-shaped and large. Is that…

"I'll inspect it. Stay here," Zara said. She began to move through the dense shrubs until she was barely visible through the brush. All the two girls saw of her was a flash as she darted into the cave, a ball of light shooting out in front of her as she entered.

The two girls waited, growing increasingly nervous the longer Zara was gone.

"Where is Zara?" Valdric's voice made both girls jump. They hadn't heard him and Sevrin coming. Concern was written plainly on his face, and his hand was on the hilt of his sword.

"Serena found a cave," Talia said, pointing it out through the brush. "She is searching for it."

Valdric nodded, but the hand on his sword tightened. Talia's anxiety shot to a new height. Valdric looked like he was preparing for violence, and even as his grip tightened on his sword, Talia could see the rest of his body relax, his movements nearly halting except for a slow cat's blink. Then his grip loosened, he stood straight, and his charismatic smirk returned. It looks forced, Talia observed to herself. It was so faint that she might have imagined it.

Zara came into view as she moved through the brush. Her face was impassive. "Armkine ruin," Talia immediately grew excited. “The interior is in good condition. Valdric, the enchantments concealing it must have failed recently, sometime in the last year or so."

"Some must still be active. Every searching spell I know slid over that door like it wasn't there."

“Same,” agreed Zara.

Talia's mind was a whirl. It's probably untouched! The idea of being among the first people to explore an unknown Armkine ruin. She'd expected the hunt to be a simple outing, but it was anything but. They have to let us go in. She wouldn't accept any other outcome. The area was safe; after all, with Valdric and Zara there, they had nothing to fear.

"Can we go in," exploded Serena.

"Yes, please," asked Talia.

Valdric knitted his brow and turned a questioning glance towards Zara.

"I was quick, but it looked clear," she answered.

"Sevrin, you alright with putting your hunt on pause for a moment," asked Valdric.

Talia noticed a frown on Sevrin's face. He looked at the cave opening like he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue, his lips slightly parted.

"It's just for a few minutes, Sevrin," she said. "Then we can get back to your hunt. Besides, we'll be the first to see a genuine untouched Armkine ruin." Talia couldn't contain her excitement.

A nervous smile touched his lips, and he nodded slowly in assent.

"Stay together, and stay behind me. Zara, anything unexpected, we turn and run."

"Agreed."

They moved too slowly through the brush for Talia's liking, and she kept almost bumping into Valdric's back as he moved slowly and methodically. The opening was large and square-shaped, easily fifteen feet tall. It opened into a hallway that led deeper into the hill. Dancing, white lights sprung up from around Valdric and launched down the hall. They flickered like flames but never altered in their brightness.

"You're showing off," said Serena. Talia could hear the glee in her voice.

“I’m giving myself good lighting.”

Magic. It always seemed so surreal to Talia that a person could exert their will upon the world and reshape it to fit their desires. Only with the right knowledge and practice, she reminded herself. Magic was wondrous, but to properly utilize it took effort and practice. Talia couldn't wait.

The tall hallway sloped downwards as it delved into the hill. The only sign that time had ever passed was a thick layer of dust disturbed by their footsteps. Talia ignored the feeling of isolation that overcame her as they continued down the hall. Any sounds from the outside had cut off almost immediately upon entering.

"This place is in remarkable condition," noted Valdric.

"The Armkine used all sorts of spells in their buildings," Talia said excitedly. “If the spells keeping this place hidden only failed recently, it might be possible the ones keeping the stone from weathering are still intact!" The thought excited her. Despite not yet being able to see magic, the idea that when she was old enough, she could return to this place and possibly puzzle out any ancient knowledge filled her with a delighted buzz.

The Armkine's knowledge of magic had been extensive, and their capabilities outstripped much of what humanity was capable of. Ruins were frequently excavated, explored, and documented. However, divining understanding from already cast spells was complex under even the best of circumstances, let alone spells that were thousands of years old. It took a level of magical perception that was extremely rare, and even then, highly specialized tools were required.

The hallway opened into a large spherical room. Talia wasn't sure how far under the surface they were, but they were much deeper than she had thought. The ceiling was so tall that Valdric had to direct mage lights into the air to see the room's true height.

"It's a very plain construction," Serena said.

"The construction is plain, but magically, this place is like a piece of art," Zara said, awe painting her voice. She turned to Valdric. "This might be one of the most intact ruins in the duchies."

He just nodded in response as his eyes scanned the room.

"Sevrin, keep up," he commanded.

Talia turned to Sevrin; she hadn't realized he'd stopped at the room's entrance. His breathing was rapid and sharp, his eyes darting everywhere.

"Sevrin," Valdric asked, his brows furrowed, his hand moving to his mage blade.

"He's just scared," Serena said.

"We should leave," Sevrin said.

The two twins spoke at the same time. Sevrin's hand slowly drew his long sword while he held the wand in a shaking left hand.

What is wrong with him? It annoyed Talia; he was in a place of wonder, on a genuine adventure like he always touted about wanting to go on. Is he afraid of being underground?

"Zara, check the room," Valdric commanded calmly.

"I've already—"

"Again." Valdric moved slowly, forcing Talia and Serena back towards the entrance. "Sevrin, I need you to talk to me."

"I've… got a feeling," Sevrin spoke like the words were being pulled from him.

"The feeling?"

Sevrin nodded in response.

What are they talking about, Talia thought. It was obvious that Sevrin was just scared, and judging from Serena's face, it was also evident to her.

"He's just being a scaredy cat," Serena said as she stopped, forcing Valdric to stop herding them. They were in the middle of the large room now.

"I can't find anything, Valdric. The room is empty." Zara said. "What's going on?" She was glancing around the room, her hand on her sword.

"We're leaving."

"What," exploded Talia. "We haven't even been here more than a few minutes."

Valdric ignored her and scooped up both girls. His grip might as well have been stone for all of Talia’s and Serena’s resisting loosened it.

"Put me down, Valdric," demanded Serena. "I'll walk out myself."

Valdric ignored her as he moved cautiously towards the entrance, Zara close behind. "Talia, what kind of Armkine buildings were subterranean?"

Talia stopped struggling and wrinkled her brows, "They didn't really build subterranean structures," she puzzled about it, thinking back to all she had read about the Armkine. Their structures had been uniformly large; even this excavation was more extensive than necessary. It had been theorized that they had been prone to claustrophobia. Then her eyes widened with delight as she realized, "This is a Depth's Portal!" Her voice raised excitedly, "They were hubs for extracting rare materials from the Depths."

"Move!"

Valdric's booming command made Talia jump. At the same time, she heard Sevrin shout, fear evident in his voice. She turned towards the entrance. Sevrin rolled into the room and ran towards them. Valdric moved so fast it jolted Talia and Serena's heads back. Behind Sevrin, blocking the door, was a large form. It was completely invisible except for its edges, which shimmered slightly in the light of Valdric's mage lights.

A rumbling behind them caused Talia to twist around and see part of the stone wall being pulled back. Large forms with thin legs were forcing the stone doors open. All she could see was black carapace and legs—so many legs.

Valdric dropped them. The shimmering form blocking the entrance faded into view, its illusory veil fading. It was a spider, its body the size of a horse, and its long legs extended to block the hallway. Sevrin was halfway to them.

"Get them out," bellowed Valdric as he spun his sword, flashing from its scabbard. The double-edged hand and half sword sang as its mage-forged steel was freed from its scabbard. His sword was beautiful; glowing runes covered the blade's flat, and despite not being a mage, Talia could feel power radiating from it.

Valdric blurred as he moved, closing the distance between himself and the opening door in moments. The sounds filling the room made Talia's skin crawl: the dry clacking of hard carapace grinding against stone, pincers snapping, and, underneath it all, an eager chittering. It was like sadistic laughter filling the room.

Zara also moved. With her sword drawn, she rushed the spider, blocking the exit. Talia watched as she thrust her hand forward, and flames burst out in a cone before her, bathing the creature in liquid fire. Sevrin made it to their sides, sword in one hand and wand grasped in the other.

Serena jumped to her feet and embraced him, "are you—"

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the clap of thunder and a blinding flash of light. Talia clutched at her ears as the room shook, and the smell of ozone reached her nose. Small pieces of stone fell from the ceiling and shook loose from the walls. She coughed as dust filled her lungs. Talia looked back to the source of the blast of lightning, and what she saw caught her breath.

Valdric danced among three spiders. A fourth, having been blasted away, was twitching erratically. Lightning traced his movements, lancing out from his body and striking the spiders whenever their blows landed too close. His sword never stopped moving, and green ichor was already spraying across the floor.

She was amazed at the level of skill he was displaying, weaving in and among the many legs, somehow managing to avoid being skewered by any of them. At the same time, lances of light, fire, and concussions of force made the spiders trip or stumble upon each other. This is why people tell stories about him. Talia had always chalked them up to overblown tails, but watching him now… The stories don't do him justice.

Despite his speed and grace, he was not able to escape unscathed. He was one man, fighting monsters as fast as his magical enhancements. Talia watched, her stomach clenching, as his clothes were torn and dyed red.

Her attention was drawn to Zara's fight, and the stark contrast in calibur was shocking. There was no doubt Zara was good. Talia had seen her best other mage knights, who were considered very skilled, but she fell far short of Valdric.

She moved fast, but her movements didn't blur like his, and neither did she weave spells into her strikes. She was struggling, barely staying ahead of the spider's flashing legs. Zara's hand thrust forward again. The spider balled itself up in response as flame washed over it again. Despite the ringing in Talia's ears, she could still hear the high-pitched screech it released in response. Still, once the flames receded, little damage was done to the giant arachnid as it raised itself and began to march towards Zara.

Talia took in what was happening, and as she watched Zara begin to get pushed back. Valdric began to act more desperate, moving more erratically. Spells began to lash out in greater rapidity from his blurred figure. Talia calmed, and her eyes fell on Sevrin. He had placed himself between Zara's fight and Talia and Serena. The fear that had stalled him was gone, and his face was set in with grim determination. Her eyes trailed to the wand in his left hand, and an idea bloomed in her mind. A chance to give Zara a moment's opening.

"Sevrin," she shouted. He didn't hear or flat-out ignored her, focusing on the fight. She clambered to her feet and grabbed his hand, forcing it towards the spider. "Distract it," she shouted into his ear.

His eyes widened as he realized what she was saying, but he nodded, shook her hand free of his, and charged the spider.

"I meant with the wand!"

“Sevrin, don’t!” Serena’s scream was shrill. Talia’s normally implacable friend looked like she was watching her brother run to his death.

Talia shared her horror as Sevrin closed the distance. Zara frantically waved him away. The spider charged her, using the moment of her distraction to close the distance. Again, Zara was fighting for her life, barely staying ahead of the creature's flashing black legs.

Sevrin hit the floor, angling the wand to point at the spider's underbelly. His lips moved, but Talia couldn't hear what he said through ringing ears. Sevrin's arm jolted as the wand kicked in his hand. A solid bolt of blue light about the size of a coin shot from the wand's tip. It struck the bottom of its thorax. Its body jolted upwards before it snapped around towards Sevrin. Zara, seemingly forgotten as it raised itself high on its legs, looming over him.

Slowly, a lance of twisting blue light appeared in Zara's hand. Sevrin scrambled to his feet and began to back up slowly. Talia's heart felt like it had stopped beating. She wanted to scream at Sevrin to move faster, but her constricted throat stopped the words from forming.

The lance shot out and struck the spider; it lurched to the side as the lance exploded. Fragments of chitin and green ichor flew everywhere as a gaping hole was blown into its abdomen. Even as it turned to face the genuine threat, Zara was already moving. Her sword descended, cleaving through the hard exoskeleton between the spider's large black eyes.

The spider screamed, and what little hearing Talia had died as her ears flared with pain. The spider jerked around, yanking the embedded sword from Zara's hands. Zara abandoned the sword and ran towards the girls, pointing towards the exit. Her lips were moving, but Talia couldn't hear what she was yelling, but it was apparent enough. Talia and Serena began to run for the exit. Zara got to them and, like Valdric had before, scooped them up and began to run like death itself was on her heels. Sevrin was close on their heels.

They entered the hallway and practically flew up it. The silence of their flight was disconcerting, especially when Talia began to feel the air vibrate violently. What is wrong with my ears? Already feeling like it would leap from her chest, Talia's heart began to beat faster. She couldn't hear anything. Tears began to sting at the corners of her eyes. The previous calm she had felt when directing Sevrin had vanished, and realization of what had happened began to set in. Oh Caretaker, Valdric! They'd left him behind. He'd been fighting three of them by himself.

She twisted to look behind them. Sevrin was close behind, his sword still in hand. She looked further down the hall, and her stomach and heart nearly skipped a beat. The spider Zara had been fighting was making its way up the hall. It moved erratically; only a few of its legs seemed to be responding. It moved in a jumble of its own tangled limbs. The sight was somehow more horrifying than when it had first appeared.

A shock of sunlight kissed Talia's skin. It brought no relief. Zara didn't try to maneuver through the trees, instead sending out a blast of air that flattened the thin willows into the ground. Then they were back in the quilhide wallow, where Zara dropped roughly to a knee. She released Talia and Serena as she fell. Talia was surprised to see how drenched in sweat she was. Zara was shaking like a leaf in a heavy breeze, taking deep heaving breaths. She tried to stand but stumbled and would have fallen if Talia and Serena hadn't both reached out to steady her.

Talia looked back to Sevrin. He stood between them and the spider that had half emerged from the hallway, his sword at the ready. Talia could see a faint tremor in his hands.

"Don't!" She couldn't even hear her own scream. Sevrin stepped forward.

The spider stepped out of the hallway completely. On unsteady legs, it stumbled towards them.

Talia's vision went white for a split second as a blinding flash of light, a bolt of pure energy, lept from the ground and struck the creature, partially lifting it from the ground. The beast collapsed as it landed, twitched, and stopped moving. Looking past the corpse, Talia could see Valdric, bloody, clothes cut to tatters, gleaming mage blade in hand. He turned back to the hall, slamming his free hand into the wall.

Cracks lept down the wall, spreading to the ceiling. Stone fell, and he lept away from the doorway. A cascade of earth and rubble filled the entrance, sealing it. Valdric turned towards the group, his straight back and square shoulders sagged after scanning their surroundings. He called out to them, but Talia still couldn't hear. Thankfully, her ears were at least ringing instead of being stuck in complete silence.

"Something is wrong with my ears!"

Valdric grimaced as he moved, wincing with every step. Blood dripped from him but at a much slower rate than she would have expected. His clothes were completely ruined, cut to ribbons, and soaked in green and red. He knelt before Talia and gently placed blood-stained and callused hands on either side of her head. She flinched at a dull pain in her ears. Something seized her, holding her in place as the pain heightened. Tears pooled in her eyes and ran down her face. It stopped all at once, and between the sudden lack of pain and the exquisite rush of noise, she fell forward, catching herself with her hands.

"I'm sorry, Talia, I'm not a healer, and If I didn't act quickly, my methods wouldn't have worked."

Valdric moved to the others, healing Serena and Sevrin, both of whom bore it, as well as Talia.

"Zara, you alright?"

"I'm completely depleted," she said as she struggled to her feet. “You shouldn’t be healing yourself like that. You know what the long-term risks are.”

Valdric just laughed, looking up at the sky. "I fucked up. I got complacent and nearly got us killed.”

“We both messed up. I should have had another mage knight come with us: I’ve been using magic all day. I went into this at half strength.” Zara said.

Valdric rubbed his face, smearing green and red together. “I almost brought that whole hill down on our heads with my first spell, and I’ve definitely damaged a lot of the surviving enchantments with how I was fighting.”

Silence fell over the group as they all looked at the collapsed entrance. It was broken by Zara.

"I didn't realize Sevrin had a talent," her voice was calm, flat.

Talia's mouth fell open. Talents were exceptionally rare, and most were next to useless. She shot Serena a questioning look. She closed her mouth and shrugged, a questioning look on her face.

"Stop there, Zara."

"You know I wouldn't—"

"I know who you chose to serve," Talia wanted to cower, to hide from the vehemence in Valdric's words, from the fire in his gaze. "I know who you will serve in the years to come."

"I went where I could do the most good," Zara said with a flat-lipped expression.

"The most good," scorn filled Valdric's words. "Any sacrifice for the most good."

Talia saw pain flash across Zara's face before she stilled her emotions. Just what is going on between them? It was obvious to Talia that the two had a history, but she'd known Valdric for as long as she'd known the twins. While Zara had only joined her guard a few years ago. Not once had she ever thought the two even knew each other.

"Now is not the time." Valdric moved to the spider’s corpse and nudged it with his foot, "I've heard of Stalkers before, but I never realized just how resistant to magic they are.”

Zara moved closer, examining the corpse, "Everything I did bounced off or only made it uncomfortable. If it hadn't been for Sevrin distracting it, I never would have had the time I needed."

"What did you think of your hunt, Sevrin," asked Valdric, his customary smirk returning. "This is probably the best game anyone will catch on this trip."

"I don't know if it was worth it."

Valdric laughed bitterly, "No, probably not, but you did well reading the situation and acting like you did."

"That was Talia, not me."

Talia could feel her face heat. "I meant for you to hit it with your wand from range, not run up and dive under it."

"Never do that again," commanded Serena, "You almost got yourself killed!"

"Well, let's get your kill back to camp, Sevrin."

"Not my kill," Sevrin cut in sheepishly before looking at Talia. "I dedicate it to Princess Talia. It's hers."

Valdric just laughed.

Despite Valdric's words about hurrying, harnessing the corpse to Valdric's and Sevrin's horses took over an hour. They kept shying away from the corpse. Talia didn't blame them. Its long legs had curled up close to its body. She was surprised at the lack of smell coming from the body. But as soon as they could, they set off, with Sevrin leading the horses while Valdric marched in front. He walked with his chest out despite his ruined attire, almost displaying his disheveled state like a recovered battle standard.

They traveled slowly. The corpse slowed them considerably, and it was getting late into the afternoon by the time they began to smell fires and hear the sounds of camp. Sentries looked at their little group with open mouths. Gaping as they passed. Valdric waved off any helping hands, refusing to explain to anyone.

Talia looked at the awe and fear on people's faces as they stopped outside the small section meant for the Lovells. She was surprised when Zara rode up to her.

"I must report to his majesty. By your leave your grace."

Talia nodded in reply. She was too drained to speak and was not looking forward to explaining to Ven and Elara her part in what had happened. She didn't fear punishment; she feared disappointing them.

"Zara," shouted Valdric. "If there were five, then there are more. A brood mother has moved into the area. She can't make it to the surface, but her children can. That tunnel needs to be properly sealed."

"I will inform his grace," replied Zara.

Sevrin tied the horse's reigns to a post before moving to help Serena down from her horse. Talia smirked when she took his hand. Usually, Serena wouldn't have. Sevran typically wouldn't offer. She was surprised when he moved to help her.

Her smile broadened as she took his offered hand.

"That was an adventure," smirked Sevrin.

Talia felt her face heat with embarrassment and shame, "Serena and I should have trusted your gut. I got too excited about exploring the ruin," she couldn't help but deflate, "I almost got us all killed."

Sevrin shrugged, "You got me moving. If it hadn't been for you, we would have been killed. Besides," he added quietly, "you were both right. I was afraid."

"You were brave." Talia felt a warmth in her chest as he beamed at her. The sight was only ruined as she looked over his shoulder to see her brother. He was further in the camp on a raised platform where a gargantuan stag was laid on a table. He was overseeing the processing of it, and on his arm hung the niece of Gavriel Thral, so close she might have been a tick.

Things slotted into place in Talia’s mind, and ice ran down her spine. The letter to Duke Thral, his being here in the capital with his niece. The woman clinging to her brother like a parasite. Her father was arranging a marriage for her brother.

His time is coming. It might only be a matter of years before her father’s connection to magic broke, and a broken tether would be fatal at his age.

It felt like a noose had been placed over her throat. As she watched the two laughing and smiling, she could feel it tightening.

Her brother was a jealous man. Talia had always believed that the distance her father put between her and the throne would keep her safe. Despite that, she felt something far more perilous beneath her now. If her suspicions about the death of their mother were true, then she would have to tread very carefully in the coming years.

The ground was shifting, and the dangers above might be more deadly than the dangers below.