“Alright then, the old man’s going to be fine. Well… relatively.” Alexander straightened his posture. “Now… Who do we have here?” He turned towards the three warriors gathered around him. “Marcus, Layla and… Oh! Edward! Almost didn’t recognize you…” He came closer with a smile, grasping hands with each one of them.

“Nice to see you too sir… ah, sorry, Alexander.” Edward shifted his posture.

The Legend rolled his eyes. “As always… Alright, anyways, I’ll go find the vice commander. You three… Be kind enough and scout the surroundings. And if you find any stragglers… Well, you know what to do.” He nodded and stepped onto the air. Golden light solidified under his feet, and the man flew towards the center of the fortress.

“Golden boy gave the orders so let’s split up I guess…” Marcus sighed.

“Why do you keep calling him golden boy?” Edward tilted his head slightly.

“Oh he’s just jealous that Alexander is that much better than him in every conceivable way, am I right?” Layla flashed an accusatory glance.

“This again? No Layla, the point’s that he’s not only better, but literally perfect...”

“So what’s the problem?” Ed looked from one friend to the other.

Marcus sheathed his sword, and adjusted his belt. “The problem’s that nobody is that perfect. Remember, you should never trust something that seems too perfect. If it looks too good to be true it probably is.”

“Or maybe you just can’t seem to trust anyone?” Layla scoffed.

“I trust you… and Edward.”

This seemed to shut her up a bit. She pursed her lips, and turned around. “Alright, let’s just scour the area like we were told to. I’ll see you later,” she said, picking a random direction and dashing away.

Marcus shook his head. “How about you Edward? All good after the battle?”

Edward moved his arms around. “Yeah more or less.”

“Great, then let’s go as well.”

“Sure.” Ed answered, as they both split up.

***

Four people sat at two beige couches facing each other, separated by a small wooden table. They held hot steaming drinks in their hands, ignoring the huge gaping hole in the wall next to them.

“So… Master Tarquin is your teacher right?” Katrina sipped her coffee. “How’s he doing?”

Marcus and Layla looked at Edward, letting him answer. “Adam said he’ll recover, but you know… He is going to have to get used to living with a single arm now.”

The others pursed their lips. Marcus looked outside through the gap and decided to change the subject. “How long do you think it’ll take them to repair all the damage?”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Weeks probably…” Layla fidgeted with her cup. “Most of the buildings are damaged, including the barracks, laboratories, hangars. The wall and the gate are probably going to be the most difficult to repair though.”

“How come?” Edward looked towards the distant barrier, visible between the buildings.

“Remember the old stones visible in parts of the design? They are the remnants of an ancient fortress that once stood in this exact place. It originally held the name TIberius too.”

“Oh I think I know what you’re getting at… It’s one of those rare cases, isn’t it?” Edward put down his cup.

“Wait, hold on. What rare cases?” Kat’s gaze jumped between the duo.

Marcus’s eyes flashed. “Let me explain… You know about…”

“Shut up Marcus.” Layla shot him a furtive glance.

“What? Why?!” He held up his hands.

“You were about to make up some bullshit again, don’t even try.”

He rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, go ahead.”

“Thank you.” Layla clasped her hands. “As I was about to explain… Marked learn more about the topic of legends as part of understanding our powers better. One of the more interesting secrets is that not only people can hold legends.”

Katrina’s eyebrows shot up as she looked at Edward. The young man nodded in confirmation and gestured towards Layla to continue.

“In some cases weapons, armaments, objects, places and in some exceptional circumstances even animals can possess a legend.” Layla took a sip. “Although that last one is something people have only seen in books nowadays…”

“Wow… That’s a lot.” Kat rested her chin on her fist.

“Become a Marked too and you’ll find out even more,” answered Layla.

Marcus tapped his fingers against the surface of the table. “Knowledge is strength. Only the strongest have a voice… And all of that bullshit… right?”

“Huh? What’s with you?” Edward raised his brow, followed by Layla and a confused Kat.

“Oh my bad. It just reminded me of the type of lines my father liked to say.” He stopped the tapping and leaned back on the couch.

Ed was about to inquire further, when someone interrupted their conversation.

“Hey everyone. I finally managed to find you.” Alexander walked in from the sky through the large hole in the wall. “Good to see you all present… and oh! Who’s the young lady?” He looked towards Kat.

Unfortunately, the young woman was currently staring back with her mouth agape.

“Nevermind then…” Alexander turned towards Edward. “I have some business with you, walk with me.” He waved him over, turning back towards the opening in the wall. He walked over the loose grey stones scattered around the floor and walked off the edge from the fifteenth floor. “Just follow my lead,” he said, stepping on the air.

Edward stood up, looking at his friends for any signs of support but found none. He approached the ledge, hesitantly bringing his foot above a 150 meters high drop. He lowered it slowly, only relaxing once he felt some kind of support under his soles.

“Go on. I know it feels weird when you do it for the first time,” Alexander beckoned.

The young warrior put his trust in the Legend, forcing himself to take the second and third steps. He looked down, only now truly fascinated by the feeling of standing completely in the empty air. Vague whiffs of a golden aura came from under the duo’s feet. The only clue as to how Alexander achieved this feat of walking in the sky akin to a demigod.

“Good. Let’s go a bit further now, relax and follow me.” He raised his leg, like he was about to walk on an imaginary staircase. If not for the faint signs of aura, it would’ve looked like a perfect mime performance.

“Alright then.” Edward took one last look behind him, raising his hand to say goodbye to his friends. The trio responded in kind, and the young warrior followed the Legend upwards.