The beginning after the end

ARTHUR LEYWIN

Turning the stone over in my hand, I stared down at the cracks that ran deep into its multifaceted surface. A single sharp pulse of power, and it had been shattered. But it had been necessary. A small sacrifice, all things considered. After all, with its purpose fulfilled, what use was there for it anymore?

I considered reaching for Aroa's Requiem. By pushing aether through it with the aevum art, I could turn back the wear of time and restore the relic. But I hesitated. With a sigh, I set the stone down on the side table beside my bed and stood, staring around at the room as if seeing it again for the first time.

The primary bedroom in my new home was an open, expansive space. The too-big four-poster bed dominated one wall, while the adjacent wall was a transparent panel of mana that acted as both window and doorway, allowing me to pass through onto the balcony that wrapped around my new home outside of Ashber. At the moment, the entire property was blanketed in the shadow cast by one of Epheotus's rings, but I knew it would pass in the next few minutes before everyone began to arrive.

A waterfall spilled down the opposite wall, filling a basin that drained away to other parts of the house, magically purifying it along the way. There were twin desks for Tessia and me, with a life-sized, perfectly replicated statue of Wren Kain IV in the corner-which I would be moving to a much less invasive position after everyone left.

The estate was far more lavish than I was used to. Larger and more grandiose than the Helstea's home in Xyrus, more comfortable than the flying castle, and more magical than the elven palace of Zestier, it didn't quite feel like home yet after only a couple of weeks.

I stepped through the mana wall and out onto the balcony, which overlooked a sprawling lake and, in the distance, the Grand Mountains. Turning my gaze just a bit further south, I could see the thin line of the Spire, hundreds of miles away but rising all the way up to where the Rings of Epheotus hung overhead, as if holding them in the air.

The estate and surrounding grounds existed exactly where my parents' small rural farmhouse had been-the one I'd blown up when I'd awakened at just three years old. Most of Ashber had been abandoned during the later stages of the war, and the collective of friends and acquaintances who had arranged all of this had bought up half the town in my name. Now, I saw a dozen carts roll past every day as people moved back.

I still wasn't sure how to feel. I wasn't particularly accustomed to or comfortable with receiving gifts, so to have been given a massive, lavish- beyond-words mansion and the surrounding countryside...

Chuckling at my own discomfort, I leaned over the rail and stared down at the lake, watching as a massive shadow passed just beneath the surface, a subtle glint of gold shining through the too-blue water. Boo sat on the shoreline, padding at the water with one huge paw as if anticipating trying to catch the gargantuan goldfish that occupied the conjured lake.

The Glayders, through their agents, had arranged for the acquisition of the lands around the small plot belonging to my mother. The dwarven lords had put together a fund to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the lands as long as a Leywin still lived here. Much of the mansion had been grown, not constructed, by a team of titans and hamadryads working in concert with elves sent from Elenoir. The magical elements were all powered by huge mana crystals donated by Seris after they were reclaimed from Agrona's treasure hoard. Veruhn himself had shaped the lake and filled it with waters from the ocean next to his home, now a strip of water running along one edge of the lowest Ring of Epheotus. To the north of the lake was a field full of wogarts, courtesy of Alaric and Darrin.

These were just a few of the features, gifts, and additions provided to my new home. "Not a bad place to kick off your boots after saving the world," Regis had said when we set eyes on it for the first time. Mom had burst into tears, while Ellie, still slightly discombobulated from her time sequestered in the pocket dimension, had asked a little too blatantly about whether she should start preparing herself for little Arthurs and Tessias to be running around in the mansion...

I smiled at the memory.

There were permanent rooms for Mom, Ellie, and Sylvie, and a number of guest rooms-although not enough to house all the guests we were expecting over the next couple of days.

Turning around, I stared back through the mana wall into the bedroom I was now sharing with Tessia. It felt like a dream. Like it couldn't quite be real-that I shouldn't believe it. Fate was going to pull the carpet out from under me at any moment and wake me up. She'd left, and I could never fully shake the feeling that any time I saw her might be the last. What if she didn't come back?

My thoughts jumped back to the stone and, for a moment, I found myself tempted again to restore it with Aroa's Requiem, using it to check on her. What if-

I brushed off the impulse to spiral. She's just gone into town to pick up groceries. Even though we had a handful of staff now, well-paid to help us out, Tessia had insisted, taking Ellie with her for some "bonding time." I got it, though. It felt good to do something so mundane as shopping at the small market in Ashber, after everything else.

Keeping my mind under control had been difficult. The itch to constantly use King's Gambit was somewhere between an addiction and the phantom sensations of a missing limb. Without it, I felt scattered and distracted.

My fingers pressed into my sternum, which did nothing to ease the ache of my core. I hadn't used magic since returning from Alacrya. The core was no longer drawing in aether, and my reservoir was almost entirely depleted. Although I had no proof, I felt instinctively that when the last of the aether was gone, the core would break down, and I would...

Clearing my throat, I forced myself to stand a little straighter, then left the balcony and headed deeper into the house. All the upstairs rooms were connected by a mezzanine that looked down into the atrium. A tree grew up from a round patch of soil from Mount Geolus, its limbs spread wide and covered in pink leaves and glimmering rainbow fruit. Although

I knew the fruit was full of mana, I could no longer sense it without Realmheart.

It was worth it, I told myself, a phrase that had become a sort of mantra over the last couple of weeks. Every time I looked up at the Rings of Epheotus or caught sight of the Spire. Or felt my core quiver. Or looked at my mom, or my sister. Or Regis, or Sylvie. Or remembered the ghostly touch of my father's specter on my shoulder.

No matter what happened from here, no matter the price I paid, it would have been worth it in the end.

"Arthur?"

I realized I had stopped, my thoughts drifting as I stared into the boughs of the Epheotan tree, a gift from the Inthirah clan. Mom had come out of her room without me even hearing the door open.

"Have a good nap?" I asked, trying to smile comfortingly to show that I was okay.

She rolled her eyes. "I was reading. Didn't mean to drift off." She yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "I suppose that's what age does to you."

Chuckling, I took her arm and we headed downstairs together, where our cook, Hela, had prepared a light afternoon lunch. Hela was a young woman who'd grown up in Ashber and lost her entire family during the attack on Lilia's caravan. She had walked right up to the asuras shaping the house and demanded to know if we'd be taking on help, and Mom had eagerly hired her.

We made small talk as we ate at the kitchen counter-as opposed to the large dining room-and the first knock at the door came just as we were finishing.

"I'll get it!" Mom called out to the household at large, then rushed out of the kitchen.

Chuckling, I quickly cleaned up and followed after her, leaning against the atrium wall as Mom excitedly wrenched open the front door. Jasmine, Helen, and Durden stood framed in the doorway, and for a moment, a memory slipped over my vision, and it was like I was seeing all the Twin Horns: Adam Krensch, grinning and mussing up his hair; Angela Rose, beaming and already reaching out for a suffocating hug; and...Dad, beardless and young, laughing and ribbing Adam.

"Ah, I'm so glad you could all make it. I was worried that, being retired, you wouldn't be up for the trip."

Jasmine's face pinched into a mock scowl, her red eyes bright with amusement. "Maybe we had to twist his arm a bit."

"Well, I only have the one! You need to be careful with it," Durden said with a laugh that put me right back onto the Grand Mountains, camping and listening to my dad talk and laugh with Durden and the rest.

Helen pulled Mom into a hug and hummed in a road-weary, put-upon sort of way. "Please, Alice, tell me you've got something very strong and expensive to take the edge off after such a long trip with these two."

Mom giggled, sounding fifteen years younger. "Helen, my dear, you have no idea."

Jasmine patted Mom as she slipped by her and looked around, brows shooting up into her hairline. "Wow. Quite a place." Then she finally noticed me. "Ah, my good-for-nothing protegee. Disappointment of the century. Accomplished nothing, have you? Nothing at all." Her mouth quivered in a poorly suppressed smirk.

I rewarded her with a theatrical sigh as I pushed away from the wall and hung my head. "You're entirely right. I never finished school, failed to make it through even a year at two different teaching jobs, left my training in Epheotus early..."

She snorted and tossed something that flashed in the air.

I caught the dagger by its handle and stared down at it, perplexed.

"One of my originals, all the way back to when we trained on the journey from Ashber to Xyrus." She looked down and away, a little embarrassed. "I thought maybe you'd want it. You know, mount it somewhere within this obscenely large mansion of yours. To remember when you were just a too-confident, weird little kid."

A laugh bubbled up from my stomach, and some of my tension melted away. "Jasmine, I liked you more when you barely talked."

"Those sound like fighting words." She adopted a fighting stance and bounced forward on the balls of her feet like a boxer.

"Take it outside, you two!" Mom snapped, biting her lip to keep from smiling.

"It's my house," I shot back, but lunged forward, caught Jasmine by the ankle and dumped her onto the ground, then shot out the door, leaving the dagger in Mom's hands.

Mom just blinked as Jasmine gave an "oof!" as her rump hit the floor, then she was chasing after me with wind beneath her feet.

"Children," I heard Helen mutter, accompanied by a hearty laugh from Durden, before the door closed.

Jasmine and I spent a few minutes play-fighting before Boo-bored of being left behind-came charging in, knocking me over and taking a few harmless swipes at Jasmine. We turned on the guardian beast, working together to wrestle his tremendous bulk to the ground in a wheezing, gasping heap.

"Hey! Get off my bond!" My sister's voice rang across the yard, making us all look up.

Ellie and Tessia were approaching, along with all three Helsteas in a skitter-drawn coach. The skitters shied as Boo jumped up and took several lumbering strides toward them, but Ellie quickly called him off, hopping from the side of the couch and heading for her bond with something hidden behind her back.

I helped Jasmine up, then went to meet the rest. "Vincent, Tabitha. Lil. Thank you all for making the journey."

We made small talk about their trip as they pulled their coach up to the front door. Jameson, once of the Helstea Auction House but now the head of my household staff, hurried out to greet the Helsteas before taking their coach around the side of the house to stable the skitters and unload their belongings.

Standing in front of my new home, Vincent let out a low whistle. "I've seen the blueprints-an architect friend of mine back in Xyrus helped draw them up, you know-but I still wasn't fully appreciating the grandness of it all. Those asuras sure know what they're doing." He leaned in slightly, nudging me. "Perhaps you can arrange a meeting. I can see asura-made goods doing very well at the Auction House."

"Father..." Lilia said, sounding tired.

The front door opened, and Mom stepped out, beaming down at the Helsteas. "You made it! How was the trip?"

"It would have been much better if Tanner could have arranged for a few blade wings," Vincent grumbled.

"Father!" Lilia said again. "You know there aren't enough blade wings and pilots to handle casual transportation."

Anyone with a bond to a flying mana beast-or the ability to fly one without a bond-was being kept very busy at the moment. The fact that the Helsteas were here at all was only due to the constant stream of flights from the surface up to Xyrus. It was no wonder that even they hadn't been able to find someone willing to fly them all the way to the north of Sapin.

"Never mind him," Tabitha said, hugging my mother gently. "The ride was actually quite nice. It's been so long since we traveled casually, and to see everyone all over Sapin working so hard. There is a real energy out there, Alice. Hope."

Chatting animatedly, Mom led the Helsteas inside. Ellie caught up, leaving Boo to gnaw on a big bone she'd brought back from town. Tessia slipped an arm around my waist and leaned her head on my shoulder, looking inside with a hint of nerves.

"Don't worry, this place is more than big enough for you to disappear if you need a moment to yourself," I teased. "Besides, Sylvie should be back soon with Virion."

"It's not the party I'm worried about," she said, lacing her arm through mine and squeezing me tight. "I'm excited to celebrate with everyone. It is your birthday after all. But...after."

I knew what she meant. The last couple of weeks of simply being allowed to exist together had been wonderful, but the world was closing back in. Virion-all his people, really-needed him in Elenoir. The elves were still struggling to find leaders among them. Working side by side with Clan Asclepius, managing relations with the refugee Alacryans who had stayed, navigating agreements with dwarven work parties, and even communicating with the asura of Epheotus-the elves needed intensely dedicated public servants and leaders.

I looked down at Tessia and felt my throat constrict. Her initial meeting with Mordain had sparked a close friendship, and he was teaching her as he had once taught Elder Rinia. Tessia wasn't a seer, but Mordain was truly gifted at helping young mages unlock their own power. The refugee Alacryans already respected her for surviving being made the vessel for Cecilia's reincarnation, and she had spent more time around the dwarven clan lords than most elves.

And perhaps she didn't realize it fully, but being the recipient of a mourning pearl...well, the eyes of the entire asuran population would regularly turn to her, watching to see what she accomplished with the second chance at life she was given. Veruhn had even hinted that most would treat her as an equal, as if she were an asura. I felt myself smile. When we were married, she would become a member of Clan Leywin. An archon.

"What are you smirking at?" she asked, looking up at me and raising a brow. "Does the thought of me leaving for Elenoir really make you so happy?"

I scooped her up in my arms, making her squeal. "My heart breaks at the thought of it, but the world needs you, Tessia Eralith."

"It needs us both," she teased back, thumbing my nose.

Even a house as big as the new "Leywin Estate" seemed like it was bursting at the seams by the time everyone had arrived. The noise of conversation buzzed into every corner of the house, and I realized that maybe there wouldn't be anywhere to hide from it after all.

I had found myself cornered in the dining room, where I popped walnuts into my mouth at irregular intervals as I was sandwiched between Gideon and Wren, who were having an animated conversation about several new ideas that had come up between them in the aftermath of what was already being called the Confluence-the melding of our world with Epheotus.

"Arthur, are you listening?" Gideon asked suddenly, staring at me from beneath patchy white brows. "This is exciting stuff, boy!"

"I heard you," I said, dragging my gaze away from Tessia, who was laughing with Lilia and Emily across the room. "My old steam train concept. I remember."

Wren thumped me. "With the issues navigating this new world, this 'train' system could be a major equalizer."

"I've already expanded on those initial designs we talked about-what was that, a decade ago?-but with the war, it was never practical. Even without a war, it would have taken more than the last decade to fully implement, but now-"

"With the assistance of the Kain clan, we believe we can complete work on the tunnels in mere months!" Wren said. I couldn't recall having heard him so pleased about something...ever. "The construction of the mechanisms themselves, in enough numbers to set up routes connecting all the major cities, will take longer. But the first line could be operational by the time the whole tunnel network is dug out."

"And...who has agreed to allow this project?" I asked, very curious considering the tumultuous situation Dicathen's governments were currently in. "Or fund it?"

Gideon scoffed. "The dwarves love the idea. Several guilds have already submitted bids to be a part of the project. They're still voting for this new...parliament they've outlined, but once that is settled and a new king is chosen through their...trials-or whatever they're calling them- I have no doubt we'll receive their full support. Sapin, well..."

Sapin had been ruled by a king and queen for hundreds of years, then was briefly overseen by the Tri-union council-which consisted of the previous kings and queens of Sapin, Darv, and Elenoir, even if they in turn mostly answered to Aldir. Although the dwarves had been quick to suggest, adopt, and begin working toward a new form of government for Darv, the people of Sapin had, so far, faced more difficulty.

Kathyln and Curtis were, of course, in line for the throne, but they had refused to claim it. I had already received multiple letters asking for my guidance and not so subtly suggesting I should be king of Sapin. Not interested.

"The Glayders won't agree to anything at all, claiming they don't have the authority until the direction of Sapin is defined," Gideon said, his tone half disbelief, half annoyance. Then he burst out in a sharp laugh. "I forgot to mention: they actually said that, as 'regent,' perhaps you would be the best one to make that determination. When I asked about requisitioning funding, young Curtis only blustered."

"Well, then, you have my full support," I quipped, then immediately backtracked as I remembered who I was talking to. "Gideon, don't leave here intent on using me to bully your way into this. I do support you, but I'm not 'regent' of anything, and if you want this to work, you need to go through the proper channels, just like you've done with the Beast Corps."

Gideon grunted, slumped in his chair, and forcefully began chewing a handful of crunchy fried maize kernels. "Not sure I heard that last part."

Wren, on the other hand, only shrugged. "A leadership changeover like this might take a hundred years in Epheotus. I promise, my kin are looking down on Dicathen, amazed at the breathless pace you people move."

"Well, I don't have another ten thousand years to build my vision, do I?"

Gideon snapped.

Wren regarded him without emotion. "You'll be lucky to get ten more years before the self-induced stress kills you."

The two began bickering, but I was saved by the appearance of Sylvie. "Arthur, there is an unexpected guest."

"Ah. So sorry," I told the pair of argumentative inventors. "Duty calls." Then, under my breath to Sylvie as we walked away, I added, "Thanks."

She only smirked and gave me a knowing look before leading me through the atrium and into the ground-floor study.

A tall, athletically built man with a shaven head had his back to the door as he looked up at a portrait of my Father. He wore the same light, tight- fitting tunic and loose trousers that he nearly always wore.

"Kordri," I said, surprised. "When the others arrived, I assumed that was all of the asuras who would be joining us."

He turned, studying me within his four hazel eyes before answering. "I do not fault them for their failure to ask me to descend from Epheotus for the occasion. To my eyes, it seems only a moment ago since we last celebrated your day of birth together."

I gave the serious pantheon a wry smile. "I'm not sure 'celebrated' is the word you're looking for."

He only shrugged. "In the wake of all that has happened, we have not been afforded the opportunity to speak."

My expression slipped as I felt a pang of regret for the way things had happened. "Kordri. I am sorry about Aldir. I hope you know that what happened...it was his own choice."

He crossed his arms and stared down at the corded muscles that stood out through his skin. "It is strange. I can't blame you for any of it, Arthur. I know you have only done what was necessary. You have been more fair with the asuras than perhaps we deserve. No, what I really wanted to speak to you about..." He looked back up, his eyes burrowing into mine. "Have you seen or heard anything from Myre since the Confluence?"

"There was no sign of her or Kezess's body afterwards, no," I answered. This information had already been provided to the other high lords, of course, but it wasn't a surprise that they hadn't yet disseminated it to their people.

"And with her will? You can't feel her presence?" His voice had become uncharacteristically soft.

I hadn't used the will since the Confluence. The only sense of magic I had left was my tether to Regis and Sylvie. Even those had faded a little. "No."

"I see." He was silent for several seconds, then, "It has been good to see you, Arthur, but I fear my presence here will only be a distraction from your celebration. Please, come see me in Battle's End. It would be a great honor to train with you again."

"Of course. I'd like to see the Cerulean Savanna up close. But Kordri..." I hesitated, then had to ask myself why and pushed on. "You should stay. It's important for the people of Epheotus and Alacrya to interact. Do you want their entire impression of the asuras to be from Riven Kothan?"

Kordri's four eyes blinked at me a couple of times, his face expressionless. "You make a good point. Perhaps I will stay, if only to make a good impression on your other company."

Chuckling, I followed him out into the atrium. He continued through into the dining room, noting the sound of Wren Kain's voice raised in obvious frustration, but I stopped to stand beneath the tree for a moment, stepping back through the conversation in my mind.

From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Ellie sitting on the bottom step of the atrium stairs, her brows knit into a tight frown.

My name was called from a different direction, and a small cluster of visitors waved me over, but I gestured for a minute first and made my way to Ellie, sitting beside her. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing," she mumbled. Hearing herself, she flinched and straightened. "I'm fine. It's my big brother's birthday party! Honestly, I'm having a blast."

"I can tell..."

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye and then shrank slightly. "I don't know. It's just..." She waved her hand around as if trying to shoo away an insect. "Everything?"

"You can't relax," I noted, my conversation with Kordri still lingering in my thoughts. "I get it. It's not easy to slow down. You've been fighting for your life nonstop for years. Suddenly, you're thrown back into this 'normal' life, which is something you barely remember. You haven't come out of fight or flight yet."

She gave me a surprised look, then her face split into a chagrined smirk.

"Okay, didn't realize you were so philosophical, High Lord Leywin."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not alone in this, El. And I don't mean just me, either. Right now, hundreds of thousands of people are going through that same journey all over the world. Even the asura. Everyone is still trying to figure out what this all means."

"Of course, but..." She hesitated. "I'm not ready to go back to a 'normal' life, Art." I saw the fear in her eyes. "I don't want the important part of my life to be over, and now it's just...I don't even know. Taking Boo for walks around the lake and being waited on hand and foot? Practicing skills I'm never going to use again?"

I opened my mouth to interject, but she bulled past me. "No, listen. Don't get me wrong, I don't want there to be war or anything. Nothing like that. But I've been through so much, and learned all these abilities, and even got this weapon I can't even use yet...I just know there is so much I can still do, but I already feel like I'm being penned in. Like, hey, that's it, my brother saved the world while I was hidden in an extraplanar bunker, and now it's over..."

I patted her leg supportively. "El, you're probably the most powerful teenager in the world-a world that will continue to be full of problems. And because of who you are, if you want to step in and address those problems, I have no doubt you'll be able to. What you really need to consider isn't what to do now, but how to do it. How to use your power and influence responsibly." I considered her seriously. "Maybe that's what Silverlight is still waiting for. To see what you become now."

She fidgeted, picking at her fingernails, but didn't immediately respond.

I knew the question of Silverlight had still been bothering her, even though she was trying to be patient. "You know, that asura who just walked through was Kordri Thyestes, Aldir's brother. Maybe he can tell you more. About Silverlight."

Ellie's head whipped up, staring into the dining room. "Really? Yeah, maybe. That'd be...cool."

"Ellie? Where did that girl run off to?"

We both turned our heads just as Naesia, daughter of Novis Avignis, high lord of the phoenixes, appeared from a hallway, looking around. Her eyes landed on me and my sister and lit up. "There you are! Come on, Eleanor, I have more questions..."

Ellie bit her lip in amusement, relaxing. Leaning over, she said, "She has a massive crush on Chul and has been asking me all kinds of stuff about our...courting rituals."

A deep frown fell across my face. "And what would you know about that?"

She scoffed and purposefully stepped on my foot before looping an arm through Naesia's, all thoughts of Kordri and Silverlight momentarily driven from her thoughts, then my sister and the asura left out the front door. I knew Chul was out there playing some kind of rough asuran sport with a handful of other guests, including Riven Kothan and Mica.

But thinking of those who were present inevitably drew my mind to all those who weren't. The Glayders had been unable to leave Etistin to make the long journey eastward. The same was true of all my Alacryan friends; with no teleportation between continents except for the portals deep within the Relictombs Spire, we were almost entirely reliant on long steam ship journeys or dangerous flights. A few of Mordain's clan had been willing to shuttle people across for necessary reasons-like the meeting between all the world's leaders-but I personally did not rank my birthday as reason enough to drag Caera or anyone else across the vastness of the ocean on phoenix-back.

Regis's continued absence was both worrying and disappointing, but I'd had to get used to his newfound freedom over the last couple of weeks. He'd zipped off with barely a word, stating that he had something important to do without telling me what, and I hadn't heard a whisper of thought from him since.

Mostly, though, I found myself missing my father. Seeing him again, hearing his voice, had ripped open something inside of me. Now that the war was finally over, I felt the ache of his absence more distinctly. I knew, had he been there, he would be outside fearlessly facing off against Chul and Riven, his competitive nature not allowing him to back down even against deities. He would have loved this house, but more, he would have loved to see it full of so many friends and loved ones.

Mom passed through, speaking to Vanesy Glory, Claire Bladeheart, and Tabitha. I heard something about showing them the gardens, and Vanesy caught my eye, flaring her brows as if to say, "Not bad, kid." Claire, following Vanesy's gaze to me, gave a sharp salute, which I returned more casually, then they were outside, Mom's voice quickly fading through the general hubbub.

There were footsteps on the stairs behind me, and Varay took Ellie's place. She had started to let her hair grow back out, and she looked almost like a different person in a casual, flowing tunic and slacks.

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" I asked, leaning back onto my elbows. "What's that?" she asked, swirling a drink in ice.

"What would have happened if you'd let Bairon kill me that day."

The clinking of ice on glass stopped. "I can't say I've given it much thought. It's been a very long time since you were that boy. Or maybe you never were."

"Anyway, I'm glad you caught me. I wanted to say..." I rubbed the back of my neck, grimacing. "Well, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. For misleading everyone, when I had to go into the final djinn keystone. I thought it was the only way."

Her expression didn't change. "No need. You did what you thought would work, and it did. The enemy and my mistakes almost killed me.. But that is what happens in war. In the end, I survived, and I Integrated, and that is worth the price of nearly dying."

"And now that you've reached Integration stage, what will you do?"

A hint of a smile turned up Varay's lips. "Curtis Glayder has requested I stay on as their Lance until Sapin decides on its new leadership. But Vanesy Glory has also approached me about her interest in reopening Xyrus Academy. She wants me to teach high-level students about Integration." She shrugged, a very un-Varay-like expression. "When I was first struggling with my Integration, though, it was Tessia who was there to support and help me. I thought I would spend some time with her, now, guiding her along the same path. I'm convinced that she can reach Integration stage with time and effort."

"And then someone from each race would have reached Integration," I said slowly, following her train of thought.

"In my experience, peace is easier to keep when all sides are equal in power," she said, although she couldn't help it when her eyes drifted up to the ceiling. I knew she wasn't looking at the curved atrium roof, but up to the Rings of Epheotus beyond that. "At least, down here, anyway."

"Professor Varay..." I said, pretending to sound out the title as if considering it. "Always chasing in my footsteps."

Her conjured fist of ice struck my shoulder, but not hard enough to hurt.

I laughed. "Your assistance would mean the world to her," I said, shifting the conversation back to Tessia. "She doesn't talk about it much, but the loss of the Legacy's power-not strength, but the way she saw and felt mana-has left a kind of hole in her spirit. She deserves it-and the elves need it-if Integration can be achieved..." I trailed off thoughtfully, imagining what else might change if Tessia were to reach Integration stage.

"Arthur?"

I looked up into Varay's concerned face and realized I must have been frowning. "Sorry. It's...nothing."

The look she gave me was piercing. "I wouldn't call what you're going through nothing. Do you think it's possible that perhaps you could be reaching a kind of Integration stage of your own?"

I hesitated to answer. I could spin it to give her hope and protect myself, which is largely how I'd approached the topic with anyone else who'd asked, except my family, of course. But Varay, I thought, deserved to know. After me, she was probably the strongest warrior and mage in either Dicathen or Alacrya. Regardless of what the future held, Varay would be instrumental in shaping it.

"I'm not," I said, keeping my voice down so our conversation was lost in the background noise. "When the last of my power is spent, my aetheric core will break, and the pieces of my mana core will be absorbed back into my body. My magic will be gone."

She nodded along as I spoke, showing no pity, making no effort to console me. "And these 'godrunes' and spellforms?"

I shook my head slightly. "Without access to mana or aether, they'll become inert."

"And you're certain of this?"

I scrunched my face into a pained smile. "I am, yeah."

She stood, turned sharply to face me, and bowed deeply. I scanned the atrium and connected hallways and rooms nervously, but for a brief moment, we were alone. "Your sacrifice, then, will not be in vain, Arthur. You and yours will always be looked after, and those of us with the power to do so will never stop working to fulfil your vision."

I stood, chuckling, as Varay straightened. "No need to be so formal. Besides, I never said I would be left powerless and in need of protection." I gave her a mischievous smirk, but before she could ask me anything else, there was a knock at the front door.

The doors were open, and three people I didn't immediately recognize were standing in it. Crossing the room, I opened my mouth to greet them when recognition finally struck. Standing at the forefront was a man I could only describe as petite, with blond hair and bright blue eyes, looking extremely nervous. Behind him stood a short, athletic woman and a very tall, rugged warrior with flyaway hair that had been poorly combed.

"Stannard! Caria, Darvus..." I stopped as I reached the door, my eyes roving over the three of them in shock. "What are you all doing here?"

They exchanged a relieved glance. "Arthur Leywin. Glad we found the right place then."

"Hard to miss," Caria muttered behind him.

"We...had heard that Tessia Eralith was living here?" Stannard continued, again growing nervous.

My grin, forming briefly as they spoke, faded as the nature of Tessia's parting from her previous group resurfaced through the haze of ancient memory. "She is. And you can stop looking so worried. She's going to be over the moon to see you."

My words were like a balm to the three warriors, all of whom relaxed in their own way. I was about to shout for her when she came hurrying out into the atrium from the dining room. Her face practically glowed as she saw her old crew, and her eyes filled with tears.

She rushed to the door but stopped just short of throwing herself into a group hug. Caria, on the other hand, pushed past Stannard and wrapped her toned arms around Tessia, picking her up off the ground and squeezing her tightly.

The three laughed and began to chatter excitedly as Tessia invited them in, pulling them into the lounge to speak and catch up. She shot me a grateful look over Caria's head, biting her lip lightly and then blowing me a kiss, which I pretended to catch and press to my heart.

"Ah, this is a good move. I enjoy it very much, and will have to remember it."

I startled and turned to find Chul had just jogged up to the door. "What?" "This blowing and catching of the kiss. I have been struggling with how best to approach Naesia and express my feelings for her, and I like this move. You will have to show me more ways to woo Lady Avignis, my brother in romance."

I felt my cheeks turn bright red despite myself, and I struggled for words. Thankfully, I was saved from responding by a flash of violet light across the sky that caused Chul to take several sudden jogging steps away and whoop loudly.

Regis, in the form of a massive shadow wolf with wings of bright fire, landed gracefully about twenty feet away. He had a passenger, who slid off his back, her legs buckling slightly when she touched the ground. Before turning to face us, she tried to fix her windblown navy blue hair and straighten her dark gray riding habit.

"Presenting Lady Caera Denoir, of Central Dominion, Alacrya," Regis said in a silly posh accent.

Caera smacked his side, then finally turned around to face us.

"Surprise?"

"Yes!" Chul boomed, jogging over to put Regis in a headlock and squeeze Caera in a crushing sidehug. "Just in time to play 'scrum' with us! It is a wonderfully violent and challenging game. With you two and Arthur-"

"Oh no, you don't!" My mother's voice cut through as she appeared behind me in the atrium, having likely reentered the house from the gardens. "This is Arthur's birthday party, and it's time for cake and presents! Chul, you go fetch the others back to the house."

"Yes, Lady Leywin!" he snapped with military rigor, then was running off again.

"Welcome back, Regis, and of course, Caera dear, you as well. So glad he was able to get you here in time."

"Mom," I said pleadingly, putting my arm around her shoulders. "I'm like, half a million years old now. I think that's past the age for cake and presents on my birthday."

"Nonesense," Mom snapped good-naturedly. "You're my baby boy, and I don't care if you've lived a thousand lifetimes. Besides, we haven't celebrated your birthday properly in years. Now don't make a fuss or I'll have Chul and Mica strap you to a chair while we all aggressively sing Happy Birthday and throw cake at your face."

"Yes, Arthur, please don't make a fuss!" Caera teased, approaching and curtseying to my mother. "Alice. I was honored to receive your invitation, although I must say, the method of transportation left something to be desired."

"Hey!" Regis grumbled, shaking while drawing in his wings. He nudged her with his head. "I thought we had a great trip."

She leaned over closer to me. "Yeah, because he kept pretending there was 'turbulence,' as he called it, so I had to hold on even tighter."

I laughed, warmth radiating out from my chest to fill my body. "He's still bitter about the name thing."

"Horny Trio was a great name," he shot back as he made his way into the house.

Caera rolled her eyes. "We have a lot to catch up on, Arthur. We've settled on a system of local areas voting for a representative, and then all those representatives will get together and, in turn, vote for what we're calling a 'president.' I really want to pick your brain on it."

"Of course," I said, not quite able to keep the amusement out of my voice.

"Come on, come on," Mom said, dragging me inside after Caera. "Why am I more excited for this than you are?"

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked down into Mom's face, noting her flushed cheeks, unfocused eyes, and half-empty glass. "I think I know why. But...thank you. For everything."

She took me by the arm and led me toward the dining room. "You're welcome, Arthur. But it's just what mothers are supposed to do, isn't it? I love you."

"Love you too, Mom."