In the aftermath, ten of the warriors required healing, three of them critically wounded. The less experienced fighters who had stood in the back line now worked hard to recover the cores of the worms. If left unattended, another monster could seize their dragon essence, recreating the problem.

  The biggest prize, the dragon-class core, was the most difficult to remove as the workers went through the thick carapace of the titanic sand crab. Hammer blow after hammer blow resounded, enlarging the crack in the shell where Aren struck with his final attack. Afterwards, they would need to dig through the flesh of the monster, which could also be as hard as rock.

  Aren focused on recovering his mana, sitting near a cloth wall under a large tent set up for the Luminous One’s rest. Mar’tei sat next to him, an after-battle glow covering her skin despite the cold effect most of her magic produced.

  Crina sat on a low chair, her face strained watching the scene before her. Four of the holy warriors stood watch in the corners, with more outside. Donnavan and Marie stood in front of her, while the man responsible for this whole situation, Louis, kneeled on the sand.

  The exemplar stood with her arms crossed, intimidating the man with just her presence. “Now onto the matter of your desertion.”

  “Please punish just me!” the man cried. “The rest of them only followed me.”

  “They followed you into desertion knowing full well what the punishment would be,” the holy warrior said. “I will leave your punishment to the governor once we reach Balthen. Only the priests will be judged by me once we reach the temple there.”

  The man stayed silent, resignation covering his face that just a few minutes ago had displayed the cheer of victory and happiness.

  “Marie…” Crina started but was interrupted.

  “Apologies, Luminous One, but this matter falls outside of your duty,” the exemplar’s stern voice left no room for further discussion. “I already allowed this detour to honor you.”

  “The Holy Exemplar is right,” Louis suddenly said. “We already cannot thank the Luminous One enough for saving our families. We will not abuse your generosity further. Our group was already willing to die so our families could live. We have no regrets now that we achieved this.”

  Aren found the man to be respectable. He knew the word of law was strictly followed in the Sands. Yet it seemed a waste to execute a man who was willing to die for his people. Mar’tei gritted her teeth in frustration at this, and Crina’s face was cast in shadow by the lamp above her as she slumped.

  He couldn’t help himself anymore and spoke, “Honored Exemplar, may I?”

  “Yes, Mage Ren?” the Exemplar spat out. A scrutinizing look landed on him, one she had given him since the fight ended. She, Crina, and his temporary party knew who the dark warrior really was. There was no helping it, as she was forced to reassess him after seeing his capabilities.

  “I don’t know the laws and rules of this land,” Aren said. “Is there any loophole we could use to spare those brave warriors?”

  “I will not abuse my position,” she said sternly. “Exemplars represent the will of the Prophet-King. I would not do anything to tarnish that.”

  “I am not saying to abuse it, but exemplars are the executioners and judges of the Prophet-King. Is it just for men who tried to protect their families to be executed?” Aren questioned. “If you thought so, would you not do it yourself?”

  “Be careful, because you are coming very close to questioning my duty,” the exemplar’s eyes narrowed. “That is not something I will allow.”

  “I do not mean it like that,” Aren quickly added. “We were going toward Balthen to get reinforcement. Could you not enlist those as conscripts? We could use loyal people.”

  “That is possible.” The exemplar turned thoughtful.

  Aren quickly added, trying to convince her, “I have also heard the Rain Season is near. Will the governor be willing to give you this amount of troops with the increased monster activity?”

  She turned her gaze onto the kneeling man. “If you and your people would swear the radiant oath on your lives, I could consider it.”

  The man did not wait and spoke with utmost reverence, “By the Light of the One Sun, and by the radiance that sustains my life, I swear to follow and faithfully serve the Honored Exemplar and the Luminous One, setting their will only beneath that of the Prophet-King and the Sun itself. Should I betray this vow, let my soul be cast into darkness, and may the Sun’s warmth never again grace my skin.”

  “Now leave us and get the rest of your warriors ready for the oath,” then she turned to Donnavan. “We must discuss our supplies as we have.”

  “Your Holy Radiance,” Louis said. “May I propose something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “We are half a day away from our village,” he said. “Our harvest was rich this year. Once they learn of what you did for them, I am sure they will be happy to offer their support. It is just south of our position.”

  “Good, now go,” the exemplar dismissed him, and the man quickly bowed and left.

  Crina stood up when the flaps of the tent closed and approached Aren. “A… Ren!” she stumbled. “I did not expect you to know the parable of the Murderer and the Judge.”

  “I don’t.” Aren said. “Although tales of criminals being enlisted in service in times of need are quite common.”

  “Thank you anyway. I will have to tell it to you later,” she said happily. “It is one of the better ones. It is about a falsely accused warrior who pairs with an exemplar to investigate a corrupt judge.”

  “Sure…” was all Aren could say.

  “Will all the wounded survive?” Crina turned to Marie, who was looking over a large map of the area.

  “The priests took care of that,” she said. “The fight was quick. The monsters were clearly surprised and became headless once their leader was dead.”

  “That’s good,” the young woman breathed out a sigh of relief. She turned to Mar’tei “Did anyone from your group get hurt?”

  “My brother wanted to grapple one of the larger crab’s claws and got a few cracked bones as a reward. Do not worry though, he is as hardy as he is foolish. His ancestral power has already healed most of his wounds.” Mar’tei summarized, then added quickly, “Luminous One.”

  Crina nodded, but there was a flash of pain in her eyes that both of them noticed. She spoke before they had time to consider it. “Thank the Sun. I already worry that we brought you into our troubles. I do not want any of you to get hurt by my selfishness.”

  “It is okay, Luminous One. We are adventurers, killing monsters is what we signed up for,” Mar’tei reassured her. “What is selfish is the governor who abandoned a village in his territory.”

  “Mage Mar’tei, do not speak about things you do not understand,” the exemplar said loudly, not taking her eyes from the map. “You two go help with the core retrieval. We will also need to purify them so that we are not attacked by more monsters.”

  She hesitated for a moment. “You can use magic. I want to reach the village today.”

  Mar’tei nodded and stood up. “Understood.”

  Aren stood up to follow Mar’tei, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. He saw Crina holding him back. Her hand felt warm on his skin, but it was more callused than he expected. She quickly released him after a moment of contact.

  “Sorry, I just wanted you to know that I’m really thankful for backing me up in this,” she said, her eyes bright. “Sorry if this sounds rude, but why?”

  Aren looked at her for a second and saw the exemplar staring at him with impatience but didn’t interrupt. He took a small breath and said, “I wanted to test my spell. It seemed like a perfect target, and getting rid of a monster like that is always worthwhile.”

  The girl's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened a little. “Ah, I see. Well, do not let me keep you. Thank you again.”

  Aren followed behind Mar’tei, nodding to Crina, who waved to them in goodbye. The sun assaulted his eyes as he passed beyond the tent’s threshold. Four warriors stood at the corners of the entrance.

  “I wish we could have more purified worm cores in our villages,” Mar’tei said as she watched the warriors work in the distance.

  “Their ability to dissuade monsters from approaching is priceless,” Aren said. “One of the few benefits of the Drakesbane Revolt. Even after over a thousand years ago, the fallen dragons’ essence mutates monsters into worms every now and then. At least this one was young for its power. Its use of sorcery was crude, nothing compared to even a young dragon.”

  “Everything that involves dragons somehow results in both a gift and a curse,” Mar’tei said solemnly. “Their rage will hunt this continent for endless winters.”

  “I hope not,” Aren said, shrugging as she turned to him with a questioning look. “We will figure something out, just like we figured out how to purify the cores. Even if we do not yet know how the dragons’ essence flows through this continent, we only need to learn and observe it more. A mage does not simply let nature be, he aims to understand and master it.”

  “With what you did today, I can believe that.” She smiled. “I will try to see it that way. Bar’tik and the two brothers are already helping with the big one. I will take the left side.”

  The two mages, being able to sense the energy each of the cores gave off, were able to quickly pinpoint their locations. Aren exploded the shell and flesh of the smaller crabs apart, leaving a clean path to the cores. While Mar’tei summoned a large glacial spike shaped like a chisel that she controlled with precision.

  They got some less than appreciative looks from the exemplar’s retinue, but the soon to be enlisted warriors still held gratitude, even if they kept their distance. It took them nearly an hour to get the job done, yet by the time they finished with the lesser ones, the giant core was only starting to be visible in the large monster entrails.

  Unlike the lesser cores, which were dull gray crystals streaked with veins of flickering red energy, the giant core blazed like a perfect red garnet. Scarlet light throbbed within it like a heartbeat, and its aura pressed down on the weaker warriors, filling them with raw, instinctive terror. It hated them, all humans, its pulse radiating a scorching contempt.

  Aren moved towards the core, barely bothered by the effects. He stared into it and saw the energy inside coalesce into a vertical slit pupil on the smooth surface. It seemed to watch them, but without a monster nearby, that was all it could do. He used his wand and, with a liberal use of air magic, cut the core out of the tough flesh.

  Donnavan and another fifth-stage warrior, being able to fight off the aura’s effect, pulled the core out and carried it carefully. They placed it in a group of smaller cores located in circular lines drawn in the sand. Symbols of the Sun and crests of the Prophet-King’s Eye surrounded the pile. All priests and holy warriors surrounded the cores and sang a chorus praising the purity of their Sun.

  The exemplar approached the gathering in a ceremonial vest of white, with a golden symbol of the Sun on her chest. Her green cape was replaced by a green stole decorated with a golden eye at its ends. Crina followed behind her in a similar white vest, her hair braided together with golden cloth, and a beautiful amber circlet decorating her forehead.

  “I will officiate this purification ritual with the Luminous One as my witness,” Marie stated officially and began a chorus of song as power started building up. A radiant glow surrounded all the priests and holy warriors.

  Aren had seen the purification ritual many times, although always performed by the Church of Powers. The sand and the holy symbols lit up as if part of the Sun had descended. The searing heat manifested and forced the two mages and Bar’tik to cover their eyes, unused to such displays. Finally, the cores were engulfed in a pillar of light that reached toward the sky.

  Slowly, over minutes, each of the cores’ dark red energy was removed, the power coalescing into a scarlet bubble that gathered in the center of the light. Then, as even more time passed, droplets of pure draconic hatred left the crimson core.

  Once all the energy coalesced into one spot, it transformed. First, a long tail ending in a sharp spike emerged from its membrane, then four limbs, scales defining their shape, and finally a set of powerful wings flapped. Slit eyes watched their surroundings with visible contempt as a crimson tongue licked its sharp teeth. A ghostly shape of a dragon formed, and then its eyes looked to the far east. Then, with a final blasting roar that nearly threw weaker warriors off balance, it flew, returning its soul to the birthplace of dragons.

  “Wow…” Mar’tei was amazed. Her party and many warriors felt the same. “It’s as if it were still alive. That’s almost scary.”

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Our souls hold our sorcerous resonance and our mana,” Aren said. “For dragons, their sorcery is the heart of their soul, and their mana its blood. You could say this is their final sorcery, a death cry of hatred given life through magic, binding their fractured souls to hunt this continent. That’s why they can’t be easily purified with magic. You would need to have a stronger grasp of sorcery than its caster to dismantle this tangle of magic.”

  His eyes met Crina’s, and she gave him a radiant smile, standing tall despite the dragon’s eventful departure. He smiled back and watched as the exemplar approached the now purified cores, shining with pure golden warmth that felt pleasant to people, while monsters in its mere presence became sick and weak.

  The exemplar lifted the massive core and held it before Crina, then knelt respectfully. “I present your prize, Luminous One.”

  “It’s not mine alone,” Crina said. “It belongs to all the people of the Sands. May the city it protects be a sanctuary to many.”

  “May it be so,” the exemplar affirmed.

  With that, the ceremony ended, and they dispersed as preparations for further travel began. The cores were placed in a hastily constructed sledge made from a larger crab’s shell and limbs. Aren and the four adventurers were positioned behind the main group, protecting Crina and in front of the sledge.

  Mar’tei and Aren ended up discussing the magical theory of sorcery when Lan decided to break the silence that had settled over the three warriors since the battle ended. “So… Dolt. Truly a strong guy.”

  “Indeed,” Bar’tik said. “It was an honor to see. It was like reliving the legend of the first ancestors.”

  “He is,” Aren said. “Although he is still just a single man. He can’t be everywhere at once, deal with all threats, and he can still get drunk if he gets careless.”

  “Heh… that’s right,” Lan chuckled. “So, do you think the village will throw a feast in our name? Two of the new warriors with Officer Donnavan went ahead.”

  “It will be in the name of the Luminous One and the Exemplar Marie,” Wes said.

  “Cactoo, Caktu,” Lan smiled. “We serve under the Holy Exemplar.”

  Wes shook his head at his brother’s antics. “Still, that level of power is something to strive for.”

  “We just need to challenge ourselves and train hard,” Bar’tik said.

  “Well said,” Lan laughed.

  “I hope you bring that enthusiasm to tomorrow’s training session,” Aren said. “I was busy preparing for today, so I didn’t have much time, but I will have everything prepared for tomorrow.”

  The three warriors’ eyes sharpened at that, and he was met with resolute nods. It seemed that there were more benefits to this outing than just getting rid of a monster and testing his spell.

  The travel ended only after the sun had dipped below the horizon. The village was not as small as Aren had imagined. A large temple sat on an island in the middle of a sizable oasis, and there were enough houses to shelter over a thousand people. It was clearly a mining outpost, as he could see minecarts and tracks leading to the west, and many of the men had the shorter, bulkier build that came from working underground.

  It seemed that Lan was correct, as there were tables set up with food and wine and an official group, led by an elderly man, knelt deeply before Crina and Marie.

  “Luminous One,” he bowed deeply, then did the same for Marie. “Holy Exemplar, you bless us with your radiance. Our homes still stand through your courage and your kindness. Please, share in our water and our salt. Nothing we offer can match the measure of our gratitude.”

  “We welcome your gratitude,” the exemplar stated. “We would also requisition supplies for our travels.”

  “We would like to trade for the supplies,” Crina interjected.

  The elder looked surprised between the two women, while Marie’s grip on her reins tightened as she kept looking straight at the man. Crina stood tall, watching him with a smile. Fortunately, the elder was saved by the priest who was part of the welcoming party.

  “Our temple would be more than happy to donate to the Luminous One’s journey,” the priest bowed deeply, his yellow cloak floating just over the sand.

  “That will be sufficient,” Marie said in a tone that left no room for further discussion. “Now the Luminous One requires rest. Lead us to her chamber at the temple.”

  “Understood,” the priest bowed, already informed of the situation.

  “We will leave tomorrow morning after dawn’s prayer,” the exemplar said, then addressed the group behind her. “Eat and rest, but remember it is night.” She especially looked at the five adventurers in her entourage when she said the second part.

  The warriors saluted with fists over their foreheads, and the duo left with the priest to the temple. Aren and Mar’tei with the rest of her party sat at a table closer to the edge of the gathering. The plates were filled with local meat and fruits. Aren found some kind of dough filled with meat and sauce especially delicious.

  “No song or dance or even a good bar fight,” Bar’tik said as he emptied a cup of wine between words. “What celebration is this!?”

  “Night is a time of reflection,” Wes said patiently.

  “Use it to reflect on your rashness in combat, brother,” Mar’tei deadpanned, pulling meat from the bone with her teeth. “Are your bones fine?”

  “All healed,” he mumbled as he stuffed his face with food.

  “The Balthen governor will most likely throw a sun festival once he learns of what occurred today,” Lan said. “We will get to celebrate from noon until dusk.”

  “Will he?” Aren asked, and added once met with a questioning look, “I mean, who gets the core will be decided by the Prophet-King. He may not even get anything from this.”

  “Are high born in your country like that?” Wes asked, bewildered.

  “They would be stumbling over each other to claim the core as theirs for weeks,” Aren shrugged. “Especially for a core this size, which would easily raise someone’s status instantly.”

  “I see, that is not… very respectable,” Wes carefully selected his words. “For the governor, just the fact that the Luminous One dealt with a serious threat will be worthy of a week long celebration. The only higher honor would be if the Prophet-King himself descended from the Ivory Tower and led a force himself.”

  Aren shrugged. “Well, I’m a bit harsh on the nobles in my country, but a lot of them are greed incarnate. Although most would not be happy to celebrate someone else’s achievement, some would even consider it an insult. Insinuation that they are not capable of dealing with their own problems.”

  “The amount of tolls we had to pay simply traveling through the countryside of your country was staggering to me,” Mar’tei said. “Everything also seemed so expensive at first, though food here in the desert tends to be a bit pricier.”

  “Well, crops either need a priest's blessing or complex irrigation systems to grow properly. That raises the price somewhat,” Wes said.

  “How will they use the cores?” Mar’tei asked.

  “The smaller ones will most likely be granted to smaller cities and villages to shore up their defenses for the upcoming Rain Season,” Wes stated. “I have no idea what the Prophet-King will do with the large one. It alone would raise any silver- or amber-ranked governor to scarlet cloth within a decade. People will migrate just for the safety it will provide.”

  “Don’t you have a swath of desert that turned into positive vitalic crystals some time ago?” Aren said. “They could establish a large city there.”

  “Sun crystals are expensive,” Wes nodded. “I don’t know much about it, it’s far in the south. They are mostly used for ceremonial purposes.”

  “What?” Mar’tei asked, surprised. “They are the best regent for healing potions, can substitute for mana in healing formations, and can be turned into tools that support healers.”

  “All of it requires magic,” Aren said.

  Mar’tei went silent for a second. “…That’s such a waste.”

  “Priests can heal, surgeons can mend, and pharmacists can cure,” Wes said. “It’s our way.”

  “I will say I never considered the reason for the ban on magic, especially since it’s only in the cities,” Aren said.

  “Each Prophet-King maintained the ban and dissuaded people from using anything that used mana,” Lan said. “It was written in the first one hundred and eight laws passed by the first Prophet-King after the Sun chose him.”

  “It’s never stated directly that magic is evil in any of the Codes,” Wes shrugged. “Although the dislike for it developed over time, the many conflicts with Teolians didn’t help.”

  “That is a political quagmire of its own,” Aren sighed. “You have your way, and what you achieve and maintain within the harsh desert is respectable. Although I can’t help but feel that it’s misguided from my perspective. Though I could never imagine life without magic, casting one-circle spells since I was five years old.”

  “You were able to cast at five!?” Mar’tei nearly shouted, gathering the attention of the people chattering nearby. “Ehm, sorry.”

  “Is that something surprising?” Lan asked. “My brother and I started practicing life essence when we were five.”

  “I started training to sense mana when I was four,” Mar’tei said. “It took me until I was seven to sense it and use my elemental resonance to do basic things like light a candle. I was nine when I cast my first circle wizardry. You can’t even begin to learn wizardry without being able to sense mana.”

  “I was able to sense it for as long as I can remember… apparently I burned down my crib when I was one year old,” Aren said, embarrassed.

  “I can’t believe it,” Mar’tei slumped in her chair.

  “I always tell my students not to worry about others like that,” Aren said. “I’m just an anomaly. You, Mar’tei… you’re a great mage with the potential to do remarkable things.”

  Mar’tei smiled at that. “Well, I’ll have to use you for all you’re worth while you’re around, then.”

  “So magic is like breathing for you,” Wes said.

  “I guess, I was never without it completely even if for some reason refrained from using it,” Aren said.

  “Then I can understand your view on us,” Wes said, looking at him with understanding. “If someone forbade using our natural life force, which is an internal part of us, not something we had to force ourselves to become, then I would also not look kindly upon it.”

  “Everyone has the ability to use magic to some extent since the four Archmages sacrificed their lives a long time ago,” Aren said. “Everyone has a resonant core in them, even if it’s unused.”

  “Then why does it take so long to sense mana, when life force can be sensed instantly once another practitioner kickstarts it?” Lan asked.

  “Well, the time varies, usually averaging at five years of constant meditation in a mana-dense environment. Though after five years, a lot of people just give up, so the average could be higher,” Aren said. “But why only freaks like me sense it on their own, I don’t know. Although there is a theory that a powerful mage’s brain is denser in certain spots than in normal people, it’s still uncertain because the position of those spots varies.”

  “You pick apart your own people’s brains!?” Bar’tik asked, disgusted.

  “Well, dissections are a source of knowledge for our anatomists,” Aren shrugged. “People can donate their passed loved ones or even themselves when they are still alive. The families always receive a gold coin in exchange.”

  “Let’s change the topic…” Lan gagged.

  “Indeed…” Bar’tik chugged wine.

  “Ah! Don’t get drunk, you oaf, just because I got distracted!” Mar’tei yelled.

  “You are Ren, right?” a deep voice boomed behind the mage.

  Aren already knew it was Louis and turned to him. “Yes, nice to meet you casually, Louis.”

  The man nodded and sat next to him. “My people and I should thank you. It’s because of both of your interventions that I can still sit here, and watch the sleeping smile on my daughter’s face.”

  Aren looked in the direction of the man’s gaze and saw a woman carrying a sleeping child in her arms. Now that he took in the village, he saw many of the warriors Louis had traveled with crying and hugging their families, even now unable to believe that they were still here.

  “That must have been difficult,” Aren said.

  “I bear the Sun’s radiance for my people, even unto death,” he said solemnly. “Even through the shame of betraying my lord. Because of you, my sin may burn less dark through serving the Luminous One.”

  “I hope that the fact that I’m a mage didn’t increase your shame,” Aren said, already learning that people looked down on anything involving him.

  “Some people may not look kindly on having a mage stand up for you, but no, to me your dark arts don’t blemish your character,” Louis said with a glint of respect. “We grow up on stories of greedy mages warping the natural order for their selfish gain. I have not seen anything of the kind from you two yet and you seem to hold the respect of the Holy Exemplar. Anyone else would be executed for interrupting her like that, twice no less.”

  Aren thought with a grin, then opened his mouth. “Well, don’t thank me just yet. At least not until you are back safe from this next journey.”

  “I will lay down my life for the Luminous One if need be,” Louis responded without hesitation. Wes and Lan nodded to him in respect.

  Aren didn’t react. He now knew that the people here were more dramatic than he was used to. Still, he was quite certain that Crina would not be happy with anyone dying for her.

  “Try to survive for her,” Mar’tei said instead, her cheeks a bit rosy from the wine. “I’m quite certain I saw puffy eyes under a layer of powder when some of her guards died.”

  “What? Did something happen?” Louis said, surprised.

  “It was a few days ago,” Wes said. “Heretics tried to kill the Luminous One. The guards gave their lives to protect her. We helped but were too late to save any of them. I’m sure the Exemplar will inform you soon, but we expect there will be more attacks.”

  “That sounds like a grand story,” Louis said, eyebrows raised. “Did the warrior Dolt help?”

  “No, he is Ren's acquaintance,” Wes said a bit quickly.

  “He is someone I helped a while ago,” Aren added.

  “How did you help someone that strong?” Louis asked.

  “I… well, there are some secrets that I shouldn’t share, but he needed urgent magical expertise,” Aren said cryptically, hoping to change the subject. “You don’t seem very worried about the assassins.”

  “No, I’m worried,” the man denied. “I’m just used to this task. Worked for three years in the Lord Bar’s anti-assassination division, moved to patrols after my daughter was born. Would warrior Dolt consider helping further?”

  “I doubt he can do anything long-term, and I cashed in my favor,” Aren said. Then he whispered, “He would not be able to stay inside a city where assassination attempts are most likely to occur. The magic he needs would trigger every magic detection you have.”

  Aren hoped that what he was saying would not bite him in the ass. Although everything he said was kind of true if one closed both eyes. He needed to use powerful magics to reach the level of power Dolt showcased, and they would trigger every alarm in a large radius.

  “Shame,” Louis said. “I owe him a debt that I wish I could repay one day. Where does he live?”

  “Oh, he goes around the world, wherever he can challenge himself. I was able to contact him with a resonant crystal I have,” Aren said. “I’m sure the Exemplar will welcome your expertise in assassin watch.”

  “I hope to be of use. I owe that much and more,” Louis said, reaching for a wine jug.

  Aren gave Wes a look, asking for a shift of topic, and the warrior understood. Together with Lan, the two brothers told the tale of how they rescued the Luminous One, abridging it so that Ren was a member of their party from the start. As he told it, more people started to listen, and by the end of it, everyone was congratulating them. Even Mar’tei and Aren received grateful nods and had their wine refilled by others.

  Aren, using the gathering, switched his position to sit next to Mar’tei as everyone started sharing stories of battles they were in. Curiosity was eating at him and he had to ask her a question.

  He lowered his volume so he would not be overheard. “Was she really crying? I did not notice anything and I enhance my senses around Marie.”

  Mar’tei looked at him and smiled cryptically. “My bad then, women should have their secrets.”

  “What?” Aren asked, but Mar’tei stood up.

  “I will excuse myself for the night if I am to recover my mana reserves fully.” She let her cup of wine swing a little in her fingers before placing it down. “Gentle dreams.”

  Aren shook his head and reached for some food, mulling over the words without success. When the feast ended, they were led to sleep inside a large building that resembled a dormitory. It contained many small rooms, each barely large enough for a cot and a small chest.

  “And these are all… empty?” Aren lingered in the doorway of his assigned room.

  The middle aged man who had shown him the way nodded. “For the hired miners from outside the village. But they were the first to flee.” There was a hint of judgment in his voice.

  “Why didn’t you leave too?” Aren’s brow furrowed.

  The man’s eyes hardened. “Become vagrants? Beggars? We would sooner die than live in such shame.” He ran a hand along a stone wall and the window that overlooked the village falling asleep in peace. “This land was granted to us by the Governor and the Prophet King. Abandoning it would be abandoning the order set by the Sun itself. Our place is here. Our duty is here.”

  He straightened, “If death comes, then we meet it in the home the Sun chose for us, not on the roads like lost souls.”

  “I see,” he didn’t. “Goodnight.”

  “Until the Sun greets us with its warmth,” the man nodded and walked away.

  Aren heard a low voice and a soft chuckle as the man disappeared from view.

  “Good night…? Foreigners…”

  Aren’s thoughts wandered for a long time, keeping him awake. He found it easy to judge the people’s worldview and traditions as misguided, yet he couldn’t deny the respect he felt for their integrity.

  He didn’t blame the Governor for giving up on the village. The same thing happened in his own land whenever no one capable could deal with a threat. People like Archmages, Leilara, and his friends were rare, often busy with duties, and varied in strength. Marie was strong, but she still had ways to go before she could face monsters like those without putting herself at risk.

  On top of everything, disasters like this tended to stack, especially near seasons of increased monster activity, such as the Rain Season in his kingdom and here, or the Long Night in the far north.

  In his carefully ordered life plan, he wanted people to be strong enough to survive whatever the world might throw at them. But perhaps it wasn’t enough to rely solely on the lessons his own culture had taught him. Maybe there was value in learning from other perspectives as well.

  He sighed and closed his eyes, letting a small touch of magic ease him into sleep.