A general sense of gloom hung over the camp.

  A new day had come, and the sun again lit the grim groves of the Eastern Province. If Saelin had sent trackers after them—something Kairu strongly doubted, since the diamond remained with its master—then they had not yet discovered their forest hideout.

  After breakfast, Kairu said quietly, as the others waited with obvious tension:

  "We’re leaving. While half the squad is incapacitated, we can’t even think about returning to the Citadel for the diamond. We’ll go back to Onklag, get the latest news from the front, find out what’s going on at the Flyliene and the walls of Boreain, and when we should expect Emerlun’s army to arrive in Tepei-Kuon itself. We’ll discuss the situation with Ashley. Then we’ll decide whether it’s worth continuing the search or whether we should leave it at this one failed attempt."

  "Can I speak now?" Viggo asked gruffly. "I’m against it. It’s a pointless waste of time and lives. We’ve already lost one of our friends, and next time Saelin will be better prepared and we could lose more. I’m against it. I say—we’ve had our fun, that’s enough. If that diamond is going to cost us this much, then to hell with it. And anyone who disagrees—raise your hand."

  "Enough," Kairu said sharply. "I swear, whoever raises a hand, I’ll personally tie them up and leave them behind in Estogil next time! We’re not making any final decisions yet. We’re heading west. I hope that’s clear to everyone? We’ll need to double our vigilance on the way, there’s definitely a hunt on for us. And until we reach Ashley, don’t even think about returning to the Citadel. Viggo’s right, the diamond could cost us too much. But we don’t even know what it’s worth yet."

  "It’s worth less than that green-eyed redhead from Petista, I’m one hundred percent sure of that," Viggo quipped. Kairu said nothing, but to his surprise, Yuf cut in:

  "Viggo. Please. Shut up, if you have nothing intelligent to say."

  "I’m silent," the Kald spread his hands. "Fine! I’m silent. I’ll be silent forever, even when you need my opinion. Just like Remiz! Got it? From now on—not a word from me."

  The promise lasted exactly until lunchtime, which they spent in a small hollow a few miles west of the cave. The Hellsteeds, loaded with packs, lazily swatted at the flies. Kairu and Yuf, who were carrying Rita on a makeshift stretcher, gently laid her on the ground and began preparing a spot for the fire. Atgard and Viggo transported Norton.

  The forest was quiet; they hadn't encountered a single spider or any Tepei-Kuon sentries. All day, smoke could be seen rising behind the trees, curling above Saelin’s Castle. They moved quickly, trying to leave this inhospitable forest as soon as possible.

  Atgard was leading them along the same route they had taken going east, though the journey now took longer due to the detours and efforts to cover their tracks. They had to pass through undrained swamps. There were no webs here, but there were clouds of gnats, leeches, and some green creatures that occasionally splashed their tails in the water. Once, Kairu saw a black tentacle emerge from the water—and shuddered, remembering the sewers of Mainor.

  However, Kairu was wrong to think they weren’t being pursued. The sky was once again covered with clouds, the forest sweltered with heat and stifling air, and flocks of birds or perhaps bats frequently passed beneath the clouds. They would quickly hide beneath the treetops, fearing that the winged creatures might be Saelin’s spies. The travelers slept poorly at night, taking turns keeping watch and staring anxiously into the impenetrably black sky.

  The next few days dragged on in the thick mists of the swamp. They moved slowly, with Atgard and Lainter bravely scouting for markers and safe paths to avoid leading their friends into a bog. They spent the nights on small islands in the middle of the mire, hiding in the bushes. Mysterious and eerie lights flickered across the swamps, luring them in and making them tremble with fear during the night…

  Another week passed like this. By the end of it, the road began to rise, thick forests reappeared around them, and far ahead and slightly to the right, the silhouettes of the Man-Made Mountains came into view. They were still several days away, but the travelers felt encouraged at the sight of their sharp, low, smoking peaks.

  "We passed a little off the main road," Atgard explained. "I think now Saelin will fear another attack on the Castle and may divert some of his forces from Boreain to here, the center of Tepei-Kuon."

  Now they were moving along a road familiar to Kairu—upward, past the Man-Made Mountains, approaching Boreain and the borders of Onklag. This time, during a council held one evening when they were nearly at the mountains, it was decided by vote to head directly to the river, bypassing the very hills from which a grand panorama of the dead city and the base of Saelin’s forges had once opened up. Viggo and Atgard wanted to get as close to Boreain as possible to find out whether the army of Aktida had reached the crossing and whether they had forded the Flyliene, but Kairu, Remiz, Joanna, and Yuf firmly opposed it. After long and heated debate, it was decided not to split the group and to head straight to Estogil. Everyone simply wanted to finally reach the welcoming home of Ashley and rest from their travels.

  June was drawing to a close; July was approaching. The forest heat had become unbearable, and the darkness over Tepei-Kuon had only thickened. The north wind brought the smell of smoke from the Flyliene. On June 21st, the travelers crossed the border into Onklag.

  On June 25th, a frightened and overjoyed Ashley Nielder met them on the doorstep of her estate. She hugged Atgard and Kairu, wailing and muttering prayers under her breath. Roger helped carry the wounded into the house and asked about Woody. Kairu quietly answered his question:

  "He stayed behind. In Saelin’s laboratory. Forever."

  "Aktos, save his soul," whispered Ashley. "Poor boy… You never know where you’ll find your death," she repeated almost word-for-word what Atgard had once said. "Well, for now, it’s more important to care for the living than to mourn the dead."

  She went to a separate room in the estate where Rita and Norton had been taken and spent the whole day with them, only coming down to the dining room in the evening to join the weary travelers. By then, everyone had already taken turns bathing, changed into house robes, eaten everything Ashley had on hand (so hungry they were after nearly two months in the wilderness) and told Roger all about their ordeals. But Ashley still knew nothing, and so when she returned, she said wearily:

  "They’re out of danger, but they’ll be unconscious for a while. Their recovery will be long and difficult… fortunately, I have all the necessary medicine. Now, what about you? Were you successful? Did you get the diamond?"

  Atgard shook his head but, just as with Roger, did not go into details, for which Kairu was grateful.

  "It’s even worse than I feared," Ashley said darkly. "Roger, have you told them yet?" When her husband shook his head, she sat at the table and quietly said, "I think we’ll soon have to leave Onklag and go to Vaimar. Our forces lost the battle at Boreain and were forced to retreat because there was no siege—Saelin’s troops simply didn’t let them get close to the city. Part of the fleet was salvaged and taken to Mainor, but that’s just a drop in the ocean. Meanwhile, Saelin has gathered new forces, and his generals are driving the Aktida’s army across the steppes of the Northern Province. As for the armies circling from the east around the Man-Made Mountains toward the Citadel, there’s no word yet. But the divisions in the Eastern Province have begun to move and carry out maneuvers; Saelin’s army is stronger this time. It looks like, if there will be a second offensive, Mainor will fall."

  ***

  The news shocked the travelers and marked the latest in a string of grim events signaling a new phase of the war. It was becoming clear that victory over Saelin was a long way off, and any hope for a swift peace was fading fast.

  That evening, Roger and Ashley explained the current situation on the western and eastern fronts. They were well-informed, thanks to numerous friends and relatives. Their children lived in the free Northern Province, but due in large part to their adult sons and daughters, the Nielders had connections all over the world. The situation boiled down to this: part of the Western Group’s armies were advancing through the Southern Province under fire, having already suffered a second defeat near Nalvin. They were slowly reclaiming the forests on the Tinakto Plateau. Ongoing skirmishes with pirate patrols and marauders saw mixed results, and though Emerlun’s forces hadn’t suffered major losses, they were bogged down in the Southern Province and couldn’t break through to Surrell.

  Meanwhile, Mainor was working at full steam, its factories and shipyards being in overdrive. It was now the only major port still held by Aktida, and all of the city’s output was devoted to the war effort. Peasants from nearby villages, as well as city residents, old men, women, and children, were being forced to work in the factories. There had been no word from the army group advancing on the Citadel from the east. Communication was cut off, and all that was left was to hope that Telorand and Felm wouldn’t let Emerlun down. The King’s and Geonar’s armies had retreated north from Flyliene, harried by Saelin’s units, and were desperately trying to hold the steppes and the shores of Ilvion, blocking the path to Mainor. Yet some fighting still raged around Boreain, which is why even in Estogil you could hear the distant sounds of war and smell gunpowder in the air.

  "We’ll get through this," Viggo said confidently. "The main thing is for Hugo to bring in reinforcements from Petista and Vaimar. If that happens, the city can withstand a second siege. Besides, now we know how to escape and bring help, if it comes to that."

  "I doubt anyone would risk taking the same route Woody and I did," Kairu muttered. "Way too dangerous."

  "All’s fair in war and love! Though love’s not really the topic right now," Viggo said after a pause. "Anyway, we need a plan. Fast. Because—who knows?—our forces might actually take the Citadel. Especially since Saelin’s going to be busy recovering from the fire, rebuilding his lab and its security. Our armies could strike hard and fast, push through to the Castle, lay siege, or even take it by storm. And then, this whole thing could be over in one blow."

  "Don’t jinx it," Yuf said grimly. Viggo quickly muttered, "knock on wood," and tapped the wooden table.

  "You’re right," Kairu admitted. "I think we should try again. Not wait for Rita and Norton to get better. Head back to the Eastern Province as soon as possible. Try to infiltrate the Citadel again…"

  "The security will be tighter," Viggo said skeptically. "And we can forget about the element of surprise. It'll be way more dangerous."

  "If we go in guns blazing, yeah," Atgard said lazily. "But maybe it’s time to rethink our methods. The first attempt proved we were wrong."

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  "I don’t see any other way," Kairu said darkly. "But if you’ve got a better idea, I’m all ears."

  "There’s always a way. You just need to know how to use it. In our case, what we need is a top-tier professional in burglary. Someone who can tell us how to sneak into the Citadel, take what we need, and vanish without a trace." He hesitated, then added, "I mean… a professional thief."

  "Anzerrat!" Ashley gasped. "That boy from the Surrell Fighters' Guild!"

  "Exactly," Atgard smirked. "The boy from the Fighters' Guild. The best of my students, who made a name for himself a few years back by taking down the Thieves’ Guild and the Gray Cloak. He’ll answer the call the moment I send it."

  "Oh yes, Anzerrat," Roger said thoughtfully. "I remember him. He was training while I was already a captain. He used to visit Surrell… I think he specialized in palaces and mansions."

  "He’s a professional thief?" Viggo raised an eyebrow. "This is the kind of person you guys train in your Guilds?"

  "He’s the best agent the Fighters' Guild has," Atgard replied with a laugh. "He infiltrated the Thieves’ Guild under the alias ‘The Stranger’. Then with my help pulled off a dozen incredible heists, earned the trust of the Gray Cloak, and then handed over the whole organization to the authorities in one sweep. That was his most famous case. They made him a colonel on the spot, gave him a noble title, and an estate in the Northern Province. Not far from here, about a couple weeks’ journey… I apologize, I was in such a rush planning everything and leaving town that I only remembered Anzerrat when we were already near the Citadel. So… shall I go draft a letter?"

  He got up and hurriedly hobbled upstairs. Kairu had recently noticed that walking had become difficult for him and seriously wondered whether it was wise to bring the old man on another mission—if they really dared try for the Citadel again.

  "So… I guess I make a lousy thief, huh?" Kairu asked quietly.

  "Of course not," Yuf replied absentmindedly. "Your plan went just the way it had to—straight into failure. Any attempt was madness to begin with. But it’s all we’ve got."

  "Rita and Norton are out," Viggo sighed and shot a sharp glance at Kairu. "We’ll have to plan for seven of us. That’s if this Anzerrat even agrees to come."

  "The fewer, the better," Kairu muttered. "We’ll manage. This time, we have to."

  "If it were up to you, you’d go in alone," Joanna said mockingly.

  "We’ll do everything we can," Kairu ignored her. "Yeah, the first plan wasn’t ideal… But we’ll try again."

  They fell silent. Outside, night was falling fast. Summer twilights were brief and golden, lit by the sun setting behind the Ilvion forest. And then, the stillness was suddenly broken by strange sounds from the courtyard, and a low, heavy hum that echoed through the Castle…

  Ashley came running down the stairs, shouting as she went:

  "Yuffilis! Atgard! Kairu! There’s gunfire in the forest… Someone broke through my Veil—coming from the east, from the Tepei-Kuon side! For Aktos’ sake, I can’t scan that far—someone run out and check, anyone… They might attack the tower!"

  ***

  The travelers jumped to their feet and rushed outside.

  The sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight, and the cicadas chirped loudly in the treetops. From deep within the forest, in the direction of the stone-paved road that led away from Estogil, came shouts and gunfire.

  Joanna drew her dagger, Viggo grabbed his axe, which he hadn’t yet returned to his room, Kairu and Yuf reached for their swords, and Remiz unsheathed his ever-present katanas. Without hesitation, Yuf darted down the forest path, clearly convinced that the intruders had breached Ashley’s Veil near the eastern road—the one they had taken back from Tepei-Kuon.

  As it turned out, he was right.

  The Veil lay very close to Estogil, an hour’s ride on horseback at most, but the strangers who had entered Ashley’s lands needed far less time. Kairu realized this as they sprinted through the underbrush and suddenly heard the thunderous neighing of horses ahead. In the swiftly darkening sky, a flock of black birds appeared, chasing a small landau drawn by three panicked horses barreling through the forest without regard for the road. But the birds weren’t the only pursuers: far back in the woods came the frenzied whinnying of other horses and the sweeping beams of searchlights.

  "Saelin’s bloodhounds," Yuf muttered, raising a hand to stop. The trees were sparse here, and they could see the landau from a distance. "But damn me if I know who they’re after..."

  "Then let’s go find out," Kairu said, drawing Alaskrit. "Joanna, stay behind us!"

  They ran toward the carriage, and within seconds, they saw the team of white horses, lathered and wild with fear, red harnesses glinting in the dusk. The driver was lashing them from the box seat, but the animals had already lost control, bits clenched tight between their teeth as they galloped blindly through the undergrowth. Deeper in the forest, voices shouted and whistled, as riders on black horses thundered after the carriage.

  Yuf was the first to reach the landau. He grabbed the mane of one horse, managed to vault onto its back mid-stride, and yanked hard on the long reins, forcing the horse to veer to the right. Kairu wished Petros were with them, he could have calmed the terrified horses with a spell and brought them to a stop… Yuf, however, only managed to make one of the horses jerk sharply to the side, tipping the carriage violently and sending it crashing to the ground with a wild spin of its huge wooden wheels. A moment later, Lainter jumped clear and rolled across the dirt.

  The driver, wrapped in a white cloak, leapt down. As Kairu ran toward him, he was surprised to see the man was unarmed—a strange detail, given that he’d come from the direction of Boreain and the Man-Made Mountains. But there was no time to wonder. The man shouted and raised his clenched fists... The gesture struck Kairu as almost comical. What good were fists against swords and guns?

  "Easy!" Viggo barked. "Who are you, and what are you doing in Estogil?"

  The man lowered his hands and caught his breath. His face was flushed and soaked in sweat.

  "This is Estogil?" he rasped. "Thank the Gods! Help us!" He turned back to the overturned carriage, jumped up onto it in one smooth motion, yanked open a door, and shouted down:

  "Stay down and don’t move! When I yell, climb up!"

  Just then, riders appeared through the trees.

  There were only five of them, fanning out in a half-circle around the overturned carriage. Kairu thought they were overly confident, attacking with so few.

  Alaskrit gleamed, and in the air flashed Viggo’s axe and Yuf’s sword. They split up, each charging a rider. Dodging a lance thrust, long and unwieldy against a lightly armed fighter, wasn’t difficult. Reaching a mounted enemy with a short, sharp stab to the thigh or lower back was just as easy. The rider Kairu went for cried out once and tumbled sideways, his horse bucking and galloping wildly ahead, dragging its rider whose spurred boot was caught in the stirrup. The man screamed and thrashed, his head and limbs slamming into the ground, until he finally came loose and lay still, already dead. Blood gushed from a torn wound beneath his mail like a stream of black tar.

  Kairu looked around. The riders had been defeated, their terrified horses fleeing into the forest. The coachman, still standing on the overturned landau, threw off his cloak.

  He was completely bald and clean-shaven. Narrow black eyes glinted from beneath his brow, his face blank and unreadable. Under his cloak, he wore only white linen trousers and a thick, rough white shirt embroidered over the chest with a black symbol. A black belt with an elaborate front knot cinched his waist. He had already kicked off his wooden sandals and stood barefoot, scanning the darkness as he shouted:

  "Now!"

  The landau door burst open, and a young woman leapt out gracefully. She wore a gray cloak, her straight, bluish-black hair falling to her shoulders. The man in white caught her in his arms without hesitation, jumped off the carriage, and sprinted toward Kairu, Viggo, Remiz, and Yuf, who still held their weapons at the ready.

  "If you’re against Tepei-Kuon and here to help—protect her!" he shouted, dashing toward the trees as more figures burst into view…

  In the moonlight, rising behind the dying sunset, saber blades flashed. Nearly twenty soldiers in Tepei-Kuon armor were advancing in a tight formation toward the unarmed man. He turned briefly, a wicked grin twisting his face.

  "Demetra! Faster!" Then to the soldiers, who had paused upon seeing the corpses: "What, scared? There’s plenty of you and just one of me! Kill me, and the girl’s all yours!"

  The soldiers didn’t hesitate long. Yelling, they charged forward. Kairu stood frozen, mouth open in disbelief, watching one man face an entire platoon. But what he saw was worth it…

  The man leaped forward like a tiger, slamming the first soldier to the ground with bone-crushing force. He didn’t need a weapon, his powerful, muscular, and unbelievably agile limbs were deadlier than any blade. He tore through the soldiers; they screamed and dropped before they could even strike. They couldn’t surround him, he moved with lightning speed, arms flailing like a windmill, ripping chainmail with his bare hands, emerging untouched. To Kairu, it looked like a whirlwind had torn into a swarm of sluggish, sleepy flies.

  Meanwhile, the girl wasn’t idle either. Darting behind Kairu, Viggo, Remiz, Yuf, and Joanna, she scrambled up a small rise, shaped her fingers into a strange sign, waved her arms, and suddenly rose into the air, levitating. A gust of wind howled through the trees, making Kairu’s hair stand on end. He looked up and trembled: above, the sky opened into a massive vortex filled with dazzling white light. And then… Hundreds of silver stars exploded around the girl as she spun above the ground, and from the glowing cloud above her emerged a massive creature with short, clawed limbs, vast bat-like wings, a long serpentine neck, a fang-filled maw, and gleaming silvery scales.

  Kairu crouched down on the spot, instantly drenched in sweat from fear—he had never seen anything like this before. The creature roared, swept over the heads of the stunned soldiers of Tepei-Kuon, and breathed a stream of white flame directly onto the people scattering among the trees. Clothing burst into flames as if soaked in kerosene, and people, howling and gasping, either fled or rolled on the ground in vain attempts to extinguish the fire. A man in white clothing, breathing heavily, rushed toward Demetra. The monster’s enormous tail slammed into the ground, scattering the Tepei-Kuon soldiers. Meanwhile, another regiment appeared from behind the trees. Rifles thundered, firing at the winged beast.

  Limping Atgard, Ashley, and Roger ran into the clearing from behind, and froze, stunned by the sight. Kairu, Viggo, Yuf, and Remiz rushed forward and fiercely attacked the infantrymen in black armor. How the flying monster distinguished friend from foe was unclear, yet the streams of flame and the blows of its massive tail, tipped with a mace, missed those it seemed to be protecting.

  The man reached Demetra and stopped, shielding her with his body. The fight was already raging around them, and he constantly had to fend off soldiers with sharp, precise movements. His arms and legs worked like a precise combat machine, and he managed to fight several enemies at once, receiving only a few minor cuts. Thin streams of blood ran down his shirt, but the girl remained completely unharmed.

  The jets of flame were as devastating as cannonballs. Kairu darted among the soldiers’ broken ranks, stabbing and slashing, dodging enemy blows, and suddenly realized that they were alone among the trees. The last of Saelin’s fighters were fleeing into the forest in disarray. The massive creature let out a screech, soared into the sky, and vanished behind the trees in an instant. Demetra collapsed into her protector’s wide arms. Yuf slowly sheathed his sword, absentmindedly wiping off the blood with a clump of grass. He was clearly still stunned by the unexpected aid in the form of the scaly beast.

  Kairu wiped the sweat from his forehead, realized his right arm ached, and something warm was slowly trickling down his elbow. He turned around and approached the others. Ashley, staggering and supported by Roger, was walking toward the unexpected newcomers.

  "Who are you?" Atgard croaked, approaching them. The man in white lifted his head, holding the girl tightly, who suddenly blinked and stirred.

  "We're fleeing from Tepei-Kuon," the man replied shortly. "It’s been four weeks now; the horses are spent... We were hoping to find shelter with the peasants in Onklag."

  "No need to go to the peasants," Ashley shook her head. "It’s safer with us, in Estogil. If the pursuit resumes, we can protect you again..."

  "Protect?" Viggo repeated skeptically. "Seems to me it’s the Tepei-Kuon soldiers who need protection from that flying horror. What was that... and how did it get here?"

  "It... can’t come to help all the time," the girl said barely audibly. Her voice was soft and melodic. "Forgive me, gentlemen... but even this small skirmish has exhausted me... and him as well. We need time... to recover."

  "What’s there to talk about?" Roger grumbled. "Let’s go to the manor."

  "So what was that creature?" Viggo couldn’t help but ask again as he followed them. The man carefully set Demetra on the ground and supported her, as she was stumbling with every step. Suddenly, a huge glowing silhouette swept above the treetops, the creature hovered for a few seconds above the travelers, Demetra quickly formed a sign with her hands, and the monster gave one last roar, flapped its wings heavily, and disappeared. The man answered for her:

  "Our only ally and friend. Daredevil. The last of the silver dragons."