The sound of the blowing wind became hushed by megaloceros hooves crushing fallen leaves and vegetation. It was impossible not to stare at their presence. The rough auburn of its fur perfectly blended in with the bark of the evergreen it stood under. With antlers that almost stretched across the tree’s trunk, it was a beast larger than she could have imagined. As her team continued to walk, Anemone could see there were two of them. Both eyed the other, anticipating conflict. They stomped their hooves and lowered their heads up and down with striking bellows.

  In a matter of seconds, they dashed into each other. SLAM! Anemone in her tracks. The impact was so strong that it sent a shockwave through her body. Roars echoed with the cracks of their interlocked antlers. Despite being at least a hundred yards away, every bone in her body responded to their clash.

  “It’s amazing how powerful they are… They must be territorial.”

  Rowan faced Anemone as he continued to walk backwards.

  “Or just horny,” he teased

  “How crude can you be?” Anemone scowled.

  “What?” said Rowan. “See that distant cow, close to the pine tree.”

  He pointed into the distance further ahead. Anemone’s eyes followed; there was a third oversized elk not too far from the competing males. Although she was only smaller, the idea of getting close to her was no less foolish than the male bulls.

  “Winter and fall are the times to wine and dine! Whoever wins has to keep her safe through the cold season,” said Rowan.

  Rubus cut in, “He’s not wrong, Wingless. And if he’s lucky, they’ll make a new batch of bulls and cows for us to hunt and eat.”

  “You have no sense of romance…” shrugged Rowan.

  “I have more than your non-incubus ass,” Rubus mocked.

  The two of them continued onward, and Anemone crossed her arms. Both had smiles as they continued to talk to each other. No, to be exact, Rubus simply nodded along as Rowan talked his ear off. None of them was wearing their masks, so it was strange to see their full facial expressions. Well, everyone except her and Rubus, who still wore a veil to cover his eyes. Rubus usually wore a permanent frown. Or so she thought. The way he lit up as Rowan placed his arm around him was a sight to see. Her body stiffened so much as her foot took a step back.

  “He can smile. Who knew Sergeant Scowl had a soft side?”

  But they were not the only two who relaxed. Aronia had an almost permanent smile on his face, much like Rowan’s. Even the usually stoic Timber’s firm jaw let out a faint chuckle from the conversation between the group. Everyone else had a rather lax gait in their stroll. A stroll through the Seelie Woods, no less. There were stories of Fae who went missing traveling through these parts. The most sinister of creatures made this place their home. Very few Aos-si ever ventured out here. Especially if they did not have to. Yet no one was worried. Anemone flared her nostrils, unable to hide the tightening under her eyes. Aronia walked back to Anemone, who was slightly behind the group. Her arms hugged Anemone as she pressed their faces together.

  “Come on! Join the group! How’s it feel to be outside? With no supervision?” Aronia teased.

  Anemone placed her hand on her chest. Her heart throbbed strongly, almost erratically. Her hands fidgeted as she let out a weak smile.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure yet… we just started, and nothing’s really happened.”

  “Aww, look at you holding back! I bet yer raring to fight!” Aronia grinned.

  “Yeah… I just can’t contain myself.”

  Not too long ago, Anemone had seen a minotaur crush an Aos-Si skull with its bare hands. It was the night of the festival before her encounter with the gallu-lycan. It was in woods that looked not too dissimilar from the surrounding scenery. Anemone’s stomach became as hard as a rock. She struggled to keep herself from freezing and becoming rooted to the spot. A shiver ran through her, and she gazed at her hands.

  Aronia’s smile weakened, and she placed her hands on Anemone’s shoulders. After gently gripping them, Aronia slid them down in her arms to her hands. The tender grasp from Aronia softened the tension in her stomach and stopped Anemone from shaking. Their eyes matched, and everything else almost faded away.

  “Yer not here alone, Nin. I’m here with you.”

  “I know… I just feel so uneasy.” Said Anemone.

  Aronia looked back at the boys and then turned back to Anemone.

  “I know you don’t know them, but they’re good lads. Trust me.”

  “No. It’s not just them.”

  Aronia wrapped Anemone in her arms and stopped talking. Her mind ran a thousand miles a minute as she stared at Aronia. Whether it was a monster or heat-haze, there was something that could harm her. As terrified as Anemone was, she could not take her mind off Aronia as well. They had spent enough time with each other thanks to work and life, but now? It was out in the wild where anything could happen. This so-called life or death excursion presented her with something thing she had not expected. Freedom at a steep cost. In her eyes, the celestials had an odd sense of humor. As Aronia let go with a smile, Anemone’s mind eased for a moment.

  “Trust us, we got your back,” said Aronia.

  “Don’t stay too far behind, you two!” Rowan winked.

  “And the moment is over,” Anemone rolled her eyes.

  “Don’t be a soaked leaf, Ninny.”

  “Fine… just give me a second. I’m not as good with new—”

  “—Any associates.” Aronia raised her brow.

  “Exactly.”

  “Fine, but don’t stay too far behind—we’re a team, and we’ve gotta protect each other. Ok?”

  “Yes, Dad,” teased Anemone.

  “Gross,” Aronia giggled.

  From up above, the flapping feathers of chirping biyrds drew her eyes up. As its feather fluttered down, Anemone caught it in her hand and rolled it between her fingers. The shape of her breath covered the black feather in fog. Snow had not fallen yet, but there was a faint frost on the forest floor from how wet it often stayed from the morning dew. The forest was damp, just like the kingdom, yet the air smelled fresher. It was as if the smell of unwashed bodies and misery no longer blocked the aroma of pine and wet earth. Anemone nodded her head and placed her hands on her hips with her nose pointing to the sky.

  “Nia is right… At least now there’s no scorn of wasted taxes eyeing me every moment. Let’s just hope for the best.”

  She almost blurted those words aloud, but a frigid gust forced her teeth to shiver closed. It really was the first time she had been outside the Kingdom without a chaperone of some sort. Ninety percent of the time, it was Spriggan, and the rest was an entourage of Arbor Magna soldiers. During those times, she did her best to hold in her groans. As much as she appreciated the protection, it came at the cost of glaring onlookers. But now she was free to see what the world was beyond her home. And so far, it was a simple stroll.

  __________________________________________________________________

  It had been more than an hour into their expedition. The sound of nature was about the only exciting thing for now. Anemone had pulled out the Lost Historia from her grimoire and began reading.

  “Good thing I left some of my notes inside, otherwise I’d look like an absolute fool juggling two books,” thought Anemone.

  As hectic as everything was until now, the woods were a pleasant change of pace. Aronia’s Heat-Haze, her weird dream, and that conversation with Florentina? Everything made her want to crawl into bed and never get out. However, this might be the opportunity she desired. While skimming the text, she noticed the book referred to a drought period much like their own. During their time, plagues also afflicted them. Many turned into gemlike creatures that became nearly invincible to kill. The gemlike beings ran amok and fed on any living thing. With all the turmoil, there was also a reference to a uniting war against such a foe.

  “I figured this would be an academic journal of some sort… instead, it’s biographical.”

  Every page had sections where there were breaks between major passages. Each had a repeating tag line that she assumed was a date. The book resembled a journal. After seeing it repeat dates for quite a few entries, the pattern broke about six pages in. Soon, there was a new tagline with a symbol she recognized. A symbol that had to resemble a number. When Anemone referred to her reference sheet, she was right! The symbol was number ten.

  “YES! I. Don’t. Suck!”

  She danced. A wide smile grew across her face, and her eyes landed on the back of her teammate. They were quite a distance ahead of her as she followed them. Aronia and Rowan laughed among each crack jokes back-to-back. Far from being loud, Timber and Rubus kept their heads on a swivel.

  “I know I was worried, but this is surprisingly normal. The only thing deadly here is the cold,” said Anemone.

  Windy howls echoed, and Anemone breathed into her gloves with a hiss. Her eyes looked down at the ground, staring at their footsteps. Their strides were practically side by side, hardly separating from one another. Meanwhile, she staggered behind them. Aronia and Rowan ran to the side of Rubus hung around his neck. Rubus scowled for a bit, but after an exchange of more words, a smile grew across his face.

  “I’m kinda glad he’s not just a bitter berry,” she said.

  From afar, the three of them looked as if they had known each other for years. Anemone gazed at Aronia, who smiled harder than the other two. A tightness grew in Anemone’s chest looking at Aronia. A pouty lip formed, and her hand reached out toward Aronia. Her throat dried as she shook her head.

  “Why do I feel like this…Nia is her own person. I’m not like her. I can’t just talk to other people,” groaned Anemone. “She also needs others who aren’t as gloomy—besides, after all this, they will ship me off anyway… Lauma, this really bites.”

  Emotions swirled in her chest, and she dropped her shoulders while letting out an exasperated groan. When this was over, Albion would be her new home. Ever since Titania had told her the news, she did her best to ignore that thought. No matter what happened, it always crept back up. Anemone pressed her face into the book and let out a weak scream.

  “What if the Heat-Haze gets to her while I’m gone? Will I still be able to see her? Can a priestess visit other—of course, they can. Florentina just hates leaving the kingdom—and this is not the time for this!” Anemone huffed as she pulled her hair.

  She closed her eyes and shook her head as she picked up her pace. Deep breaths of chilled air dried her throat until she coughed. Although her body still felt heavy from before, Anemone puffed her chest and straightened her chin as she caught up. Leaving Aronia was the worst part of it all. Other than Spriggan, who else did she have? Florentina was kind, but standoffish and judgmental. Hibernica was similar, but less judgmental and more preachy. Missing them was a hit or a miss. But missing Aronia? Just the thought punched holes in her chest. Anemone placed her hand across her chest and wedged the book into her overcoat.

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  “Spriggan would say, stay focused and worry about what’s ahead,” she mumbled.

  As Anemone got closer to the rest of the group, she overheard them discussing their Od and skills to understand each other better. Rowan was skilled in Undine-Ars, Apothecary-Ars, and some Synergist-Ars and Analeptic-Ars for healing and defense. Timber had Oread-Ars and some Offensive Synergist-Ars, while Aronia had Vulcan-Ars and Saboteur-Ars. Rubus used Vulcan-Ars, Sylph-Ars, and Oread-Ars, boldly admitting his zero talent for anything Arcane. Hearing that, Anemone raised her face out of the book for a moment. He was the opposite of Anemone, who only had Synergist-Ars and Saboteur-Ars. Her eyes also rolled over to Rowan, who specialized in healing spells.

  “Does that mean you’ll be covering support, Rowan?” she asked.

  “More than likely, unless you want to play primary?” Rowan turned to her.

  “No, not at all.”

  Anemone hid a smile. It seemed the celestials had graced them with a perfect dynamic to her. If Rowan were good enough, she could play an aggressive role on their team. She wouldn’t have to assist with support since Timber also had some Synergist-Ars.

  “That means we unintentionally reach the Arbor Magna’s quota,” Timber’s words cut in.

  “I forgot about that 30 percent support quota,” Rubus called out. “Did we have the same thing back at the Academy?”

  “Not really. And honestly? We needed it thanks to your arse always getting torn to shreds! We needed the two of us just to cover for you,” Rowan mocked.

  “Shut it, Rowan.” Rubus grabbed him in a headlock with a smile.

  “That being said,” Timber paused. “From how they had us all reach into a single vessel, don’t you think it’s a coincidence?”

  Rowan broke away and struck a pose. “Coincidence smo-incidense! Friendship triumphs destiny!”

  “Right,” Aronia smirked. “Because lumenopals can tell who really belongs together.”

  “And craft a perfectly balanced team,” Rowan snapped his fingers.

  “But this is the first time Tir-noNog has done this with different kingdoms,” Anemone added. “No one expected the Trials to connect different kingdoms on the same team.”

  “Maybe bad blood won’t ruin everything. And besides, one of you said proctors are around. They probably have it covered.” Rowan leaned with a relaxed posture.

  Although Tir-noNog passed the Support Quota to ensure any Expedition’s survival, these teams were practically against tradition. It was used to test each kingdom’s budding novice, not develop inter-kingdom teamwork. Originally, each kingdom had its own lumenopal shard shattered after everyone poured some of their Od into it. The method was a simple way to make ragtag groups force themselves to work together. You may have a team with or without a Synergist, or a team where everyone had the same Flux. Such a strategy further reinforced the level of training each comrade-at-arms had. Just thinking about the logic of it all, Anemone rubbed the side of her forehead.

  Anemone closed her book for a moment and focused on her arms. She had left before Florentina fixed the sigils on her arm. Memories of her training with Spriggan flashed into her mind as her eyes closed. A deep breath filled her lungs, and she could feel the Arcane-Od flooding her body.

  “As a high-tier Synergist in the making, I will do my best!” Anemone huffed.

  While deep in thought, Anemone felt a tug at her hand. When she turned to the left saw that Aronia had grabbed her hand and raised into the sky. Aronia raised her hand as high as her smiling cheeks. Anemone looked around and tilted her head.

  “I nominate Nin to be leader,” Aronia stated.

  Rowan responded, “Naw, we’re going with Rubus.”

  “Both of you have been smoking the best herbs,” Rubus responded.

  Anemone had not realized that their discussion had shifted. Aronia had nominated Anemone to take the lead. Rowan chose Rubus, while Rubus chose Timber. Anemone pulled Aronia to the side and whispered to her.

  “What are you doing!?”

  “Umm, helping you out?” Aronia raised her brow.

  Anemone shook her head. “You’re kidding… I can’t do this—Well, at least not yet….”

  “What do you mean! This is what yoo’ve been waitin’ fer yer whole life? The whole time we’ve been out here yoo’ve been sticking your nose in that book.”

  The temperature in Anemone rose high, and she opened her mouth, wanting to yell. However, nothing came out. Anemone pondered for a moment, thinking about what Aronia was saying, and she nodded slowly. She cooled as quickly as she had heated and crossed her arms.

  “Great Lauma, you’re right… What would V do?”

  Ever since the barrier fell that night, so much and nothing at all had happened at the same time. Spriggan disappeared as usual, doing whatever secret mission he had. Titania was not present in the name of royal duties. And life in Tir-noNog? It was as normal as it could be. Anemone looked at the Lost Historia and remembered how she would read’ The Land of Running Rivers. The book V had written inspired her to see the world beyond Tir-noNog’s walls, and here she was finally outside of the barrier, moping. Her fists clenched while staring into Aronia’s eyes. Aronia held Anemone’s face and gazed back with a warm smile and a voice that lit her heart on fire.

  “Nin, yoo can do this. Trust me.”

  A smile beamed from her face as her eyes sparkled. Her chest became light, and she bounced on her toes.

  “I’LL DO IT!” Anemone roared.

  “See? She wants it.” Said Rubus. “Or give it to Timber. He’s far more suited for the role than I am.”

  “No offense, Princess Anemone, but this is not our first expedition. Rubus has already proved himself,” Timber patted Rubus’s back.

  “How is that possible? You don’t get your first Expedition until you earn a Nomination!” Anemone stepped toward Rubus.

  “Albion is different, princess. They ship us out first to trim the fat.” Rowan slid his finger across his neck.

  “Let’s just do sword-hammer-shield,” said Rubus.

  He leaned back, averting her gaze. Then he tucked his hands into his pockets with a shrug.

  “Winner takes the lead.”

  Anemone ignored Timber and Rowan, only glaring at Rubus. She groaned and crossed her arms. Rubus didn’t want responsibility, and she did, but it didn’t matter! Sword-hammer-shield was the easiest way for them to decide. After a best-of-three, Rubus won against Anemone, 3-2. Both looked at each other’s hands and then one another. Anemone’s eye twitched. Then she began breathing through her nose, loud enough that everyone could hear. Rubus rigidly turned away and walked off. After her loss, Anemone hid her face behind her book, saying nothing. Only her eyes peered from behind that book. This time, as the group walked, she watched his every step like a predator observing its prey.

  “Trust me, the feelings are mutual,” Rubus rubbed the back of his neck.

  Anemone grimaced from behind her book.

  “Whatever gave you that idea?” she said.

  Rowan mocked, “So, will they continue to flirt like this or—”

  “They’re not flirting,” Aronia facepalmed.

  “We’re not flirting!” Anemone and Rubus roared in unison.

  “Calm down. It only makes sense that Rubus takes the lead. Not only does he have a Tri-split Flux, but he’s also great with navigation.” Timber said.

  Anemone kept her face in her book and continued to yell.

  “He’s a stubborn taur who picks fights with anyone!” said Anemone.

  “If it’s any consolation, I voted for Timber. Also, I like to think I’m an equal opportunist for fighting folks,” Rubus mocked.

  “You should deny the latter part as well,” Rowan smirked.

  Aronia stood between Rubus and Anemone. “Let’s focus on finding the honey-gatherers for now.”

  After the minor tension of deciding on the leader, Timber struck up a conversation about the Mars Ruins to ease the tension. He explains the value of watersheds and how the concentration of rainfall helps agriculture. His continued raving about the speculation of the civilization’s exports caught Anemone’s attention, who somewhat understood the Ruin’s history. Spriggan had told her stories of its lore, explaining that they were remnants of a civilization before the Lost War. The text in the Academy discussed the remains of a population of beings who lived on Abhainn-Reatha before the aos-si. They lived among the denizens and had superb technology. No one knows why they vanished, but all that remained were their cities and technology. The Warp Gates themselves were relics of that era.

  Thanks to King Gentiana’s push for research and development in Albion, they had the technology closest to them. That push resulted in an anti-tech clause in the Three Crowns Treaty. Everyone but Albion almost unanimously agreed that they should leave such technology alone because of its danger. Only Gentiana thought otherwise, and after what happened in Vestri, the Kingdoms dubbed such materials “Cursed Tech.”

  Being royalty, she had far more information than the public, but much of it was in an old aos-si language like cypher text. Even though Anemone wasn’t big on studying languages, she tried to learn some cypher text. It proved to be too tricky, and she gave up halfway, never trying again. Anemone also discovered that Tir-noNog’s Royal Library contained many damaged and barely legible books. Some of those books even had spells that prevented anyone who read them from remembering what they read or blinded the reader when they opened the book. Others had curses or Phantasy-Ars on them.

  As everyone continued the conversation, Anemone still hid behind her book as her chest boiled. Although she had stopped reading it earlier, her face was far too red to show. Clenching the book’s cover, L’wah randomly popped into her mind again. L’wah’s connection to Adnero was still a mystery to her. Perhaps he might know something about the Mars Ruins as well. Despite a fleeting moment of insight, he served as her expedient route to the secrets of the Lost Historia. Maybe even to some other secrets everyone kept hidden. If they met again, meeting him, she held her breath at the idea that there were still worldly mysteries to be solved.

  She had long waited for this moment and needed to enjoy every moment. No matter what had happened, her focus needed to be on what was before her. So far, this journey has been a breeze. In fact, it was so easy that she had enough time to read the Lost Historia. As she tried to refocus on the book, light taps on her shoulder halted her thoughts. When she turned around, Rowan was trying to grab her attention.

  “Could I ask why the two of you have an issue?”

  “Huh?” Anemone dropped her jaw.

  “You and Ru. You two rarely interact enough to really know each other. So why fight?”

  Anemone was unsure of how she wanted to respond to Rowan. Not only was she tired of being harassed by his sly comments, but his lack of focus made his personality seem undependable. So far, Timber was the only one she could tolerate out of the three of them. When she thought about his question, there was one moment she recalled.

  “When we met during our mock combat class, he was an ass,” she raised the book over her eyes.

  “Oh?” Rowan responded. “Did he say something insensitive and see nothing wrong with his statement?”

  A slow smile appeared on his face. Anemone dropped the book enough to give Rowan a side-eye. Her posture was hunched over as she remembered their first exchanged words. Rubus opened with the usual phrase, “Hey Wingless,” a well-known insult to any fae. She could not remember much of the context of why Rubus said it so casually. However, it took place right before their sparring session. Once it started, she had disarmed him mid-battle, and to her surprise, rather quickly. Instead of accepting the loss, Rubus stomped on her knee and put her in an armbar. Once he forced her to the ground, he said, ‘Aos-Si get killed on the battlefield all the time. Honor has no place in war.’

  When Rubus let go, she stood up by head-butting him and started a fistfight. Ever since then, they’ve gone back and forth with every interaction. After all the time she spent trying to sophisticate herself for a public image, he always made her lose face. Somehow, he got under her skin. Maybe it was his disregard for authority and callous words that made her veins throb in her head. Or maybe every time she saw him near Aronia, she had a wide smile. Whatever it was, it made Anemone pout her bottom lip.

  “It was exactly that. Are all D?kkálfar that rude?” said Anemone.

  “I wouldn’t know. A Ljósálfar like myself hasn’t met too many outside of Ru.”

  “I had almost forgotten that Seelie elves don’t mingle with dark elves. Why are you two so close?”

  “Hmm… Me and Ru?”

  Rowan tilted his head as he gazed into the sky. He was silent for so long; his focus made Anemone lean in as she waited for his response.

  “Even though he’s a moody guy, he has a big heart.”

  “You’re kidding?” she sniped.

  “No, I mean it. It may not be something you’ve seen, but give it time. You’ll understand.”

  “I doubt it,” Anemone rolled her eyes.

  When she paid attention to Rubus, it was vicariously through the conversations of others. They often spoke about him fighting someone or found that he covered his eyes peculiarly. There were not too many D?kkálfar in Tir-noNog. Any other D?kkálfar probably used a Phantasy-Ars to remain hidden. One that made the dark parts of their eyes stay white like other Ljósálfar, or Seelie aos-si. Rubus was one of the few D?kkálfar who wore a veil or covered his eyes. Since the only other aos-si who wore veils were fae priestesses, he got more unnecessary attention than he really needed.

  Everyone her age distrusted a D?kkálfar. In fact, many believed D?kkálfar were Unseelie, via generational tales of them cursing Seelie aos-si. Those tales made it so that all Seelie believed the D?kkálfar had a connection to the gallu-utukku. Between that and the judgment of wearing something considered sacred, it was no wonder he was a target. The only time she saw him with others was when teams were necessary. During those times, approaching him was too difficult. Whether in obstacle runs, the mess hall, or studying, even with his covered eyes, you could see he still wore a look that said, ‘Don’t bother me.’ Maybe everyone would have accepted him more if he had been more sociable.

  As Anemone continued to think about Rubus’ kindness or lack thereof, she looked back at Rowan.

  “I forgot to thank you for the other day.”

  Anemone closed her book and turned toward Rowan.

  “Florentina said you found me unconscious behind the brewery,”

  “Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about that. The wild thing is that I don’t even remember how I got there.”

  Rowan paused and stroked his chin. As he tilted his head, he asked Anemone a question.

  “What were you doing there? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to sleep in abandoned areas?”

  “It was not on purpose, you know,” she scowled.

  “Oh, really? Cause you looked pretty content to me. Well—until you started convulsing.”

  “Convulsing?” She clutched the book closely.

  “Yeah…those marks on your arm were glowing through your sleeves. You were even mumbling in your sleep.”

  “Mumbling? Did I say anything strange?”

  “Sh’fae, please. I was too busy finding the nearest guard to drop your body off. That being said, I am glad you are up and running.”

  Anemone raised her brow at the consideration Rowan had for her. She wished he had overheard her mumbling so she could know what had happened, but his aid was enough. To hear he went out of his way for her put a dazed look on her face. The idea of his compassion left Anemone silent. For someone who was friends with Rubus, he had an unexpected kindness.

  “Usually, when an aos-si thanks someone, they actually say thanks. Or something like that,” Rowan smiled.

  “Sorry, you just caught me off guard,” Anemone paused.

  Suddenly, Aronia stomped her foot, and the entire team stopped in their tracks.

  “Hald yer wheesht!” Aronia shouted, “Company’s arrived.”

  How has the pace been so far?