– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 38 –

"Don't you worry, Siling." Calam placed his hand on Siling's shoulder. "We'll get your sister out. When the Valkyrie gets here, we'll crush the Lich Kingdoms!" He clenched a fist with his other hand.

"Maybe…" Siling sighed, and muttered quietly. "I don't care about crushing the Lich Kingdoms. I just want to get to know my sister again."

Terry, who had finished a spar against Rafael and Tiana, sat down as well. "The Spirit Tower is making good progress with their prototype."

"And the allied forces have made a lot of headway in reclaiming territory," said Tiana and joined them for the break. "My brother has sent me an updated map earlier."

"Can I see it?" asked Terry.

Tiana handed the map over for Terry to study.

"The raids are getting too crowded for my taste," complained Rafael. He sat down next to Terry and glanced at the map. "I don't like sharing my enemies that much."

"That's childish!" chided Calam.

"You're childish!" spat Rafael.

"No, you!"

"You! Fight me if you dare!"

"You're both childish." Terry pointed out. "I, for one, am happy to have some time for training while others are covering the frontline."

"Well, I'm going to join the Valkyrie's army soon," said Calam with a frown of irritation. "I don't like sitting around while people need my help."

Who does?

"Be careful when working with Thanatos," warned Terry. "I've heard they're getting more involved in the contested areas."

"Thanks, but I don't think Thanatos would dare touch me," said Calam proudly. "The alliance with the Valkyrie still stands, and no one goes against the Valkyrie."

Except Tivius and his ilk, so there's precedent.

"Just saying." Terry raised his eyes from the map to catch Calam's gaze. "They can screw you over without outright betraying the alliance. Like arriving late or refusing to act when there is any ambiguity for them to hide behind."

"We've worked with Thanatos before when putting down a rebellious noble in the south of Tiv," said Calam. "They seemed trustworthy enough. Not everyone is out to get you, you know?"

Goes against my experience in Thanatos.

Terry shrugged and returned his attention to the map.

"What about you, brother?" Rafael addressed Terry. "Up for joining the raids soon? Us two could take a spot for ourselves, just like old times."

"Why would you ever do something so reckless?" Tiana sent the felan martialist a chiding glare that could have come straight from Isille.

"Because it amuses me. Why else?" Rafael grinned and exposed his sharp teeth.

Calam clicked his tongue with annoyance. "This isn't about fun. What's wrong with you?"

"You got a problem with me?!" Rafael snarled.

"Nope, let's just not continue this conversation, please," groaned Terry.

"Pretty, please," added Siling wearily. The hero's disciple and the felan martialist had clashed with each other too many times for her to count already.

"I don't think I'll join the raids unless they really need me," said Terry. "With all the armies joining from the Union, they don't lack manpower at the moment."

"You can still help," said Calam.

To Terry, it sounded almost like an accusation. "Trust me, there are people more capable of deciding military matters in the Freedom Cooperative." He pointed with a thumb at Tiana. "Her brother, for one."

Terry searched for the right words. "I can help, but I also learned what it means to stretch myself too thin. I think my primary strengths are my mana perception and my ability to stand my ground. If that's what's called for, I'll be ready. The ones in charge will let me know."

"You're already helping with mana perception," said Siling quietly. "You're checking the prototype for mana leaks and abnormal shifts in mana."

Terry looked at his troubled best friend. "Unfortunately, we still have nothing to go by to find the ritual lynchpin."

The waiting must be an absolute torment for Siling and her family.

"Still…" Calam frowned with an unsatisfied glint in his eyes. "Every day, people are suffering under the Lich Kingdom occupation." He shook his head with frustrated incomprehension. "Even Maximilian seemed almost hesitant to join the raids again."

Terry recalled the pale face of the mage from Tiv when they had last set out on raids, and he wasn't surprised. It was one thing to be celebrated after a victory, but a whole other beast if you get cursed instead.

Terry looked at Calam and wondered if he should warn him about the fact that not everyone would be happy to be liberated.

He'll see for himself.

Or will he? Perhaps the situation will be different with the Valkyrie's reputation on their side?

Terry decided against it. "Good luck, Calam. Stay safe!"

"Please…" Calam scoffed and waved him off with a grin. "Have you seen the army I came with?" He left. "It's the other side that has to worry."

His friends watched him leave the training grounds in silence.

"Huh…" Tiana puffed her cheeks and proceeded to frown.

"Terry, you should have sparred with him," said Siling with a trace of worry.

"Hm?" Terry looked at them with confusion. "I asked, but he said he doesn't have time for playing around."

"Just slap him or something," grumbled Siling. "Make him spar with you."

"Might be for the best," added Tiana and shrugged.

"I can do the slapping if you want," interjected Rafael with a grin.

"No one is slapping anybody," groaned Terry.

"Well, we should still do something," said Tiana. "Just get him to spar with you, so that he can get his overconfidence checked before he gets himself killed."

"What are you on about?" Now Rafael was confused.

Siling rolled her eyes. "Of course, our furskin didn't notice it."

"'Furskin'?" Rafael narrowed his eyes. "Is this supposed to be retaliation for calling you smoothskins?"

"Yes, do you like it?" asked Siling innocently.

"No," replied Rafael.

"Good," said Siling less innocently. "And I'm not surprised you didn't notice. You didn't know Calam before and, well, you have martialist disease."

Rafael emitted a low growl.

"Calam's case appears different from that disease, though," said Tiana.

"Hero disciple disease?" suggested Siling. "Doesn't quite have the same nice ring to it."

"He did appear overconfident, didn't he?" Terry thought out loud.

"I mean, have you seen his army?" asked Rafael. "If I had half that army to order around, I'd be a lot less restrained."

Three pairs of eyes focused on the felan at once.

"What?" demanded Rafael.

"Restrained?" Tiana stared blankly. "You?"

"I don't recall you ever showing any self-restraint," said Terry while crossing his arms and adopting a thoughtful pose. "Perhaps when we escaped Whetstone, but even then just barely."

"Do you think the disease has spread further?" Siling looked at Rafael as if he was a dying patient. "I'll miss you, furskin."

"You lot aren't as funny as you think you are," grumbled Rafael.

Terry noticed the slight curl to the felan's lips despite his grumbling. He moved his gaze away to stare towards the gate where Calam was heading. "He has Yorgos with him. A proper dimensional mage. He should not run into anything his army can't handle as long as they always have the option to escape."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"True, that dimensional mage appears to monitor Calam at all times," said Tiana. She crossed her arms. "Which is messed up in another way. Yorgos doesn't pay as much attention to anyone else in the army, even the supposed commanders. That's not a proper army."

Terry recalled the days in the Freedom Cooperative when everyone had suddenly started coming to him for advice or decisions or just to fuss about his general well-being. The days when people had started calling him Guardian instead of Terry or Flower Protector. "It's an army centered around a symbol. And Calam is the disciple of that symbol, so he basically outranks everyone else."

"Doesn't sound healthy," said Siling.

Tell me about it.

Terry shrugged. "I hope Calam listens to those more experienced. Otherwise, that will invite trouble."

"I don't think Calam really calls any shots," said Tiana. "He seems to be happy to let others decide as long as he can be part of the action. At least, that's the impression I got when talking to Yujin and the other actual commanders in that army."

Terry sharply exhaled. He involuntarily glanced at Rafael. Perhaps Calam had more in common with Rafael than the elf would like to admit. Rafael enjoyed playing the martialist role and Calam sure enjoyed playing the role of hero.

I hope that's it.

Terry could not help but think of the Divine Division, of soldiers who had been all too accepting of their orders, even if it meant flattening Syn City, a city of innocent refugees from Tiv.

Calam is an adult. He'll figure it out if such a situation ever arises… Not that I believe it would under the Valkyrie…

***

Mayhem.

Utter mayhem.

Terry couldn't describe it any other way. One moment, they had all been training and working towards liberating Siyu and then…

Terry had rushed towards the gate as soon as he had sensed it.

He wasn't the only one.

He certainly wasn't the first.

"My little Siyu…" Tears were streaming down Ying's face. When he had sensed the signature stepping through the dimensional gate, he dropped everything and teleported to her. The elven vampire shakily raised his hand to touch her cheek, but could see her pull back and he stopped himself. "I'm so sorry."

Siyu stared silently at her father. She flinched when Terry arrived, but did not flee. Behind her, the Magebane and the Spellcrusher had already stepped through the gate. If this was a trap, then Freedom's Guardian wouldn't change anything.

Siyu had delivered herself to their mercy, and she knew it. She had little choice in the matter anymore. It was the first ray of hope she had seen since her death and she was resolved to cherish it.

"She just appeared in the city," explained Amelia. "Said she had to talk to Siling."

"Siyu…" Ying stammered, but his daughter still ignored him.

Siyu wanted to believe in her father, but she couldn't forget that he had abandoned her.

"I thought you were dead." Ying nearly broke down. "My little Siyu…"

Siyu held back her words.

"Siyu!" Daiyu flew over and almost pulled her lost daughter into her embrace. Only the hard flint in the purple eyes stopped her at the last moment.

Siyu clenched her teeth. Her father might have been deceived, but her mother had left her even before. Still…

Both of them were here.

"Siyu?" Siling finally arrived and pushed through the crowd of spectators gawking at the Spirited Duchess whose infamy preceded her.

"We have to talk," said Siyu gravely. "I don't have much time." She glanced back at the dimensional gate. "If any at all."

Ying summoned a gate to one of the lecture halls. "We can go—"

"I trust my sister," said Siyu. "I don't know whom else to trust." She ignored Ying's suggestion and waited for Siling to react while both of her parents visibly winced with emotional anguish.

"Let's go…" Siling took Siyu by the hand and pulled her through the gate.

"Do the magebane and soul eater have to come?" Siyu glanced back.

"Terry is my best friend, so yes," said Siling. "I'd trust him with my life."

"You're all I have," muttered Siyu. "I'll follow your judgement."

In a matter of minutes, everyone gathered in the lecture hall. Siling's family and trusted friends, except for those who were busy on a raid or scouting mission. The leadership from the Crafting and Spirit Tower were also present. Now that Siyu had appeared out in the open, there was little point in hiding their earlier communication anymore.

"We think we understand what they're doing to you," said Daiyu.

"We are already working on a way to break it down," added Ying.

"I'm not sure it matters anymore," said Siyu. "They know."

"What?!" Siling panicked.

"They know," said Siyu. "Or they suspect something. Enough to pull the lynchpin back into secure territory. Behind the contested lands."

"That…" Mina quickly exchanged glances with some of her Spirit Tower elders. "That would make it infinitely more difficult to extract the binding essence without risking lethal damage to the soul through the bond."

"I know," said Siyu. "And so do they. They're only pulling ahead if they want to set up a new cluster to expand the network. If it wasn't for me being deployed for the invasion, they wouldn't have moved the lynchpin beyond the boundaries of the network."

"What does this mean?" asked Terry. He saw Siyu flinch when he raised his voice, which made him uncomfortable.

"The lynchpin supports the whole ritual, but is also supported in turn," said Mina. "After aligning with Ser, we believe that the ritual we are dealing with is at a level where the network can save a lynchpin by nominating a fallback. It requires multiple connections close enough to work, but it's possible. If the lynchpin has been moved ahead, then we only need to destroy it, but if it is within the boundaries of the network, then some of the other nodes would automatically take over."

"What I want to know is how they know?" Siling glared at everyone. "We agreed to keep the communication a secret. Did anyone—?"

"I don't think so," interrupted Terry. He looked pensively at Siyu. "Otherwise, she wouldn't be here. No way they would have allowed her to make contact again if they suspected her involvement. They might have figured out Ying's identity. He was a prominent participant in the battle against the Bloody Duchess. If the Kingdoms have any spy left, then they would have included Ying in their reports. If they know about Ying, then it would be easy to guess why he's here."

Siyu found it difficult to look at the soul eater in soul sight. She couldn't tell why. It was completely instinctual.

She hated feeling so exposed.

Helpless.

Weak.

Siyu clenched her fists and looked at her sister, which allowed her to calm herself. "He's right. I don't believe they suspect me, but it doesn't matter. They have already begun working on pulling back the lynchpin, and they're planning to pull it deep inside the territory of one of the strongest princes." She shook her head. "I'm out of time, so I just came to say goodbye."

"What?!" Siling jumped forward and held her sister tightly, as if she was afraid she would run away.

"I can't tell you how happy I was to see you." Siyu smiled sadly. "I knew it was too good to be true, and I had time to think about it." She looked at her hand. White with purple markings. She raised it to touch Siling's cheek. "I don't want you to come looking for me. I've seen you again and that must be enough." She shook her head. "I don't think I want to continue in the Lich Kingdoms. I'm done. I'm glad I got a chance to see you before I go."

"Siyu, you…" Siling's voice trembled.

Daiyu cried quietly.

"No," growled Ying.

"I wasn't asking for permission," hissed Siyu, and glared coldly at her father. "You know how the Kingdoms work. I'm done. I don't want to go on anymore. I'd rather end it than be ordered around by another mad prince or princess again."

"No." Ying's eyes became wild. "No, never. I'm not losing you. Not after I just found you."

"Don't be a child!" barked Siyu.

Ying shook his head. "We just have to find the lynchpin before it is moved!"

"I don't know where it is," hissed Siyu. "I can only feel its general location, not where they're hiding it exactly. It's too well cloaked, and they're already preparing to move it."

"Wait, you have a general location?" asked Terry. That's a starting point!

Siyu noticed that many eyes, including her sisters, had moved towards Freedom's Guardian even before the question, but she couldn't make sense of it. "Yes, but it doesn't matter. By now, they probably have learned about me being here already. The alarm must have gone off the moment I stepped through the gate. They're going to pull me back with the ritual."

"Get the prototype," shouted Ying madly. "Now!"

"Risky," said Mina. "But if that's our only option, then no point in wasting time. Get everything ready!"

"I'll get Ser on the line." Samuel jumped up from his seat and left immediately. "Let the Academy mages miss a class. I'll figure something out to convince him to be present to guide us."

"Prepare the safety measures." Brynn ordered her assistants from the Crafting Tower. "I'll check them in fifteen minutes personally."

"What's going on?" Siyu stared at them as if they had all gone mad.

"You're not leaving me again," said Siling, and pressed her sister's hand.

"We're going to hijack the binding before they can pull you back," declared Ying firmly. His tone made it clear that he refused to let reality allow anything else.

"Hijack?" Siyu shook her head and exhaled a quiver. "It won't work. I've looked into that option years ago. It's just not a permanent solution. Sooner or later, the original lynchpin will overpower whatever ritual you've come up with."

"That just means we have to destroy the lynchpin before that happens," said Ying.

"Weren't you listening?" asked Siyu. "They're moving it!"

"But they haven't moved it yet," stressed Terry. "And you have a general location."

"So what?" Siyu stared at the Guardian as if he was insane. "By general location I mean an area hundreds of kilometers wide. An area firmly within the Lich Kingdoms. Not in freshly contested territory. You're never going to find it in time!"

Siling frowned, as did many others present.

"I can teleport around and search discreetly," declared Ying. "I know the Lich Kingdoms."

"Perfect cloaking," hissed Siyu. "And they're not just going to let you teleport around if they don't want you to. They have tower constructs to lock down space. You're just going to let yourself— Why is everyone looking at him?"

"Because I'm going to join Ying," declared Terry firmly. "And if we're lucky, that's enough." He rubbed his forehead. "Although we'll definitely need a few distractions…"

***

"I don't like it," said Isille.

"Me neither," agreed Lori. "Look, I don't like saying it, but Miguel had a point before. Are we absolutely sure this is not a trap?"

"You mean Siyu could be working against us?" Terry bit his lips. He had thought about that scenario before. He shook his head. "I don't think so. What would be the point? In the end, it's just Ying and me going there. I might have annoyed them a bit. Ying as a proper dimensional mage is definitely an essential war asset, but still. I don't think just the two of us would warrant such an elaborate scheme in which they even risk a duchess."

"We should join you," said Jorg.

"No, we should join you." Bjorln gestured at himself and Isille.

"I'm not sure if anyone should join Ying and me," said Terry wryly. "Ying is a proper dimensional mage, and I can break spatial locks. We can always flee if it comes to that. That becomes a lot harder if we're more people though." He shook his head. "Ying even refused Daiyu, and she actually knows her way around the Lich Kingdoms. I think he has a point. The bigger the group, the more likely that we are spotted before we discover and destroy the lynchpin."

"Still…" Isille crossed her arms. "It doesn't sit right with me to let children infiltrate the Lich Kingdoms."

"I'm twenty-two, Ma," reminded Terry jokingly.

"I don't care how old you are, you'll always be our child," retorted Isille. She and Bjorln shared a glance and then sighed. "Fine, but…" Isille clenched a fist and rubbed it with the other hand. "We'll get as close as we can and make sure they will never get the leeway to even look for you."

Jorg and Lori nodded with grim faces. If all they could offer to ensure the safety of their whaka was to provide a distraction, then they intended to create the biggest distraction the Lich Kingdoms had ever seen.

"Huh, speaking of dimensional mages…" Terry rubbed the palm of his hand with the thumb of the other. "If we can get Yorgos to cooperate in the distraction, then they might not even know that Ying is gone."

They're both elven men. Granted, Ying is a vampire, but we might still exploit our second dimensional mage capable of creating gates. We might use Yorgos to hide Ying's absence…

***

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