Kale glanced around at the group as they gathered their things.

"Alright," he said. "Are we ready to head to Xandria?"

Liliana nodded, already adjusting her pack. Rika stood nearby, rolling her shoulder as Eryxis hovered close, ever-watchful. Sadek gave a curt nod.

Namara, however, stayed where she was, her eyes fixed on Kale. "Actually, do you have a moment?"

"Uh, sure."

She gestured for him to follow, leading him a short distance from the group. The others didn't seem to pay much attention, busy with their own preparations.

When they stopped, Namara faced him, her expression unusually serious. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a small object.

She held it out to him. "I want you to have this."

Kale took it, examining it. It looked like a bracelet, woven from strands of dark hair. His brow furrowed as he turned it in his hands. "What… is this?"

Namara tilted her head, smiling. "It's a bracelet. Made it myself."

He looked up at her, confused. "Made of… your hair?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

She looked away for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "Well, since we're heading to Xandria, and we're probably going to have to fight Voss…" She hesitated. "I just… wanted you to have this. In case something happens to me."

"Namara—"

"Don't," she interrupted, holding up a hand. "It's not about doom and gloom or anything. I just… thought you should have something to remember me by. You know, just in case."

Kale stared at her. He glanced down at the bracelet again, the intricacy of the weaving clear in the way the strands overlapped. It wasn't perfect, but it was clear she had put a lot of effort into it.

Finally, he nodded. "Alright. I'll take it."

"Good. Don't lose it, alright? I worked hard on that."

"I'll keep it safe," Kale said, putting on the bracelet.

Namara looked to his wrist, and her smile returned, carrying a spark of mischief. "You know, it actually suits you. Rugged, mysterious—dare I say stylish?"

"Let's not get carried away."

She chuckled, brushing past him as they headed back toward the others. The rest of the group had finished preparing; packs were slung, weapons were secured, and the harriers stood ready, their wings twitching in anticipation.

Liliana raised an eyebrow as Kale and Namara rejoined them. "You two done with whatever that was?"

"Just bonding," Namara said.

Rika inclined her head at Kale's wrist. "Nice bracelet."

Kale gave Namara a sidelong glance. "I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it."

Eryxis shifted beside Rika, clicking its mandibles softly. Sadek gave his harrier a firm pat before stepping toward the group. "Ready?"

Kale nodded. "Alright, let's move. Xandria's waiting."

Without another word, they mounted their harriers, the creatures shifting under their weight. The sound of wings unfurling filled the air as the harriers leapt into flight, the ground falling away beneath them.

The wind rushed past as they soared into the skies, their course set toward the horizon and the unknown challenges awaiting them in Xandria.

***

The group flew in a loose formation, the sky stretching endlessly ahead.

Kale glanced toward Liliana, steering Saryn closer. "Do we use the lantern?"

Liliana frowned. "If we use it, Voss will know. It's not subtle, Kale. He'll see us coming a mile away. Literally."

"He might already know we're alive," Rika said. Eryxis dipped slightly as she adjusted her grip. "But if he doesn't… using the lantern confirms it."

"That's the thing," Liliana said. "Right now, he might still think that his little welcoming party finished us off. We could have the advantage of surprise."

"Or we could be walking into a trap," Sadek said. "Without the lantern, we have no idea where he is or what he's planning. What if Xandria turns out to be massive? Then he could be anywhere."

"Or he could be waiting for us," Namara added. "The great and terrible Voss, perched on a throne of corpses, cackling about how predictable we are."

"Not helpful," Liliana muttered.

Namara shrugged, steering Vyriss closer to the group. "I'm just saying, we've got two options. Use the lantern and guarantee he knows we're coming, or don't, and hope we're lucky enough to stumble into the right place without getting stabbed first."

Kale stared ahead, his thoughts churning. He remembered the last time he used it—how its golden beam had cut through the darkness, revealing Rika's location but also broadcasted their presence to everyone who meant them harm. The enemy had known they were coming then, and they had walked right into a trap.

"What's the call, Kale?" Sadek asked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Kale hesitated, glancing at each of them in turn. "If we use it, we need a plan. We can't just barrel into Xandria and hope for the best. But if we don't use it…"

Liliana's gaze hardened. "We're flying blind."

Namara grinned, her violet eyes glinting. "I do love a bit of chaos, but even I'm not betting on luck this time."

Rika glanced at Kale. "Your call, Kale. You know Voss better than any of us. What would he expect us to do?"

"Just because he's also a bladeweaver?"

Kale furrowed his brow, his thoughts racing.

What would Voss do? What would he be thinking?

"He doesn't seem stupid," Kale said after a moment. "We have to assume he knows we're alive and that we're coming. Worst case? He's already at the temple."

"Then what?" Namara asked. "We just hope he invites us in for tea and monologues about his evil plans?"

Kale ignored her. "I think we need every advantage we can get. Alerting him with the lantern to let him know exactly where we are right now? Probably not the best idea."

"So what's the plan?" Sadek asked.

"When we get there, we stick to the plan we came up with at the Bastion," Kale said.

"Wait," Rika interjected. "You have a plan?"

Liliana glanced over. "We'll fill you in."

"Great," Rika said. "Love being the last to know."

Kale glanced at her, his expression softening. "We came up with it while you were… gone. But it'll work. I hope."

Rika tilted her head, studying him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I trust you."

"Good," Kale said. "Because we're going to need everyone to stay sharp. Whatever happens, we do this together."

The group flew in silence after that, the sprawling expanse of Xandria drawing closer with each passing moment.

***

The harriers descended toward the horizon, their shadowy forms cutting through the glowing light of the late afternoon. As the winds shifted, a city unlike any other came into view. Massive crystalline shards jutted from the ground, some piercing the skyline while others lay embedded at harsh angles. Their surfaces shlimmered with an unearthly glow, reflecting fractured rainbows across the landscape.

The sight brought their harriers to a hover, each mount reacting to the strange energy emanating from the shards. Even these fierce creatures seemed cautious.

"What… is that?" Rika asked.

"I've never seen anything like it," Sadek added, his usually steady tone carrying a rare hint of awe.

Kale leaned forward, his gaze narrowing as he surveyed the strange structures. "Does anyone know what this place is?"

"Xandria," Liliana said. "The city of shards."

"So it's real, then. I thought that was just a myth," Rika said.

"What myth?" Kale asked, guiding his harrier closer to Liliana's. "What are you talking about?"

Liliana adjusted her grip on the reins, her expression distant as if pulling fragments of knowledge from memory. "Xandria… it's not like other cities. It's built around the shards of a weapon—a celestial weapon. One of the great swords wielded by the primal gods during the First Epoch."

Sadek frowned. "A weapon? You mean this?" He gestured toward the colossal shards that formed the city's skyline.

"Yes," Liliana said. "The blade that severed realms, divided the divine from the mortal, and fractured existence itself. Yr's blade."

"Yr?" Rika repeated.

Liliana nodded. "The God of Severance. It's said she used her sword to carve the boundaries of reality, to separate chaos from order. But when the primal gods fell… her weapon shattered. These shards are all that remain."

"That's what you Ascendancy types believe," Namara said.

Liliana turned to her sharply. "You have a different version of the story?"

Namara shrugged. "Oh, plenty. In the lower planes, we hear stories about the fall of the primal gods. Yr's sword? Some say it didn't just shatter realms—it tore the gods themselves apart. The others turned on her, and the blade couldn't take the strain. Boom. Fragments everywhere."

Kale frowned, his gaze drifting back to the shards. "So this city… it's built around a piece of a god's weapon?"

"Not just a piece," Liliana said. "The largest fragments. They say the city's foundations were laid by those who sought to harness the blade's power."

Namara leaned back on her harrier. "You mean the Cult of Severance."

"The what?" Kale asked.

Liliana sighed. "The Disciples of the Fractured Path. A group of fanatics who believe Yr's death wasn't an accident. They think it was the natural order, a necessary end to an age of chaos. They worship the shards as divine relics, believing they hold the key to some greater truth about existence."

"And what about the people who live here now?" Kale asked. "Are they all part of this cult?"

"Not necessarily," Liliana said. "Xandria's grown beyond its origins. It's a city of wanderers, mercenaries, and exiles. But the Fractured Path's influence is everywhere. They control the Shardsmithing Guild, which forges weapons and tools from the fragments. And then there's the Silent Pilgrimage…"

Rika tilted her head. "Silent Pilgrimage?"

"It's a tradition—or maybe a punishment," Liliana explained. "Those who wish to prove their devotion to the shards take a vow of silence and walk through the city's shard-laden paths barefoot. Some say they hear Yr's voice in the silence, guiding them."

Namara snorted. "Or they just go mad from the pain. But hey, whatever floats their boat."

Namara leaned closer to Kale. "You know, the shards are more than just pretty crystals. The energy they give off? It's unstable. It twists people, warps them. That's why the shard-touched exist."

"The shard-touched?" Kale asked.

Liliana nodded grimly. "A race unique to Xandria. They say prolonged exposure to the shards alters the body. Makes you something… else. Their eyes look like gemstones, faceted and glowing. They're revered by the cult but feared by everyone else."

"So this whole place is… dangerous," Rika said, gripping her harrier's reins tighter.

"Like anywhere worth going," Namara replied with a wink.

As the harriers glided closer, the full majesty of Xandria came into view. The city spiraled around the colossal crystalline shards, their surfaces glowing faintly with hues of silver and violet. The shards pierced the sky like splintered monuments, their immense size dwarfing even the grandest of structures. Smaller fragments were embedded into the city's foundations, their energy making the ground below shimmer faintly.

"Unreal," Kale said.

Sadek seemed transfixed. "This isn't just a city. It's… something else."

Kale guided his harrier lower, taking in the intricate details below. Bridges and platforms suspended in the air formed a second tier of the city, linking the tallest shards in a network of skybridges.

"Look at that," Liliana said, her gaze fixed on the structures above. "The Skybridge Heights. Only the elites or the insane would live up there."

"Why?" Kale asked.

"Because they think the shards' proximity gives them power," Namara answered, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Prophetic dreams, clarity of thought… or maybe they just like the view."

"Looks like a good place to fall to your death," Rika said.

"Below the city lay the Crystal Chasms," Liliana said. "The largest shard had plunged into the earth with such force that it split the land into rough, reflective ravines."

The chasms glittered with refracted light, creating an otherworldly labyrinth that seemed to twist and shift with every movement.

"What's down there?" Rika asked, her gaze lingering on the shimmering depths of the Crystal Chasms.

Liliana's expression darkened slightly as she followed Rika's line of sight. "The Fractured," she said.

Rika frowned. "What does that mean?"

"They're people who've been in the chasms for too long," Liliana explained. "The energy down there doesn't just warp time and space—it warps people, too. Their bodies change. Crystalline growths, elongated limbs, features that don't quite fit anymore."

"Cursed," Sadek muttered.

"Some would say so," Liliana replied. "But others believe they're blessed. They're thought to hold fragments of Yr's lost wisdom… or madness. Either way, they're dangerous."

Namara tilted her head thoughtfully. "Dangerous because they're unstable, or because they know too much?"

"Maybe both. The Fractured don't leave the chasms. They live down there, isolated, drawn to the energy like moths to a flame."

"So they're stuck there," Kale said.

"Not stuck," Liliana corrected. "They choose to stay. They believe they've been… transformed. Made part of the shards' divine purpose."

Kale shuddered. "I'll pass on that, thanks."

"Wise choice," Namara said. "But if we do meet one, maybe they'll tell us where Voss is. Or try to rip us apart. Fifty-fifty, really."

"Let's hope we don't find out," Kale said.

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