As the battle ended, Reges and Shina slowly released their power. The light radiating from them vanished, plunging the forest back into darkness.

  Rushing over to Shina, June dropped his bow as he inspected her hand.

  “How bad is it?” he asked, his voice tight. Shina’s left hand was swollen and red.

  “I’m fine,” she replied with a wince, gently pressing her fingers against the puffiness. White imprints appeared beneath her fingers before vanishing quickly. “I think I was able to keep him from breaking my hand, but I’ll have trouble using it for a couple of days. How's Reges’ shoulder?”

  “It’s superficial, nothing to worry about,” Reges answered, walking over to them and handing her the sword she had dropped. “I have a healing salve from Veston.”

  “I’ll help you with that once I wrap Shina’s hand,” June said, pulling out two arrows and snapping their heads off.

  Placing the arrows along Shina’s wrist, he wrapped them tightly, creating a makeshift splint. “You need to go see a real doctor once we get back, but this should do for the moment.”

  “Thanks.”

  Turning to Reges, June helped him remove his shirt before inspecting the wound. The wound was deeper than he would have liked, but cleanly cut. “It looks like you were cut with a razor,” he said, taking the salve and putting it in the wound. “We don’t have a needle and thread, so I’ll use the sap from the Ambergum tree.”

  Reges nodded in understanding.

  Working quickly, June took out a tiny sapbox and candle from his pouch. Lighting the candle by holding it up to a touch held by a guard, he dripped some of the wax on a flat stone before sticking the candle to it. Once secured, he held the sapbox over the fire, waiting for the sap to melt.

  As he worked, Reges addressed the guards. “Good job, the way you all conducted yourself in the presence of an Arcane Lord is worthy of praise. This is something that most warriors would never experience. This is something you can all be proud of.”

  Hearing the praise from him, the guards started to cheer, their loud voices filling the silence.

  Letting the guards cheer, Reges turned to June and Shina. “Do you know who that was?” he asked, grimacing as June smeared the sap on his wound.

  “I’ve seen him in town, but I don't know who he is,” June answered, pressing the edges of the wound together. Once the sap dried, the wound would stick together and stop the bleeding. This was not the best method—Ambergum sap was known to wash away with hot water, but most guards kept some on them for emergencies.

  Grabbing a clean cloth, he started to wrap Reges’ shoulder. “I’m done with the treatment. What should we do now?”

  Nodding at June’s words, Reges put his bloody shit back on. “Bring us to the farmhouse. We may be able to track where the child came from. We need to find the rest of the children. That takes priority.”

  “I don’t understand,” June said, blowing the candle out and collecting it. “If we want to find the children, shouldn’t we track the man who killed the child? Or the man we just fought? One of them should lead us to their hideout.”

  “They won’t,” replied Reges, signaling to the guards. “The one we just fought is still strong, he won’t leave a trail. As for the one you fought, he just sacrificed a child. He is at his weakest. He won’t risk us finding his hideout. He won’t go to it.”

  “If he’s at his weakest, it’s the best time to chase him! We can find and kill him!”

  Locking eyes with him, Reges sighed. “Usually, you are right, but chaos magic can only be used sparingly; there have been too many kidnappings for one or even two practitioners. If my instincts are correct, the rest of the children are alive and are kept somewhere. We need to find them.”

  Seeing the look in Reges’ eyes, June looked down. He knew how important rescuing the children was, but in his anger, he had chosen to chase the killer. “I understand,” he said, feeling guilty. “I’ll lead the way.”

  Leading everyone to the broken farmhouse, June showed them the carnage inside, his stomach knotting.

  “Light, protect us,” the guards muttered around him.

  Looking unfazed, Reges raised his voice. “June, Shina, I want you to look for tracks—find out where the child came from. The rest of you, gather as much of her as possible; we will give her a proper funeral later. Everyone, move!”

  Glad that he did not have to see the child anymore, June quickly walked outside the building, carefully studying the ground. His body felt heavy, the weight of the situation settling in as his adrenaline started to vanish.

  “How are you holding up?” Shina asked from behind him. Pain and sadness were clear in the way she asked the question. “Seeing a child torn up like that is terrible for anyone—it's normal to feel devastated.”

  Feeling Shina’s hand on his shoulder, June felt tears start to well up, the image of the child flashing in his mind. Blinking furiously, he forcefully pushed down his emotions, breathing deeply as he continued looking down.

  Don’t cry. You have a job to do, he told himself. Be strong!

  Wiping his eyes, he looked up. “We have to find the tracks. I can be sad later,” he finally said.

  Staring at him, Shina slowly nodded. “I understand.”

  Turning around, she walked to the other side of the farm. After a few steps, she stopped and looked back at him.

  “Make sure to grieve later,” she said. “You have to let the anger and sadness out. If you don’t, they’ll poison the way you see the world—or worse, numb you to feeling anything at all.”

  Grateful that Shina had given him some space, June nodded, “I will. I promise.”

  Taking a steady breath, he turned his attention to tracking, his single-minded focus keeping him from dwelling on what happened.

  Each time his thoughts began to drift, he forcefully pulled them back, emptying his mind of everything but the present.

  Carefully but quickly scanning the area, he used his enhanced vision to take in every minute detail of the ground. Find it. Find it, he silently screamed at himself. But after a short and fruitless search, he had to admit he was more distracted than he wanted to believe. He was moving much slower than he should have been, stopping often just to pull himself together.

  Standing there with his eyes glued to the ground, he heard Shina yelling from the other side of the farm, her voice carrying far. “The tracks are over here!”

  Running over to her, June saw the tracks she was pointing at, a clear path towards the old mine.

  Cursing at himself for forgetting about it, he knelt and studied the trail, his augmented eyes easily noticing the path.

  “The killer didn't even try to hide his trail,” Shina muttered above him. “This is more like a clear path than a trail. He wasn’t worried about hiding his trail at all. Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know,” June said, looking up as Reges and the rest of the guards arrived. “Should we follow the trail?”

  “Yes,” Reges said, signaling to the guards. “We collected the body and set it in a place where the animals can’t get to it. We can go now. Hurry.”

  Like a dog finally let off his leash, June set a quick pace towards the mines, fighting the urge to abandon the trail entirely and make a beeline for it. He knew better—leading the group to the wrong place on a hunch would be disastrous.

  “I think the trail leads to the old mines,” he said, pointing in their direction.

  Looking in the direction he had pointed at, Reges frowned. “We follow the trail until we’re closer. If it still points in the direction of the mines, we’ll assume that’s the destination. If that’s the case, once we’re five hundred yards from the entrance, we move into formation and assess the situation. We can’t let that Arcane Lord catch us off guard again—he won’t be alone next time.”

  “I understand,” June nodded, his mind feeling slightly better.

  It took over thirty minutes of following the trail before both June and Reges were certain the trail led to the mines. By then, many of the guards had come to the same conclusion, whispers about the abandoned mine passing quietly among them.

  When they reached the five-hundred-yard mark, Reges slowed down. With a few quick hand signals, he motioned everyone to group up.

  In the dark forest, the guards formed a tight defensive circle, their backs to one another, their weapons at the ready.

  At the center of the formation, Reges, Shina, and June crouched down, speaking in hushed tones.

  “I want the two to stay here for a moment,” Reges said, his voice pitched low. “I’m going to scout the area.” With that, he slipped out of the circle and vanished into the dark.

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  As the minutes slowly ticked by, June felt every muscle in his body tighten with nerves, his heart painfully beating. Clutching his hands into tight fists, he tried to slow his racing heart. But it was useless, he couldn’t calm down.

  I need to do something else, he told himself.

  Closing his eyes, he rotated Aether to his ears, enhancing his hearing. Focus on what’s around you.

  Around him, he heard the guards, their soft but nervous breaths loud to his ears, rising and falling in uneven rhythms. The subtle shifting of their bodies as they adjusted their weapons and armor made him tense up.

  Allowing his hearing to expand further, he heard the forest—the buzz of bugs flying about, a quiet hoot from an owl, the gentle rustle of the breeze moving through the tree.

  Concentrating on the sounds around him, he matched his breath with them, becoming one with nature. As he did, his heartbeat slowed down. In this state, he waited until he heard Reges’ return.

  “There are guards around the entrance of the mine,” Reges said, slipping into the circle. “We are in the right place.”

  Crouching down, he stared at them. “Let’s assume that the Arcane Lord is there and set a trap for us. Attacking them will be dangerous. But if we don’t, it will give them time to move. How’s your hand, Shina? Can you fight, or do we need to go get reinforcements?”

  “I can fight. We have to save the children. The Arcane Lord ran in the opposite direction from the mine. To beat us here, he would have had to run the whole way. He will be exhausted—we can take him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  Watching a hard look settle on Reges’ face, June held his breath until he heard him grunt.

  “We’ll go in without the reinforcements. But if anything happens, June, I want you to run back to Maliri and get help.”

  Before June could protest, Reges stood up and signaled to the guards to move out.

  A flash of irritation flared in June’s chest, but he held his tongue, his jaw tightening. He knew Reges was right, but it still hit a nerve—he didn’t like being treated like a child. Running away to get reinforcements would be the sensible thing to do, but it still felt like they didn’t trust his strength.

  “I understand,” he relented.

  “We’re heading out,” Shina breathed beside him—her voice was barely audible to him.

  Carefully, the group made their way to the mines, stopping twenty paces from the entrance. In front of them stood two guards, both of them holding spears.

  Stomach clenching into tight knots, June knocked an arrow on his bow and looked over at Reges.

  Catching his eye, Reges mouthed. “I'm going to flank them. Take the one in the back.”

  Clutching his bow tightly, June bent his neck in understanding.

  Noticing how stiff he was, Reges reached out, squeezing his shoulder lightly before vanishing into the darkness.

  Counting his heartbeats, June tried to steady his nerves, the pre-fight adrenaline already affecting his fine motor skills. Noticing his fingers and arms were painfully tight, he rotated a trickle of Aether into them, trying to ease them, but it didn’t work.

  “The feelings you are experiencing right now—nervousness, fear, anger, determination, and a bunch of other emotions are all normal,” Shina muttered from behind him. “Feel them. Acknowledge them. Don't push them away. They are part of you. Once you accept them, navigate through them like a skilled sailor in a storm. Don’t let your emotions steer you off course, but don’t pretend the storm isn’t there either.”

  Hearing Shina’s voice, June focused on his breathing, inhaling through his nose and slowly exhaling through his mouth. Acknowledge your emotions but don’t let them steer you, he whispered as he breathed. I am scared. I am nervous. But that won’t affect my archery.

  As he breathed, the tight knots in his arms slowly began to loosen. Turning to Shina, he silently mouthed. “Thank you.”

  “Reges is almost in place. Get ready,” she smiled back.

  Turning around, June drew power into his body, letting it flow to his eyes. As the energy settled in them, the world came alive—the darkness changing into deep tones of greens, browns, and yellows.

  Blinking at the sudden change in perception, he watched as a shadow crept behind the two guards.

  Reges was almost invisible even to his enhanced vision, moving in a way that made June question if it was even there.

  Suddenly, the shadow flared up for just a second, the bright light vanishing so quickly that he almost second-guessed himself.

  “Now!” Shina hissed. It was the sign!

  Aiming at the right eye of the guard standing slightly behind the other guard, June repeated what Grandpa Veston had told him long ago. Hit the target with your mind before letting your arrow go.

  Letting his arrow fly, June followed it with his eyes as the small, dark arrow silently cut through the air. In a heartbeat, it burrowed itself deep into the guard's head, in through the right eye. The guard seemed to gasp before tipping forward.

  As the arrow struck, Reges sprang into action. Bolting from the darkness like a terrifying beast of death, he rushed at the remaining guard, bringing his sword upwards in an angled thrust. Reges’ sword entered the left armpit of the guard and deep into his chest, severing the man’s heart and lungs at the same moment.

  Both guards were down in less than a second, the quiet thump of the guard June had shot the only unusual sound in the forest.

  Silently, adrenaline robbing their grace, June, Shina, and the rest of the guards ran towards the entrance, quickly following Reges as he led the group inside.

  “Speed is the key!” Reges sharply whispered to the group, running at the front. “We have to save the children before they have time to set up a proper defense.”

  Nodding in understanding, June brought up the rear, his head constantly swiveling back, making sure they weren’t followed.

  The interior of the mine was carved into the mountain, its walls and ceiling reinforced by thick wooden beams placed at regular intervals. Running past them, June felt as if they were descending into the throat of a large beast.

  The darkness, lit by the occasional dim lamp, made him feel as though he had entered a strange new world, the flickering shadows cast disorienting shapes that made his head spin. Taking a deep breath, he nearly gagged—the air reeked of rotten eggs, mold, and stagnant water.

  Burying his nose and mouth in the crook of his elbow, June followed the guards into a small cavern.

  Inside the cavern, sat a group of wide-eyed men, their mouths open in shock as they turned to see who had entered. Without giving the men time to get up from the upturned mining carts they were sitting on, Reges and Shina charged at them, the two of them emitting Arcane Light so bright that it hurt June’s eyes. The fighting had started!

  Ignoring the clash of weapons that reverberated off the walls, June drew his arrow and locked on to a man who Shina had pinned against the wall, the man’s desperate face twisting as he kept Shina’s sword from his neck.

  June’s arrow caught him on the thigh as he tried to wiggle out, his eyes widening as his leg gave out from under him. Not missing the opportunity, Shina straight kicked the man’s throat, crushing it against the stone wall.

  Grabbing another arrow, June scanned the area, but the fighting was over.

  The guards had overwhelmed two men who were in the room, surrounding and stabbing them with their spears and swords, while Shina and Reges had killed the remaining five.

  “Keep going! They know we are here!” Reges shouted, rushing down the narrow path. Without taking a moment to rest, the group charged after him, plunging deeper into the mines.

  As the group pushed forward, they encountered two more bands of armed men. Each encounter was harder than the last as the men became alerted to their presence.

  Shooting a man in the stomach, June watched as the guards took the opportunity to skewer him, three sets of spears plunging into him in rapid succession. Savagely pulling their spears free, they barely glanced at the dying man before following Reges down another passageway.

  Keeping pace with the guards, June felt strangely detached from his body, almost as if he were observing himself from above, yet the sensations around him felt more vivid and real than ever before.

  Entering a large room, he swung his head around, noticing that the right side of the room was covered in dirt and rocks, signs of a cave-in. On the other side, the room had been retrofitted into a makeshift prison cell. Inside the cell were two dozen children.

  Standing in front of the makeshift prison cell were four men, one of them desperately trying to open the prison gate.

  “Open it now! We need a hostage!” The largest man out of the group screamed, grabbing and tossing the poor man who was desperately trying to open the gate, sending him sliding across the floor towards Reges.

  Taking in the situation, June drew his last arrow and shot at the large man. The arrow covered the distance in a split second, but just as his arrow reached its target, the man moved, causing it to graze his cheek before striking the cave wall and clattering to the floor.

  A howl of pain erupted from the man as he turned to glare at June, his teeth visible through the tear in his cheek.

  “I’m going to kill you!” he shouted, blood turning the whole side of his face red.

  “He’s mine! Shina, June, take the one on the left,” Reges shouted as he pulled his sword from the man tossed his way.

  Blinking in surprise, June realized that Reges had not been distracted by the large man yelling.

  Keep focused! He remained himself.

  Taking his shield off his back, June stood by Shina’s left side, protecting her injured arm while giving her free rein of her right. Running forward, he forcefully deflected his opponent’s desperate stab, creating a wide opening by his torso. Without missing a beat, Shina sprang forward, her sword bisecting the man.

  Whipping his head around as the room lit up, June stared in awe as a Swallow created of red and blue Arcane Light appeared behind Reges, the bird turning the dark room into shades of light mimicking a sunset.

  As the intensity of the light grew, Reges’ whole body blurred as he moved, his body closing the distance to the large man in a single breath. When the two collided, Reges expertly entangled their swords and pinned the man’s weapon against his body. Driving him back into the prison bars, Reges slowly brought the tip of his sword to the man’s neck.

  Struggling under the weight of Reges’ sword, the large man fought back with all his strength, thick veins bulging across his arms as he pushed back against the pressure. Sweat streamed down his face, mixing with the blood running down his cheek. As he struggled, he cast a quick glance at the children behind him, his face twisting.

  Almost as if he could read the large man’s mind, Reges unexpectedly stopped pushing and stepped to the side, allowing the struggling man to lunge forward.

  With Reges suddenly vanishing, the large man fell, yelling in surprise as he tumbled to the floor, his legs and arms flailing about.

  “Do you think I’ll let you do anything of the sort?” Reges whispered as he stepped closer, his sword held up. Using the opening caused by the fall, he drove his sword into the man's back, putting his whole body weight into it.

  “Ahhhhhhhh.”

  As the sounds of battle faded, replaced by the sounds of heavy breathing, silence filled the cavern. Looking around at the fallen bandits, the guards started to cheer, their voices echoing loudly.

  “Let the kids out! The key is still in the lock!” Reges commanded, pulling his sword from the large man. “Everyone, stay on guard! I didn’t see the man we fought at the farm!”

  Realizing with a start that they had not fought the Arcane Lord, June positioned himself in front of the entrance, flanked by the guards and Reges.

  “I’ll open the prison,” Shina said, quickly running to the door. Twisting the key in the lock, she pulled the door open. “You’re all safe now!” We are the Maliri Guards. We will bring you back home.”

  Smiling kindly, she began comforting the frightened children huddled in the back corner. After a moment of hesitation, a small girl rushed over and wrapped her arms around her, clinging tightly. This single action gave the rest of the children the courage to step out of the prison, some of them mimicking the girl by hugging the guards around them, tears in their eyes.

  Patting the head of a small boy who had buried his head in his stomach, June turned to Reges. “I don't think we can move the children through the forest at night. There are more of them than I expected. What should we do?”

  Reges clenched his jaw at June’s words. “You’re right. We can't move this many children at night. We’ll need to secure the entrance to the mine and wait until the morning. It's a couple of hours from now. We’ll have to stand guard.”

  Carefully relocating the children to a cavern near the mine’s entrance, the group lit a small fire and passed out rations and food supplies they found in the kidnapper’s belongings.

  As they helped the guards set up a makeshift barrier, June felt exhaustion weighing down on him—he had never drawn Aether for this long. His eyelids drooped as he picked up a wooden box.

  “June, take a rest,” Reges said as he walked over. “If anything happens, you’ll be useless in your current state. We will finish the barrier. You need to sleep.”

  Too tired to argue, June nodded. Setting the wooden box down, he made his way to the fire. Curling up near the children, he quickly drifted off to sleep.