Tale of Eldramir

The words coming from Count Forret’s mouth were shocking to all who heard them.

They showed none of the nobility that Count Forret was meant to embody. Even more so, they conveyed an obvious sense of hostility that went beyond a simple distaste for each other, or intention to overthrow Duke Harper.

Even Duke Harper was momentarily stunned by his brother’s words.

“Am I not welcome in my own city? Do not forget that I am the official ruler of this city, not you.” Duke Harper said after a moment to calm himself.

“For how long, I wonder? Word has already been sent to the capital of my breakthrough to Tier four, and besides that, it’s not like you’ve ever cared for this city anyways!”

Count Forret’s voice was growing louder and louder as continued to speak.

“You leave this city to be ruled by me and my fellow nobles in your stead but expect your laws and rules to be followed and enforced without even being here to see it done. Not only that, but while you spend months, no, years fighting at the borders, taking up our supplies, and taking away our strongest Mages from the Academy for your army, when our city needs to be brought to order and cleansed of the true traitors of humanity.”

As Count Forret’s words grew louder and more frantic, several people standing behind him seemed to grow more serious, even as more seemed to grow confused.

Forret’s words rang true with a number of the Guilds and Nobles that had sided with him, but there was confusion regarding who the so-called true enemy that he spoke of really were.

Of course, given the information that they had received beforehand, Harper knew full well that Forret was speaking of the Void Mages and those related to them, or otherwise supportive of their equal status to others.

“You’re talking about the Void Mages.”

Forret made a huge grin as he heard Harper speak.

“Indeed. They are the worthless dregs of society, the source of the Cruor and the Broodlords that lead them! The only way humanity will reclaim its lost territories, is to remove all Void Mages from this world. Only then will it be possible for Humanity to make a proper push into the Desolate Lands.”

“Only when the Radiant Light prospers once again and purifies all that stands in the way of humanity, will balance in the world be restored.”

Once again mixed opinions were seen on the faces of all parties who heard this.

“The Radian Lord. That’s not the Radiant Ancient, is it? Because I know for a fact that the records that still remain indicate that all the Ancients promoted equality amongst the elements, including the Void.”

Forret’s face twisted into an angry snarl as he replied.

“Such records cannot be confirmed. We know nothing about what the Ancients really wished for, and any that would declare the Void to be their equal is simply wrong, even if they are an Ancient!”

Silence was all that met Forret’s words. Many of those that had sided with him and the nobles were still worshippers of the Church of Ten and the Ancients as a whole. Forret’s words were very dangerous, especially since the official religion of the Willowbrush Empire was the Church of Ten.

To declare a different faith, or that the Empire’s faith was wrong, was very, very dangerous.

“I see. You are truly blinded, aren’t you.”

Though phrased as a question, Duke Harper Harkem’s words were nothing more than the final assurance for himself that his next steps were necessary.

Suddenly, it seemed like the sky itself had shattered as a figure dressed in silver armor with a helm topped by curled horns dove towards Count Forret.

However, rather than panic and attempt to dodge, Forret merely smiled as the figure passed through the image of himself and his wyvern Spirit with but a ripple of motion, before their images disappeared in a blink.

Now, standing in the air, even higher up than Duke Harper, Count Forret was clad in rough scaled armor patterned in the same style as his own Spirit. But unlike others at Tier four, his Spirit Armor also had lines of golden light seemingly running through it, but not uniformly.

It seemed like cracks that made the armor appear as though it was on the brink of falling apart.

“HAH! YOU SEE!? THIS IS THE MAN WHO WOULD TAKE BACK RULERSHIP OF THIS CITY! A MAN WHO WOULD STRIKE FROM SHADOWS RATHER THAN STAND PROUDLY IN THE LIGHT. A MAN THAT WOULD STRIKE DOWN ALL THAT OPPOSE HIM. IS THIS THE MAN YOU WOULD HAVE DICTATING YOUR LAWS? KNOW THIS, IF YOU DO NOT FIGHT, IF WE DO NOT WIN, THEN THIS MAN WILL KILL YOU ALL, JUST FOR OPPOSING HIM!”

With that said, Forret threw himself downward, bringing out a large great sword that was set ablaze as he swung down at his brother.

The hypocrisy of Count Forret’s statement was lost to many who had unfortunately thrown their lot in with him, as it was just as likely that Forret would do the same to those that defied him, and his new faith.

Regardless, Forret’s words still encouraged his followers to fight with all that they had, and in unison, both forces lit up as their Tier four Hunters donned Spirit armors, and a great clash was brought about.

For those that were originally standing to the side, a few Guilds seemed to have made their decision, and joined Duke Harper, as their contracts with the true City Lord dictated.

Other Tier fours, rather than fighting, moved to take over the walls, acting as defense as they did their best to mitigate the inevitable damages that would happen to this area of the city.

While the battle was taking place outside the walls, it was still happening quite close, and there was no feasible way to keep the immense damage that would be brought forth by numerous Tier fours fighting in a single battle.

Staring briefly up at the Tier fours that had taken flight, and were slowly pushing away from the city, the Tier fours still on the ground also charged forth. The battle taking place much closer to the city walls.

Within the city, the citizens that were relatively close to these walls were encouraged to move inwards, to the center of the city, or closer to the Cathedral to ensure that they had at least some protection from the conflict occurring nearby.

Within the safety of the Grand Cathedral, the sound of conflicts could be heard even from halfway across the city. The shaking of the ground due to the aftershocks of the battles occurring outside showed everyone inside just how bad the fighting now was.

It also painted an absolutely horrible picture for what was happening to the rest of the city. Especially the areas nearest to the fighting.

The Luminance and Alkena families had reconvened in the original gathering hall that Allon and Shari had originally come from. Drew had gone off to the area where his own mother was quietly working on a few carvings, trying to keep herself busy for the moment.

Off in their own corner, Warren and Evelyn shared a look as they held their daughters tightly. Theo and Reya were curled up on the floor, taking a brief rest before having to head out again, as they knew their partners would.

Neither Warren nor Evelyn wanted to leave the Cathedral. They had come to this city a decade ago to retire. To never again have to take the role of Hunters fighting for their lives, against the Cruor or their fellow Mages.

However, they knew full well what the cost would be if Duke Harper lost.

They looked over at Allon and Sherra for a moment. Both nodded in understanding.

Looking down on his daughters one more time, he waved his hands, allowing glittering sparkles of light to drift over Wendy and Ellen’s heads. The twins fell asleep in moments.

Neither himself nor Evelyn believed that they could walk away if their daughters begged them not to. They weren’t as mature as Ezekiel, and whilst that wasn’t a bad thing, it did make certain things more difficult at times.

Evelyn gave a kiss to both Wendy and Ellen’s foreheads. A tear fell from her eye as she stood up.

“You could stay here. Take them away if Duke Harper fails.” Warren said quietly.

“No. We signed a contract. As much as I would like to stay, I can’t bear the thought of you being taken away from me, just as much as I can’t bear the thought of losing them. At least with you, I can actively help if necessary.” Evelyn replied, her voice just as quiet.

“Besides; with Theo and Reya having reached Tier four so long ago, it’s not like we’re going to be the weakest links in this fight.”

Warren knew that she was right. The moment they broke through and were able to take in more mana, Theo and Reya had shared their own mana with them. This was something that could only be done at Tier three or higher. It allowed for a Hunter or a Spirit to reach the same Step of the same Tier as their partner at an accelerated rate. But only if both Mage and Spirit were already at the same Tier.

It was similar to the use of mana crystals of a given element, but much more complicated, because if it wasn’t done properly, it could cause damage to one's Soul, leading to a Mage, or a Spirit, falling a Step or two at best.

“True enough. Though I still have to say that I don’t like the fact that we had to rely on those techniques. I thought our coming here was to leave our old lives behind.” Warren muttered in frustration.

“I think saving our current lives is more important than forgetting our old ones. Especially for them.” Evelyn gestured to the rest of the room, lingering on the Alkena family and their daughters for a few seconds longer.

The couple then handed their daughters over to Sherra and Shari, who took them gently and moved to sit on one of the cots next to where Allon was laying down.

Shari paused, turning to look over her shoulder for a second.

“Please don’t die. After everything that’s happened, I don’t want to lose any more people.”

Warren and Evelyn smiled ruefully as they looked at Shari and their children.

“We’ll do our best. It wouldn’t be fair to promise more than that.”

“Your best is good enough. It’s the same thing Ezekiel would promise me as well. So, I know I can trust you when you make a promise like that.”

Shari sniffled a bit before turning around and joining her mother and father.

She didn’t see Evelyn and Warren’s expressions harden as they were reminded of their son.

As well as reminded of what would happen to him if this battle was lost.

“Let’s go make sure our son can come home.” Warren muttered as Theo and Reya transformed into a Gold and Black beam of mana, encompassing their partners in Spirit armor.

The two figures flashed away with little notice from anyone else.

Except for one figure, sitting off to the side, petting the gray silver feathers of his bonded Spirit. His other hand clenched in frustration and helplessness as he was forced to sit on the sidelines as other fought for him and his loved ones, once again.

Near the western gate of Harkem city, countless bodies were strewn about, and the flickering light of dissipating Spirits filled the streets.

Only a few dozen blocks had been destroyed. Comparably small area when one took into account the full size of Harkem, but none-the-less devastating to anyone unaccustomed to such sights.

Currently, the battle had moved to an area further out from the city, and it appeared that a rough approximation of a stalemate had occurred. Yet even if neither party was willing to use their strongest attack to gain an advantage, it was clear that many of the Mages and Hunters involved had used up most of their mana.

It was also clear that the forces that had joined Count Forret were much greater in number than Duke Harper had been led to believe.

After the battle in the areas closest to the city had finished, the few Tier fours that had held back to defend the city moved to support Duke Harper, only to be backstabbed by their some of their own forces, or by members of the Guilds on Forret’s side that hadn’t entered the field just yet.

These forces included several more Tier threes and fours that, much like Count Forret, had golden cracks running through their bodies or their Spirit armors as they brought out their full power.

The sudden reinforcements created a stalemate between the relatively weaker, but more numerous forces of Count Forret, and the smaller but more powerful and experienced forces of Duke Harper.

Duke Harper himself was actually fighting two lower Step Tier fours at once, as were a number of his aides who were all starting to flag under the assault of the more numerous Tier fours. A tenth of which were marred by golden cracks.

Standing next to Count Forret, however, was a man clad in golden Spirit armor with no visible cracks. As Duke Harper observed the battlefield, he noticed a large number of Radiant Hunters fighting for Count Forret’s side, and many of them were leading the charge and fighting the most rationally.

A gout of flame blasted at him from his side, and he was forced to drop in order to dodge. A Beam of light passed by his face as he twisted out of the way of an attack from the Radiant Hunter fighting him.

“YOU’RE DISTRACTED, BROTHER! WHERE’S YOUR DEDICATION? YOUR FOCUS?”

Count Forret’s scream caused Duke Harper to refocus on him again. A mad gleam in Forret’s mismatched eyes and the rise and fall of his chest showed just how exhausted he was becoming.

Harper’s form blurred as he shot forward, his mana encompassing his fist, covered in a silver gauntlet and twisting gales, and blasting forward to make an impact on Count Forret’s face.

A wall of flames took shape in front of Count Forret, but the wind around Duke Harper acted like a vacuum and diverted the wind away. A crunch could barely be heard as Harper’s fist impacted on Forret’s face. Harper was then forced to fly backwards in order to avoid several spears of light that had been thrown in his direction.

As Count Forret retreated backwards, cursing Harper with everything he could, the Radiant Hunter who was helping him blinked to his side, a surge of light coming forth and repairing the damage done to Forret’s face.

“Forret! Stop screaming at your brother and focus on fighting. I can’t keep wasting mana to keep you alive!”

This was the third time that the Mage had been forced to heal the superficial wounds that Harper had given Forret in this fight. He was slowly running out of mana, and while he believed that they could win in a battle of attrition if they were careful, and Forret was being anything but careful at this point.

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, KRANT! YOU MAY REPRESENT THE FOLLOWERS OF RADIANCE RIGHT NOW, BUT I AM STILL THE RULER OF THIS CITY! IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN HERE WHEN WE WIN, YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD AND HELP ME KILL HARPER!”

Having made little headway in their fight with Harper and being on the receiving side of more blows than Krant, Forret’s temperament was beginning to become more and more erratic.

‘If this keeps up then the mental effects of forcibly bonding as Spirit, as well as forcibly raising his Tier, will eventually consume his psyche. He won’t be able to obtain the lordship of Harkem if the Imperial forces deem him insane, and he’s already been pushing it so far. We need to finish this fight as soon as possible.’

Krant’s thoughts were filled with frustration as he reviewed Forret’s state of mind. They only needed him alive for long enough to take over rulership of Harkem officially, at which point they would force him to assign his own nominal ruler and successor.

Unfortunately, word had reached Duke Harper faster than they had expected. The fact that Naeri was still alive didn’t surprise them too much, as there was no other reason why Clarks wouldn’t have reported back yet. But the speed was something else.

They had hoped to have gotten word back regarding Forret’s rulership before Duke Harper returned, but since Duke Harper was made aware of the situation early, he was able to arrive a week earlier than the expected timeframe that the Cult of Light had believed they would’ve had.

Krant shot several more spears to keep Harper at a distance, forcing him to keep moving, as his winds weren’t able to divert the spears.

He knew that the only reason that he and Forret were alive was because he had been fighting defensively, doing his best to protect Forret as he fought like a raging berserker.

“RRRRAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGG!!!”

Forret chose that moment to scream in anger as he blasted forward once again. His one red eye began to brighten into a gold that matched his other eye.

“Spirit’s dammit!” Krant cursed as he also shot forward, doing his best to keep Harper from further injuring Forret.

Suddenly, off to the side, a swirling mix of golden light and pitch-black shadows appeared in one of the battles between Harper’s aides and some of the nobles.

The aura of a Step three Tier four Hunter emanated from the both of them.

A golden spear wrapped in bands of shadows appeared between them. A white light appeared for a brief instant. Evelyn then immediately retracted her mana as Warren shot several spears of light towards the Tier four Hunters fighting Harper’s follower.

The spear passed through the white light before it could be converted into any other elemental types, immediately supercharging the Radiant mana that Warren was channeling into his attack.

The spears of light doubled in size and struck through the two opposing Hunters in an instant. Great gaping holes appeared in the center of their chests and began to bleed as their organs became visible from the outside.

The two enemies didn’t even have time to realize they were dead before they fell to the ground in a boneless heap.

The sudden appearance of two additional experienced Tier fours, as well as the almost immediate death of two, admittedly weaker, Tier fours caused a pause in the fighting, as few seemed to understand what had just happened.

Then, Warren and Evelyn turned into a flash of gold and black, respectively, and moved towards another fight. Evelyn’s form faded away as she moved alongside Warren.

“What are you waiting for!” Warren yelled as he struck down on another enemy Tier four.

His yell snapped everyone out of their shock, including his new target, who hastily brought up a pillar of stone, forcing Warren to dodge.

But as the Tier four Cavern Mage was focused on Warren, and his partner was fighting the Tier four loyal to Harper, Evelyn seemed to materialize out of nowhere, ten blades of darkness extending from her fingers pierced through the cracks in the Cavern Hunter’s Spirit armor.

He let out a weak and bloodied cough as he fell to the side, dead like the previous two.

Warren, Evelyn, and the first Hunter they helped then turned to the last remaining enemy in this fight, moving forward and surrounding him, taking him out just as quickly as the others.

The tables were now turned. Not only were the numbers now more equal, the difference in power level also meant that those loyal to Duke Harper had a higher chance of successfully taking down Forret and his forces.

As the two Hunters who were loyal to Harper took a moment to breathe, the first one turned to Warren and Evelyn. Confused as to where this Obscure and Radiant pair came from. As well as how they managed to kill those first two enemies so easily.

“Who are you?” he asked simply, but with a hint of wariness in his tone. Neither of them wore Guild sashes, and while they had saved him, they were still two unknowns he had never heard of.

“We’re your reinforcements, as per our agreement with the Church of Ten.” Warren replied whilst not taking his eyes off the battlefield.

Evelyn said nothing as she also examined the field for a new target.

The element of surprise was gone now. They’d have to be a lot more careful if they wanted to take out another enemy. Especially if they wanted to avoid receiving any of the more large-scale spells that had yet to be thrown around just yet.

Even now, it was likely that many of the Tier fours would retreat sooner than blow their mana on an attack that may not guarantee their enemy’s defeat. Something that was quickly being taken advantage of.

After a few moments, Warren and Evelyn seemed to figure out a new target for themselves.

“Go help the Duke.” Warren said before shooting toward another fight alongside his wife.

The two aides of Duke Harper grimaced as they watched Warren and Evelyn enter another fight, but they kept their focus and turned towards their lord. Both channeled their mana and shot into the sky where they entered the fray once again.

Seeing his aides moving to his side, Duke Harper did not let his guard down, but rather, maneuvered himself into such a position as to more easily incorporate them into the fight.

“WHAT’S THIS!? WHAT’S THIS!? WHAT’S THIS!?” Forret screamed as he saw reinforcements turning the tide to Duke Harper’s side.

In his current state, he truly believed that he and his fellow nobles were winning, as the Cult of Light had promised him. So, the image of his side slowly being picked off was something that he had failed to comprehend. He was in utter denial of his current circumstances.

Of course, the only reason the tables had turned so quickly was due to the fact that Warren and Evelyn had the element of surprise. If they had been a part of the battle in the beginning, tactics may have been put into place that would have kept the balance in place.

Taking a look into the battlefield, and seeing Warren and Evelyn take down another set of their Tier four pairs, Krant was forced to make a heavy decision.

“I’m calling for a retreat.” Krant said as he channeled mana into his hand.

“DON’T YOU DARE!!!”

Ignoring Forret’s wrathful cries, Krant released the channeled mana into the air. Bright golden flashes of light appeared in the sky, signaling to all the Cult of Light forces that it was time to retreat.

Many of the forces from the Guild failed to understand what the light meant, as did all the forces with golden cracks running through their figures, but the few forces that were entrenched in the Cult of Light, and had retained their lucidity, understood the signal immediately, and without any heed towards their allies, ran away from the battle, and the city, as the fastest speeds that they could.

Only two-Tier fours managed to run in time. Leaving their partners to die at the hands of Harper’s forces. Similar scenes happened everywhere, and many of the Tier threes that were fighting for Forret were slain.

“KRANT YOU LITTLE TRAITOR!!!”

Forret turned and swung in Krant’s direction, intent on punishing the man who had defied him so brazenly, only to find himself swinging at thin air. Krant had already turned into a beam of light and had shot off at full speed in the opposite direction of the city.

“Surrender, Forret. If you do, I will at least allow you a clean death.”

Harper’s voice called out from behind Forret, who was slowly turning around. His face twisted and his eyes shining with golden light. None of the red that represented his elemental affinity could be seen.

“Never. I will never bow to you again!”

Forret’s voice was laced with hatred and loathing as he stared at his brother and the half-a-dozen aides that had joined his side. He was no longer shouting in rage. He had gone beyond the hot and burning wrath that had filled him during this fight.

Now he felt cold, as he felt himself fully consumed by the light that had been implanted within him. In the back of his mind, he could hear the frantic, pain filled shrieks of the wyvern Spirit he had forcefully bonded with.

It was crying out in pain as a mana that wasn’t its own devoured it for sustenance.

“Then this is the end.” Harper’s voice was firm. No signs of regret or turmoil could be heard.

“Only for you.”

After saying these words, Forret forced the last of his mana to ignite.

Rather than the red and orange flames that he had been manipulating previously, these flames were a bright golden color that were hot enough to melt the ground even from dozens of feet in the air.

The battle on the ground came to a halt as the Tier threes closest to the fight couldn’t withstand the heat. Many immediately fell over as the change in atmosphere was too much for them.

Harper and his allies, being the closest to Forret, were directly beset by the immense heat of these strange new flames that they had never seen before.

Forret’s body obviously couldn’t withstand these flames either, as they could see his skin literally peeling as his blood boiled and his bones cracked.

“My Lord!”

Having flinched backwards due to the sudden change in events, Harper was barely able to put up a defense in time, and even then, if it wasn’t for the fact that he and his allies had all channeled their mana into different defensive barriers, they all would’ve likely died, or at least been seriously injured.

Walls of stone, and ice appeared in front of Harper and his allies, as those were the elements most efficient in blocking such an attack.

Yet even so, Forret’s attack broke through said barriers, slowly reaching forward to strike at Harper directly. But, before he could reach Harper fully, a spear of light shot up from below.

Forret’s chest was pierced, stopping him in his tracks as the flames fully consumed his body. Nothing more than ash was left to be blown away in the wind.

Looking down at the ground, Harper saw another one of his aides holding his hand up in Harper’s direction. Nodding his head in thanks, Harper then turned to his allies.

He took a moment to look them over before giving his commands.

“Go to your Guilds or take control over a few groups of hunters still fighting. I want every Tier three wearing the colors of the Guilds that opposed us dead, if they do not immediately surrender. Now!”

Duke Harper’s fellow Tier fours voiced their assent before flying down to begin cleaning up.

Seeing things were now well in hand, he took a moment to catch his breath, but did not relax just yet. Looking around the quickly ending battle, he spotted Warren and Evelyn off to the side. A couple of Tier fours were standing with them, and they all looked quite haggard.

With a quick gust of wind, he was directly by their side. All of the group immediately flinched and put up their guard, only lowering it when Warren waved them down. This was not an illusion, as some had been forced to fight already.

“Guild leaders.” Harper said with a tilt of his head. “I thank you for the assistance in this battle, but I must speak to these two alone for a moment. Go and help clean up the battle, or at least give us some space so we may speak without you overhearing.”

The few Guild leaders standing around bristled a bit at Harper’s rudeness but moved according to his orders all the same. Many of the Guild leaders were aware of Duke Harper’s attitude, and felt it best to do as he said, if only to get away from him.

As they moved further away, an invisible wall of air surrounded the trio as Harper turned to speak with Warren and Evelyn, who immediately collapsed onto the ground, gasping and wheezing as the effects of spending all their mana hit them hard.

Theo and Reya were even forced to return to their Spirit forms, and the two small cats barely managed to climb into their partner’s laps before collapsing.

Seeing this happen, Duke Harper was momentarily confused, but then he realized what must’ve happened.

In most battles, it was common for those fighting to try and force their opponents to use up mana faster than themselves, as having no mana would mean being unable to fight.

However, there was an alternative to that, and that was to use as much mana as possible to overpower and defeat your enemy before the fight could be drawn out.

Clearly, Warren and Evelyn had arrived at the battle, seen what was happening, and the balance that had been achieved between both sides, and had chosen the second option, taking a huge risk to themselves, as it would lead to them inevitably becoming the first to run out of mana in this battle.

Yet it was a risk worth taking, as it had allowed Harper’s forces to increase in numbers, leading to their victory over Forret’s forces.

“You have my thanks for coming to our aid in this battle. However, I still need to know who you are, and where you came from. The fact that you were not here at the beginning of the battle is already suspicious, but for there to be two Tier four Hunters, at Step three no less, residing in my city is cause for alarm.”

Harper’s question was something that Warren and Evelyn had both expected, but they still couldn’t help but feel frustrated at Harper’s tone and phrasing. He was treating them like a threat when they were directly responsible for turning the tide of the battle.

What made things even more suspicious was the fact that Warren and Evelyn were clearly close to the same age as himself. It should be noted that, barring those who had golden cracks running through them when they were fighting, all the other Tier fours in this battle had streaks of white and dull gray ringing through their otherwise colorful hair, depicting their ages as much older than these three.

“Well, my lord, if you give us the chance, you’ll find that Grand Scholar Harolt is more than willing to back and support us when we say that we are not a threat to you, or your city.” Warren stated with an exhausted tone as he leaned on his wife, who leaned on him in turn. “As it is, you know how much of a risk we took fighting as we did. Even now, a wave of your hand would be enough to kill us.”

At the mention of Grand Scholar Harolt, Duke Harper paused. Due to the fact that he had been traveling, he had been unable to contact Harolt for some time now, but throwing around Harolt’s name wasn’t something that just anyone would do, even at Tier four. Not if you were a citizen of Harkem.

“Very well. I will confirm your stories at a later date. For now, can you tell me why you would risk yourselves as you did to fight so recklessly?”

Warren and Evelyn’s eyes hardened at the Duke’s question.

“To protect our friends and family from your brother.” Warren stated.

Hearing Warren’s words and seeing the animosity in their eyes at the thought of Count Forret, Harper knew there must be something more, but could sense the truth in their words, so he didn’t dig any deeper for now. Harolt would have more answers for him anyway.

“In that case, let me thank you once again for your actions. As reckless as they were. Allow me to personally guarantee your safety as we return to the city. I assume you came from the Grand Cathedral, correct?”

Warren and Evelyn nodded their heads in affirmation.

“Then when we get there, and the barrier surrounding it is released, you may go to your family whilst I speak with Harolt. Agreed.”

Although it was phased as a question, Warren and Evelyn could both tell that Harper’s words were instructions.

Seeing Warren and Evelyn agreeing with his statement, Harper nodded in approval before turning around and walking towards the city.

“Come along then. My aides and the Guild leaders can clean this up.”

With that said, Warren and Evelyn slowly climbed to their feet, Theo and Reya were moved to their shoulders as they slowly walked forward, following Duke Harper back to the city.

The two of them could only feel relieved that everything had ended well for them, but there was still a sense of tension and fear. Afterall, their family wasn’t going to be fully united just yet.