As we approached the table, I noticed that Berik and a good number of the former black ear goblins were intentionally avoiding looking at Faye or Kasimir. Aside from a few stray glances, they kept their eyes locked on their food or one another.

  Unlike them, Ark, Grort, and the rest of her party were openly scowling at the old man. Considering the latter group had been hired by the old mage to gather the dragonvein scattered throughout the region, thus causing them to run into us, and considering the former group had been tasked with killing the Great Mother and harvesting her essence, it was obvious that they all weren't particularly happy to see him.

  While I was rather certain they were genuinely beginning to enjoy their new lives here in the city we were all building together, I couldn't imagine they were happy being the pawns and playthings of some near-demigod. Likewise, I'm sure they were confused about why that demigod was here now, sitting in our great hall, talking and eating with us as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't nearly killed the guardian of this place, and as if he hadn't nearly gotten all of the goblins killed.

  I had no idea what his plan had been, but I sure as shit was going to ask.

  "Hey, Faye," I said cheerily as I took the seat nearest to her. As Tristan and Vral sat down beside me, I decided I wasn't going to beat around the bush, so I added, "Hey, Kasimir. How'd it go after we sent you all that dragonvein? Did you get your project done?"

  Na-Ya laughed beside me, but the sound was tight. "You don't waste any time, do you, Alex?"

  Ro chuckled beside her. "Our future king has no time for pleasantries, eh?"

  Without looking at them, I shook my head, keeping my eyes on Kasimir's pale blue orbs. "There's no time like the present. Right, Kas?"

  Faye cocked her head at Kasimir. "Project? What project?"

  Kasimir frowned. "Damn it, woman. The dragonvein. We talked about this."

  Stroking her chin for a time, Faye eventually nodded. "I vaguely remember that. Weren't you trying to use that stuff to restore the seal?"

  "Yes." Kasimir's lips tightened. "It is an essential component in rebuilding the matrices that keep the Scions contained."

  "Interesting," I said with feigned interest. "And what role was the Great Mother's essence supposed to play when you restore the seal?"

  Nothing about his face changed, but I could almost feel a pressure building around the man as I verbally jabbed at him. Still, he did his best to remain neutral as he spoke. "I..." He scratched at his beard. "I made a mistake, one that I must apologize for." He clasped his hands on the table in front of him. "I was under the impression that a wyrm had taken residence in this old ruin. Eager to use the essence of such a powerful being, and with my scrying being hindered by the curse that was only recently lifted by you all, I relied on hearsay and rumors to guide my actions. As such, I neglected to perform my due diligence." He looked toward Ushai and bowed his head. "Also, after all these centuries, I never believed that the Great Mother could still be alive. Her or Ushai." He inclined his head toward the elder harpy. "Please accept my sincere apologies. I was negligent."

  Negligent? Wasn't he supposed to be some all-knowing mage? Negligent, my ass! There was way too much to his story that didn't make sense. I mean, I didn't have proof, but I could feel it. I could feel it in my bones.

  "Well, I'll be." Faye elbowed her brother. "I haven't seen you apologize for anything in at least a century, you old ass."

  "Shush," Kasimir scoffed. "You make me out to be more of a curmudgeon than I truly am."

  I wanted to respond to that, but I decided to hold my tongue. There was a right time and place for everything.

  Across the table, Ushai inclined her head at the old mage. "While I cannot say that the loss of so many of my people would not have gravely wounded my heart, your actions led Ura-Elathiel's blood back to its true home here in Caer-Elath-Sylnareth." The harpy gazed at Tristan and Na-Ya with clear reverence and love before turning to me. "And, through the actions of the one chosen by the Hero herself, my people, as well as countless others who have long been lost to us, have been returned to their home as well." She looked at Ro and Na-Ya next. "And these worthy souls brought my daughter back from the edge of death itself." She bowed so low that her forehead nearly struck the table. "I am truly humbled by everything you have done and will do, dearest ones."

  Seated beside her mother, Irileth bowed her head too, and in broken Common, she said, "I will always be grateful to you." Reaching out with her wings, she placed them on Ro and Na-Ya's hands. "Thank you." Her eyes settled onto Na-Ya, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Continuing in Skysong, she said, "For the kindness that you bestowed on me the night you saved my life, I will hold you in my heart always."

  Her tone... and that blush...

  Was she into Na-Ya?

  Irileth's eyes flicked to Ro. "And you who carried me when I could not fly..." Her blush grew. "I am forever yours."

  Oh damn! She was totally into them!

  Clearing my throat, I replied to her in Skysong, "I know that they are happy to have helped you in your time of need, Irileth."

  Turning to me, she softly said, "You are far too kind." She smiled. "You saved me as well, man who smells of shadow and light. I am grateful to you."

  Vral leaned across Tristan, nudged my thigh, and whispered, "Hey! What'd she just say?" Her eyes got intense. "She's not into you, is she? She better not be!"

  I chuckled. "No. She was just telling me that she was grateful to Ro and Na-Ya for saving her life." I leaned closer and lowered my voice. "Also, I'm pretty sure she's crushing on them pretty bad right now."

  "Her? With them?" Vral looked from Irileth to Ro and Na-Ya. "I can see it, actually."

  "I think it's cute." Tristan covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. "I can feel her roots reaching for them."

  I shook my head. "Poor girl." Ro had always said that they were fine being just the two of them. "She doesn't have a chance."

  Tristan's light smile grew. "You never know."

  "Huh?" Looking at each of them, I saw that the three were perfectly at ease with one another. Irileth's talons had curled around both of the elves' fingers, and the harpy had a lightness about her that I hadn't seen before.

  Had they been spending time together without me noticing?

  "So, Alex," Faye said beside me, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Na-Ya and Ro-Saleh have been telling me all about your last quest. I can't believe all you've accomplished since I last saw you! You're quite the blossoming adventurer these days. I'm proud of you."

  Turning, I gave the Hero a big shrug. "You know, all I really did was try to help Nivan and Nel out with a small monster problem out in Goodfield. Then, before I knew it, the quest spiraled into me earning a new skill, gaining some new vassals, fighting a wyrm, and cleansing an ancient ruined city." I laughed. "I don't understand how this stuff happens to me."

  It was Faye's turn to laugh. "I get it. I really do. Most of our quests were like that back in the day." She turned to Kasimir. "Remember the quest, early on, when we met that little old lady who wanted the rats cleared out of her basement?"

  He snorted. "How could I forget it? We fought over a hundred of the disgusting things. Then, we found a trap door in the rear wall, walked through the sewers for three days, and discovered a cult, which we then defeated." He wiped his hands on his robes as if there were something stuck to them. "I still have nightmares about the filth down there."

  Faye laughed. "You big priss."

  Glaring at her, Kasimir said, "I distinctly remember you telling me to go first, that it would be fine." He thrust his nose into the air. "And was it? No."

  The Hero cackled.

  "What happened?" I asked.

  "He thought he saw a rat, slipped on a brick, and fell into the shit water," Faye said, still laughing. "It was bad. He smelled terrible for weeks."

  Kasimir's face went white. "That was the day that I learned to always let you go first."

  "You should have walked more carefully."

  "I should have pulled you in with me."

  "Fair." Chuckling, Faye turned back to me. "Anyway, people like us tend to get thrown into the deep end. Since you're still walking this road, you'll just have to get used to it."

  That struck a chord deep in me. "Does it ever slow down?"

  Faye's face sobered. "Kind of. But not really. It comes in waves."

  Slowly, I nodded. "I guess I just need to keep moving forward then, huh?"

  "Yep, pretty much!" Looking around the room, Faye's face lit up as she took the space in. "I never thought I'd ever come back here. It's amazing seeing it again after all these years." She pointed at the tree around us. "And the Dreaming Crown has gotten so big! It was little more than a sapling back in the day."

  "Faye." I knew she was trying to keep things light since we hadn't seen one another in a while, but I kind of needed more from her now than the whole buddy act. I needed guidance and advice from another Chosen. "Ura-Elathiel wanted me to become king of Istaera. Do you think..." I hesitated. "Do you think I have what it takes?"

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Rather than engage, Faye pointed out the archway that led from the great hall out to the eastern boughs. "Look at that view! It's beautiful."

  "Faye." Come on, Faye. Get your head straight.

  "Where's the Great Mother, anyway? I'd like to see her again." She held her hands out in front of her, about shoulder-width apart. "She was only this big the last time I—"

  "Faye!" I said her name louder than I meant to.

  The Hero's entire everything slumped. "I'm sorry. I truly am." She shook her head. "I've been fighting monsters out in Evron for five straight months. Ever since we last saw one another, in fact. In those five months, I held a friend in my arms as she died far too soon. That was my fault. I was too slow to intercept the fatal strike." Swallowing hard, she continued. "Then one morning, I left a cute little town I'd been staying in for a few weeks, thinking I'd complete a quick quest. When I got back that evening, I found it completely destroyed. Nothing was left alive. That was my fault, too. I should have been there." She let out a soul-wrenching sigh. "And the whole time, the Lords of Saern have been telling me that I'm not doing enough. That I'm neglecting Denier to play hero out in the Verge." Her eyes grew heavy. "So, can we just... not right now?" Her eyes met mine. She looked exhausted. "I'm tired, Alex. I need a night off from being..." She waved at herself. "This."

  The weight of her exhaustion struck me. Looking her over, I didn't just see it, I could feel it. She wasn't just physically tired, though the bags under her eyes and her pale, sagging skin screamed that she was that, too. She was exhausted, emotionally and spiritually. She was burnt out, but I knew her. She wasn't ever going to let herself stop. She felt responsible for the world, and that sense of responsibility wouldn't allow her to rest.

  That was no way to live.

  It was always so easy to think of her as the Hero. She was this invincible entity that walked the world, righting wrongs and protecting the weak. But that wasn't who she was. Not really. Sure, she was immortal, but despite being immortal, she was a person, just like the rest of us. She wanted to feel appreciated. Valued. Seen. And she needed rest, just like the rest of us. She was only human.

  "Then rest, Faye." I put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Rest as long as you need to."

  Slowly, she smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you. We can talk about all that other stuff in the morning, okay?"

  I shook my head. "Let's make it the afternoon. Sleep in."

  Her forced smile turned into a real one. "I just might do that. Only because you asked, though." Reaching forward, she plucked a few berries out of the bowl nearest us and popped them in her mouth. Mid chew, she mumbled, "Theesh are delishioush!"

  "Aren't they?" Tristan grabbed a handful of berries and started popping them in her mouth. "The black ones are my favorite."

  "I like the nuts!" Vral grabbed a handful and threw them all in her mouth, making her cheeks bulge like a squirrel. "They're mah faborite!"

  As I watched the girls pluck at the food on the table, a new goal began forming in my heart, a dream for this blossoming city of ours. I wanted Caer-Elath-Sylnareth to be a place of peace and healing for everyone, even tired, depressed Heroes. Especially tired, depressed Heroes. I wanted her to have a place that she could call home. One where she had friends and allies and a little place to rest her head at night. One where she wouldn't have to be at the beck and call of shitty lords who used and abused her. Not just her, but I wanted that for everyone who came here. Maybe even her grump asshole of a brother. This city would be a place where everyone would one day find peace. Then, maybe, I could extend that peace to all of Istaera.

  "Alex, a word?"

  Kasimir's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Turning, I found that he'd stood and was pointing to the far side of the chamber.

  "What?" I asked.

  "It will only take a moment."

  Resisting the urge to tell him where he could shove his quick word, I said, "Yeah, okay." Standing, I followed the old mage as he crossed the room, readying myself for the insults and vague, cryptic bullshit the guy wasn't about to throw my way.

  Once we were far enough from the others that they couldn't hear us, he turned and said, "You've impressed me with all that you accomplished. I am glad that my machinations yielded such fruit."

  Ignoring the pun, I said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think that you planned this at all." I looked back at the goblins. "There's no possible way you could have planned this all out. I think you're just covering your ass. Why? I have no idea." I turned back to him and met his gaze. "But I'm going to find out."

  He scoffed. "Why should I care about the thoughts that float through that empty head of yours?" He snorted. "You couldn't possibly understand my motivations or reasoning, boy. Leave the thinking to your betters and continue doing what you do best, yes?"

  "And what is that?"

  He eyed me up and down. "For some inscrutable reason, She has decided that you are the one to enact her will." Looking around at the great hall for a few moments, he continued, "It seems that, no matter what you do, Her hand is not far. She is always there to guide you." He smirked. "Thus, you are a loyal, hardworking dog."

  After gritting my teeth until they creaked, I asked, "So, did you drag me over here to insult me, or what? Because there are a thousand other things I'd rather do right now than talk to you."

  "After you give me back what is mine." He held his hand out. "My bag, please."

  "Huh?" What the hell was he on about?

  "The bag. The one you took from the goblins."

  The... bag?

  Oh!

  The bag that Ark and the others had been transferring the crystals to Kasimir through. I'd had it in my inventory since the day we met Ark and had frankly forgotten about it. It wasn't like I needed it for anything, considering it teleported stuff to Kasimir's study.

  Nodding, I said, "No."

  He quirked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

  "You heard me." I turned. "Even if you weren't being shady, you've been nothing but a dick to me since the first time we met. I'm not about to do you any favors."

  "Do you have any idea how rare and valuable those kinds of magic items are?" Kasimir's tone was grating. "Give it back to me."

  I flicked him off and walked away.

  He muttered something behind me in a deep, melodic tone.

  "Fuck off, man. I'm not about to—" Every muscle in my body seized. "What..." Despite my best efforts, I felt my legs move, turning me back to the old mage. Then, step by step, I marched back to him. Like a puppet.

  "As I said before." He held out his hand. "My bag, please."

  "Fuck... you..." I ground my teeth as my hand reached out and slipped through the little tear in the air that separated my inventory from the real world. Doing my best to think of everything but the bag, I felt my fingers brush along countless items before finding the simple, magical sack. Against my wishes, my hand grasped the object. A moment later, it was resting in Kasimir's hands.

  "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Kasimir waved his hand, and a shimmering portal opened in the air. Reaching out, he tossed the sack through the opening, then waved his hand again, causing the portal to close.

  With every ounce of willpower known to me, I pushed against his spell, feeling the boundaries of where my body ended and where his enchantment began. While I didn't know magic by any means, I did know my body. And, with a bit of focus, I could feel where his magic and my body met. And there, just over my heart, was a... knot, I thought. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there.

  Pushing my willpower into that knot, I pressed and squeezed, massaging and kneading the thing until it bent and twisted.

  "It's useless, boy." Something shifted behind Kasimir's eyes. "The gap between us is far too great. Save your strength for your upcoming quest." He patted my cheek and went to step past me.

  "Oh yeah?" I strained further, trying to find a way to unravel the thing. I didn't know if it was some talent I'd earned or how strong I'd gotten, but I knew that I never could have done what I was doing even months before. But now... now, the gap between us, while still massive, didn't feel insurmountable anymore. I might be in the valley, but I could see the peak of the mountain that was Kasimir.

  And if I could just untie this knot...

  He paused and watched, amused, as I continued to struggle against his spell.

  Exerting myself until my eyes swam, I felt, deep in my spirit, a surge of energy flow through the threads that connected me to my vassals. No one thread gave much, but together...

  For the first time in two months, Dhurak's voice rumbled deep inside my soul. "I swear to you, by the memory of the world and the bones of my ancestors, that I will align myself with your will. I will obey your commands without complaint or deception, and I will protect you, your children, and your childrens' children from all who would oppose your line."

  A surge of energy flowed into me then, filling my body to the brim with power.

  Something shifted, and the knot unraveled.

  I could move again. My body was freed from his magic. As his spell fractured, I felt his magic rebound back on him.

  There was a pulse of energy. The air around us rippled. And then, Kasimir's form wavered. It was only for an instant, but I saw it all the same. Under the mage's wizened face and weathered skin, he was nothing. Just scraps of skin and dry, dusty bones.

  "Kasimir?" I growled. "What are you?"

  The man looked down at his hands. Turning them over, his eyes scanned his skin before returning to me. "I do not know how you did that, being as weak as you are, but what you saw was merely an illusion."

  "Is that so, Kasimir?" A familiar woman's voice asked behind me.

  Turning, I saw Greta standing there with Jorn. Both of them were holding dragonvein crystals. The crystals looked different than normal. The colors within them were swirling violently, with no one color staying dominant for more than a second before a new color bloomed and took the former one's place.

  "What is this now, witch?" Kasimir asked, his eyes slightly too wide. "Why have you come to bother me?"

  "Oh, the crystals dotted all through this city whispered to me earlier, telling me that something terrible had come here, so I worked a little series of anti-necromantic spells into these handy crystals and got to searching for the source of the problem." Greta spoke casually like she always did, but her eyes were harder than I'd ever seen them. "After a few hours of searching, I finally tracked it down to the great hall of all places, only to find you here, using dark magics on one of our newest allies. Still, I wouldn't have been able to tell it was you had Alex here not just now shattered your spell." Smiling at me, she whispered, "Once again, you've impressed me, Alex."

  I nodded but said nothing. This... was all a little beyond my depths.

  Stepping past me, Greta pursed her lips before asking, "When, exactly, did you learn [Puppet Master] anyway, Kasimir? We both know whose magic that was."

  "I learned it on a whim. Nothing more."

  "I see." She took another step forward. "And how long have you been hiding your body with that illusion spell?" Her eyes burned as she looked at him. "A hundred years or so? Right around when your aging stopped?"

  His eye twitched.

  "Thought so." She stepped every closer. "It's shocking that you were able to hide it from me for so long. But, to be fair to you, you have always been the greater mage between us." Her voice was steady. "Still, I should have known. For many, many years, I've wondered how you managed to get around Avara's curse. It looks like you broke the rules, now didn't you?"

  "Idiot." With a flick of his wrist, the air behind him began to shimmer. "The boy refused to give me something that was mine, so I did what I must." Whispering words of power under his breath, the shimmering air turned into a flickering portal. As the portal began to stabilize, he turned and said, "Anyway, I'll be going. I have more important things to do than waste my time with you people."

  "Hey, Kasimir," Greta said sweetly.

  The old mage glanced at her. "Yes?"

  "Catch!" Greta threw her crystal at him.

  Rather than catch it, the mage stepped to the side, letting it fall to the ground behind him. As the crystal passed, though, something odd happened. The light within it flickered and dimmed, similar but different to how the crystals down in the city had flickered in response to my old black blade. And when it flickered, Kasimir's body flickered with it, revealing the same skeletal, decayed form that I'd seen a moment before.

  "I thought so," Greta said matter-of-factly. "I always wondered how it was that you managed to remember me after all those long years." She took Jorn's crystal and held it between her and Kasimir as she stepped toward him. "I guess I don't have to wonder any longer."

  His eyes filled with barely hidden loathing, his lips twisted into a snarl as he backed away from the witch and her flickering crystal. "You have no idea the sacrifices I've made to protect his world." As he spoke, his flesh warped and faded.

  "Oh, I think I have an idea now." Greta took several quick steps toward the ancient mage. As she did, the magic covering him flickered once, twice, then winked out, revealing what was underneath.

  Under his magic, Kasimir, the ancient mage, a member of the Hero's party, and the brother of the Hero herself, was little more than a tattered skeleton draped in overly fine, ill-fitting robes.

  "Kas?" A soft voice asked behind us.

  The burning red dots in the skeleton's eye sockets dimmed as they shifted to gaze at the source of the voice. "Sister..." The red pinpricks of light lowered to the floor.