The clouds were clear, and the sun continued to shine with its vibrancy. It was the afternoon, which meant the Amber Festival was just about to begin. Inside the Institute, Lonan was waiting outside Neo’s dormitory room. After what felt like hours, he pulled the door open.

  “Why’d you wait? I told you I’d find you there.” Neo lightly punched his arm.

  “Ow! You don’t punch light, you know?” Lonan rubbed his arm.

  “Can’t say that I didn’t try. Let’s go before all the food’s gone.” Neo added.

  They walked through the halls of the boys’ dormitories. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls.

  “All right, you’ve got to tell me. How did you manage to do all of that?” Lonan looked over at him.

  “I got lucky when I was born. That’s all.” Neo replied.

  “Are you serious? Come on, that can’t be it.” Lonan said.

  “Sorry to say, but it is. Blood of the Almighty blesses whoever it wants to.” Neo moved his hair from his eyes.

  “And of all people, it had to be me.” He added.

  “What? Are you seriously taking that kind of strength for granted? God, I wish I could just make a sword out of thin air.” Lonan said.

  Neo glanced at Lonan out of the corner of his eye, then looked away.

  “I bet you do,” Neo added.

  “Okay, another question. Why are you in Leviara? You could easily just be a soldier back at Vislinia, or even here.” Lonan asked.

  “Yes, I could’ve been, and I still can be. But I wanted a fresh start from a different perspective. One where I’d be another person amongst the masses. Well, look how fast that went out the window.” He replied.

  “C’mon, I bet everyone would be all over you if you told them where you’re from,” Lonan said.

  “That’s the problem. Everyone would be all over me. Could we just talk about something else for the time being? This kind of conversation is stressing me out.” Neo said.

  “All right, no problem. Sorry if I’m talking too much. I just haven’t seen anything like that before, especially those ugly-looking creatures.” Lonan said.

  “That’s another thing I don’t want to talk about either,” Neo narrowed his gaze and furrowed his brows.

  “All right, you’ve made your point.” Lonan grins.

  The two made it outside. The gardens were filled with knights and Institute officials. The pale monsters had been disposed of since the morning, yet Neo could recall everything like it just happened, even remembering the smell of their spilled blood.

  Central District

  At the festival, a great crowd had gathered. Stalls were lined along the streets, and the smell of food wafted through the air. There was grilled fish, seared meats, and an assortment of different pastries on display. One of the stalls sold kebabs, and the line went on toward the end of the street.

  Festivities were occurring at every corner. A man pretended to breathe flames to a crowd of children around him. The children cheered and clapped as each trick he performed became more believable than the last. He held out a deck of cards, using swift hand movements to make the cards vanish. The man looked around, arching his brow, and buying into the children’s amusement. He snapped his fingers to make them pay attention to his hands. Then, he clasped them together before opening his hands again, and the deck of cards appeared right in his palm. Once again, he was applauded with a grin on his face.

  “Wow, this is lively,” Nymeria said.

  “Darn right it is! This is what you needed after locking yourself in the dorm for so long.” Yadani pulled a piece of grilled meat off the skewer.

  “Yes, I’m sorry… The advanced classes are not to be taken lightly. I needed to memorize over a hundred words.” Nymeria explained.

  “Forget about that, for now. Here, try this.” Vera offered Nymeria a skewer.

  “Did you two wait in the line? It’s so long it might be dark before you get to the front of it.” Nymeria said.

  “Shhh.” Yadani grins.

  “Step right up, step right up! Would you have the strength to wield King Alan’s Great Cleaver? If you can manage to move this heavy replica even an inch, you’ll get a bag full of gold!” A sly-eyed woman said.

  “I’ve got to give this a shot!” Yadani finished her skewer and nudged her way through the crowd.

  “Looks like we have our very first contestant! Fifty aegium, please!” The woman said.

  “What? You never said anything about aegium.” Yadani crossed her arms, looking down at the woman.

  “Oh, but I did!” The woman grins.

  “No, you didn’t.” Yadani frowns.

  “Well, if you don’t want to abide by the rules, you should go. I’m sure others would like to try!” The woman said.

  Yadani retreated from the crowd, grumbling.

  “Hey, Neo, why don’t you go try?” Lonan suggested.

  “Maybe I should. She’s a con-artist using runes to put money in her pocket.” Neo said.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Whoa, she would’ve gotten me. Nice call.” Lonan said.

  “She’s banking on no one being able to see it.” Neo stepped up.

  “Well, well, well! Looks like we have another person willing to try! Fifty aegium, please!” The woman said.

  Neo handed off the money, then looked at the replica of the cleaver. He latched onto the long handle. It was scaly, like it was made from some kind of lizard. Fake blue gemstones were embedded along the handle, and they glowed despite the artificiality. The blade was thick, long, and slightly curved.

  “Whenever you’re ready, pull as hard as you—” Her eyes widened.

  Neo yanked the blade out of the ground, holding the replica as if it were a twig. All heads turned to him while he further observed the blade.

  “A rune that diminishes the strength of whoever holds it. Cheap trick.” He tossed the replica along the ground.

  The woman broke out into hollow laughter.

  “Um, nice job!... You, uh… You lifted it.” Her throat bobbed.

  “So, where’s my bag of aegium?” Neo asked.

  “Right here.” She hesitantly handed him the bag.

  He took it from her, moving through the throngs of people.

  “I could’ve done that.” Yadani crossed her arms.

  “Unless you’re as strong as that guy, then probably not. She put on a rune designed to diminish strength, and he still managed to lift it.” Vera said.

  “Darn. You know, I read something like that in the library, but I forgot about it.” Yadani added.

  The Amber festival continued, and eventually came nightfall. Knights of the Leviara guard swarmed the festival, escorting King Alan through the busied street and towards the large podium.

  “Quiet down, everyone! King Alan will be making a public statement for everyone in Leviara to hear. You must pay attention, because as citizens of Leviara, it concerns you and will greatly impact the future of this kingdom.” Xena shouted.

  Murmurs spread across the streets. King Alan stepped onto the podium, looking around at the expectant gazes before him.

  Some heads turned to the rooftops, swearing that they saw a golden gaze flicker down at them.

  King Alan cleared his throat before beginning.

  “My people of Leviara, it has been a long time since I needed to make a public statement like this. But, as we approach the coming times, I must do so. I will start by addressing the attacks near the institute by a man named Zeta. One thing everyone here should remember is that he has white hair and blood-red eyes. My knights have also explained that he uses tall, pale creatures to do his dirty work. The number of knights I have available has greatly decreased. Many patrol routes are routinely patrolled, and many of my knights cannot assist in other parts of Leviara. The good news is that we will now be getting extra help from our newly formed Vanguard division. They will search for Zeta and handle him in whatever way they see fit. Now, onto the issue that has taken everyone by storm— the return of dragon hybrids. Many of you have heard the story of my father severing the Wyvernlands from Augus with his great cleaver, but I am looking for a solution that doesn't involve slaughter. One of the hybrids is our ally. However, the other is no longer in Leviara. I hope he can help bridge our worlds, where violence won't be necessary to achieve peace with the inhabitants of the Wyvernlands.”

  Chatter exploded across the masses.

  “How the hell can we be so sure that we’ll be safe here in Leviara? My daughter goes to the institute, and I don’t want anything to happen to her!” A man said from the crowd.

  “Rest assured, the institute will be undergoing intense fortification. If you have no business at the institute, our Vanguard units will be alerted immediately.” King Alan replied.

  “So, what about the rest of us? Does only the institute get protection? What if this man tries to attack us in our homes!” A woman shouted.

  “Starting tonight, we will be applying powerful warding runes throughout the districts to ensure that he’s unable to set foot in Leviara again.” He said.

  “Vanguard unit? Oh, great tree. If your everyday knight struggles to complete their tasks, what makes this unit any different?” Aephyra asked with a smug grin.

  “Because they are not your everyday batch of people. They are from innately gifted bloodlines who are trained regularly under Echthron’s supervision. With his experience, he’s helping foster a new generation of warriors that will protect Augus until their very last breaths.” Alan explained.

  Aephyra furrowed her brows and tightly clenched her jaw.

  “And you’re saying you want to make peace with the Wyvernlands? Our King, have you gone mad?” Another woman added.

  Alan clenches his fists.

  “None of you know the full story, and yet here you are… Talking as if you knew my father, talking as if he truly did what was right. I won’t sit here on a high pedestal, but my father was not the man written in those books. He was a fearmonger. He sold Augus destructive lies! Ones that will take decades to expunge from your minds, and from those ill-written manuscripts!” King Alan’s gaze narrowed, the intensity of his eyes piercing through the crowd.

  “I’ll tell you everything he did! He never severed the Wyvernlands to protect us! He feared Fryvnal’s power! He felt weak compared to her as a leader! He relied on a stolen weapon to guide his leadership, while Fryvnal had the hearts and respect of both Augus and the Wyvernlands!” King Alan shouted.

  “Hate me if you will, but we all will learn to navigate the new world’s challenges together, and I will not be compared to a murderer.” King Alan finally added.

  Everyone was taken aback, with wide, gaping stares directed at King Alan. He was short of breath, while a throbbing pain formed on each side of his temples.

  “With that being said, that is all for now. Please, enjoy the rest of the Amber Festival.” King Alan stepped down from the podium and was escorted out of the central district by his knights.