Lily sat at the edge of camp, taking the last watch of the night as usual. The warm light of dawn was just starting to block out the starry sky, and the surrounding woods where bathed in deep shadows. While part of her remained alert, running on instincts ingrained in her twenty years ago and never quite forgotten, her thoughts were mostly focused inwards. She could almost still feel Amber’s touch, memories of an amazing warmth ghosting across her body. Last night, for the first time in she couldn’t even remember how long, she felt whole. She felt complete. Like nothing was missing in her life. But why? Was it just because she wasn’t lonely anymore? Had she simply been desperate for companionship? She hadn’t ever really thought of Amber that way before. Hell, she hadn’t really thought of any woman that way. Perhaps the occasional stray thought, but nothing serious. Nothing that she couldn’t just brush off and ignore. So why did she… She suddenly realized someone had walked up to her post. Someone her subconscious had automatically dismissed as not being a threat. That was all she had time to think before Amber slid into her lap and kissed her. That wondrous warmth shot through her once again, and she didn’t know if it was magic or just infatuation. But she realized that it didn’t even matter which it was. All that mattered was that it was Amber. She pulled back and looked her best friend in the eyes. “I love you.” “You sound surprised.” Amber remarked curiously. “I suppose I am. I never expected this.” “What you expected doesn’t matter, Lily. All that matters is what is.” Lily smiled and leaned in for another kiss. The group struck camp and set out once again, but this time Adam had taken the lead. His silvery blade practically flashed through the air, the brush and debris covering the long-disused path providing no more resistance than the air itself. “He seems… different, today.” Lily whispered to Amber as they walked. “He is different. He’s figured out what to do.” Lily’s eyes widened, and for a moment she saw a twelve-year-old boy in front of her, blade held in both hands, his eyes set with utterly unshakable determination. “You’re right. He’s not hesitating any more. He’s ready to end this. But I don’t see how…” “The how doesn’t matter.” Sven muttered, having clearly overheard their conversation. “Adam is ready to lead again, and that means we follow.” Amber and Lily nodded, and soon the forest opened up before them, revealing a sun-kissed coastline. But the village they had expected to find there was long gone, reduced by time to nothing more than rubble and rotting wood. Lily looked out at the decaying mess in disbelief. “It’s… It’s all gone. How? This was the largest settlement on the island.” Adam simply shrugged. “It stands to reason. The fishing here may be good, but the seas are rough and the landscape is ill suited for farming. Once the pilgrims stopped coming, it was probably difficult for the village to sustain itself.” “What do we do now?” Sven asked. “How do we get passage off the island? Can we ask the pegasi for help again?” Amber shook her head. “They helped us because we were being hunted. They understand that. Fleeing from a predator is something that resonates deeply with them. They won’t help us now. Especially not when they’re busy setting up new nesting sites.” “It doesn’t matter.” Adam said firmly. “We’ll find our way off this island one way or the other. We’ll start by circling the coast. There’s a decent chance there’s still someone living somewhere on this island, and if there is, they’re bound to have some sort of boat. If not, we’ll figure something out. I’ll carry you all across the water myself if I have to.” “I’m not sure that’s possible, Adam.” Adam raised a hand, and a sphere of water more than twenty feet across rose from the sea to hover in the air above. “Right now, I couldn’t even begin to guess at the limits of what’s possible.” With a gesture, Adam let the sphere of water fall back down with a tremendous splash and set off walking down the beach. Amber smiled as she turned to follow him. Three days into their journey along the coast, just as they were setting up camp for the evening, Lily suddenly looked towards the mainland with a startled expression. Amber shot her a look of concern. “Lily, what’s wrong?” “They’re coming. The kings and queens.” Adam furrowed his brow thoughtfully. “You’re certain?” “Of course I’m certain! I’d recognize that woman’s magic anywhere.” “How did they get here so fast?” Sven wondered aloud. “It should have taken them almost two weeks, at the very least.” “I’m not surprised.” Adam stated flatly. “They’re powerful and resourceful, just like us. It would have been foolish to assume they wouldn’t be able to device their own solution.” “Well, what do we do now?” “For now, we make camp and keep our magic usage to a minimum. As long as we can pinpoint their position and they have no way to find us, they pose no immediate threat.” The others agreed, even if Lily was rather worried about the whole thing, and continued setting up camp. Adam looked off in the direction Lily had indicated with a determined mien. This was it. This was where it all started. Maya fidgeted as she sat staring into the campfire, one hand nervously running through her long brown hair while the other tapped at the brooch her mother had given her as a keepsake before she left on her mission. The metal had been dented and scratched during their journey, but the emerald set into its centre shone beautifully with reflected firelight. Her stomach was still unsettled from their flight, and she could barely stand to look at the hastily constructed gliders stacked up by one of the tents. The mere memory of their wooden frames creaking and their canvas wings shuddering as she hurtled through the air borne aloft on a magical wind was enough to make bile rise in her throat. “Sun’s sake, Maya!” Yala groused. “Stop fidgeting like a restless child. It’s unbecoming of a woman of your position.” “I’m sorry, Yala. It’s just… They’re here, right? On this island. That means we’re going to have to fight again soon.” “Of course we will. It is our duty.” “I know, I know… Oh, I wish father was here. He should have been the one to go on this journey. I never had a stomach for fighting.” “I just want to get my hands on that little monster.” Dahn growled. “And do what?” Yala scoffed. “She turned your fire aside like it was nothing. This time, we do this properly. Rifles, at a good distance. We want them dead before they even know we’re here.” “Like common assassins, you mean? There’s no honour in that, you windy old hag.” “Honour be damned, whelp! We have a war to win!” “Yala! Dahn! Cease your bickering!” Aro barked out, causing the two arguing monarchs to settle down with a grumble. “Wh… What do you think, Aro?” Maya asked nervously. “What should we do now?” “We need a proper strategy. They’re stronger than we anticipated. Especially the mad girl. Even the legends never mention her being able to wrench fire from the hands of a king. We…” He trailed off. There was something in the distance. A powerful water magic that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat. It flashed with a steady beat, standing out like a beacon to his senses. He couldn’t imagine any spell or feat of magic that would cause magical energy to flare in such a pattern. It could only be one thing. A challenge. “You all right, Aro?” Dahn asked in concerned tones. “I… I’m fine. Everyone, get some rest. I’ll take first watch.” “But I always…” “That was an order! Get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.” The other three were surprised, but they nevertheless followed his command. Aro waited until he was sure they had all fallen asleep before drawing his blade and setting off into the woods. It was time to end this. Adam stood up when he saw the King of Water enter the little clearing he had chosen as the site of this battle. It was a good ways away from both their camps, far out of earshot and well out of sight. He didn’t want anyone interrupting them. “I’m surprised you dare to face me without your monster princess.” Aro remarked acidly. “If Amber was here, she would burn you to ash. I’m not here to kill you.” “Then why are you here?” “I’m here to help you understand the truth.” Aro sneered and readied his blade. “Your trickery won’t sway me, star-kisser. All you’ll get out of me is a fight.” “I expected as much.” Adam replied, drawing his own blade. Aro rushed at him with a battle cry and lunged, but Adam easily deflected the oncoming blade and struck out at Aro in return. The king was caught wrong-footed by the counterattack and leapt backwards, summoning a sphere of water to hurl at Adam as a distraction. However, Adam caught the sphere with his own magic, and to Aro’s shock he proceeded to push all the warmth out of the water in his grasp, hardening it to ice and shooting it towards his opponent like a cannonball. Aro rolled to escape the attack, and barely had time to react when Adam came in with a powerful overhand strike. Aro raised his own blade to block… And was absolutely shocked to see First River biting so deep into his own blade it almost severed it completely. Silence fell over the clearing as Aro simply looked at the locked blades, almost unwilling to believe that his own blade, his own purity of heart, had proven the weaker of the two. After almost a minute of tense, unbroken silence, Aro slumped down onto the ground. “I cannot fight you.” Adam let out a huge sigh of relief and sheathed his sword. “I am so glad you realize that.” “How is this possible? The last time we fought you were wavering, weak. What happened?” “I realized the truth.” “What truth? What realization could possibly have given you this power?” “The goddess cannot be allowed to rule.” Aro bristled. “The Sunlit Goddess is our guiding light and our inspiration. She leads us to greatness.” “What greatness has she led you to? Cramped, dirty cities covered in smog so thick you can barely see the sun. Men and women ruining themselves and dying working in mines and factories that barely pay them. Disease so rampant even your Earth Queen’s father had his lungs rot away. An industry that burns away your resources until you have to go to war to sustain it.” “Some sacrifices are necessary for a greater future! Do you seriously think your star-bitch is a better ruler, coddling and smothering you until you’re nothing but helpless children in her care?” “No.” “Well let me tell… Wait, what did you say?” “I said no. The Starlit Goddess is choking our land, inhibiting its growth and suffocating its potential. The moral extremes she relies on when running the country are just as harmful as anything your goddess is doing. The goddess cannot be allowed to rule. Not in our kingdom. Not in yours.” Aro looked at Adam for a long time, his eyes narrowed. “You’re serious?” “Completely.” Aro stood up and sheathed his damaged sword, Adam’s words repeating over and over in his head. “And you’re sure this is the best way forward?” “Let me show you just how sure I am.” And with that, Adam withdrew the fragment of the heart of fire from his pack. Aro’s eyes widened as he recognized the glowing red piece of crystal. This was fire magic in its purest form, so concentrated it had solidified. Once Adam was sure Aro had recognized it, he threw it into the air and drew his blade. The silver-bright steel flashed through the air, and the crystal fell to the ground as two separate chunks, split cleanly in half by the blade of First River. “That’s how sure I am.” Aro looked from Adam to the divided crystal and back again. “Tell me your plan.”