YUVEN

"Are you certain of this, Traye?"

"Fenrer hasn't been wrong before," he insisted while Ineha sat at her desk, hands against her brow. "If an Anima confluence came from Tebora, that is where we go." He leaned against the table. "Any old reports from Tebora are needed. Do lodge archives have any you know?"

Ineha tapped open a small wrapped parcel, setting the tip alight before putting it in a small pipe. "I haven't heard anything about Tebora since I've become a Storm Warden," she commented as she twisted a dial on the pipe, where its runes shone with the smoke within. "You could try your luck at the lodge archives. Not sure how much information it'll give you." She stuck the pipe between her lips before heading for the window to open it, as far away from him as possible.

Trainees swung at Derelict shaped dummies in the training yard, with one of the Trainers observing them. Jarbin. Says he's got some interesting stories of his stint in the south desert. Bet the Trainees don't realize that place is crawling with Derelicts stronger than we see here. Yuven stretched out his fingers, itching to get back into the fight himself. "Any information, Captain Ineha. I will not walk into a kingdom not knowing situation."

"You'll want to talk to Yusari," Ineha said as she tapped ashes out of the pipe, sending her magick into them to spread them back to the world. "She's in charge of the lodge for this Turn. Are you going to take Fenrer?"

Yuven pondered on the possibility, though when he checked up on Fenrer when the dawn came, his Oathbound proved fickle in his schedule. Dead asleep and the sun was above the horizon. That Anima surge did a number on him, and that means I'm on my own. "He sleeps in for the day. I say let him." He waved his hand at Ineha, pressing it against his leather mail. "I will be heading out. Direct any lost pets to someone else."

Ineha grinned and tapped some more glowing ash into the small tray. "Noted, Traye, though I can't help it if they ask for you in particular." She pulled out some small scrolls, handing a bundle to him.

"Well..." Yuven huffed, taking them from her. "Tell them to put up rune fences. I shall go talk to Captain Yusari." He bowed in respect before leaving the office. He had no time to grab a bite to eat, but he stopped by his room to grab his medication. He hooked the emergency phials along one of his leather straps, before grabbing his crescent blade to start his walk to Azahama. I could try and get one of the Warden carriages, but that takes too much time.

He double-checked the postings duty board on the entrance of the hall, flowing his magick through the parchment before sticking them on the wood. Nearby, a few Trainees sat at the table, playing an early game of cards. Yuven debated on sending another icy thrall at them, but it was more time wasted the longer he stood there contemplating it. I must go. Yuven left the Hall behind to walk through the town of Fallholt. Along the road, the smithy sharpened blades along his runed whetstone. Tucked between several houses, a tavern, with music rising out of its windows where everyone found joy in a world infested with Derelicts. Yuven kept a hand on his blade as he walked beneath the sun-gate, where a couple Wardens stayed at their posts, gaze steeled with no sort of joy of those they protected. It shouldn't take me more than a bell if I keep my pace. He went with the bustle of people who made the journey between cities in the day, instead of the ones who tried their luck at night. He kept on the side paths, away from the crowds. Lamps full of magick pulsed with the activity of those around it, but he never let himself rest until he came into view of the capital of Magickae, the only neutral territory within all the kingdoms.

The navy spire of the Elder Conclave rose in the early mist, the tip of its tower glowing with promised light. An elementia crystal, if he had to guess what rested at its peak. He bristled at the unending crowds, where paper lamps hung between alleys to light the way. Stone steps held up smaller houses as the path sloped down into the city proper. Yuven pushed on, into the square. Marble steps led up to a pearl embedded teleportation gate, where runes swirled down its side in the appearance of constant motion. A Storm Warden stood by it, but from the way they tipped forward, guard duty of the gate was the last thing on their mind. Yuven followed the path to the part of town full of Storm Wardens.

He came to the small square, where banners of wyverns fluttered with the wind. In the middle of all the buildings and training areas, the Storm Warden lodged, where its messenger tower grew beside it. Yuven stepped up the large steps into the lodge, where a split staircase raised up into the second floor. A large door rested between the two staircases. He scowled as a couple of Storm Wardens passed him with bright smiles on their faces, chatting in Dyrenji.

Yuven shuffled up to a pair of senior Storm Wardens. "Where is Captain Yusari?" he asked, then pressed his hand against his chest. "I am Captain Traye, posted at Fallholt." Common webbed in his throat, but he tried not to stick his tongue out to free himself of it.

"I am Captain Yusari," the woman with her hair tied into a small tail spoke and turned to him while the senior Warden beside her stepped back.

He tested his next words, needing the message to come with clarity. "I need use of your archives," he said. "It is about the recent Anima confluence the Elder Conclave wanted investigated. One of our Aurus felt a ripple. I need any information you have on Tebora."

"Tebora?" Captain Yusari asked with a frown.

"You say as if that is strange idea."

Captain Yusari dismissed the senior Warden and indicated for him to follow her through the double doors, where the wyverns split in two. "I thought it would've been the Cardinals to give us news."

Yuven scoffed and folded his arms, but kept his mouth shut for the moment as she took out a studded opal key. Yuven waited behind her as she unlocked the door and opened into the archives. Piles of scrolls raised up into stacks on the walls, where winches on the pillars moved them up and down. "Tebora... what do you need?"

"A map."

Yusari shuffled along to reach a rather empty stack, devoid of heavy scrolls. She took out a folded piece of yellowing parchment. "Here's the most recent map of Tebora," she said as she smoothed it out with a wisp of air magick and fluttered it onto the table.

It took one cursory glance to notice it wasn't recent. He followed the old, inked lines. "This is recent?" he questioned, then brushed his hand over the Naveeran mountain range. "Fifty Turns recent. This map was inked when Naveera and Dyrin fought over Whitehaven pass." He pointed at the borderline. "This map hasn't been reinked for fifty Turns?"

"It was like that when I became Captain of this posting."

Interesting. Yuven examined Tebora further, following the defensive wall Haneka built to defend itself from the desert ravager Derelicts, giving a safe haven to all who fled them. Up to the borderline of Tebora. Ah. A Storm Warden fortress on the Teboran border with the desert. So, they were there. He folded up the map to hand it back to Yusari. "Are there reports?"

Yusari turned back to the stacks, where most of the dates lay empty of any scrolls. Yuven lifted his head to the middle of the stack. Fifty Turns worth of nothing. Yusari moved up to the winch to bring it down to their level. It groaned from disuse, but with the scrolls in reach, he grabbed one of the few there were.

"You know every pass of the century all records need to be sent to Euros Annex?"

"If there is anything to send," Yusari said with a nod. "This section has been empty for a long time."

"Odd that it has been." Yuven pinched his lower lip and unfurled the scroll. "Let's see if Storm Wardens of Tebora can shed light." His first scroll held no substantial information of what happened in Tebora. In fact, he had a sneaking suspicion the Storm Wardens were as in the dark as he was. "They make mention of desert movements," he told her, passing the scroll off for her to examine. "But that is all." He grabbed another scroll, where the tone came across differently in written words. Tired. He studied each word before putting it back and following along the dates, to the most recent. One, tattered scroll. He unfurled it for more of the same dreary lettering, where some of the words drifted off. This can't be it. He refurled it to unfurl again, before turning it upside down and to the other side while Yusari examined the older scrolls. "There was a fortress along the desert wall," he bit. "How have there been no solid reports? No movements of the ravagers?" He smacked the scroll against the stack. "All it's been is light mentions of discontentment in the Teboran leadership." As monarchs do. He scowled, but stopped to take a closer look at its parchment.

"It is strange," Yusari said. "This one mentions it... something about attacks on magick, but that they're still investigating the rumours."

Yuven lifted his head. "Attacks on magick?"

Captain Yusari pursed her lips. "I can only guess, it must've been serious for them to break the neutral rule."

He brushed his thumb against his scroll. Energy sizzled at his fingertip, and he stepped back from the stack. This isn't it. He allowed his magick to hold it up in front of him, and lit a fire of white in his palm. This one feels heavy, like this parchment's purpose wasn't to be written on. He fueled the flames with his embers, and lit the unfurled scroll to bathe in flames. Yusari watched, but made no move to stop him as he allowed the embers to tear away the truth.

Burnt away, he grabbed the layer underneath, which hid a note, a piece of someone's journal entry. He waved his flames away to read it:

"I don't know if someone will read this, but it's my hope that there is some explanation to what has happened here. It was worse than we thought. Magick was not the cause of this kingdom's grievances, but who were we? Nothing more than invaders to them. We barely leave Lyzetiel fortress. We tried to send messages down the wall, but... it all disappeared. It's like someone has snapped our lifeline.

Our supplies are low. We risk attacks if we leave to resupply from the inner kingdom, but I look on the fields towards the desert, and hear them. I hear them in my blood. We have tried time and time again to warn the ruling leadership of the plight, but it has fallen on deaf ears.

My Wardens are tired. I'm tired. I've tried to send a runner out, but they closed the borders.

We're a cooking pot.

I can only hope this reaches the right hands in time. If nothing else, I know at some point Euros will send people... I just hope it's not too late.

I'm tired, and they're coming closer.

Standing Commander of the Teboran wall, Verien."

Yuven lowered the letter. "This is not good," he whispered, handing it to her. "I think that part of the wall was under attack by something."

"Derelicts?"

Yuven scowled. "No, by the ones they were protecting. Send message to Commander Faehariel." He tightened his leather straps. "Tell her a small team will be entering Tebora to check out the Anima disturbance and the lack of information from the wall." He brought a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose while Yusari collected the measly remains of the Storm Wardens cut off from their help. This is bad. Fifty Turns. Fifty Turns too late. They're dead. If the desert horde decided to attack with their supplies low... we'll be lucky enough to retrieve their oath necklaces. He clenched his fists as he grabbed the map of Tebora, leaving Captain Yusari to study the scrolls herself. They were too patient, waited too long. Gave the Teboran leaders too much ground and ability to undermine them.

They're going to find I'm not so kind.