The city of Halitos is quiet tonight as I stood perched on a rooftop admiring the stars, wondering what it would be like to go to the capital city. I sighed as I took a swig of my flask letting the burn of alcohol run down my throat with a wince.
         

   "That, dear Jana is enough for you sister." I groaned at the sound of his voice. Rowan stood over me with a disapproving stare and snatched the flask from my hands. I rolled my eyes at him pouting.
     

   "The stars are beautiful tonight Ro, how can I not enjoy a little drink underneath them." I grinned at him snatching the flask back and taking another sip.
          

The stars were indeed beautiful tonight. The moon was full and the sky was clear and the stars were gleaming making signs of an amazing night ahead. I'd always wondered what it would be like to be up there in the stars. I only wished Sam was here to see them with me.
But alas, he is not, he's out training with the other Raiders as Ro should be. I groaned as I tuned into Rowan talking again.
     

 "What you really should be doing, Jana is studying for the exam. The only way you'll become a raider is through that final exam! You know this and you've been putting it off for weeks!" Rowan complained but I sensed he wasn't done with me yet.
        

"Maybe I should get Sam up here and yell at you for the way you've been acting! You're creating a lot of trouble for us lately Jana. I need you to step up."
I stilled at the mention of Sam's name. If he knew I was slacking off then I was really in trouble. The Raiders were a group of many people who got to see the stars of Adras. If you weren't called upon to be a Raider in the first choosing ceremony, then you were sent to the Adrainian army where our mother and father will put you through hell.
          

Our mother is General Arryn Pethrice while our father is Commander Wyn Pethrice. Together they both raised us with an iron fist, nothing got past them in our younger years. They still loved us to the moon and back, just in their ways.
    

    If you are called upon to a choosing ceremony at the age of fifteen, then you are welcome to get chosen to be a Raider. The rest not chosen were sent to the army or other needs that they may need you for. Whether it be a scholar or a healer. If not called upon for those jobs you were free to choose your path.

Then there were the more wealthier people who were known as Royalty. The Royalty has twelve houses amidst the council of the king. The twelve houses are all high-fae in the capital city. They are the ones who put laws in our realms. But the main rulers of the realms are the gods and goddesses or as we call them the deities. There are eight realms in the capital of Adras, and each deity rules over a realm, all except for Halitos.            

Halitos is a lower realm where its home base to the raiders and the low fae and mortals. The only one who watches over this realm is Prince Alix, brother of the King of Adras, King Gayel Luceran.          

 In Oress, there's a lively desert city where traders sell spices and fruits to passing travelers. Goddess Galtia, the ruler, oversees the city from her palace. The wind whispers through the streets, connecting her to the people and the tales of the desert. Galtia's influence, a mix of grace and authority, shapes the bustling life of Oress. 

Marblis is the epitome of beauty and innovation! Cities in the clouds, powered by enchanting fae magic that propels flying cars through the ethereal sky. It must be a mesmerizing sight, even if our technology struggles to capture its true splendor.

Ulrus, the god of Truth, adds an intriguing layer to Marblis. As the divine judge, he keeps a vigilant eye on the realm, ensuring justice prevails. Brinestone, the unyielding prison, becomes a formidable reminder of consequences for those who stray from the path of truth. Mother says it's a sight to behold as our technology does not do it justice. 

Uolona, is the technological heartbeat of our world, with skyscrapers reaching for the sky and a grand library that houses the entirety of our history, even its most guarded secrets. The tomes within must be a treasure trove of knowledge, offering glimpses into the forgotten corners of our past.

Eris, the formidable Goddess of Knowledge, stands as the guardian of these secrets. One of the ancient deities who ruled alongside Zegona, she holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of our world. The technological advancements that emanate from Uolona must carry the imprint of Eris's wisdom, weaving the tapestry of progress with the threads of ancient knowledge.                    New Zephyr, a realm shrouded in darkness, a lawless expanse where Alea Mora, the ominous Goddess of Mind and Fear, reigns with an eerie authority. Crossing paths with her means opening the doors of your mind to her scrutiny, a chilling prospect for any who dare.

In this lawless domain, once deemed guilty of a crime, there's no turning back. The mere thought of venturing there on a mission sends shivers down the spine of even the boldest raiders. Assassins, thieves, and a thriving underworld, it's a place where danger lurks in every shadow, and the air is thick with the scent of illicit substances.

Yet, amid the darkness, New Zephyr reveals a paradoxical brightness. Exotic foods, tantalizing the taste buds, and a plethora of herbs for healers to investigate emerge as a silver lining. In the heart of chaos, there is an unexpected duality, a realm where fear and opportunity coexist, creating a unique and perilous tapestry.

I sighed deeply and looked up at Rowan who was glaring at me with disapproval. I rolled my eyes at him. "Brother no need to look at me with disapproval I already know everything about the exam. If you know that I have the smartest mind between us. Then you'd realize I don't need to study." I grinned at him. 

It's true, I was the one who was born with brains while my brother was born with good looks and brute strength. But he was smart in his own way. He knew more about strategy and geography than I did. While I was a history geek, wanting to know everything about our world Adras. There's so much still yet to learn and so little talked about. And then there was our older sister Kenia, who is a self-centered brat who took after our mother and father to join them in the Adranian army as a commander. She can be very beautiful as well, but she's cunning and cold-hearted. 

"Very well JR, then what is the first trial of the Raiders academy?" Rowan asked folding his arms across his broad chest. 

"You think you can outsmart me with that question?" I snorted, everyone knows that the trials of the Raiders are at random. Basing off your skills and magic, if you have any magic that is. 

"The trials are random brother, they are based off your skills and magic. They can also be quite deadly. If you're not well trained or careful,  this is not on the quiz." I sniped at him poking him at the ribs which he scowled at. 

"Fine, then how are tasks and missions given out? What would that entail?" He asked squinting at me. I took a sip of my flask before answering. 

Many tasks are small ones making sure each of our borders are intact or the realm's shields are covered. We try to keep the peace between Gods, High-faes, and Mortals. But there's not much conflict unless you're in the right realm for conflict. Realms can attack each other if the deity deems it necessary to attack. Alea Mora and Ulrus seem to have had many conflicts in the past. 

While missions you could be gone for days without a word unless of emergency. You don't know when you'll be back home, a lot of the missions include dealing with The Rakasha who are the enemies of Adras, King Jerarha ruler of the shapeshifting demons the Rakasha. They are the ones who seem to agitate the borders of the realms most of the time. But some of the Rakasha under King Jerarha's rule are kind, some are good, but the ones who would cause distress to our realms are the man-eaters, demonic creatures that have no humanity to their king. We call them the Fallen. Our mother loved to threaten us with them if we didn't eat our vegetables. We were scared out of our minds after that. 

Though, nowadays since the Realm war, they don't come out very often. It's as though they are planning something that we won't be prepared for. But, once me and Rowan were of age our parents left to go back to the army. I think they felt the oncoming storm as well. King Gayel tried to reason with Kinger Jerarha to stop the Fallen to ensure peace in Adras, but King Jerarha said the Fallen were out of his control for a reason he did not know. 

While I learned that certain information from history, I tried to look through the restricted section of our history, but nothing of what the Fallen might be hiding came up. It must be deeper in our history or lost forever in the void. I blinked out of my thoughts and looked up at Rowan who was staring at me with uncertainty. 

"The tasks are given out from the main commander of your squadron. Some are simple   mundane tasks like making sure the realm borders are intact or our shields are properly working at the main station." I paused to give Rowan a look who snorted at me     

"While, missions who knows what they can entail. They could be dealing with the Fallen or they could be retrieving deliveries from the different realms they could be given from your commander but mainly from the prince." I smirked at him while picking at my nails with disinterest.                                                                         

Rowan sighed at my disintrest. "You do seem to have been studying. But what's really going on is that you've been avoiding training, have you at all been training with Finnea? She's the best raider to be with, and first in her class too." 

I winced, I have been dodging Finnea and her training while convincing myself that mother and father had trained us well enough without needing anymore. 

"You know Finnea can teach you more than our parents. They don't know how the Raiders train. That's how the army trains, tomorrow morning I expect you to be in the training rink. You also need to practice your magic." He ranted off while I groaned once more, I hated training with magic. My magic is simple, I can use light magic and I have empathic abilities. That's it. When I came of age with magic at 15 I didn't show off anything special. But from Rowan's point of view is that he said that my magic showed with great power of light magic. 

"My magic can't be helped. I have the simplest kind of magic, that most of you will consider me a dud. You should know this Rowan." I said getting up and dusting off my leathers. I tucked my flask back into my satchel. My drinking night ruined with my brother's worry. "Jana, you know that I worry about you. But I also know that when we both came of age your magic showed to be the strongest. But that was until our mother gave you that herb to control it." Rowan said his brows furrowing in thought. 

"You mean Iphosley? It does seem to dim my magic a bit." I said as I felt nothing but my empathic ability and a little hum of magic that seemed to move around my skin. Ro nodded in confirmation. I didn't really know how our mother got her hands on such an herb. But if that's what dim's my magic... no I shouldn't. If Rowan is thinking the same he knows we shouldn't do it. 

"No, I'm not going to risk mom's wrath. You know how she is with me taking that herb. Remember when I was 15 years old and was going through a destructive phase?" I said shaking my head at him. Rowan nodded thoughtfully. "JR, if you want to survive the trials you're going to need full access." He ground out his green eyes sparking with excitement. I sighed as Rowan held a hand out to me as we climbed off the rooftop. I hopped to the ground taking his hand feeling a sting through my stiff ankles. 

"I don't know Ro, if my magic is as strong as you remembered I'd rather not draw attention to myself." I reasoned, its true, I'd rather keep my head down and just keep to the shadows. Avoiding anyone at all costs while my brother and sister shine before them. 

"Very well, I still expect you to try to train with magic tomorrow with Finnea. It'll be good for you I promise." He said cuffing a strong arm around my shoulders, as we strolled back to our apartment, his words lingered in the evening air like a promise waiting to be fulfilled. The anticipation of tomorrow's magical training session hung between us, a mysterious veil of possibilities. His strong arm provided both support and a sense of commitment, a tangible reminder of the magical journey we were about to embark on.