Weststar was a slightly more bustling city than Langerich with a much higher concentration of wizards. It was easy to get lost in the winding streets, and it didn't help when Darin had never really stepped foot into Weststar in the first place. Not recently, anyway.

"Do either of you know your way around?" Darin asked the swordsmen, glancing back at them briefly.

"What makes you think we would?" Noctifer raised an eyebrow. To his annoyance, Darin quickly looked away. He had been doing that often, ever since it was revealed he was an interrogator for the Alliance.

"You seemed to know the back roads quite well," Darin said, looking to the side at a few shops, "so I assumed you've spent a large amount of time in Ormath. Were you originally stationed here?"

"Look at me if you're talking to me."

Darin's attention snapped back to him, and the wizard gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. So you were originally stationed in Ormath? Are you from here?"

"I was."

A pause. "Is that your answer to one or both?"

"Both."

"Ah." Sensing the end of the conversation, Darin looked forward in favor of watching Argent amble ahead. "Should we ask a local, then? To direct us to where the mana potions are?"

Giving a sigh, the wizard once again avoiding eye contact, Noctifer decided to let it go this time. "Do as you wish."

"Indeed I will, then." He was about to call to Argent, telling the boy to return to him, but Iver laid a hand on his arm.

"I'll watch him," the elf assured, jogging ahead a few paces to keep up with the boy. It left Darin feeling uneasy, but he knew Argent wouldn't stray far once he realized he no longer followed. They had got to test the illusion spell's radius while preparing the array back in Rokor, and they had discovered that the radius was actually quite wide. But the further he was, the more mana is required to maintain it. He was lucky to have an affinity towards illusions, so it cost very little to begin with, but they couldn't risk Iver sensing it if they wandered too far from each other. At this distance, however, it was manageable. He couldn't keep Argent glued to his side forever, after all.

"Well?" Noctifer said, still standing next to Darin as the other watched Argent and Iver stop to look at something. "Don't you need your mana potions?"

"For once, you're right," he reluctantly agreed, and he moved to the side with his gaze set on a small cart. Before he could reach it, however, a commotion erupted from behind them.

"Halt! In the name of the Order of Ordephus!"

Darin spun on his heel with wide eyes, freezing as he saw soldiers with Ordephus' emblem embossed into their armor. They were heading straight towards them.

Darin bolted in the direction of Argent.

The Order of Ordephus. A specialty unit in the Alliance's army, proudly named after its founder, the father of magic and the one who saw the "evils" of the dragonkind. It specialized in searching for runaway dragonkind, along with those who tried to hide them. And it never ended well for either person if one was caught. Only one thought rang in his mind: They're here for Argent. But before he could move more than a few feet, another hand grabbed him and began dragging him down another alleyway. He could feel the trace—the one on his spellbook that the boy now carried—growing thinner as Argent was pulled away from him in the other direction.

"Noctifer!" Darin shouted, trying to pry his wrist free from the warrior's grip. "Let me go!"

"Keep quiet and keep running," Noctifer hissed back, his grip only becoming tighter as Darin continued to struggle.

"Wait! You don't understand!" Darin tried desperately. The illusion—it won't last like this! "I need to get back to Argent!"

"Iver is with him. He will be safe."

He didn't know if that fact was better or worse. The elf had never said an opinion on the dragonkind. How could he be sure that Iver wouldn't turn Argent in at the moment the illusion fell away? The thought terrified him, and he dug his heels into the ground. Noctifer stumbled back at that, nearly tripping over the wizard as he was forced to step backward. But the soldiers were quickly gaining, and he dodged into another alley, not caring if Darin was literally dragging behind him. Apparently, he was not, as he soon saw a brown head of hair keep pace with him as they made a u-turn.

"Why are we running, anyway?" Darin demanded. "Are they after you?" What on earth could the Order of Ordephus want with him? He's human, isn't he?

"Figure it out," Noctifer growled, finally letting go of Darin's wrist in favor of vaulting over a pile of crates. Darin was quick to follow, trying to focus on keeping the illusion—they were slowly inching nearer to where presumably Argent and Iver ran—and connecting various dots on why they were being chased in the first place.

An Alliance soldier. An interrogator. The Order of Ordephus. Slowly, everything clicked.

"You ran," Darin stated in awe. "You deserted from the Alliance! And not only that, from the Order of Ordephus! You were stationed near the border just below Téchivar, and that's why you wanted to avoid it at all cost!" Noctifer didn't answer, but he didn't need confirmation to know he was right. "Are you crazy?! You can't just run from the Alliance! How did you even last this long?"

"I didn't want to be part of something I no longer believed in."

The sentence alone could've meant many different things. So did he also think the dragonkind were wrongly oppressed? Was he more of an ally than expected? Did Iver think the same? He wouldn't get the opportunity to ask, however, as he felt his illusion begin to unravel. He needed to get to Argent now.

"What are you doing?!" Noctifer snarled, gripping Darin's arm this time as the wizard once again turned sharply towards where the soldiers were. "Do you think this is—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. The Order wrenched them apart and quickly restrained them, nullifying Darin's magic when the air spiked dangerously around them. Unable to fight back with his wrists restrained behind his back and a firm hand at the base of his skull, Darin could only follow pliantly along with Noctifer as they were hauled to the nearest cell. The trace had stopped moving.

Both stumbled forward as they were shoved into the cell, and the heavy iron door clanged shut behind them. Darin whirled around to face it, fully intending to blast it off its hinges if it weren't for the magic-resistant array around them, but a hand seized him by the collar. With a yank, he was pulled to the side, and Noctifer glared heavily down at him.

"What the hell were you trying to do?" he demanded, shaking Darin when the wizard only glared back. "Answer me!"

"Why did you drag me with you?" Darin shot back, managing to pry the warrior's fingers from his shirt and shoving back.

"Because you ran!" He was three seconds away from strangling the wizard himself, consequences be damned. "You ran towards Argent! I know we both have our secrets, and it was something I had come to respect, but whatever that was—" He swept his arm towards the door. "—Why did you run?"

"I—" Darin could hardly concentrate on words. He could sense every time the trace moved, and it was becoming erratic. It was as if Argent was dodging in and out of sight. Did he know the illusion was fading? Was Iver still with him? Did the elf intend to protect the branded boy as he had vowed to do? Unable to stand it any longer, he marched to the door again, barely restraining a snarl as Noctifer held him back once again.

"Now where are you going?" Noctifer didn't react to Darin's near-murderous expression, instead, regarding the wizard's actions carefully. There was something he wasn't telling him. Something that had to do with Argent.

"Out of here."'

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Noctifer asked smartly.

"If you won't help me, fine," Darin snapped. "But don't you dare stop me."

Despite the wizard's obvious fury, Noctifer could see the fear and desperation beneath it. And the mask was quickly breaking as Darin continued to struggle against his grip. He quickly readjusted his hands to Darin's shoulders, keeping him firmly in place.

"Darin, look at me," he said. "I will help you, but you need to tell me why. Isn't Argent safe with Iver?"

The mask broke. He could feel Darin trembling. "No . . ." The wizard shook his head violently, once again trying to step back. "You don't understand. I promised I would—" He bit his tongue, unable to finish the sentence. The illusion was barely intact.

"Then tell me." Noctifer gave a frustrated sigh when Darin remained silent. He removed his hands from the other's shoulders, deciding it best to give the wizard space this time, but to his surprise, Darin didn't move an inch. Was he wanting to talk then? Although Darin had—once again—turned his face away from him, he could still see the turmoil in his eyes. That was when he made a declaration. "I trust you with my life."

Darin's eyes snapped back to his, absolutely flabbergasted. What does that have to do with anything? Now knowing the wizard was listening, Noctifer proceeded on with his explanation.

"I was suspicious of you at first, and I still am to some extent since you keep every bit of information about yourself under lock and key, only giving out pieces when you deem fit. Even everything you have given freely has already been rehearsed until you had everyone reciting the same thing. Yet despite all that—" He sighed heavily. "—there's something about you that's undeniably good. And for that, I trust you. All I ask of you right now is that you trust me as well. Darin, why is Argent in danger?"

The wizard stayed silent for a long time after that, seeming to try to process everything he had just said. Many emotions crossed his face at once, but the turmoil remained constant. There was more to this story, he was sure of it, but for now, Argent's safety mattered most.

Darin finally took a breath to respond, his voice only barely above a whisper. "Argent is a dragonkind."

That was not what he expected. Noctifer was shocked, to say the least, as he slowly began to realize what exactly was at stake here. Not for himself, but for Darin and the boy.

"What?"

"I cast a glamour on him to cover his eyes and brand," Darin explained hastily, his words now almost flowing faster than he could speak, "and the farther I am from him, the more it fades. I couldn't—" He gulped. "He's just a boy. I couldn't leave him."

"Darin, harboring a branded dragonkind is punishable by death," Noctifer reasoned in vain. Darin had already committed the act. "You wouldn't even get a trial."

"I know that," Darin snapped, his eyes ablaze with conviction. "I knew what I was getting into the moment I took him on as my apprentice. But the Alliance and the damned Order of Ordephus has taken this too far!"

Noctifer couldn't deny that statement. It was the very reason he had deserted in the first place. All he could do was stare at the wizard for a long moment, trying to figure out the missing pieces to this tale. Everything seemed to have fallen into place by now. Darin didn't like how the dragonkind were treated, he found Argent, and then decided to save at least one of them. But then why . . . why was there so much guilt in his eyes? Why did it feel as if it wasn't that simple?

Well, he thought, rolling up his sleeves and walking to the door, I suppose that can be explained another time. "This isn't my first jailbreak, but you better be useful without magic, because I'm not dragging your carcass to safety again once you blast down this door."

Darin gave him a grateful smile, but it soon twisted into something more sharp and feral. "You might just be surprised."

It wasn't long until the duo were once again running through the streets, having long since leaving the jail in complete destruction and disarray. Apparently, whatever array they had used to restrain magic was an old one, and Darin managed to take out the whole wall and then some. Darin was lucky he didn't receive too badly of a backlash—to Noctifer's knowledge at least—as side-by-side they fought through the startled guards along with other escaped prisoners. Noctifer was mildly impressed, as Darin's skill with hand-to-hand combat was nothing to scoff at. It was a bit surprising, as most wizards would've had to study their entire lives to get to the level Darin was at, so where did he have the time to focus on anything else? It was another question filed away for later as he followed the wizard down the winding streets. A light rain had started and was slowly becoming heavier. Many began to run for cover from it, but Darin and Noctifer saw it as a blessing as the roads became mostly vacant.

"So what's this trace thing again?" Noctifer asked, following swiftly as Darin dodged around a corner.

"It's like a mental compass that tells me where something is and how far it is away from me," Darin explained. "It's a semi-permanent spell, only needing to be renewed every few months, and I usually put it on all of my important belongings such as my bag and spellbook. In this case, I'm following my spellbook since that is what Argent has on him. It should lead us to them."

"How far is it now?" Noctifer huffed.

"Not far, just around this—"

They both skid to a stop as the road led into an open space.

It looked to have been a market center at one point, but every slot was vacant of a cart or tent. Instead stood soldiers, all around the edges, forming a wide circle that none would be able to escape from. To the side, they could see Iver, restrained and kneeling on the ground with a hand nullifying his magic. Panic welled up in Darin when he didn't spot Argent anywhere near the elf, and it only became worse when he did see where the boy was.

Slightly elevated above the rest stood King Ragvnarch himself, Darin's spellbook in hand. Argent was bound before him, one eye still brown while the other shone a bright silver, and the brand contrasted harshly with the boy's pale skin: A weeping dragon with its horns cut off and the symbol of Ordephus emblazoned on its head. Neither Noctifer nor Darin struggled as they were apprehended on sight. There was no use running.

"Which one of you is the caster of this spell," the king asked as the two of them were brought before him.

"I am," Darin confessed before anyone else had time to speak.

"Darin—" Noctifer pulled against the guards holding him, only for them to retaliate by forcing him further away from the wizard. Darin never spared him a glance as he continued.

"I casted the illusion spell to hide his eyes and brand."

King Ragvnarch gave him an amused smile, understanding that Darin knew nothing could be done to save him. His fate had been already sealed. "And what have you to say about the rest?"

"They knew nothing of it until now. The secret was mine alone."

"So you take full responsibility?"

"Yes."

"Good." He motioned for the soldiers to take the rest away, leaving Darin and those restraining him in the center. Once done, he slowly drew his sword and approached with even steps. "By the orders of myself, King Ragvnarch, at one of the heads of the Three Kingdom Alliance, the elf and the human will await trial, and the vermin will be sent back to wherever it came from. You, wizard, are hereby sentenced to death for harboring a branded dragonkind. Do you have any last pleas?"

Nothing.

"Then may Druuo judge you in kind." He looked to the soldiers at Darin's sides. "Make him kneel."

Not even sparing the wizard a gentle touch in his final moments, the soldiers harshly forced him to his knees, and he winced when his head was pulled back by his hair, exposing his throat. From the corner of his eye, he could see his companions, ones he had grown fond of despite his solitary lifestyle. Argent struggled fiercely, begging for them to let him go while tears streamed down his face. Iver looked on in anguish, unable to comprehend what had brought them to this moment. And contrary to the other two, Noctifer stood solemnly, bowing his head in thanks. He understood that sacrifices had to be made for something to change. There were many martyrs before Darin, but something told him this was the last straw before the scales tipped in their favor, being weighed down by the blood of the wizard. Power buzzed in the air as the rain poured relentlessly.

Noctifer watched as Darin stared into the face of his executor as the sword's tip was placed at the side of his neck. There was no fear in his expression. Only resolve. This wasn't the resolve of a dead man, however; this was the resolve of a survivor. The king then leaned closer, muttering something to Darin with a wide grin. For a brief moment, something red flashed in Darin's eyes as they widened in alarm and confusion, but Noctifer would never get the chance to contemplate it. It only took one swipe for red to spill down the wizard's shirt.

They all watched helplessly as the body fell to the ground, motionless, and Argent's scream soon followed with the deafening strike of a lightning bolt.

"DARIN!"

And all was bright for a moment.

Once Iver's ears had managed to stop ringing and his eyes had cleared, he became fully aware of the chaos. Another bolt hit a nearby building, showering the square with debris. Soldiers scattered everywhere, trying to shout over the torrents of rain and howling wind.

"Argent?" He struggled to his feet, realizing he was no longer being held down but was knocked back to his knees by someone barreling into him. "Noc?!"

He startled when someone grabbed the back of his shirt, hauling him to his feet. He swung back at his captor out of instinct, only for his fist to be caught in the other's hand.

"It's me," Noctifer said, pulling the elf further away from the panic.

Iver gave a sigh of relief before giving the warrior a rueful look. "Darin . . . did you—"

"I've already checked the body." He shook his head with a pained grimace, giving Darin's spellbook to the elf. "He was dead within seconds."

"Then what about Argent?" Now knowing that the wizard—may the gods see his kind soul and welcome him into Eten—couldn't be helped, his focus shifted to the man's apprentice. Darin had risked his life to protect him, and he will not turn his back on the boy now. He skirted around the edge of the crowd, Noctifer close behind, continuing to call out for the boy. "Argent! Argent, can you hear me?"

"Iver!" came a weak cry to his right. Noctifer heard it as well and immediately dove back into the crowd to clear a path. The warrior had since grabbed a sword that was tossed carelessly to the ground and would fight off any soldier that realized they were there. It seemed the first bolt had struck the king's platform, hence why none paid much attention to them, but that was quickly changing the further they got. Iver dodged under a sword as it came down upon him, staying crouched long enough for Noctifer to take care of the soldier. The platform was clear to him for a brief second: Bodies laid all across it as the wood itself was charred and threatening to collapse. Near the side was Argent, pinned down as two fully armored soldiers had fallen atop of him, struggling to get free from the crushing weight.

"He is over there!" Iver shouted to Noctifer, barging forward at his first given chance.

"Your turn," Noctifer said, thrusting the sword's hilt into Iver's hand. The elf nodded, understanding what the other meant, and kept the soldiers at bay as Noctifer hauled the lifeless bodies off the boy. The boy, however, cried out in pain as soon as Noctifer tried to lift Argent to his feet. Wordlessly, the swordsmen swapped places once again.

"Where does it hurt?" Iver demanded, briefly holding Argent in place as the boy tried to stand.

"Darin—" The boy clutched at his side, but still tried to surge forward. "We gotta get to Darin!"

"Argent," Iver pulled the boy back, trying not to disturb what he suspected were broken ribs and shaking his head. "Listen to me, Noctifer already checked, and there is nothing we can do—"

"No!" Talon-like claws dug into Iver's arms as he continued to restrain the boy, but he remained unrelenting. "He's not—he can't be—"

"Iver, we need to go!" Noctifer urged, parrying a strike before kicking the attacker away.

Iver didn't like the idea of moving Argent without knowing his full condition, but he knew they couldn't stay here any longer. In a single motion, he picked the boy up in his arms, giving the spellbook for Argent to hold—it was only right for the boy to have it—and began running behind Noctifer. All the while Argent cried, both in physical and emotional agony, as he continued fighting against Iver and crying out for his mentor.

"We have to go back!" Argent hit the elf's chest in frustration. "You can heal him!"

"Argent, I cannot help the dead," he stated firmly before softening his voice. "I am sorry . . . There is nothing I can do for him, now. We can only wish his soul a safe journey to Eten, where we, too, can see him again."

The boy only continued to sob, burying his face into the elf's shoulder.

I swear to you, Darin, the elf silently prayed, holding the grieving boy close, we will protect Argent as you had protected him, and we will fight against this cycle of hate until our last dying breath. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, my friend. May Eten greet you kindly.

The wheels of change had been set in motion.

And the storm had arrived.

Word count: 3845