Arturo stood motionless on the edge of the battlefield, having observed the conflict. The amount of destruction the Ashtari had caused shocked him. Seeing the battle between power users was one thing, but witnessing power users against ordinary people had been nothing more than a slaughter.

  There had been no mercy or chance of victory for Eshil Domain once the Ashtari arrived. The battlefield was littered with bodies and blood. Part of him wished he hadn’t seen this fight, and another part was glad he did. When the Durmaddon’s forces invaded, he would be sure to avoid power users whenever possible. No army in the world could touch a group of power users, not without their own, and he would not let his men be slaughtered as Eshil Domain's were today.

  In the many battles he had fought, this was the bloodiest. For the first time, he found himself concerned about the invaders. They would have power users; would the battles be like this? Unrecognizable corpses? How could one fight against that?

  During Talon’s rescue, Arturo lost fifteen soldiers. One of them had been a Forest Dweller. The other fourteen were spread among the other nations, though he didn’t know the exact number. Eight had been wounded and were healed by the Ashtari. Tarmon had watched the Ashtari healers closely and thought he might have found a way to improve his healing.

  Now the Ashtari were scouring the battlefield, healing the wounded from both sides. Once Harold told his men to stand down, the fighting had stopped. Arturo was grateful for that. At least Talon hadn’t tried to enact revenge for his kidnapping. He had worried the king of Azzellia might kill most of Eshil Domain’s forces.

  One thing he was certain of was that Dorvan Minishota was an Ashtari. How his friend had discovered he could use the power, only time would tell. He wanted to speak with him but hadn’t found the time. He hoped to do so before the Ashtari left.

  “I thought legends were strong,” Achillion said, breaking his silence. The usual playfulness was gone from his demeanor. “But this? This makes us look weak.”

  “This is why Mortham Tower was formed,” Jen said. There was no telling what she felt about this whole situation. Her face was stoic. “To ensure something like this never happened again.”

  Look how that turned out. Arturo thought. It had been so long since the power was used in war that he imagined nobody understood what it meant. From this moment on, the battlefield would never be the same. Would this be a good or bad thing?

  “Fewer lives were lost thanks to the Ashtari,” Eurisha said. Out of everyone watching the battle, she had been impressed and didn’t seem to mind the slaughter. The other Forest Dwellers didn’t appear phased either. “Imagine how many more lives would have been lost if this battle had played out like so many others.”

  “But at what cost?” Jen said, turning her attention to Eurisha. She brushed her red hair out of her eyes. “The other nations will look to form their power users, assuming King Talon doesn’t conquer them first.”

  There was no chance the other nations could get an army of power users in time to defend against the Ashtari. Not unless the mages helped. Arturo was curious about how the situation would play out. “What’s done is done. The Ashtari will be needed for Durmaddon’s forces. I anticipate we’ll be dealing with power users on the battlefield once they arrive,” Arturo said.

  “You’re right,” Achillion said.

  “It’s not right,” Jen said.

  “I know how you feel,” Tarmon said, standing next to Jen. “What I saw today disgusts me, yet Arturo is correct. When the invaders arrive, they’ll bring their power users. I fear this won’t be the last battle where power users dominate the field.”

  “I know,” Jen said softly. “If only things could be different.”

  “I’m with you,” Tarmon sighed and scratched the back of his head. “You have to agree that the current rules of using the power are too strict, right?”

  “Yeah, I do,” Jen said. “But to use them in battle? I wish this didn’t have to happen. Dealing with a foreign army’s power users is one thing. But now? I can’t help feeling that the world changed today and I’m not sure it’s for the better.”

  “On that, we both agree,” Tarmon said.

  “Everything changes after today,” Arturo said. This was bound to happen one day. That was how the world worked. An era of peace, then an era of war. An era of the power being restricted to non-violence, and now the power was back in war. The cycle would continue like this until the end of time. At least, that’s what he believed. “It’ll be interesting to see how the mages react once they hear about this battle.”

  Tarmon watched Talon, who was walking beside King Harold. “What do you think Talon is going to do to Harold?” Tarmon asked.

  “Talon will force Harold to submit to him,” Jen said.

  Arturo snorted and shook his head. “That’s obvious.”

  “I wasn’t finished,” Jen said dryly. “This isn’t going to be a simple peace agreement. I would bet my life that Eshil Domain will follow Talon’s orders, but I don’t think Talon will declare Eshil Domain as his.”

  “Why do you think that?” Arturo asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier for Talon to expand Azzellia?”

  “Not unless he wants to deal with rebellions,” Jen said. “There would be more problems than he wants to deal with. At least, that’s how I think Talon will approach this, unless he wants to conquer all of Aidris.”

  “If you think about it, Talon has two other nations working with him: Vandalor and now Eshil Domain. What’s to stop him from sending his Ashtari to Malvarian or Skahad?” Tarmon said.

  “I don’t think the mages will let Talon enter either nation,” Achillion said.

  “There could be a war between Talon and Mortham Tower,” Eurisha added.

  “That’s what I fear,” Jen said so quietly that Arturo wasn’t sure he was meant to hear.

  “We should leave soon. Carhan is still a decent way from here,” Arturo said.

  “Why not speak to Talon now?” Eurisha asked.

  “Talon is busy. He was barely recovered a few hours ago and he was tortured in his captivity. It wouldn’t be smart to bother him, not until he’s had a bit of time to heal,” Arturo said.

  Jen punched him in the arm and grinned at him. “Perhaps you’re not a hopeless cause after all,” she said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Arturo asked.

  “Nothing,” Jen said innocently.

  “Whatever,” Arturo turned his back on the battlefield. “Let’s get going.”

  Forcing himself not to wince, Talon kept walking. The effects of his torture lingered, and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. His body craved it, yet he had to act strong for a bit longer. The Ashtari had finished healing the wounded. Not everyone could be healed; there were some unfortunate souls who were split in half or in a state that no healing could help. Those who lost an arm, leg, or anything else would have to move on without those limbs as the power couldn’t reattach or regrow limbs.

  Once the healing was done, Talon told Harold to return to Eshil Domain and await further orders. Harold simply bowed and called his army. They were gathering and should be leaving within the next few hours. Talon couldn’t detect any resistance in Harold, which made things easier for him.

  Talon had told Harold that he would take Evelyn under his wing once he recovered. If she could use the power, he would train her, or at least help her, assuming she didn’t try to kill him for what he did to her father.

  His guards had returned. Talon had sent most of them away, though he allowed Peitar and Arthur to stay. Both had apologized to him for their failures in protecting him. Talon reassured them that there was nothing they could have done and left it at that. His friends couldn’t have stopped the mages, and it was foolish to chastise them for something beyond their control.

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  So many lives had been lost today due to the mages' interference. Talon found himself curling his hands into fists the more he thought about it. He would have to make the mages pay for what they did. How he would do so would have to be determined in the future.

  “Your Grace,” Corvin said as he walked up and stopped half a dozen feet away. “I don’t have exact numbers, but we lost over a thousand soldiers in this fight. I should have an accurate count for you soon. I—”

  “You can give me the details in a few days,” Talon said impatiently. He didn’t want to listen to reports now.

  “As you wish. Do you need anything?” Corvin asked.

  At least the commander didn’t give him the 'I-told-you-so' speech about backup plans. Talon wasn’t sure what he would have done if Corvin had done that. “Make sure the men are ready to travel back home,” Talon said.

  “Are we going through portals or by normal travel?” Corvin asked.

  “By portals,” Talon replied.

  “Very well. I’ll have the men ready to depart within a few hours,” Corvin said.

  “Good,” Talon walked off. He didn’t have the patience to talk about small details like this. Most of his soldiers were already at camp, staring at the Ashtari, who were standing by themselves, away from the soldiers.

  There was no missing the curiosity in the soldiers as they stared at the Ashtari. Talon didn’t need to listen to hear to know they were talking among themselves about the Ashtari, wondering who they were and why they fought. It wouldn’t be long before all of Aidris knew about his power users.

  Even if Talon told every soldier to keep quiet, word would get out. Whether on purpose, talking to a loved one, or through alcohol, the soldiers wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut, and there was no purpose in threatening them. He had come to this fight knowing the outcome. Now he had to prepare for any reaction the mages might have, though he should have a couple of weeks at least. It would take time for word to spread, and the mages would have to gather their numbers before making any moves.

  A new thought did come to Talon. One he hadn’t considered until he saw a few soldiers looking at his Ashtari with disgust. What would his people think about his power users? Some would hate them and others would like them, but what ratio of his people would approve? Big changes like this could have unintended consequences. The mages had spies everywhere, and with this recent move of his, perhaps some of his commanders would spy for the mages. It was another thing he would have to worry about.

  He walked over to the Ashtari, who stood straight once he got close. Talon looked over them all. Some looked sick at what they had done. Others looked proud, and some he couldn’t tell how they felt.

  “You all did well,” Talon said, stopping for a moment as his vision blurred once more. Just a little longer, then I will get the rest I need. He shook his head slightly to clear the blurriness and continued. “Aurora, come here.”

  The young woman walked through the small crowd of Ashtari and stopped in front of him before bowing. “You showed real leadership in a time of crisis. I thank you for saving me,” Talon said and watched her stand up straight. “I want you to organize the Ashtari and return to the School of Power, except for five. You can pick the five to remain. One of the five will need to be a healer, and the ones remaining will be my personal guard.”

  “As you command, Your Grace,” Aurora bowed again.

  “Send the five you choose to my tent. I’ll be in there until I am ready to depart,” Talon said. He walked towards his tent and could feel his men staring at him. He ignored their stares and kept moving. He only had to endure this exhaustion for a little longer, then he could finally sleep and recover from this mess.

  Dorvan watched Talon walk off and wondered what the king thought about the battle. Killing people with the power had disgusted him far more than he’d expected. His stomach churned each time he thought about what he had done. The battle to save Talon had been horrific, yet this one was worse. He couldn’t get the sight of a young man staring at him with wide eyes, moments before being struck by lightning and his flesh burning, out of his mind.

  He almost heaved right there. How any of the Ashtari could celebrate what they did... Dorvan took a deep breath, willing the nausea to go away. There was nothing to be done about what he had done now. Thousands lay dead, and he was partly to blame. Was this what he was going to be doing? Would he have no choice but to continue killing people?

  Badarus had sacrificed his life so Dorvan could live. Was that sacrifice worth it? Dorvan hadn’t had much time to think about it. He had gone from one battle to another, but now it was hitting him.

  “All right, you heard the king,” Aurora said, snapping Dorvan out of his thoughts. “Tol’Solie, you’re the best healer among us. Tend to Talon’s wounds and listen to him.”

  “Talon should be so lucky,” Chesmarn said.

  “Enough,” Aurora said sharply. “You’ll be one of his guards. Afflon, Lewis, and Khalia, you will go as well.”

  “Why me?” Chesmarn asked.

  “It’s an honor to be chosen for such a task,” Aurora said. “Now get going. I imagine Talon isn’t in the mood to wait.”

  Dorvan was surprised Aurora had chosen Lewis. He was the one who could project weapons out of thin air. He was relieved not to be chosen. Facing the king after this wasn’t a good idea. Part of him wanted to yell at Talon, while another part wanted to avoid him altogether. What made this worse was fighting against people of Aidris, not the invaders.

  “As for the rest of us, it’s time to return to the School of Power,” Aurora said.

  “Wait,” a voice said, coming from behind.

  It was a voice Dorvan recognized. He turned and found himself staring at a large man with a giant sword strapped to his back. How? “Arturo?” Dorvan asked.

  “You know Arturo?” Aurora asked.

  “Yeah, I do,” Dorvan said and walked towards him. “Give me a minute, I’ll be right back.”

  Aurora sighed and nodded. “Take a few minutes and come back. We need to leave soon.”

  “I know, thank you,” Dorvan said, flashing her a smile before turning his attention back to his friend. He motioned for Arturo to follow and they walked twenty feet away from the other Ashtari.

  “How are you alive?” They both said at the same time.

  That made Dorvan laugh, though Arturo only smiled meekly. “I’ll go first,” Dorvan said. By Tarmella’s grace, did it feel good to see Arturo again. The man had gotten bigger, yet he was the man he remembered. He wondered if he was the fifty-man slayer. “I discovered the power when the invaders were about to kill me. That saved my life, which eventually led me to join the Ashtari.”

  “I see,” Arturo said, taking a look at the Ashtari before turning his attention back to Dorvan. “I was lucky to escape myself, but that’s a story for another time. Why don’t you come with me? Join my army, it would be good to fight together.”

  “Join your army?” Dorvan asked. He hadn’t expected Arturo to be leading people.

  “Yeah, no reason for you to fight for the Ashtari when you can help me. We could use you and it would be great to catch up,” Arturo said.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t,” Dorvan said. If Arturo was upset by his answer, he didn’t show it. “The Ashtari are my people and I can’t leave, not right now.”

  Arturo nodded and rubbed the back of his head. “I understand. Well, if you change your mind, come find me.”

  “Wait!” Dorvan said. This was not the reunion he had expected. “Are you the only survivor? I never returned as I had assumed everyone had died.”

  “Jen’s alive,” Arturo said and turned his back on Dorvan. “I don’t want to keep you or get you into trouble. Know that I am glad you are alive, but I’ve got to get going. Maybe, when things settle down, we can have a real talk.”

  “Yeah, all right,” Dorvan said in a defeated tone. “Be safe out there.”

  Dorvan watched his friend walk away. There was something wrong; Arturo wasn’t his usual self. He would have expected his friend to be happier to see him, but he was distant. There’s nothing I can do right now. Dorvan hated himself for that thought, for he would have liked to help his friend, yet knew he couldn’t. Dorvan walked back to the Ashtari.

  “It’s time to return home,” Aurora said once Dorvan got back.

  He took one last glance at Arturo, who was nearly out of sight. Aurora and a few other Ashtari created portals through which the Ashtari walked. He stepped through the portal. He had never thought to see the familiar temple, trees, and students training again. It was a beautiful sight.

  “About time!” Qidan said, appearing out of nowhere. Dorvan could see the stress etching out of the man as he stopped in front of Aurora. “What happened?”

  “Our mission was a success,” Aurora said. “Talon was rescued, and Eshil Domain was crushed. Harold has been sent home and will work with Azzellia to help against the invaders.”

  Relief washed over Qidan, and he took a couple of steps back. “You did well. You all did,” he said.

  “Do you have any orders?” Aurora asked.

  Qidan laughed, and Dorvan felt like joining him. What orders could they be given now? “You’ve done more than enough. Enjoy some well-deserved rest. I’m sure you’ll be needed sooner than you expect,” Qidan said.

  “I’ll give you a full debrief later if that works?” Aurora asked.

  “You told me the important parts, you can fill me in later,” Qidan agreed.

  With a loud cheer, the other Ashtari broke off. Aurora stood still for a moment before nodding and walking towards the temple. Dorvan followed and tapped her shoulder. “Can we talk?” he asked.

  “Of course,” Aurora said with a bright smile. “What do you need?”

  “Need?” Dorvan asked confused, then chuckled. She had taken on such a burden leading the past few days that she was still in commander mode. “Nothing like that. I was curious how you felt about the battle we just had.”

  “Ah,” Aurora said. “I take it you’re thinking about the dead?”

  “Yeah…” Dorvan felt his stomach starting to act up but he forced himself to continue. “What we did wasn’t right. So many people... Killed by our hands. I can’t stop thinking about the lives we snuffed out. People who had no chance to defend themselves.”

  “What we did was a necessary evil,” Aurora said. She put her right hand under his chin and lifted his head to meet her gaze. “This was our first but not our last fight. The invaders will come and we’ll have no choice but to do this again. Despite the carnage, we saved lives today. If we hadn’t arrived, the fight would have ended with thousands more dead from both sides.”

  Dorvan couldn’t tear his gaze away from Aurora. She looked confident, as if she knew what they did had been correct. “How can you think that? I feel nauseous every time I think about the fight. Even now, I am on the verge of emptying my stomach.”

  “I’ve seen a lot of nasty things in my life,” Aurora let go of his face and took a step back. Her dark red eyes grew serious. “The world is changing. We’re leading the charge. All we can do is keep moving forward and prepare for what’s next. I suspect that will be Mortham Tower, and if we’re lucky, the invaders after.”

  Aurora was so secretive about her past that Dorvan wanted to ask her what nasty things she had seen. Yet he didn’t. She would tell him when she was ready, if she ever was. Instead, he nodded. “You’re right. I hope some rest will help,” he said.

  “It will,” Aurora said and started walking towards the temple.

  Dorvan didn’t follow, not for a minute. He wasn’t sure how he liked this change in the world, but he had to accept that change was happening. Much like Arturo, he had changed since the invaders attacked his home. He couldn’t leave, even if he wanted to. He had sworn himself to Talon and the Ashtari. All he could do now was sleep and prepare for the next mission. For Aurora was right about one thing. This wouldn’t be the last time he was called to battle.