The Storm We Start || Book One

Chapter Twenty: Another Enemy?

"I'm glad we finally got to have that duel," Ordephus said after sheathing his sword, sitting heavily on the ground with a groan and grasping blindly at his waterskin next to him. Once he found it, he took a long drink. "But I can practically hear Ventura scolding me at how much I've neglected my training."

"You are by no means an amateur, either," Iver assured, taking a seat next to him—albeit less out of breath—and taking a drink out of his own waterskin. "Once you get your endurance back up, I doubt I would be able to stand up to you for very long."

"I'll have to reluctantly agree with Iver," Noctifer piped up from the stone wall he was leaning against. Argent sat next to him on the wall with his legs dangling down. One ankle was firmly wrapped with bandages Ordephus had retrieved when he went into a town nearby, using a glamour to hide his features. This one had blond hair and blue eyes, something that didn't stand out too much in the region (They were along the border of Loten and Paraglia, apparently), but Argent had insisted Ordephus removed the glamour when at the tower. It was no trouble for him since he had an affinity towards illusions, but he couldn't quite fathom why the boy would prefer his original hair and eye color. "You live up to your title as a Prince of Nimn."

"My, my. Aren't we getting better at compliments," Ordephus needled, lying back in the shade of the tree.

"It could return to insults if you'd like."

He wisely kept his mouth shut at that. Instead, he motioned to the swordsmen idly. "You two can go ahead and do your own dueling and training. I'm going to take a break."

Noctifer only snorted in response, pushing himself off the wall as Iver nodded and headed back into the open field. They were all off to the side of the tower, but not far enough to go past what Ordephus said was a barrier that kept this place hidden from the rest of the world. It felt a bit restrictive, considering they were on the open roads just a week before, but they all weren't ready to face what had become of Weststar just yet. Ordephus had informed them—after he returned—that Amaredeia was in an uproar as to what had happened, and the three of them were wanted with the Order of Ordephus looking high and low for them. It was still believed "Darin" was dead, at least, but there was a fourth identity on the wanted list. A powerful wizard without a face or name, but was widely thought of as the one who slaughtered an entire force.

So in short, every one of them was wanted.

Ordephus sat up with a sigh after a few minutes, casting Argent a small grin. "So, have you gotten the chance to practice your affinity at all?"

"A little bit," Argent shrugged with a frown, "but I can't seem to use it very well anymore. Like before, it was super easy for me to summon lightning, but now I can barely get a spark." He held out his hand to demonstrate. It was slow to develop, but gradually, a fizzling sound started radiating from the air around his palm before little streaks of electricity danced between his fingers. It was short-lived, however, and he lowered his hand in defeat. "See?"