Ch.25

Six months had passed since Clay arrived at the academy, seasons going by. It was what could be described as winter outside, only it never stopped snowing. Teams of mages went about clearing the streets only to have to come back later.

"Why is it snowing so much?" Clay asked.

"Ehh, every ten years we get what's called ever-snow and it just doesn't stop. No one knows why." John replied with a shrug.

"Huh."

"Ya, you hear there's a festival happening at the palace this week?" John asked.

"Oh that? Ya I was talking to someone about it. Are we gonna go?" Clay replied, he finished writing down the last thing in his book before getting up.

"Don't see why not. We could enter into the tournament in the team event. That might be fun," John said. "People from all over make the journey through the snow to see the fights."

A knock on the door caused both of them to look up and the door opened silently. Clays hairs raised on his neck, his hand shot out and snagged the blade levelled there.

"God dammit your lucky I didn't sever your arm Ella. You can't just appear behind us," Clay huffed, dropping the pole arm.

A chuckling Ella took a second to look around the room before responding.

"Just making sure you were aware. And please, it was a joke. The blade would be in you if I tried." She replied with a smirk.

"Funny huh?" Clay asked. "Turn around."

A crash could be heard as Ella was sent flying across the room by a wall of shadows.

"We both know I can control them to such a point that not even another shadow mage is capable of stopping them."

Getting up she shot Clay a glare that radiated pure malice. "Whatever, Hurry up."

"Where are we going?"

"The festival." She replied. Clay and John exchanged a look of confusion before she answered the unspoken question. "What. You didn't notice? Of course I heard the plans, and I think it'll be fun."

"Ya we do have a few weeks of break left." John said, laying in thought.

"Great, I'll tell the others!" She said walking through the shadows.

———————————————————————

A three week journey brought them from the edge of the empire and finally brought them to the palace.

"That's not a palace, that's a town in a single building!" Clay exclaimed marvelling at the sheer size of it. The building was shaped like an old church with four massive spires that rose so high the tips were lost in the clouds, a gate larger than the arc de triomphe loomed in front of them.

"So… what are we doing first?" Eric asked, gazing towards the sky.

"I need to speak to my uncle. Clay you come too." John said, motioning him over to an awaiting carriage. "Rest of you go to the silver goose, I made reservations for our stay under my name."

John and Clay stepped into the carriage and promptly took off without much protest from the others. A minute of silence with Clay gazing in awe at the magnificence of the building around him. "This is incredible, you really don't want all this?" He asked motioning around.

"No and you will see why when we speak to my uncle. It's been years and he's changed, the man I admired is gone, replaced by a shell. The church gained too much power within the court and he barely even runs this kingdom anymore." John stated he gaze freezing over, a light blue flame lit beneath the surface.

"So why am I here?" Clay asked his friend.

"Because of what you are."

"And what's that?" Clay asked, eyes piercing at the implication.

"A survivor."

"How….. How did you know!!" He asked, shocked. The shadows in carriage quivered

In reaction to Clay's surprise.

"Let's be real here, you, some kid from the middle of nowhere shows up at the capital and is stronger than the average soldier. People start asking questions. We both are lucky I found you first because almost every Nobel family has heard stories of the Survivors. Something they don't teach us in that academy, is that there was Survivors back in the great end."

"Wait… Was?"

"Yes, you can die permanently just no one quite gets how. The last of you went through the portal with blink. Or at least that's what the tales in the royal library say."

"Huh…." Clay's next question was cut off by the sounds of fighting and screaming.

"What is happening?"

"Rebels," John replied, quickly moving to the door of the carriage.

"What's?"

"Rebels, those very unhappy with my uncle's rule. They have grown more bold in recent years."

"Well that's….."

A shattering window made Clay pause as a round object hit the floor.

"GRENADE!"