“I must ask you to consider the consequences of such an action,” Tymo said. “Your mastery of Augmentation will slow to a grinding halt. You will lose all access to our teachings. I will personally inform Guildmaster Xilarion of your irreverence and your inability to follow instructions. Would you all run such a risk for this threat that seem to take so seriously?”
“In a heartbeat,” I replied. “I didn’t get this far by playing it safe.”
“And you are all in agreement with Ethan?” Tymo asked my friends. “You would lay aside the tools necessary for mastery to follow him in his folly? You run the risk of abandoning the Wandering Path, Swordslinger. At the very least, think of your friends and their own development.”
“Ethan’s never led us astray before,” Kegohr rumbled. “He’s not about to start.”
“Even you, Master Faryn?” Tymo said, almost pleading. “Would you abandon our monastery to follow him? Have your feelings for the Swordslinger clouded your better judgement?”
Faryn joined my side and laid a hand on my shoulder. “I’d follow him into the depths of hell itself, Master Tymo. I trust his judgement. Can you not offer the same trust?”
Tymo's expression darkened. “I cannot. I serve the Wandering Path above all.”
“Then allow it to take us away from you,” Kumi said. “It has run its course here.”
Pride flooded through me as my friends stood at my back. I couldn’t have asked for better support through my training, my fights, and confrontations like this one.
“I will not stoop so low as to fight you on this,” Tymo said. “But if this is truly your decision, so be it. I will inform Xilarion and the guild that you have abandoned your training.”
“You do that,” I said. “There’s a corpse on the stairs. He died to bring news to us. If you need any more proof of the importance of this mission than that, I have nothing more to say to you.”
Tymo stood to the side. Subtle disgust curled his lips into a sneer as I walked straight past him. The tension in the air built as I led my friends through the main hall, the soft light of the enormous room flickering. I pushed the front doors open on their massive hinges, and crisp mountain air washed over me as I took a deep breath and strode down the front stairs of the monastery.
I didn’t look back.
“Ethan, explain,” Faryn said. “What’s happened?”
“Give her the scroll, Vesma,” I said. “Wysaro Castle is under attack. Whoever gave this to the messenger must have sent it at least a day ago. If it’s true, then there could be demons running rampant throughout the valley right now.”
We pressed on through the Vigorous Zone, each of us grappling with the consequences of leaving the Dying Sun Monastery behind and what we might discover at Wysaro Castle. Mahrai, of all people, was the first to finally voice her thoughts.
“I’m all for leaving those old bastards behind,” she said, “but didn’t you want to train with them in the first place? Couldn’t you learn more if you’d stayed longer?”
“Every one of us learned something new, and the basics on how to grow stronger,” I answered. “You’re right. We could stay longer and continue to refine our techniques. But we’ve already got everything we need for a fight, and there’s nothing to say we can’t continue to learn ourselves.”
“And you’re not about to stay cut off from the world if someone needs your help,” Kumi confirmed. “Who is this Cinder? Do you know her, Faryn?”
“One of the nieces of Jiven,” Faryn said as she skirted around a stone cairn. “She built the clan back from chaos almost single-handedly, and she was the one noble that presented Radiant Dragon with a peace offering to rebuild trust. She’s currently the highest ranking clan member.”
“Smaller girl, dark hair, pale skin?” I asked.
“Yes,” Faryn said.
“I think I saw her at the exhibition match.”
“Yes, that would have been her.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” Kegohr asked as he rolled up the hastily scrawled letter. “The letter said, ’They’ve taken the castle.’”
“Hard to tell,” I said, “but if my experience is anything to go by, I think it’s the missing monks. It could be the Unwavering Shadows Cult, but this feels like something bigger.”
“It took Saruqin months to summon a demon army,” Mahrai said, “so what you’re saying seems to follow. We’re going into a tough fight, either way.”
A tense silence fell over the party as we made our way down the mountain path to the fast-flowing river beneath. Sunlight drifted over the mountains, and it was mid-morning before I called a halt for rest. Kumi refilled the waterskins while I gathered everyone in a small semi-circle. They watched me carefully as I outlined my plan of attack.
“Here’s the situation as we know it,” I began. “The Wysaros sent me a letter asking for help. It sounds as if demons have overrun Flametongue Valley’s best fortress and that the Wysaros, at least, are in danger, if not already dead. But we don’t know how far the demons have gotten. I don’t see anything on fire just yet, but that might be about to change.”
Vesma grimaced. “So, you’re suggesting we split up.”
“Nah, nah, nah. We’re stronger together,” Kegohr said. “If we need to hit Wysaro Castle, the more of us there are, the better it’ll be.”
“Xilarion needs to know about this,” I said, “if he doesn’t already. The guild will need someone to explain the situation to them. They’ll need leaders, healers, and experienced disciples to help back them up.”
“So, we split into two groups,” Faryn said. “One goes to the castle, the other to Wysaro City to warn the guild and the people. It’s a good plan, but
