She squared herself and clutched her sword as she crossed the boundary, and her stride faltered almost immediately. Lindon reached for her, but she stopped him, taking a few deeper breaths to steady her spirit.
“Shaky as a two-day calf,” she reported, “but on the sunny side, at least it won’t get worse.”
If Lindon’s spirit felt as though it had sprung a leak, hers lost power like a shattered wine bottle. In less than a minute, she felt as weak to his perception as a Lowgold.
Lindon couldn’t make himself comfortable with that.
“If we end up in a fight…” He trailed off. He didn’t want to remind Yerin of her master’s death, but on the other hand, the Sword Sage must have knowingly weakened himself by walking into this boundary field. He had risked his life and died for it.
And now they were repeating the same mistake.
Yerin raised her voice, addressing everyone. “I’ll break easier than a glass egg in there. I’m aiming to head in anyway, but I know that’s a rotten deal for you. Anybody wants me to stay here, I’ll do it.”
She sounded completely sincere, which once again surprised him a little. Part of him had expected her to insist that she could protect herself, no matter how weakened she became.
But that’s what she would have done when she was here before. It had been a long time since then. She had seen and done more in the last few years than many sacred artists did in their entire lifetimes. She had grown.
Like he had.
“Of course we’ll take care of you!” Mercy exclaimed. She sounded slightly offended.
Eithan beamed. “I have been covering for you all this time. The only difference now is that you’re aware of it.”
Ziel shrugged and kept walking farther in.
Even Little Blue gave an encouraging peep.
“You know I—” Lindon began, but she cut him off.
“I know,” she said. “Sun’s moving.”
Together, they moved toward the Heaven’s Glory School. Two or three hundred Akura Golds had massed behind them, but still hadn’t quite caught up yet. Dross reported that they were passing out communication constructs.
Before Lindon had gone far, they came upon a simple gate. It was only a six-foot-high wall of bricks, enough that any sacred artist could clear it easily, but a squat tower rose behind it.
There were no constructs anywhere that Lindon could feel, but a few basic scripts could repel madra and keep out Remnants when activated.
Each of them hopped over the wall with ease, even Yerin.
[This is perfect! There’s no one here. Maybe they’ll just let us walk on through.]
Lindon knew that he and Yerin had only escaped so easily the first time because her rampage had already drawn most of the combat-capable Heaven’s Glory members back to the school. This post should have been manned.
What had drawn them away this time?
They saw nothing and no one else remarkable until they reached a massive block building standing proudly in the snow. It was covered with scars where it had been glued back together, piece by piece. Scars marred a mural of the four Dreadgods that hung over the entrance, wiping out the top halves of the Wandering Titan and Weeping Dragon.
The last time Lindon had seen this place, it had been a pile of rubble. The Heaven’s Glory School must have spent a fortune in repairs. All things considered, they had done a good job.
The entire building had been fenced off and surrounded by boundary flags that would activate security measures if anyone broke the perimeter. The fence was just some wire stretched between wooden posts; a symbolic barrier to alert people to the presence of the script more than any real obstacle.
And to Lindon, that fence was the most substantial part of their defenses.
He walked up, gathering pure madra in his finger.
He flicked out the smallest amount of madra he could gather. It was no more a true technique than a mouthful of grass was a meal.
The script protecting the Ancestor’s Tomb shone too bright and then flickered out, overloaded by his power so that the runes tore apart the flags into which they were woven. Sparks of essence rose from some buried constructs that had burst under the influx of power.
“Do you draw satisfaction from kicking over the sandcastles of children?” Eithan asked.
Lindon ignored him, looking to Yerin, whose gaze was locked on the Tomb. She adjusted the position of her sword-belt too many times.
“Do you want to go in?” Lindon asked.
She shook her head. “Can’t stray off the trail. Once there’s no Dreadgod about to fall on us, then we can track my master’s footsteps.”
“Ah. I retract my objection,” Eithan said. “Kick as many sandcastles as you wish.”
A stranger stumbled out from behind a nearby tree, golden technique forming.
[Heaven’s Glory!] Dross shouted. [Get him, Lindon!]
The young man who faced them with a technique glowing in his outstretched palm wore an iron badge etched with an arrow. An Iron Striker. He wore a white and gold outer robe with a red sash; the uniform of a Heaven’s Glory disciple.
Lindon felt a strange fondness when he saw that outfit. It really had been a long time.
“They’re back!” the Iron shouted. He released a line of scorching golden light at Ziel.
The former Archlord kept on trudging through the snow.
Heaven’s Glory madra splattered against him like spit against a boulder. His clothes weren’t singed.
Ziel didn’t even glance at the man.
Lindon was frozen in shock by the Iron’s words. They had recognized him? How?
He had been gone for more than three years. He wore completely different clothes, had advanced seven times, and even lost an arm. In the first place, he had never known many people in the Heaven’s Glory School. Odds were, he had never met this man.
[Maybe it’s the badge?] Dross suggested.
While he was wearing the badge of an Unsouled, it was made from wintersteel, not wood. Had that one symbol really been enough to alert this lone Iron? Was Heaven’s Glory that vigilant against his return?
Yerin, who had physically changed at least as much as he had, shouted to the Iron who was staggering back from Ziel in shock and fear. “Oi!” she called. “How do you know us?”
The Iron turned to run, but turning was as far as he got.
Eithan was already behind him, standing out from the white surroundings in his stylish cyan silk. He smiled and seized the Heaven’s Glory disciple by the upper arms. “Relax, new friend!”
The stranger made a whimper like an animal with its leg caught in a trap.
Yerin strode over to him and snapped her fingers to get his attention. “Hey. Do you know my face? Did you draw swords on me before?”
There was anger in her voice, but Lindon was certain she wouldn’t hurt him, no matter how he answered. The Iron was only sixteen or seventeen, and he paled and shifted as though looking around for help. “This one didn’t see you! This one only happened to witness your friends.”
“More of them in the trees,” Ziel reported, as he continued to walk toward the sparse forest.
The hostage’s eyes lit up. “This one would be honored to take you to the school’s Elders. If you cooperate, this one is certain we could come to an understanding.”
For the first time, Lindon witnessed what it was like to hear someone weaker than him speaking too humbly. It was painful.
He felt a moment of shame for his past self.
“You mentioned that you saw our friends,” Eithan said casually. “Which ones? We’re very friendly people, you see.”
Lindon wondered if some of the Akura Golds had somehow managed to make it into the valley ahead of them.
“From…from last time,” the Iron said. He spoke uncertainly, as though he hadn’t understood the question. “The rest of you. Apologies, this one doesn’t know which ones, he saw only techniques of light and fire.”