It took Edmund’s entourage five days to complete all their preparations. For the purpose of this undercover journey, Edmund had been rather lazily renamed Edward, in case anyone slipped. Aristide, for much the same reason, became Aries. Their escort, twelve soldiers in total, were drilled relentlessly to use those names instead of Your Highness.

  Some struggled greatly, especially Damien and his fellow knights. Others, like Gualter, Elias, and Lyam, Edmund’s long-serving retainers, found it surprisingly easy to address the prince as Edward.

  With news arriving that Trinovantes was sending additional troops into their occupied territories of Ruscholt, the king scarcely had time to properly bid his sons farewell. His council demanded his immediate presence.

  “Remember,” he told them firmly, “you are there to observe, nothing more. Do not do anything that may expose your identities.”

  Edmund and Aristide bowed in acknowledgment. “We will do our best, Father,” they replied in unison.

  The king nodded once before hurrying back inside alongside his ministers.

  Meanwhile, it had taken Serena and Leif nearly as long to convince Idun to allow them to accompany Edmund. Their mother was all too aware of the Calyssians' deep-rooted prejudice against the Alvarynn. It was bad enough that they despised Aurelith and its royal family. To walk into their lands accompanied by a race they loathed just as much was tantamount to stepping straight into a fire.

  Fortunately, the two received rather unexpected assistance.

  They revealed it upon meeting the princes at the palace gates.

  “This is from Minos,” Leif said, producing a piece of deep blue cloth for himself, and one of crimson red for Serena.

  Aristide took the fabric, turning it over carefully in his hands. “And what, exactly, is this supposed to do?” he asked.

  “Minos said it would help conceal what we are,” Leif replied.

  “He said people will see us as human while wearing it,” Serena added.

  Aristide raised an eyebrow. “It’s just a cloak. With a hood. Are you sure Miss Idun allowed you to come because of… these?”

  “I suppose the hood would hide the ears,” Leif said with a shrug.

  “You didn’t give him anything in exchange, did you?” Edmund asked.

  Both shook their heads at once, much to the princes’ relief.

  “He didn’t ask for a single copper,” Leif said.

  At that moment, Damien approached. “High—erm—Edward,” he began, catching himself mid-word, “we’re all set to depart… Your—for your journey. Minos is already outside as well…”

  “Great! Let’s go, then.”

  The entourage was divided between three covered wagons. The four youths rode together in one accompanied by four escorts, while the other eight soldiers traveled on another. Minos and Filandra traveled in a separate wagon of their own, laden with new goods, donations from the royal family. The journey ahead would take between twelve and fourteen days, from the capital to Danuville. With everyone boarded, the group began their journey.

  Nothing of note happened during the first five days of their trip. Aristide had brought along a large stack of books to keep himself occupied. Edmund, meanwhile, had been given several jigsaw puzzles, none smaller than five hundred pieces each. Leif and Serena packed yarn and cloth for knitting and embroidery. The soldiers, for their part, were more than content to sleep and gamble whenever they had the chance.

  They stopped in a handful of towns along the way to resupply, during which Minos did his best to convince passersby to buy his wares. Filandra, as always, kept to herself, occasionally humming or singing, stepping outside only from time to time to breathe in the cool, fresh air. It made for a quiet, peaceful trip.

  On the sixth day, mid-morning, they stopped by an open field to stretch their legs. Stepping down from the wagon, Lyam drew in a deep breath.

  “Nice day today, don’t you think, Edward?”

  The prince smiled and nodded. “Sure is, Lyam.”

  “Finally,” Gualter said, “we can talk and walk like normal folk. I was getting tired of all that bowing and repeating the same title every time we opened our mouths.”

  “Gualter!” Damien called sharply. “Watch your tongue! You’re still in the princes’ presence!”

  The poor soldier squinted, then turned to Edmund and Aristide. “Sorry, um… Edward. Aries.”

  Edmund simply shook his head. “No worries. I’m getting tired of it too. What about you?” he asked, turning to his brother.

  Aristide tilted his head. “It’s different. But it’s quite nice, having people talk to us so casually. I kind of… like it.”

  All of a sudden, Gualter straightened, chin held high. “Ha! Hear that, Damien?”

  The knight glared at him, the sort of look one might give just before hurling a javelin at prey. Gualter quickly stepped back, clasping his hands in apology.

  “Unwind a bit, Damien,” Edmund said, sparing Gualter from the knight’s wrath. “This is one of the rare times we can act however we want.”

  Damien scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond. He had been a knight for over a decade and knew little beyond a life devoted to chivalry.

  “I will try, Pri—erm, Edward,” he said at last. “I’ll go for a walk, for now.”

  Damien headed toward the woods, walking along the treeline. The other knights followed after him.

  “Poor fellas,” Lyam muttered. “Lost, unsure of their path in this wide and—”

  “Since when did you become poetic?” Gualter cut in.

  “Since I started practicing, yesterday.”

  Gualter folded his arms and looked away. “You sound lame.”

  Bickering erupted between the two, Lyam occasionally slipping into… rhymes, while Gualter continued to critique his manner of speech. As Edmund watched them argue, Elias approached from behind and casually draped an arm around the prince’s shoulders.

  “Wanna do something fun?”

  “What do you have in mind?” Edmund asked.

  Elias bent down and picked up a large piece of fabric lying on the ground behind him. As he unfolded it, Edmund and Aristide made out the shape of a fish.

  “And what is that supposed to be?” Aristide asked.

  Elias lifted it in front of himself, revealing that it wasn’t merely cloth, but something closer to a sack, complete with a string attached. “Got it from Minos,” he said. “Some kind of kite from… uh—what country was it again?”

  Before Elias could say more, Aristide snatched the one he was holding, opening its mouth and tracing the patterned seams. His eyes widened with delight. “This is one of those kites that float like serpents when flown! I’ve seen drawings of these before.”

  “I knew you’d like the idea,” Elias said proudly, gesturing behind him to the rest of the kites sprawled on the ground. He smirked. “Wanna race?”

  “Oh, you’re on!” Aristide shot back, already running off with the kite in hand. Elias quickly grabbed one of his own and took off after him.

  Edmund was about to reach for another when Serena and Leif stepped out of the carriage. Leif glanced around as they approached, taking in the strange sight unfolding before them.

  “The knights are walking quietly and looking pouty,” he murmured. “The soldiers are gambling and bickering out in the open. Aristide is sprinting across a field with some strange-looking kite…”

  “Yup,” Edmund replied, surveying the scene with a faint smile. “Best trip ever.”

  Serena leaned closer, smiling. “You’re enjoying this journey, aren’t you?”

  “You know I was never fond of formalities,” the prince replied.

  Leif bent down and picked up one of the kites lying on the ground, grinning. “In that case… how about we join your race?”

  Edmund and Serena each grabbed one of their own and took off after Elias and Aristide, Leif close behind. The group spent the morning entertaining themselves, except the knights, maybe.

  At one point, the wind picked up so fiercely that Aristide’s kite yanked him backward, his boots gouging deep furrows into the soil as he was dragged along. It took a while before he was finally caught. It would appear that his lack of physical activity had made him a little too… gentle.

  Honestly. Who gets dragged by a kite? You have to be—

  …

  Anyway, moving along.

  By early afternoon, the group had finally exhausted themselves and decided it was time for lunch. Afterward, they chose to explore the surrounding forest. The air was cool as winter approached, but still pleasant enough for travel.

  Lyam suggested they hunt and gather as they went, to motivate everyone to push a little deeper. Some voiced concerns about accidentally bringing back toxic plants.

  Leif, however, assured them that he could tell whether a plant was poisonous or not.

  Convinced at last, the knights relaxed, a few even smiling. “At last!” one of them said. “Hunting and gathering. Something worth our time!”

  Aristide chose to remain in the wagon to rest after his earlier incident. The others spread out, with Leif and Serena accompanying Edmund alongside Elias. There wasn’t much to see beyond the first stretch of trees. Most of the plants had already wilted by this point. Still, they pressed on until they discovered several patches of greenery growing near a running creek.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  There, they found common herbs and wild berries, nothing particularly rare. They did, however, come across flowers not commonly seen near the capital, prompting Leif to gather a few with plans to plant them later. Farther along, they also found a tree that the Alvarynn boy explained could be tapped for sap, which could then be processed into a sweet syrup, though only in spring.

  The group spent much of the afternoon exploring the woods, observing local fauna and collecting rare plants. They returned to camp one by one, proudly displaying their haul of fruits, roots, and mushrooms. The knights returned last, unsurprisingly, with a massive elk in tow.

  Aristide greeted them, eyes wide at the sight of the game. “Where did you find that?”

  Damien stepped forward, pride evident in the rare grin on his face. “We found it roaming the eastern woods with a few others, some of the last that hadn’t migrated yet.”

  “We spent nearly two hours tracking the beast,” another knight added.

  Everyone took turns sharing their finds until a sudden, piercing scream rang out from the forest to the west, north of the path Edmund and his companions had taken earlier.

  A quick headcount followed.

  Minos was missing.

  Realization struck at once, and Edmund led the group sprinting toward the sound. They tore through the forest as another scream rang out, closer this time. They pushed harder.

  They had gone deep among the trees when someone suddenly collided with Minos who burst from the undergrowth, trembling, his face pale with terror.

  Once he caught his breath, Minos explained in a rush that he and Filandra had been exploring the forest when they discovered a cave. Driven by curiosity, they went inside, reaching a cavern where they found what appeared to be a nest, with a large egg resting on it. He had asked Filandra to retrieve it when, without warning, a creature attacked. A shriek followed, and Minos fled in blind panic.

  The crown prince’s expression darkened.

  “You ran without her?!” Edmund snapped.

  Minos broke down, sobbing as he begged them to go back.

  “What should we do?” Damien asked. “We have no idea what we’re running into.”

  “We have to try to rescue Filandra,” the prince answered without hesitation.

  Edmund told Minos to remain behind, or at least return to camp, but the merchant insisted on coming along. He led them back the way he had come, and the group broke into a run once more. Before long, a growl pierced the air, followed by the violent rustle of leaves and snapping branches not far ahead.

  The group crouched and walked carefully until a figure finally emerged.

  The creature that burst from the forest was no mere beast.

  It stood nearly four meters tall, its hunched posture still towering over the undergrowth, and stretched close to ten meters in length from its snout to the tip of its heavy tail. Even at rest, its sheer mass pressed the forest down around it. Saplings bent, roots cracked, and the ground trembled faintly beneath each step.

  Its body was built for dominance. Thick, corded muscles rolled beneath a hide of hardened, earth-toned scales. A ragged mantle of coarse gray feathers ran along its neck and spine, bristling whenever it shifted, giving it a jagged, almost crowned silhouette. The head alone was longer than a man was tall. Its elongated skull housed rows of serrated teeth that jutted outward even when its jaws were closed. Crimson eyes burned from deep sockets.

  “Hemera’s light… what is that?” Lyam whispered, terror thick in his voice.

  “Giant raptors,” Gualter replied. “I’ve read about them. Massive predators, closer to birds than reptiles. Rare creatures. They prefer to nest in caves.”

  While watching the beast move about, a second one emerged, lowering its head to sniff the air. Up close, Serena clamped a hand over her mouth. Leif nearly stumbled backward.

  Caught between the creature’s jagged teeth were torn strands of fabric.

  “Filandra’s already been eaten,” Damien hissed. “What now?”

  Edmund watched the creatures closely as they prowled near the cave mouth, massive heads low, nostrils flaring as they tasted the air. One of them let out a low, vibrating rumble, the sound traveling through the ground and into his bones. Worse, it began to slowly make its way toward them.

  Edmund’s jaw tightened. “If we turn back now,” he said quietly, never taking his eyes off the beasts, “they’ll follow our trail straight to camp.”

  The implication settled heavily over the group.

  “We have to drive them back into their cave,” the prince continued. “And keep them there.”

  A few soldiers shifted uneasily. With creatures of that size, and no clear understanding of how to fight them, how strong or fast they were, no one argued the point. Even the knights knew better than to suggest a direct confrontation.

  “Scaring them won’t work,” Damien muttered. “Facing them upfront would be suicide.”

  “Which leaves us with one option,” Elias said grimly. “Bait them.”

  Silence followed.

  Serena took a slow breath and stepped forward before anyone else could speak. “I can do it.”

  Several heads snapped toward her at once.

  “Absolutely not,” Edmund said immediately. “I won’t let you run in there.”

  “He’s right!” Leif quietly snarled. “It’s too dangerous!”

  “I’m the smallest,” she replied calmly. “And the lightest. I can sneak past them, run where they can’t. Once they’re deep inside, I will turn back. You collapse the entrance after.”

  The group wavered. On one hand, Serena was right. The terrain around the cave was fractured and uneven, riddled with narrow crevices and sharp breaks in the stone, spaces no creature of that size could force itself through without tearing muscle or snapping bone. She could disappear into those gaps if she needed to.

  On the other hand, luring monsters was not something one learned by instinct alone.

  Edmund kept his eyes on the creatures. Further ahead, he could make out a cliffside where the cave entrance was. The raptor was closing in, every second mattered at that point. The prince closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Leif’s fingers dug into his hair beside him, while the men behind them exchanged uneasy glances and murmured under their breaths. When the prince finally opened his eyes, he turned to Serena, met her gaze, and nodded.

  “Be careful out there.”

  As the group spread out and took cover among trees and rocks, Serena broke away from them, moving toward the cave. The two raptors were already advancing, massive heads low, sniffing and rumbling as they followed the group’s scent.

  Serena made sure they noticed her. She snapped twigs beneath her boots, kicked loose stones, and hurled a rock toward the cliff. The sound echoed across the clearing. One of the creatures halted, head snapping toward the direction it had come from. The other followed, nostrils flaring.

  Serena kept moving, step by careful step, drawing them away from Edmund and the others. The raptors hesitated only briefly before turning, their attention now fully caught. With heavy, thunderous strides, they followed her, abandoning their approach on the group and redirecting toward the dark opening. The bait had worked.

  Serena eventually reached the cave’s mouth, slipping behind a jutting rock to catch her breath as the two giant raptors advanced at a measured, predatory pace. She moved again, crouching low and keeping to the rocks lining the cave wall, careful not to silhouette herself against the light.

  A little farther in, she paused and picked up a small stone. After a brief breath, she hurled it deeper into the cave. The sound echoed sharply as it struck the wall.

  Both monsters reacted at once. Their heads snapped toward the noise, low rumbles vibrating from their chests as instinct took over. With heavy strides, they moved further inside, drawn deeper into the darkness.

  Serena stayed where she was, pressed flat against the stone, counting her breaths as the thunder of their steps faded. Only when their massive silhouettes vanished entirely into the depths did she rise and turn, only to freeze.

  Just a few paces away stood a smaller one, no taller than a human, its head tilted slightly as it stared straight at her with the same crimson eyes as the larger ones. Before Serena could react, stone scraped behind it. From a narrow crevice on the cave wall, another shape slithered free.

  Not far from the cave, Edmund and his soldiers had crept closer, hidden among fallen logs and low brush, waiting for Serena to reemerge. Then it happened. A sharp, concussive sound burst from within the cave, like a contained explosion. Edmund, crouched behind a fallen trunk, shot to his feet as a flash of light flared from the cave’s mouth. Bright. Gold.

  His brows knitted at once. He knew that light.

  “Serena,” he breathed.

  Leif rose as well, having felt the same surge ripple through the air. “What’s happening in there?!”

  Before the words had fully left his mouth, a shriek tore out from the cave. That was enough. Edmund drew his sword and broke into a run.

  “Highness!” Damien shouted, springing up. “What are you doing?!”

  “She needs my help!” Edmund called back without slowing.

  Before anyone could stop him, Leif was already moving, sprinting after the prince.

  They hadn’t reached the cave yet when more shrieks erupted, several this time, overlapping and frantic. Each was followed by flashes of golden light. Upon reaching the cave’s mouth, they were met by a terrible sight.

  Serena was fighting. Around her were smaller raptors, swarming the cavern floor, darting and lunging with frightening speed. She ran between them, sliding past claws and snapping jaws, unleashing bursts of golden ether that detonated on impact. Lances of light formed in her hands and hurled forward in quick succession, forcing the creatures back just long enough for her to keep moving.

  Edmund and Leif stepped forward until they were stopped by a massive bellow, thundering from deep within the cave, shaking dust loose from the ceiling. The ground trembled as the two colossal raptors began heading their way. At the same time, more of the smaller ones poured out from crevices, scrambling across the stone toward the three of them.

  There was no time. Edmund flared ether along his blade. The sword ignited with blue light as he lunged forward, swinging with unnatural speed. Steel and ether tore through the nearest raptors in a blur of motion.

  Beside him, Leif thrust his hand out. Thorny vines erupted from the stone floor, lashing and snapping wildly as he forced a path toward Serena. The two would eventually reach her, but then more poured out, too many all at once.

  Cornered, with roars closing in and the larger beasts advancing, they turned as one and ran, but the raptors kept blocking their path. They kept their weapons raised as they fought their way through.

  The prince drew deeper on the power within him, ether surging through his veins. His sword moved faster, far faster, each swing blurring with unnatural speed. He cleaved through one raptor in a single strike, the wound left behind charred. Another lunged at him and paid for it. His blade tore upward through its jaw, shearing away the upper half of its skull.

  Beside him, Leif fought with startling ferocity. His whip cracked and snapped through the air, its barbed length carving sharp cuts into any creature that dared come close.

  Serena pressed on, hurling lances of golden ether and unleashing blasts of raw energy, but the glow in the veins of her arms and neck began to intensify. Her breathing faltered. Her stance wavered. Edmund saw it immediately and rushed to her side.

  “You’ve used too much power,” he said urgently. “You have to rest.”

  Serena shook her head, teeth clenched. “I can’t. Not until… we’re out of here.”

  At that moment, the soldiers reached the cave entrance and was met with the sight of the chaos within. Before they could react, the two massive raptors emerged and bellowed another roar after having caught sight of them. Damien and the others surged forward instinctively.

  “Stay back!” Edmund shouted. “Don’t come closer!”

  Serena forced herself upright, ether flaring wildly around her. She raised her hands, gathering power for a desperate blast aimed at the two colossal beasts as they advanced.

  That was when a smaller raptor locked eyes on her and lunged.

  Leif saw it a heartbeat too late but moved anyway. He threw himself forward, slamming into Serena and knocking her aside. The creature’s claws raked across his shoulder as he took the blow meant for her.

  He cried out in pain, yet he didn’t fall. With a furious spin, Leif lashed his whip, striking the raptor so hard it flew backward and slammed into the cave wall. Unfortunately, that act had broken Serena’s concentration, and the ether blast slipped free, striking the ceiling.

  The explosion rocked the cavern, stone fracturing as dust and debris rained down. The ceiling groaned and then began to collapse.

  “Serena!” Edmund shouted, rushing to her side and hauling her upright.

  Despite his injury, Leif did the same, gripping her other arm. As the ground shook around them, Leif’s eyes darted wildly, locking onto a narrow opening in the cave wall. A jagged crevice just wide enough to crawl through.

  “There!” he yelled. “We have to get in there!”

  “But—” Edmund began.

  “There’s no time!”

  The answer came in the form of another collapse. Stone crashed down close to where they had stood.

  Seeing no other choice, the trio sprinted toward the crevice. Behind them, the smaller raptors scattered, retreating deeper into the cave, while the two giants roared in fury as the falling stone blocked their path, forcing them to turn back.

  Outside, the soldiers could do nothing but watch in horror as the cave entrance finally gave way, collapsing and fully blocking the opening. Dust billowed into the air, and when it settled, the entrance was gone, along with Edmund, Serena, and Leif.

  Meanwhile, somewhere in Danuville, three boys met with a man in a shady tavern. They were ushered into a small room toward the back.

  “Damn it, Marc,” the man hissed. “You still haven’t found the seal?!”

  Marc sat across the table with Noel and Jules beside him. He shook his head. “Sorry, boss. Still no leads.”

  “But rest assured, we’re doing our best, we’ll—” Noel tried to interject.

  The boss slammed his fist down, sloshing rum across the table. “Do you think this is a game?! The next exchange is three weeks away, and without the seal—”

  “Couldn’t we just borrow another from one of the groups in the other states?” Jules asked, unable to meet the man’s gaze. “Each group should have a copy, if I remem—”

  “Sparks, Jules!” The boss’s glare snapped to him. Jules nearly melted into his chair. “You want the leader to know one of his seals is missing?!” the man snarled. “That someone could be exploiting it right now? Have you gone mad?!”

  He leaned backward, lighting a cigar, voice dropping. “I can cover for you if the exchange is delayed. That, I can manage. But if he learns about this little incident of yours…” He smiled thinly. “You’d best start saying your last prayers. Or run. Far. And fast.”

  The three rose at once. “Don’t worry, boss,” Marc said quickly. “We’ll find that seal. You have our word.”

  “I hope so,” the man replied. He glanced down at an old newspaper on the table.

  The headline reads:

  The Prince of Aurelith, Celebrating His Sixteenth Birthday.

  The boss spat, grinding his cigar out against Edmund’s sketched face.

  “Find that seal,” he said coldly,

  “or we won’t be able to bring Aurelith down.”