IV

  Everwinter

  Soft chirps outside my window pulled me from the realm of sleep. The room I’d occupied my entire life—its wallpapers the same colour as my hair—greeted me. Though I wanted to wish it a great day, jolts of pain like lightning wracked my body. I stopped myself from grimacing.

  “The pill is working but it’ll take another day.”

  Only now did I notice Mother sitting on the edge of my bed.

  She was staring out the window, the sun stroking her face. Gone was the cutting presence of The Crimson.

  A hand went to my mouth. My gums hurt but my teeth were there.

  “Did you really have to go so hard?” I mumbled. “A simple spar would’ve sufficed…”

  She rubbed a hand over my legs through my blanket. “I won’t apologise for what I thought necessary.”

  I sighed. With an even deeper breath, I pushed myself up. I smoothed out the nightgown I was wearing then joined Mother on the edge of the bed. There was a hand’s worth of distance between us. I scooped closer and leaned my head on her shoulders.

  She cradled my cheeks. “I’ve spoken to the Dawnchasers. Your ride will be here tomorrow.”

  “So early?”

  “You don’t want to be late for an event like this.”

  Right. Starting early was an advantage.

  We didn’t converse for some time. Mother continued to caress my face. I closed my eyes. The soft scraping of her nails contrasted with the roughness of her fingers. I almost felt like a child again.

  I looked up as a weight that was not my head made her shoulders sag.

  “Ashe,” she said.

  Outside, birds continued to flick through the sky, their songs trailing behind them.

  “Whatever…whoever you face. Whatever choices you make. Don’t hesitate. The realm of cultivators is not kind enough to allow it.”

  Her fiery gaze pierced through mine and set my gums ablaze with the remembrance of the fight.

  I nodded.

  Time seemed frozen. That’s how long Mother kept our eyes locked.

  Then she tapped me on the cheeks and stood. “I’ll send over some lunch. Take the day off.”

  Not a second later, the door to my room shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  From the window in the common room, Millicent watched Ashe get in the coach. She squeezed her arms, a gesture which made her grimace. It’d be some time before the annulment wore off.

  That’s why Gerald only lightly placed his hand on her shoulder when he joined her by the window. “She’s the fastest learner I’ve ever seen.” A grand compliment, given his travelling background. “She’s intelligent and can handle herself in a fight. Ashe will be fine, Millicent.”

  A moment.

  “Who do you think fought her yesterday?” she snarled.

  He chuckled. “You’re still scared for her life.”

  “Scared? Ashe won’t die to some pretentious pricks.”

  Unless she messed with one of the heirs of the Pillars, that is. But she should have no reason to do so.

  Her brother eyed the coachman, who lifted a rolled parchment to his lips and puffed. Smoke curled into the air.

  Gerald frowned. “What will you tell the Emberweavers? Their eldest son’s fiance just cancelled their wedding.”

  “I’m not telling them shit.”

  “Truly?”

  The wedding arrangement had ever been a ruse to buy time. There’d never been a chance of her giving Ashe to those sorry excuses for cultivators. And their son was a prick.

  Gerald took one look at her expression, then shook his head. “Forget I asked.” He walked away and turned in the doorway. “Anything I should tell her?”

  “…tell her Roland will turn in his grave if she fails to make the top 1000. Anything below that is a waste of my resource and will see her receive a whooping upon her return.”

  He smiled but didn’t comment.

  “Secure me a ticket for the third trial, will you?” he said. “Family account.”

  She huffed. “I’m not a piggy bank.”

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  He was gone before she spoke the last of her sentence.

  Idiot, she complained, then peered through the small window in the back of the coach to find Ashe, who was playing with that creature of hers.

  Millicent closed her eyes. Please watch over her, dear. Heavens knew their daughter would need it.

  Enchantments inside the coach dampened the rumbling of the wheels, which was just as well. The recovery pill had healed all injuries but my teeth were still sensitive.

  I eyed the landscape speeding past; little more than a green and brown blur. It should’ve been more exciting, given that I’d never set foot outside the estate, yet I found my attention drawn back to the bird resting in my lap.

  “What do you call it?” Uncle asked.

  “Ashwing. It’s a her.” I glanced up. “You cannot identify it?”

  He shook his head. “Doesn’t return anything at all. Does it have a status?”

  I told him.

  “Interesting,” he said, stroking his beard. “So it can evolve…does it cultivate?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Ashwing had a connection to the tree she sprouted from, which powered her, and it was possible for me to pour essence into the infant tree. Doing so drained my core entirely, though.

  “Regular spirit beasts companions have their own cores,” Uncle said. “Feeding them essence dense food is usually enough to empower them…not sure if it applies to your case, though.”

  ‘It’s worth a try.’

  “Will you watch my progress, Uncle?”

  He nodded. “Ain’t got much better to do anyway. We should be able to see each other briefly when you make it to the third trial.”

  The specifics regarding the trials changed every year but there were generally three with the third trial resembling some kind of tournament where family members could spectate.

  “Please brace yourselves, Milord and Lady!” the driver’s voice reverberated inside the cabin.

  I cupped Ashwing as the coach came to a standstill.

  “Uncle,” I said through the trembling. “Is it possible for a class to not have any skills?”

  His head tilted. “…Not that I know. You don’t have any?” Nails dug into the fabric of his robe.

  “I do,” I said quickly. “They just appear different.”

  It was possible reaching Middle or Late Novice would gift me my first skill.

  Uncle exhaled. “You said your class was sacred? Though I’ve never heard of the rank, the system sometimes changes terms to better represent a class.”

  I nodded just as the carriage door opened.

  “We’re here, esteemed guests.”

  The driver took off his hat and bowed beside the entrance. Uncle stepped out, turned, and offered me his hand. As he guided me down, I gave Ashwing some room. She took to the sky.

  Staring after her, I acted on a whim and pointed to a particular spot in the air. The summon headed towards it without pause.

  “Eyes on the ground,” Uncle said.

  The gate to the Dawnchaser mansion was three times that of our own. Two towers flanked the entrance, and from within the slits giving clear sight on the ground, silhouettes studied our every move. Including that of Ashwing.

  “Ashwing,” I called. She dove to settle on my shoulder. My robe was enchanted so her talons didn’t dig into my flesh.

  A butler approached us from beside the entrance to let us in. I’d expected him to lead us to the mansion, but an old man was waiting in the front yard.

  “You’re late,” he said.

  His wrinkles made him appear infinitely older than Uncle, yet his spirit burned twice as bright. He stood ramrod straight. Not that that meant much since he barely reached my chest.

  We weren’t late at all, by the way. But who was I to gainsay an elder?

  Uncle placed a hand on my back and guided us into a bow. “Lord Dawnchaser, we apologise for our tardiness. Everything happened quite fast.”

  The patriarch snorted. “I do not care for your excuses.” His attention settled on me. I’d expected a rough touch, but his spirit brushed over mine like a feather. “An infant?”

  Uncle inclined his head. “We’re certain she won’t disappoint, Lord.”

  The patriarch’s heavy gaze shifted to my companion.

  “If you say so,” he said. “It is not my concern who you send to die.” He whirled back on me. “But it is my concern how you conduct yourself for as long as you’re alive.”

  He stepped forwards until he was but an arm’s length removed. “You are not ignorant of your betters, I assume?”

  “No, Milord.”

  “Good. Then here is your only command: Encounter any of the Dawnflame clan, and you will serve to them. I do not care if they tell you their lick their boots. Should any news make it back to me that you have belittled them or tarnished their reputation, your family will suffer. Do I make myself clear?”

  There were plenty of things on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn’t about to blow my only shot at entering the mystic realm. Besides, as far as I knew, none of the elders could influence what transpired inside Everwinter.

  “Yes, Elder.”

  His spirit pressed down on me and he scoffed. “You cannot fool me, girl.”

  My chest tightened…but loosened when the elder produced a dark stone from his pocket. Purple streams ran along it like veins.

  “This is the entry token. There’s an hour left until it activates.” He turned to walk away but stopped. “Heed my advice: take that time to say your goodbyes. Do not assume you will see each other again.”

  A shadow flickered across the lord’s face, quick enough it may have been my imagination. Then he was gone.

  I spent the time talking with Uncle. He’d apparently tried to convince Mother to buy herself a ticket too, but she refused on account of her schedule.

  ‘Someone has to take care of family matters,’ she said.

  “I’ll be sure to cheer loud enough for us both.” Uncle tussled my hair.

  “Thank you,” I pouted. What made it worse was that I had to lower my head for him to comfortably reach it. Whenever I didn’t, he’d pinch my cheeks.

  The stone vibrated.

  “It’s time, huh.” He drew me into a final hug. “Don’t be rash. Remember, it’s alright to return empty-handed. We’ll always be there for you, Ashe. No matter what happens.”

  “I know, Uncle.”

  Ashwing, who was still resting on my shoulder, pecked his forehead.

  Uncle chuckled. “Now, prepare yourself. You could be thrown straight into a fight.”

  The spawn location inside the mystic realm was random so the chance existed.

  My hand went to my hip, where a pouch was fastened to my belt. Some recovery and essence pills. I could’ve taken more with me if I had a better entrance token but this was what the Dawnchasers had access to. At least I had a new blade. Reverentially, I stroked the black and red sheathe. Red Fang was the weapon Mother used when she was young. It was what’d been in the crate the servant standing at the sideline carried.

  ‘Mother believed I would win from the start.’

  Yet she went through the pain of weakening herself.

  Some parts of the fight were still a blur. But Mother’s words reverberated in my head as clear as the mid-day sky in summer.

  “The kind that has no business in a mystic realm...”

  I exhaled my growing nerves. ‘You’re ready.’

  My attention shifted to Ashwing.

  ‘Should I send her back into the garden?’

  …It didn’t matter, instincts told me. The separation of dimensions wasn’t enough to split me from my summons.

  I still sent her back into the garden to be safe.

  The entrance token went from trembling to quaking. I cast one last look at Uncle. He waved, a quiet smile on his lips.

  “I’ll be back,” I said.

  Then the world shifted.

  A frigid gale crashed against my face and my arm shot up to shield me.

  I peered over the hems of my robe. White flakes fell from the heavens, and a plane of white extended past the horizon. Mountains loomed in the distance, hidden in the shadows of the blizzard ravaging the land. Darkness consumed me for a moment. Overhead, deep in the clouds that I could barely see, flew a great avian.

  A transparent panel popped up in front of me.

  Location: Everwinter - Mystic Realm

  Time left until end: 63 15:59:50

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