[WYVERN GATE TERMINALS, SILVER GATE]
Jacender and Aleximus stood slack-jawed before the hulking silhouette of the St. Rosebury. Hundreds of travelers were already lined up at the terminal, yet the ship towered over them all — its triple-wide frame clad in steel, wrapped in black and gold like ceremonial armor. Dozens of arched windows glittered down the sides like watchful eyes.
A massive door began folding open from the ship's belly and thudded down onto the boarding bridge with a hiss. Aleximus scoffed at the size of it. "Ridiculous," he muttered.
Jace gulped. His eyes had landed on something even more wild: the Wyvern itself. A squad of handlers — men in flame-retardant leather suits and crimson helmets — worked beneath the creature. They secured reinforced reins to its plated harness while its molten breath steamed through the gaps in its silver muzzle. To calm it, they tossed up charred Sanctum Beast carcasses — boars, elephants, whales, sharks. The vermilion-scaled beast snapped them up, hissed, then finally allowed its handlers to reapply its muzzle.
"Has anyone ever tried to ride one?" Jace breathed, practically glowing.
"Ha!" Alexander laughed, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth. He'd snuck it from the snacks Aleximus bought a few minutes earlier and munched away without shame. "You'd be roasted alive in seconds. Those things heat up like crazy."
"Makes sense why it pulls the ship instead," Aleximus said, still mesmerized by the Wyvern.
"Yeah," Alex nodded, still chewing. "Dragons are where it's at."
Aleximus glanced over and clocked the half-empty snack bag.
"…Oi, dumbass," he growled. "Who said you could eat that?"
He smacked the popcorn out of Alexander's hands. The orange-haired boy's veins popped in outrage. "Seriously?! There's food on the ship!"
"Good," Aleximus scoffed. "Then eat that."
Alexander puffed out his chest and squared up. "You picking a fight, spikey-head?"
"I don't know, rooster-top. Am I?" Aleximus stepped in, unbothered.
Before anything could spark, a cloaked figure accidentally bumped into both of them. They jerked back on reflex, muttering, "Ah—sorry!" in unison before getting a better look at the person walking away. They wore a purple robe adorned with sketches of the wind and seemed to be about their size. Behind the cloaked figure, Aleximus caught a man in a bucket hat and round shades staring straight at them. He glanced back at Jace. Was it him the man was watching?. He unknowingly stepped forward, feeling himself get drawn towards the man, but Alexander came forward at the same time, both of them stepping into each other's way again.
"Ugh!" they groaned in sync. "Just stay away from me, weirdo!"
Jacender, the only one still paying attention to the robed person, narrowed his eyes. He'd caught a glint of white as the stranger slipped something inside their purple robe. "Hey guys."
"WHAT?!" the two snapped, already heated.
"I think that guy stole something from your pockets."
Alexander paled. "NOOOOO!" he screamed in a pitch far too high, frantically patting his body. "My Barnabas! He took my ticket!!"
Aleximus's blood ran cold. The letter… from Uncle Matsuda…He took it too!
In an instant, the two locked eyes, then bolted in perfect sync through the crowd.
Jace and Leon stared deadpan at them, then at each other.
"Watch the bags!" Aleximus yelled.
"Okayyy…" Jace saluted lazily. We could just buy more tickets…
KZZZZZZT!
A high-pitched whir echoed from theSt. Rosebury. The Wyvern's silver mask glowed, and then, to Jace's astonishment, a voice boomed from its mouth:
"NOW BOARDING FOR WYVERN SHIP NUMBER 920, THE ST. ROSEBURY. PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE DOORS AND HAVE YOUR TICKET READY. ALL TICKETS WILL BE CHECKED ON BOARD…"
Jace's mouth fell open. "The Wyvern… Leon, did you hear that?! It talked!"
Leon, unimpressed, burped in his face and closed his eyes. "Dude — wake up! Did you see that?!"
Leon groaned and bit his nose, earning him a stiff look from Jace. "Ow! That hurts!"
All around them, the crowd stirred and moved toward the ship. Jace looked on in awe. He and Aleximus had always dreamed about the outside world, but this? This was beyond dreams. He never imagined that leaving Axis would lead to this.
A swell of joy rose in his chest, quickly followed by a pang of guilt. Anna would've loved this, he thought. She should've been with them. And he knew Aleximus felt it too. It explained his mood all day.
Still smiling, Jace gently slipped Leon back into his backpack. "Alright, let's explore," he said. Leon grunted but didn't object. Instead, the cub's eyes were peeled on something strange in the background near the luggage boarding area where passengers with larger items stood. A man with short grey-ish hair and a thin smirk that only sat on the left side of his face: Nauruan Etdo.
By his side, being loaded onto the ship, were four large cases covered in drapes. He nodded to the baggage handler and looked up, feeling an eye on him, but found nothing. Little did he know that the bucket-hat man Aleximus had noticed earlier had been observing him silently from the crowd.
He pulled the brim of his hat lower to shadow his face and slipped deeper into the crowd for obscurity.
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[INSIDE THE ST.ROSEBURY]
Aleximus barely registered the ship's grandeur. The gilded hallways gleamed with molten reds and golden tones, and towering chandeliers of burnt-orange glass shimmered as though suspended in heat waves. A dining hall stretched toward the back of the ship, its vaulted ceiling framing a row of sleek elevators — each leading to four private floors with passenger suites and lounge tables. The rest of the ship was also divided into floors, as he'd soon find out. You could shove a tower in there and still have enough room.
But Aleximus didn't show a hint of care. It didn't matter to him.
All that mattered was the thief.
"There!" Alexander shouted, pointing across the hall. The hooded figure from before darted through a small group of people uniformed in blue and silver: the only people who had boarded the ship so far. They all stood on what looked like... moving stairs?
The boys leapt onto them, where Aleximus nearly knocked down a middle-aged woman holding a pair of keys off the steps. She wore a tight red sash over her head, her chest bearing a blue and silver vest, and her pants a complementary grey color. Alexander caught her just before she fell, saving her head from hitting the sides, and gave her a quick look, noticing something strange before stopping. "Sorry, my lady!"
He glared at Aleximus and his disregard for what he'd done. "Hey! Watch it!" he yelled, helping her up. "We wouldn't have run on board if it weren't important, promise!"
The woman grumbled something under her breath and gave him a stern look, frustrated, but grateful that he'd caught her. "Be that as it may, you can't just run in here! Wait with everyone else outside—"
"Up here, moron!" Aleximus barked from the landing. Alex's head turned as Aleximus screamed, "Help me!"
Alexander cursed silently and shook his head at her. "We promise we'll get checked after! This really is important!" He tossed the woman her fallen keys and shot after him, leaving the people around her whispering in confusion. In the background, the woman gave him a long and measured glance as if she recognized him, and her eyes softened as she looked back at her keys.
"Are you alright, Ms.Ilmari?" one of the uniformed women asked.
Another nodded. "We can get them kicked off if you'd like."
Ms. Ilmari sighed and shook her head. "The recklessness of youth," she muttered with a smile. "Had they been true thieves or enemies trying to get on board, they'd have stolen these keys while I wasn't paying attention. The fault lies with me."
A man with thick, bushy eyebrows decided against arguing. "True enough. That boy didn't seem all too ill-mannered. Though I wonder what in Gabriel's name could have been so important for them to run aboard like this…"
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-----—
Aleximus and Alex narrowly turned a corner, and together they chased the thief to a strange chamber near the ship's rear. The room pulsed with heat. Transparent glass tubes ran along the floor and walls, glowing with streams of molten rock that bubbled downward like liquid fire.
The thief stood at the far end, cornered, yet eerily calm. Aleximus exercised extreme caution, slowing his approach and drawing Hatagi's dagger from his belt. He'd learned from the run-in with Alexander earlier to keep the weapon closer to him, and not in his bag.
"Hand over the letter," he warned, his voice cold. "And I won't slit your throat." It was a bluff, and he knew it. He didn't know how strong this person was, and he didn't yet know if he had what it took to be able to kill someone so easily. But it was the only card he had.
Alexander flinched at the sight of the dagger. "What the—?! Where'd you get that?!Are youinsane? Who sneaks a weapon onto a Wyvern ship?! You're supposed to hand everything over before boarding!"
"Shut up, rooster-top!" Aleximus shot. "We ran past the guards to board, remember? There was no time!"
The hooded stranger tilted their head, just enough for Aleximus to glimpse their mouth beneath the shadowed cowl. "You chased me all the way here... for a letter?" The voice was light and taken aback. Feminine.
Aleximus didn't answer. His focus shifted to her hand, reaching for something in her robe. "Wait," Alexander whispered. "That voice… You're not a—"
Too late.
Aleximus pulled back, not willing to risk the thief drawing a weapon, and aimed for the stranger's head.
It was only Alex screaming, "Wait, Aleximus!" at the last moment that caused him to slightly shift his aim. The dagger missed its mark, lodging into the wall behind the stranger. But in their outstretched hand — in place of where Aleximus had assumed would be a weapon — was the letter.
"Take it," she said.
Aleximus's eyes scanned her face and came forward. The hood had been slipped back, revealing golden-brown hair with streaks of purple near the roots, golden-black eyes, and two soft wind-shaped birthmarks under her left eye. She was petite — maybe thirteen — and almost a head shorter than Aleximus, but her presence was unshaken. Her expression remained calm. Controlled.
Alexander whistled like a dog in heat. His eyes roamed her shamelessly. "It's a girl!"
Without a word, Aleximus smacked him across the mouth.
"WHAT THE HELL, PRICK?!"
"She doesn't like you," Aleximus muttered. "Quit flirting. Now, you, give us the ticket back."
The girl met his gaze. "I need this ticket," she said firmly. "I—"
"—Don't care," Aleximus cut her off, hand outstretched expectingly. His voice left no room for negotiation.
She inhaled, then gave a dangerous smirk. "Do you think you're strong enough to take it from me?"
"I do."
"Really?" she scoffed. In a blink, she raised something long and thin to his chest and smugly whispered, "Let's test that."
Aleximus tensed. Whatever it was, he knew it was definitely a weapon. He braced himself, barely yelling, "ALEXAND—!", but it was too late.
"Vetryanaya Vedma!" she cried. A cyclone of wind burst from her wand, slamming both boys into the molten-glass wall. The heat flared in Aleximus's lungs as he tried — and failed — to rise.
Damn it, he wheezed. The dagger… I left it behind.
The girl loomed over them in an instant, her wand pointed at their faces. "Like I said," she said calmly, "you're not taking this from me."
Recognition hit Aleximus like a wave. That wand… Dopi had used one like it. Back in the Axis. "A wand," he muttered aloud. His legs felt like jelly. Alexander's eyes widened, too.
"She's a witch! You're from Kremlin's Court, aren't you?!" The girl flinched at the name and pulled her collar closer.
Her wand, a sleek shaft wrapped in thorned cord, was adorned with three colored gems near its hilt and glowed with golden-green Sanctum Energy. But her grip faltered. Her other hand tightened around the wand's midsection like she was struggling to keep it steady.
She can't control it, Aleximus realized, sensing the distorted energy. He tried desperately to steady his breathing and recuperate stamina, but it was as if it had been drained from him. He could only conclude that it was not just a wind-based attack, but a special Sanctum ability of some kind.
"Watch your mouth," the girl hissed, pointing the wand at Alexander's cheek. "Say that again, and I'll put a hole in it."
"Don't threaten me with a good time," Alex grinned. She dug the wand deeper into his cheek and blushed.
"Shut up!"
Aleximus forced himself to think. Her reaction... her stance... her instability. She was rattled by the mention of Kremlin Court, whatever it was. He could use that to buy time for Alexander to launch a counterattack. He wheezed a laugh. "What's wrong?" he taunted. "Do all Kremlin Court cowards steal tickets? Or are you just the dumbest of the bunch?"
Her eyes flared. "What did you just say?!" she shouted, wand snapping toward him. "Don't you dare disrespect Kremlin! You hear me?!"
Aleximus tried to cue Alexander with a look, but it was too obvious. She moved faster.
Her arm slammed down on Alexander's throat, dropping him instantly. Aleximus lunged again, but she was quicker, jabbing the wand between his eyes mid-air before he could land a single blow. In that split moment, Aleximus braced himself in fear that whatever would now happen to his head would be leagues more painful than what had befallen his chest.
There was nothing he could do—
THWACK.
The girl gasped and crumpled to her knees.
Aleximus hit the ground beside her, stunned to see her collapsed body. When he looked up, he saw Jacender behind her, one hand still mid-chop, the other holding Leon.
"J-Jace?" Aleximus winced. "What the—?"
"You were taking too long," his brother shrugged. "Figured I'd help. She left her back wide open." Aleximus knelt beside the thief.
"You didn't kill her, did you?"
"She's breathing," Jace replied, wiping his palm. "I held back. Plus, her weight was shifted toward the door. She was about to run away from you."
Aleximus groaned and rubbed his face. "I can't believe I let my guard down."
Frustration took hold of him again. To allow someone who didn't even have control of their power to hurt him so easily… He needed to become stronger and quickly.
"How did you get on the ship?"
Jace smirked. "They started boarding already. The guards were gonna chase you, but I told them you were just really excited to get on. Luckily, you left the Vitra coin in your bag, so I showed it to them. It was funny watching their attitudes change."
Aleximus nodded, then turned, noticing Alexander's body slowly inching toward the unconscious thief. "GET THE HELL UP, YOU FREAK!" he snapped. "I know what you're doing!"
"I'm unconscious," Alexander said flatly, not moving.
"No, you're not!"
Aleximus yanked him up by the collar. Alexander gagged. "S-Stop spinning me! My head hurts!"
Jace stepped in, pulling them apart, and sat next to them. Leon jumped out of his hands. Alexander coughed, then smirked. "It's true, though. She was gonna run. She wasn't gonna hurt us."
"She still had your ticket," Aleximus growled. "Or did you forget about that?"
Alexander calmly pulled the piece of metal from his pocket: the Barnabas. "This ticket?" he asked with a smirk.
Aleximus blinked. "You... how?"
"I swiped it the second she pointed her wand at me," Alexander said, grinning. "She's fast, but her center of gravity is all over the place. Any knight could tell with a look that she wasn't battle-tested." Aleximus nearly lost it.
"I should've let her blast you..." he grumbled.
Jace knelt by the girl and frowned. "We can't leave her here."
"Of course we can," Aleximus sucked his teeth. "She's a thief. Let them kick her out."
"No, Jace is right," Alexander said. "Wyvern Ships are sacred. You can't even bring a weapon on board unless it goes through check-out, not to mention a fight. The guards we ran past thought we were some kids goofing around and let us go because of your Vitra coin. If they find out we chased a thief and fought her with a Sanctum Weapon on a Church ship, we'd be kicked off and banned forever."
He crossed his arms and smiled, pleased to impart his higher knowledge on them. Then, Alexander froze.
"Wait, what?!"
He swung his head towards Jacender. "You said a Vitra coin?! Even the king barely has more than a few! How did you get your hands on one of those?!"
Jacender shrugged. "The Archbishops gave it to us."
Alexander's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "THE WHAT?!" he bellowed, so loudly that Leon covered his ears. "By Archbishops… you don't mean Damien and Richard Black, do you?!"
"Yeah," Aleximus said. "Why? You know them?"
"Who doesn't!" Alex said with an incredulous yell. "They're amazing people! They save innocents, travel around the continent to deal with political disputes, and teach as professors at their own institute! They're the only people ever raised by the Pope himself, and the only two in Sanctafaei's history to have held the position of Archbishops! They're living legends!"
Jacender blinked, his head tilting ever so slightly. They were that important? But they seemed so outgoing!
A bead of sweat rolled down Aleximus's neck. He suddenly understood why he'd felt how he did when Richard was observing them — how intimidating it was to be nearly seen through and stripped bare with no bias or contempt. The two were symbols of the continent's belief. And for Aleximus, to think that such important people had taken the time out of their day to come and personally escort them to Zenica just to make sure they — people they'd never met — wouldn't get in trouble..? He didn't know how to feel.
"Hmph," Aleximus grumbled. He sneered at Alexander and said, "That's your problem. You're too worried about other people."
Alexander sucked his teeth. "Like you know anything," he said under his breath. "Snot-nosed brat." He faced the thief girl again and sighed. "Anyway, like I said, we can't let them know a fight happened here."
Aleximus, too, looked down at her. "And she'll rat us out if we leave her here… What do we do? Take her with us?"
"Well," Jace said, standing, "we'll need a ticket."
Leon dug into Jace's bag and poked his head out with a fresh Barnabas in his mouth. Jace took it with a grin. "I bought two extra ones. Just in case."
Alexander whistled at how rich the two were. "Nice thinking!"
Aleximus said nothing, but he smiled faintly. Jacender was looking out for him, even when he didn't realize it.
Since we got here… he thought, I've been getting irritated at the smallest things. I wasn't even that mad at this girl; not in the way I thought I'd be. Damn it, he tapped his forehead with a closed fist and thought of Anna. Of her tears, her smile. Maybe it's because we're living the dream I always wanted to experience with you. Maybe I still have more maturing to do.
"You already know what I wanted: for you two to be safe. So take care of each other." Her words still echoed in his head. He let his hands fall and felt an ache in his chest. It's still not easy to forget you, though.
He glanced at Jacender, his reminder of what he still had to keep going for, and then down at the girl. He dug his thumb into his pointer finger so the pain would numb the tears forming behind his eyes and turned toward the hallway.
"Let's find some seats," he said finally.
Jacender smiled softly and looked at his brother's back. They had already talked about their pain as much as they could. The rest of the journey would always be a reminder, he knew that. But it was up to Aleximus on how he would continue from here.
"Yeah," Jace said.
Together, Aleximus and Alexander stepped into the belly of the ship, toward Pendragon, and toward revenge. Behind them, Jace picked up the unconscious girl and held her in his arms. He hadn't noticed before, but she wore a small purple-obsidian bracelet with a name carved into it: Aurora.
He followed after the other two and grinned. "Let's."
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[OUTSKIRTS OF ZENICA]
At the outer limits of the town, a few minutes before the St.Rosebury was set to take off, a strange, black owl flew in the air, its wings flapping tirelessly as it made for Zenica's entrance. Strix had dedicated much effort to escorting the rider below him past the town's bright welcome sign and down the descending road.
The rider sat atop a dark red lioness, their fingers grasping onto the beast's collar for as much stability as they could.
Strix looked down and hooted at the person, their face hidden not only by the dust kicked up by the horse, but by the black, golden-brown cloak they wore over their shoulders. The lion below the rider growled as it barreled into town, past the wooden map post and through the crowded streets. People jumped out of the way, veering off to the side as the Sanct beast leapt past them. All they could catch was a strange symbol on the back of the rider's cloak: a golden dragon and a forging hammer — the mark of Xastol City.
"Owa!" the rider screamed, imploring the wild cat to go faster. The waterfront was in sight, but still minutes away. He needed to be faster. The lioness responded in kind, her hind legs bulging with muscle as they tensed and transformed into a burst of speed, the ground below her paws exploding under the weight of it all.
The rider grinned, the portion of his face visible bearing a childlike expression.
That's it, he thought, laying eyes on a vermilion-scaled dragon.
He could see the St.Rosebury preparing to take off.
[THE ST.ROSEBURY]