Ahryn was used to being ignored. It was usually better than being noticed, if he was honest.

  He was used to their low expectations. He was used to missing them, anyway. It mostly didn’t bother him any more.

  But he’d hoped today would be different.

  He stared up at the darkening sky as he walked through the city. Kohen walked a few steps ahead, an easy grin on his face. He wanted an early celebration for his performance in the arena.

  With Alyx abandoning the competition today, he probably thought he’d guaranteed himself a dragonling at the ceremony tonight. The hand in his pocket anxiously fiddling with something was the only tell that he still harbored doubts.

  Kohen would be a fool not to. Alyx was the Major Blessing holder. It was still entirely possible for the dragonlings to pick her, even without performing today. And, with Fioreya named Champion, it was hard to imagine anyone else being chosen.

  Ahryn had still hoped.

  Images of his opponent in the arena flashed across his vision. The claws. The fangs. The bristling fur.

  He’d selected a modest opponent. A level 24 Bogbenz, a medium-sized feline monster from the swamps to the South. He had a level on it. It should have been disadvantaged in the open space of the arena without deep pools of swamp water to ambush him from.

  He pressed a hand to his bandaged side. The pain was familiar, but unwelcome.

  They’d told him to pick something weaker. That with his condition, he needed to be careful. That he shouldn’t push himself for this.

  But Fioreya had slain a beast five levels greater than her own.

  Kohen had picked and beaten a stone bear two levels stronger than he was.

  Alyx—had she gone—would have easily killed a wolf three above her.

  And he’d barely survived his fight.

  If he could have hidden his face as he limped off the field, he would have.

  Should he be glad even his grandmother had left before he’d finished?

  The first stars began to poke through the day’s dying light, though the moons were not yet up and the sun hadn’t quite set.

  Their cold light embraced him, soft and gentle.

  With a thought, he grabbed a small bundle of that burgeoning starlight and wrapped it in his favorite skill:

  Light Message (Starlight)

  [Communication is the most important part of any relationship, but sometimes the spoken word is insufficient. Wish it to be so and you will be heard.

  Send messages to a target for a small Focus cost. Increased cost dependent on message length and travel distance.

  Association with the Concept of Starlight decreases message cost and allows the target to respond at the cost of the skill owner’s Focus so long as the skill owner is under the light of the stars.]

  How did it look today? he asked the open air. The starlight carried the thought away to his closest friend.

  Perhaps he shouldn’t have. They’d promised to create some distance before the ceremony.

  They hadn’t been doing a good job of it.

  It wasn’t only his fault alone, but it was perhaps unevenly enabled by his Light Message. By him sending them.

  Then again, she’d never once not responded.

  He could feel the response settling on the edge of his mind now. Every time, he braced for it to be a request that he stop. That they end this before she swore herself to her knight.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  He knew he’d never be strong enough to be that for her. They’d made their peace with that a long time ago.

  Or, he thought he had. Until insanity took him and he’d run headlong into the Catacombs because of a stranger’s encouragement.

  He’d survived. He’d done well. He had a blessing like Alyx and Kohen. He’d gotten it on his own merits instead of on Kohen’s coattails.

  But he still wasn’t their equal.

  She needed to pick someone strong for her knight.

  He needed to support his brother. He couldn’t steal Kohen’s dragon.

  Not that she had any intention of picking Kohen. She’d whispered as much to him days ago. He’d tried to convince her otherwise. He probably could have tried harder.

  He wasn’t very good at supporting Kohen.

  Braced, he opened the message.

  Ahryn! Help me!

  He froze, her scream ringing in his ears.

  What’s happening? he sent back. He must be misunderstanding. The dragonlings were the most well-protected beings in all the city. In all the duchy.

  Strange knights have us. I don’t know where they’re taking us. Ahryn, please, help me. I’m scared.

  The world fell out from under him. There was no other explanation for why he was on his knees. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be happening again.

  Not again.

  Not again.

  “Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Kohen loomed over him. Looking down on him.

  “Emenie.” Her name slipped from his lips.

  “That’s one of the dragonlings, right?” Kohen said. “What about them?”

  “She’s in trouble.”

  Kohen stood a little straighter at that. “What?”

  “She’s in trouble,” Ahryn repeated. He couldn’t sit here. He couldn’t let that happen again. “I have to save her.”

  He didn’t even know where she was.

  Where are you now? Ahryn sent.

  I don’t know. They shoved us in a carriage. I tried to bite him, but he was too strong. It’s dark, Ahryn.

  A carriage. Then they were still on the move. Could he use that? He checked his Focus.

  Focus: 112/126

  I’m coming for you, he sent, watching his Focus drop with the effort.

  Focus: 105/126

  It dropped 7 points. He knew 3 was the minimum when standing beside his target under a clear night sky. It cost between 20 and 30 to send across the city on such a night. She was close.

  Hurry, I’m so scared, she replied. His Focus dropped again.

  Focus: 99/126

  Only 6 points that time. The message lengths were about the same too. She was getting closer. Assuming she started at the Palatial Hill, that suggested she was moving toward the river and the lower city.

  Tell me about the man you tried to bite, he said.

  Focus: 93/126

  He was a knight. I don’t know.

  Focus: 87/126

  That’s okay, just tell me what you remember. He was a knight. So he had armor?

  Focus: 82/126

  That was 5 points. Still getting closer.

  “Hey!” Kohen was yelling. “What’s going on? Why are you spacing out?”

  Ahryn wasn’t listening to him, his entire attention on Emenie.

  Yes. Big armor. Heavy armor, she sent.

  Focus: 77/126

  Heavily armored enemies? Kidnapping dragonlings?

  Is Velkora with you? he asked.

  Focus: 73/126

  4 points. They had picked up speed. Or were moving toward him more directly.

  I think so. It’s so dark.

  Focus: 69/126

  His mind ran through the maps of the city he’d long ago memorized. The lower city changed weekly, new buildings coming up, old buildings collapsing. But the upper city rarely changed. He knew the shapes of the broadways and the splits in the avenues like the back of his hand.

  And there were only so many roads that a carriage could travel down at that speed in this direction.

  A carriage crested the hill and rumbled down the road.

  How many knights were there? he asked.

  Focus: 66/126

  It flew past them, barely missing them.

  Kohen was yelling at the driver—something about recklessness and paying for crossing him.

  Ahryn was too busy staring at the driver to listen. He wore a heavy cloak, covering his clothing, but the bulk of his shoulders almost looked like heavy armor.

  I don’t know. They got past Auntie, Emenie said.

  Focus: 62/126

  The cost increased again.

  “That carriage,” Ahryn said aloud.

  “I’ll tell mother about it. Don’t you worry, she’ll make sure they’re fined for driving at those speeds,” Kohen ranted.

  “The dragonlings are in it.”

  “What?” Kohen shouted.

  Ahryn was already running. He wasn’t good for much, but he still had to try.