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J ai lay in the relative warmth of his cocoon, tracing the lines of his father’s writing. A sense of history washed over him: his father too had sought sanctuary in this very alcove, finding time among the elements to engrave his legacy.

Jai knew from Leonid’s diaries that the Caelite had come suddenly, descending upon Rufus’s Gryphon Guard during a protracted siege. Surely his father made this self-same journey during that time, leaving his tribe in the midst of war to... to bend the powerful sect to his will.

But had he become a member of the Caelite to do it? Jai pondered if he too would find a route back home if accepted into their ranks.

So many questions. But at least he was warm while contemplating them. With Winter plugging the hole of his cave, her hot breaths damp against his face – his body heat had gradually returned, and he was able to sit comfortably without using mana.

It was just as well, for Jai was as low as he had been in a long time. Winter let out a deep rumble of contentment, her head heavy in his lap. She was so big now, almost as large as a horse.

He imagined it a comical sight, her rump sticking out of the cave, bare to the elements, tail blocking the ledge around which the rest of the alcoves resided. But he cared not a jot.

For with Winter so close, he could soulbreathe in earnest. There was mana here, filtering through the pores in the rocks. The ambient mana, subtle but present, was enough to make it worth his time. Though not as abundant as the vast reservoirs of the Great Steppe, where the countless grasses offered limited potency in immense volume, it sufficed.

With every deep breath, he felt his core drip with the liquid gold so pure it was almost blinding white. It was hard work, pulling mana through the walls of the cave. He could almost sense it through the rock, blazing through the hollows on the other side. It was like pulling it through a heavy veil, tugging at the vibrant rush of power, shimmering just out of grasp.

It was strange, that so many soulbreathed around the edges of the great mana source, where you had to breathe deep just to catch your breath, and the cold sapped the mana from your core. Here, where the effervescence of mana evaporated into the skies above, so much potential felt squandered. A tantalising banquet of power, so close, yet held where he could hardly touch it. Could they not spare a mere morsel?

Jai knew now, it was this strange mechanism built into the mountain that must have drawn soulbound from far and wide. Such a nexus of power promised unparalleled growth on the winding path they trod. Perhaps it was this that drew his father here, seeking a solution to the Gryphon Guard that ravaged his peoples.

Jai was only a fourth-level soulbound. This was more than many on the path might achieve in their lifetimes, for having Winter as his totem had given him many advantages. Indeed, Erica had only been a fifth-level soulbound, or so Rufus had guessed. Few soulbound revealed their exact level, to keep their enemies in the dark about their true strength.

Yet, whether at the fourth or fifth level, Jai knew the vast gulf that separated him and Erica from the titans of majicking. If he faced Magnus or Rufus, he was little more than a mosquito to be swatted. There were far more powerful practitioners that walked the world. And it was places like these that made them.

Winter let out a deep rumble. A feeling of pleasure and familiarity suffused Jai’s mind, like an itch being scratched. She lifted her head, and to Jai’s disappointment, wriggled back. A voice...

‘That’s how you like it, girl. Did you think I forgot? That’s it...’

The warm air wafted out, letting in cold that was like an ice bath. It invigorated him, and considering the small reserve of mana he had built over the hours, he ducked out.

Only to see Winter, flat on her back, wriggling like an excited puppy. And there, rubbing her belly... Erica.

Jai had hardly time to register the sight before he was knocked back a few paces by her embrace, so tight he could hardly breathe. She was alive with energy, such that his hair stood on end at her touch, and her eyes glowed. Erica was so full of mana it was leaking out of her.

‘Jai!’ she laughed, lifting him off his feet. ‘What are you doing here?’

He managed a breathless retort.

‘Trying to catch my breath, for one.’

Jai allowed himself to sink into her embrace, her body at once soft and hard. Only when she pulled away did he do the same, holding her shoulders at arm’s length, looking at her in wonder. Somehow, she looked fuller in body than she had ever before, even in this barren place. Her lithe form was hardly covered but for a few swathes of cloth, but every bare inch of her was corded with smooth muscle.

She smiled at him, before touching her finger to her lips.

‘We should keep our voices down. May I?’ She nodded at Jai’s cave, and ducked inside without waiting for an answer. Some things never changed.

Jai followed, and soon the two were squeezed together, heads pressed close. She was staring at him, still shaking her head in amazement.

‘Really,’ she said. ‘Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be finding your people?’

Jai cocked his head.

‘I could ask you the same thing.’

‘It seems we have a lot to talk about.’

They did. And yet, for the moment, they both seemed content to simply sit there, looking at each other.

They sat for a long time.

EVENTUALLY, JAI TOOK A moment, composing himself and his thoughts, the weight of their shared history and the intimacy of their closeness all at once making him feel slightly breathless.

Words tumbled, some coherent, others mired in his haste, for he had burning questions that only she could answer. Twice, Erica’s laughter, light and teasing, broke through his narration, each time drawing from him a sheepish, almost boyish smile.

Erica was transformed. Yes, time had marked her with maturity, but it was more than that. While the iron determination he remembered was still evident in the set of her jaw and the flash of her eyes, there was now an underlying warmth, an infectious lightness of spirit. If past hardships had been a crucible, she had emerged not hardened, but glowing, refined. Some source of happiness had tempered the steel in her.

‘Hanebal told me how you came to be here,’ Jai said, breathlessly reaching the end of his hurried tale. ‘But not why you stayed. Your turn, now. What is this place?’

With a heavy exhale, Erica reclined against the ancient stone, her eyes momentarily distant. ‘This mountaintop... it’s a realm apart. The energy here, Jai, is potent as anything I’ve ever seen. It’s the kind of power that can tip the scales of the war.’

Jai nodded, enraptured. To see her speak with such passion filled him with the same, her expressive eyes pulling enough of his attention that Winter gave him an envious nip, until he rubbed her the way she liked it between the horns.

‘When I came here, I thought the Caelite were my only hope of returning to my people safely. They could fly me through the enemies that block my path. So I climbed... and they gave me a choice. Join, or leave.’

‘But at what cost?’ Jai demanded. ‘What is the weight of joining their sect?’

Erica’s gaze, usually unwavering, flitted away momentarily.

‘They demand no shackles, Jai; only a promise. Freedom, with a caveat.’

‘And that caveat?’ Jai pressed, his tone insistent.

She inhaled deeply, choosing her words with care.

‘The core of it is a bond, an oath of protection. When summoned, members are bound to return, to stand and guard the mountain, to shield their brethren and this fortress.’

Jai laughed, though without much mirth.

‘Who in their right mind would try to conquer this place? It’s the greatest fortress on earth.’

Erica sighed.

‘The Guild. Their ambition and greed know no bounds, coveting this place for centuries. They are two contrasting sects. While the Caelite champion self-mastery and simplicity, the Guild thirsts for dominance and wealth.’

Jai knew well the famed Guild, that secretive sect that spanned much of the known world. It had close ties to the Gryphon Guard, and many of their acolytes would serve a few years with the Guild before returning to the fold. Silas had been one such squire, who had condemned Jai and Erica to Porticus at the Guild’s behest. The sect had hoped the prison would extract the secret to bonding with dragons from the supposed Dansk noble they had captive.

It was lucky Silas had not known who they truly were, or they’d likely have been ransomed back to the Sabines.

He wanted to ask more, but Erica had already moved on, pointing at the bare stone behind Jai, where the mana flowed freely.

‘It’s extraordinary, isn’t it? Every creature, every blade of grass, exudes mana. But the Caelite, in their endless quest for knowledge, have made an astounding discovery. The humble fungi, overlooked and trampled upon by many, is a veritable reservoir of mana. And then there are us – humans.’

Jai raised an eyebrow, intrigue lighting his eyes.

‘Humans?’

Erica smirked. ‘Why do you think the Gryphon Guard perched their Eyrie atop the bustling city of Latium? It’s not just for the view. The very thrum of life, the collective energy of its inhabitants, becomes a source of power.’

Clarity dawned on Jai’s face. The Caelite’s dedication to their flock, their relentless endeavour to liberate the enchained from the world beyond, it was all about the mana. Harnessing it, amplifying it within the mountain’s hollows and utilising its condensed force.

His brow furrowed. ‘But what purpose does this vast reserve of mana serve them?’

Erica’s voice dropped to a reverent whisper. ‘To the Caelite, there’s an allure that surpasses any worldly treasure: that of eternal life. They seek to uncover the universe’s concealed secrets and to bask in its revelations for eternity. Through the path of the soulbound, they believe they can attain this.’

Jai stared, and shook his head.

‘Impossible.’

Erica gave him a knowing smile.

‘I had thought the same. But Eko is two hundred years old, and looks hardly older than my father once did. He is the man from Shambalai, with the dark skin. Some say he knew the first Caelite, before they were lost in the great War of the Steppe.’

Jai was stunned, still trying to digest this news.

‘Who killed them?’ he asked.

‘Rufus, Magnus and his ilk,’ Erica replied. ‘The Caelite did not wish to fight. But your father forced their hand.’

‘I wonder how he convinced them?’ Jai whispered.

Erica nodded, her face grave.

‘He is well known here, but far from beloved. Many here hold him responsible for the loss of their wisest members all those years ago. Peaceful men and women, dragged into a war not of their own making, or that is how the Speaker tells it. No – that’s how they all tell it.’

Frustration welled within Jai, and he knocked his head against the cool stone behind him. So he was the son of a pariah, here to convince a tribe to repeat his father’s so-called mistakes.

‘How did he bring them into the fight?’ Jai asked. ‘Because the Caelite are all that kept the Gryphon Guard in check last time. And I need them to do it again.’

Erica sighed and shook her head.

‘I wish I had the answer. But there’s a tradition here. Upon joining the sect, you’re granted the right to request a single favour from the sect leader. The choice to fulfil it lies with him. I’ve already made my plea.’

A contemplative silence settled between them for a heartbeat before Jai whispered:

‘Eko?’

With a gentle nod, Erica sealed his despair.

He closed his eyes, letting the disappointment wash over him. There was much to learn here, and a favour from the Caelite would be worth something in the battles to come... even if they would not be willing to join the war as they had done for his father.

‘Winter and I cannot fight the Gryphon Guard alone,’ Jai said. ‘She is but one dragon, and I hardly stronger than one of their squires. We need the Caelite.’

‘You need allies,’ Erica allowed. ‘And you have them. And while the Caelite may be hesitant, know that you aren’t alone. Upon my return, the dragons of the Dansk will rally to my banner. Rumours float through these corridors, messages from the Caelite’s loyal spies, former members of the flock. The dragons of Dansk, although few, have fiercely guarded our territories against the relentless onslaught of the Gryphon Guard. So far, we hold our own.’

For a moment, Jai could do nothing but stare, a cascade of emotions threatening to overflow. ‘You would stand with us? After everything?’

Her response was as firm as it was tender.

‘There was a time I couldn’t see past the clouds, Jai. But now the horizon is clear. The Kidara and the Dansk, we are bound by ties more profound than shared enemies. By the All-Mother, or as you revere her, the Mother, our destinies are interwoven.’

She looked at him.

‘I’ll stand with you, Jai.’

Jai grinned, and clasped her hand, looking her in the eyes.

‘So be it,’ Jai said. ‘An oath, then.’

Two royals, orphaned both by the enemy they’d escaped, uniting their peoples high above the clouds. Jai might have thought it destiny had he not fought tooth and nail to get here.

‘I grow more powerful here. Perhaps strong enough, someday, to beat Magnus himself,’ she said. ‘You will too. Even if you do not join, this place is special.’

‘But how will your people hear of our alliance?’ he asked. ‘Will the Caelite risk war with the Sabines by returning Titus’s enemy home?’

Erica grinned.

‘Eko is still deciding. Though in truth, a few weeks more and I will not need it.’

Jai raised a brow, a question forming. But before the words could take shape, Erica, with a mischievous smirk, nudged Winter, prompting the majestic dragon to rise, casting off the blanket of snow that had gathered on her while she rested.

‘Wh—’

Erica held up a finger and closed her eyes. Jai waited, unsure of what to expect. Then a shadow flitted past, darkening the alcove’s entrance. He turned his eyes skyward, his vision blinded by the unyielding sun above.

Only for the light to be blotted by a swooping figure, one that landed with a thud and sent the white powder scattering as it folded its great, leathery wings.

Erica grinned, ducked out from the entrance and reached out her hand, her fingers tracing the silver-blue scales of the beast’s horned head.

Her dragon’s head.