Biron and his group of cadets continued their long march until they finally reached the streets of a city that bordered Molowisk. It was their last stop and one welcomed by all the soldiers.

The exhaustion each soldier carried was obvious, yet their discipline never wavered.

Each soldier moved in perfect rhythm, boots striking the cobblestones at just the same time due to having marched the same way from their almost week and a half long journey.

The sound of this march filled the narrow streets like the steady beat of a drum that drove them forward.

It wasn't long before they settled near the outskirts of the city, Biron's mind wandered back to the stares they had drawn along the way.

He recalled the glares and looks of the refugees and townsfolk that had watched them pass, and in many of those gazes he had found no comfort.

There was no doubt in his heart that the king's choices had not been made with the people's well-being in mind.

Even now, their expedition had been given food provided by the town.

And though some had been bought, Biron could see the truth in the merchants' faces.

The people had little to spare, and what they offered came at their own expense.

Still, not every face had been marked by fear or resentment.

Among the crowd, Biron had noticed glimmers of something else.

There was still a sliver of hope on some faces, those that showed the faintest smile as he and the others passed through.

"What are you thinking about, Biron?" Paul asked, breaking the silence as he dropped his bag to the ground and stretched his arms.

"Just on how the people here are living," Biron muttered. "They seem worse off than Solmere City. You can clearly see how poor they are… I mean, I can smell the bathroom from here. It's not exactly the most hygienic place."

Paul nodded at the comment, resting his hands behind his back.

"Well, they lost their capital and most of the tax money that came with it. That alone is probably putting a huge financial burden on them. But that's not our problem. Hell, even fighting isn't our problem. All we need to worry about is keeping the supply lines steady. And when danger comes, we run. That's what we agreed on, isn't it?"

He lowered himself onto the ground, finally sitting with a sigh.

"Don't forget it," Max added, tearing into one of their rationed meals he had managed to save. His voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "I don't want to lose any of you in some stupid fight between our kingdom and a reptile. If it comes to it, we run. Even if we have to carry the girls to stop them from trying to play heroes."

Warren, who had stretched out on a thin blanket, rolled onto his side to face them.

"Heck, I'm ready to run back right now," he muttered. "But those three girls? They'll probably try to sneak into the main camp just for a chance to kill the dragon. Why is it always the best-looking girls who turn out to be the craziest? Even now, when we should be resting, they're busy with mock battles."

The boys followed his gaze.

A short distance away, the girls were already at it. Mirelia's budling squared off against Selka's ice spider, the small creature darting in with bursts of energy while the spider wove its threads to cut off every escape. Not far from them, Yuri's two-tailed fox clashed with Selka's bird, the pair circling one another as feathers and claws clashed, but neither finding a way to harm the other.

"At least they're friendly with each other now," Biron said with a sigh. "Just a month ago, Selka and Mirelia were at each other's throats. Be thankful you at least aren't stuck in the middle of that."

He rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he had the aether reserves to summon his salamander. Torch's fiery scales flashed in his mind, but the truth was, he didn't have the aether to sustain him right now; the creature would probably even disappear as soon as he attempted to summon it.

"So," Biron called out, "Did anyone hear when we're getting our next ration of crystals? I'd like to see my creature at least once before the fight."

"Today," Paul answered as he spread out his blanket and lay back. "We should be receiving three crystals. But honestly, I'd suggest you keep them. You'd make a good buck selling them back at school."

"And waste the chance to make my creature stronger? Nah." Biron shook his head. "I want Torch at his best. If only they had let us push deeper into the dungeon… I swear the next floor would've been crawling with fire creatures."

At the edge of the yard, the improved glow budling and the snow spider reached another stalemate. The spider had locked itself behind a webbed barrier, keeping the budling from breaking through. But in doing their best to attack.

"I think it's going to be another draw," Max said with a yawn.

"Yup, no doubt about it," Paul added, already half-asleep.

He was just about to drift off when someone approached.

"You four," an officer barked. "Is this all your team consists of? I'm here to pass out supplies, so I need exact numbers. Everyone gets their fair share."

Biron knew the girls were still caught up in their mock battles, so he quickly gave their names as well. The officer scribbled them down, and within minutes another man arrived carrying the promised rations: four aether crystals and a strange bottle of water they were all expected to use sparingly.

Everyone gathered to collect their share and sat down together. Mirelia and Selka even broke off their mock battle to grab their portions before returning to the circle.

"Another draw," Max muttered, rubbing his eyes. "How do you three still have the energy to keep fighting? I thought the march was exhausting enough." He stretched out on his blanket, already half-ready to doze off.

"Easy," Selka replied without hesitation. "You just need to sleep at the right time. And maybe stop playing cards in the middle of the night. How else do you think we're able to keep moving?" She gave the boys a sharp look, clearly recalling what she had seen the night before.

"True…" Paul admitted with a sheepish grin. "But we just couldn't get a wink of sleep outdoors in monster-infested areas. Personally, I'm glad we can finally lie down again. Nothing feels better than stretching out on the ground after marching all day."

He let out a long sigh of relief as he settled onto his blanket, already looking more relaxed than he had in days.

"So, did you all hear? In no more than three days, we'll be fighting. That's when we finally reach the city where the dragon is staying." Selka said, news she heard as she was the closest one to the elites.

The words sank in quickly. Everyone swallowed hard. The only ones who seemed truly excited were Selka and Mirelia. Selka's eyes gleamed with anticipation, while Mirelia clenched her fists, silently vowing that this would be her chance. If she could make an achievement here, something undeniable, her family would finally have no choice but to recognize her worth.

"Three days, huh?" Paul muttered. "Then we should rest up while we can. We'll probably be on the move again first thing tomorrow." He leaned back and glanced at the others with a tired smile. "Now, tell me you all saw the creatures the elites of our kingdom brought with them. Selka, I swear I saw your brother, or maybe it was your father, handling that ice wyvern. That thing was incredible. You've got to get us close enough to see it properly at least once."

Max perked up, already eager. "Seriously, those beasts were amazing. I've been trying to remember each one since we passed their camp."

Selka lifted her chin slightly, though her tone remained matter-of-fact. "I could arrange it, but my father said we should wait until tomorrow before speaking with them. They're rationing the time they let their monsters out, same as we are. Still…" she paused, almost smirking, "the king here gave them a few hundred crystals to make sure they have enough aether to fight properly."

A low whistle went around the group.

The most they had managed to gather from the dungeon was around fifteen crystals, and even those had to be shared among all of them. Worse, the dungeon cores were of poorer quality, not even half as potent as the ones they had just been issued tonight. The difference in resources was staggering.

"Well, that's all. Let's rest. I'll be leaving to check on my family. If there's any other news, I'll inform you all." Selka stood abruptly, brushing the dust from her cloak before walking away.

The others lingered, settling back into their blankets and letting the quiet of the evening sink in. Mirelia, however, rose as Biron did, trailing after him with a spark of determination in her eyes.

"You know," she began softly, "just like Selka, I'm sure if you went to where my family is staying right now… they'd let you join them. All you'd have to do is show them Torch."

Biron's steps slowed. For a brief moment, he remembered when he might have wanted that when being accepted by a strong family would have meant everything to him. But then his thoughts drifted back to the cold way Mirelia's family treated her.

His jaw tightened.

"I'll say it again," he told her firmly. "I won't join them. If you're not there, then I won't be either. Even if they could help Torch grow stronger… it would mean nothing if it came at the cost of not being with you."

Mirelia smiled slightly before nodding.

I won't say more than.

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