The Brightmoon family was gone! That truth became clearer with each passing day. Merchants who once served under their patronage silently took down the blue and silver banners. Former guards and servants who had escaped before the massacre took place lit candles at the shrines and thanked the heavens for their luck. In the capital, stalls that once displayed the Brightmoon crest removed it overnight. In their place, the black and silver banners of the Evernight family appeared. The few of them who were stubbornly loyal to the Brightmoons vanished without a trace.
People were afraid, and no one could blame them. As the days went by, the initial shock faded, but the fear still lingered. A strange gossip began to spread. Some said the Brightmoon family's heir and his younger brother had escaped the massacre. At first most people dismissed that chance. But then, mercenaries from the Evernight family began searching every corner surrounding the Brightmoon estate, looking for two boys—one around sixteen, the other no older than nine. They broke into peasant homes, tore through belongings, and threatened anyone who got in their way. Some were even beaten. When the boys weren't found nearby, the mercenaries widened the search, pushing further into the borders.
Unknown to these people, an ox-driven cart had already crossed the western border of the Ironvale Kingdom. It was driven by a middle-aged farmer. His cart was piled up with sacks of barley. But he hadn't taken the main road out of the kingdom. Instead, he followed a forest trail once used by smugglers. Because he knew if he went by the main route, he would end up in front of the border guards.
Soon, the cart came to a halt. Bram turned and called over his shoulder.
"Lads, we've arrived. Come on out."
A few of the sacks shifted. Two boys emerged. One in his mid-teens and the other just a child. Cerdic and Aldric looked pale and exhausted. Cerdic climbed down first before helping Aldric to the ground. He glanced around. They were in the middle of nowhere—an open wilderness stretched all around them—but far off in the distance, they could see the faint outline of a city.
"Welcome to the Veylan Kingdom," Bram said with a smile. "Sadly, I can't go any further. This isn't a place I dare to spend too much time in."
"Veylan kingdom," Cerdic muttered. "I never thought I would end up here."
Cerdic remembered what he heard of this land. An incompetent king, corrupt officials, and no rule of law. Power didn't rest on the throne here but in the hands of a bunch of greedy lords and the gangs of criminals they controlled.
"That city in the distance is called Duskfall," Bram said. "Not a good place, but it's all you've got for now."
Cerdic nodded quietly.
"Don't tell anyone who you are," Bram warned. "The border will only keep you safe from the Evernights. If the Dawn Sect decides to come after you, there won't be any safe place left."
"We understand. Thank you for everything," Cerdic said, bowing. Aldric followed, bowing deeply beside him.
If Bram hadn't found them on the road, they would've died. He took them into his home, nursed Aldric until he recovered, and helped them cross the border. They couldn't ask for more.
"Don't mind it, lads," Bram smiled gently. "Just be careful on your way."
Cerdic nodded. Bram gave them one last look before the cart began to move again. Cerdic and Aldric watched as it rolled away and disappeared into the distance.
"Come, Aldric." Cerdic started to walk. Aldric quickly followed.
***
To the southern edge of the Ironvale kingdom, there lay a stretch of mountains. It spread across the southern border like a giant snake stretching its body. Locals called it the Snakespine Mountains.
It was rumored that the Dawn sect was hidden somewhere in these mountains. But nobody knew for sure.
Cultivators preferred not to be disturbed.
Due to these rumors, the Snakespine mountains were rarely explored by outsiders. Only a few villagers living along the outer edges ever ventured into the area—still, not too deep.
At the moment, two shepherd boys from nearby villages were leading their sheep through a grassy hill nearby. Then, one of the boys suddenly stopped. Staring up at the sky.
"Look!" He said, pointing up at the clouds. "There's someone up there!"
A dark figure, as small as a speck, was seen moving swiftly across the sky. Although it was high above, the boys could discern that it wasn't a bird. Because it was too fast, piercing through the wind at an impossible speed.
The shepherd boys looked on with their jaws dropped, their eyes wide in shock. Soon, the speck disappeared into the horizon, flying over the Snakespine mountains.
"I told you," the first boy said, his voice brimming with excitement. "The rumors are true. The Dawn sect is somewhere in those mountains."
The other boy sighed. "What's the point? We don't have a spirit root."
"Still..." the first boy muttered, staring at the sky. "It would be amazing to see the cultivators up close."
The other boy shrugged. "They live in the clouds; we live in the mud," he said. "They won't even look at people like us."
"True..." The first boy muttered in sadness.
Elder Ruvan, who was on his way back to the sect after another recruitment mission, didn't know anything about the awestruck boys who spotted him flying through the clouds. Nor would he care if he knew.
His speed steadily decreased as the hidden sanctuary of the Dawn sect finally came into view.
It wasn't just one or two peaks that the Dawn sect occupied. The sect spread across over ten peaks deep in the Snakespine mountains. The buildings were carved directly into the stone. Training halls, meditation chambers, living quarters, and libraries were all concealed beneath the thick layer of mist that covered the entire region.
The mist itself wasn't natural. It was the result of a massive spiritual formation they had placed around the sect. A barrier to shield the sect from outside threats. Apart from Dawn sect elders, nobody could enter and exit unless allowed. This restriction applied to most of the disciples too.
Elder Ruvan descended in silence, the mist parting in response to his presence. His robes fluttered in the wind as he landed.
A young woman stood there with her hands clasped respectfully.
"Welcome back, Elder Ruvan," she said with a bow.
Ruvan nodded silently, his gaze sweeping past the disciple without a pass.
"Elder Ruvan, about your mission..."
"Wasted trip," he growled. "That boy just had a high spirit affinity. No spirit root."
"I see," the young woman sighed, "finding two new spirit root holders in the span of a month. It would have been too good to be true."
Elder Ruvan shifted his gaze towards the nearby building. It was a meditation chamber built for new disciples.
"That girl, is she still inside?" He asked.
The young woman nodded. "She hasn't left the chamber since you have left," she said, amazement evident in her eyes. "You have uncovered a gem, Elder Ruvan. You are sure to be rewarded by the Sect Master."
Elder Ruvan smiled in satisfaction.
"Has she made any further progress?" He asked.
"Not yet," the woman replied. "But reaching the fourth layer of the awakening stage in a month... She is already faster than anyone we found in decades."
A rare smile formed on Elder Ruvan's face.
"I suppose I will have to pay more attention to her," he muttered. "Perhaps even send her family a small gift."
The young woman blinked. She didn't know if Elder Ruvan seriously cared about a bunch of mortals and their affairs. But she didn't get to ask, as he was already turning away. He made no more comments and walked down the mist covered mountain path.
Meanwhile, in the quiet meditation chamber, Vivienne Evernight sat motionless. She was closing in on another breakthrough.