Arix aimed his bow at the big guy with an arrow nocked. Vae had shot forward before the speedy, cloaked figure could get back to her feet and now stood with his boot pressed against the would-be thief's cloak, pinning her to the ground.

  Ellie was still sitting with the shimmering blue shield hovering above her, and Kal glared across as another member of the attacking team stepped out from the trees. He couldn’t see their face, thanks to a thick scarf wrapped around their neck and face. But the shape of her figure told him it was a girl, and she held a white staff that glistened with sparkling gold glitter.

  “It's over. It was a good attempt, but we caught you. Now, back away, and we’ll call it a night, okay?” Kal said, staring intensely.

  “Betsy, are you okay?” Roared the big man.

  “I'm fine, Gronk. But some fool has their boot on my cloak.”

  Vae snarled down at the helpless thief. She was young-looking. Plump cheeks and soft, light hair. She was small, too.

  Despite her size and soft features, Kal assumed that she must be a small teen since he hadn’t heard of her. If she were a child-mage, she would be a famous prodigy.

  “He's right; let’s go. There's no point risking our expulsion from the exam over this,” said the scarfed figure, her soft voice exposing her as the girl Kal already thought she was. She looked at Kal, and as their eyes caught through the shrouding scarf, Kal’s lip quivered.

  Piercing, perfect red eyes stared back.

  Kal had never seen anything like it, and his breath caught in his throat.

  “You say that, but these guys are ranked 9th. Who knows when we’ll come across a prize as juicy as this.” Gronk said.

  Realizing they had been targeted, Kal scanned their attackers, both their cores, and raised his hand to scan with the bracelet.

  Team Shadowpact—as Kal learned they were called—all had above-average mana potential, with the weakest being 85 and the strongest being the red-eyed girl, with 110.

  “Doesn't matter. We only need to pass, remember? Besides, we have a week, and the longer the exam goes, the more objective points people will be carrying around with them,” the red-eyed girl continued, turning back toward the trees.

  Narrowing his gaze to focus through the low light of a starry night, Kal realized that the big man was actually the ogre he had seen during registrations.

  What's going on with this group?

  “You mind, bozo? Or didn’t your thick skull register what my friend said?” Betsy hissed, but Vae didn't move his boot.

  “Tell your buddies to clear off first,” Vae said, glaring at the ogre.

  “You heard him, Gronk. Back off so this humy will stop grinding my cloak into the dirt.”

  “Alright, fine. If you insist,” Gronk grunted and turned for the trees.

  Humy? You mean the little one isn’t a human, either?

  Suddenly, her short stature made a lot more sense. She looked like a child because she wasn’t human at all. She was a half-man—or rather, half-woman. Kal made a mental note to ask about the name given to the race by the book when he got a chance to speak to one of these so-called half-men. The name sounded ridiculous, and he presumed it must be what humans call them rather than the name they call their own species.

  Scanning the treeline, Kal waited a long moment, focusing on their mana signals. It wasn’t until he was completely sure they were well away from them that he turned and nodded for Vae to release Betsy.

  “Bout time, humy,” Betsy bounced to her feet like a gymnast and dusted herself off. “Later, bozos,” she waved and shot off with the same incredible speed as she had when attacking.

  “That team,” Kal trailed off. “They weren’t…”

  “Human? Lyssia is predominantly human, and it isn’t uncommon for the other races to find refuge among themselves.”

  “I stared into her eyes; they were bright red,” Kal said.

  “Oh, the albinoid,” Vae nodded.

  “But I thought–”

  “They were hostile to humans? They usually are. She must be a half-breed. Full-blooded albinoids are outlawed from entering Lyssia. She's probably the one leading them through the night. Their kind see perfectly in the dark. Extremely dangerous, even the half-bloods.”

  “I recognized the guy from registrations. I’m guessing he’s an ogre, and the girl was a half-man.”

  “Correct, but both ogres and half-men are far more commonly found in Lyssia. Both races even have a few towns where they are the majority. And if I had to guess, I'd say that whoever their fourth team member is, they aren’t human either. We should be careful of them. The albinoid alone makes them a dangerous team to encounter at night,” Vae continued.

  “Yeah, I got that feeling,” Kal said, still looking toward the trees. He didn't doubt that she was dangerous, but he couldn't fight his intrigue. He wanted to learn more about her and albinoids in general.

  “It’s really over?” Arix said. “Can we go back to bed now?”

  “Like I’m getting any sleep now,” Ellie moaned.

  “You’re going to have to try,” Vae said, turning away from the surrounding trees and back to the group. “We’ll need our energy to get through this. Kal, why don’t you finish up your watch and go rest? You used a lot of mana just now, and I’m feeling fresh. Let me take over.”

  “Are you sure?” Kal said, dragging his gaze away from where he had watched the other team disappear into the forest.

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  “One hundred percent. Besides, it’s obvious you’re our strongest team member. We need you fresh, Kal.”

  “I’m not sure about—”

  “No need to be modest with me, Kal. I’m not here for flattery. Securing a spot in a top-tier academy is as important for me as it is for you. If I don’t, my father will likely force me to attend the family academy and trust me, that’s the last thing I want. Understand that I’m not doing this to you in a favor; I’m being prudent for all of our sakes. Our best chance of ranking highly in this exam is keeping you fresh. In saying that, I propose the moody one take the final watch. I know it wasn’t our original plan, but after this encounter, I sincerely believe it is important that you receive a full night’s rest.”

  “Hey! Quit calling me the moody one already,” Ellie hissed.

  “Quit being moody, and I’ll oblige.”

  Ellie huffed and turned away.

  Ignoring the spat, Kal considered Vae’s words. He was right. Between his huge mana reserves for a child and his variety of spells, it was hard to argue against Kal being the most valuable asset to the team.

  “Okay, fine. I’ll rest,” Kal said.

  “Good. The same goes for the rest of you. Get some rest. Moody, I’ll wake up when it's time.”

  “Hmph!” Ellie removed the Astral Pouch from her belt and passed it to Kal without so much as a glance toward Vae. “If you’re gonna be sleeping, you may as well take this.”

  I have a feeling Vae has gone and made things a lot worse. Just what I needed.

  ***

  “Kal,” Ellie shook his shoulder. “It’s morning.”

  Kal sniffed the air as he rubbed his eyes. They had started a campfire, and the slightly sweet, smoky scent of the burning sappy branches filled his nostrils; the fire crackled gently in the background.

  “I’m so glad we grabbed up eggs and bacon from the general store,” Arix said, poking at the sizzling bacon that sat on a cast-iron tray atop smoldering embers with a stick.

  The scent of slightly burned meat mixed with campfire struck Kal’s senses, and his stomach growled.

  “Did I sleep in?” Kal asked.

  “A little,” Ellie said. “We decided to give you an extra hour. But don’t think it comes for free. We’re gonna be expecting a lot from you today. It’s only fair with all the extra sleep you got,” Ellie flashed a devilish grin.

  “Ahh—thanks,” Kal said. The gleam in Ellie’s eyes was concerning, but he hadn’t realized how tired he had been. The rest had done him wonders, and Kal felt fresher than he had in a long time.

  “You’re awake, good,” Vae said, wandering over. “What do you think our next plans should be, Kal? We’re still not any closer to finding this starfish despite spending half a day looking for it. Personally, I suggest we consider moving onto something else.”

  “Did you have something in mind?” Kal asked, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

  “It’s called a Will-o’-the-Wisp Lantern. From the sounds of it, it is nearby. But more importantly, it’s what the lantern is capable of. Will-o’-the-Wisp Lanterns lead their carrier toward what they currently desire via a light that they emanate. The distance of said light is relative to the power of the Will-o’-the-Wisp used when crafting the lantern, but either way, it should prove valuable for something like this Magic Hunt,” Vae said.

  “Where two rivers meet and fork aside, a craggy peak looms tall and wide. Follow the slender creek until you meet a glade of mushroom freaks,” Arix recited from the objective list.

  “Yes, exactly,” Vae nodded to Arix. “And if you take a look at the map, you’ll see that the Caley Brae feeds into the Aeries just ahead, and if you follow the river north, the map reaches a place marked Hemcap Grove.”

  “I see,” Kal nodded, reading the map.

  “And if I had to guess, I’d say that’s the craggy peak,” Vae added, pointing toward a ledge of rock that climbed up above the forest canopy in the distance, with a single tree perched atop it.

  “I think he’s right,” Arix nodded. “It’s hard to tell, but it looks like that’s about the right area for where the Caley Brae and the Aeries meet,” he continued, turning his head as he tried to look at the map from different angles.

  “How many of these lanterns are there?” Kal asked.

  “Just one.”

  “If you’re right, the riddle isn’t very hard. Don’t you think there’s a high chance another team has got there first?” Kal asked.

  “Perhaps,” Vae said. However, the mushroom freaks in the riddle likely refer to the grimcaps in the grove I mentioned. Grimcaps are quite nasty monsters, and their poisonous spores can be deadly. They’re generally kept around and allowed to breed thanks to their alchemic properties. Like the botflies, I doubt the average amateur mage partaking in this exam would be racing off to challenge themselves against such a creature.”

  “Point taken. It’s only the second day, so most teams are likely still a little apprehensive, but that is likely to change as the exam drags on,” Kal nodded thoughtfully as he spoke. “I agree, collecting these kinds of objectives first seems like a good idea.”

  “Great,” Vae said. “It’s also worth 50 points, which should place us right near the top of the pack.”

  “Whatever happened to you wanting to play a cautious game?” Kal raised a brow.

  “Well, I have had a change of heart,” Vae said. “To be honest, I miscalculated. I didn’t expect other teams to resort to thievery so early in the exam. I thought it best we keep a low profile until we see how things unravel. Unfortunately, it seems as if we’ve already become a target. Because of this, we might as well strive to collect as many points as possible.”

  “Makes sense,” Kal said. “I might be a little glad, though,” he added, fighting back a grin.

  “You would be, wouldn’t you,” Vae sighed.

  Kal didn’t want to lose. But this was just an exam, after all. And his entire reason for being here was to test himself. Hiding seemed like a wasted opportunity.

  The scent of meat hit Kal again, breaking him from his thoughts. His stomach rumbled, driving him toward the food.

  “Want me to throw bacon and eggs in a roll?” Arix looked back at Kal.

  “Yes, please,” Kal nodded eagerly.

  ***

  It wasn’t hard to follow the Aeries upstream, thanks to the banks being relatively easy to traverse. The forest underbrush wasn’t overly thick either; however, they were often forced to zigzag through the vegetation to easier sections to navigate.

  When they reached two intersecting rivers, they saw the craggy peak for what it was—a sharp, rocky mesa climbing up from the corner where the two rivers joined.

  Small trees and prickly bushes wove themselves around the steep mesa, making the climb to its peak look hazardous and ill-advised. Otherwise, it would have made for a decent little lookout.

  The riddle did not mention how far they had to walk to reach the glade, but Vae insisted that the humanoid mushrooms soaked up water like nothing else, and they were sure to build their grove beside the river.

  Not only that, but the map indicated that the walk shouldn’t be too far. They just had to keep following the river.

  Grimcaps weren’t known for magic, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be deadly. Their spores alone were something to be cautious of, and thanks to their hivemind, they could quickly outnumber an attacker. If even one of the mushrooms saw you and took you as an enemy, the entire grove could come charging toward you within seconds.

  Kal’s senses perked as he felt mana in the air. It couldn’t be the grimcaps, and there was only one lantern, and he was certain he sensed more than one mana source.

  “You picked up on it too?” Vae said as they pushed through the vegetation.

  “Yeah, mana signals. A few of them.”

  “Looks like we’re not the only ones who had the bright idea of coming here.”

  “Another team?” Kal probed, wondering if Vae had the same suspicions as he.

  Vae flashed a knowing smile back.

  Of course, this wasn’t going to be easy. Who was he kidding?

  A smile tugged on Kal’s lips. He had been taken off guard during the night attack, and now he wanted to show whichever team it was trying to loot the lantern what he was really capable of.