“I wish I could save more of you…” - the last words of Joan the Healer, after succumbing to the same plague from whom she saved thousands.

  Leo and Avella rushed through the streets, and Avella took the lead. It was just as well for Leo; he was still terribly sore. Oddly enough, they did not seem to be heading toward the temple but instead through one of the neighborhoods. Leo recognized these places. Elizabeth lived close by. Though it was hard to dwell on nostalgia at the moment. Leo was determined to stay focused.

  “Isn’t this guy at the temple?” asked Leo.

  Avella shook her head. “He’s not. I don’t know why, but he’s not. We must hurry; something is wrong. His essence is weak, fading. He is with some people; they’ve done all they can. They seem familiar.”

  “I used to dwell in these neighborhoods, you know. A former . . . partner of mine lived here.”

  With every corner, the area was becoming more and more familiar to Leo. Could it be?

  “You might be right. The familiarity is not with me but with you.”

  Leo raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? This Godshard is currently at Elizabeth’s place? Why not head to the temple?”

  “I don’t know. But I suppose we will find out at any moment.”

  With one last corner, they arrived. It was a townhouse, a modest place shared with several other people. It was better kept than he remembered. The door was open. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen.

  Salvatore was outside with Martin and Julia. In the distance was a small crowd of people, and milizia was keeping them at a distance; two cloaked figures in blue robes were flanking the door. Guaritori.

  Leo called out to them, “Padre! Mama Julia!”

  Salvatore turned to them. “Leo, Avella! By the Gods, I am delighted you’re here.”

  “What’s going on in there?” asked Leo.

  Julia gestured to the door. “You must see for yourself.”

  “Where’s Elizabeth?”

  Julia folded her arms. “She’s not the person you need to be concerned about.”

  Inside the house, it looked like a whirlwind had come and gone. The furniture was ruined, wood was splintered and papers were littered everywhere. Elizabeth was sitting at the nearby wall, and in her arms was an unconscious Annabelle. She looked exhausted and disheveled, her uniform only halfway on.

  There was a man in the middle of the room, splayed out. Leo gawked at the grizzly sight. His grey cloak was tattered and burnt. He was unconscious and bore several claw marks and gashes, deep canyons in his dark brown skin. He was bleeding onto the floor.

  Elizabeth’s weary eyes looked upon them as they entered. “Oh, thank the Gods you’re here, Maga.” She had tears in her eyes. Leo had rarely seen her like this.

  “He . . . landed here two days ago and nearly fell on top of this one,” Salvatore said, gesturing to Elizabeth.

  “We’ve been struggling to stabilize this man,” said Julia. “We haven’t been able to move him since we can’t stop the bleeding long enough. I have tried everything in my power. Some of the wounds are spiritual, so it is up to magic, and poor Annabelle was all I had ’til now.”

  Avella nodded. “I will do what I can.”

  Julia turned to Salvatore. “I’ve told you before we need more Shardlings in my apothecary. It’s bad enough your sacerdozio reject people like Annabelle. The least you can do is send some more of them my way!”

  Salvatore scowled. “It is as the teachings of David and Solomon permit.” He closed the space between them. “I’ve been doing everything I can, Julia. Besides, she was meant to be here; if she had been accepted, she would not be here, and Etheros would be dead. The teachings ring true.”

  Julia waved him off, rolling her eyes.

  “Who is he, and why is he here?” asked Elizabeth.

  “The Godshard is from Raveno,” answered Leo. “We were hoping to visit him about a problem most urgent.”

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  Avella shook her head. “This man is not who I thought he was, Leo.” She pointed at his cloak. “His cloak is grey, not black or white. He is not from our sacerdozio. He is a great Adamite Wizard named Etheros. He is indeed powerful, of the same caliber we were seeking. But that is not the point. Etheros hails from the Empire of Yanneros.”

  Leo’s eyes widened. Yanneros? But isn’t that—

  “Isn’t that realm on the other side of the world? What the hell is he doing here?” asked Elizabeth.

  Avella grumbled. “If you could keep quiet so I can concentrate, we can ask him directly!”

  The number of questions piled up higher and higher. Leo sat down next to Elizabeth to give Avella some space as she began to chant.

  Leo found himself staring at the prone form of the wizard. He was amazed that he was still alive. One of his hands was nearly severed; it looked like it would fall off him if the slightest provocation were inflicted on it. One of his shoulders was crushed, almost caved in on itself. Lastly, there was a distinct . . . wrongness coming off this man. A distant vibe with a bad omen in the air, but Leo didn’t know where it is coming from.

  This wizard must have been made of stern stuff. Leo knew not how casting spells affected a Godshard, but he knew how difficult it was to stay on task when grappling with wounds. He could only imagine the man’s struggle to get to this point; the soldier in Leo could respect that.

  “You look like shit,” whispered Elizabeth.

  Leo scoffed. “So do you.” He looked at Annabelle. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “Hopefully. I’ve never seen her use her powers like this before.”

  “You’re lucky to have her.”

  Annabelle stirred, rising slowly. She began to get frantic again before Elizabeth shushed her softly. “It’s okay, Anna, the cavalry’s here.” Elizabeth pointed at Avella. “You did it.”

  Annabelle whimpered, “I did everything I could.”

  Elizabeth patted her shoulder. “We know, we know. It’s okay.”

  Avella gestured to Salvatore, and he joined the incantation. The wizard’s body began to hover. The two Godshards shouted with chants before Etheros’ remaining wounds healed, life and color entering his skin again. Etheros gently floated back to the ground.

  Leo was once again amazed by the magical prowess of the Godshards. So much so, in fact, that he didn’t notice Annabelle grumbling and turning away.

  “It’s okay; you did what you could, Anna,” whispered Elizabeth.

  Avella placed a hand on Etheros’ chest. “He’s breathing, but it’s still faint.”

  “He needs rest,” said Julia. “Godshards still need rest. I’ll house him in the apothecary.”

  “I would prefer the temple,” said Avella.

  Julia placed her hands on her hips. “But the temple doesn’t have the facilities my ward does.”

  Salvatore nodded and said, “I’m with Julia on this one, Avella.”

  Avella turned to him, head tilted. The two Godshards shared an acute stare. “Alright, if you insist. But I’m not leaving his side.”

  Julia nodded. “That’s fair.”

  Avella cradled Etheros in her arms and proceeded out of the building. The rest of them followed.

  Elizabeth scowled as she gestured to their abode. “Hey, what about our home!”

  Avella turned to Elizabeth, her face unreadable before her eyes narrowed. Annabelle grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders, her face stern. “Liz, shut up.”

  Elizabeth was startled by Annabelle’s tone and merely nodded. Avella muttered an incantation. Objects inside moved back to where they used to be—the table pulled itself back together, and even the lingering dust dispersed. Both women were speechless.

  “T-thank you.” stammered Annabelle.

  …………………………

  “. . . and that’s how we got back to Tressviae.” finished Leo.

  Generale Augustino and Ricardo were unreadable. Leo had brought them up to speed in Augustino’s office. The room seemed darker than before; the waning hours of the afternoon made the place seem more dreary than usual. Or perhaps it was Leo’s apprehension playing tricks on him.

  Ricardo frowned and cleared his throat. “There is definitely room for improvement. You should have warned Maga Avalon immediately, and for your inaction, you lost two valuable mounts and the dread-wasp leg.”

  Augustino raised an arm and said, “That is true, Ricardo, but Leo kept Maga Avalon safe. I understand how she can be . . . difficult to work with sometimes. You nevertheless stayed by her side, keeping her safe to the best of your ability.”

  Leo breathed a sigh of relief; he thought he was done for sure. “What about the Benelim? And Ben?”

  “We will honor your promises, although I cannot say when,” answered Augustino. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to help the Nephilim; I suppose we shall deal with that as it comes. As for the Benelim, we’ve never assisted in naval operations before; it will take time to find and train men and women for the task.”

  “We can deal with that later,” said Ricardo. “It’s this affair in Raveno that has me concerned. Signore Alessandro has grown senile indeed if agents such as them are operating in Raveno unchallenged. Mendax, curse his name, has long tried to seep his influence into the Cradlelands like poison in the blood. The corruption is deeper than we thought. Who knows what havoc they could unleash?”

  Augustino nodded. “Indeed, it could prove disastrous to the status quo. We must ensure peace at all costs. Padre Angelos has a meeting with Principe Filippo; let’s hope that situation can get defused.”

  “He’s competent; I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  Augustino grumbled. “Worst of all is this rogue Godshard. Out of all the foes I’ve fought, rogue Shards are particularly dangerous. I must confer with Padre Angelos on this.”

  “What are my orders?” asked Leo.

  Augustino stood and motioned for Leo to stand as well. “Get yourself cleaned up and rested. Stay by Maga Avalon’s side. It is abundantly clear that our concerns for her safety are well-founded. We shall not be found wanting. Report if this Godshard Wizard wakes.”

  Leo sighed. “I’m sorry I lost the leg.”

  Augustino offered Leo a kind, somewhat paternal, smile and laid a hand on his shoulder. “No one is perfect, Leo.” Ricardo grumbled behind him, causing Augustino to turn to him and glare. He looked back at Leo and said, “It could have been worse for a first assignment. Much worse.”