Lance and Ben walked the trail for a few hours. Lance had already regretted not bringing his coat with him. A sudden gust from the dead lands had come without warning, turning the bright summer day into a cold and infuriating experience.

  Lance’s head dropped to the ground as he squinted his eyes. His face contracted into one of anger, his hands instinctively moved to block the sun. Parts of him that were in the direct sunlight were hot and uncomfortable. While the shaded areas of his body were shaking from the chill winds, and it all made him very nauseous.

  “Blast that wretched sun and that horrible wind.” He said through his teeth, his voice almost a low growl. Ben was walking with his back straight and head high. His enjoyment of the strange weather and amusement at Lance’s annoyance were apparent.

  Lance, this is breathtakingly rare. He then turned to face towards the Frost spire mountain. “I bet you are going to miss that magnificent view once you are in Aether Reach. That region, judging by maps, lacks significant mountains. Very flat it is, but there you will see much greenery, and sea,” added Ben as he stroked his chin.

  Lance also turned to face the mountain. His eyes drawn to the white tip and the strange dark clouds that creep from the land beyond.

  If accepted, my first task will be to investigate the dead lands. Pre-war archives likely contain extensive information.

  Ben also lifted his gaze to look at the clouds. “I keep wondering why hasn’t anyone has tried to conquer the peaks. I would imagine it to be a very exhilarating adventure. If I was braver and valued my well being less, I would climb it, to see what lies beyond.”

  Lance looked at Ben, his brown eyes narrowing. “Some have tried in vain. But there are no records of anyone returning from the higher peaks. It is said the higher, and closer to the dead lands you get, the colder it gets. The furthest someone has climbed and returned alive is of a dwarf named Barrad. From the accounts, the tears in his eyes froze solid, and he became blind.”

  “Still, I think some powerful sorcerer would try to climb it. Don’t they have those magical shields they can cast to protect them?” asked Ben, his curiosity peaked at the mention of Barrad’s tale.

  “I don’t know. My knowledge of protection magic is very limited. I thought similarly, but information proved scarce. All the maps I could find leave that region blank. Information here remains hidden; powerful figures likely prevent its release. Aether Reach exists independently. Hopefully, it’s free of the central censorships.”

  When they reached the town, the sun had almost reached the horizon. The darker skies revealed the slowly appearing stars. But the brightest object at sunset was a red dot. When Lance saw it, he pointed his finger at it and called out to Ben, “There is Golgotha.”

  Ben looked at the bright red spot. As always, it made him feel a very slight sense of power. Many did, particularly those highly receptive to magic.

  “I wonder what it’s like on the surface. Could it also be similar to our world?” Said Ben, looking at Lance in hope of him having some satisfying answer.

  Whenever I view it through the telescope, all I see is a smooth red disc. I read a new book on it from Scanto Mano. The great druid Aussenwelt says it is orbiting our sun and has phases similar to the moon. I can’t, however, observe all of them with my grandfather’s telescope. He was already day dreaming about looking at Golgotha, Lich, Mordigian, and Roshan. The 4 known planets that orbited their sun.

  When they reached the city, it was already dark. Lance’s walking pace had slowed down as the fatigue set in. The sight of the gray and dull buildings did nothing to cheer him up.

  I’m eager to leave. I need some color; I need some variety.

  As they made their way into the city itself, its flaws highlighted further. Builders constructed the buildings without any planning, resulting in jagged streets and corners. They passed through a section of the town that had 6 different blacksmith shops near each other. They stood close together; inside, disarray reigned.

  I’m still unsure about their thought process of choosing this location for their shop. The district doesn’t require this many blacksmiths; this place is quite small.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “They are 6 brothers, if you believe it. The Arakichi family, if I remember correctly. They appear as 6 different shops, but they are more like a single one. It’s more about having a bigger presence, and to exploit some old zoning laws.” Responded Ben, his time on the farm and with his new coworkers had granted him a fresh perspective on the politics of the city. He would hear a lot of gossips from them about the internal affairs of the city.

  Lance was disappointed that Ben didn’t support his statement. He became angrier learning it exploited loopholes in outdated laws.

  “Aether Reach lacks this.” It was as though he uttered those words with hatred.

  Aether Reach, far larger than Tarranvale, is a city where you’ve spent but one day. Why assume this won’t happen there? Ben asked with a smirk.

  My visit was short. Aether Reach surpasses all cities in beauty. You should have seen it. Witnessing those incredibly tall buildings, disbelief washed over me. The streets were clean, the air smelled pure. Each building appeared to be strategically located for a specific purpose. I had never seen streets so straight in my entire life. Such a thing is unimaginable there.

  They reached Lance’s house and saw many people gathering and talking in front of the entrance. Lance winced, as he knew this crowd was there for the mysterious stagecoach. Many neighbors attended; he observed his mother conversing with several.

  She’s shared this news with everyone in town. Lance’s appearance prompted a thunderous ovation, followed by a mass greeting.

  “There’s our genius!” said Mr Ostokhar. His deep and rugged voice roared through the street. He lived in a house near them and had a big bushy handlebar mustache. Lance knew he was close to his father. And that they used to work together.

  The crowd surrounded Lance. Aether Reach acceptance excited their distant town. It filled them with a certain pride and felt Lance’s achievement would reflect on them.

  Lance’s lips curled into a nervous smile. He merely uttered, “Thank you.” Every time he said it, his face contorted. He was ashamed; “Thank you,” was all he could offer.

  Merilyn, his eldest sister, ran up to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. More effort was evident in her appearance: a noticeably greater effort in her appearance was apparent today. Her long black hair was braided and draped across her shoulder and chest. Her favorite dress: Among her favorite dresses, she chose one to wear. Her gown, deep black velvet, was heavy, clinging to her form like shadows at dusk. Dark wings, seemingly folded into the dress, spread outward from her shoulders in a cascade of intricate, feather-like red embellishments. The neckline plunged off her shoulders, leaving her collarbones bare.

  “Our baby brother is going to Aether Reach.” She almost screamed in excitement as she pulled him into a tight hug.

  Lance was taken aback by the sudden affection. Out of all of her sisters, she showed less affection towards him. Lance looked at her with a suspicious glare. But he pieced together that her attire impressed the mysterious messenger coming from the city.

  “Is that what this is all about? How could you know whether they accepted me? Did the results arrive while I was absent?” Lance exclaimed, his heart almost stopping as thought that he had missed the messenger.

  “Nope. but there is no way that they wouldn’t accept you.” She couldn’t finish her sentence before his other sisters joined in and flooded his face in kisses.

  Lance’s heartbeat quickened, a cold sweat began dripping from his brow. These people gathered because of an assumption. His mouth dried as the anxiety took over him. He imagined the worst. They would come and give him the rejection letter, and he would disappoint everyone there.

  He opened his mouth to scold them for causing such an upheaval based on nothing, sentencing him to months of embarrassment. Before he could speak, cheers could be heard coming from the street. They all turned towards the noise and saw many people rushing towards it. As the moments passed, the sound of the crown became closer and louder.

  Lance’s lips parted as the reality set it. This was the mysterious stagecoach. This moment would shape his destiny.

  Time appeared to slow. Lance kept his gaze fixed on the street corner. A cheering crowd rushed out in unison, all facing one direction, and then it emerged. the two horses showed their heads. Their golden mane, snow-white hide. Their figures towered over everyone. They were the biggest horses that lance had ever seen. And then the wagon appeared slowly from the turn. Intricate gold designs adorned the doors and the carriage. The wheels appeared to be crafted from glass. Yet the sound they made on the cobblestone streets were more akin to stone. He couldn’t see through the windows as the glass appeared frosted over. Driving it was a very tall figure. He was clad in a sharp blue and gold suit. Donning white gloves and a peculiar mask that seemed to mimic an owl’s face. His hair was short and dark.

  The crowd around Lance erupted into cheer. Lance recoiled from the sudden noise. The wagon halted before them. He exited, opening the door. Inside was a somewhat old looking man. He had a bald head and a gray goatee; he was wearing a fancy blue cloak and a red leather belt. There were fine designs and symbols woven in a deep and beautiful shade of red. Lance found his professorial look unsettling. To him, his features looked designed and sculpted. Like a skilled sculptor crafting a face from marble.

  Stepping from the wagon, he stood tall. A broad smile illuminated his face as he regarded Lance. He enjoyed his smile very much, too much. He felt that the man designed his smile perfectly for him.

  “There you are, Mr Chrysallis. My name is Professor Mathias Arclight. You have been accepted to attend the Techno-Arcano university of Aether Reach.”

  Once more, the crowd applauded loudly. While Lance froze, his face didn’t show any emotions. It seemed like he couldn’t believe what had happened.