Five minutes later, Renithyn's soldiers were all burnt crisps and ashes, their armour unrecognizable. I had known Clane's flames were strong, but he never failed to impress me. We were all hidden in the nearest alley, alert and listening to villagers already gathering as flames licked the sides of the windows.

Stalking back towards my friends, I gave them a nod as they all let out a breath of relief. No one suspected anything amiss...yet. "Kal, I know this is asking a lot of you, but—"

My best friend pushed himself off the stone wall, "Let me guess, you need me to teleport us to Monganmier?"

"Yes." I said.

"I suspected as much. Normally a few miles would be nothing but, uh..."

I gazed around at the people I had now come to consider family, "You're all drained aren't you?"

Clane opened his mouth to answer, but seemed too exhausted to say anything. Kanin grunted in pain, a hand pressed to his side as he rose from the ground to look at me, "We used too much of our powers, Raila. As a renderer, yours are not so easily used up."

"I'm sorry, but we can't stay here. The town is even more dangerous at night."

"It is?" Kanin cocked his head, the rays of sunrise reflecting off his blue-green eye.

"Of course. I wasn't a thief because I was bored. This town mind as well be called The Town of Thieves and Low-lifes."

"I didn't know."

"Quite alright. I suppose towns in Ithyneia are different than the ones in Arien?"

Kanin's gaze became distant, "They are. You should see the sunrises there."

"One day, Kanin. When this is all over."

Kalinier let out a cough, thankfully not one of pain but one to get our attention, "I can try at least. But I'll be in no shape to fight afterwards."

"That's fine. You just need to get us as close to Monganmier as you can. I'll take first watch."

Nikolei stepped forward to help Kalinier properly stand. My best friend sighed, "Alright. Let's go."

Flickers of darkness appeared around our feet, but they were faint. They all really were depleted, whereas I on the other hand, felt rejuvenated.

Kalinier squeezed his eyes shut in deep concentration, and, with a frustrated sharp shake of his head, growled in anger. "Try again, Kal."

"It's not that easy, Rai—"

"I'll give you some of my strength."

They all looked at me, including Robin with curious eyes, "You can do that?"

"I'm a renderer. I haven't seen where my powers limits are yet. I can still keep going."

"Don't go too deep in that well of darkness, Raila." It was my mother who said it.

"I'm just giving Kalinier some of my strength, nothing as major as felling an entire army."

Closing my eyes, I delved into that bottomless pit again, staying near the surface this time. I imagined scooping a portion of that power into my hands, delicately splaying my fingers forward towards Kalinier. Take it, I whispered into his mind. I felt Kalinier flinch as I poured that power into his core. Unlike my own, his well of magic felt oddly like a net, wide but limited. No wonder they were all exhausted.

I opened my eyes in time to see Kalinier suck in a breath, the colour returning to his face right before darkness enveloped us and we disappeared into the world between worlds.

A few seconds passed at the most. I could feel the others with me, whether in spirit or physically, I had no idea. It was the first time I was fully able to open my eyes while traveling through this altered dimension due to the long distance Kalinier had to teleport us...but something felt off.

This dimension had always seemed cold, but...it was as if we weren't alone. Eyes or spirits peered at us as Kalinier moved like fluid through the dimension, tugging us along towards our destination.

It felt like I was turning my head just as a loud shriek sliced through the silence. I cried out in pain as my insides suddenly felt like they had been boiled and ripped out of me, the colourless dimension dissipating into fog as if someone had swiped it away in anger. A great shadow loomed above and wrenched us off course with a horrific jerk of magic as blackness filled my vision.

The next thing I knew, my friends, family, and I were being thrown against the ground as if something had indeed managed to rip us out of the dimension. The sky was dark overhead as if the stars themselves had stopped twinkling out of fear. "Interesting. I hadn't expected that to work quite so well," a new voice drawled.

I took the stranger before me in. His armour was scaly black just like Renithyn's with a sword strapped at his side and a senatorial-purple cloak proudly clipped to both shoulders. I shot to my feet, giving my companions time to recover and thrusting my hands forward, reacting on instinct as I felt that familiar tug of magic. I smirked as my powers flowed through my veins to my fingertips like invisible sparks being ignited. It was getting easier to summon my powers now. The powered soldier merely tsked at me and snapped his gloved fingers.

I gasped as that warm, god-like energy filling my veins suddenly turned cold and completely vanished. My powers. I shoved my shock aside at his display of powerful magic. I wasn't completely defenseless without it. I palmed a dagger as the soldier stalked forward with casual grace, "You should not meddle with rebel scum, Raila Halythern."

"Who are you?" I had sunk into a fighting stance the second he had spoken his first words.

He ignored me, "Your uncle sends a warning. Stay out of this and you may live. King Renithyn does not take pity on fools. You were not supposed to be involved in this war."

"The rebels are no fools," I shot back. I curled my fingers harder around the hilt of my dagger, prepared to throw it any second.

"My dear, what you just experienced is only a sliver of my powers. I could take away all of your companions powers without breaking a sweat. Azure-blue cloaks represent minor powers, merely pawns in this game, Raila. Senatorial-purple cloaks, like my own, represent powers just below King Renithyn's."

"And mine."

"Yes. A renderer, such a gift. If you had grown up as a true royal, you would have worn a blood-red cloak. Very fitting."

I spat at his feet.

He only nodded and sneered at me, "You do not know the full extent of your powers, Raila Halythern. My King can teach you to use them."

"Never. Never in a million years would I be on the same side as him. He killed my father, his own brother. It's only fitting I return the favour."

"You have proven my point. You're all fools to think you rebels can win. You're all just pawns, even your precious Prince Xylin Seriphyn. King Renithyn will make sure he suffers first. Perhaps My King will make you all watch as he turns Arien to ashes."

"Petty threats."

He chuckled unnervingly, "You have the ability to stop this war. Oh Raila, with powers like yours, you should have foreseen this day."

"Foresee this, you bastard!" A dagger suddenly whistled past my ear, accuracy dead-on. A streak of steel against moonlight, nothing more. Kyra stood there completely shocked as the powered soldier laughed and easily dodged the blade.

"I am a commander of King Renithyn, you foolish child. Blades will not fell me, nor will your powers," he stared at me, copper eyes bright with amusement, "If you are not with us, then you are against us, Raila Halythern."

"I've been against you since the day I was born."

"Your uncle will be most saddened to hear that." Renithyn's commander peered behind me. He smiled, flashing his teeth, "It's good to see you again, Nyeila."

I stood frozen, unwilling to turn my back on the powered commander and face my mother. Her voice said behind me: "I see you still do Renithyn's dirty work, Menius."

He gave her a mocking bow, "Only work requiring a commander-assassin. You will rest beside your husband soon, don't worry."

"Go back to hell," my mother snarled.

"Your temper has not faded, Nyeila," he faced me again. I could feel my powers slowly returning to me. At least the effects of his powers were only temporary, "Don't try to fight us Raila, King Renithyn has eyes everywhere. You do not know all the details. This is a war you cannot win."

He slipped soundlessly away into the night, purple cloak swaying with his rhythmic footsteps. None of us were stupid enough to follow him.

I finally whirled around, "Are you all alright? Kalinier?"

Kalinier murmured: "Raila..." I stared in horror as my best friend lifted tired eyes to me. A hand was clutched to his stomach. I hadn't even seen it--the dagger. The commander named Menius--he had caught Kyra's dagger in one move, hiding it in his cloak and throwing it at Kalinier when he had given my mother a mocking bow with a grand sweep of his arm...

I was at his side in an instant. Clane had already taken the dagger out and had pressed his hands against the wound, "Kal!"

"Stab wound. Not too deep, but still life-threatening if we don't do something now."

It was Robin, Robin who had stayed silent until now who spoke: "There's a recently shut down warehouse nearby. Two blocks away." We all knew she had seen it in a "flash."

"Well, let's go!" Kanin roared, hauling Kalinier up and slinging an arm around his shoulders. I took Kalinier's other side, half-hobbling half-running down the street together.

"Raila..." Kalinier moaned.

"You'll be fine, Kal. It's a minor stab wound."

"A stab wounds a stab wound." His voice was faint.

"Shut it, thief. Don't you dare die on me, partner!"

Kalinier gave me a weak smile as Nikolei kicked the backdoor of the warehouse open. "I promise I won't leave you, Rai."