The sky looked as if it was on fire. The dawn was painting the firmament with brilliant reds and oranges, heralding the upcoming start of Lord Sun's journey. Such a simple sight was usually taken for granted, and yet, on that early morning, it caused surprising eruptions of cheers and laughter or even tears. People of Athia and all other kingdoms and lands worldwide stopped what they were doing to look up and stare at the perfectly illuminated sky. And when the Lord Sun had finally emerged from His slumber, He was so bright that people had to cover their eyes. Some of them fell on their knees, raising their thankful prayers to the sky, others cheered ecstatically, and some just stared in disbelief, not entirely sure if their eyes weren't deceiving them.

After a long eight years of turmoil, the world seemed to be whole again.

Iris was gazing at the sky through the hole in the ceiling, admiring the vivid colours she thought she would never see again. It was a perfect moment, and pure joy filled up her heart. She didn't believe it was possible, yet they'd made it. They fixed the world. Marcus' face popped into her head, his kind blue eyes sparkling, and a gentle smile graced his wrinkled face. She could almost feel the featherlight touch of his hand on her shoulder.

'Thank you,' Iris mumbled, knowing he couldn't hear her. But she was grateful all the same. If not for him, they would have never succeeded.

But the serene moment was rapidly cut short with the sound of drawn weapons. Iris averted her gaze from the sky, startled. One of the Inquisitors stood just a few feet away from her, his sword raised threateningly, aiming at her chest. The man's expression was stormy. His eyes focused on her were cautious and suspicious.

'The Grand Inquisitor,' he said, his voice cold and demanding. 'Where is he? What have you done to him, Mage?'

'I... I...' Iris stammered while she realised they hadn't fixed everything. They were still outlaw Mages standing in the middle of Inquisition Headquarters. And they were all drained of power while the knights slowly surrounded them. With their mutual enemy gone, any temporary truce ended as well.

'Lower down your weapons. We are not your enemies,' Kara growled, who appeared next to Iris, her blade raised, ready to strike at any sign of danger.

'You are surrounded, so I suggest you drop your weapons,' ordered the Inquisitor, who seemed to be in charge in Cassius stead. 'You broke into Inquisition Headquarters and assaulted the Grand Inquisitor. You are under arrest.'

The Mages, who were all cheering moments ago, went pale again and huddled closer together, casting wary glances at the knights.

'Oh, come on!' Arlo boomed, raising both of his hands in placating gesture. 'We've just slain this abomination that your Grand Inquisitor was keeping in the basement. We deserve some gratitude for that, no?'

'That doesn't change a thing. You are all outlaws, and you will be charged for your crimes against the Church. Now drop down your weapons, or we'll use force!'

The tense silence filled the air while both sides of the conflict were glaring at each other, neither one willing to step down. But the Rebels were outnumbered. With all Mages useless, there was no hope they could fight their way out of this one.

The stomps of heavy feet filled the chamber, and there was a commotion at the main door. Iris looked there, expecting to see more Inquisitors, but the men entering seemed completely different. They all wore golden parade armours that looked more like an ornament than an actual plate, and their helmets were decorated with crimson feathered plumes, matching the colour of livery on their chests.

King's Guards.

The unit marched in perfect sync and stopped with a loud stomp. Then a tapping sound of cane filled the room, and an old man in priest robes limped inside, following the guards.

'Stand down, boys!' the priest ordered in a croaking voice.

'But Grand Priest!' protested the Inquisitor in charge. 'Those Rebels...'

'I said stand down!'

The knight reluctantly stepped back and sheathed his sword, looking grudgingly at his prisoners. The Grand Priest was the head of the Church, which meant he was on the very top of the hierarchy. Although, it was exceedingly rare that the man himself was bothered to interfere directly.

'On the orders of the King, all Rebels are to be escorted to the palace immediately.'

***

Even though it was still early morning, the royal palace was bustling with activity. The servants ran to and fro, whispering animatedly and pointing at the Rebels led by the King's Guards through the marbled halls.

'I have a bad feeling about this ' whispered Jayden.

'What did you expect would happen?' Kara scoffed. 'At least we aren't in Inquisition's dungeons.'

'Yet,' Myrica added. She seemed calm and collected, but her golden eyes scanned their surroundings vigilantly.

They entered a vast reception room where a clamour of voices talking all at once greeted them. It seemed all the nobles from the city were already here, trying to get an audience with the King. Most of them were cheerful and excited.

'Make way,' the leading Guard ordered, and the crowd slowly withdrew, leaving the passage to the massive doors.

'Those are the Rebels,' people whispered.

'Are they the ones that fixed the Lord Sun?'

'They must be! The Inquisition couldn't do that for years!'

'But aren't they outlaws? Why are they here in the palace?'

'Just look at them! They are so dirty! And the stench!'

Iris narrowed her eyes after hearing the last comment, determined to find the offender, but Jayden grabbed her elbow and pulled her along. 'Leave it. They are not worth a bother,' he murmured.

The door opened before she could reply, revealing a long audience chamber. They were led to the front of the dais, where the King sat on the lavishly decorated golden throne. His face was pale, and deep dark circles were visible under his eyes. But his gaze was clear and piercing. Next to him stood two men, one older one with a frail build clad in crimson livery, while the other was in his prime, wearing the armour and insignia of City Guard.

The older man leaned in and whispered something to King's ear. The monarch nodded a few times and then straightened his back, turning his taxing gaze again towards the Rebels.

'So, is that all that's left of the Mages?' he asked no one in particular and sighed. 'A pity. I was told you are responsible for restoring the Lord Sun, is that true?'

There was a brief silence. No one felt inclined to step forward in front of the King. Finally, Jayden raised his head and said, 'Yes, Your Highness.'

'And what of the Grand Inquisitor? I'm guessing something unfortunate happened to him?'

'He is,' Jayden shot a quick look at Iris, 'no longer with us, Your Majesty.'

'That explains a lot,' the King said, drumming his fingers on an armrest, utterly unfazed by the announcement. 'You have my gratitude for restoring the Lord Sun. It's been long and hard eight years, so hopefully, things will improve from now on.' The monarch shuffled at his seat and frowned. 'Although, the matter of your punishment remains.'

'Punishment?' asked Jayden, not even trying to hide his surprise.

'For eight years, you were breaking the law and sabotaging Inquisition's efforts to stabilise the kingdom. Did you think I would overlook it because you got lucky and undid the curse that your Order realised to the world?'

'That's hardly true!' Kara growled. 'You outlawed all the Mages condemning them to death! Were they supposed to lie down and let the knights execute them? If they did, the Lord Sun would have never been restored!'

'Shut your mouth, deserter!' the man in City Guards uniform spat. 'You do not address the King in such an insolent way. If it were up to me, you would be beheaded right now for treason!'

The King raised his hand, and the man closed his mouth, his lips forming a thin line, his eyes throwing daggers at Kara. She only raised her chin and looked straight back at him.

'You are lucky I'm in a good mood today,' the King said, a slight smirk on his lips. 'The order to outlaw all Mages might have been too strict, I agree now. But the Grand Inquisitor was,' King's face contorted in anger, but he quickly regained his composure, 'very forceful about it. And because of that, I may be willing to withdraw that law and pardon you for your rampage during the last eight years.'

The Mages perked up, and excited whispers and relieved sighs escaped their mouths. Iris squeezed Cody's little hand. That was what she hoped for so that her brother could live without the looming threat of the Inquisition. But when she looked back at the King, a shiver ran down her spine. He was smiling, but it wasn't a friendly, heart-warming smile. It was the smile of the hunter, who just got his prey in the snare.

'But there is one condition,' the King said, raising his finger, clearly relishing Mages' nervous shuffling.

'What condition, your Highness?' Jayden asked.

'Every one of you will be conscripted into the Royal Army and sent immediately to our east border.'

'But we are not soldiers,' Jayden protested. 'We have no military training and....'

The King raised his hand, interrupting him. 'I didn't ask for your opinion. The choice is simple. You either join the army and be good little soldiers, or you will all be executed for the crimes against the Crown. What will it be, Mages? Anyone volunteering for execution?'

They were all silent as the reality of the situation sunk in. The Mages won't be outlaws anymore, but they won't be free either. And forced conscription to the army meant they were going to the front lines, where all the skirmishes were happening.

'Not all of us are Mages,' Jayden said slowly. 'And there are children here. Would you let them go free, Your Majesty?'

'I don't care about children; they are useless to me. Take them with you or leave them, your choice. But the rest of you....' His eyes wandered toward Myrica, Arlo and Kara. 'You did a rather good job avoiding Inquisition for the past few years. We can use that on the front. If you refuse or desert again,' he pointedly looked at Kara, 'I will hunt you like wild animals, and you'll be put down as such. Is that clear to everyone?'

The Rebels solemnly nodded. There was nothing they could do about it right now. At least they wouldn't have to worry about the Inquisition now.

'Good. Now, you look like a sorry bunch of beggars, which is unacceptable for Royal Army soldiers.' The King gestured with his hand, and a couple of servants stepped forward. 'See that they are all fed, and the medics tend to their wounds. You'll be issued Army uniforms and equipment. You'll march east tomorrow at sunrise. I suggest you take your rest while you can.'

***

The Lord Sun was slowly finishing his journey through the sky, and Iris was still all sweaty under her cloak. She wiped her brows. It was easy to forget how warm it used to be before the Ritual.

She reached and grabbed Kara's hand gently. They gathered on a meadow just outside a city to give a proper burial to Sam. They will be moving east tomorrow, so they didn't have much time. The rest of their companions already said their goodbyes and waited for them closer to the road. Iris knew Kara would need more time, but she didn't want to leave her friend alone now.

'Take all the time you need,' she said, gently squeezing her hand.

'If I could, I would just lie down here and never leave,' Kara whispered, her eyes on the grave. 'I knew it was too good to be true. You would think mourning for someone for the second time would get easier. But now it's even worse.'

Iris had no words to console her grief, so she just stood there, holding her hand tightly. Sometimes a silent reassurance meant more than empty words.

Kara sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve. 'At least this time, I have a body to bury. I don't know what to do now, Iris. All those years, I lived with this desperate hope, this impossible goal to bring him back. But now, there is nothing left for me to do.'

'I still need you,' Iris whispered. 'I don't know what to do either. I thought that if we undo the Ritual, everything would go back to the way it was. But nothing did. It seemed we changed one tyrant for another, nothing more. Also, I have no idea what to do with Cody and....' The words just flooded out as if some dam inside of her broke.

'Oh, sweetheart...' Kara put her arms around her and hugged her tight, patting her back gently. 'I don't think any of us expected it to end this way. I'm afraid for now we don't have much choice. Let's stick together, and I'm sure we'll figure something out.'

'Yes, let's do that.' Iris sniffled. She gently withdrew from the embrace, feeling a little guilty that Kara ended up comforting her when it should be the other way around.

'We should get going now,' Kara said. She kneeled, kissed the tips of her fingers, and put her hand on a grave. 'Farewell, my love. I hope that wherever you are now, you'll wait for me.'

Kara stood up and brushed the dirt from her legs. Her face was pale, and her eyes full of sadness. But there was also determination there to live on and keep fighting. She outstretched her hand towards Iris. 'Come, it's time to move on.'

Iris took her hand with a nod, taking comfort from her friend's firm grip. She had no idea what was waiting for them in the east, but whatever challenges or misfortunes they would have to face, they would endure them together.

THE END

AN:

If you reached here, dear Reader, I'm forever grateful for taking your time to read my story <3

It's my first ever novel written from the beginning till the end, so even though it still needs a lot of polishing and fine-tuning, it's very dear to my heart. 

Please, let me know what you think of the story. What did you like? What didn't work for you? Are there any things that were unclear and would need more clarifications? 

Whatever are your thoughts, I'd love to hear them! 

Thank you once again for reading, and feel free to check out my other stories!