Ixis longed to rest. 

She had been released from the infirmary almost two weeks ago and yet the perfect bill of health betrayed the ache in her legs. Her breath steadily deteriorated with each step she took, heavy armour weighing down on her already aching chest. It was protocol for what was to come but damn did she curse it with every move she made.

“Ixy? You okay?”

The Regent of Opalis forced a smile on her face for her Throneholder, preparing for the inevitable grilling from more than just her Fire Trait. She glanced around at the familiar abandoned buildings and dust covered ruins and took a breath to steady herself. There was a strange comfort in the interchanging bleakness of the city under the world. After all, she had grown up in the Undercity.

“Just peachy.”

Ixis felt the emptiness of the lack of Hydra at her side. 

In an attempt to placate the crowds and look less intimidating, Lady Aria had suggested to dismount far from the main entrance and arrive on foot. Hydra was not amused, but after a growl of intimidation from Ethros they had agreed, and Ixis had to trek through this cesspool of grit and mud with only a certain Light Traited for company.

“Throneholder! Throneholder Aria!”

Ixis flinched at the reminder of why they were really here. 

She tried to copy Lady Aria’s far superior expression with chin held high, but every time she tried, she caught sight of a young Traited begging for scraps on the side of the riots.The clusters of protestors had seemed far smaller from the reports, but here they were with Traits abound and a desperation for answers. Just like Opalis. Except far less angry dragons. Very little Traited in the Undercity had the luxury of a dragon.

“Tell us about what happened, Regent!”

Ixis forced herself to look ahead and ignore them. She had no right to comfort them. She had no right to associate herself with their pain.

Opalis had been plagued with riots ever since the disaster in Scholar’s Keep. 

Now the Excelliars had retreated to the Undercity they had abandoned for the prestige of the Land Above. The home Ixis herself had abandoned. For a better life. For a chance to study her Trait. The very Trait that was now responsible for the deaths of two hundred and fifty seven people.

“Lady Aria! Lady Ixis!”

A sharp salute broke Ixis out of her stupor, the familiar pristine armour of her comrades flashing brightly in the Excelliar colours of white and gold. She grimaced at how much mud she would have to clean from her boots to look presentable, completely aware of her bright beacon of ginger hair clashing with her clans colours.

“Skyla. How’re things looking?”

Ixis' head jerked to the right, the sound of the Throneholder addressing someone so casually almost giving her whiplash. Despite the muck and endless grit digging into her feet, Aria was the picture of pristine with not a speck of dirt on her. But Ixis couldn’t help but feel jealous of them with their perfectly kept blonde hair and delicate features despite being waist deep in the Undercity’s signature mud and gravel.

“Ma’am. I was sent ahead by the others to set up the tent and suitable stage for your address about Scholar’s Keep. They’ve been blockaded within the Labyrinth streets nearest the Bolthole in an attempt to stop your arrival. I’ve secured new lodgings in the Peddler’s Inn not too far from here, but it’s not your usual establishment. It’s the best I could do considering…”

“You did good, soldier. Can you escort us both once all of these formalities are over?”

Skyla’s confident nod hid the anxious look in her eyes. Ixis noted how her eyes darted around at the restless group of people, warily shifting from foot to foot in an attempt to keep herself busy. 

The Lightning Traited was more than a little older than their usual recruits. She was clearly still fresh faced from combat, the air sparking with a little more than the tension around them as static electricity raced across her skin. If she had done more than basic training, she’d have better control over her Lightning Trait.

“I wouldn’t worry about the crowds too much, Skyla. You should’ve seen the guest list for Aria’s birthday. It was almost as long as the entire Greengather bridge.” Ixis joked, tucking a stray, curly hair behind her ear.

The Lightning Traited fought back the urge to laugh, unsure of how to react in front of her superior officer, but Aria’s placid expression relaxed them all into chuckling along. The Throneholder playfully elbowed her Regent in the shoulder, the glare on her face softening with laugh lines at the reminder of that day.

“Only you would make an architecture joke at a time like this, Ixy. My father made that bridge, I’ll have you know.”

“I always wondered where you got your confidence from.”

“A bridge.” Skyla quipped, sending them all into cackles of laughter loud enough to wake a dragon.

Aria gave Skyla one last look of thanks before the young Traited politely stepped aside. The Throneholder ascended the shoddily made steps and looked back at her Regent to follow.

“Ixis. It’s time.”

Her stomach dropped.

Her mind flashed to the last time they had begun these speeches to try and quell the protests. For some reason, Aria had decided to hold the prestigious event in Scholar’s Keep during the Brinehearth festival. What should’ve been a select group of no more than a few casualties became a disaster of massive proportions. The biggest death rate was from a local mining division caught up in the blast. Willowridge.

“The disaster of Scholar’s Keep will be remembered for years to come as a reminder of why we Traited continue to do what we can to contain our own power. This was a tragic accident that we of Opalis will mourn for days during the Ashes of the Fallen.”

The amount of people made Ixis gasp for breath, the sheer outrage from so many people in such a remote area almost made her break out into tears. Ixis had tried so hard to help, to heal, to follow orders, and the only thing she could cling to was Aria’s promise not to let it become another Willowridge. She hoped her Trait would be enough.

“Is it true that your own Regent caused the blast?”

Ixis felt her breath hitch, the churning of her stomach making her want to vomit, but she clung on, digging her nails into her skin to try and focus on Aria’s words and her reminder not to speak and let her handle everything.

“My Regent is an exceptional Fire Traited and pursued a threat I ordered her to look into.” 

“So it was your fault, Throneholder!”

The flimsy, wooden stage felt rickety beneath Ixis’ feet. She tried to find her footing; but she couldn’t help but think of the charging Traited in Willowridge breaking the supports.

"Even with a tight deadline, an unconventional ability and with so many people to access and protect-“

“But she didn’t protect them! She killed them!”

Aria faltered, Ixis' anxiety spiked at the sight of her Throneholder faltering just like she had so many times before. The unflappable Light Traited shook at the sheer weight of the accusations put against her. Ixis couldn't allow that. 

As Regent she couldn't allow anyone to besmirch her leader's good name.

“The explosion was caused by an unstable collision of Traits, multiple Traits in an attempt to mitigate the scene." Ixis explained, falling back on the details she had practised with Hydra a few hours prior.

The righteous fury of her Trait made her take a step forwards to shield Lady Aria from harm. Even if she didn't know why her Throneholder wanted her to assassinate Rider, it didn't matter. A Regents job was to protect her Throneholder.

"I only used my Fire Trait to stop an assassination attempt on my Throneholder’s life. However, I failed. Lady Aria's Light Trait reacted to the shock as expected, but the third Traited, we believe was involved, was a Shadow Traited.”

The restless crowd hushed immediately.

No Traits dared to ignite. No cameras or journalists scrapped for attention. No dragons were allowed on the premises. All the hostile crowd could do was wait with bated breath at the thought of a certain country being involved.

“Are you suggesting Shuriken was involved?”

“No. No.” Aria said, trying to insist otherwise but it was far too late.

The seedling had been sprouted in their minds and the stubborn Traited would not let go. That fear had rapidly spread around the group and had eventually reached their own forces.

"It was the previous Regent of the Excelliars. I saw her." Skyla blurted out, caught up by the fervour.

The crowds of people began to shove and jostle, a mirror image of what had happened so many times before in Willowridge and all Ixis could do was look to her Throneholder. 

“It was Rider. It was all Rider.” Aria admitted, the fury in her eyes made Ixis shrink away in shame.

She now knew exactly what they were getting at. Shadow Traited were rare even in Opalis and even with the demon's reputation sullying their own, they still continued to rectify that as best they could. 

What Ixis had done was a declaration of war.