The men settled in the deserted brick and mortar manor. Tucker had gathered the soldiers and performed a general survey to gauge the overall fighting potential of their force. He stared at the pages loosely containing their formations. The handwritten letters in black ink had yet to dry, but from what they currently mustered, it was just enough to fill all five of the iron coffins Thomas was forging.

  A slight tremble lingered on his fingertips. Tucker felt the wind brush against his face as he stood in the open grass field behind the manor. All the soldiers who answered his summons were resting after the long journey, rotating guards to keep watch throughout the night. Even though they were near the Aurora, the capital city of the Everheart Kingdom, they couldn’t discard the habits they had adapted to throughout the war.

  Normally, Tucker would be inside resting, but tonight wasn’t that night. At the tip of his index finger sat a small, translucent black hawk with streams of vapor curling into the air. Not in his wildest dreams would he have expected it. But reinforcements from the Order were coming.

  Six watchmen had volunteered to join their cause. A single earth contractor, two fire contractors, and three wind contractors wanted to place their faith in Tucker’s whim, something the Order typically wouldn’t accept but chose to let through.

  “Do you think the Administrators had a change of heart?” Ray asked, leaning against a wooden tree trunk.

  “No, not at all,” Tucker replied. “The ones in the chamber were strictly against us. If anything, I think the Head Administrator is the one who allowed it.”

  “Really?” Ray narrowed his eyes with a shred of doubt lingering. “I can’t see him allowing the others to join us.”

  “It’s a lot more reasonable than you’d think.”

  “Huh, well, I’ll take your word for it.” Ray glanced at the treeline, watching the leaves sway in the breeze. “Do you think they’ll be here soon?”

  “I don’t have the slightest idea; all I know is that they’ll be here tonight.” Tucker released thin strands of wind essence through the forest. Carefully searching the area for any signs of movement. “Right now, it doesn’t seem like anyone’s nearby, but if they’re good, then they can weave between my detection.”

  “Well, I don’t even know who it is.”

  “Actually, you do.”

  “I do?” Ray raised a brow as Tucker handed him an open envelope with the Order’s wax seal. His fingers brushed the owl insignia resting below a crown and pulled out the letter. “To blah blah blah, something something… we’re sending over the following watchmen—James, Cait, and… no way, Ethan?!”

  “Your friend?”

  “Yeah, we saved his ass in Alexandria,” Ray pointed out.

  Tucker tilted his head, thinking about it for a minute before remembering the watchmen in the sewers. “I see… so they volunteered to help us because we saved them.”

  “It makes sense; I guess they wanted to return the favor.”

  “Do they know the dangers?” Tucker asked.

  Ray closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. “I doubt it. Neither of us had contact with them, so unless the Head Administrator says a word, they’ll be in the dark.”

  Tucker nodded. “Then, before they join our ranks, we need to let them know the risk.”

  “I agree; that’s something you can let me handle.”

  Right before they could continue their conversation, Tucker felt a vibration travel through his wind thread. He glanced over in that direction with one hand resting on the hilt of his lumenite blade. Ray’s gaze immediately followed before drawing his sword.

  The rustling of oak leaves intensified. In the dead of night, a single twig crumbled less than five meters away from them. Yet, neither watchman moved a muscle. They simply strengthened their eyes with aura and peered into the tree line, observing for the slightest trace of movement.

  From the slow crunch of dirt, they could see several faint silhouettes cautiously approaching them. Tucker could tell they weren’t enemies. Not a single gleam of silver entered his sight. His gaze shifted to Ray, and with a simple wave, he gestured for his comrade to stand down.

  “See? I told you we should have arrived earlier,” a quiet voice said.

  “I didn’t expect Ray to draw his sword!” another countered. “I always thought he was a bit on the denser side!”

  Ray glared at the figures. “Commander, even if they’re friends, do I have permission to punch them?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Tucker answered. “We still need to maintain professional conduct.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re my vice.” Tucker stared at him. “If something happens to me, I need you to take care of the rest, and it’ll only be easier if you form a good relationship with your comrades.”

  Ray bit his lower lip before reluctantly nodding. “Alright.”

  “Now, I take it you’re Ethan?” Tucker asked, looking at the group of watchmen that stepped out of the forest. He stared at their dark green cloaks, examining the black iron armor beneath, gleaming in the moonlight. It wasn’t the standard-issue armor that most watchmen had.

  “At your service, sir,” Ethan replied. All the watchmen formed a line and brought their left hands to their temples before delivering a sharp cut down.

  “I’ll keep it short. If you join us, there’s a high chance you’ll die.”

  “We’ve heard the details of your report from the Head Administrator himself. He provided us with the best possible equipment for the mission and wished us luck on the future operation, sir.” Ethan stepped forward and took out a white envelope from his chest pocket. “Here is the letter granting us permission to take part in this operation.”

  Tucker took the envelope and stared at the Order’s insignia pressed deeply into the crimson wax. He removed the seal and read the letter.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Dear Tucker Welford,

  It is with a heavy heart that the situation has unfolded like this. Due to the nature and structure of our organization, I can’t simply bend the other Administrators to my will. All I can do is create exceptions, such as the recruitment of volunteers, and provide them with the necessary equipment to increase the odds of their survival.

  I do not expect you to forgive me for not siding with you—but know this: for the date you’ve stated on the report; I have taken precautions to provide whatever assistance is within my reach. There is no guarantee that the additional volunteers will make it in time, but should they do so, there will be a sliver of hope for the grueling battles that lie ahead.

  Sincerely,

  Dale Eternus

  Head Administrator of the Order

  Tucker looked up from the letter before folding the white paper and returning it to the envelope. He placed it in his leather pouch and focused on Ethan. “Are you aware of our target?”

  “We’ve been told it’s a retrieval mission in Ironmarch County,” Ethan answered in a firm voice. “With the odds heavily stacked against us and nearly no way back home.”

  “That’s right, and you six are fine with this?” Tucker asked once more. “There’s no shame in valuing your lives, but once we tell you the contents of our plan… there’s no backing out.”

  Ethan glanced at his comrades, who had already made up their minds. They gave curt nods in solidarity. “We’re sure.”

  Tucker met their unwavering gazes before slowly grinning. These were the watchmen he knew and heard stories of. Selfless men and women who were willing to risk their lives for the greater good. He approached Ethan and extended his hand.

  “Welcome to the team,” Tucker said. “Ray, I trust you know what to do from here on out?”

  “You bet,” Ray replied. “It’s time to raise their capabilities.”

  “Raise our capabilities…?” Ethan raised one brow slightly. “What do you mean?”

  Ray grinned. “You’ll see. I’ll need all of you to follow me.”

  Ethan met Tucker’s gaze before getting dragged along. Once they were out of sight, Tucker returned to the manor. His boots pressed down on the loose rocks forming the gravel path. They had less than two months left. Precious time that they couldn’t afford to waste, and just like that, the long training process had just begun. A few days had passed since the other watchmen had arrived, and Tucker, with a slight bit of concern, spectated their training.

  “Are you sure this is what I’m supposed to do?” Ethan asked, driving his shovel into the ground.

  “Roughly,” Ray replied, glancing at Tucker. “Right, Commander?”

  Tucker stared at the five-foot hole Ethan had dug and tilted his head. “Uh… I’m not exactly sure. From what I remember, Alex said that it had to be compacted around their heart like a shield.”

  “Right, so if we just bury Ethan in the ground with his head sticking out, then it should be enough,” Ray said.

  “Absolutely not!” Ethan threw his shovel on the ground. “What kind of sick power play is this? Making me dig my own grave?!”

  “It’s not your own grave per se,” Ray pointed out. “Your head will still be out of the ground.”

  Tucker glanced over to the side and stared at the other watchmen. Two out of three wind contractors had formed their first spirit band. They were stuck in the same predicament as him, unable to form their second ring. But all things considered, the result wasn’t bad. Besides that, James, the other fire contractor, had also formed his band in the makeshift furnace they assembled. Now the problem was helping Ethan figure out his.

  “Alright, Cait, you can start filling up the hole,” Ray ordered, staring at the dark blue-haired woman to the side. Once he met her emerald gaze, the watchman turned away.

  “W-with Ethan still in there?” she mumbled.

  “Yes, he may get hurt. Hell, he may even die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make for the advancement of Earth contractors far and wide,” Ray answered, clutching his hand. He glared at Cait as she paled. “Start shoveling.”

  Tucker observed the other watchmen lift the metal shovels one after another. They swung the load forward and let the dirt spill into the hole; grains pattered onto Ethan and the floor below. Again and again, they worked to cover the earth contractor’s body until layers of packed soil piled up to his knees.

  “You want to get as close to your element as possible,” Tucker said. “Control your essence so that you’re not pushing away your element, but embracing it.”

  Ethan stood in the half-filled hole with an unimpressed expression. “Isn’t this a bit too literal?”

  “Perhaps, but so far it’s worked for everyone else,” Ray replied. “You should be happy you’re not a water contractor. If you were…” He shook his head while clicking his tongue. “Well, I don’t even want to imagine what I would have to do.”

  The earth watchman grumbled to himself. “Is there any other advice you can give?”

  Tucker shook his head and crossed his arms. “It’s mainly self-discovery. You saw how it went for the other watchmen. It’s really just trial and error at this point, but if you pull it off, then you can consider yourself a pioneer.”

  “A pioneer, I like the sound of that.” Ethan nodded as more dirt was thrown into the hole.

  “Keep in mind, since your element is earth, I would take a guess that it has something to do with weight. So whatever problem you occur forming your band should be met with an open mind.”

  Ethan nodded at Tucker’s advice. He felt the packed dirt press in around him, seeping through his clothes and into his bones. It wasn’t like what happened with the others; he was going into the dark with no guidance. The only thing that grew on him was the weight of the world as he layered his spirit essence over his heart. The beating of his soul echoed in his mind. With every passing second, the pressure grew fiercer.

  The sensation wasn’t like anything Ethan had ever experienced. It started off as a firm grip as the world grabbed hold of him. Then it worsened. The layers multiplied while pressing inward, grinding against his core as if it wanted to shatter his spirit all in one go.

  Tucker watched as the earth essence crawled into Ethan’s body from the earth. He couldn’t tell what the watchman was going through, but from an outside perspective, he could see the essence fluctuating in defiance—testing whether Ethan would endure or be crushed beneath its weight.

  “This doesn’t look good,” Ray whispered.

  Tucker nodded, staring at the sharp gasps of pain escaping Ethan.

  “Shouldn’t we stop this?” Cait asked.

  The Commander glanced at Cait and shook his head. “No, this is something Ethan has to overcome. It’s more dangerous to stop it halfway through.”

  Tucker returned his gaze to the watchman, attempting his trial. Cracks were forming when Ethan layered the essence too quickly, and moving too slowly caused stagnation. Right now, the best way for Tucker to describe the process is to let one’s heart get buried alive, trusting it wouldn’t break.

  If Tucker had to take a guess, the key disciplines for earth contractors were patience and resolve.

  “We’ll be here no matter the outcome,” Tucker said, loud enough for Ethan to hear. “There’s no need to rush.” He turned to Ray. “Not a word from you.”

  Ray nodded at his words.

  From here on out, forty minutes passed with not a single word escaping any of the watchmen. Ethan was still fighting as more layers of essence formed around the ring. The earth splintered from where he was buried, and soon a burst of earth erupted with him in the center. He pulled himself free from the rubble, allowing the shell of earth to collapse as he stood upright.

  “How do you feel?” Ray asked.

  Ethan slowly opened and closed his hands. “It feels like nothing has changed.”

  “That’s how it should be,” Tucker replied. “So far, from what we know, the bands only increase our spirit reserves. In my experience, it’s at least double what I can normally use.”

  “Double?” Ethan repeated. “That’s insane; this discovery should be documented and passed along to every watchman.”

  “It already has,” Ray said. “We submitted it to the scholars’ chamber, and now Charles—our friend—is working on streamlining the process. We haven’t really figured out the other elements, but Salamander found some clues.”

  “Then in that case, I trust you wouldn’t have taught us this unless we needed it,” Ethan said, looking at Tucker. “What do you need us to do?”

  “I plan to have you accompany me as we breach the Emerald Tower,” Tucker replied. “Us and a few knights will be the spearhead to break through their defenses.”

  “Will it be enough?” Ethan asked.

  “It will,” Tucker replied. “And the other watchmen will be our support.”

  With that being said, Tucker gave a curt nod to his comrades before taking his leave. He had seen everything he needed to. Now there were others to check on. Once that was done, then they would organize the ranks and begin the debrief on the plan.

  The only matter left rested with Thomas and his blacksmiths. A full week had passed, and not a word had come from the Forged Fellowship. Tucker couldn’t exactly say what it was, but something on his mind told him they had run into an issue. One he would only discover once he paid them a visit.