Phew, KARMA thought. I guess the base really wasn’t that much further.

  The mellow afternoon light was starting to creep through the trees; if they had waited any longer, the darkness of night would have surely invaded the skies. That would have made things difficult.

  The closer they got, the wider the gaps in the trees became, until in the distance Karma could spot a large wooden wall with a tremendous set of double doors in its centre. As they approached, this wall seemed to creep round endlessly in both directions. She couldn’t tell where the wall ended and the forest began. Each section of wall was manned by a burly looking soldier, dressed in a sturdy iron chest plate with a cloth draped over the shoulder, and each was armed with both a large plasma scimitar and an obscenely long plasma rifle.

  Karma shoved Seb behind her, making sure to take the lead.

  “Stay close, but keep behind me. I’ll handle the welcomin’ party.”

  They slowly shuffled forwards, wary of the multitude of eyes now staring at them from atop the high walls. Groups of guards gathered above the double doors, murmuring to themselves in an equal mixture of disdain and curiosity. Once Karma and Seb finally reached the entrance, fifteen guards were bunched together above them.

  Standing at the front of this pack of preying vultures stood a man with apparent authority – Karma presumed he was the leader of this particular surveillance troupe. He cleared his throat loudly and the others behind him all hushed.

  “Who goes there, so brazen enough to saunter up to our front door? Are you here to deliver a message?” the surveillance leader called from above the sealed double doors. “We have you outnumbered and out-gunned. You’ll do well to remember that when you make your next move.”

  Karma didn’t so much as bat an eyelid at the thinly veiled threat, and in turn cleared her throat even louder and more obnoxiously than the man who had spoken.

  “We’re old allies of The Arbiters. And ya’d do well to remember not to shoot your allies.”

  The background guards turned in disbelief towards their leader, who looked a little red in the face.

  “I-In that case, state your name and intention. Quickly!”

  “Daybreak. Karma Daybreak. We’re here for all the reasons ya’d expect … And a whole heap of others.”

  This sudden revelation sent the guards into a mild frenzy. Each one turned to their neighbour to whisper and point at her, eyes wide. She could hear their unsubtle gossip up on the wall:

  “D-Daybreak? Did that lady say Daybreak? S-Surely not, there’s no way …”

  “How did she find us? Did a Mind butterfly invite her?”

  “She’s pretty cute …”

  The leader of the pack reluctantly bellowed out orders to the other side of the wall, and after a moment of silence the timid forest suddenly creaked into life. All of the leaves on all of the trees rustled as the massive double door heaved open, and an enormous gust of wind toppled out of the inside of the wooden fortress.

  Pfff, is this necessary? Did The Arbiters really think a measly bit of wind would scare off an invading force at their front gates? Times are tough, I suppose …

  The gust almost knocked Seb off his feet; Karma placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, anchoring him in place. The pace of the winds slowed but hadn’t dwindled completely. When they were finally able to move, they walked through the now open archway and into the Arbiter base beyond.

  It took a while for the strong breeze to subside, but eventually the unwelcome barrage was tame enough for Karma to open her eyes fully and assess her surroundings. The innards of The Arbiters’ camp was just as she could have predicted from looking at its makeshift wooden walls, only larger than anything she would have ever imagined.

  From where they were standing at the entrance, every building looked crudely constructed with leftover pieces of wood and stone, and the resulting mish-mash of abodes resembled something closer to a prison than a house. Karma’s boots clacked on the wooden slabs on the ground, the same type of wood as the mountainous walls of the perimeter, and these planks weaved haphazardly around the various buildings and lodgings to form pathways. Greymanes whinnied in a stable by the entrance. There were only a dozen beasts grazing – not nearly enough for an army of The Arbiters’ size. As she and Seb journeyed past these buildings towards the centre of the camp, soldiers dressed in near identical attire to the ones guarding the walls came spilling out of these cheap boxes, eyeing the visitors closely.

  Seb shuffled in close to Karma, and whispered as quietly as he could to avoid more unwanted attention. “There are so many of those buildings all over the place … What are they?”

  She kept walking, never once turning towards him, but replied in an equally muted whisper.

  “Soldiers’ barracks. Must be. Can’t say for sure, but our last operation had somethin’ similar. The old ones looked nicer, but more or less the same.”

  Although, if those are all soldiers’ barracks, I’m amazed The Arbiters managed to recuperate and gather such a large force so quickly.

  Each barracks had enough space to accommodate twenty soldiers, if they packed in tight enough, and the sheer number of buildings around the camp’s perimeter was staggering. Every section of wall had an accompanying barracks, ready in waiting for any sort of assault on the adjacent wall. Karma estimated there were hundreds of identical buildings lining the perimeter of the whole camp. There was also a small training area in front of each one, with a selection of targets and straw soldiers to terrorise, leaving the centre of the camp as an open courtyard. Any Arbiter soldier who had been busy with a military exercise sheathed their blades as Karma and Seb walked past, turning towards them with a disapproving glare.

  She wasn’t heading for any of the barracks or training grounds, though. She marched on, avoiding all the gawps and stares of the now huge crowd of men and women, making her way towards the imposing structure at the centre of the Arbiter camp.

  Very ostensibly placed, so that all corners of this encampment could see it at all times, stood an enormous dome, constructed out of the finest white marble – clearly this structure had a much higher budget than any of the surrounding buildings. This peculiar dome was octagonal in nature, with a brilliant glass dome roof made up of many unique colours. Beautiful pillars around the structure had etchings in their surfaces, each one carved with intricate runic designs that trickled down like meandering rivers. The whole thing towered over the rest of the camp, rising up to the top of the trees like a brilliant diamond amongst a sea of leaves.

  Karma stopped a few feet away from the entrance to this dome – a gap in the marble with intricate pillars on either side. Seb tucked in close behind her. She didn’t speak a word as she stared intently at the open archway, crossing her arms for good measure. From an outside perspective, it would look as if she was confronting an entire building, waiting for it to make its move.

  C’mon, I know you’re in there. Show yourself so we can get this over with …

  From within the archway, strutting proudly out into the open courtyard as hundreds of pairs of eyes watched his every move, an intimidating man answered her silent call, stepping boldly out of the dome and over to her. This figure towered over her, just like the gigantic structure from which he emerged, and rested a huge gloved fist on his belt where his golden plasma blade hung. He wore a dull military overcoat, adorned with a cavalcade of medals and pins, with sparkling crystals and jewels sewn into the epaulettes. His face was aged, greying and stiff, with a cold glare that she remembered all too well.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Daybreak,” the man spat, not hiding his disgust. “You’ve made quite the entrance.”

  A mischievous smirk spread across her face. “General Videviki. You’ve gotten older. I take it we have the Wind Division to thank for that gusty welcome?”

  The General slowly encircled the two visitors, a predator toying with its prey, scanning every inch of their outfits to assess any immediate risks. Karma kept her gaze forwards, trying to ignore the pair of eyes searing the back of her neck. Once the General completed a full circle, he stopped in his tracks once more.

  “You have some nerve, girl, to just stroll into my camp after all these years. I’ll be sure to punish the men who permitted your entrance without conferring with me first.”

  “Oh, so it’s your camp now, is it?” She looked around at the camp, glancing over every soldier to the boring barracks behind them. “So much has changed. I take it you would be to blame for the mundane décor?”

  General Videviki’s eyes narrowed, teeming with rage. “Does the Flame Elder know of your arrival?”

  This question threw her off her stride. She took a moment to weave an answer.

  “I’ll open up that can of worms later. For now, I gotta ask ya for somethin’.”

  General Videviki burst out laughing. After a few hearty chuckles, the rest of the encampment also erupted into a chorus of laughter. Karma’s vision darted around, overwhelmed by the intense cackling coming from all sides. After a while the noise died out, as did General Videviki’s momentary enthusiasm.

  “You must be joking,” the General scoffed. “A coward, a deserter, comes back to camp, and the first thing she does is make demands?”

  “Please, Videviki. I don’t ask this lightly. All I ask is that ya allow me and my ally to stay here while we figure some stuff out.”

  Dead silence. General Videviki made no reaction to her request, as if it wasn’t worth the breath to respond.

  “Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” he snorted. “Karma Daybreak, once the prodigal daughter fighting on the front lines, comes to me seeking asylum. And just why would I do that? Why would I give you – a traitor – and your ally – an unknown alien – access to our hospitality? What kind of fool do you take me for?”

  “Because, General, I believe that the prophecies – the visions that the first Mages on the Continent foretold – are now comin’ true.”

  General Videviki didn’t hesitate to unsheathe and activate his golden plasma sword. He pointed it towards her, waving the tip just whiskers from her face.

  “You’re stalling for time, Daybreak. I’ll kill your accomplice and deliver you to the Flame Elder as a prisoner. No ridiculous prophecy can save you from that.”

  Okay, the moment of truth. Let’s see if this plan works.

  Karma stepped back, now side by side with Seb. Taking a deep breath, she began muttering a profound series of words that she hoped would grab the General’s attention:

  “Seven sons and seven heirs shall pass the mortal plane,

  Seven Elders, old and new, shall steady our domain.

  Deadly creatures, spawns of war, shall falter and disease,

  Half a whole, pure of heart, shall guide this world to peace.”

  She caught General Videviki’s eye – he was unmoved by her words, though he no doubt recognised them.

  Looks like he’ll need some extra convincing.

  Without warning she pulled up Seb’s shirt, revealing his crystal heart entombed in glass. The crowd of soldiers gasped in horror, pointing with widened eyes at the sight before them, but General Videviki remained motionless. Still holding his sword towards Karma, he finally spoke.

  “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.

  “This man, who crossed my path by pure luck, fits The Prophecy of The Saviour. I’m absolutely sure of it.”

  General Videviki steadied his blade, a pensive look on his face.

  “And how, pray tell, does this man’s egregious disability fit the profile at all?”

  “Weren’t ya listenin’?” Karma barked. “The prophecy clearly says ‘pure of heart’ … I found him left for dead in a forest clearin’, bleedin’ out and with a busted heart. All I had on me was a crystal. A pure crystal. This is the guy, Videviki. This is the man that all seven generations of Arbiters have been lookin’ for!”

  She could barely hide the excitement in her voice. General Videviki didn’t seem to share the same conviction.

  “Is that it?” He shook his head. “He has a paltry crystal in his chest. So what? You think that’s enough to qualify him as ‘The Saviour’? Seven generations of Arbiters didn’t recite that sacred prophecy just for a stupid girl to barge in and blaspheme on their soil!”

  Karma shrugged, scratching the back of her head. “I know it ain’t exactly definitive proof, but there are other factors as well. He sees visions, and not just your run-of-the-mill dreams. He looked into my past, clear as day, and told me stuff he couldn’t have known unless he was there. Listen to what I’m sayin’, Videviki! Let him stay within our walls, let us see if I’m right – we owe our ancestors that much.”

  “No, Daybreak. I don’t owe your ancestors a thing. You’ve disgraced us all, both then and now, and you will receive fair punishment in due course.” The General’s tone softened. His demeanour became a smidgen more welcoming. “But, I must admit, we could use you. We’re lacking in Mages after the last battle, so I’d be willing to let you prove your worth to us again.”

  He turned his gaze to Seb. “Your friend, on the other hand …”

  General Videviki swished his blade to the next target. The purple glow shone in Seb’s panicked eyes as the General held it near his throat, its immense heat sending beads of sweat trickling down his mortified face. As much as Karma pleaded and begged, nothing could convince the sadistic General and his wretched grin to stop.

  The plan had failed. He was going to kill Seb right where he stood. He pulled back the golden plasma blade and–

  “General! That’s quite enough!”

  General Videviki spun around in a flash to greet the man who had emerged from the central dome. In the archway stood an older man, roughly the same age as the General, with short greying hair and a plump white moustache. He was dressed in gorgeous, overflowing robes that trickled out around his feet, which in turn were fitted with rough-looking leather sandals. The most noticeable feature, however, was the man’s eyes – a dark, brooding red, not too dissimilar to Karma’s.

  It was her old Flame mentor, Elder Kai.

  Elder Kai’s sudden outburst gave General Videviki quite a stir. The General quickly hobbled over to speak with him.

  “Ah, Flame Elder Kai …” General Videviki bowed, attempting politeness despite the interruption. “To what do we owe the pleasure of such a rare public appearance?”

  “General Videviki,” the Flame Elder said sternly. “I’m glad you gave our guests such a memorable welcome. I’ll oversee their hospitality as of now – you can forget they were ever here.”

  “What? This is outrageous, Elder Kai! We cannot possibly allow her to bring an outsider, a commoner, within our walls. If I may speak–”

  “No, you may not. Remember your place, General. Consider this matter resolved.”

  Reluctantly, General Videviki bowed in farewell, his stiff back trembling in anger and pain. With a hint of a grumble, he addressed his growing mass of soldiers.

  “Back inside, all of you. Now!”

  A series of sighs and moans echoed throughout the encampment. Soon enough, the majority of soldiers returned to their barracks, with the exception of those who were already training or on guard duty to begin with.

  The General passed Seb, seething his words directly into his ear. “I’m watching you, boy. Our encampment is not meant for outside eyes. If you don’t prove your worth to us, I’ll take matters into my own hands.” He stormed off, his medals jangling on his coat as he disappeared somewhere behind the dome.

  From the archway, Elder Kai extended a solitary, amicable hand towards them, beckoning to follow him inside. Before making a move, Karma turned to Seb. She could sense his hesitation.

  “Relax, Hotshot,” she soothed. “The worst is behind us. For you, at least. C’mon.”

  He nodded. They both walked through the marble archway, into the central dome.