Koda and Strife trudged along the winding mountain path. Howling winds roared around them and snowflakes the size of stones piled down on the two travelers. With each step Koda took, he wished it were the last one. He still felt exhausted from his match with Trent. Fog clouded his mind just as the misty veil that wrapped around him, but onwards he trekked, onwards to the school he knew he belonged to.

  “Master Stryneth,” Koda called to the figure ahead of him.

  Strife turned and glowered under his heavy furred hood. “You know that is not my name, Koda.”

  Koda bit his lip. “Yes, I apologize, Master Strife.”

  Strife nodded and slowed his pace so that the younger mage could catch up. “What is it?”

  “Why have we left without your shroud?” asked Koda.

  “It is imperative that you are delivered into Mateo’s hands without any further delay,” explained the blue mage.

  Koda blinked away specks of snow. “Imperative? Why?”

  Strife ignored Koda’s comment and instead pointed to a large blur past the wall of fog and falling snow. “We are here.”

  Koda stood stunned at the sight of the large steel doors he had seen many times.

  “Welcome to his mage school.” Strife pushed open the double doors. “Come. He awaits.”

  ***

  Koda and Strife walked through the massive main hall. Koda looked up and gasped at the magnificent vaulted walls painted with images of moons and angels with spears and flaming swords battling vile demons and vampires. He inspected the tall pillars he walked past. Each had a carving of wolves and ravens etched into the bone-white stone. Large chandeliers hung from the ceilings and the walls were decorated with book stuffed shelves, elegant statues of long dead scholars, swords with golden guards, and more exquisite paintings of ancient battles. Despite his regal education, Koda did not recognize at least half of those battles. As grand as the school appeared, what confused Koda was the lack of students. Every school he visited, even the smaller ones, were jam packed with students.

  “Strife, where are all the stud—” Koda asked, but found himself quiet. An oppressive wave of energy burst through the air. Magi. More potent and archaic than his own. The weight of energy pushed Koda down to one knee. Creeping shadows pooled from his own and sprouted upwards. They twisted and entwined together and then melted away, leaving only a man. Beautiful. Ethereal with golden eyes. As pure as the moonlight itself.

  Koda forced his muscles to lift his head. The Magi continued to crush on top of him.

  The man snapped his fingers and the wave of Magi dispersed. “A useful spell, no? I will be sure to teach it to you someday.”

  Koda reared his neck up and looked over at the strange man. He was dressed in a dashing black jacket, embellished with crimson jewels. His pale flesh and silvery hair glistened in the torchlight. The man from his visions. The fabled Mateo. How did his life lead to this moment? How did a small power turned king one day train with both of the Arcane Guardians that were exiled from Nashoon for ravaging the Magi; ending the immortal lifespan of his people and initiating the Arcana War? Arrelion and now Mateo, two of the most legendary mages in existence, wanted to teach him. Why? Why was he so special?

  Strife immediately gave a long and drawn out bow. “Master Mateo, I have brought you the mage king, just as you asked.”

  Mateo nodded his head with a kind smile. “Strife, You will find a welcoming fireplace in the parlor, why don’t you get warmed up and relax?”

  Strife bowed once more. “You are too generous, Master Mateo.”

  Mateo waited for Strife to leave before approaching Koda. “Come young, Koda, let us discuss your future.”

  Koda swallowed a lump in his throat and hid his trembling hands in his wide sleeves. He always felt more curious than safe when in the presence of Mateo in his dreams, but this Mateo was not a man in his dreams. No, he was real and Mateo piqued his curiosity.

  Mateo caught Koda’s unsteadiness and grinned. “Follow me, Koda. I’m sure you have many questions.”

  Koda hesitated, but ultimately followed the shadow man.

  Together the two mages walked down a winding corridor, lit only by the occasion torch attached to the wall. The corridor had just enough light for Koda’s elven eyes to see beyond the shadows, like a forest under a starlit sky.

  He looked up to Mateo. Did he have questions? More than he could ask in a full lifetime, but perhaps he should start with one.

  “Why have you gone into hiding?” Koda finally asked.

  Mateo paused, as if taken off guard by this as Koda’s first question. However, he looked down and answered the query. “Wouldn’t you?”

  Koda raised his brow. “I don’t follow.”

  Mateo gave a short sigh. “I was betrayed by my own brother and cast away from my own mages. Wouldn’t you go into self exile?”

  Koda looked at his feet. “I suppose so.”

  Mateo flung out an enchanted hand and all at once the shadows shrank away revealing a large entrance way that led to a wider hall lined with doors every few feet. Mateo opened the first one on the right and ushered Koda into a bed chamber.

  “For now, you may call this room yours,” he said.

  Koda looked around the room, finding it smaller than his room back in Lost Dawns, but had the amenities needed. A bed, writing desk, bath, wardrobe. He smiled. Even a bookshelf.

  “Are you satisfied?” Mateo asked.

  “It will do nicely.”

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  Mateo bowed and turned back to the door. Koda tugged on the black mage’s coat. “Wait!”

  Mateo spun to face Koda. His face was not of annoyance, but inquisitive instead. “You have more questions, I presume?”

  “Why train me? With so many mages out in the world; Mages like Trent; Why was I chosen as your student?”

  Koda’s eyes lit up with a blaze of magenta Magi.

  Mateo’s eyes widened and encased the room and in an oily black darkness, then extended the shadows to hide his face.

  “Koda!” he hissed. “Your familiar searches for you!”

  Koda covered his eyes.

  “Where are you, Koda?” Wildeye’s voice echoed in his mind.

  “She can not find you! If she does Arrelion will take—” Mateo cut himself short. “Having a familiar to see through eyes and memories, to listen to every thought…” His lips slid into a sneer.

  Koda clenched his eyes shut and only focused on Mateo’s words.

  “Familiars can be turned into powerful weapons against you by your enemies,” Mateo finished.

  “I understand the potential weaknesses of a familiar, but I am bound to her. There is nothing I can—”

  “No.” Mateo took hold of Koda’s shoulders and peered into Koda’s blazing eyes. “There is something I can do.”

  Koda froze, caught in the hypnotic stare of Mateo’s gold irises. Wildeye’s loud voice slowly died and faded from his mind. The Magi emitting from Koda’s eyes fell into a smokey wisp before subsiding. An new, alien Magi flushed through his body, over taking his own magic.

  “M-Mateo…” Koda murmured. However his words stumbled and tripped over his lips, coming out slurred.

  “Sleep, Koda. I shall see to it that your familiar bothers you no more.”

  Koda's head rolled back and Mateo’s soothing words drifted him away into a deep slumber.

  ***

  Elucard paced frantically around Arrelion’s parlor. “No mage will take us,” he repeated over and over again. He looked up at Inle who sat in one of the comfortable, large chairs. “They refuse to allow shrouds to the grounds; even though my ward is in grave danger!”

  Inle nodded in understanding. “We’ve exhausted our options, my friend. The only thing left to do is to wait for Arrelion to return.”

  Elucard halted and tightened his fist. “That’s not good enough. Not for me.” Elucard stroked his brow. “I’ve seen the Collector portal us to the Scorch seal—and Calsoon and his partner create a portal to escape the destruction of that underground city.”

  Inle rubbed his hands. “The Dead of Winter members were given the ability to teleport around the realms. Some have become quite adept at it.”

  “Then you can bring us to the Mage Tournament,” Elucard said with edgarness etched in his eyes.”

  Inle shook his head. “I have no clue where this Mage Tournament is; it might not even be on Draak’Terra,” Inle walked over and took Elucard’s hand. “I am sorry, my friend, but we can only wait for word from Arrelion or Wild—”

  Arrelion kicked in the parlor door with an unconscious Wildeye draped in his arms. “Move!” Arrelion shouted.

  Inle and Elucard quickly stepped aside as Arrelion rested Wildeye’s figure on the rug. Raine followed him into the parlor. Elucard searched for Stryneth and Koda, but found no others. He took a hold of Raine’s shoulders. “What happened? Where is Koda?”

  “He left with Master Stryneth, we had hoped that he would return back to Admament Keep.”

  Arrelion turned to Elucard. “He is not here?”

  Elucard bowed his head. He was too late, Dead of Winter had Koda in their clutches. “I am afraid we may know where Koda has been taken to.”

  Arrelion stood up and folded his arms. “What is going on here, Elucard? Where is Cade?”

  Elucard squeezed Inle’s hand. “You can trust them, Inle.”

  Inle nodded and addressed Arrelion and Raine. “My name is not Cade, It’s Inle Ebonpath and for the last six months, myself and my partner have masqueraded as Cade and Stryneth in order to lure Koda into becoming an apprentice for Master Wraslyn.”

  Arrelion moved in close to Inle. His dark eyes read Inle up and down. “Who is Wraslyn?” asked Arrelion. His tone was as sharp as Inle’s blade.

  Inle couldn’t help but look away from Arrelion’s stern eyes. “He is a vampire and commands the very shadows. He leads a guild of like-minded individuals, such as Strife.”

  “So Stryneth is Strife after all?” Raine asked quietly.

  The shadow elf nodded. He lowered his head. “We’ve been after Koda for some time now. He encountered Wraslyn’s agents in Dragon Realm Blight and there we secured his curiosity.” Inle ran his fingers through his violet hair. “It was only a matter of time that he would follow us to Wraslyn.”

  “Then why haven’t you scurried away to him?” asked Arrelion.

  “I-I-” Inle searched for his words but found none. He looked to Elucard for help.

  “He switched sides. He wants nothing to do with his guild anymore,” explained Elucard.

  “And can we trust him? This entire time he has been lying to us!” Raine said, raising her voice.

  Elucard stepped in front of Inle. Trust didn’t come easy to him, but, somehow, for some reason, he trusted Inle. He trusted Cade. “I will vouch for him.”

  Arrelion placed a calm hand on Elucard’s shoulder. “I’ve only known you for a couple of months, but I know you have a good head on your shoulders, Elucard. If you trust this Inle, then so do I. However, can he take us to Wraslyn?”

  Inle shook his head. “I do not believe he is at our headquarters. Not yet anyways.”

  “Why is that, Inle?” asked Elucard.

  Inle took a seat next to Raine and leaned forward. He scratched the back of his head. “He keeps his location a mystery. He is not easy to track down, but when he’s close you can feel him. I feel him. Like a chill running down your spine, but over and over again. He’s a boogeyman under a child’s bed and he even frightens me. I am sorry that I can’t locate him, but I know he is close.”

  Elucard rubbed his partner’s back. “Close like he’s in Twin Cliffs, Inle?”

  “No—I don’t know. He could just be in the Northern Territory.”

  Arrelion crossed his arms in frustration. “A lot of good that does us.”

  “I s-saw him! ” sputtered Wildeye. The familiar hacked and coughed. Her blue claw reached into the air.

  Arrelion came to her aid. “Someone give her water!”

  Inle reached for an empty glass and filled it to the brim with cold water with a spellweaving wrist. He rushed to the wolf’s side and gently poured the contents into her mouth.

  “Wildeye,” Arrelion whispered. “You said, you saw him, what did you mean by that?”

  Wildeye thrashed wildly, her once blazing eye fell to a simmering ember. “Mateo… has Koda.”

  Arrelion rubbed her forehead. “Her fever worsens.”

  “Arrelion,” Elucard said. “What is happening to her?”

  Arrelion shook his head. “It can’t be…”

  “What is happening to her?” Elucard repeated. “Where is Koda?”

  Arrelion stared into Elucard’s helpless eyes. “If Koda is with Cade’s Wraslyn, then Wraslyn is Mateo… My brother.”

  Elucard tightened his grip. “Where is he?”

  Arrelion looked away from Elucard, now defeated. “He went into hiding after the Arcana War. Why has he surfaced now? I don’t know. Why does he go by Wraslyn? I don’t know.”

  Elucard gnashed his teeth. “Tell us something useful!”

  Arrelion gestured to the blue wolf. “He is severing Koda’s familiar bond with Wildeye.”

  “We have to rescue Koda!” Raine cried. She held onto Wildeye’s claw. “Tell us where he is, Wildeye.”

  Wildeye stared wearily at Raine and smiled. She gestured for Scarlet to come over to her and then placed a shaky claw on the rust-colored wolf’s forehead. “I-I only remember the path that Koda took. Beyond the fog, I do not see any further, but you must make haste…”

  Elucard looked to Inle, Raine, and Arrelion. Each nodded, knowing full well they were about to enter the dragon’s den.