Finally, Lady Laelyn nodded. "Very well."
She removed the journal from her satchel and slipped it to me in a movement that would appear to observers as merely adjusting her traveling cloak.
I tucked the slim volume inside my tunic, feeling its weight against my chest. "I'll guard it with my life," I promised, and meant it, though perhaps not for the reasons she assumed.
"Thank you," she said with genuine relief. "I—"
"Lady Laelyn," Beric called, his tone making it clear he'd been watching our interaction with disapproval. "The horses are ready. We should continue our ascent before midday heat makes the climb more arduous."
She straightened, nobleman's daughter once more. "Of course, Captain." To me, she added more softly, "We'll speak again when there's opportunity."
I bowed and returned to my carriage, acutely aware of the journal hidden against my chest.
"This is a significant gamble," Azure commented. "If they search you..."
"They won't," I replied with forced confidence. "I'm beneath their notice. A common boy brought along out of Lady Laelyn's charity, why would they bother?"
"The same reason they might wonder why a noble lady speaks privately with such a boy," Azure pointed out dryly. "Irregularities attract attention, Master. And you are nothing if not irregular."
I couldn't argue with his assessment. My very presence here was an anomaly, and anomalies inevitably drew scrutiny. Still, the potential knowledge contained in this journal was worth the risk. If I were to get caught, I would need to end this life immediately and return to the cultivation world. But if I was not able to do that in time...
"I want you to memorize every page," I instructed Azure, the. "Then we'll destroy it."
"I'll need you to actually open it and turn the pages," Azure reminded me. "The protective formations woven into the journal's binding prevent me from perceiving its contents while it remains closed."
He was right, of course.
Lady Vareyn's grandmother had clearly taken precautions against magical or spiritual scanning of her work. The journal wasn't merely paper and ink, but a carefully crafted artifact designed to protect its revolutionary contents. I would need to physically open it, turn each page to allow Azure to commit the information to memory before the journal could be safely destroyed.
"It's the first thing we'll do when we're alone."
"Assuming we get a moment alone," he replied. "I suspect we're about to enter a place where privacy is a luxury we may not be afforded."
The road steepened as we climbed higher, each switchback bringing us closer to the Academy's massive gates. The trees thinned, revealing breathtaking vistas of the valleys below and providing unobstructed views of the Academy's lower levels. I could now see intricate gardens, training grounds, and what appeared to be meditation platforms jutting out from the mountainside.
Blue-robed figures moved about these areas, some walking in measured procession, others seated in meditation, still others engaged in what looked like combat practice, though without the bloodthirsty intensity I'd witnessed at the Red Sun Academy. There was an orderliness to their movements, a discipline that spoke of control rather than suppression, but I knew better to be convinced by their act.
As we rounded another bend, the main gates of the Academy finally came into view.
Unlike the imposing, fortress-like entrance of the Red Sun Academy, these gates were elegant, towering panels of what appeared to be crystal or some translucent stone, etched with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and flow as we approached.
The gates stood open, flanked by eight Lightweavers in ceremonial attire, robes of the palest blue, almost white, with silver embroidery. They stood perfectly still, like statues, their faces serene and impassive.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Our caravan slowed as we approached, eventually coming to a halt before the gates. The lead carriage door opened, and Lady Laelyn emerged, assisted by Beric. The other Lightweavers who had accompanied us from Lord Kaeven's estate formed a protective semicircle around her.
I stepped down from my carriage and hung back with the other servants and guards, knowing my place in this formal reception. From this position, I had a clear view of what transpired without being obtrusive.
A figure emerged from between the gates, an elderly man in elaborate blue robes embroidered with silver constellations. His hair and beard were pure white, tied back with silver cords, and his eyes... his eyes were the most startling feature. They glowed with inner blue light, as if the very essence of the blue sun had taken residence within him.
"A Rank 7 Lightweaver," Azure whispered.
"Lady Laelyn Vareyn," the elder called out, "daughter of House Vareyn, blessed by the Blue Sun's grace. The Order of the First Light welcomes you."
Lady Laelyn curtseyed deeply. "Elder Sorrin, your welcome honors me. I come seeking enlightenment and to serve the Blue Sun's will."
This Elder Sorrin was one of the highest-ranking members of the Order, his presence for a mere welcoming ceremony indicated the importance they placed on Lady Laelyn's candidacy.
"We have awaited your arrival with great anticipation," the elder continued. "The signs foretold by the Oracles speak of significant change approaching, and House Vareyn has always stood at pivotal moments in our Order's history."
"I hope to honor that legacy," Lady Laelyn replied with appropriate humility.
Elder Sorrin nodded, then gestured toward the gates. "Come. The other candidates have already arrived and begun their preparations. The Selection Ceremony will commence in three days' time, when the blue sun reaches its zenith alignment."
He turned to lead the way, but Beric stepped forward. "Elder, if I may. Lady Laelyn's journey has been... eventful. There have been two attempts on her life, and Lord Kaeven Rimaris was murdered in his own chambers just yesterday."
The elder's glowing eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Beric recounted the events of the past days: the ambush near Porvale, the Lightweaver assassins at Crossroads Inn, and finally, the mysterious death of Lord Kaeven. Throughout his account, Elder Sorrin's expression remained inscrutable, though I noted a slight tightening of his lips at the mention of the Skybound's intervention at the inn as well as the gruesome death of a Rank 6 Lightweaver.
"Troubling news," the elder said when Beric had finished. "Though perhaps not unexpected. The Selection of a new Saintess always attracts... ambition."
"We request additional security measures during Lady Laelyn's stay," Beric pressed.
"Of course," Elder Sorrin agreed. "Within these walls, she will be under the direct protection of the Order. No harm will come to her here." His gaze swept over our group, lingering briefly on each face as if committing them to memory. "And what of her companions?"
"My personal guard," Lady Laelyn said, indicating Beric and the other soldiers. "Lady Mara, my chaperone." She gestured to the older woman who had remained largely silent throughout our journey. "And several servants and attendants."
The elder's eyes continued their assessment, eventually landing on me. Something in his expression changed, a subtle narrowing of the glowing eyes, a slight furrow appearing between his brows.
"And this young man?" he asked, his tone notably cooler.
Lady Laelyn turned, seeming surprised that I had attracted the elder's attention. "That is Tomas, a survivor from Porvale. He warned me of the first assassination attempt and has been under my protection since."
Elder Sorrin studied me with uncomfortable intensity. I kept my expression neutral, my posture appropriately deferential, careful not to meet his gaze directly as a commoner would avoid the direct gaze of nobility.
But inside, I was desperately telling the Genesis Seed to hide the presence of the red sun as much as possible.
"Step forward, boy," the elder commanded.
I obeyed, approaching with measured steps before bowing deeply. "Honored Elder," I murmured, keeping my eyes lowered.
"Look at me," he ordered.
Slowly, I raised my eyes to meet his. His glowing blue gaze seemed to pierce through me, probing, searching.
"Curious," he said after an uncomfortably long silence. "Very curious indeed."
"Is something wrong, Elder?" Lady Laelyn asked, a note of concern in her voice.
Elder Sorrin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised a hand, palm facing me. Blue light gathered there, condensing into a complex pattern of intersecting lines and symbols, a formation of some kind.
"A simple clarity technique," he explained, though I didn't recognise what it was, I knew it was anything but simple. "Standard procedure for all who enter the Academy."
The formation pulsed once, twice, and I felt it wash over me like a wave.
For a heart-stopping moment, I thought the formation would pick up remnant traces of the red sun energy on this body. Then, mercifully, the blue light dissipated, and Elder Sorrin lowered his hand.
His expression, however, had hardened.
"I'm afraid," he said coldly, "that an unholy one like yourself cannot enter the Academy."
A shocked silence fell over the gathering. Lady Laelyn's face paled, while Beric's hand instinctively moved to his sword. Lady Mara made a warding gesture, her earlier suspicions apparently confirmed.
My blood turned to ice in my veins.
There was only one thing that term could mean in this context, they had detected my connection to the Red Sun.
My identity as a Skybound practitioner had been discovered.