"Lilith, we are being buried beneath the avalanche of your failures."

"But Sire, I—"

"I want no more excuses from you. You have worked hard to earn your rank, but that does not mean you are allowed to slack. Wild witches run rampant across our streets. Deal with them."

Lilith bit her lip, knowing better continue arguing despite the valid reasons for her failures. She respected Belos, but it annoyed her that he often didn't listen to reason.

"Yes Sire." She bowed and turned away. "I will not fail you again."

As she walked towards the large doors at the end of the hall, she caught Kikimora glancing at her from the sidelines.

"What?"

"Hurry along now, Lilith," Kikimora sneered. "You wouldn't want to anger the Emperor further, would you?"

"Of course not." Lilith repressed the urge to fly kick that little gremlin across the room and left the Emperor's chamber. As she closed the door, a short coven scout walked up to her. "Aren't you a little short for a scout?" She asked, before noticing the long curl of blond hair hanging down the scout's mask. "Oh. It's you."

"Yes, sorry to bother you Miss Lilith." The recruit clumsily saluted. "I actually need in to talk to the Emperor."

"About what?"

"It's classified," the scout said smugly.

"Very well," Lilith responded, before switching to a more venomous tone. "Golden brat."

The brat wasn't the Golden Guard yet, thankfully, but he was next in line to be. From what Lilith had heard, he had passed all his tests with flying colours and was well on his way to becoming the Emperor's right hand.

The scout stopped for a second and sighed, before heaving open the heavy doors and entering the Emperor's throne room.

"Genius teen prodigy," Lilith muttered under her breath. "He gets the big job just because he was lucky enough to be born into royalty." I question Belos' intelligence if he thinks appointing a fourteen year-old child to his second in command is a good idea, she thought. Perhaps he's losing it in his old age.

The heavy metal doors slammed shut as the scout walked up to the Emperor's throne and knelt.

"You called me, uncle."

"Yes Hunter, I have been meaning to have a word with you." He looked over to Kikimora. "Leave us."

Kikimora nodded and left the room, quickly followed by all of the guards filing out. When the doors slammed shut again, Belos removed his helmet.

"Take that mask off," Belos said. "There we go, what handsome young boy." Hunter's face was symbolic to his lack of experience; it was without scars or anything to suggest that he had been through hardship.

"I wanted to congratulate you on passing all of your tests," Belos continued. "You're well on your way to becoming the next Golden Guard, but something has come up that I think would be a fine opportunity to test your resolve."

"I'm plenty resolved!" Hunter responded. "I thought that's what all the other tests were for?"

"The other tests were to prepare you for this one," Belos said. "I have faith that you are completely loyal to our cause, but this Empire was not built on faith. It was built on struggle and hardship, two things that you will encounter in your final test."

Hunter gulped. "What is it then? A maze of deadly traps?"

Belos didn't bother to respond, instead walking over to a large table in the corner of the room and picking a map out of a drawer. "This is Mount Neifra of the Blighted Peaks." He unfurled it and pointed to an area on the far edge of the Knee. "It is the tallest mountain in all the Isles.

"Atop Neifra lies the Temple of Forbidden Magic, which contains this." He pulled a scroll from his robe and passed it to Hunter.

On the scroll was a detailed drawing of a red, cylindrical container with a green cap on each end and golden patterns etched across its body.

"What is it?" Hunter asked.

"It is the Scroll of Forbidden Magic," Belos replied. "It is vital for the Day of Unity."

"I thought that was years away," Hunter said. Belos had given him and the Coven Heads detailed description of what the Day of Unity was; it was the day that they would finally be free from wild magic and the Isles would be at peace. But this information had been disclosed under the strict promise that it never left the castle walls, lest the wild witches become aware of the plan.

"Yes," Belos muttered. Luzura should be arriving around that time. "But I'd rather get it now than risk getting beaten to it. You leave with your squadron at sunup. Be ready."

As Hunter turned to leave, Belos added one more thing. "Also… under no circumstances are you to read the Scroll. It corrupts the hearts of good men with power and ambition, and the Forbidden Magic is far too powerful for anyone other than myself to handle. Is that clear?"


Hunter sighed as he stuffed an extra pair of socks into his backpack.

"Right," he said aloud to himself. "I've got spare pants, socks, gloves, and my – where is if?" He scrambled around his before his hands landed on a small dagger with a golden hilt. Belos had said he had to complete this mission without his staff, so his sword was his only means on defending himself. He grabbed and shoved it into a scabbard on his hip, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.


He ran down the hallways far too fast for someone who was supposed to be a coven scout, but stopped as he rounded a corner and nearly knocked Kikimora over.

"Watch where you're going, brat!"

Hunter rolled his eyes. Kikimora had hated him ever since the Coven Heads had been informed of the Day of Unity's true nature. She believed that he didn't deserve to know, and her being left out of the know despite being a higher rank at the time was what had sparked their conflict. "Better watch your tone," he smirked. "If all goes well, I'll be your superior soon."

"Then if I were you I hope all does not go well," Kikimora sneered. "For whatever trepidations you may face on the mountain, they will pale in comparison to the fury I will unleash if you get that promotion!"

"Yeah!" Hunter laughed as he walked off. "Sure they will shortstack."

"You will pay for your insolence, Soon-To-Be-Golden-Brat!" Kikimora shouted. "Wait, no – I mean… Not-Soon-To-Be-Golden-Brat-Because-You-Will-Perish! Ha!"

Hunter arrived at the vehicle park where two other scouts were waiting for him next to a flying boat. He walked up to them and addressed them formally, like all good commanders should. "I believe you two are my squad?"

"Yes sir!" the first scout saluted. After a brief pause, he elbowed the other scout, who had been glaring at Hunter since he'd arrived.

"Yes," the other scout said, saluting. "Sir."

"Do you have a problem with my presence here, scout? I was assigned to lead this mission by the Emperor himself, and believe me when I say that he is not a merciful man."

"Of course, sir. I was just distracted."

"Commander Hunter," the pilot shouted. "You and your squad must hurry, we mustn't be late."

As the squad boarded the boat, Hunter looked over to them. "I never caught your names.

The first scout removed his mask to reveal his face. "I. Steve, and this here is Charlie."

"It's good to meet you," Hunter responded. "I assume you both know who I am?"

"Of course we do," Charlie responded. "You're the Golden Guard."

"Soon to be," Hunter corrected. He didn't want to claim any title he hadn't earned.

Charlie pulled his mask off, revealing that he had fair skin and short dark hair. "You're a higher up, right? Tell me then, why did old Belos decide to send us up Mount Neifra when there's a storm brewing?"

"He probably just needs the scroll urgently," Steve responded. "Right?"

"Yeah!" Hunter stammered. "He needs it for the Day of Unity."

"What the hell's that even about anyway?" Charlie asked.

Hunter shrugged. Belos had only said that it would bring about a new age of peace and prosperity, but nothing more. None of the Coven heads or even Kikimora knew.

"Huh, maybe Belos is smarter than I thought. I mean, I wouldn't tell my plans to some kid."

The boat flew over Bonesborough and down to the Knee, past Eclipse Lake, before settling on a cliffside about a third of the way up Mount Neifra.

"This is as far as I can take you!" the driver said. "The winds are too strong to go any higher, so you'll have to take it on foot from here.

Hunter looked back at his squad as they pulled their hoods up and placed their silver masks on. "Okay," he breathed, doing the same. "Let's get going then."