Published at 21st of September 2026 8:43 am

Chapter 176: A frozen city, waiting for a flame.

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More snow falls, covering the campus with a thick blanket. Its pretty. We had snow in Caethlon, though much lighter. Well, except in the mountains where it became a nightmare, but this is much nicer anyways. Just a nice two feet of smooth, gently fallen snow.

Also nicer than in my time in the Caethlian mountains are my boots, whose enchantments let them act like snowshoes, though much nimbler. I cant help but prance about on the snowbanks, feeling a rare sense of whimsy as I glance back at Terry making faces as he stomps through the whiteness. He obviously isnt strained by the action, but still finds the action clumsy, at least for a knight.

Must be nice being so small you can prance on snow, he says, trying for some balance of mock irritation that shifts closer to the genuine than I think he means.

I take it the way I hope he means and smirk back. Why yes, in this and other things, as I know you know. I wink, thinking about how nicely I fit into his arms while snuggling. He blushes, clearly thinking the same.

Emily, who is walking alongside us, using her ice magic to likewise walk on the surface of the snow via some sort of effect that she neglects to explain, rolls her eyes. Must you two constantly flirt?

Yes, I say without hesitation. Though that does remind me. I heard you set up your stall yesterday during the snowfall. How did that go?

Miserable, she scowls. I just dont understand why people have suddenly stopped buying my frozen cream, she says, as if completely oblivious to the chill of her surroundings.

Well what was the price? I ask, considering buying some if the price is right.

She shrugs. Just a large gold, why?

And people were buying for that? I say, incredulous.

They were buying for two, but sales completely stopped when the snow came. No idea why.

Right have you considered that people might not like putting frozen things inside of them when theyre already frozen on the outside?

She looks at me, baffled. Why would that be the case? The joy of frozen cream is it lets you feel truly cold and forget the oppressive rays of the sun. The colder the starting point, the better.

Right I wonder what Rakenhal would say to that. She should start an opposing sect. How many scoops of cream does she need to sell to become a demigod of cold? She clearly has the madness for it, at least if Rakenhals theory of the divine is correct. Or maybe a maladictive god of commerce. Well, what about you, Terry?

What about me? He asks, trudging along beside us.

Well, the tournaments are on pause for a while, right? There wont be one until the new year, right, and after that not until a month after. You have everything you need? I worry Im not being subtle, but I dont want him to avoid it, and bringing it up while Emily is here might prompt her to come in on my side exploiting me for their little groups benefit.

Terry laughs. Dont worry about me. I have everything I need for a while. The school supplies basic needs, remember?

Oh, right. Ive somewhat stopped using the free stuff, so Ive forgotten. Well, besides the dorm room, but everything in it is my own premium items. Still, Im undeterred. Yeah, but I mean non-basics. Books and stationery? Knightly paraphernalia? You have your armour, and a good sword, but do you have a full array of magic arms? Phasic daggers; high weight bows and air phasic, mass variant arrows; shields with compressing rates of self repair; polearms; poleaxe with a high mass variance; a mace with the same; javelins, same, maybe air phasic; throwing axes with the same?

Terry gives a nervous chuckle. Thats far more than most would take into battle.

I shrug. Then other items? Everything youre wearing thats cloth could be enchanted for extra protection undergarments, cloak, gloves and boots. Plus, they can do other things. Filter poisons, protect from temperature variances, break falls or I waggle my boots at him, let you walk on top of snow without sinking. Im certain you can find uses for all of those, yes? Not to mention being self repairing and colour changing let you stand out more, or blend in.

You really do have an absurd array, dont you, he says with a raised eyebrow.

I shrug. Theyre a lot cheaper than you might think. Maybe two large gold for every minor effect you might want and cover you head to toe with cloth as protective as steel plate.

You two with your weird ideas about whats cheap.

That is something Ive been wondering about, Emily asks, turning around after having gotten ahead during my inquiry. How have you been making so much coin? From what Ive heard, you seem to be beating even my cream sells.

I laugh. I doubt that though maybe recently. But mostly just gambling, though I have other revenue streams.

Ah, yes, your mysterious deities.

Are you asking about that?

I wouldnt be so impolite, she tilts her head with a smile that says shes lying and is presently doing just that.

I grin at the cheek of it. Well, why not? I can say that most of the gambling edge is from a significant contract with the God Of Cats Who Has Not Deigned To Reveal Its Name To Humans. Though I have appropriate boost spells and pay a merchant god for short boosts on big games. But Terry hasnt answered my question. Are you certain you have everything you need? You know itd be my pleasure to help you.

He sighs, Yeah, I know, and I am grateful, I just

Oh come on, let him buy you stuff. Emily protests. He likes it, and a knight can always use more. She then mouths Ill tell Ligryn, in a way that she clearly thinks is stealthy.

He glances nervously between us and sighs. I suppose I can use a few minor things.

My heart quickens Why? Do I think this will show my worth to him, and he wont ever leave me because of it? No, thats not quite it. Part of it is that I just want him to have better stuff, but theres something more. Like hes becoming vulnerable to me, and Im wrapping myself around him from behind. Like, the more things he wears from me, the more mine he becomes.

Shaking myself out of that thought, I smile gratefully at Emily and jubilantly at Terry. Great So, do you have plans for winter break?

Ah No, not as yet. What about you? Planning on going back home?

Oh um, no. Its pretty far, and the pass will be snowed in anyways. I mean, I could probably get through, but No, my plan wasnt to return until I graduated. I had completely forgotten that returning sooner might be expected of me. Better not to, though. Give the oblivious peasants more time for the memory of the real Malichi to fade.

Hm Still, you must miss your home, Terry presses.

Emily makes a face. Not everyone does. Im with Malichi Im not going back to my parents until I have an official position lined up, and even then just to tell them I told them so.

Terry makes a face at Emily, bewildered and chastising. Im certain Malichi has a better relationship with his parents than you do.

Emily snorts for some reason.

My mouth sort of spasms into a brief half-smile born of uncertainty that Ive found myself unthinkingly forming a lot as of late. I dont like it. I need to be in control. If Im not, then

But why talk of me leaving when theres so many things to do over the break? I force myself through the uncertainty. Besides the Longday tournament, there are plays, special rituals, parties and other special events. I kinda wanted to watch the ice races on the canals, if they freeze enough.

I can always make them freeze, Emily says with a smirk. But only watch? Youre not planning on participating yourself, with all your contracts?

I find myself making the smile again. Too much attention. But what about you, Terry?Id love to cheer you on.

Ah maybe. I havent thought about it. What about the ice sculpturing? I hear last year they made an elaborate ice palace, and the light glittering inside was nearly magical.

That does sound nice. I wasnt planning on going, but thinking of Terrys face in it entices me. Who knows, maybe with him Ill learn to appreciate the art in the way Allan is always wanting me to, the way Ive been appreciating theatre recently. Yeah, that sounds nice. Im looking forward to it.

I manage to convince Terry of the need to give him four large gold. This way I can be sure that hell spend some on himself for protection as well as on his group. I find my thoughts drifting throughout the week in anticipation of our activities during the upcoming break. I dont think I let it get to the point where I miss anything important in the lectures, but its hard to say. Of course, Ive had thoughts drift to Terry before in his absence, but with so much time to spend with him coming up, its natural to make more half-formed plans than usual.

I think Im looking forward to the Longday tournament the most. I always find his sword form to be fascinating (or perhaps not always, and only after we started courting, but still), but they dont clear the snow for the tournament. I wonder how hell look against that gleaming field of white, the various, smaller ice statues lining the field with ritual significance.

Bart probes me for information during sword club as he always does (my form has been getting better, and I have even won a few spars (maybe one in ten)). Sometimes I feel guilty about associating with Terrys mortal foe, but then again Terry has been adamant that I not entangle myself in their conflict and remain neutral. That I ignore that prohibition at my discretion does not invalidate the principle I think.

Besides, I like Bart. He cuts through all the nonsense barriers to approach problems directly, as I like to think I do too. I feel maybe that Ive expanded myself to the point where that mindset is no longer the entirety of who I am, but it is still a major part. I doubt I will ever not appreciate his approach to things his competence and ruthlessness, as well as his deviousness. I always feel relaxed around him despite knowing how dangerous he is because I understand him.

I wish we could have been comrades in Caethlon. How often was I disappointed by other cells bungling simple operations. But if he led a cell, Im certain he could have been relied on in a way I dont know if Terry could be.

I trust Terry personally, of course; he wont disappoint me, Im certain of that. But if we were back in Caethlon, and he led a cell, would I be excited to have my cell work with his, or nervous? Probably the latter. Its not that hes incapable as a leader, just that he doesnt have the instinct to press every advantage he has. The instinct that I have, and Bart has too.

Of course, I think maybe one of the reasons I like Terry is that he lacks this instinct. That I can relax around him despite not always understanding him. Still, it is nice to be around someone with similar instincts.

Besides, its the only time I can associate with Preston, who is, and always will be, the first friend I made here. He has been changing rapidly, though. I think hes being influenced by Bart, whom he seems to admire. Hes growing much more ruthless in his fighting. Better at deceit and aggressively pressing the slightest advantages. A better fighter all around.

Still, there is an uneasiness I feel when I see him right before a fight. The way he feels antsy, shifting his weight back and forth as he waits to be called; how his hand twitches when his practice sword is set down; and his heartbeat races, calming only when in front of an opponent. Hes a much better fighter now, both in form and power, having advanced rapidly into the rank of squire. I think he has a new general mentality, abandoning whatever it was that was holding him back before. I think that Barts influence is largely responsible for that. Still, I cant help but wonder if he would have been happier if he never met us.

So Bart probes me for information on what Im doing over the break. He knows Terry and I are together, and that learning my plans is a good way to learn about his. As Terry wants me to remain neutral between them, I answer neutrally. I say what things Im planning on doing, but I dont mention if Terry is going to be with me. Bart occasionally had the nerve to ask directly, but I always just waggle my eyebrows chastisingly for not playing the game. He at least has the decency to feign chagrin.

(Decency? Since when did I judge people on that?)

But still, I never mentioned liking theatre et al. before I started going with Terry. He knows this, and can assume that if I say Im going, Terry is going with me. I know he knows this, and can see when hes relieved when I mention going to something and when hes just keeping track out of best practice. So I know that hes interested in the timeframe that Terrys professor is supposed to arrive, and conclude that he knows about it.

Because I am neutral, though, I dont tell Terry this. Besides having to come up with a way to convey the information without Terry knowing that I know about the event, he doesnt want me to be caught up in it. Of course, I choose to be caught up in it, but only to stop them from killing each other... Well, and maybe snatch the orbs for Cathleon, but thats another matter. Giving Terry information that isnt necessary to keep him alive means taking a side. It means either turning my friendship with Bart and by extension Preston into a lie, or abandoning it altogether. Right now I can say I would help either of them stay alive because theyre both my friends. After all, theres no reason to assume that one side needs to be annihilated for the other to win. Its just that Terry is always behind, so I always end up helping him. Though of course, I may lean more towards him now that were together.

On that note, while Im not telling Terry what I know, that doesnt mean I dont make preparations. My birds monitor the place continually, and I mark several agents loitering around. Does Bart not know the exact timeframe, or is he just being extra cautious? Either way, theyre not hard to spot. I also spot several of Ligryns agents as they occasionally stroll through looking for Barts people. Their Rohdami accents are subtle, but they occasionally slip up. I memorize three of their faces, and perhaps a dozen of Barts agents.

The innkeeper is naturally one of them, though the network is complex, with agents armed with crossbows renting rooms overlooking the inn from three angles. He clearly does not intend to make the same mistake of letting this one escape, no matter how briefly. He has time to prepare, and he is using it. Besides that, there are a few toughs hanging about the Inn, ostensibly under the inns employ, though its clear theyre in on the scheme.

Of course, Vincent has doubtlessly sent his own troops along, as I spot a few squires and two mages pop up once the window of arrival approaches. Unfortunately, it starts to be hard to keep an eye on the situation as finals start.

Theyre not too hard, but they are time consuming, with a mix of written and oral exams. I think I pass all the ones so far, but it is stressful with my mind split on so many things, by which I mostly mean on birds monitoring the situation. I suppose I could use the remote sensing to cheat, but itd be tedious and risky, and I fortunately dont need to. Besides, if I were them, Id divine all the tests for just that sort of thing. It wouldnt be reliable, just enough to be risky.

On Midweek, during my history exam a tedious thing with hundreds of banal short questions and an essay with three options at the end I spot through my birds a figure wearing a bright blue hat with a garishly red and absurdly long red feather. I half suspect Id hav spotted them anyways, given how obviously an academic they look, with a pony packed with bundled books and a glinting pair of spectacles on their face.

Naturally they show up now. I glance down the page and see Im only half done. I guess the time limit just got a lot shorter.

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