The Sage's Vow

5.2 || According to Plan

The Shadow Knights and the Paladins changed the location of their bases regularly. She believed she'd heard that the Shadow Knights had a grand underground castle that moved through the earth like their floating island moved through the sky.

The Sages, however, had kept the same location for a couple of centuries.

When Mara set foot on the opposite side of the portal, a large cobblestone courtyard spread out around her. Every way she looked, stone buildings rose, some featuring towers that jutted even higher. Pathways led off in every direction. A casually dressed young man paused as they appeared from the portal.

The guy also carried a backpack.

They'd arrived at Università della Torre del Drago, a private university outside of San Gimignano, Siena. Legend said the school had built itself around a tower in the Italian countryside. The structure had been designed for archers to shoot down the monstrous dragons from a high yet protected area. The first line of defense before the beasts could reach San Gimignano, they said.

Of course, most of this was a farce. The university was a type of school, but it was only open to select individuals. Namely, those bonded to dragons and the humans who assisted them. It was also the Sage's base, the one place of forced neutrality between all three soul-bound factions.

Well, unless one of those factions declared war on the other two.

Claws scratched against stone. Mara turned back to see Ezraim stepping through the portal. Beside the wavering veil, a large golden dragon lounged in the shade of a building. Another dragon, this one a deep shade of red with scaled whiskers falling from its snout, watched them from the golden dragon's right.

Ezraim's tail slid free of the portal, and cracks fractured across the portal's shimmering surface. It remained open for only a moment before shattering into millions of energy particles.

The golden dragon recoiled from the breaking portal with a low snarl. Despite the ferocity behind its frustration, it leaned to the side, eyes hazy and body expanding rapidly.

Joel detached himself from the grouped Sages and placed a hand on the golden dragon's flank. "Thank you, Bezech. You and Jodas did well. Jehyr will take care of the rest." At this, he turned to the red dragon. "Jehyr, if you'd please."

Jehyr scrutinized Mara and Cale for a moment before the dragon rumbled and moved to the center of the courtyard.

A dais took up much of the space in the courtyard's center. Four short cobblestone steps led up to a marble slab. Gold trimmed the marble and led to the four corners of the dais, where small, gold dragon heads protruded.

Jehyr took his place behind the dais, and the six Sages positioned themselves at the cardinal and intercardinal directions. Only the south, closest to Mara and the others, remained open.

Without a word to them, Joel proceeded toward the dais. Cale released a small, sharp breath and followed. Mara took a step forward but hesitated. Kaitlyn had yet to move. Deep bags hung beneath dazed eyes. Mara didn't care too much for the Sage girl. She was little more than an extension of Joel, more than willing to do whatever he needed, including pestering Cale, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be concerned if Kaitlyn fainted out of nowhere.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Kaitlyn blinked and refocused. Mara had seen similar reactions many times when something on the outside jolted someone from talking with their dragon within, but she couldn't shake the feeling Kaitlyn hadn't been speaking with her dragon. Most of her concern turned to dust when Kaitlyn shot her a sharp glare.

"Aren't you supposed to be following my father?"

Mara put her hands up in a placating gesture. "Sorry." Without even a spared glance, she turned her back to Kaitlyn and made her way to the dais, where Joel and Cale stood.