“Silvertide! I was under the impression you hadn’t returned to Arbitage yet,” Noah said, raising a hand in greeting. Silvertide certainly liked his dramatic entrances. It didn’t seem like the elderly soldier ever chose a different way to arrive.

“I just got back recently. How are Isabel and Todd doing?”

“Good. You took great care of them.” Noah inclined his head in appreciation, thankful he’d dismissed his violin before Silvertide had showed up. As kind as Silvertide seemed to be, Noah had already shared a few too many secrets with him. “And thank you for the help with Todd’s neck. I was saving up to buy a potion for him, but it looks like you already did the hard work.”

Silvertide chuckled. “I’d heard that you visited Dawnforge, so I imagine you tried your hand at adventuring. And, if you did, you’ve probably found that money is not hard to come by when you know how to earn it.”

How’d he hear that we went to Dawnforge? That’s a little concerning.

“It certainly paid better than being a professor,” Noah said with a shrug. “How’d you hear about my travels, though? I didn’t realize they were well known. There aren’t rumors going around, are there?”

“Nothing like that. I’ve just been keeping an eye on your whereabouts for Isabel and Todd’s sake. They wanted to know what you were up to, and when you live to my age, you build up a few connections.”

That’s a polite way to say you’ve got an extensive information network.

“I suppose that makes sense. I don’t imagine you found much interesting. We just went to Dawnforge for a little while, then got wrapped up in a few unfortunate events. All ended well, though.”

“Unfortunate events indeed,” Silvertide said, a glitter in his eyes telling Noah that the soldier didn’t believe his words for a second. “What brings you out so late at night?”

“Presumably the same thing that brought you out. Solitude. Peace. The gardens are beautiful when there isn’t anyone else around.”

“So they are,” Silvertide agreed, craning his neck back to look up at the moon. Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

A thought struck Noah and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the letter that had arrived at his room. He flipped it open and pulled out the gold-lettered piece of paper, showing it to Silvertide. “I know you’re not a professor here, but do you know anything about this?”

Silvertide took the paper and glanced over it. An eyebrow inched upward and he handed it back. “Most impressive, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Isabel and Todd have made some incredible advancements, surpassing the average student at Arbitage by wide margins. I’m unsurprised they got an invitation.”

“This is real, then? Not a trick?”

“You are a very suspicious man,” Silvertide said with a low chuckle. “That will serve you well. But yes, this is not a trick. The advanced track is something present in all four of the Bastions. It’s fairly selective, and everyone enrolled in it is… motivated.”

“Motivated?” Noah tilted his head to the side. “The way you said that doesn’t sound particularly reassuring. Almost like it was a bad thing.”

“Not a bad thing, but an intense one. It takes great skill, effort, and talent to become a truly powerful mage. The majority of the students – and teachers – at Arbitage lack that motivation. They are here because it is safe, and because it provides an easy path forward in life. The teachers get paid to do babysitting with a little bit of extra effort, and the ones that are competent can research Runes without worrying about fighting or killing monsters to get them. But, as with all things, there are outliers.”

“So the advanced track is made up of students and teachers that aren’t content with how things are and want to get genuinely powerful,” Noah concluded. “That sounds like a good thing.”

“It is,” Silvertide said. “But the competition is intense, and nobles will be displeased to see Isabel and Todd standing at their level. It will be quite the amusing sight to behold, should you and your students enter the advanced track.”

“So that means you aren’t against it, then?” Noah asked, folding the paper back up and returning it to his pocket. “I just want to make sure I don’t put them in excessive danger. I’m more than capable of teaching them everything they need about fighting.”

“That confidence is interesting, considering that on all official records, you’re still a Rank 2. They’re technically not that much weaker than you are. Or, at least, that would be true if you were actually the Rank you claimed.”

Noah kept his face straight and gave Silvertide a one-shouldered shrug. “I tried telling the Office I’d advanced some time ago, but the attendant just ignored me. It’s unfortunate, but the amount of money Arbitage pays really wasn’t worth the hassle.”

“No, it isn’t,” Silvertide agreed with a chuckle. “But you are not just a Rank 3. I can feel your domain – and it is powerful. When did you reach Rank 4, Vermil?”

Ah, shit. Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. I knew this would happen, and I’m about sixty percent sure that Silvertide is on our side.

“Just recently. I’ll get around to reporting it soon enough,” Noah said. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned as a chilly breeze rustled through the hedges, caressing his skin and sending a small shiver down his spine.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“There are certainly advantages to keeping your power concealed,” Silvertide mused. “Though it is not a technique that many utilize properly. Power comes with so many benefits that the only ones who hide it possess more than others can give.”

That didn’t sound like a question, and Noah had absolutely no desire to answer it. It didn’t seem like Silvertide actually wanted a response either. He just scratched at his chin and looked back to the sky.

“Do you happen to know a way for my domain to be… ah, less noticeable?” Noah hedged.

“Practice control and pull it inward. It will become more difficult the more powerful you get, and anyone that gets close enough to you and has sufficient sensitivity will be able to figure it out, but it can work in a pinch,” Silvertide replied. “It is very difficult to hide power such as that from anyone if you are within the reach of their own domain. I am aware of everything that passes through my area of influence.”

A flit of white caught the corner of Noah’s eye, and he nearly choked in surprise. Moxie was walking up behind them, her cloak pulled tight around her shoulders. Silvertide, peering at a flower on one of the bushes, missed Noah’s reaction and continued on.

“The stronger your domain, the more aware you will become of everything within it. When you get to my strength, there will be nearly nothing that can slip beneath your notice. And, the closer they get to you, the easier it is to feel the disturbance.”

Moxie came to a stop a few feet away from Silvertide, a small frown of concern on her features. “I didn’t realize we’d all decided to go on midnight walks.”

Silvertide leapt nearly a foot into the air, spinning toward Moxie and bringing his staff up defensively as he dropped into a fighting stance. Power coiled around his body, but it evaporated the instant he saw who was there.

“Damned Plains. How did you do that?” Silvertide asked, aghast.

“Do what?” Moxie blinked in confusion. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Impossible. I can’t feel you,” Silvertide said. His brow furrowed and he squinted at Moxie. “Vermil, can you see her? Am I hallucinating?”

“No, she’s right there,” Noah said, equally as confused. Silvertide’s speech about awareness felt considerably less impactful when he’d gotten snuck up on by someone who didn’t even realize she was sneaking.

Silvertide reached out and poked Moxie’s shoulder with the tip of his staff. His befuddlement grew even further. “I can’t sense her. At all. What Rank are you?”

“Three?” Moxie half said, half asked. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

The old soldier didn’t respond. He squinted at Moxie, then walked in a circle around her. “This shouldn’t be possible. You aren’t here.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m here.”

“Yes, as am I. But you shouldn’t be.”

Noah blinked as a thought struck him. Moxie was wearing the cloak he’d helped Olive make her – the same one that Mascot had fiddled with. And, if there was one thing Mascot was good at, it was sneaking up on people.

That and pissing people off, but Noah doubted there was an Imbuement for that.

Silvertide came to the same conclusion that Noah had as his eyes fixed on the furry cloak around Moxie’s shoulders. He raised a hand, then paused. “Where did you get this cloak?”

“Vermil gifted it to me,” Moxie said, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Why? I’m not following what’s going on.”

“Fascinating,” Silvertide muttered. He pulled his gaze away from Moxie and looked back to Noah, who suppressed a grimace. The interest in Silvertide’s eyes had increased. Again. Every time they met, he got a little more of the soldier’s attention.

“I worked with an Imbuer to make it,” Noah said. “We put a few bits from pretty rare monsters in there.”

“I don’t suppose you remember what monsters?”

“Afraid not. Some of them were his, and some I didn’t even know the name of,” Noah said.

“I see,” Silvertide said. He let his hand drop and took a step back, leaning on his cane once again. “That is a kingly gift. I have never seen an item that can obscure your magical presence to such an intense degree. Even now, as I am fully aware of it, I can sense nothing but the faint Imbuements on the cloak itself.”

Moxie looked down at the cloak in surprise. “I didn’t realize it was so powerful.”

“There are many things we do not realize,” Silvertide murmured. He shook his head and let out a sigh. “The moon is getting a bit high. I did not plan to have any excitement tonight. I hope to see both of you in the advanced track.”

“Wait, you’re part of it?” Noah asked.

Silvertide gave Noah a small smile. “I am not an Arbitage Enforcer, but I have worked with them before. I was planning on enrolling my fool apprentice in the program, and this only solidifies my plans. I think we have an interesting year ahead of us, Magus Vermil. I look forward to seeing what you do in the future.”

He set off, the leaves crunching beneath his feet as walked past Moxie and toward a turn in the leafy maze. Silvertide paused at the edge, turning to look back at Noah. “And, Vermil?”

“Yeah?”

“You need a better lie for when you reached Rank 4,” Silvertide said. “Your domain is too powerful for only having reached it recently. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you were implying you only had a single Rank 4 Rune. And, if that were the case, I would be very interested indeed.”

With that, Silvertide strode off. A chill ran down Noah’s spine, and it wasn’t because of the chill.

“What was that about?” Moxie asked in concern, walking to stand beside Noah. “Did he figure out you reached Rank 4?”

“Yeah,” Noah said. He let a little more power seep out from the Combustion Rune imbued in his soul, warming his body to combat the deepening cold. “And I think he was giving us a warning. It sounds like the advanced track could be interesting, though.”

“Getting more training from Silvertide would be incredible,” Moxie said. “If we have a chance to work together with him, we should. I think he’s on our side.”

“I think so too,” Noah said, and he was grateful for it. Silvertide was far too perceptive for his tastes, but he couldn’t help but like the man’s forthrightness. It was a nice break from all the political scheming that surrounded the noble families.

Moxie nodded, then paused. She put a hand on Noah’s arm. “You’re warm.”

“It’s my Imbuement. It was getting chilly, so I made it stronger. Is it that noticeable?”

In response, Moxie leaned up against Noah. “No, but I’m cold. Walk me back to the room. I only came out here because I woke up and couldn’t find where you were.”

Noah wrapped an arm around Moxie’s shoulder’s and let out a soft laugh. “I’ll leave a note next time. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I knew where you’d go.”

“Maybe I’m getting predictable. We should head back either way. We’ve got a lot to do in the coming days.”

“Yeah,” Moxie agreed. She let out a large yawn. “But that’s a problem for then. Right now, all I want to do is curl up and sleep. The bed is cold, so you’re coming with me.”

That was an idea that Noah had absolutely no problems with. There would be time for testing his powers even further tomorrow. He’d gotten enough answers for one day.