Chapter 451 (1/2)

Chapter 451

Chapter 449: An Io

LYRA DREIDE

I paused inin a deep, fortifying breath

The sun was hanging over the mountains to the west, its final rays still warm The near-constant breeze that blew across the wasteland had died down, lessening the fine cloud of ash that always hung in the air It was a perfectly pleasant day, and yet I found it alainstitems off my list as fast as possible

My duties had pulled ht, and I hadn’t had even a brief reprieve in what felt like hours Closingits warha release

I felta leader is This is what I could have been doinglooked up to, respected, even—dare I say—loved…it was addicting, even more than the constant cli Seris work, working alongside her as we helped our people to co in a way I had never understood before It gave lad that Arthur Leywin hadn’t killed uess myself at first, but now…

It was clear I had made the correct decision

As I let the sun kissintomy eyes ease open, I slowly turned and searched for the watcher He wasn’t difficult to spot: a skinny bespectacled boy was sitting on the edge of a far intently at his knees

Slowly, he tried to sneak a quick look up, caught round

My curiosity piqued, I started in the boy’s direction, my movements unrushed in a way that I was already unaccustoin to panic, likely fearing a scolding or worse He was one of the new arrivals, but I didn’t know hied to By the tension hich he held himself and the fact that he was isolated when everyone else was hard at work, I suspected he was here alone, perhaps even a lower-class resident of the Relicto Seris’s exodus

I stood over hied you, boy?” I asked “You’re staring as if you’ve sworn a blood oath of vengeance oneverything, I suppose that is possible”

He flinched, glanced up at s up to his chest and see my expression and stance “At ease, child I only ood huain? I’m sure you know my name already, but I’m Lyra Who are you?”

He chewed the inside of his lip, the spinning gears of his thoughts visible in his eyes, then finally hopped to his feet and bowed “I’hblood Dreide I didn’t hblood Milview”

Milview…Milview? I rolled the nahtly surprised to hear hihblood, but less so that I didn’t know anything about the name

“Where is the rest of your blood then?” I asked, eager to ensure bloods weren’t being separated as they were relocated away from the small settlement where they had arrived, which could not support all of them

The boy’s face sank, and I realized the truth “You’re all alone, then?” I asked “Was your blood lost in the war?”

He nodded, a very slight, nervous movement, then sank back onto the wooden border of the raised farm bed “They were all killed…here” He waved a hand at the ashlands beyond the s my sister did in the war And then wiped away, just like that”

I sat next to hihblood, did you?”

He shook his head “Not really The others at the academy…well, they didn’t treat me like I was their equal Not until…” He sed heavily “Not until Professor Grey…Arthur”

“Ah,” I said, recalling what little I had learned of Arthur Leywin’s time hidden in Alacrya “You are one of his students, then Is that why you came to Dicathen? To follow your lanced at me from the corner of his eye “I o Scythe Seris wanted to know ht, well, ed rather helplessly “I didn’t think I could return to ”

I pressedelse Clearly the boy needed to talk, and I was prepared to let him At least, hat little tiain and took a couple steps away, facing the gray wasteland to the north “Why did Circe have to die just for…that?” he asked “She died h it, that’s ere told But now look at it She died for nothing”

Milview…

The na back a report received ages ago A large nuh the enchanted forests of the elves, and it had been a young and talented Sentry named Circe of Named Blood Milvieho had finally succeeded where her peers had failed

“Many died needlessly in this war,” I said, still sitting “The asura are heedless with lesser lives But, perhaps…” I paused, letting the words hang “Perhaps their deaths aren’t for nothing if they show us that the world needs to change If they e That seeht for”

The boy didn’t respond, and ure Anvald of Named Blood Torpor’s broad shoulders and shaved scalp were obvious even froto an end “I could use the assistance of a htly on the boy’s shoulder “If you are willing And I’m sure we can find time for you to continue to help Seris in her research as well”

He stared athis throat, he relasses and wiped the back of his ar the thick lenses back over his eyes

Anvald carim “Lady Seris has requested your presence, Lyra”

I didn’t bother asking what this was about The fact that Seris was requesting me meant it had to do with some conflict between the new arrivals and those Alacryan soldiers who had been consigned to the Elenoir Wastes by Regent Leywin

“Co then, assistant,” I said, only a little flippantly Although I didn’t look back, I heard Seth’s halting footsteps behind me “What is it now, Anvald? Sohblood’s view of the endless ashy wastes?”

Anvald snorted “Ah, better that I do not color your view of the matter”

Curious, I followed the ascender in silence until we reached the open doorway of the villagewe had left es feel a little more officious

Anvald stepped aside and waved h, an to u to clai voice of an older h left I won’t have thewe’ve done for thiswe’ve sacrificed, to now be asked to bend the knee to this…this…”

I squinted slightly, and h to see Baldur Vassere try and fail not to roll his eyes “I’h, surely, Scythe Seris, you can see that I’ain, I’d like to reht at all in this new nation of Alacryans,” Corbett of Highblood Denoir interrupted

No, just Corbett Denoir, I reht reinforced by the reed to move forward as equals,” he finished

I moved to flank Baldur, whoe was formed for the Alacryan soldiers Arthur hi up the first Alacryans fro theered next to the door

Seris’s brows rose slightly as she addressed my arrival “Some of those who came with me have questioned Baldur Vassere’s leadershi+p, Lyra I believe Ector here suggested that a ‘second-tier cousin of a second-tier highblood’ had no right to be giving orders to such potent highbloods as Frost and Ainsworth It strikes ht time to see some proof of this new societal concept of ours…one in which the ‘purity’ of one’s blood, as determined by the Vritra, is not in fact the end-all be-all of one’s worth”

I nodded in understanding “The leaders of this society h action, who their peers look to as leaders willingly, with acceptance, hope, and most of all, trust Baldur Vassere has been that leader here It was he who laid the foundations for the earliest enca the defeated, despondent, furious re long enough to form a pipeline for food and water, as well as build a handful of ra them”

I met the eyes of those around me in turn: Ector Ainsworth, Lars Isenhaert, Corbett Denoir, a e by the name of Udon Plainsrunner orked closely with Baldur, and Baldur hiive me a weak smile