A Banner Torn (Book 1 Complete)

Kaelid:

The familiar sight of Aldermere's thatched roofs and stone chimneys appeared through the carriage window as the sun began its descent toward the western hills. Kaelid felt something tight in his chest loosen at the sight of home, even as the Duke's warnings echoed in his mind. The game had noticed them, yes, but this was still the place where he belonged.

"Look," Rannek said softly, pointing toward the village square where a few people were going about their evening routines. "Everything looks exactly the same."

But Kaelid knew that wasn't quite true. They were the ones who had changed, and that change would ripple outward whether they wanted it to or not. The core shards within them pulsed gently, responding to their proximity to home and to Curio, somewhere out there in the forest.

The carriage rolled to a stop near the village center, and Kerethin gathered her traveling pack with practiced efficiency. "Remember," she said quietly to the boys, "we tell them only what they need to know. The Duke's offer, the Collegium's acceptance, and that a tutor will be coming. Nothing about the Praxis's methods or the true extent of the political maneuvering."

Marta's father was the first to spot them, emerging from his bakery with flour still dusting his apron. His face lit up with genuine relief and joy as she ran toward him, her dark hair streaming behind her.

"You're back!" he called out. "I was starting to worry that your friends had been turned into court pets or something equally horrible."

"Not quite," Rannek said with a grin, walking up next to them. "Though it was a near thing."

As word of their return spread, more villagers began to emerge from their homes. Kaelid saw his mother Maerwen hurrying toward them from the direction of their cottage, her face a mixture of relief and maternal concern. Behind her came Julid, Rannek's mother, moving with the same urgent pace.

"My boy," Maerwen breathed as she reached them, pulling Kaelid into a fierce embrace that smelled of herbs and home-baked bread. "I've been so worried. The stories people had told us of what was done to people spirited away for 'testing' never to be heard from again..."

"What stories?" Kaelid asked, though he suspected he knew.

"Rumors of Praxis inquisitors, terrible things being forced on children being evaluated for military service," Julid said, her arms wrapped tightly around Rannek. "We didn't know what to believe."

"Most of it was probably true," Kerethin said gently. "But the boys handled themselves admirably, and the outcome is favorable. They'll be staying here in Aldermere, continuing their education under Collegium guidance."

The relief on both mothers' faces was palpable, and Kaelid felt a pang of guilt for the worry they had caused. But before he could say anything more, a familiar figure approached from the direction of the forge.

Brannic moved with his characteristic measured pace, but Kaelid could see the tension in the dragonkin's shoulders ease as he took in their safe return. When he reached them, he didn't speak immediately. Instead, he placed one scaled hand on Kaelid's forehead and another on Rannek's, a gesture of greeting and assessment that was deeply personal among his people.

The touch was warm and somehow reassuring, and Kaelid felt the core shard within him respond with a gentle pulse of recognition. Brannic's golden eyes widened slightly, and he nodded with what might have been satisfaction.

"You've grown," he said simply, and Kaelid understood he wasn't talking about physical height. "Both of you. The capital has left its mark."

"Not all of it unwelcome," Kaelid replied, and Brannic's scaled lips curved in what passed for a smile among dragonkin.

As the initial reunion settled into more comfortable conversation, Kaelid noticed Maerwen speaking quietly with Kerethin, their heads bent together in the way of mothers sharing concerns. He caught fragments of their conversation: "...tutor from the Collegium..." "...continue normal schooling..." "...protection and guidance..."

Rannek's mother Julid approached Kaelid's mother and Kerethin, her expression thoughtful. "Maerwen, would you and Kaelid like to join us for breakfast tomorrow morning? I'd like to hear more about what happened in the capital, and I think our boys have stories to share."

"That's very kind," Maerwen replied. "We'd be happy to come."

"Actually, Julid" Maerwen asked "why don't you and Rannek come to our cottage instead? I've got fresh eggs from the hens, and I can make that honey bread Kaelid loves."

"Even better," Julid agreed with a smile. "We'll bring preserves from our stores."

As the adults made their plans, Kaelid caught Rannek's eye and saw his own eagerness reflected there. They both wanted to see Curio, to share what had happened and to feel the comfort of their friend's presence after the overwhelming complexity of court politics.

"Mother," Kaelid said carefully, "would it be all right if Rannek and I went for a walk before full dark? We've been cooped up in carriages and palace rooms for days."

Maerwen's expression showed she understood exactly where they wanted to go, but she also seemed to recognize their need. "Stay within the village boundaries," she said firmly. "And be back before the evening meal."

"Of course," Kaelid agreed, though they both knew the clearing was technically beyond the village proper.

As the group began to disperse, Marta fell into step beside them. "So," she said with studied casualness, "I don't suppose this walk would happen to take you past any interesting forest clearings?"

Kaelid and Rannek exchanged glances. They had discussed this possibility during the journey home, knowing that Marta's sharp mind and growing involvement in their adventures made it increasingly difficult to keep her completely separate from the truth.

"Maybe," Rannek said carefully.

"Good," Marta replied with satisfaction.

Kaelid's core shard pulsed with sudden intensity, and he realized Curio must have been aware of their approach long before they reached the village. The connection between them had grown stronger during their time apart, and now it thrummed with anticipation.

"We should go," he said, and the others nodded.

They made their way through the village as the sun continued its descent, painting the sky in shades of gold and amber. The familiar sights and sounds of home surrounded them: the distant lowing of cattle being brought in for the night, the sound of children playing in cottage gardens, the warm glow of lamplight beginning to appear in windows.

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But underneath it all, Kaelid felt the pull of the forest, the gentle insistence of the core shard guiding him toward their reunion with Curio. Beside him, Rannek's pace quickened slightly, and Kaelid knew his friend felt it too.

They crossed the river at the fallen log, a route so familiar now that they could have managed it in complete darkness. The forest welcomed them with the scent of pine and loam, and somewhere ahead, Kaelid could sense Curio's presence like a warm beacon in the gathering dusk.

The clearing appeared before them, and there was Curio, its translucent form shifting through shades of blue and green in the fading light. The slime's core stone pulsed with a rhythm that matched the beating of Kaelid's heart, and he felt a surge of joy at seeing his friend.

Welcome home, came Curio's voice, warm with affection and relief. I have missed you both greatly.

"We missed you too," Kaelid said aloud, dropping down to sit beside the pool where Curio rested. "So much has happened."

"Something like that," Rannek agreed, settling beside Kaelid. "We had to make some difficult choices."

And you chose to return home. I am grateful.

"There's something else," Kaelid said, glancing back toward where Marta waited at the edge of the clearing. "We'd like you to meet someone. Someone who knows about you and has been... helping to keep your secret."

Curio's form shifted, and Kaelid felt a ripple of curiosity and mild apprehension through their connection. Another human? Are you certain this is wise?

"She's not just another human," Rannek said firmly. "She's Marta. She's... she's one of us, in her own way. She sees things others don't, and she's been protecting your secret even when we didnt know she had figured it out."

Bring her forward, Curio said after a moment of consideration. If she has earned your trust, then she has earned mine.

Kaelid turned and beckoned to Marta, who had been waiting patiently among the trees. She approached slowly, her eyes wide as she took in Curio's full presence for the first time. In the clearing's soft light, the slime was magnificent, its translucent body catching and refracting the last rays of sunlight like a living prism.

"Hello," she said softly, her voice carrying none of the fear Kaelid had expected. Instead, there was wonder and a kind of reverent respect. "I'm Marta. I've been... watching over them while they were away."

Hello, Marta, Curio replied, and Kaelid saw her eyes widen as the slime's voice echoed in the clearing, coming from no one spot in particular. I am called Curio. These two have spoken of you often, and I understand I owe you gratitude for your discretion.

"You don't owe me anything," Marta said, settling cross-legged on the ground near the pool's edge. "But I am curious about so many things. How long have you been here? Are there others like you? And..." she hesitated, then forged ahead with characteristic directness, "what exactly did you do to these two? Because they're different now, in ways that go beyond just growing up."

Curio's form rippled with what Kaelid had learned to recognize as amusement. Direct questions. I appreciate that. To answer: I have been in this clearing for several seasons, though we existed elsewhere before that as other selves. There are others of my kind, but none nearby. As for what I did to Kaelid and Rannek... I gave them each a fragment of my core stone, intending for them to carry it as a token of friendship. Instead, the fragments bonded with them in a way I did not expect and still do not fully understand.

"The core shards," Marta said, nodding. "I wondered if it was something like that. I've seen how they move now, how they seem to know things they shouldn't. And sometimes, when they're concentrating, there's this look in their eyes..."

"Like we're seeing more than we should," Kaelid finished. "It's been getting stronger since we left for the capital."

Distance and stress can intensify the connection, Curio explained. The shards are learning to be human, adapting to your physiology and consciousness. The process creates... enhancements.

"Could it work with others?" Marta asked, and Kaelid heard the longing in her voice. "Could someone else bond with a core shard?"

Curio was quiet for a long moment, its form shifting through deeper shades of blue and green. I do not know, it admitted finally. What happened with Kaelid and Rannek was unprecedented. I have no other fragments prepared, and even if I did, there is no guarantee the bonding would occur. It might simply remain inert, or worse, it might cause harm.

"But it's possible?" Marta pressed.

Many things are possible. But possibility and wisdom are not always the same thing.

Kaelid could see the disappointment in Marta's expression, though she tried to hide it. He understood her desire to be part of what they had found, to share in the connection that had changed them so fundamentally.

"There might be other ways," he said gently. "Other paths to... whatever this is we're becoming."

Perhaps, Curio agreed. The world is vast, and consciousness takes many forms. What matters most is not the method of enhancement, but the wisdom to use whatever gifts one possesses responsibly.

"Speaking of which," Rannek said, "we should tell you what happened in the capital. About the Praxis, and the Duke, and the choice we had to make."

They spent the next hour sharing their experiences, with Curio asking occasional questions and offering insights that helped them process what they had been through. The slime's perspective and its ancient racial memories locked in its corestone provided context for the political maneuvering they had witnessed, and its understanding of consciousness helped them better comprehend what the Praxis had truly been offering.

You chose wisely, Curio said when they finished. The path of the weapon leads only to destruction, both of others and of the self. Better to grow slowly and maintain your humanity than to gain power at the cost of your soul.

"The Duke warned us that we'd never be truly safe," Kaelid said. "That the game had noticed us and wouldn't let us go."

He spoke truly which is also in a way why I seek solitude here. Others would see me as a resource to own or control. But safety and peace are not the same thing. You may never be entirely safe, but you can still find moments of peace, still grow and learn. Do not let the threat of future danger steal the joy of present connection.

As if to emphasize the point, Curio extended a pseudopod toward each of them, and they felt the warm pulse of affection and belonging through their shared bond. Marta watched with fascination as the slime's touch caused the boys' eyes to briefly glow with the same blue-green light as Curio's core.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. "Whatever else happens, you have this. You have each other, and you have this connection to something larger than yourselves."

And you have friends who will stand with you, Curio added, including Marta in its gentle regard. That may be the most powerful magic of all.

The sun had fully set while they talked, and the clearing was now lit only by Curio's soft bioluminescence and the first stars appearing overhead. Kaelid knew they needed to return to the village soon, but he was reluctant to leave this moment of peace and connection.

"We should go," Rannek said reluctantly, echoing Kaelid's thoughts. "But we'll be back tomorrow, if we can manage it."

I will be here, Curio assured them. I am always here.

As they prepared to leave, Marta lingered for a moment beside the pool. "Thank you," she said to Curio. "For trusting me with this, and for taking care of them."

Thank you for protecting our secret, and for being the kind of friend they needed while I could not be present. You are welcome in this clearing whenever you wish to come.

The three of them made their way back through the darkening forest, guided by starlight and the familiar path. As they walked, Kaelid felt the core shard's pulse gradually settle into its normal rhythm, though the connection to Curio remained warm and present in the back of his mind.

"So," Marta said as they approached the village, "what happens now? With the tutor coming and everything changing?"

"I don't know," Kaelid admitted. "But whatever it is, we'll face it together."

"All of us," Rannek added, and Marta smiled.

"All of us," she agreed.

They parted ways at the village square, with Marta heading back to the bakery and the boys walking toward their homes. The familiar streets felt both comforting and strange after their time in the capital, and Kaelid found himself noticing details he had never paid attention to before: the way shadows fell between buildings, the subtle sounds of nighttime activity, the sense of a community settling into sleep.

At his cottage door, Maerwen was waiting with a warm meal and gentle questions about their walk. Kaelid answered honestly about visiting the forest and feeling better for the familiar surroundings, though he didn't mention Curio specifically. Some truths were still too large and too dangerous to share, even with those who loved them most.

But as he lay in his own bed that night, listening to the familiar sounds of home and feeling the gentle pulse of the core shard within him, Kaelid felt something he hadn't experienced since before their journey began: hope. They had made their choice, they were home, and they had friends who would stand with them whatever came next.

The game might have noticed them, but they were not alone in playing it. And perhaps, with wisdom and courage and the bonds they had forged, they might even find a way to win.