“You’re asking me to join?” Eli asked as men around him loaded up packs and packs of cargo. 

“Is that really so surprising?” Sayer asked, signing a holotab. 

“A bit, yeah.” Eli ducked out of the way. “I was under the impression that you hated me.” 

“I don’t hate anyone residing in Moonmire.” Sayer corrected Eli. “That doesn’t necessarily mean I trust you either.” 

“I know.” Eli mumbled. He had now been in Moonmire for six months, and very few people wanted him near, let alone trusted him. 

“The first team has reached the halfway point.” Sayer continued. “You’re going to join the ranks of the second team. Or did you plan on staying sequestered in your little hole while the rest of Moonmire fights your people?” 

“No!” Eli said quickly. “No! Of course I want to go. I’ve been waiting for you to call on me.”

“Good, then ready your things. We leave tonight.” Sayer said. 

“We, sir?” Eli asked. 

Sayer smirked before nodding. “Did you think I’d hide in my little hole while the rest of Moonmire battled the wall-dwellers? I don’t know what sort of leaders reside on the other side of the wall, but the leaders here never abandon their people for security. Now hurry it up.” 

Eli couldn’t help the grin pulling at his face, or the rush in his stomach as he raced towards his hole in the wall. He’d been waiting for this moment, he’d finally be a part of the action. He thought back to his mother, he hoped that if she was up there in the stars she could see what they had done with her research. They were going to take back Thill for the ice dwellers, they were going to overthrow the government that had killed her. 

Eli’s stomach raced for another reason too, Veer. He hadn’t seen his friend in three months. Veer had left with the first team, scouting out their destination and taking the first wave of cargo. It had been overwhelmingly lonely without Veer around, no one else spoke to him unless they had to. He had been surprised to realize just how much he missed the other boy when he was gone. He’d never cared for anyone but himself and his mother, but he genuinely cared for Veer. He thought about him daily, wondering what he was seeing and experiencing beyond the mountain. 

“Hunters, guide the way. Take flight and meet up with our first wave.” Sayer commanded. “Prepare the way for us.” 

A group of hunters left to the tunnels.

 “Onyx, my light.” Sayer reached for his wife, grabbing her clear cheeks in his hands. “Take care of them.” 

“I will.” Onyx nodded. “Come back to me.” She turned quickly, leaving towards the main home. 

Eli followed the group towards the bridge. They were escorted out by lines of elderly and children and those responsible for continuing life on Moonmire. Eli watched men and women reach for their children, sons and daughters grabbing their elderly parents possibly for the last time. 

They whispered and glared as Eli passed, some children smiled and waved goodbye to the wall dweller though. He returned their smiles, a sinking feeling that he’d never again get to see the majesty of Moonmire. He turned taking a last look at the ice walls and the glittering stone, etching every piece into his memory. 

“Hurry it up, wall dweller.” A man said shoving him forward. 

Eli turned and began hurrying forward. 

“Don’t worry.” The man said. “We’ll all see it again.”

Eli’s second drop from the mountain was much easier than the first. He did not lose the wind or smash into the wall, tripping to the ground aside. He coughed as air refilled his lungs while two men pulled him up and his wings deflated back into his cloak. 

“How long until we reach them?” Eli asked. 

“Three months.” Cerulean grumbled. “This is a suicide mission, for all of us.” 

“You don’t know that for certain.” A young woman called Gale said quickly. “Besides, we all knew the fight with the wall-dwellers would come eventually.” 

“I know,” Cerulean said quickly. “I had hoped it would come later.” 

“Enough chatter.” Sayer admonished as he got the entire team in formation. “We don’t speak unless we must. Conserve your energy, keep your ears open and your eyes forward. We travel through the night. Gale, the wall-dweller is your responsibility now. Keep him safe, he has information we need.” 

“Yes, Sayer.” Gale said before glaring towards Eli. “Do not hold us back, do you understand.” 

Eli nodded and began following behind the girl. She was probably close to his age, warriors were bred young and ruthless he had learned. They didn’t rely on lasers like the military behind the wall. They relied on the terrain and their own speed and agility.

Following the first reconnaissance team made for a far easier and safer journey, large caverns had already been built for them to protect them from the cold and the Mioms attracted to the large gathering of heat. 

“We received notification from Rogue,” Lark said crouched next to Sayer. Lark was Sayer’s right hand, he controlled the battalion if Sayer could not. He was a harsh man, but there was an unyielding kindness behind his eyes that Eli had not yet been able to crack. 

“Rogue?” Eli interrupted, his cheeks immediately burning as the two men glared towards him. “Sorry… er… is Rogue alright? Are… are they all safe?” 

Lark looked Eli up and down before turning towards Sayer once again. “They are safe and in position for our arrival.” 

“Good, send word back, only a month longer before we will join them. Then the war will begin.” Sayer said as Lark crawled away. 

Sayer met Eli’s gaze and motioned for him to come closer. “Why are you here?” 

“You… requested I join.” Eli said. 

“But why are you here? Why did you choose to stay?” Sayer asked. 

“I didn’t really have a choice.” Eli tried avoiding the question they were both hopping around. 

Sayer watched Eli for a moment before nodding. “Rogue has promised me that he’ll leave with you if I banish you. My son has promised to die if you die.” 

Eli said nothing, incredibly thankful for his dark skin hiding the heat creeping up him. He thought to the bright red of Veer’s cheeks that couldn’t be concealed. 

“My son has responsibilities that you will never understand, wall-dweller. He has responsibilities to his people.” Sayer said quietly. “You cannot get in the way of that.” 

“That isn’t my intention, sir.” Eli said quietly. “I do feel beholden to Rogue, he saved my life. I only wish for his safety and to serve him and Moonmire however I can to repay that debt.” 

Sayer glanced around and nodded to Eli. “He is a good man. A better man than myself. He will make a good leader.” 

Eli could do nothing but nod, he knew all of this. He knew Veer would become the next leader of Moonmire, he was sure that he wouldn’t be around long enough to see it, but he couldn’t understand what that had to do with him now. 

“So… how does a wall-dweller get Sayer’s ear exactly?” Gale asked quietly as they trekked through an ice bank. 

“What?” Eli grunted trying to climb the same terrain Gale had just scaled with ease. 

She huffed in annoyance and reached a hand out, pulling him up. “I see you speaking with Sayer like a trusted advisor. How? You’re an outsider.” 

Eli shrugged. “He just needs information I have about the wall.”

Gale looked down and shook her head. “It’s not fair.” She said quietly. “Did you know that I was chosen to be Rogue’s wife?” 

Eli felt something clench in the pit of his stomach before shaking his head. 

“Lark is my father, I’ve been trained my entire life to serve Moonmire. They presented the option to Sayer and Onyx, only to have that little prick turn it down. Even a few hundred years ago it could have been forced, but Sayer and Onyx are a love match so they wanted to same for Rogue.” 

“Isn’t that a good thing though? Do you really want to be trapped into an arrangement?” Eli asked. 

“I want power.” Gale said. “I want the respect of my people. Onyx was nothing, no political affiliations, no military affiliations. And now she’s the second most powerful person in all of Moonmire.” 

“But don’t you already have power and respect? You’re the daughter of Lark. He seems… powerful.” 

“Before Rogue turned me down, I was seen differently. I don’t even know his name, he never told me. And now I’ll just be stuck right where I am, there will be no rising the ranks for me.” 

“You could be the right hand of Rogue.” Eli offered. 

Gale scoffed. “You really don’t see it, do you?” 

The journey towards Sector one was long and Eli could feel how weak he truly was compared to the warriors of Moonmire. He had almost gotten caught by a heat seeker trudging after them, had it not been for Gale forcibly dragging him into a cavern he probably would have been turned to food. He could see the wall now, through his goggles. He never thought he’d see the massive territory again after falling out of it months earlier. No light could be seen from the other side, but he knew that just beyond that wall was the scorching sun and nowhere to hide. 

“We’re being hailed by the first team.” Gale pointed towards a very dim flickering light orb pointing them towards the others. Towards Veer. Eli could feel his energy returning at the prospect of seeing his friend. 

They crawled into the massive cavern that had been laboriously built over the past few months for everyone as the first team crowded towards the back to make room for Sayer’s reconnaissance team. 

Eli was trapped behind Cerulean and pressed against an ice wall as frantic whispers surrounded them. 

“Tell me what you’ve seen.” Sayer was saying to his son. 

“The ships come and go almost daily.” Veer’s voice was so quiet Eli could barely hear him. He tried pushing his way closer but, it was impossible. He was too small next to everyone else. 

“You need rest, Sayer.” Lark’s voice now. “We were forced to outrun a heat seeker only days earlier. It is still on our trail.” 

“Did everyone survive?” Veer grabbed Lark’s arm. 

“Yes.” Lark said before quickly moving to follow Sayer. 

Veer began searching, peering over and pushing his way through. 

Eli did the same, trying to squeeze through people when Veer’s eyes finally met his. He moved faster until they were finally embracing, Veer’s arms pulling Eli tight against him.

“You survived.” Veer whispered, his breath warm against Eli’s neck. 

“I did, only barely though. Gale had to rescue me from a Miom.” Eli admitted as a huff of laughter spread through Veer. 

“You would be the one to almost die, wouldn’t you?” 

Eli laughed as well before the sound caught in his throat. He pressed his head against the other boys chest. “I missed you, Rogue.” 

“I missed you too.” Veer whispered, holding Eli as tight as he could.