Three and a half hours later, I was being shaken awake by my older brother.

With dark circles like a fighter's black eyes, and a drowsiness that could kill a moose, I rose out of my makeshift bed and began getting into harness. My brother, of course, needed far less sleep than I did, what with being a fifth stage and all, leaving him in much better shape than I was.

“You should have let me die,” I groaned when I opened my burning eyes, getting a chuckle then a sudden light kick from my brother. “Hurry up or you’ll be late,” he chided. I lazily dismissed him with a wave before mustering the strength to escape my impromptu bed.

The black leather jerkin, hose, and boots I was attempting to put on hadn't thoroughly dried from my horse-casting certification from the day prior. This made them heavier than usual and, compounded by the lack of sleep, brought my regular pace to little faster than a child’s crawl.

Bernar, on the other hand, had used the rain-proof cloak to stave off the rain, leaving most of his equipment unsoiled. He got into his jerkin and hose quickly, though his boots were still caked in mud and smelled of horse shit.

“You look like hell, little brother,” he said. I, who was far too tired to give the slightest amount of a shit, lazily rolled my eyes in his direction, slowly turning my head and saying nothing in the process. “Never mind, I'll take that back. You look worse,” he jeered.

“I feel worse than I look, to be honest. It’s like my entire body has been encased in a heavy metal,” I groaned as I bent over to get my foot into the boot. I moved at half speed that morning, and finding my equipment in what remained of the charred, piss-smelling dorm was easier said than done. I found my equipment chest under a large piece of the door, a stark reminder of my fuck-up the night before, and lifted the piece with some effort.

I opened the oaken chest and was relieved my equipment had not been reduced to ash. I began by pulling out my sword and belt and lacing them to my waist through loops in my hose. I buckled it tightly so it wouldn't jolt around as I walked, and patted it twice. He turned my back to the door and walked towards the opposite end of the room.

As I looked out of the charred window frame, I heard light footsteps coming from behind me at what sounded like a run.

Edryd, my best friend and one I had nearly killed the night before, stormed into the room, tripping over the bucket that still lay on the floor. He wasn't usually clumsy, but it seemed he was in too much of a rush to be cautious this time.

“Thoma!” Edryd cried out from down the hall. I lazily turned to face the boy standing in the doorway, excitement clearly showing on his face. He had deep, brown eyes that could pierce even steel, and dark brown hair tied behind his head in a short ponytail. He had a toned jawline and a slightly upturned nose, and the first few whiskers of his beard were beginning to sprout, which was widely respected for a boy of seventeen.

“Thoma,” Edryd said again, panting in the doorway. “Hullo, Edryd,” I returned. “What is it? Why are you in such a rush?" I asked, curious as to why he was so sweaty. “Don't you remember? We're about to head out towards Coltend, and our scouts have returned saying that they've seen a few monsters on the prowl about a league out on the road,” he jittered with excitement and fear.

They've never come this close to home before, I thought.

“Hm, that is odd,” I replied, lightly scrunching my cheek with the corner of my mouth. “In any case, it's a chance for us to show our skills! That is, of course, contingent on there being anything left for us to kill,” he said with a smirk and a gleam in his eyes. “I know I might sound like a psychopath, but I can't wait to kill my first monster finally,” Edryd began. “After all, it's what I've been training for for most of my life,” he said, spreading his arms widely as he finished his sentence.

Come to think of it, he’s never been on an expedition either, has he? I thought, recounting the number of them in recent years.

There hadn’t been many, at least not around Codrean anyway.

“I don't blame you,” I chuckled lightly. “I’ve been itching to try out a spell I created, but I haven't even tested it out of battle, yet,” I lowered my head a little in dejection.

“Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that,” Ed waved a hand in front of him. “There's not a shadow of a doubt that you're the most adept caster of our age group,” he shrugged. “Even if you're not the most physically strong,” he added after a short pause. We both laughed at the final comment and stopped when we heard a blaring noise coming from outside.

The Dragon Horn, I recognized the sound.

It was carved from a dragon's tooth, and passed down through the generations to signal that it was time to leave. While it was felled by one of the first Synners, there haven’t been many sightings of dragons since then, making the one we had especially rare.

We looked at each other, and we knew exactly what that meant. “Time to go. Do you have all of your stuff?” I asked, grabbing the last of my things and bundling them under my curled arm. He nodded his reply just before we both took up our gear and headed out the door, making our way down the hall that led to the outer courtyard.

The sun was just beginning to show the tip of its face over the distant Frellen Hills, the warmth from the few rays that slipped between the peaks greatly contrasted the cold of the previous night. The birds began to sing in the nearby oak and cedar trees, while the other creatures were slowly crawling out of their holes and dens to greet the sun as if it were a long-lost friend. The cold morning wind began to blow, gently swaying the trees in all directions.

I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful morning even if I'd dreamed about it for a hundred years, I thought, breathing the morning air deeply as I looked over the tops of the trees.

I shifted my gaze from the trees down into the courtyard where all the other synners, the Master included, had gathered; tightening harnesses, checking stirrups, feeding the horses their morning apples, and checking equipment against a list.

I walked over to my horse, Celer, which I had so adequately named due to his speed that had been proven the day before, and checked my saddle. I tied much of my equipment onto the left side of the saddle, ensuring the loop I’d made wouldn’t hurt my mount in the long run.

Looks like you’re ready to go, too, friend, I patted my horse’s nape.

“Listen up!” Bernar yelled from atop a beam where the Master's horse was tied. The Master was sitting on his horse, idly fiddling with a chain around his neck, but as Bernar’s words left his mouth, he suddenly jumped up and stood on his horse's saddle, getting a better view of the group of Synners.

He stood there for a few moments, without movement, waiting for everyone to quiet down. He did a headcount: twenty Synners with him, Bernar, and me included.

“As I am sure you remember, today we ride southeast towards Coltend Castle, to answer King Truls' summons,” he began. “I expect nothing less than exemplary behavior from all once we arrive at the castle, for they are not so lenient as I am over insolence,” he said, glancing over at me.

If he’s lenient, we’re all fucked, I lifted my eyebrows in unison with Edryd, who was probably thinking the same thing since he stared back at me with widened eyes.

“I believe these summons to be for a trivial matter, which shall be dealt with quickly and thoroughly. Although I suspect we will stay within the castle walls for at least a day or two, perhaps longer depending on how things go,” he announced, getting quiet whispers among the Synners before him.

They knew exactly what that meant, at least the older ones did.

“On this most beautiful morning, bear in mind that there are very real dangers out there as our scouts have already noted a handful of the ugly bastards a little way from here. Remember, one must always be watchful and attentive, understood?" he asked. “Yes, Master!" we roared. “Good. Now, mount up!" he shouted.

We got into our saddles immediately, starting from the left side, throwing our right legs over the horse and placing our feet in the other stirrup. After adjusting our seating and gathering their reins, we silently awaited the Master's signal.

My anxiety must have bled into Edryd's, since he was showing mild signs of either unease or excitement. Perhaps it was both, but I couldn’t tell. They glanced over at each other with wide, nervous grins and nodded.

Let’s show them we’re ready, I thought with a grin.