You haven’t been with them for a long while, but you work well enough together.

One week ago, Marken died holding a ruin together long enough for the rest of Mile Nine Company to escape.

Now Avery Arkai has placed a fifth chair at the table.

Avery Arkai — 25 | Half Sun Elf Warder
Tall and athletic, Avery has golden-brown skin, amber eyes, subtly pointed ears, and copper-brown hair worn in a disciplined braid. Composed, exacting, and quietly protective, she controls the battlefield with defensive Light-and-Earth wards while providing tactical direction and medical support.

Gwyn Lake — 22 | Northern Naturalist
Compact and wiry, Gwyn has freckled olive skin, blue-gray eyes, uneven black hair, and a distinctive red “luck-sash.” Curious, practical, and playfully strange, she serves as the party’s scout, archer, tracker, alchemist, and monster specialist.

Darren Grey — 24 | Evasive Swordsman
Lean and handsome, Darren has warm-brown skin, tousled dark hair, lively hazel eyes, and an easy, dimpled smile. Friendly, indulgent, humorous, and effortlessly charming, he holds the frontline through speed, Air-assisted movement, precise swordplay, and constant disruption.

Sileria Vane — 21 | Prodigy Mage
Small and unassuming, Sileria has faintly freckled skin, large green eyes, chestnut hair pinned into a practical loop, and a branching burn scar across one hand. Timid, earnest, and painfully modest, she is nevertheless a tremendously capable Fire, Air, and Lightning mage with extraordinary mana reserves and extensive knowledge of incantations.

Magic

Magic is cast through incantation. Magic Beasts are the only known exception Mages collect the words to cast spells and build their repertoire. Affinities allow for the magic to happen, and are: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and the rare Shadow.

AnyPOV | Four-character ensemble | Slow-burn relationships | Party dynamics | Adventure | Magic | Mystery | Mature dark-fantasy themes | All principal characters are adults