Caster did not punch back. He spun around. He dropped his wooden stick to the floor, positioning it exactly behind Thorpe’s mechanical ankle. At the same time, Caster reached into another pocket. He pulled out a small glass vial filled with clear water. He threw the water onto the stone floor, right under Thorpe’s heavy metal boots. He pushed another tiny drop of golden magic into the water. He commanded the water to change its state. He commanded the water to freeze. The puddle of water instantly turned into a sheet of perfectly smooth, frictionless, solid blue ice. Thorpe tried to pull his heavy brass fist out of the broken rock. He took a step backward. His metal boot hit the solid ice. Because the boot was made of heavy iron, it had no grip. Thorpe’s foot slipped violently. "Whoa!" Thorpe yelled, losing his balance completely. As he slipped backward, his other foot hit Ca

Caster had always thought the Ash Warden’s power was spread out across the wild lands. He thought the monster was born in the dirt of the plains. But Thorpe’s words revealed a horrifying, terrible truth. The High Council of Glassview had not just accidentally pulled too much magic. They had knowingly, purposely built their capital city directly on top of the main, central vein of the entire Ash Plane. The city of Glassview was the cork in the bottle. "They built their throne on the door to hell," Caster whispered to himself. His face turned completely pale. "He escaped!" General Verne roared in absolute fury. The giant, mutated General turned her heavy cannon arm toward Caster. Her black eyes burned with murderous rage. "He escaped, but you are still here!" Verne hissed. She stomped toward Caster. "You ruined my purple batteries! You destroyed my perfect weapons! I will crush you into paste and

"The Ash Warden is going home," Solon realized. "Yes," Caster nodded. "If that giant monster reaches the green beam, it will step into the center of the earth. It will absorb the entire planar network. The world will just... dissolve."The truck sped down the broken road. The giant shadow of the Ash Warden marched slowly in the distance, shaking the earth with every single step. Time was running out. While Caster and Solon raced toward the city, Sikoa was already running through the dark, damp sewers beneath Glassview. The rogue moved like a silent shadow. She splashed through the freezing water. Her dark leather armor was soaked. Her black eye-patch hid one eye, but her good eye was sharp and focused. The underground tunnels were shaking. Dust fell from the brick ceiling. The green light from the city above was leaking down through the iron grates. The green magic felt sick and completely wrong. It made Sikoa&r

Graves stopped. He looked at Sikoa. His cruel smile returned. "You are right," Graves agreed smoothly. "Caster Spellbound is a sentimental old fool. He cares about his friends. He cares about you."Graves turned to his Enforcers. "Leave the old man alive," Graves commanded. "Throw the scholars in the closet. But bring the rogue."The Enforcer pulled Sikoa up by her arms. They twisted her hands behind her back. Heavy, glowing black iron chains were locked tightly around Sikoa’s wrists. The chains were made of null-iron. They were freezing cold and drained her physical strength. Sikoa struggled, but she was completely trapped. "Where are you taking me?" Sikoa demanded, spitting a drop of blood onto Graves’s shiny black boot. Graves looked down at his dirty boot. He sighed softly. "You have very bad manners," Graves said. He looked back up at her face. "I am going to take you to the very center of the city, S

The dark, wet tunnels of the sewers were far behind him. Caster Spellbound walked up the broken stone steps and stepped out into the ruined streets of Glassview. The cold rain continued to fall from the pitch-black sky. The water hit his face, washing away the mud and the dark blood, but it could not wash away the terrible exhaustion in his bones. He was just an old man in a simple, torn gray shirt. He held a broken wooden walking stick in his left hand. In his belt, he carried a single, sharp steel dagger belonging to his friend, Sikoa. But he did not look weak. His gray eyes were completely gone. In their place, two solid, brilliant, burning golden suns illuminated the dark street. The warm, heavy golden light pushed the shadows away. It pushed the freezing rain away. The raindrops actually turned into soft, glowing white steam before they could even touch his skin. He walked slowly, but every single step carried the weight of a mountain. "I am coming, Sikoa," Caster whispered