When he saw the gate at the end of the narrow pass in front of them closed, Elder Naran calmly turned to the mage who had changed their appearance . "Remove the illusions . "
The man quickly did as told, undoing the spells he had used on the group at the Soaring Sun camp . He removed the illusion he had used for himself last, a wistful smile appearing on his lips as his hair turned gray and the wrinkles returned to his face .
While the mage removed his illusions, Elder Naran reversed whatever method he had used to suppress his size, and within moments he had regained three feet of height . Then, he changed into another robe — one that not only fit his normal size but also featured elegant golden embroidery .
"Now let's see what weight our status as Elders still carries," he said, stepping forward into the narrow pass .
Arran followed behind the others as they headed toward the closed gate that lay at the end of the pass, over half a mile ahead of them .
"What if they don't let us in?" he asked Brightblade, who was walking beside him .
"Then we'll have to fight our pursuers," she answered . Although there was no fear in her voice, her previous levity had all but disappeared .
"Can't you break through?"
"The Valley's defenses aren't so easily broke," she replied . "Countless generations of mages have strengthened both the gate and the wall, and this pass contains a formation that suppresses magic . "
At this, Arran frowned . "A formation?"
"Try to use a spell and see what happens . "
Arran did as she said, and he tried to form a fireball in his hands . Yet immediately, he discovered that it was impossible — the moment the Essence left his body, it dissipated into the air around him .
"So you're defenseless here?" he asked, shocked .
She smiled in response . "We still have our swords . And although we can't use magic here, neither can the Iron Mountain traitors . " She hesitated, but then continued, "Of course, if the defenders are traitors as well, we have a problem . "
"How bad a problem?" Arran asked, although from her expression, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer .
"The formation was created to defend the Valley, not its enemies . It blocks those in front of the gate from using magic, but the defenders aren't suppressed . " She smiled wryly . "Anyone on top of the wall can attack us at their leisure, and if they do, there's little we can do to stop it . "
Arran's eyes widened in shock . "That means—"
"Don't assume the worst just yet," she cut him off . "The traitors likely sent most of their numbers with the Iron Mountain army, and even then, they did not fully control it . "
Her words, reasonable though they were, did not fully reassure Arran . But then, he did not have any options other than following Elder Naran — there were enemies behind them, and Arran had no illusions about his fate if he was caught .
They had crossed most of the distance to the gate while talking, and now, Arran saw that there were only a hundred paces left to go .
Although he had been here before, with the gate closed it was as if the hundred-foot wall had grown even taller than he remembered, its smooth stone surface stretching up into the sky like the impenetrable barrier it was .
Behind the parapet at the top of the wall stood a line of mages, their eyes focused on the small group in front of them . Though it was hard to see from a distance, to Arran's eyes, they seemed extremely nervous .
Elder Naran motioned for their group to stop, then called out in a booming voice, "Open the gate!"
Several moments passed without a response, and the Elder's expression turned angry .
"Open the gate!" he called again . "Right now!"
This time, a response came . "Lord Elder," one of the mages atop the wall replied, his voice so weak it could barely be heard . "We have orders not to open the gate for anyone . "
"Who gave these orders?" Elder Naran's voice thundered through the pass, and he made no attempt to conceal his anger .
"Lord Elder, the orders came from Elder Feng's steward himself . "
"You would deny us entry on the word of a steward?!" Although Elder Naran sounded furious, Arran thought he could hear some relief in the man's voice as well . "The order is hereby rescinded! Now open the gate, or face the consequences!"
"Lord Elder, I can't… I have to get…" The mage's panicked voice trailed off as he disappeared from the wall .
For several minutes they stood waiting, until finally, another mage appeared on the wall .
"Lord Elder," he called out, but then, he briefly went silent . "Elders…" The shock in his voice was palpable when he realized that Elder Naran was far from the only Elder in the group . "Open the gate, you dimwits!"
His panicked shout set the other guards into motion, and just moments later, the massive gate slowly swung open .
Elder Naran and the others hurried through the gate at once, and inside, they found the commander who had ordered the gate opened . The man was visibly flustered, and on seeing the group of Elders in front of him, he seemed at a loss for words .
"Have the gate closed," Elder Naran said . "Immediately . "
"Of course, Lord Elder," the man replied, bowing deeply .
As the commander scurried off, Elder Naran turned to the group . "That fool will try to open the gate the moment the Iron Mountain traitors show up . I need two of you here to ensure he doesn't, and to give the traitors a welcome they won't soon forget . "
When the commander returned some moments later and learned that he was no longer in charge, he seemed relieved rather than upset — a feeling that Arran guessed would disappear as soon as the Iron Mountain mages made their appearance .
They departed not long after, their group now even smaller than before . Yet although they had left behind two Elders, Arran knew their chances of success had vastly improved .
The Iron Mountain forces were blocked from following them any further, and even if they somehow found a way to cross into the Valley, it would be too late to make a difference .
All that remained now was to reach the Patriarch and cure him, and whether they succeeded or not would be determined soon . The danger was far from over, with more traitors doubtless lying in wait within the Valley, but the end of their journey was in sight .
They traveled toward the capital much like Arran and Snowcloud had fled it more than a year earlier, running through the day and the night, crossing the rolling fields without pausing for rest or sleep .
Yet this time, with Elder Naran carrying Snowcloud and Arran stronger than before, they moved far faster . After just a single day and night of tireless running, the ancient capital appeared in the distance, every bit as grand as Arran remembered it .
Brightblade nudged Arran, then pointed toward a vast domed building at the far end of the city, with marble-white towers lining its sides . "That's where we're going," she said . "The Patriarch's palace . "
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