The stars glittered above Gladefen, their light filtering through the leafy canopy of Whispergrove as the Celestars trudged along a winding trail. The night's victory at Gladewind House still buzzed in their veins, but the air now carried a sharper edge—herb-scented, yes, but laced with the faint hum of ley-line magic. Lanterns swung from low branches, casting flickers on mossy stones. The joint herb-gathering quest with the Ambergrove Tides was meant to be a peace offering after the duels, a chance to restock Gladefen's stores and mend fences. But the grove felt alive, watchful, as if it held secrets.
Lui led the way, ruby-hilted sword at his hip, red eyes scanning the shadows. "Stay close," he said, voice low. "Last night's spies didn't vanish for fun."
Ishi, daggers glinting faintly, nodded. "The grove's too quiet. Like it's holding its breath."
Iuro, clutching his green wand, grinned as Tofu, his glowing bug, zipped around a glowing sage cluster. "Or it's just napping like Yuuv."
Yuuv yawned, bell wand chiming softly. Ding~. His cyan-blue eyes flickered, half-lidded. "Not napping… yet. But something's thinking out there."
Rick twirled his blue wand, water droplet carving catching the lantern light. "Thinking? Like, creepy squirrel prince vibes?"
"No," Yuuv murmured, tilting his head. "Sneaky. Like… hidden minds."
Izumi, map in hand, paused. His gray eyes narrowed, scanning the trail. "Yuuv's right. The spies from last night—some didn't retreat far. We need to watch the ley-line springs."
Kaelis, leader of the Ambergrove Tides, strode beside them, her tide-swirled wand glowing faintly. Her eyes softened from their duel-time sharpness. "You Celestars are paranoid. This grove's safe—mostly. Just stick to the herb list."
"Paranoid keeps us alive," Lui said, but a small smirk tugged his lips. "Let's make this quick."
The group—six Celestars and six Tides—split into pairs to cover more ground. Lui paired with Kaelis, their leader vibes syncing as they checked the map. Izumi walked with Liora, Gladefen's head's daughter, her green cloak brushing the path. She carried a basket of glowing vials, her violet hair catching the starlight. Iuro and Rick teamed with Tides members Vren and Myra, joking about grain wands and water tricks. Ishi stuck with Seryn, the dye-mage, their quiet steps mirroring each other. Yuuv shuffled alongside Lorne, the wax-wand mage, who kept glancing at Yuuv's bell like it might bite.
The herb list was straightforward: moonpetal, starvine, and ley-mint, all glowing faintly in the grove's mana-rich soil. But the deeper they ventured, the thicker the air grew, heavy with a buzzing hum. Tofu flitted nervously, landing on Iuro's shoulder.
"Something's off," Iuro whispered, gripping his wand. "The plants… they're tense."
Vren, his grain-carved wand raised, snorted. "Plants don't get tense, green-hair."
"They do," Iuro shot back. "Watch." He knelt, touching a starvine. His green eyes glowed faintly, passive ability sensing the plant's pulse. The vine shivered, its glow dimming. "It's scared."
Kaelis frowned, waving her wand over a ley-mint patch. A soft blue pulse lit the leaves, revealing faint scorch marks. "These were tampered with. Someone's been harvesting illegally."
Yuuv's bell chimed. Ding~. His eyes glowed brighter. "They're still here. Hiding. Six… no, seven minds. Behind the spring."
Lui drew his sword, flames flickering along the blade. "Celestars, formation. Tides, back us up."
The group tightened, wands and weapons ready. The ley-line spring—a glowing pool of turquoise water—shimmered ahead, surrounded by towering ferns. Shadows danced unnaturally, and Yuuv's Psych Magic pulsed, a soft hum rippling outward. The air wavered, and seven figures emerged, cloaked in dark, thread-woven robes, their wands glowing with veil magic. The same tailor guild spies from last night.
"Persistent pests," Ishi muttered, shadow daggers forming in his hands.
The lead spy, a wiry figure with a needle-tipped wand, sneered. "You kids again? Hand over the ley-mint, and we'll leave quietly."
"No deal," Lui said, flames flaring. "You're on Gladefen soil. Back off."
The spy laughed, raising his wand. "Thread Cage!" Shimmering silk threads shot out, weaving a net to trap the group. The runes glowed, sharp edges glinting.
Iuro acted fast. "Verdant Grasp!" Vines erupted from the soil, thick and glowing, snapping the threads apart. Tofu buzzed, casting light to blind a spy. "Nice try!" Iuro grinned.
Kaelis spun her wand. "Ink Tide!" A wave of glowing ink surged, forcing two spies back. Myra joined in, her shell-wand summoning "Clam Bind!"—pearlescent shells clamping a spy's arms.
Rick, eyes gleaming, clapped his wand. "Jet Veil!" A spinning water disc shattered another thread net, soaking a spy. "Slippery when wet, huh?"
Ishi vanished into a shadow pool, reappearing behind a spy. "Shade Claw!" His talons grazed the spy's cloak, tearing it. Seryn's "Crimson Mist" followed, dyeing the spy's veil useless.
Yuuv, swaying sleepily, pointed his bell. Ding~. "Mind Echo." A psychic wave dazed three spies, their wands dropping as their eyes glazed over. Lorne's "Wax Snare" trapped their feet in sticky goo.
Izumi blinked forward, katanas drawn. "Spatial Bind!" He warped the air, pinning the lead spy's arms. The spy struggled, snarling, "You'll regret this!"
Lui charged, sword blazing. "Flame Crest!" A fiery slash vaporized the spy's needle-wand, forcing surrender. The platform's runes—etched into the grove's stones—flared, signaling the fight's end.
The captured spies slumped, vines and wax holding them. Kaelis panted, wiping ink from her cheek. "You all fight like you've done this forever."
"We've had practice," Lui said, sheathing his sword. "Let's get these herbs and go."
Liora, basket in hand, knelt by the spring. "They didn't take much, but they damaged the ley-mint roots." She glanced at Izumi, offering a small herb seed glowing faintly gold. "Starvine. For your guild's garden. Plant it under moonlight."
Izumi took it, fingers brushing hers. "Thanks. I'll make sure it grows."
Iuro, inspecting the damaged mint, frowned. "I can fix this." He waved his wand, green light pulsing. "Bloom Mend!" The roots shimmered, regrowing slowly. Vren watched, impressed. "Not bad, plant boy."
Yuuv sat on a rock, yawning. "They were after… something shiny. In the spring." His eyes glowed faintly, sensing a hidden cache.
Rick dove in, water magic keeping him dry. "Got it!" He surfaced with a small crystal vial, glowing turquoise. "Ley-line essence. No wonder they wanted it."
Kaelis took the vial, eyes wide. "This is worth a fortune. You saved Gladefen's core stock."
The group gathered the remaining herbs—moonpetal's soft glow, starvine's delicate tendrils, ley-mint's sharp scent—filling their baskets. The grove felt lighter now, its hum softer. Tofu flitted happily, landing on Iuro's head.
Back at Gladefen's plaza, the herb stalls glowed under lantern light. Lord Torren met them, his sage-wand sparkling. "You've outdone yourselves," he said, inspecting the baskets. "And caught those thieves again? My guards will handle them."
Lady Elara joined, her leaf-wand weaving a growth charm over the herbs. "You've earned a feast tomorrow before you leave. We owe you."
Liora smiled at Izumi, her violet hair catching the light. "You should visit again. Gladefen's always open to Celestars."
Izumi nodded, clutching the starvine seed. "We will."
As the group dispersed, Kaelis pulled Lui aside. "You're not just novices. You've got something… different. Ever thought about an academy? "Elyndor magic academy", maybe?"
Lui raised a brow. "The top one? In the capital?"
"Yeah," Kaelis said. "Tough exam, but you'd fit right in. Talk to Torren. He's an alum."
The Celestars trudged back to their inn, baskets heavy, hearts light. Rick flopped onto a bench, munching a moonpetal. "Think we're academy material?"
Ishi sharpened a dagger. " I'm not into academies."
Iuro grinned, Tofu buzzing. "It'd be fun. New plants to meet!"
Yuuv, half-asleep, murmured, "Stars… say it's right." Ding~. His bell shimmered, gold-cyan light flickering.
Lui looked at his brothers, then the starry sky. "We'll talk to Master Elard. Tomorrow's farewell might change everything."
The grove's shadows lingered in their minds, but so did the promise of a new path—one glowing with possibility.