The familiar sight of Amaranth's white towers rising against the afternoon sky should have felt welcoming after two weeks in the mountains, but something was different. Ember noticed it first as they approached the city gates—more guards than usual, and wearing gear that looked suspiciously like expedition preparation rather than standard city defense.

"Is it just me, or does everyone look like they're getting ready for war?" Pyra asked, adjusting Spark's position on her back as they joined the queue of travelers waiting for entry.

"Definitely not just you," Cinder replied, studying several Guild members loading wagons with supplies. "Question is whether this is normal preparation for something we don't know about, or abnormal preparation for something we really don't know about."

The gate guards waved them through without the usual documentation checks—apparently their faces had become familiar enough to warrant expedited processing. One of them even offered a respectful nod that suggested their newly elevated status as Exalted figures had filtered down through the ranks.

"Ladies," the senior guard said, "you might want to head straight to the Guild hall. Master Reed's been asking for you daily since you left."

"Asking what, exactly?" Ash inquired.

"Whether you'd returned yet, mostly. Seemed pretty eager to speak with you."

Exchanging cautious looks with her sister-selves, Ember nodded. "Thanks for letting us know."

Their townhouse showed signs of Henrik's meticulous maintenance, but also evidence of recent visitors. Multiple sets of boots had tracked mud across the usually pristine entry hall, and someone had left official-looking documents stacked on the side table.

"Henrik?" Ember called, though she suspected their majordomo was elsewhere.

"Out shopping, most likely," Pyra said, reading one of the message slips Henrik had left in his precise handwriting. "Says here that Master Reed stopped by three times, Magistrate Cawel twice, and someone from House Brightblade yesterday."

"Popular ladies," Cinder observed dryly.

"Or ladies who've missed something important," Ash countered, already moving toward the door. "Should we head to the Guild hall now, or unpack first?"

"Now," Ember decided. "Whatever's got everyone worked up, we should probably know about it sooner rather than later."

The Adventurers' Guild hall buzzed with activity that went far beyond normal mission postings and equipment trades. Groups of A-rank adventurers clustered around tables covered with maps, while Guild staff moved between them distributing message scrolls and arranging supply crates near the exits.

"Well, well," a familiar voice called from across the main hall. "The mysterious Fractured Flame returns from their mountain retreat."

Kaelin Reed approached, looking like she hadn't slept in two days. Her tailored gear was rumpled in places, and faint shadows marked the skin beneath her sharp eyes. She flashed Ember a quick smile that held a tinge of relief before turning to greet the others.

"You picked an interesting time to disappear into the wilderness. Come on, there's quite a bit to catch you up on."

Her office had been transformed into what could only be described as a war room. Maps covered every available surface, supply lists hung from the walls, and a scale model of what appeared to be a fortified city occupied most of her desk.

"Impressive," Cinder said, studying the model with her usual tactical eye. "Planning an invasion?"

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"More like a liberation," Kaelin replied, settling behind her desk with a tired sigh. "Though the distinction might be academic depending on how things go."

"Liberation of what?" Kindle asked, peering at the tiny towers and defenses represented in miniature.

Before Kaelin could respond, a knock at the door interrupted them. Valerian entered without waiting for permission, his pale blue eyes scanning the room before settling on the five women with obvious relief.

"Excellent timing," he said, closing the door behind him. "We were beginning to worry you'd extended your mountain retreat indefinitely."

"Archmage Cross," Ember said, inclining her head respectfully. "You seem to have been busy in our absence."

"Busy preparing for the most significant military operation Amaranth has undertaken in decades," Valerian replied, settling into the chair beside Kaelin's desk. "An operation that requires very specific magical capabilities."

His gaze drifted pointedly over the five of them.

"Oh, boy," Pyra murmured under her breath.

Kaelin tapped the map on her desk, indicating a location some distance from Amaranth. "Three weeks ago, we received word that an ancient white dragon had claimed the northern duchies as its territory. Enslaved the population, turned the capital into a fortress of ice, and shows no signs of being interested in negotiation."

"A dragon," Pyra repeated slowly. "Like, an actual dragon. With wings and breath weapons and a hoard of treasure?!"

"Ancient, cunning, and powerful enough to subjugate an entire duchy within days," Valerian confirmed. "The sort of threat that requires a coordinated response from every available resource."

"Which is where you come in," Kaelin continued, nodding toward Ember and her sister-selves. "The Archmage here has been very persuasive about your unique qualifications for dealing with... difficult magical challenges."

Ember felt a sinking sensation in her gut. "You want us to help kill a dragon."

"We want you to help save thousands of enslaved people," Valerian corrected gently. "The dragon's destruction is merely the means to that end."

"When?" Cinder asked, apparently having moved past the question of whether they'd participate and on to the matter of logistics.

"Two days," Kaelin replied. "The coalition forces are already mobilizing. Magisterium battle mages, Guild strike teams, volunteers from the northern territories who've managed to escape. It'll be the largest expedition in living memory."

"That's not much time to prepare for fighting an ancient dragon."

"Which is why we need fighters who don't require extensive preparation," Valerian said with a slight smile. "Your abilities, as we understand them, should function normally regardless of environmental conditions. Extreme cold won't affect your flames, altitude won't impair your speed, and your resurrection capabilities provide a significant tactical advantage."

"Not to mention," Kaelin added, "your recent classification as Exalted means you can operate independently of normal command structures. You'd be strategic assets rather than rank-and-file troops."

"So, if we do this, we get to run things our way without a bunch of authority figures telling us what to do?" Pyra asked, her tone suddenly intrigued.

"To a point," Valerian hedged. "Obviously we'd expect you to coordinate with our field commanders, but your autonomy would be respected. Within reason."

Ember exchanged looks with her sister-selves, registering the range of emotions playing across their faces—surprise, trepidation, excitement, concern.

"We'll need time to think about it," Ember said finally.

"You have until tomorrow morning," Kaelin replied. "The expedition leaves whether you're part of it or not."

As they made their way back to their townhouse, Ember couldn't shake the feeling that their mountain retreat had been less of an ending and more of a prelude. They'd learned to work within their limitations, but now those limitations were about to be tested against something that wouldn't care about their personal struggles with integration and identity.

"So," Pyra said as they climbed the steps to their front door, "anyone else feel like we just got volunteered for the adventure of a lifetime?"

"Or the last adventure of our lifetime," Cinder added helpfully.

"Only one way to find out which," Kindle observed with forced cheer.

Ember paused at their threshold, looking back at the city that had become home. Tomorrow they'd have to decide whether to risk everything they'd built in service of people they'd never met, facing a creature that could probably destroy them in ways their curse couldn't repair.

It should have been a difficult decision.

It wasn't.

"Well," she said, opening the door to their future, "I suppose we'd better start packing for dragon hunting."

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