Not long after Vell and Sonder had traveled again, the scenery changed.
The trees thinned, giving way to open ground scarred by deep trenches and old battle lines. Rusted weapons jutted from the dirt like skeletal fingers, and the wind carried the faint scent of charred wood.
Sonder slowed, scanning the wrecked landscape. "What happened here?"
Vell nudged an old helmet with his foot, sending it rolling across the dirt. "War. A battle. Long ago, and since forgotten."
Sonder crouched beside a shattered breastplate, running her fingers over the dents and cracks. "Who fought?"
"Does it matter?" Vell asked. "Two sides. One won, one lost." He gestured toward a ridge overlooking the field. "Tell me, what do you see?"
Sonder squinted. "A hill?"
"Close. A tactical advantage," Vell corrected. "Better for archers and mages. The low ground would have been a death trap." He tilted his head. "What else?"
She turned in a slow circle, trying to piece anything together. "I think," she began, "whoever was here last stripped the field clean. There are no weapons or armor worth salvaging." She gestured to the broken remnants scattered across the battlefield.
Vell nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "You're almost thinking like a soldier now."
Sonder frowned when she heard that. "I don't think I like it. Back in Griffonage's tower, when the knight killed him... It was so sudden. The power overwhelmed me, and I didn't even think about it. But now..." She swallowed. "My stomach twists when I do."
"It's natural. But that's how it is. Battles don't leave room for hesitation. Wars are won and lost, and a mage in the field has to know where to stand, when to strike, and when to run. Mercy isn't always an option."
Sonder looked back at the battlefield. It was just a stretch of ruined land now, but once, it had been filled with people fighting, bleeding, and dying.
"Did you fight here?" she asked.
Vell shook his head. "No. But I've fought on others just like it before I was the Dread Mage."
"I don't want to fight in a war," Sonder said firmly.
"Good," Vell said. "That means you'll fight to end one fast, if it ever comes to that." He gave her a sidelong look. "The mage you're becoming—someone with your power—people will take an interest. They'll want you on their side. Some will try to force you." He shrugged. "If you aren't careful, you might find yourself in one whether you want it or not."
Sonder didn't have a response.
Vell turned, already moving. "Come on. There's nothing left for us here. There's nothing left here for anyone."