The Undying Champions

Book One of Three

Prelude

Our clash ended more quickly than I'd expected. Maybe Arivor had gotten as weary of our struggle as I had, but I doubted it. Once he lost his side of the fight, he enjoyed our games too much for that to be true.

As he slumped over my sword, he laughed with blood bubbling on his lips.

"Why do you keep doing this?" he gasped. "We'll only return, given time."

"I know," I said, "but maybe next time will be different. I'll see you soon."

I kicked him off of my blade, and his crazed laughter faded into a gurgle. Tossing my sword to the blood-soaked ground, I trudged toward my once-friend's throne.

Outside, the sounds of battle drew closer. When the rebel commander found her overlord dead with me gone, she'd no doubt claim the kill as her own, but that was fine by me. I wouldn't be here to care.

Settling in my seat, I mimed raising a glass.

"To the coming years of peace," I said. "May our return be long delayed."

Bumping my head against the back of the chair, I let my hands fall as the backlash came. Flames engulfed me, and I collapsed into ash.

Text-to-Speech (TTS) Prelude

Chapter 1: Discovery

Raimie

Life in this corner of the woods had always bored me, but what else should one expect when living so far away from civilization? I didn't mind my slow-paced life or its consistency. It was soothing to know that I could predict everything that might happen each day.

As I got dressed, rain drummed on the roof, as always. Its calming cadence set the tempo to my distracted hum, a buzz I kept soft so I wouldn't wake my father on the other side of our cottage.

I stoked the fire, coaxing it to grow, and all the while, I eyed the contents of the cauldron hanging over it. Should I eat more of last night's mush, or should I find breakfast elsewhere?

Rustling drew me out of my thoughts, and poking the fire again, I made a face.

"Good morning, dad," I said. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," my father said. "I've been up for a while. Didn't you notice?"

Shrugging, I reached for the ladle, deciding to risk the mush. I scarfed down my spoonful, barely tasting it, before heading for the door. 

"Can I borrow mama's bow?" I asked.

"I don't see why not," my father said. "You... want to go hunting today?"

Stopping short, I shot a glare over my shoulder. My father was lying in bed, perched on his elbows, but at the look I directed his way, he shifted his gaze sideways.

"You know I do," I said.

Throwing a cloak over my shoulders, I retrieved my mother's metal bow. I hung a quiver over the cloak, shoving another of my mother's otherworldly possessions in a pocket, before laying a hand on the door.

"I should be home before dark," I said.

"All right. Good hunt, son."

I doubted it would be. When I stepped outside, rain doused me, enough so that it seeped down to my skin.

But that was just another aspect of life here. I didn't mind the terrible weather, so long as I kept warm despite it.

Pulling my cloak closed, I hurried to Eledis' nearby hut in leaping strides. My grandfather had always enjoyed his privacy, but I didn't mind going to the old man. The room behind his door was one filled with magic, after all.

As I waited for him to answer my knock, crackling energy zipped under my skin. Eledis had recently come home from his monthly trip to Fissid, the closest town to my family's homestead, and something that I most loved usually came with his return.

The door was flung open with a wrinkled, scowling face behind it. If I hadn't known better, the sharp glare directed my way might have made me retreat into the safety of the nearby forest. As it was, I grinned at the old man.

"Good morning!" I said. "Did I drag you out of bed?"

Judging from Eledis' disheveled hair and nightshirt, I'd guess I had.

"What do you want, kid?" Eledis grumbled.

"Do you have anything for me?" I asked, widening my grin.

Crossing his arms, Eledis said, "That's the first thing you say to me? Really?"

Shaking his head, he frowned.

"What is it with you and your incessant thirst for knowledge?"

He eyed me, raking his gaze up and down my body, before sighing.

"Do you have your mother's bag?" he asked.

I pulled the requested item out of a pocket, and on accepting it, Eledis scanned my soaked-through state once more.

"Stay here," he said.

Thankfully, he left the door open when he returned to the depths of his cottage. I edged as close to its threshold as I could, taking advantage of the warmth within. At the sight of the books haphazardly stacked on the cottage's many surfaces, I badly wanted to keep going, surrounding myself with this glorious refuge that I'd enjoyed since I was small. I might have listened to those desires if a recent scolding hadn't been fresh on my mind. The produced image of Eledis' reddened face still made me cringe.

Said grandfather stomped toward me, offering a book wrapped in my mother's clear bag. Before I could accept it, however, Eledis retracted his gift.

"You bring it back as it is now," he said. "No food or water stains. No dog-eared pages."

Rolling my eyes, I made a failed swipe at the book.

"I did that one time!" I said.

"And I haven't forgotten it," Eledis said. "So?"

Sighing, I said, "I'll return it in pristine condition."

"Good."

I snatched the book from him, ready to leave, but Eledis wasn't quite finished with me yet.

"Is that it? You'll go into the woods as usual?" he said. "Don't you have better things to do today?"

Thank Alouin I'd managed to turn away before Eledis had asked that question. It let me hide my wince, even if my drawn-together shoulders weren't so easy to conceal.

With a cheery grin in place, I twisted toward Eledis as I resumed my trek, waving a wrapped book overhead.

"I have something new to learn," I said. "What's better than that?"

Eledis looked as if he might say more, so I hurried away, loping to get between the trees. I followed a well-worn path through them until I reached my family's hunting blind.

Scrambling up its ladder, I rolled onto the platform above, held between the tree's branches. After scooting into a nearby hollow, I rested my mother's 'compound bow' outside and retrieved the book from where I'd stashed it.

I seriously doubted I'd bring any game home today, but that wouldn't stop me from trying, no matter how half-heartedly. It was my turn to scour the forest with a bow in hand, and any other day, I might have looked for deer tracks or put forth any other effort to hunt.

But today wasn't a typical day. My family knew this, as they knew how much I disliked this chore. They wouldn't expect me to bring anything home.

Still, as I withdrew the book from its 'plastic' bag, I pricked my ear for strange sounds. I opened the book with care, wary of creaking leather, and turned each page as silently as possible. I'd be a ghost in this tree.

Eledis' latest acquisition recounted the recent history of Ada'ir—my home kingdom—in the driest manner possible, but despite that, I devoured its contents. I'd already known most of what I read, but scattered throughout the book's pages were gems of the unknown.

A brief discussion on the Robzul city states' waning power. An analysis of the Southern Kingdoms' threat to Ada'ir. A passing mention about who might once have inhabited the abandoned northern reaches.

But I found the most interesting tidbit in a lengthy passage about our world's current maritime practices.

Since Alouin's arrival here, the point of his entrance—the Accession Tear—has caused the kingdoms around the Narrow Sea undue trouble. Shipping lanes shift near daily because the storms generated by the Tear never follow a set pattern.

In recent years, crossing the sea to Ada'ir's old trading partner in the east has posed such danger and hardship that not many have braved the pass, despite the riches to be made there. To make matters worse, those attempting to cross the Narrow Sea began disappearing with the rise of Doldimar in the year 3225 A.C.E. Soon after this, anyone with a shred of sense learned to avoid Auden on their trading routes.

Frowning, I lowered the book.

Auden. That name had sounded so familiar, and yet, I'd never run across it before, not in my reading at least. It echoed to the back of my mind, and as it did, something responded, or that was what it felt like.

Strange.

Many have speculated about the fate of those who once dared the trip to Auden. Some believe there is no mystery, that all have fallen to the Accession Tear's storms. Others say we should give more credence to the tales of Audish refugees, but almost all in the scholarly community reject this hypothesis. How can the cruelties shared by those people exist in our world?

No. It's much more likely that the refugees have exaggerated their troubles to gain more sympathy here. The question of what to do with them might be the defining moment of King Belqarim's reign.

King Belqarim? As in, Queen Kaedesa's husband? This spread of refugees must have taken place recently. Had I met one, explaining where I'd heard the word Auden before?

That was unlikely. My family and I rarely left our home.

As I continued reading, I looked for more references to Auden, but soon, I'd snapped the book's back cover closed, finding nothing. Storing the book, I made a face.

I hated leaving mysteries unsolved, but how could I solve this one without sounding crazy? At least, that was what I thought my recognition of a previously unknown word would make me seem.

Maybe I could ask my father about it tonight, no matter how much I might hate worrying him. Save for certain subjects, he was fairly accepting when it came to the strange and unusual.

Peeking outside the hollow, I noticed a brief splash of sunlight near the horizon before the tree limbs above dumped water in my face. Sputtering, I retreated into my shelter, wrapping my damp cloak around me.

It was late enough that I could go home if I wanted, but I knew what was waiting for me there. I'd rather sit here, bored and in uncomfortably drying clothes, than face it.

Resting against the hollow's back wall, I listened to the diminished misting of the rain, and soon enough, my eyelids drooped. With another nightmare waking me in sweat-soaked sheets last night, I hadn't gotten much rest, but I didn't want to take a nap so close to sundown. If I wasn't home by dark, my father would panic.

Still, there was something incredibly soothing about solitude found in a familiar place. Shaking my head, I braved the rain, lying belly down beside my mother's bow. I drummed my fingers on the platform, determined to keep... my... eyes...

Black surrounded me, but this wasn't the typical darkness found at night or in a room without light. It shifted and swirled with color peeking through, much like the homemade inks my family used. It was unnerving, uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as my inability to move.

Something was keeping me paralyzed, although I could say what. No rope was restraining me, but even if it had trapped me so thoroughly, I should be able to flex my fingers or twitch my eyes closed. Instead, the only sign of life I was allowed was the drawn-out scream that I flung into this skin-crawling black.

It was the same nightmare I'd had since I was a child, one whose details fell away from me when I woke up, but whenever I found myself here, I remembered every instance of it. After so many years of experiencing this terror almost every night, one would think I'd have gotten used to it by now.

One would think.

So, when something changed in my perpetual nightmare, it chilled me more than anything. A flicker of motion caught my eye, and my scream faded to nothing.

"Hello?" I rasped. "Is someone there?"

Breathlessly, I waited, wondering if I'd lost my mind. Surprised it had taken this long if I had.

Right as the distraction lost its hold on my voice, settling me into the nightmare's rhythm once more, something hung into my field of view, right over my head. A face, hooded and shadowed, looked down on me, and with my eyes going wide, my mouth went dry. Someone lived in this nightmare with me?

"Please," I croaked. "Help me."

The figure cocked its hood, lowering it toward me. It stopped before I could make out the features within, but even so, I could swear I knew-

Straightening, the hooded figure shook their head before pulling themselves away. I screamed after them, pleas and curses and-

The platform beneath me changed places with open air, and as I fell, something scraped against my leg, shifting down until it was flung away. Sleep only lost its hold on me when the ground halted my fall.

Groaning, I took sips of air until I could roll onto my back, splaying my limbs.

What had happened? Despite my best efforts, I'd fallen asleep, obviously. Had another nightmare plagued me while I'd been napping? It must have. If I wasn't having one of those, I didn't typically move in my sleep.

Slowly, I climbed to my feet, and when my body didn't scream at me about any damage I'd acquired, I strode for the ladder. The sky was bruising purple, and if I didn't hurry, I wouldn't make it home before dark.

When I poked my head above the platform, however, I froze. Eledis' book was on me, bouncing in its pocket, but I saw no sign of my mother's bow on the platform.

After sliding down the ladder, I rubbed at my burning hands while hurrying in the direction I'd fallen. I wasn't afraid of how my father might react to me losing the bow, like I would have been if I'd lost my grandfather's book. He certainly wouldn't be happy that I'd misplaced it, but he'd never let that anger turn violent.

No. I was searching the forest for my own reasons.

"Come on, come on!" I muttered.

I disregarded the setting sun and the gathering dusk. If I'd lost one of my mother's belongings because of a stupid mistake, I'd be repeating a day from exactly nine years ago, one much like today, and I couldn't let that happen again, couldn't-

I tear down Fissid's streets, chasing my friend. The village's square looms ahead of us, and I skid to a stop beside its well.

Mama shouts something behind me, but I'm not ready to listen yet. My friend is climbing on top of the well's roof, sticking his tongue out at me. Does he think he can escape up there? Oo, I'll prove him wrong!

I balance on the lip of the well, reach for the roof's edge, and start pulling myself onto it. As I dangle from it, a hand grabs my leg, and that knocks me off balance. I lose my grip. The hold on my ankle lasts long enough for my chin to hit the well's wall. Stars come with me into its depths.

Shaking my head, I shoved the memory aside. What good would it do me now?

Besides, the last of the day's light was reflecting off of something ahead, and as I approached it, I sharply let out a breath, much as if I'd been punched. My mother's bow was tangled in a nearby bush's branches, and I rushed to retrieve it.

As I finagled it clear of clinging leaves and branches, I cocked my head. When I'd begun working the bow free, a noise—initially soft—had started, but with every second I'd spent here, it had increased in volume, a gong reverberating in y head until its resonance had became painful. It shivered and vibrated, resounding along every bone in my body, and I didn't... I couldn't...

What was that ringing?

Absently ripping my prize free of the bush, I wandered toward the noise, barely noticing the forest growing dark around me.

What could this be? An echo bounced in my head, setting my teeth buzzing. A hum dug into my essence, refusing to retreat.

A part of me realized that I should avoid this anomaly. Anything strange or out of the ordinary usually held grave portents for whoever stumbled across it, but I couldn't stop my feet. A compulsion pulled me along like a fish on a line, but I couldn't thrash against it. It held me too firmly.

When I stepped into a clearing much like any other, I made a face as the ringing noise stuck needles through my eyes. Still, I scanned this place, one that was so loud and yet silent, motionless and yet chaotic.

For light was jittering across the clearing, illuminating the bushes and trees with sporadic rays. I squinted, trying to pierce through this miasma, and to my surprise, it dimmed, present but not as blinding. Through it, I found the light's source.

A sword was lying on the forest floor. If not for the mind-numbing display around it, I might have discounted it as a soldier's weapon, if slightly more well-crafted. As they did with the surrounding clearing, glowing tendrils were shooting down the blade, forking like lightning, and beneath them, I might have seen engravings of some sort, but with what was blazing against my eyes, I couldn't say for sure.

The compulsion that had dragged me to this clearing tugged at me once more, but I dug my heels in. This light show? That sword? My mind screamed at the sight of them, and I always listened to my instincts.

"Nope," I breathed.

With difficulty, I spun in place, marching in the opposite direction.

TTS Chapter One

Chapter 2: Awakening

Rhylix

If you're reading this, please know that I never hated you.

Considering the life I'd led, today should have felt like any other.

As usual, a Zrelnach warrior was berating me with her reddening face accenting her gray eyes. The light of the late afternoon sun blended her hair's brown tinge with its blonde hue, and I followed that stippled sunlight across my clinic to its entrance. There, a slightly bulkier Zrelnach was trying to keep a surreptitious watch on the proceedings, and he might have succeeded if the target of his monitoring hadn't been me. Further down the hall, someone was approaching, but I couldn't make out their features yet.

In some ways, I hoped they were bringing me a Council summons. Anything to get out of this situation. In other ways, I desperately hoped they weren't because despite the day's normal events and the dull humdrum around me, I was distracted.

It had started this morning. Halfway through breakfast, something had shifted in the world, a wrench in reality that had rippled from its origin, and ever since, a nagging irritant had nipped at the back of my mind.

A pull. A draw. A call of like to like.

And if past experience was anything to go by, this would only get stronger.

Even now, I couldn't ignore it. My gaze drifted away from the angry woman in front of me to a hole carved into the stone around us. Peering through the ivy covering it, I tried to cross the distance to this distraction's source, zooming however far I must so I could find the person who'd started it.

"Come," I would whisper. "Free me and let's begin."

But I didn't know if this shift in the world was what I thought it was. I needed to find a private corner so I could consult with-

The woman tangled her fingers in my tunic, jerking me away from my lean against the wall.

"Are you listening to me?" she shrieked through her teeth.

Blinking, I returned to present circumstances. Whatever I was feeling, I had to ignore it for now. I couldn't exactly do anything about it yet.

Glancing at the woman's hands, I lifted my eyes to her.

"Let me go," I said.

As if remembering herself, the woman stepped back, wiping her hands on her legs. She refused to meet my eyes, and I restrained an eyeroll.

"Did you finish the tonic I gave you?" I asked.

When she flushed, I pulled my hands out of my pockets, palming the remedy I'd been fiddling with since she'd stepped into my clinic.

"So, you were listening?" she asked.

"I heard every word. Your symptoms from last week have returned, which I find surprising considering you could hardly stand at the time."

Pausing, I dubiously ran my eyes over her while she flushed again.

"But no matter! We must always have the soldiers who protect us in tip-top shape."

I handed off the tonic, and lifting it to eye level, the woman stared at its contained liquid.

"Three sips a day until the bottle's empty this time," I said.

Meeting my eyes, the woman sputtered, "How did you...?"

"I had it on hand," I said.

No need to share that I'd had it prepared for three weeks. After I'd noted her first symptoms, it had taken her a while to report them, but when she'd eventually done that, I'd prepared two doses as usual, knowing she wouldn't follow my initial instructions. The Zrelnach never did.

A previously indistinguishable form stepped over the clinic's threshold, revealing the trainee uniform hanging from him, and I thanked my lucky stars for an escape from this conversation. It had grown tiresome.

"It appears the Council has need of me," I said. "If you have any other problems, please come see me again."

I breezed past the woman as a squeak escaped from her, and my lips twitched. How curious that such small pleasures still affected me, shining light into the dark, empty shell of my heart.

As the trainee and I passed the man who's been watching the confrontation, I avoided looking at him, just as I pretended that I didn't hear him padding along behind us. I shouldn't reveal that the spy had been spied. Instead, I focused on the boy in front of me.

"Do I get a clue about what they want?" i asked.

"Sorry. I can't tell you if I don't know myself," the trainee said before throwing a grin over his shoulder. "I heard a trading party returned a half mark ago. Maybe it has something to do with that."

Gods, I hoped not. Allanovian didn't need another of those trips to go wrong. The city's food stores were running low as it was.

"I'm Dath, by the way," the trainee said. "Figured I should introduce myself. If I pass my trials, we'll probably see each other plenty."

Maybe we would. Or maybe after that shift in the world...

Jerking my mind away from such thoughts, I shook my head.

"Don't get close to me, trainee," I said. "Nothing good ever comes of it."

Glancing back, Dath shrugged.

"Whatever you say."

The trainee led me across the breadth of Allanovian, strolling passed scooped-out homes and natural caverns aplenty, until we reached the clinics reserved for the average citizens. Absently nodding, I thanked Dath before striding inside, rolling up my sleeves.

I hurried toward a clump of people, huddled around two cots. On one, a Zrelnach warrior was lying, still as death. A blood-soaked bandage covered the stump of his arm, and sweat had plastered his hair to his forehead. Beside another cot, three healers were fighting to keep a trainee from thrashing out of bed.

"What happened?" I said.

"Typical trading run gone to hell," one healer gasped. "We think the humans' weapons were poisoned, considering-"

The trainee jerked upright, silencing the healer, and he slammed her back into the cot.

"You see what I mean?" he asked.

Unfortunately, I did. The Council had given me a test today.

"I'll need a needle, gut string, alcohol, and a scalpel for now," I said. "Let me know when the girl's restrained."

Kneeling beside the man, I peeled away layers of rust-stained cloth. Before I could fully expose the wound, someone offered me a tray, covered with my requested tools, and when I viewed massacred flesh and muscle, I winced. Even well knowing the answer to my question, I couldn't help but wonder how something this awful had happened.

Gods, it would be so simple to Let Go, removing uncertainty from both the man and the girl's futures...

But no. Never again. Treating a wound like this was easy. I just needed to take it step by step.

Step One: Soak the exposed innards with alcohol to fight infection.

Liquid had saturated the cot's flimsy sheets before I was finished with the bottle.

Step Two: Remove necrotic tissue.

I should've asked for a bucket. Whoever cleaned this clinic would have a hell of a time with scrubbing its floors today.

Step Three: Suture the wound closed.

This was the only part of the healing process that I took pride in. My sutures were the envy of Allanovian's many healers.

Step Four: Hope for the best.

"Wrap him in blankets for the chill. If he wakes up, give him plenty of water. After so much blood loss, he'll need to replenish his fluids," I said. "Can you cover the wound for me?"

The assistant crouching opposite me had already pulled a roll of gauze off of our tray in answer.

Scrubbing my hands on my thighs, I spun to the trainee at my back. Halfway through my treatment of her superior, she'd stopped making noises, and on examining her, I could see why.

Thin, leather straps were holding her to the cot, and beneath them, she feebly thrashed with glazed eyes and a near-silent mumble on her lips. How long had she been lying like this?

Snapping my head up, I said, "I wanted to know when you'd restrained her!"

"You seemed busy with Gistrick," one healer said. "We didn't want to interrupt you."

"And why would you think that he needed me more than she does?" I snarled. "Do you know what poison caused this girl's symptoms or how long it takes to kill someone?"

When the grouped healers stepped back, I cut myself off, taking a slow breath. Anger had no place in a clinic like this.

"It doesn't matter," I said under my breath.

Because the girl probably wouldn't survive now, not that I'd let her fade away without a fight.

Shifting to the head of the cot, I extended a hand, certain I'd brought the antidote I needed with me. It was lying in my empty palm. I knew it was.

When glass touched my skin, I closed my fingers around the antidote's bottle before ripping its stopper off. Holding the girl's head in the crook of my elbow, I poured its contents into her mouth, fighting through a wave of exhaustion.

She didn't like that, but of course she wouldn't. Violently jerking, she tried to escape from my grip, but I held firm until sickening coughs started bursting from her. Then, I tilted her head to the side so vomit could leak from between her lips. Once her heaving had finished, I swiped her mouth out to ensure her airway was clear before standing and gesturing to the wounded.

"They're all yours," I said.

As I marched toward the clinic's exit, its healers descended on their patients. Now that the bulk of the work was done, they'd treat minor injuries before monitoring the Zrelnach warrior and his trainee.

Dath was waiting for me outside, shifting in place. He seemed... worried, which was strange. Did he know one of my patients?

"You didn't have to stay," I said. "I can find my own way back."

And I didn't need another set of eyes on me.

"Oh. Um," Dath stuttered. "No. I heard... That's not why I..."

He flicked his eyes over my shoulder, swallowing hard.

"I hoped you might tell me how they are," he said.

Oh, hell. The kid did know one of them. But which? And what should I say? Should I tell Dath the grim truth or give him empty platitudes?

An easy enough question to answer. Before long, the kid would know what had happened, one way or the other.

"Your superior, Gistrick, has a good chance of making it. If he does, he'll have a long road to recovery ahead of him, but he should serve Allanovian once more," I said. "Unfortunately, the prognosis for your fellow trainee isn't as good. I did what I could for her, but her poisoning had progressed significantly before I could treat her. I don't know if I administered the antidote in time. I'm sorry."

Clapping his hand to his mouth, Dath stumbled into the tunnel's wall, and I took his elbow before he could sink to the floor. After a quick scan, I found my observer, subsequently placing my body between him and Dath, and just in time too. Tears drizzled over the kid's cheeks while he muffled quiet sobs with his palm.

"Lyli," he gasped.

Gods damnit.

"You're together?" i asked.

After a quick nod from the kid, I found myself bearing more of his weight. Dath slowly peeled his hand off of his face.

"Will you report me?" he hiccupped. "Relationships between trainees are forbidden."

I should follow his suggestion. I really should. Doing otherwise could cause me headaches.

But I looked at this trainee, and my empty heart stirred. That didn't happen often, and even if I'd learned long ago that indulging the broken thing would only hurt me, I couldn't help doing it anyway.

"No one should be punished for who they love," I said.

Dath jerked his body toward me, and I shrugged.

"It's true," I said. "Now, dry your eyes and come with me. We'll raise a glass to Lyli's health, and you can tell me about her."

After scrubbing his face, Dath stepped away from the wall's support, and I gestured for him to lead the way. The boy headed toward the Zrelnach's common room, silent until we stood outside of the cavern. Turning on me, he lifted brimming eyes to mine.

"You said that I shouldn't get close to you," he said. "If that's what you want, why are you helping me?"

What a good question, one that I didn't know how to answer. It truly was best if Dath kept his distance. Nothing good came to those I cared for.

Not only that but if I continued down this path, I'd soon enter the safe haven of Allanovian's armed forces, somewhere I wasn't typically welcomed, and I'd do it while distraction was plaguing me. If I were smart, I'd abandon Dath here, seek a quiet corner, and consult with my ever-present nuisance about what this drag on my focus meant.

Instead, I laid a hand on the kid's shoulder.

"I couldn't stand to watch you suffer," I said.

And Dan sniffled while a chuckle brought light to his eyes. And my shell of a heart filled the slightest amount.

Several hours later, I escorted a stumbling, incoherent trainee to his quarters before wandering toward my own. My overly persistent observer followed me, so I playacted a weaving trudge until I entered my clinic. Only then did he leave me alone for the night.

Huffing at his diligence, I started stripping my clothes off, wrinkling my nose at their blood and ale-soaked state. I'd gotten my tunic over my head when a brilliant bolt streaked by my shoulder, dissipating when it hit the wall. Stiffening, I spun on its source.

Sitting on my cot was a figure wearing a visage as familiar to me as my own. Draped in white, it leaned on its knees, rubbing its hands together as it stared at me.

I turned aside, carefully folding my tunic before laying it on my desk.

Grazing my fingers on its stone surface, I asked, "Am I right?"

"When are you not?" the figure said. "Yes. Your ally has been chosen."

A slow smile spread across my face. The seeds of excitement, long scattered in the wind, had been sown.

TTS Chapter Two

Chapter 3: A Celebration

Raimie

When an invisible and impossible force stopped pulling me backward, I oriented to where I was.

What the hell had that been? As I jogged home in starlight, I tried to piece the phenomenon that I'd witnessed into my limited understanding of the world, and it fit nowhere. Light spawned from nothing and a sword in the middle of a forest? Those sounded like story elements pulled from a fairy tale.

Magic. It had reminded me of magic, but that was impossible in modern times. The Esela, Alouin's chosen, had vanished long ago, and any other magical phenomena—the legendary primeancers included—were a myth. They had to be.

So, what had that been?

Without more information, I was at a loss, and I did not like mysteries. Maybe Eledis' store of books would hold an answer, both for this puzzle and my earlier Auden conundrum. I'd look into it and solve the puzzle because that was what I did. I couldn't let it lie.

I couldn't decide whether having two anomalies visit me in one day was a blessing or a curse. I welcomed their distraction from what today represented, but at the same time, dealing with these irritations alongside what was waiting for me at home seemed... irksome.

At least the rain had stopped.

As I approached home, a cracking twig froze me solid. Had I run across one of the predators that stalked these woods? One of Queen Kaedesa's rare patrols?

The sight of torchlight had me lowering my bow, if not my focus. If this was a patrol, I shouldn't have anything to worry about, but it paid to be prepared. Considering how dark it had gotten...

Well. Many dangerous things came out after the sun went down.

As I trod forward on silent feet, however, I recognized the voice muttering ahead of me.

"Eledis!" I called.

Firelight flickered across the foliage while I stepped into my grandfather's field of view, and seeing me, Eledis slumped before shaking his head.

"There you are!" he said. "We've been worried sick."

Of course they had been. I shouldn't have stayed out past sunset.

"Sorry. I lost track of time," I said. "Where's dad?"

"Waiting for us back home. Someone had to stay put in case you showed your face," Eledis said. "Alouin, Raimie! You can't scare us like that."

Wincing, I patted at the air.

"Like I said, I'm sorry. If it helps, it won't happen again. I meant to head home earlier. Fell asleep instead."

Again, Eledis shook his head at me.

"I suppose it couldn't have been helped. You've always been fiercely independent," he said. "Well? Let's get back before your father keels over."

He turned to lead the way, but I paused. Wouldn't it be better, if possible, to keep my father out of my quest for answers?

"Here. Before I forget," I said.

Extending my borrowed book to him, I waited for Eledis to take it before saying.

"I found something interesting while reading it. Mentions of a place I've never heard before. Auden, is what the author called it. Do you have any other books about it?"

Eledis wordlessly stared at me, as if judging how serious I was. I wasn't sure why he'd gotten so intense over a single, seemingly innocent question, but I withstood his silence regardless.

Once his decision was made, he said, "I have one. I'll get it for you on our way back."

That had gone more easily that I'd expected. Usually, my grandfather held secrets—which based on his behavior, this clearly was—close to heart.

"Thanks," I said.

Nodding, Eledis once more moved to lead the way out of the forest, but I didn't stop him this time. In silence, we hiked through the wood's confines until light beckoned us from its embrace.

The small homestead that I called home opened up before us: cottage, hut, smoking house, and a garden plot. Rather than the release of tension that the sight usually wrought, however, a clenching hand took hold of my throat, closing it.

I trudged behind Eledis to where he kept his store of knowledge, waiting while he ducked inside. When he returned, he withheld his retrieved book.

"You can't tell your father about this," he said.

An easy enough promise to make. When I nodded, Eledis handed the book over, and the two of us made for the homestead's second house. My grandfather threw its doors open, but I didn't follow him. I didn't want what was waiting in there.

But today marked the day that my mother had died because of me. No matter what else it might be, I owed my father a show of gratitude for whatever he'd provided this year. It was the smallest gesture I could offer to make up for what I'd done.

Plastering a smile in place, I walked into warmth and light and love.

"Happy name day!" my father and Eledis exclaimed as I came inside.

Unclasping my sodden cloak, I glanced over the contents of the cottage's table. Fresh meat, a nice change of pace from the dried strips we typically ate. A jug of my father's favorite brandy, hidden except for at the best and worst of times.

And a small cake.

Spreading my cloak to dry, I said, "I'm guessing that came from Fissid. Who should I thank the next time we visit?"

"Mistress Ytrella. She told me to say hello," Eledis said. "Sit down, Raimie! We have that wretched song to sing."

"Hey!" my father snapped. "Samantha loved that..."

I hid my smile as those two bickered, letting that bit of normalcy offset the sickness roiling in my guts, but when I sat at the table, my family fell silent. Soon enough, though, they launched into my mother's traditional name day song.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Listening to their discordant noise, I struggled to maintain my smile. This melody seemed wrong without my mother's voice to balance their toneless droning.

Once it was over, my father set a candle in front of me.

"Make a wish," he said.

I'd never understood this tradition. Why should I wish for something when magic could no longer fulfill it?

My mother, however, had insisted on the practice every year, and after what had happened in the woods earlier, I didn't know whether I could dismiss the superstition behind it as easily as I had before. So, as I gazed into the flickering flame's depths, I considered what I wanted.

What did I desire above all else?

Once I'd posed the question to myself, the answer came easily. Leaning forward, I blew out the candle, and my family clapped.

"What did you wish for?" my father asked.

With a smile, I said, "I can't share, not if I want it to come true. Remember?'

Making a face, my father waved at the meal arranged in front of us.

"Fine. Keep your secrets," he said. "Now, let's celebrate!"

As the evening progressed, my efforts to maintain a pleasant demeanor got easier. The room's focus shifted away from me, and as we shared this meal, I could almost dismiss an underlying conviction that this commemoration of me dishonored the memory of my murdered mother.

As the meal drew to a close, leaving my father and Eledis slightly drunk, I asked a question that had been rattling in me since the woods.

"I have a puzzle for you," I said.

After I'd spent so long in self-imposed silence, my break from it snapped my family's attention back to me.

"Say you stumbled onto something amazing," I continued. "Something that you both wanted and feared. Something that might change your life, for good or ill, but that called to you so fiercely that you couldn't deny it."

I could still hear that damn ringing.

"Would you take the chance offered to you?"

Eledis and my father exchanged glances, and even drunk as they were, I could see a silent conversation taking place between them.

"That's a good question. Let me think on it," Eledis eventually said. "Meanwhile, it's past time I got some rest."

After rising from the table, he stopped beside me, bending to clasp my shoulder.

"Read what I gave you," he whispered.

He was out the door before I could stop him. What did the book he'd given me have to do with my question?

Left alone with my father, I faced his inscrutable gaze, internally wincing. That expression usually meant I'd done something I shouldn't have.

"In this proposed scenario, are you unhappy before getting this offer?" my father asked.

What a good question. Most of the time, I had no complaints about my life. I liked the solitude found so far from civilization, broken only by familial communion. I liked the day in, day out routine I'd found here. I liked its lack of surprises.

But that did nothing to negate the engrained sense of wrong that had ever hovered over me. Something had always been missing from my life, but I didn't know what it was. Something essential to me.

I couldn't, however, tell my father about that, not again.

"I'm satisfied with my life," I said.

"Then, why would you change it?" my father asked.

He gathered several dirty dishes from the table before inclining his head toward the rest.

"Help me clean up?"

As I washed dishes beside my father, my thoughts never stopped turning to a miraculous sword in the forest or to the book in my cloak's pocket, and once we'd finished cleaning up, my father pulled me to his chest.

"Thank you for putting up with us. I know how much you hate your name day," he said into my hair. "Your mother would be proud."

My father released me, and I watched him get ready for bed with a grimace barely held in check. After what he'd said, I'd never avoid nightmares tonight.

TTS Chapter Three

Chapter 4: Mistakes

Raimie

Huddled on the floor beside a candle, I glanced through Eledis' gifted book with a blanket draped over my shoulders.

So far, I didn't understand why my grandfather had wanted me to read this. The book most definitely discussed the subject I'd asked about. I now knew a wealth of Audish fold tales as well as a good swath of its ancient history, although I had yet to find anything from the last four hundred years, but nothing here explained my recognition of the kingdom's name.

At some point in the past, I must have known it. The familiarity that panged through me when I read the word had yet to dissipate, but I had no clue how I knew it. I'd spent most of the night running through my memories of read books, but after a few repeats of this, I'd given up.

I hadn't read about Auden, and if that was so, I despaired of solving this mystery on my own. My retention of anything but the written word could be abysmal at times, which meant that if I truly wanted this puzzle solved, I'd need to speak with Eledis or my father about it. Was finding answers worth troubling them with this?

And then, there was Eledis' suggestion after I'd asked about the sword in the forest.

Well. After I'd asked for advice about the opportunity it might present. I had no way of knowing for sure, but I thought he'd understood what the true subject of my question had been, although how he'd known...

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes. I should just finish the damn book. It would answer my questions or it wouldn't, and at the moment, I had nothing better to do. What else was there for me this late at night? Sleep?

With a chuckle, I flipped to the next chapter, and its title prompted a quiet groan.

The Legend of Shadowsteal

For a warrior nation like Auden, it should come as no surprise that the most sacred relic of its people was a sword.

With my breath catching, I scanned that line again. Was this the tale Eledis has wanted me to read?

No one knows how Shadowsteal came into the hands of the Audish royal family. It was the favored weapon of the Eselan Preserver, when he still walked among us, and rumors say that its origin lies at the feet of Alouin himself, but no record exists of the fall of a god-forged sword into mortals' hands.

What we know is that over the years, the sword became instrumental in Auden's never-ending struggle against dark primeancers. For generations, the kingdom's leader wielded the weapon, and not once did it leave their possession until the time of Auden's last king.

The rise of Doldimar saw the dismantling of the Audish royal family. Through a series of missteps, the last king ceded his kingdom to this man, someone who has many people lauding him as a Dark Lord. If one believes the stories told by Audish refugees, the title seems warranted. Even without it, however, his unprecedentedly long life explains some of the fear attributed to him.

After Doldimar's conquest, the Audish royal family disappeared, and their famed sword hasn't been seen in the three hundred years since. Some theorize that Auden's new ruler stamped out all traces of that family and their famed weapon, but others wonder if perhaps the time of Shadowsteal's foretellings has come (for a list of these, see the index). As the years have passed, still others believe the sword never existed, discounting it as a fairy tale instead.

Whatever the case may be, Shadowsteal remains an important piece of Audish history, one that any reputable text that discusses the subject must share.

Licking my lips, I lifted trembling fingers and paged toward the back of the book.

As I'd been reading the chapter, something foreign had taken hold of me. I'd followed each of its lines at my normal reading pace, but my brain and tongue had skipped a few words ahead. I hadn't known what would come next in the tale, but something had, and it had seized control while a deep familiarity had taken root in the heart of me.

It made me want to throw the book across the room, and yet, I opened it to the index, finding the foretellings mentioned in what I'd read, and without permission, my feverish eyes landed on the first.

Found by one, the master of-

"Couldn't sleep?"

Jumping, I snapped the book closed, reaching for... what exactly?

"The story must have been good if you didn't hear me coming," my father said. "Usually, you're more aware of your surroundings than that."

As if moving through mud, I forced my thoughts away from the closed book, focusing on my father. He was looking down at me with his hands on his hips and a slight frown his only sign of concern.

"It is," I said.

After lifting the book, I slid it between my back and the wall.

"And no," I continued, "I couldn't."

Sighing, my father moved toward me, and I scooted to the side, giving him room. Once he was settled, he banged his head against the wall.

"Was it another nightmare?" he asked.

When I nodded, my father rubbed his face.

"They've been coming more frequently in the last month," he said.

"They come and go in waves, dad," I said. "You know that."

"That doesn't stop me from worrying when I wake up in the middle of the night to find my son, reading by candlelight," my father said.

I ducked my head, hunching on myself.

"Sorry," I whispered.

Waving a hand, my father said, "Don't be. It's not your fault. I only wish I could help."

Pursing my lips, I glanced at him. He couldn't do that. The only one who could ever help with the nightmares had been my mother, and she... wasn't here anymore.

But I was exhausted, and my father was staring at his hands with such dejection...

Fixing my eyes on the other side of the cottage, I slid down the wall until my head was resting in my father's lap. With my face burning, I pulled my blanket under my chin and cleared my throat.

"Tell me a story," I said. "Like mom used to."

My father went still with his leg tensing under my head, and almost, I shot to my feet so I could throw myself into bed, but after a moment, he relaxed, brushing his fingers through my hair.

"Fairy tale or horror story?" he asked.

Snorting, I said, "I'm trying to sleep, dad."

"Fairy tale it is, then," my father said. "Once upon a time, there was a woman from another world-"

It took a while, but gradually, my muscles loosened. I listened as my father told a story that I'd heard a million times before, and halfway between a 'loved her son' and a 'very much', I tumbled into sleep. For the first time in weeks, no dreams plagued me.

When I woke up, I was still lying on the floor with my father's snores vibrating through my makeshift pillow. Gently, I pulled free, draping my blanket over him before retrieving Eledis' book. Grabbing my cloak, I threw it over yesterday's clothes, stored the book in my mother's bag, and slipped out the door.

Tracing yesterday's path came easily to me. I knew the location of my family's hunting blind intimately, and every step taken from there was etched into my mind while the ringing from last night clearly led the way.

Still, I stumbled upon the clearing. I'd expected to find the same display as before, letting wanton light warn me of when I was approaching it, but that didn't happen. The clearing looked... normal—sunlight shining into its open expanse and all—albeit with a sheathed sword in it.

Last night's piercing light might have gone, but the compulsion remained, stronger than before. I'd stopped on the clearing's edge, but with an invisible chain dragging on me, I couldn't help but step forward.

"I shouldn't be here," I said.

Another step. Then, why are you?

"I'm happy with my life."

One step more. Are you really?

"Just because I'm missing something doesn't mean I should court danger!"

My steps faltered, and the pull on me lessened, enough for me to flop to the ground. Panting, I dropped back on my elbows. Why did I feel as if I'd run home from Fissid?

After a moment, I straightened, withdrawing Eledis' book. After making a cave of my body, I dried my hands before reaching into the bag. Manipulating the book while my mother's 'plastic' coated it wasn't the most enjoyable process, but soon enough, I was peering through bubbled raindrops at the page where I'd been interrupted last night.

Swallowing, I glanced at the sword lying within my reach. If i meant to touch that thing and get it away from a place where an unfortunate person might chance upon it, I'd learn everything I could about it beforehand.

So. What were these foretellings?

Found by one, the master of three

Agent of hope to rise across the sea

Come to us, you who shall set us free

Hear our pain, our fear, our plea

Pressing my hand over my mouth, I chuckled into it. I'd always found the idea of foretellings silly. This nonsense before me was one reason why I did. What help was a poorly crafted, nonsensical poem to anyone? 

Still, I moved on to the next.

A god's heir brings the sword of light to a home-not-home. Oh, how he soars. Oh, how he falls. Oh, the torments he will suffer.

That one was... less funny. With a shiver, I shook it off, turning to the last two.

Leaving chaos and order in his wake, Shadowsteal's rightful bearer shall destroy destruction's epitome, returning our land to peace and prosperity.

And.

He will be the Balancer. Let all lurking behind the veil tremble. He will be your end.

Well, then.

Shaking, I returned the book to my cloak before turning to the sword.

What should I do? I couldn't know for sure if this was Shadowsteal. All I had were my suspicions, after all. No hard proof.

But it could be and if it was...

Should I risk taking it, given what I'd read? Thinking that drivel was about me seemed arrogant, yes, but looking at this, something potentially life changing, from every angle seemed wise.

I should leave it here, go home, and forget it existed. I really should.

But.

If I did that, someone else might come across it during on e of its light shows. Someone else might pick up the sword without thinking it through.

And while the compulsion toward the sword had stopped, fading while I'd been reading, something at the core of who I was urged me to act recklessly for once. My hands twitched, waiting for steel to fill them.

This didn't feel like it would ease the piece that was missing from me. No, that seemed separate, but even still, I wanted this, even as my brain screamed no.

Plus, maybe it would stop the damn ringing in my head.

"To hell with it," I said.

Rocking to my feet, I strode to the blade. A hand and a half sword, it appeared every bit as plain as I remembered, but as I'd thought, it was well crafted. The scabbard matched the simplicity of the blade's hilt with an attached belt woven around blackened leather.

Taking a deep breath, I wrapped my hand in my cloak's sleeve before bending to retrieve the weapon. As I came close to it, however, I ran into resistance, a gentle rebuff, but something like that couldn't happen in empty air.

Right?

I paused before trying again. Nothing stopped my hand this time. Had I imagined that sense of resistance?

I curled my cloth-wrapped fingers around the scabbard, and... nothing happened.

Releasing a breath, I straightened, and what had initially rejected me decided it wanted to keep the sword. The force of the weapon's mid-air stop jerked me forward, and I teetered for a moment before toppling to the ground, knocking the breath out of me.

"That was embarrassing," I gasped into the dirt.

Wincing, I lifted my head, bracing to stand, and my palm cupped leather.

And it felt right.

Even still, I shot my gaze to my hand, and finding the sword's grip in it, my stomach dropped. A bead of light, much like what I'd seen last night, formed at the scabbard's tip before zipping up it. In a flash, it crossed to my arm, speeding toward my head, and everywhere it went, my muscles relaxed. By the time it reached my face, I could only lazily blink as the bead crawled out of view.

Light burst above my head, and for a moment, the ringing in my head was silence, replaced by a steady beat. For a moment, the world presented itself to me in varying degrees of illumination. For a moment, peace reigned supreme in me.

Then, terror shoved it aside. I snatched my hand to my chest, scrambling across the clearing. With my shoulders heaving, I tried to wrench my eyes away from the damn sword, but they wouldn't budge.

What had that been? It had been... had been...

Shooting to my feet, I had every intention of fleeing from the clearing, but instead, cautious steps took me to the sword once more. Why? Why would I do this?

"I can't leave it here," I said.

So, once again, I reached for the weapon, even as my mind shouted FUCK no! Once again, I lifted the sword, but nothing stopped my rise this time.

Through a fog, I watched myself unwind the belt and clasp it around my waist. The sword settled on my hip and...

This was how I was always meant to be.

And I hated it.

I finally let myself run home, working out what I'd do once I arrived. I absolutely must include my father and Eledis in this now. Maybe they'd know how to keep something like this out of-

A flash of motion caught my eye, and I stopped with my hunting knife, ever on me, drawn.

"Who's there?" I asked.

Another streak of shadow spun me around, but... there'd been no sound. What moved without making a noise?

Deep within the trees, two figures appeared from thin air, but while their forms seemed human in nature, they looked nothing like one. A brilliant being of white light stood beside another of black penumbra. They lifted their hands, as if to wave, and spinning, I took off.

"No. Hell no. Fuck. No, no, no!"

A string of denials and curses trailed me home while flashes of motion on my vision's periphery pushed me ever faster. When I burst out of the trees, I whirled on the forest, waiting for something horrible to emerge, but nothing did.

The faint buzz that had been blocking my ears faded, and I heard my family murmuring behind me. Safe.

Folding over, I leaned on my knees, gulping air. When my heart stopped beating in my ears, I trotted toward my family, pointing behind me.

"There was-"

What exactly had I seen?

"Something was following me!" I gasped.

But they weren't listening to me. Eledis and my father looked at me with voracious stares, or maybe they were doing that for what was hanging at my side. Had they not heard me?

"The ringing," my father said. "It got louder as he came closer. Please, tell me I'm wrong."

They weren't listening. Whatever those figures had been, they might appear at any moment, and we needed to-

Eledis strode to meet me, but no calming words came from him. Instead, he tangled one finger in my tunic, lifting me off of the ground until my toes barely touched it.

"What are you-?"

As I clawed at Eledis' grip, trying to kick him, my grandfather somehow whipped the sword at my side out of its scabbard. Releasing his hold, he retreated a step before laying the blade across his open palms.

Almost, I tackled Eledis despite the sharp edge between us, but what the sword's scabbard had been hiding stopped me short. Script in unrecognizable symbols flowed over the blade, and on a cursory inspection, the appeared etched into its steel. If one looked closely enough, though, one could see that nothing had indented the metal. The words simply brushed over the weapon's surface.

Now, that was more like what I'd expected from a mythical sword.

"Shadowsteal," Eledis said, as if to confirm my suspicions.

"It can't be," my father said. "It's been years, centuries. It can't be Raimie. Anyone but him!"

After casting a horrified look at me, he stormed into the cottage with its door slamming behind him. Eledis had yet to take his eyes off of the sword, and while still concerned about the phenomena I'd left in the woods, I set that aside in the wake of my grandfather attacking me.

Swathing a finger in cloth, I placed it on the blade, pushing it down.

When my grandfather looked at me, I hissed, "What. the. hell?"

"Did you read what I gave you?" Eledis blithely asked.

I couldn't say why he thought I had any obligation to answer his questions, but I nodded anyway.

"Then, you know what this is."

Eledis held the sword to the side, and again, I nodded.

"Good."

My grandfather slapped the sword's hilt to my chest.

"This is yours," he said. "Welcome to your new life, Raimie from the line of Audish kings."

Eledis twirled toward the cottage, striding to enter it, and something thumped to the ground in his wake. Stunned, I could only gape at my home's door with a sword of legend lying at my feet.

TTS Chapter Four

Chapter 5: A Push Out the Door

Rhylix

You weren't to blame for our conflict.

The rare times when Allanovian's Council let me step outside of the city, giving me a taste of fresh air, came as a welcome relief from my regulated life. I enjoyed escaping the weight of a mountain pressing down on me, figuratively and literally. I enjoyed my brief splashes of freedom, no matter how false they might be.

I'd hoped to take advantage of this outing to slip free of my observers, racing toward what was drawing me toward it like a bee to a flower's pollen, but with who'd accompanied me today, I couldn't try it.

Besides, for once, the attraction pulling on me was moving my way. Maybe I wouldn't have to give chase this time.

"You keep looking toward the north. Is something wrong?"

Shaking my head, I said, "I'm distracted is all."

I turned to my companion, wincing to find her looking down her nose at me.

"Since when do you get distracted?" she asked.

Huffing a sigh, I considered how best to answer this woman.

Ferin. The only person in Allanovian who'd wormed her way past my defenses. The only one I might call a friend, if I allowed myself such attachments.

Also, a member of Allanovian's Council and the commander of the Zrelnach.

"Everyone has bad days," I said. "Mine happens to be today."

Ferin tossed her head so that the purple accents in her hair stood out against their blonde background.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" she asked. "Rhylix, top of his class, whose trainers swore held back when sparring with them, the one man I've met who won't let me sneak up on him, is having such an off day that distraction has claimed him? That sounds like the setup for a bad joke."

"And yet, that's what's happened," I said.

Restraining a wince, I moved away from what was whispering for me to go, focusing on the forest instead. Focusing on my task.

I'd told the Council that I was running low on the herbs that were essential for my craft, and so, they'd sent me to gather them. Finding the damn things might have been more frustrating if not for the fact that it forced me to leave Allanovian. That liberation was the only reason I hadn't cultivated a garden patch near the city.

As far as today's task had gone, I technically had everything I needed in the pouch at my waist, but I wasn't ready to return to my unspoken imprisonment.

Speaking of which.

"Why did you come with me today, Ferin?" I asked. "You have plenty of subordinates who'd have done it."

"I can't enjoy an afternoon with my friend?" Ferin asked.

Raising an eyebrow, I glanced over my shoulder at her, and she threw her head back, spreading her arms wide.

"Fine, you caught me," she said. "I needed a break from Council business."

That was more what I'd expected.

"Food problems?" I asked.

"Amon other things," Ferin said.

She was quiet for a moment, leaving the silence between us heavy, before breaking it again.

"The trainee you treated died."

"I know," I said.

I'd checked Lyli's status as soon as I'd woken up this morning.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you did your best, so don't agonize over it," Ferin said. "Her death has caused some problems in this year's crop or trainees, though, and-"

She clicked her tongue before her grip on my shoulder spun me toward her.

"I came out here to escape my problems, not revisit them," she said.

"Again, I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

"You didn't."

With her hand still on my shoulder, Ferin chewed on her lip, and I silently begged her not to say what was on her mind. My hopes, of course, only existed to be dashed.

"Are you sure you won't indulge me?" Ferin asked. "No one's watching us, Rhy."

She waved at the empty forest, leaning toward me in invitation.

My love, whispered a ghost, long dead.

When I placed my hand on her arm, it stopped our lips from touching.

"Again, you honor me," I said, "but again, I must decline. I won't sully your reputation, Councilwoman, even if it seems like no one's watching us."

Pursing her lips, Ferin said, "You're too honorable for your own good, Rhy."

Honor wasn't what had stopped me from accepting her offer, but if that was what she chose to believe, I wouldn't stop her. I shrugged instead.

"I'm only doing what I must," I said, quickly changing the subject. "I have the herbs I need. Shall we get back home?"

"I suppose," Ferin sighed.

As we made our way back to the waterfall that hid Allanovian from the world, she maintained her pout, but once we'd entered the city, it vanished. She flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I love you no matter how you choose to classify our relationship," she whispered in my ear. "If you just want friendship, I'm happy to provide it. I'm sorry that I press you for more than you can give."

And here we were again, at the start of the rotation that our association always took. I didn't mind it. Most of the time, Ferin provided me with support and companionship. Knowing that she wanted more had never bothered me.

Patting her back, I said, "It's ok, Ferin. Nothing you did hurt me, but we both have tasks to finish, yes? You throughout Allanovian and me in my clinic. Care to escort me home, or can I do that alone?"

Pulling away from me, Ferin said, "I trust you not to do something stupid."

She quirked her lips into a smile, and I returned it, as expected.

After we'd parted, I hurried to my clinic. I needed to collect my belongings, abandoned when Ferin had retrieved me this morning, before I could leave. The source of my distraction might be coming toward me, but I'd rather make this meeting go as smoothly as-

A figure draped in white stepped out from behind a corner, and I jumped, so accustomed had I become to its absence.

"The enemy is moving," it said. "Do you feel it?"

Frowning, I reached out and...

Pulling to the side of the tunnel, I dry-heaved into a fist, and once that was under control, I panted with unfocused eyes.

"Shit," I breathed.

"Indeed," the figure said.

When I glared at it, it stepped out of sight, and I pushed off of the wall, ignoring the people staring at me. If that wrongness in the world was true and not a perceived excuse for me to escape, then I needed to leave Allanovian. Now.

The distance between me and a temporary home vanished in a flash, but when I sprinted into my clinic, a final distraction was waiting to slow my departure. Dath was huddled on a cot, curled around himself, while his hissing respiration set the beat to his rock back and forth.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped.

The trainee raised a tear-streaked face, which slowed down my racing steps and thoughts.

"I didn't know where else to go," he said.

Hissing, I rearranged my priorities before advancing on Dath. I crouched, gently extending the arm he was clutching. Clearly broken, it spurred a pained groan from him.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I got into a fight," Dath growled. "I heard someone say that Lyli wouldn't have cut it as a Zrelnach, and you can guess what happened after that."

"You got the shit beaten out of you?"

Straightening, I headed for my supplies, retrieving a bite block and splints.

"I'm surprised you let them break a bone when you don't have a single bruise on you," I said.

I turned to the trainee, who'd wrapped himself in a dense aura of sulkiness, and rolling my eyes, I bent in front of him, handing him the bite block. Once it was in place, I set the bone before arranging the splints to support my fix.

"This needs to rest for a few weeks," I said.

Dath jerked his head up.

"How am I supposed to explain that to my trainers?" he asked.

Patting the boy's knee, I stood, gathering the innocuous supplies I'd need for my coming trip.

"Tell them you risked a sparring session with me," I said. "They'll leave you alone after that."

"Why?" Dath asked. "You're a healer. Even a Zrelnach trainee could best someone like you."

Pausing in my packing, I graced the boy with a twisted smile.

"I wasn't always a healer," I said. "Now, get out of here. I need to prepare for tomorrow, when one of you lot inevitably requires my services."

Watching me with the most dubious of glances, Dath left the clinic, and with no more spectators present, I was free to retrieve the supplies that no self-respecting healer would own. Kneeling beside my bed, I lifted its thin mattress, revealing the weapons lying on its slats. With an almost reverent air, I lifted my sword and crudely replicated dagger into the air, and thus prepared, I snuck out of my clinic.

As I'd always known it would be, bypassing Allanovian's security measures was simplicity itself, and once I was standing beneath an open sky, I shot toward a point of resemblance, heeding the draw that had been spawned scant days before.

No one noticed my absence. Not yet.

TTS Chapter Five

Chapter 6: Disrupting Changes

Raimie

 

Raimie from the line of Audish kings...

Had I heard that right? I couldn't have. It was...

A burst of hysterical laughter jolted me back into working order, and I stooped to retrieve Shadowsteal from the ground. I didn't know what was going on, but right now, that didn't matter. I had monsters trailing me, and our cottage was the best refuge from them.

When I entered it, my father was shoving provisions into packs, much like we did when visiting Fissid, with Eledis helping him.

"Raimie can you gather anything you want to keep?" he asked.

"Why would I do that?" I said.

Setting Shadowsteal on the table, I leaned on it.

"Listen. I saw something in the woods-"

"We don't have time for this," Eledis snapped.

Snatching a knapsack from my father's bed, he thrust it at me.

"Pack," he growled.

He spun for the cottage's small kitchen, and I decided I'd had enough. I dropped what I'd been given, balling my hands into fists.

"No!" I shouted. "Someone, tell me what's happening and why my world has become a string of crazy since this morning."

Activity in the cottage paused with my family looking at me as if just now registering my presence. After a moment, Eledis shoved what he was holding at my father.

"Keep at it," he said. "I've got this."

My father pulled his lips thin, but he followed instructions while Eledis faced me from across the table.

"We've waited a long time for you. Three hundred years or so in fact," he said. "You read the book I gave you, right? That means you've read some of your family history, Raimie. As I said, you're of the Audish royal line-"

"What?" I interrupted. "Come on. You don't seriously expect me to believe that, do you?"

Eledis just fixed me with an unwavering stare, and as he moved about the cottage, my father kept shooting inscrutable looks my way.

"That... doesn't make sense," I said. "If we're royalty, why are we living in the middle of nowhere? Why barely survive out here when we could...?"

When we could what?

Cocking his head, Eledis said, "What better place to hide?"

A chill swirled to rest in my gut, and despite how much I might wish it otherwise, I found myself detaching.

"Hide?" I asked. "From what?"

"Who, actually," Eledis said. "The man who stole our kingdom from us. Doldimar."

"Doldimar," I repeated.

A cackle followed the name, spewing long and loud from me until I'd doubled over on myself with one hand gripping the table. Alouin, this had to be a joke. They couldn't be serious. They couldn't...

But as I examined my family—Eledis' face, pinched with annoyance, and my father refusing to look at me—the same sense of familiarity, of knowing, that I'd experienced while reading about Auden settled over me. I didn't know why or how, but I believed this story.

Which left only one question.

"Why would you keep this from me?" I shouted.

Implacable as always, Eledis turned to my father, who cringed as he tied off a pack.

"The floor's yours," he said.

Turning, my father faced me and swallowed

"It was your mother's dying wish," he said. "She wanted us to leave our history in the past."

Almost, the mention of my mother stopped me in my tracks. Almost.

"And the nine years before she died?" I growled. "You didn't think sharing this insignificant facet of my life was a good idea?"

Flinching, my father said, "Would you worry a child with the threat our family faces?"

"What threat?" I screamed through my teeth.

With a sigh, Eledis slammed his hands on the table, leaning over it.

"Again, your answer is Doldimar," he said. "He wants the Audish royal line dead but not because we pose a threat to his reign's legitimacy. I doubt he cares about that. No, he doesn't want the foretelling about our family to come true, as it has with you. Now, we need to-"

"But I read the foretellings about Shadowsteal," I said. "Nowhere did they mention Auden or its royal family."

"Are you sure about that?" Eledis said. "Shadowsteal's rightful bearer shall destroy destruction's epitome, returning our land to peace a prosperity, right? Stupidly convoluted, as usual, but that's clearly a reference to our current situation."

I knew my mouth was hanging open, but I couldn't seem to close it. They believed this supposed foretelling, one I wasn't convinced had anything to do with us. They expected me to defeat an evil overlord? Had my family... had the world gone insane overnight?

"I need a minute," I squeaked.

As I ran for escape, Eledis called, "Raimie, we need to leave!"

"Let him-" my father started.

A closing door cut him off. I desperately wanted to sprint into the forest, letting rain and trees surround me, but I didn't know if those creepy figures from before had left or not. Instead, I circled the cottage before slamming my back into a wall and sliding down it.

With my knees up and my hands to my head, I shoved everything that had happened since waking up to the side. I focused on breathing, in and out. In and out.

When roaring denial stopped threatening to drown my thoughts, I picked at recent events, shrinking as I did so.

A foretelling. I was the subject of some long-ago seer's vision of the future. That couldn't be right. I wasn't... I just wasn't. Anything.

But if I was, should I worry about the foretelling that Eledis had mentioned alone, or should I take the others seriously as well? Alouin, what if I should? How he soars, how he falls, how he will suffer? That couldn't- couldn't-

"Stop before you faint," I breathed.

Say my family was right. Say we were royalty.

Snorting, I said, "Alouin, that's crazy."

If it wasn't, though, what would I do about it? Eledis and my father thought we faced some unknown peril, and I had no reason to doubt them. Given that, the best course of action, for now at least, was the follow their lead and see what happened. I could do that. It was what I'd done for my whole life, after all.

No way would I touch that damn sword again, though, not until I knew why the world had shifted when I'd last done it. Someone else could take responsibility for it until then.

"Ok," I breathed. "Ok, ok, ok."

With my decision made, I opened my eyes and scrambled backward, trying to merge with the wall.

The figures from the forest, one of light and one of shadow, were standing on either side of me, bending over to peer at me with cocked heads. With my breath stolen, I couldn't scream while slits peeled open where their faces should be, and buzzing was pushed from them in spurts.

A moment of silence followed, one where they seemed to be waiting for a response. If they were, I didn't have one for them. I pulled as much of my body away from them as possible, and soon enough, the figure of light hummed once more. The shadowed figure straightened, crossed its arms, and hissed back.

Between blinks, they faced one another while screeches and whines punctuated the buzzing between them. The shadowed figure's hissing claimed dominance, and it jerked forward, throwing its fist toward the other one's face.

Halfway through its swing, however, it stopped short, turning the scene into a motionless painting. Both figures released a shrill screech before spinning toward the forest.

I didn't know what could have distracted such incomprehensible anomalies. At the moment, though, I didn't care.

Mounting pressure was threatening to crack my head, spilling my brains over the grass and fallen leaves, but I couldn't find the will to press my hands to my skull and hold that bone together.

Something terrible had found a home in the seat of who I was, and a shrieking child sprinted circuits inside while tears wept from his white-drowned eyes. It was unnatural, but I couldn't fight it. I sat as though made of stone while gibbering questions filled my thoughts. While a specter-like form peeled away from the forest's shadows, much like the primeancers of old were said to have done.

All of which was impossible.

It strode toward me, becoming merely a man with a hooded cloak to shroud his features, but rather than lessening my panic, this revelation sent my internal screaming up in pitch, a state that wasn't helped when the figures of light and shadow stepped between this new stranger and me.

One of them raised a hand in warning while the other one's shadows conglomerated in its hand. That figure tried to throw the resulting ball at the stranger, but the bolt dissipated when it lost contact with its creator.

Were they... protecting me?

Their efforts didn't make a difference. The hooded stranger advanced on me as if they were invisible, passing through them without pause. He came to a stop in front of me, looking down on my still form.

"Can't even resist my battle magic," came a voice from the hood's confines. "How are you...?"

Shaking his head, he drew a dagger from beneath his cloak before crouching to graze its edge along my cheek.

"I should make sure you're the right one first."

With my throat working, I tried to speak while the stranger reversed his grip on the dagger, but my voice failed me. As the stranger raised his weapon overhead, I caught movement on the edge of my vision.

"Raim-!"

Then, steel cracked into my temple and-

"Shiiiit!"

I screamed my numbing fear into the confines of my nightmare realm. I'd love to thrash and punch and kick and in general, throw a tantrum as well, but as always, damn incorporeal bonds arrested any movement I might make.

Which meant that after my cursing fell silent, I had to consider what had happened. What had that been? A blow to the head, hard enough for me to lose consciousness, would have been bad enough. I was looking at a concussion, at the least, when I woke up.

If I woke up.

But the rest? Terror crashing over me so strongly that I couldn't lift a finger while a threat casually strolled forward to do me harm? It was too much.

"It's too much! Do you hear me?" I shouted. "Magic swords and a life-altering revelation? Alouin, my family's bee keeping this secret from me for years. What else have they kept hidden?"

Panting, I sightlessly stared at swirling black. I couldn't dwell on the possibility of more lies, not when more pressing concerns required my attention.

The stranger, whoever he was, obviously wasn't friendly. A friend didn't pin one in place or knock one unconscious, and I was in the hands of someone who'd done both.

Which meant.

"I need to wake up," I said under my breath. "I need to get out of here."

But how-?

"I can help with that."

For a moment, all I could do was shudder with my eyes fighting against what was holding them open.

That voice. I knew it, didn't I? It-

The hooded wraith from my last nightmare peeked into view, and I frowned.

"You're talking to me now?" I asked.

The wraith cocked his head.

"Wait. You can actually hear me this time?" he whispered.

"Of course I can. Why wouldn't I be able to?" I asked. "And what do you mean you can help?"

Shooting to his full height, the wraith lifted fingers to his mouth.

"Oh my gods, he can hear me," he said. "Does that mean...? No. Still blocked."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked.

Stiffening, the wraith bent over me, clasping his hands behind his back. I could almost see a fierce smirk beneath that hood's all-consuming black.

"At the moment, my designated identifier will mean nothing to you," he said. "Perhaps later, I will share it, but for now, you have mentioned a desire to leave this place?"

For a long pause, I simply stared, and not once in that examination did the wraith move, not even to breathe. Not visibly at least.

"I don't understand anything that's happened this morning," I eventually said. "I'm not sure I can handle another mystery on top of everything else, but if you can get me to the waking world before someone hurts me there, I'll try to ignore that."

The wraith turned my silence back on me; his previous motionlessness frenetic when compared to the appearance of a man absent his essence. The nightmare turned chilly with ice filling my lungs.

"I have a price for my assistance," the wraith said.

Of course he did. Nothing in life came for free.

"What is it?" I asked through gritted teeth.

An arm shot out of the wraith's cloak while a knife slipped into his hand. That blade, in all of this nightmare's dark landscape, was the only thing that shone. If I could, I'd recoil from it, but immobilized as I was, I could only stare with my breath quickening.

"Cease your fear. This is not meant for you," the wraith said, "but I shall require it for my price. If you want me to help you, heart of-"

He paused, almost flinching, but moved on before I could ask what was wrong.

"If you want help, I require your permission to free you."

...What?

"How is that a price? I've wanted my freedom for years," I said. "Also, you can do that?"

Again, the head was cocked.

"Yes," the wraith said, "but only if you give me permission."

I wasn't a fan of a stranger with a knife, especially someone as disturbing as the wraith, standing anywhere near me while I couldn't defend myself. I couldn't, however, do much to change my circumstances, and leaving my fate in this relatively benign man's hands seemed wiser than doing the same for the stranger in the waking world.

"Do as you like," I said. "Free me."

A convulsion ran over the wraith, and when he threw his head back, the hood started slipping off of it.

"Finally," he said.

His rough voice filled the nightmare, sending fingers of unease sliding over my skin. The wraith dropped to his knees with his knife clattering beside him, and cold hands were rested on either side of my face.

"I will begin immediately," he said, "but in the meantime, you must WAKE UP!"

Something tugged between my shoulder blades, making my nightmare narrow to a point. A voice chased me as I fell away from it.

"Do not leave me alone again. Return to me. Please."

Audiobook Chapter Six

Chapter 7: Fissid

Raimie

Water cascaded over me, and sputtering, I tried to escape from the stream. This proved quite impossible, considering my hands had been bound behind my back. Instead, all I did was scrape myself against something with a rough texture.

What had happened? The last thing I remembered was fear. Fear of... something. A stranger? My father had skidded around the cottage's corner with a bow in hand, and... that was it.

Squinting, I shook my head, hoping to clear my clouded memory.

Only clouded memory. No headache. Why didn't I have a concussion right now?

Not important. First, where was I? The sun could never shine this brightly on a homestead shaded by a forest's canopy. I peered through my half-lowered lids while my eyes adjusted, and what I saw petrified me.

I knew this town square, bordered by a tavern and a stable. I knew the road I was facing, leading toward the woods that hid my home. I knew the people who were frozen around me—something wrong there—and that meant I knew the town's name.

Fissid.

It also meant that I knew what I was resting against.

Even with my mind begging me not to do it, I craned my neck until I could see a small roof covering a well. It had been here. Here, my mother-

Water closes over my head before I can think to breathe. My arm is dangling from its slap against the stone, and when I use it to swim, I nearly faint. Blinking at stars, I kick, managing to surface.

Someone stares at me from the hole overhead, and I scream before water sucks me under again. Thrashing my legs, I struggle to keep my head aloft.

"Mama!" I shout. "I can't-!"

Water claims me once more. When I fight free of it, I cough and sputter, sobbing.

"Mama, help!"

The tail end of a rope splashes into the water beside me, and my mother climbs over the edge overhead. She hurries to come down, but at the pace she's taking, she'll never reach me before I sink to the well's floor.

I grab the rope with my good arm, sending a shiver speeding up it. It jostles my mother off of the wall, jerking the rope out of her hands. Shrieking, she falls. Her head smacks into the wall before she flops on top of me.

A cry drew me out of my memories, and addled, I sought the noise's source. I found it in Arabella, the daughter of Fissid's baker. Also, the first girl I'd ever fancied.

She was standing perfectly still in front of a man clocked in cloth and shadow, and he was holding a sword to her throat. I met the girl's eyes, saw the tears trembling in them, and abruptly realized what I'd missed before.

Twisting in place, I scanned the square, and indeed, everyone who called Fissid home had been crowded into it, lying or kneeling or crouching in the dirt. No one moved, even with twitching muscles betraying their desire to flee, but nothing was restraining them. No chains or ropes had been wrapped around their limbs. They just... didn't move.

"It's my battle magic, so rare in this age. I wouldn't be surprised if I was the last to claim it."

All of me had become stone: my head swinging toward the stranger, my wrists burdened with shackles, my shoulders bowing as I realized how much danger I was in.

So, it was with some surprise that I heard my voice emerge smooth and hard, like polished stone.

"What do you want?"

The stranger—monster really—continued as if I hadn't spoken.

"These good people feel it, the same as what I directed at you earlier. They are weak, never to overcome their fear. For a time, I've withdrawn it from you, not only because you appear to be as weak as them but because I require answers. These innocents will serve as hostages. I will kill one for every time you defy me. Do we understand one another?"

I had no doubt that he'd fulfill his threat. There was nothing empty about it, so I slowly nodded my head.

"Good," the monster said. "You, the old man closest to him. Release his shackles."

He tossed a key so that it thumped onto the cracked earth, and Vincelten, Fissid's blacksmith, scrambled to retrieve it. he wouldn't look at me as he maneuvered the key in its lock.

The shackles dropped to the dirt, but I didn't move, save for to curl my fingers around their chain. I didn't know what I'd do with this makeshift weapon, but with the weight of my hunting knife gone from my side, I was grateful to have any possible means of defense.

"What did you do to my family?" I asked.

As he hummed, the monster's sword twitched against Arabella's neck, and I shrunk against the well.

"I'll be asking the questions, thank you," he said. "First, your name. What is it?"

Why did he care?

"I'm called Raimie."

With a snort, the monster shook his head.

"You shouldn't lie to me," he said, "or if you must, at least make it believable. Don't give me an Eselan name when you're clearly human."

Eselan? As in the race long vanished from the world? Why would he bring them up?

"Let me remind you that your actions have consequences, child," the monster said.

His sword flashed with an arc of red flying from its tip, and Arabella, released from the monster's clutches, folded to the ground, feebly pawing at the gash in her neck. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she shuddered and fell still.

This couldn't be happening. Who killed someone over a perceived lie? That just... didn't happen, not in this world. Not in Ada'ir.

But there lay proof that perhaps my perception of the world was wrong, and I should be burning with anger or babbling with fear. I shouldn't have cold frosting my insides and numbing my mind.

Lifting my gaze, i found the monster already holding another person captive.

"Why would you do that? I told you the truth. Why would you punish me for that?" I asked. "Do you want me to lie? I'll do or be whatever you want if it will keep these people safe, but you have to tell me what that is."

The monster cocked his hood while the man he was holding visibly shook.

"You're quite strange," he said, "but I suppose that doesn't matter, much like your name won't. I don't know why I asked about it. Tell me about Shadowsteal instead."

Of course this strange and hostile exchange would have something to do with that.

"What do you want to know?" I asked. "I can't share much about it. I only found it yesterday."

The monster nodded.

"I figured as much. Its ringing started this morning, and anyone with a cautious bone in their body would take time to decide whether to accept the burden of such a mysterious weapon," he said. "I want to know what happened when you touched it."

But I didn't know how to describe that. I had yet to wrap my mind around everything that had happened this... morning...

Why was it only midday? Earlier, I'd noticed the sun beating down on me, but the implications of that hadn't hit until now.

The trip from my home to Fissid took several hours. It should be evening, not an hour or so since the monster had stolen me from my family. Had I lain unconscious for a full day?

A wet gurgle snapped my attention to the monster as he switched victims once more.

"I'm not a patient man, child," he said. "Quickly answer my questions, or we'll create a corpse pile much more quickly than I'd like."

For a moment, a flash of head seared through my numbness, and I fought to push words into the world, words that might have saved a man.

"I touched Shadowsteal, and... I don't know what to tell you. What happened involved a lot of light, but that's about all I can explain. I couldn't understand the rest."

Hissing, the monster retreated, almost unintentionally murdering the woman in his arms.

"It's come," he said. "Shadowsteal has emerged into the world once more, and you are him, n truth. What do I do?"

Was- was that all he'd wanted from me? Two questions answered? Why couldn't he have done that in the forest? Why had he brought me to Fissid?

"Gods, I made a mistake, not seizing the damn sword when I had the chance, no matter how much doing so would have hurt," the monster said. "Being near it was bad enough but touching it-"

Sickened coughing interrupted his spiel.

Ah. Yes, that might explain his haste to leave my home.

"Still, it must be done, my mistake rectified. My master will tolerate no less," the monster said, as if to himself. "That should be easy enough. If I lure the upstart family here, they'll bring Shadowsteal with them."

Stiffening, the monster turned to me.

"But what to do with you?"

I said not a word. Pleading would do me no good. Instead, I clenched my fingers around the chain with my body winding like a spring.

Which only made the monster laugh.

"Oh, you are tenacious, aren't you?" he asked. "Very well. I'll give you a chance to escape. If you can, my master should find you plenty entertaining."

Releasing his captive, he shoved her away before raising a hand.

"But for now, submit."

He flicked his fingers, and I fell to a throb in my head, one that turned my vision white, and terror strong enough to trip my thoughts over themselves. For a time, these were all I knew, but gradually, they retreated from me, although each slow step away was a taunt about how easily they could conquer me once more.

When my head was filled with only a dull ache, I blinked at a once more changed scene. I recognized Ytrella's waystation from the many times my family and I had spent the night here. The illumination coming through its windows seemed wrong, though, changed from sunlight, and when I tried to stand, I nearly tumbled myself and the chair attached to me sideways.

Glancing down, I tugged at the rope holding my wrists and ankles to wood. Damn, that was tight! How was I supposed to escape this? Could I?

After several minutes of squirming, I fell still, gasping with sweat soaking into my clothes. Why was it so hot in here?

Awkwardly, I dried my face on my shoulder, and something outside the waystation's windows caught my eye. I scooted closer, frowning when I saw a black sky overhead. If night had fallen, what was lighting this room? There weren't any candles or lanterns lit in here.

Also, no people. Duh. Why hadn't I tried the easiest solution to my problem?

"If anyone's out there, I need help," I shouted. "I know you probably hate me now but..."

But what? How could I excuse what my mere presence had done to interrupt these people's lives? For all I knew, they'd been the ones who'd tied me to this chair.

Shaking my head, I inched toward the window. Maybe if I got a better view of what lay outside, I could... decide...

Well. That clarified the heat and the strange lighting. It explained the smell and the faint roar filling the air too, now that I thought about it.

Fissid was in flames, great tongues of fire licking at the air above its buildings. The conflagration hadn't reached Ytrella's waystation yet. In fact, all of town square seemed peaceful, but it wouldn't be long before the blaze spread to engulf it.

Thrumming my boot tip beneath the rope, I twisted to examine it, and on seeing knots that made my eyes cross, I didn't think I'd have much luck with untying myself, especially not when the tension from it already had my fingers tingling. No way could I squirm free of this without getting hurt.

Was that what the monster had meant when he'd said he'd give me a chance to escape? Was I expected to hurt myself?

I almost missed the weakness in the rope. Along the inside of one portion, a slash had indented the fiber around it, as if intentionally nicked. Considering how shallow it was, I almost ignored the given opportunity, but I didn't see how else I was supposed to escape. Gritting my teeth, I rubbed the slice against a rough corner, all while watching the inferno grow outside.

By the time the rope snapped, the fire had begun its feast on the far side of town square. With no time to shake out my hand, I bent for an ankle and was stopped just short of reaching it. Making a face, I tried for my offhand wrist instead.

Ever so slowly, I worked the rope's end through one knot, but by the time that was done, fire had claimed dominance across the square. I'd never free myself in time by doing it this way, and a quick scan of the room revealed no sharp edges within my reach. I'd have to make my own.

Or break what I was bound to.

"Shit."

This was a terrible idea, but when one's choices were definite immolation while staying upright or a likely chance while lying on one's side...

Hopefully, this chair wasn't well crafted. Tipping it, I braced, hoping the impact wouldn't break my ankle along with the chair.

The sound of splintering wood masked my hiss. Ignoring the pain shooting up my leg, I tore the chair's backrest off of its seat. Friction burns and splinters were the price for freeing my other hand, and while cloth shielded my ankles from getting the same, the one that I'd landed on throbbed. When I prodded it, nothing screamed at me, so I cautiously decided it must be sprained instead of broken.

That made it no less painful to walk on, although my personal hell was nothing compared to what lay outside.

During my frantic escape from the chair, the fire had surrounded me. What I'd seen from the window—the peril that had sped me to such reckless lengths—had met another inferno, coming from behind the waystation. They'd converged on either side of the town, right where a road ran through it.

"Alouin damn it all," I said.

How was I supposed to survive this?

TTS Chapter Seven

Chapter 8: Escaping Fire

Raimie

Intent on getting out of Fissid and the trouble I'd found there, I took a step outside. My foot landed on something squishy, and on finding what had caused the noise, I leapt back, slapping my hand to my mouth. Shuddering gasps barely kept me from losing control of my stomach.

For outside of her waystation, Ytrella lay still, and more lumps were sprawled across the square. Hell, so many blank eyes were staring at me.

Doubling over, I coughed, which sent acid pouring from between my fingers. A town full of people... The monster had massacred a town.

Because of me.

Stepping over Ytrella, I dazedly wandered into the center of the square. Bending to retrieve a set of shackles, I tucked them into my waistband and closed my eyes.

This confusing mishmash of ice and fire, screaming and weeping inside of me? It must wait for a time. I needed to escape the tinderbox that Fissid had become before the fire braved the dirt sprawl of town square.

Maybe I could wait it out in the well?

Fluttering my eyes open, I forced them to land on that stone structure-

I keep mama aloft with my broken arm, clinging to the rope with the other. The clumsy curses I mutter help with driving pain away, letting me stay conscious. If I see Bryruned again, I should thank the blacksmith's apprentice for teaching them to me.

"Help!" I call. "Mama, please wake up."

My whisper echoes alongside the slosh of water.

As time passes, light creeps up the well's walls, and a visible patch of sky turns orange and purple. By the time stars emerge, cursing can't retain my pain any longer, and I float, holding onto consciousness for the sole purpose of keeping mama above the water.

"Why did you chase me?" I ask. "Did you want to play Flee too? You should've said something. We would have let you join us."

Mama says nothing, and I swallow a lump in my throat. Voices shout int he dark, but I can't summon the energy to call for help. Doing so changed nothing earlier. Why should it help now? Instead, I hum a lullaby, indulging in the illusion that I'm putting mama to bed for once.

Her weight is lifted off of my arm, and it screams at that release of pressure. Mumbling my own protests, I slap at the water, looking for her.

From behind, something is wrapped around my stomach. I twist, flailing at whatever is holding me, but even still, it lifts me into the air. I dangle until it pulls me over the lip of the well, and once I'm released, I flop to the ground.

"Raimie!"

A rough hand touches my cheek, and I grab it.

"Mama?" I ask.

When my vision clears, my father's worried face crystallizes into something recognizable.

"She's fine. Waking up now. What happened?"

Closing my eyes, I surrender to sleep.

Why the hell was I dwelling on the past when my future looked shaky at best? Alouin, what had I been doing before falling into memories?

Snapping and cracking sounds spun me in place while one of the taller buildings nearby collapsed.

Right. I'd been escaping a fire.

If I got into the well, it might help with the flames, but it wouldn't stop smoke from smothering me. It wouldn't work, which meant I'd have to choose a riskier solution.

Turning in place, I looked for the weakest section of the fire, but my initial inspection left me frozen. Too many options! Which would work best?

Right when hyperventilation was threatening to set in, I spotted something that I'd missed in the hazy darkness of this burning night. A shadowed figure was standing beside a building, frantically beckoning for me to follow it.

I didn't take the time to consider my fear of the figure or whether it was an ally or not. Something deep inside, almost beneath my awareness, instinctively trusted it, and so, I took off for the bakery.

Bursting into the shop, I threw an arm over my face with my eyes watering. Again, the shadowed figure guided me, standing beside a door along the back wall. Coughing, I avoided what flames I could, chasing an anomaly that I'd recoiled from that very morning.

Once I was on the other side of the bakery, I dissolved into wet coughs, all while watching a shadowed figure shuffle in place.

I'd made it out of town square. Not to escape Fissid.

The figure took the lead, although its jittering form was now warping in unnerving ways. With its path weaving, it seemed drunk, but even so, I never considered going my own way. Later, I'd examine why doing that felt unnecessary, but for now, the figure had proven itself reliable, and I couldn't find my way through this maze of death by myself.

But then, the figure led me into a dead end. Cottages crowded around the fringe of town, and to this point, we'd threaded through them with little trouble. Now, I could see the creek that bordered Fissid through flickering orange and yellow, and beyond that lay a plain, lit only by the moon and stars.

Unfortunately, a collapsed cottage was blocking my path to it.

Turning to the darkened figure, I hissed, "Really? There's no other way?"

It shook its head, soon followed by the rest of its form. A halting serries of screeches contested the roar of destruction around us, and I lifted a hand to stop the figure.

"I understand," I said. "Thank you for getting me this far. I don't suppose you know how to get around that, do you?"

When I waved at the cottage's collapsed beams, the shadowed figure faced them, cocking its head. It shrugged with another jumble of high-pitched noises spilling from it, and making a face, I waved for quiet.

After examining the mess, I had to agree with the figure. I saw no good way through it. Several acceptable paths lay there, but all of them would hurt me. So, which one would hurt the least?

As if summoned, the shadowed figure's companion, all blazing light, stepped through the conflagration. It pointed at a smoldering plank, one that was perched above a reduced spread of flame. Could I even reach that spot?

Swallowing hard, I glanced over my shoulder, not so much from distrust but to alleviate the part of my brain that was screaming for another option. Unfortunately, manically cackling flames had already filled the path I'd taken to get here, making Fissid a beacon sure to be seen as far as the Fractured Peaks.

Cursing, I tested my weight on my sprained ankle, wincing when my leg nearly buckled. Hell, this would be fun.

With a growl, I sprinted for the plank, making the figures of light and shadow vanish as I approached. I jumped, reaching for something that I should never have touched, and when I caught hold of it, a piercing scream fought the flare shooting from my palms with both sensations begging for my attention.

I gave it to neither. I focused only on dragging my body over the wobbly plank and into the creek beyond.

Its icy water came as a blissful release, and I took a moment to enjoy it before pushing to my feet. Before I could take a breath of free air, however, a flash of agony sent me splashing below the surface again. With my air depleting, I thrashed in the water until something in my uncontrolled scramble moved me forward, and soon, I was dragging myself out of the creek by my elbows.

Collapsing on the creek's bank, I reluctantly lifted my shaking hands, and the sight of them made me feel like something had gut punched me. A black stripe ran across my palms with bone peeking through it in spots, and that same awful color was dotted across my fingertips. The skin between them was ruby red with blisters already forming, and I had to curl my hands into claws if I wanted to think clearly.

Ruined. They were utterly and completely ruined. Flopping my arms to either side, I burst into laughter while tears spilled from my eyes. Alouin, what would I do?

And how could I agonize over my woes when Fissid would soon become a graveyard? Why did I think I was more important than everyone who'd been murdered? How could this be real?

As if knowing how badly I needed the distraction, a roar split the night, one of a human's making, and I tensed.

I knew that voice.

As fast as I could, I clambered to my feet, racing toward the noise. A distant part of my mind wondered where my helpful figures from before had gone, but mostly, a constant scan of my surroundings occupied me.

There wasn't much to see. With its soil to rocky for farming and no other resources of value found here, the grasslands around Fissid had always lain empty. The only reason a town existed in such barren land was to serve as a gateway to Ratchav, the isolationist kingdom on Ada'ir's western border.

I darted around this emptiness, running low enough that tall grass slapped my face. After several minutes, I'd begun to wonder whether I'd imagined the shout, but before I could give up my search, to silhouettes popped into view on my right. One of them was chasing the other away from Fissid.

Veering toward them, I slowed down. I knew one of those people, and I had my suspicions about the other one, but considering all that this day had gifted me with, staying cautious seemed wise.

That conviction flew out the window as the man furthest from me paused to lift a bow. Its string twanged, sending an arrow speeding for his opponent's head, and he took off again, never checking if his attack had landed.

It didn't hit, but that wasn't due to poor aim. The archer's opponent swiped the arrow out of the air while continuing forward.

The flutter of that cloak as he batted the projectile down chilled me. It made the sword wielder the monster from Fissid, and the only person I knew who had such skill with the bow was my father.

Too much distance was separating me from the fight. I sprinted toward it anyway. My only weapon was a set of shackles, but I could do nothing else. I'd have helped even if the monster's victim had been a stranger, but despite my determination, I wouldn't reach the site of the fight before it was over.

It didn't matter how many arrows my father shot—and he was firing plenty—or how fast he ran... it just didn't matter. The monster would win.

Maybe that was the bastard's battle magic speaking, but if it was, my father felt it too. Dropping his bow, he raced for the monster. At the last second, he snatched an arrow from his quiver, jamming it toward his enemy's neck.

The monster caught my father's descending wrist. With a jerk, he spun my father around before placing his foot in the man's back. I watched him bed around that boot before he went flying, tumbling end over end.

Biting off my scream, I increased my pace. I made so much noise while flying through the grass, but the monster didn't seem to notice, merely stalking to stand over where my father had fallen.

"-don't want to kill him," the bastard was saying as I approached. "He could lead us to Shadowsteal."

Who was he talking to? My Father? There was no one else here.

"Yes, I suppose that damn ringing could serve as a beacon just as well," the monster continued, "but you know I don't like unnecessary killi- AGH! Fine! You don't have to do that."

He lifted a boot to stomp on my father's head, and I leapt onto his back, looping my shackles' chain around the bastard's neck. My hands screamed snarling protests as I applied pressure to them. I bit my tongue to counter that pain until the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Off balance, the monster wavered before falling to his back, pinning me between him and the ground, but even stunned, I continued pulling on the chain with all my strength.

The monster didn't seem to care. One moment, blurry stars were revolving overhead, and the next, the monster had shot to his feet, which had my forehead clunking into his skull. The bastard drove his elbow into my side with impossible force, and something snapped, leaving a jagged end tickling at my lung.

I couldn't breathe! Couldn't- couldn't1

The chain I was clinging to was torn out of my hands, and I fell like a limp doll off of the monster's back, barely keeping myself upright.

I didn't notice my impact with the ground. All I could focus on were my sips of air and the click produced by each of them.

Something slammed into my head, and reeling, I awkwardly fell on an arm. I should do something, should get up and- and- what else? What must I do?

"I've revised my opinion of you, foreseen child," a voice said.

Why did it spawn such fear and hatred?

"You're too dangerous," it said. "So, despite my initial reservation, I must kill you, but please know that I looked for any reasonable excuse not to end your life."

A vortex of black was towering over me with a smaller twin at its side. A length of something shiny rose into the air, hovering, and a voice I knew and loved shouted angry, unkind things.

"Shh, shh," I mumbled to it. "You'll scare Volatility away."

The glint, flashing for my chest, faltered, and a new person, someone with white light streaking over them, barreled into the vortex, knocking it to the side. What... what... what...?

"Raimie!"

I heard love. Something I... I should... how to...?

Oh, my hands...

Light and dark were clashing somewhere nearby, a display that would have taken my breath away if I'd had any to give. Why were they...?

Didn't matter. I'd reach... reach...

I looked upon familiar, drab hair and blue eyes.

"Raimie," this mash of colors breathed.

Such relief. Why?

With my goal achieved, I stopped resisting my body's call. I fell face-first into flattened grass and stayed down, gone to wherever the mind fled when its body failed.

"This place again?" I sighed. "I thought I died."

Inky black swirled above me, and the temptation to scream at my immobility struck me once more. Hard.

But I wasn't totally restrained. Wonder began a slow seep into me as I flexed my hand, no free.

"It doesn't hurt," I said. "Injuries don't transfer here?"

"Why would they? We are in o- your head."

The wraith was sitting beside me, yet another man hidden beneath copious amounts of fabric, but this one was different. I thought. I didn't know how I'd missed his presence until now.

For a while, I watched as the wraith sawed at something I couldn't see. This man disturbed me, and yet, I trusted him, much like  I had with the figures of light and shadow. Could they be connected?

"You have returned," the wraith said. "I am glad."

"I didn't get much choice in the matter," I said. "Kind of had to stay conscious when your body's taken as much damage as mine."

The wraith stopped dragging his jagged knife along my invisible bonds, jerking his head to face me.

"That sounds... bad," he said.

"It'll be fine," I said. "I'm not dead; I don't think. I suppose this could be the afterlife."

Resuming his work, the wraith said, "You are live."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I know it because I live," the wraith said.

He glanced up at the sky.

"I must retreat for a moment," he said. "You will wake up soon. Doo not descend too far into panic before that happens. Your screaming... I do not like hearing it."

Rising, the wraith flicked his knife up a sleeve before stalking out of view. For a moment, I merely flexed my hand, marveling at the motion.

"Even my dreams have turned topsy-turvy," I said.

Stretching an unmarred palm toward the sky, I waited to leave my nightmare.

TTS Chapter Eight

Chapter 9: See Here Your Ally

Rhylix

In fact, if anyone should take responsibility for it, it's me.

I wouldn't make it in time. For hours, what had repulsed me had lingered in the direction of an incessant pull, and I'd pushed as quickly as I could toward that complicated miasma with disbelief growing the longer one of them had failed to snuff out the other.

Technically, I didn't need to separate the people causing this conflict. If allowed to fade, that compelling attraction would come again, but I'd rather not wait for that to happen.

It was past time I left Allanovian. It was past time I went home.

When I spotted an orange glow on the horizon, I knew I'd soon stumble upon what I sought. Opposites couldn't occupy the same space for long without causing a disaster.

Still, as I drove my borrowed cart to a creek bed with a raging wildfire constrained on the other side, I couldn't help but pause with soon to be blackened buildings stealing my attention. It was happening again. This moment, when everything began, would only cascade into further misery and death. It happened every time, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop it.

Not that I ever stopped trying.

Still. I looked upon a scene that should have left my mouth gaping, but the best my empty heart could muster was quiet resignation.

I left the cart and horse waiting by the creek, calming the animal down as best I could before following my outlined path. My targets were ripping at me now, so close had I come to them, which made planning how I'd resolve their tangle exceedingly difficult.

Thankfully, my ever-present nuisance had yet to appear with a suggestion. Perhaps I could do as I wished this time.

Sounds rose above the fire's distant roar. Grass swished as something moved it. A twang poured dissonance into a steadily droning background. I angled toward these noises, and soon enough, three figures made an impression on the night's dark.

Two of them were fighting, one of whom was an archer and the other...

The other peeled my lips away from my teeth while a quiet hiss meshed with the wind's rustle through a tree's leaves. Hopefully, I could reach those men before the archer met his inevitably gruesome fate, but he wasn't my priority. No, that honor went to the third figure, who was sneaking up on the archer's opponent.

Already at a full sprint, I winced at the archer's flight over the grassland, one that stopped beneath a tree. The way he'd bowed around that boot...

Still, he wasn't dead. Yet. The cloaked figure ambled to stand over him, and I knew I wouldn't make it in time to save his life.

It was to my great surprise, then, that the cloaked figure didn't move when he reached the archer.

What was he doing? Why didn't he satiate what I knew would be an irrefutably murderous desire? Such behavior was unusual for one claimed by-

The third figure, a soot-streaked teenager revealed in the moonlight, sprang onto the cloaked figure's back with a glinting... something thrown overhead. The addition of his weight toppled the cloaked figure, and no matter how much sick worry was boiling in my stomach, I snorted back a laugh. I'd gotten a tenacious fighter this time, huh?

When he regained his feet, the cloaked figure was still bearing his passenger, and something blacker than night swirled over his arm as he drove it into the kid's side. Tearing the chain around his neck free, he spun, kicking the kid so that he toppled, and I reached the archer.

"I'm borrowing this."

Never stopping, I snatched a bow and some arrows from the archer's side. With everything gathered in one hand, I leapt for the cloaked figure, adding something extra to that jump, before the bastard could drive his sword through the kid's heart.

As soon as we hit the ground, I rolled off of my enemy and to my feet. Nocking an arrow, I raised the bow but froze on seeing what lay at my feet.

With the cloaked figure's hood thrown back, the moon could illuminate the features of someone whose presence served as anathema to everything that lay in me.

"Enforcer Teron," I said.

Taking advantage of my distraction, the man jumped to his feet, pulling his hood back up.

"You know my name? How odd," he said. "If you know who I am, why would you attack me like this? You must also know that no norm can stand against me."

But I'd pushed my shock aside. I let my arrow fly, although Teron dodged it, and as he advanced toward me, I switched to bow to my offhand, unsheathing my sword. Our weapons met with the unnatural strength of Teron's swing nearly tearing my sword free.

The bastard meant to overwhelm me with force? Fine. I could play that game.

With every thrust and blow directed my way, I moved just far enough that the tip of Teron's blade kissed the air above my clothes. Teron swung for my head? My hair ruffled as I ducked. Teron jabbed for my heart? A dimple formed in my tunic as I leapt away.

Anything I couldn't avoid, I easily caught on my blade or the bow, spinning free of the attack before Teron could follow through with another, and his inability to land more than glancing hits clearly frustrated him. A persistent growl filled the space between us, and at the noise, I laughed.

I hadn't enjoyed an activity like this in... well. I couldn't remember when the last time had been.

Still. It got me no closer to where I needed to be, and the like to attract me was still lying motionless beside the archer.

So, I let Teron inside my guard, and I let burning heat slash across my back. With my legs numb beneath me, I dropped to the ground, rolling as best I could to face the sky. Prepared to meet a blade, I found only stars overhead while a crunch toward the fallen humans solved the mystery of where Teron had gone.

For a moment, I was helpless to do anything more than listen as his footfalls stopped, but then, I found the strength to stand, seeking the enemy.

Again, Teron hovered over the archer and a dirt-streaked teenager, but this time, he held no sword. This time, he raised his hands to either side, and I gagged as something repellant flooded into the world.

I'd never nocked, aimed and fired an arrow so quickly before. Dropping the bow and sword in favor of a dagger, I chased my projectile's flight. It streaked well ahead of me to bite into Teron's palm, and jerking, the bastard crashed into the tree at his side. The arrow shivered from where it had pinned his hand to bark. Scooping the enemy's blade off the ground, I quickly followed, slamming my dagger through another hand while driving Teron's sword through its master.

Fixed in place, he coughed with blood splashing from his wounds.

"This won't kill me," he gasped.

But I'd already bent to help the humans, running my hands over the kid in search of injuries.

"I'm well aware," I said, "but at the moment, I don't care to do the job properly."

When I pointed at him, an arrow and blade protested the new weight placed on them, and I let loose a sigh. Unfortunately, a squeak came after that, alerting me to the conscious state of someone nearby. Snapping my head toward the noise, I internally groaned at those predictably wide eyes and the cowering demeanor.

"You're a-" the archer began.

"Don't say it," I interrupted. "Not unless you want more like him chasing us."

I jerked my head toward an unconscious Teron, and after a moment, the archer cautiously nodded. Satisfied, I returned to my examination, although the injuries I'd already found on the teenager led me to believe that I only had one course of action available to take.

"Your name?" I asked the archer.

"Aramar," he said. "If I may, why are you-? How did you-?"

I was asked the same questions every time, but this time, they hadn't even been finished.

"I can't tell you how I found you, but I will say that I'm here for him," I said, nodding to the kid I was manhandling. "Gods, I can't save these by conventional means."

"So, you'll help my son?" Aramar asked.

His son. That made sense. From what little I could see of the two, they shared similar features: the plain face and drab hair.

But I should answer his question.

"Of course I will," I said, "even if I'm not sure of who he is anymore."

Because look at him. A click in his lungs with every breath. Bruises everywhere. Hands that would never hold a sword again.

Forget the pull that had dissipated as soon as I'd touched the boy. Forget the ferocity that I'd witnessed when he'd attacked someone clearly above his level. How could a teenager who was already so badly maimed be my ally?

If he was, then the world was doomed.

But when I looked up to ask Aramar for his son's name, the question died in my throat. Behind him stood two previously unseen figures: my twins sneering and smiling at me.

Two? That was impossible! How-?

My constant nuisance stepped into view from behind.

"He is the one you seek," it said. "You must save him."

Just fucking fantastic.

"Please, master p-" Aramar started before catching himself. "Please, sir. Will Raimie be ok?"

And I had a name. Raimie. What a strange one for a human.

Slowly, I lowered my gaze from the impossibility in front of me to a worried father.

"I will do what I can for your son," I said.

When I returned my attention to Raimie, though, I worried that I might be too late. Ducking, I held my ear above the kid's mouth, but no sound was rising from it, and his chest had failed to rise or fall for a while now.

And for the second time in as many days, something stirred in my empty heart.

"Shit," I said.

I'd known one of Raimie's lungs had collapsed. The click in his breathing had near guaranteed it, but a collapsed lung alone shouldn't stop his respiration like this. Maybe something else, something more system-wide, was aiding that condition in killing the kid.

It didn't matter either way. This had a conventional fix, one I'd use, because limiting Raimie's exposure to my other methods would save him trouble in the long run.

So, I extended a hand, knowing that I'd brought a syringe with me from Allanovian. Never mind that a typical me would never bring a fragile piece of equipment like that on such a hurried trip.

As expected, however, a glass tube filled my waiting palm, and I jammed its needle into the kid's side, pulling on the plunger. With pressure relieved on his lung, Raimie took a deep breath and just in time too.

As an energy drain washed over me, I sagged onto my hands, cursing on my head. For a moment, all I could do was breathe, grateful that my action's price hadn't knocked me flat on my back.

I hated godsdamned magic for a reason.

"So, you're also a..."

Aramar trailed off, and I lifted my head to peer at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," I said. "Is that a problem?"

Chuckling, Aramar shook his head.

"Not in the slightest," he said.

At that, I cocked my head. Acceptance wasn't the typical reaction to that revelation.

I couldn't consider it now, though, because now, I must do something I'd sworn I'd never do again. If this kid was to be my ally, we couldn't start this journey with one of us below full faculties, not if we were to succeed, but even with that requirement, it should be ok.

I could keep an eye on one teenager, right? I could keep Raimie safe from any consequences.

Resting a finger on each of his blistered palms, I Let Go, just a little, and with a dimmed flash, the kid's debilitating burns reduced to merely painful ones, injuries that would heal with no lasting effects. As the light vanished, searing heat ripped across my own hands, and I folded them into my lap until the sensation had faded.

"What was that?" Aramar asked. "What did you do?"

Fixing the man in place with my gaze, I said, "I saved your son's life. Now, good sir, you know my greatest secrets. Secrets that could see me killed if they were shared. What will you do with them?"

Aramar appeared conflicted, which I'd expected. Everyone, without fail, despised and feared what I was. Would the fact that I'd saved his son's life overcome that extreme prejudice, and if it wouldn't what would I do about it? I'd prefer to remain as Raimie's anonymous helper for a while longer, but if revealed, I could work with it.

But Aramar deflated, and I knew I wouldn't have to.

"I'll keep your secrets. It's the least I can do. Raimie means everything to me," he said. "May I ask. Now that he's stable, what will you do?"

That was a good question. Obviously, I had to get Raimie away from Teron before the bastard woke up, but what then? Should I keep the kid in the dark or have The Conversation with him now, and if I did share my story, how much of it should I tell? Should I bring Aramar with us? If I didn't, would Raimie react poorly to his father's absence? Most importantly, where should we go first?

I settled on a safe answer, the common theme in all of my considerations.

"I'd like to stay by your son's side until I know whether he's recovered," I said. "If you'll allow it, of course."

Barking a laugh, Aramar said, "Allow it? I'd hoped you'd say that. Oh! I suppose I should thank you for what you've already done, Master...?"

Which of my many names should I give this man? Switching to a new one would be like changing clothes for me, but in the end, I decided to keep it simple.

"Just Rhylix, no Master about it," I said, "and I have no need for your thanks. Anyone with my skill set would have done the same for your son."

Aramar looked doubtful about that, so I hurried on to the next issue we should tackle.

"So. Why were you in Fissid, Master Aramar? Was it your final destination or simply a top on a greater journey?"

Aramar glanced toward the fire, quickly spreading on the other side of the creek, and both he and I winced. So many people...

I was under no illusion that Teron had let the residents of Fissid flee before setting their homes ablaze. I knew what I'd find among those flames if I dared to brave them, and no matter how many times I saw such a sight, it never failed to tear at me, pulling another thread free in my gradual unraveling.

"Fissid would have been where we slept tonight, but that bastard took Raimie from our home before we could leave," Aramar said. "We ran after him, splitting up when we saw a fire on the horizon. I came here, and Eledis headed for Allanovian to get help. That's where I meant to go if I rescued Raimie."

In body and mind, I'd frozen. Eledis. Aramar. Raimie. I knew those names, although a fourth one seemed missing from the list. And they knew about Allanovian.

"How have you heard of my home?" I asked.

I already had a sneaking suspicion about the answer I'd receive, but I needed to hear it anyway.

"You're from Allanovian?" Aramar asked. "What am I thinking? Of course you are, what with the-"

He waved at me and on receiving a pointed glare, gulped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend," he said.

"You didn't," I said. "My question?"

"Right. Up until nine years ago, my family frequently visited your city," Aramar said. "That's how I know about it."

Which made the two men before me-

"Of the Audish royal family," I said.

The corner of Aramar's mouth twitched.

"Yes?" he drawled.

But again, I'd turned away from the man, centering my glare on my constant nuisance.

"Really?" I hissed. "A bit prominent, don't you think?"

"He is who he is," it said with a shrug.

Is who he... the hell did that mean?

Taking a deep breath, I put the conundrum out of my mind.

"So, we go to Allanovian?" I asked. "Meet the head of your house?"

"He's not the head of my-!" Aramar snapped before sputtering to a stop. "Yes. I think reaching your home would be best."

Throwing my head back, I peered between a tree's branches to the great void beyond.

"Just when I thought I'd gotten free of that place," I said.

After looking Raimie over once more, I rocked to my feet.

Extending Aramar's bow to him, I said, "I'll retrieve my cart. Keep an eye on the Enforcer. He shouldn't wake up before I return, but if he does, can you keep him occupied for a time?"

"I don't..."

Trialing off, Aramar pushed himself upright, precariously balancing in place. After testing whether he could draw the bow from there, he stuck several arrows into the ground at his side.

"I'll do what I can," he said.

"In that case, I'll return soon so I can help you into the cart," I said. "Then, we can leave this wretched place."

With an indignant look, Aramar asked, "What makes you think I'll need your help?"

I gave him time to review what he'd said before crouching to his eye level.

"Master Aramar, I serve Allanovian as the Zrelnach's healer," I said. "I can help you with your... problem once we reach the city, but until then, I need you to work with me."

For a moment, Aramar looked at me with his back straight and his body stiff.

"You are most kind," he eventually said.

Sighing, I rose.

"No," I said. "I'm really not."

As I hurried to complete my assigned task, I poked at the foreign sensations swirling through my empty heart. An ally who would through us into the limelight and claimed two splinters? Such a situation had never happened to me before, and I find the novelty of it... refreshing.

But it also stirred something much more dangerous in me, something I'd discarded years ago. Something that, if trampled once more, would utterly crush me.

Hope.

TTS Chapter Nine

Chapter 10: When We Met

Raimie

The patter of distant water droplets in a deep quiet was the first thing I registered when I woke up. For a moment, I simply breathed into this hush, wrapped in the pleasant disbelief that I'd survived. Questions were held at bay until I'd finished with this marvel of life that I'd been given.

This took me quite a while as intermingled with my wonder was dread. I remembered everything that had happened, which meant I remembered every consequence spawned from a disastrous afternoon spent in a lovely village, now forever gone.

Alouin, the pain of that would haunt me forever, wouldn't it?

Lifting my hands above my face, I pried my eyes open, squinting until they'd adjusted to the bright light. How badly mangled was I?

When my vision cleared, I frowned.

Bandages coated my hands, blocking my view of the blackened skin surely lying beneath. Someone must have treated my wounds, which made sense. When I'd woken up, debilitating pain hadn't been clawing at me. Instead, there was only an annoying discomfort and a few spots of numbness.

I badly wanted to unwrap those cloth strips so I could see exactly how damaged my hands were in the light of day, but not only was I unsure if I could do that with such limited mobility but it seemed like a bad idea without the permission of the healer who'd placed them. If a healer had done it.

The question of my burns would have to wait, which was fine. I had other matters to address.

Lowering my arms, I blinked, not once tensing, at the two figures that my limbs had been blocking. They were leaning over me from opposite sides, and I could swear concern was radiating from their non-existent faces. Slits split across those faces, letting their typical buzzing pour forth, but I placidly listened to the noise this time, not once motioning for them to stop.

Why wasn't I afraid of them anymore? They'd helped me escape Fissid, sure, but that didn't explain this new trust or the ease I felt in their presences. Rather than monsters, they seemed like long-absent friends. Why such a drastic change?

"You're allies, not enemies," I rasped. "You never meant to hurt me."

I hadn't planned for those statements to be questions, and to most people's ears, they wouldn't sound like that, but the figures huffed as if insulted. One even crossed its arms while the other jiggled as if it were tapping its foot.

They knew me well enough to pick up on my slightest subtleties. How?

"I'm guessing you two plan on sticking around for the foreseeable future," I said.

Again, not truly a question, but from their shaking shoulders and rhythmic buzzing, so like laughter, I got my answer anyway.

"Then, I need to stop calling you 'the figures' in my head. You need names," I said. "I'm sure you already have those, and I'd love to hear them when I can but in the meantime..."

Chewing on my lip, I bounced my gaze between the two before sighing through my nose.

"When in doubt, go simple," I murmured.

Pointing as best I could at the figure of light, I said, "Bright."

And to the shadowed figure, "Dim."

Squealing—their version of chatter—erupted between the two, and wincing, I blocked my ears with cloth-wrapped skin. I opened my mouth to ask for relief from this when their discord cut off unprompted, and the figures... Bright and Dim stiffened.

Struggling to my elbows, I looked for what might have caused the change, half-expecting to see the monster from before bearing down on me, but besides my two anomalies, nothing out of the ordinary surrounded me.

I was lounging on a cot in a rectangle of a cave, one that had been converted into a clinic of some sort. More cots formed a neat line to my right with shelves hanging on the opposite wall, full of supplies. A few items I didn't recognize rested there as well, namely glass tubes with needles jutting out of them.

In addition to that strangeness, the makings of a domicile occupied one corner of the cave. Above this, chunks had been gouged out of the stone, burrowing through it until they reached the outside air. Thin strips of sunlight aided candles and lamps in illuminating the clinic, and on the other side of this rock, water dripped in a steady trickle, the noise that had first woken me up.

This place.... something about it echoed in my head like a shout in a cavern while a sense of familiarity, one that was quickly becoming normal, settled over me.

Much like every time I'd encountered the name Auden. Why-?

My ribs chose this moment to remind me of the harm done to them, and hissing, I collapsed, clutching at their sharp ache. Through watering eyes, I watched Bright loosen from the statue it had become before zipping out of my field of view. Meanwhile, Dim flung itself over me with its buzzing becoming a protective hiss. What the hell were they-?

"Who were you talking to?"

Gasping, I forgot about everything that was wrong with me, leaping from the cot in a spin toward the voice. I reached for the sword at me...

There was no sword at my side. I'd never worn a sword.

Frozen, I could only blink until my mind acknowledged the other person in the clinic. Leaning against a door-sized hole in the wall, a man was watching me with his arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"You shouldn't be on your feet," he said.

I, however, was much too preoccupied with this stranger's appearance to hear what he'd said. Abnormally tall, he tried to diminish this by hunching his body on itself. A stern expression was carved into his pleasant features, although their current state wasn't helped by how tightly his hair had been pulled back. I noted plain clothes hanging from a limber frame and the fact that Bright had plastered itself to this man, but what sent my thoughts screeching to a stop were the stranger's eyes.

They were gray. Which was impossible.

Clicking his tongue, the man pushed off of the wall, heading toward me, and I scrambled backward, repressing every subdued scream that my body tried to pull out of me.

"Stay back," I said with my voice shaking. "Just stay... Who are you? Where am I? Where's-?"

A cloak billows behind the monster as he lunges into his kick.

Licking my lips, I whispered, "Where's my dad?"

Was he alive? Had that awful monster killed...?

On seeing the expression on my face, the impossible man raised his hands calmingly.

"Aramar is staying with a few friends at the moment," he said. "From what I understand, they had some catching up to do, so I left them to it."

He took a cautious step toward me, but I copied him backward, nearly tumbling over a cot. Straightening from his hunch, the stranger held a hand to his lips with pinched eyes.

"I thought you'd be..." he said. "Huh."

Shaking now, I screwed my eyes shut, fighting to stay on my feet.

"Stop, stop stop! I can't take any more strangeness!" I shouted. "I need something to make sense. Please. Just... tell me what's going on. Who are you?"

My body had nothing more to give, so my knees buckled, but something caught me, taking my elbows to keep me upright. I snapped my eyes open to a view of gray: impossible, couldn't-be-real gray.

"My name is Rhylix, although my friends call me Rhy," the stranger said, "and you are safe, Raimie of the line of Audish kings."

Alouin, I wanted to believe that safety was mine, but Dim's continued hiss at my back and that gray...

That gray I could swear I'd seen before, even though that was imposs-

Why did this place and those eyes seem so familiar, like something from a nightmare?

And I remembered.

The fever started four days after the accident. Right now, it's still addling me, but I'm cognizant enough to understand what the gray-eyed woman is telling my father.

"The malaise has turnsssssssHas to have been induced by soemonesssssssI don't believe she has much of a chancesssssssShould perform the ritual soon if yousssssssMy magic only holdsssssss."

The blob that is my father may have shaken with a sob once she was finished speaking, but it also nods. the world blurs into dreams, and when I wake up again, I climb out of my cot. The cave's stone floor is cool on my bare feet. I stumble through an open doorway.

Empty corridors pass in a haze, but somehow, I find my mother's room. Staring at her sweat-soaked face, I watch the rise and fall of her chest, listening to the mumble of fevered words on her lips.

I must have blacked out again because the next thing I know, someone's hauling me away from the bed, gripping my arms in a vice. My mother's bucking and thrashing on the bed behind me, and several people have surrounded her, holding her in place.

Hands spin me away from this view.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" my father roars.

I burst into tears.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to knock mama off the rope. I didn't want to die!"

My father's gaze softens, and he pulls me into a hug. In this cave of safety, I sob into his chest. 

"There, there, Raimie. It's not your fault."

"Dad?"

 I pull free so I can see my father's face.

"Is mama going to die?"

A grim expression tells me everything I need to know. My blubbering resumes while shudders wrack my body. Fever hooks its claws into my mind, and everything fuzzes over.

TTS Chapter Ten

Chapter 11: Expectations

Raimie

As the memory I'd just re-experienced faded away from me, I stared at a familiar stone ceiling with a frown and my brow furrowed.

'...been here before?' I mouthed before speaking aloud. "The Esela aren't extinct."

A snort answered me while something clattered to the floor.

"Hardly."

After a moment, Rhylix leaned over me with something clutched in his fist.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

I was back on the cot with a blanked pulled over me. How had I gotten here? And...

Glancing to either side, I frowned. Where had Bright and Dim gone?

"Raimie?"

Right. The question.

"I'm fine," I said. "Confused but fine."

"Wonderful! I can check head injuries off of my list, then. I wasn't sure for a moment there."

I winced. My behavior before probably had seemed crazy. For a moment, I'd become like a feral animal.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have exploded on you," I said. "Can I make i tup to you-?"

A crunch interrupted me, which had me whipping my head to Rhylix again. He dug at something in his closed fist before popping it into his mouth. With his brow furrowed, he chewed for a moment before extending what he was holding to me.

"Pistachio? They're pre-shelled. It's the last of my stash from when they last came through the nearby tear," he said. "I've been saving them for a special occasion."

My mouth was gaping open. I knew this, but I couldn't bring myself to close it. What the hell was this man doing?

Grinning, Rhylix jiggled his fist.

"Come on," he said. "You must be hungry."

Hungry was an understatement. Slowly, I lifted a bandaged hand, palm up, and Rhylix shook a few nuts onto it. Now to figure out how I'd get them into my mouth. While that conundrum occupied me, Rhylix walked out of view, presumably to retrieve something.

"You're a strange one, Raimie of the line of Audish kings," he said. "And I don't mean your purported bad behavior from before. The propensity for violence that you showed is normal for me but receiving an apology after the fact? That, I'm unused to."

Dropping a chair to the floor beside my cot, Rhylix plopped into it, leaning his arms and chin on its backrest.

"Also, I wasn't referring to how you reacted to me when I mentioned a head injury," he said. "That was mostly said in jest, although you did pass out for a moment."

I had? Maybe a spot of unconsciousness explained how I'd gotten on the cot again.

"Funny," I said.

Having chased nuts around on my palm this whole time, I gave up, slapping them into my mouth instead. Rhylix watched this with a faint smile, retaining any offers of help, as if he'd known that was what I'd wanted.

Once the snack was gone, he said, "You're taking the revelation of my people's existence rather well, all things considering."

"It's one of the least strange things I've learned recently," I said, meaning it. "How should I be acting?"

"Oh, I don't know."

Making a face, Rhylix clung to the chair's back as he dangled away from it.

"Showering me with disdainful comments like 'gray-eyed bastard'. Looking for a pitchfork. Secretly plotting my death. That sort of thing."

As Rhylix swung forward once more, beaming, I tried to fit his expectations into what I knew of the Esela and came up blank.

"Why would I do anything like that?" I asked. "The Esela are amazing! I loved stories about them growing up. Is- is it true that you can use magic?"

Rhylix's upbeat countenance fell from him like a stone over a cliff.

"Yes. Illusion work, conjuration or summoning, and shape change," he said in a hollow voice. "Please don't ask for a demonstration. I despise Esela magic."

Yes, I could see that.

"Then, I won't," I said. "I was mostly asking because bizarre things have been happening to me lately..."

Why was I sharing this, something that might get me ostracized or killed, with a relative stranger? People weren't accepting of oddities in this part of the world.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. Our world's second race, which I'd thought long-vanished, still exists. I'm glad to know it. Makes me curious about other lost phenomena, such as primeancers and the like," I said, wincing when I thought about what I'd said.

Most people didn't like to talk about the magic wielders from ages ago.

"But I was wondering if we could discuss something else. Namely... where I am and how I'm alive."

The bare minimum of life returned to Rhylix's face, and he cocked his head as if deciding which story to tell. An overabundance of giddiness returned to him as he lifted a finger to twirl it.

"You sit in Allanovian, last haven of the Esela in Ada'ir," he said. "I doubt you've heard of it, seeing as how you believed my people were extinct, but I have to ask..."

At his expectant look, I shook my head.

"I thought not. From what your father told me, your homestead lies outside the radius of our typical trading runs, although..."

Rhylix paused thoughtfully before making a face.

"Never mind about that. Anyway, Allanovian is a city burrowed into a mountain, led by a four-person Council. You'll have to convince them that you're worthy of staying here soon, but we'll get to that in a moment," he said. "As for how you're alive, that answer's simple. I saved you."

Grinning, he stopped as if that explained everything, and if I weren't so tired, I might have gotten up to shake the man.

"Care to elaborate?" I drawled.

Rhylix's smile grew, lengthening until his teeth showed from between his lips.

"No," he said.

"Will you please do so anyway?" I growled.

The smile slipped away, still present but with something infinitely sad behind it now.

"Where should IS tart?" Rhylix quietly asked.

"I don't know!" I said. "I was fighting a monster, trying to save my dad's life, but my story ends there. I must have blacked out."

"You did, but it was understandable, given what was done to you. Honestly, I'm amazed you stayed conscious for as long as you did," Rhylix said, "especially int he face of Teron's famed battle magic."

Teron. I had a name for the monster who'd massacred a town full of people.

"You know this Teron?" I asked.

Shifting in place, Rhylix said, "I know of him. He's fairly famous among the Esela because of his magic. Like I said."

That made sense. In a way. Did that make Teron an Eselan or simply another type of magic wielder? I wouldn't be surprised to learn that other thaumaturges existed.

"So, how did I go from helpless at Teron's feet to lying safely here?" I asked.

Rhylix shrugged, rocking his chin on the back of the chair.

"Luck mostly," he said.  "I happened to be near Fissid that night. I happened to catch sight of your fight. I happened to surprise Teron, pinning the bastard to a tree."

A viciously triumphant grin cracked his mask for a moment.

"Then, it was a simple matter of fixing you and your father up, loading you into my cart, and returning to this place," he finished.

"Fixing... us... up," I said. "You're a healer."

Of course he was. Who else randomly showed up to a clinic when they weren't injured?

"Indeed," Rhylix said with a nod.

"Then, can you tell me...?"

Hesitantly, I lifted my hands, unsure if I wanted an answer to my unspoken question.

"Oh, those are fine," Rhylix said, waving away my concern. "Your ribs were of greater concern. They'd pierced one of your lungs, and wasn't that fun to fix?"

Licking my lips, I asked, "So, I'm not...?"

How to finish that question?

"You're whole, Raimie," Rhylix softly said, "and if I have any say in it, you will remain as such."

How did I fight this burn in my eyes? How could I express this growing gratitude?

As my view of the clinic misted over, I said, "Thank you. For saving my life. For helping me when you could just as easily have avoided danger. I am in your debt."

Pursing his lips, Rhylix examined me for a moment.

"Don't do that," he eventually said. "Never place yourself under someone's sway, especially not a stranger. You hardly know me.

"I know you well enough," I retorted. "No one with evil in their heart goes out of their way to help someone like you did."

Rhylix looked like he wanted to protest, so I continued to my next concern, never giving him a chance to speak.

"How's my dad?" I asked. "The last bit of his fight didn't look good."

"Aramar is alive," Rhylix said with a sigh. "I'm sure he'll come see you soon. Him and Eledis."

Fatigue fell from me as I shot upright.

"Eledis is here?" I asked.

Rhylix straightened in his chair, making a face as he did so.

"Unfortunately," he said. "He and the Council have been screaming at one another for hours. It's put Allanovian into an uproar."

Why was Eledis here? I hadn't seen him in Fissid. How had he known to come here if he hadn't followed Rhylix, and... where was here, relative to Fissid? How far had I been dragged from home? Most importantly, though-

"How long was I out?" I asked. "Also, you mentioned your Council before. Something about proving myself to them?"

"Yes. Yes, I did," Rhylix sighed.

He rubbed his face. Repeatedly. Almost as if he was delaying with his response.

"In answer to your first question, you've been asleep for about a day," he said through his hands. "It's nearly sundown once more."

Damn. I'd lost a lot of time. If I'd slept for so long, though, why was I still fatigued? Was it merely due to my weeks-long sleep debt, accrued from before this fiasco began, or did my body really need that much rest to heal?

Speaking of fatigue.

Swaying in place, I considered how I'd get my head on a pillow once more, and pulling his hands away from his face, Rhylix clicked his tongue, rising to help me.

"Maybe we should wait on the Council business for now-" he started.

"No. Please, don't," I interrupted. "I hate having things hanging over my head, and with the way you're acting, this thing seems like it'll be bad for me. So, just tell me what it is."

Slumping, Rhylix said, "Ok."

Flipping his chair around, he sank into it, crossing his legs and folding his hands on his knee.

"So you know, your attitude toward the Esela isn't typical for humans. Usually, our world's primary race treats my people with nothing but hostility," he said. "This conduct has fostered a certain stance among Allanovian's citizens, namely one of disdain for humans. Some here believe you're nothing more than scum in need of scouring from the earth, the idiots.

"Very few of your race are allowed into this village, and when one is, they're forbidden from carrying weapons and must follow a strict set of rules. Even rarer is when one of you can so clearly display your worth that Allanovian considers you of equal status. This demanding accomplishment is what you must achieve once you've healed."

Was Rhylix serious? I was enjoying the 'hospitality' of people who didn't think I was a person. How was that possible?

The Eselan looked at me as if expecting an answer, but I didn't know what to say. Should I share that I didn't give a damn what Allanovian's people thought of me? That I understood, in part, how subjugation could turn the oppressed against the oppressor?

"I have two questions," I eventually said. "First of all, why? Why would I care to impress people who act as you've described? If they need payment for what they've provided, then I'll give it in whatever way I can, but then, I mean to leave. I don't need anything found in Allanovian. I don't think."

"You'll need the village's warriors," Rhylix said with amusement. "The Zrelnach are considered the most elite fighting force on this side of the Narrow Sea. Could be useful to you, yes?"

Frowning, I asked, "Why would I need that?"

The look on Rhylix's face gave me pause. Bewilderment quickly gave way to an interesting mix of pity and muted fury.

"Don't you know your role yet, Shadowsteal's keeper?" he said. "Surely someone's explained it to you by now."

Role? What was he talking...?

Oh.

"Do you mean the one where I'm supposed to stop an evil overlord because a foretelling says so? A little trite, don't you think?" is aid. "How do you know about Shadowsteal or who my family is? Did dad share?"

Without a word, Rhylix stared at me until I had to shift my gaze away, squirming.

"You're not taking this seriously."

Tensing, I flattened my body into the cot. Something had lain in the other man's voice, something dangerous and barely contained. Even still, I spoke what had been on my mind since stumbling into a light-filled clearing, keeping each of my words calm. Controlled.

"I don't know how to handle what's happened recently. From my point of view, I learned that I'm from a displaced royal line a few hours ago while the days between were spent in various states of consciousness. I'm still deciding whether I believe what my family has claimed, so of course I'm reacting to it like I do with every stressor: with flippancy

"How I'm acting and speaking, however, don't mean I'm ignoring the seriousness of my family's proposed course of action. I have every intention of doing as they say until I can decide what I think about their claim, but don't expect me to be rational, forward thinking, or put together right now. I'm- I'm barely-"

Since finding Shadowsteal, I'd focused solely on each moment because if I looked at the big picture—everyoneinFissidwasdead—I might fly to pieces. I'd nearly reached that state now. Only slow and steady breathing was holding me together.

"Ok."

Slowly, I turned to Rhylix, and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, nodding at me.

"I shouldn't have pushed you like that. I'm sorry," he said, "and I'll do everything I can to help you through the next few days.

"Why would you go out of your way for me?" I asked.

Shrugging, Rhylix said, "Because you need the help. But you had two questions, yes? So, what's the second one?"

In the moment's tension, I'd almost forgotten about our original subject. What else had I wanted to know?

"How do I impress Allanovian's Council?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, you only have one way to gain their approval," Rhylix said. "You must undertake the Zrelnach trials."

Zrelnach... trials? As in the elite warriors he'd mentioned? As in an initiation rite of some sort?

"I do what now?" I squeaked. "Have you seen me, Rhy? I'm not a fighter."

A pained expression crossed Rhylix's face before he cocked his head with amusement blooming in its place.

"Perhaps you don't know what you're capable of," he said. "But we can discuss this in the morning. You need rest, and I'm late for a... meeting."

I didn't want to wait until morning, not with anxiety buzzing under my skin, but my body was protesting how long I'd stayed awake.

One problem lay in any of my attempts to fall asleep, though.

"I don't suppose you have a fancy tincture that'll keep me from dreaming, do you?" I asked. "I have... nightmares."

"I know."

After fiddling in a pocket, Rhylix offered a withdrawn vial to me.

"You mumbled and thrashed something fierce while on the way here. Aramar had to hold you down so you wouldn't worsen your injuries."

Flushing, I accepted the tincture.

"I'm sorry to have caused trouble," I said, fidgeting with the vial. "Will you tell my dad I'd like to see him? if you run across him, I mean."

We should talk.

"I'll let him know you've returned to us," Rhylix said with a smile. "Now, take your medicine, Raimie."

Downing it as bidden, I gagged at its awful taste before returning the emptied vial to Rhylix. While he rose from the chair, I struggled to lift the weights that were already dragging my eyelids down. As I lost this fight, Bright flickered into existence with its hum filling the air, but—

"No! Do not leave me-!" a familiar voice called in my head.

—what words might have formed in its buzz were wiped out by a glorious lack of dreams.

TTS Chapter Eleven

Chapter 12: Facing the Tribunal

Rhylix

I'm the one who pushed you toward our lives' destruction.

The human boy's body slackened into sleep, and I watched the first rise and fall of his chest with thin lips.

"You like this one," my constant nuisance said at my side.

"Perhaps."

I had yet to determine the answer to that question. It had been ages since my barren heart had held the capacity for even the most basic of connections, but Raimie had come close to nudging me into it. He was so earnest and in some ways, untouched by the world's evils, so lost in the face of his life's upheaval, but he also... wasn't.

I'd seen coiled violence in Raimie when we'd fist met. For a moment, the teenager's eyes had unfocused, and he'd looked like every experienced fighter I'd ever met.

"I don't know whether I should be horrified or pleased that your ally has made an impression this time."

Sinking onto the cot, my constant nuisance played its fingers in the air above Raimie's face.

"This one's fascinating," it said. "It's been centuries since I've encountered someone who's yet to pick a side."

"I saw your counterparts hovering over him earlier," I said, crossing my arms. "One of yours and one of theirs together. Shouldn't that be impossible?"

"Not as much as you might think," my constant nuisance said. "Don't you have a 'meeting' to attend?"

Well, that had clearly been a brush-off. Clicking my tongue, I spun in place, leaving the nuisance sitting beside Raimie. At my clinic's entrance, a Zrelnach trainee was shifting from foot to foot, and as I approached, his relief was palpable.

"Thank you for letting me finish here," I said.

"it was the least I could do," Dath said. "Is that the human?"

He peered into the clinic with sick fascination in his eyes.

"His name is Raimie," I said, "and yes."

As I started down the hall, I made sure to stare straight at today's shadow when I passed her. What was the point of feigning ignorance now? They knew that I was aware of their watching eyes. They had to, now that I'd snuck past them not only when I'd left Allanovian but also twice upon returning, once with Raimie and once with Aramar. They'd only noticed my intrusion with the older man, and only Aramar's mention of Gistrick, his friend among the Zrelnach, had saved his life in that tense moment.

I'd been wary of leaving someone who knew my greatest secrets with Allanovian's elite warriors. If Aramar decided to blab, fighting my way to freedom through the Zrelnach would be irritating, but at the moment of his departure, I couldn't think of a reason for him to stay at my side. I'd have to trust in his gratitude, the only thing keeping him quiet.

Maybe if I hadn't been so exhausted, I could have kept Aramar with me, but I was going on...

Frowning, I counted on my fingers. The daylight hours after leaving Allanovian. The night to complete my work outside of Fissid. Making the return trip. From morning until halfway through the afternoon, getting my human companions into the village. The rest of the evening, spent explaining what I'd done while waiting for Raimie to wake up. The teenager had done that as the sun had been setting, which meant...

A day and a half. I'd been awake for a day and a half, and my lack of sleep had begun to affect me, which wasn't good considering what I was headed to do.

"Um... Rhylix?" Dath said at my back. "You missed the entrance."

Stopping short, I took note of my surroundings while vigorously shaking my head.

"So I have," I said. "Thank you, trainee."

"No problem," Dath said.

He flashed me a toothy grin, which made me pause before entering.

"Why did they send you to fetch me, I wonder?" I said.

"I imagine it had something to do with this—"

Dath waved his splinted arm in the air.

"—and the fact that I'm the only person you've warmed up to in years."

They thought I'd made friends with this boy?

In a way, it made sense. I'd shared drinks with him and treated an injury that his instructors would have made him suffer through. To others, it probably looked like I'd become friendly with Dath, but I hadn't. I'd only done what had seemed right in each moment.

"I see," I said.

How could I divest myself o this boy before he got hurt?

"I was wondering if I might ask for a favor," Dath blurted.

Raising an eyebrow, I said, "You can always ask."

Dath squirmed in place, which had me tapping my finger against my thigh, but the trainee gathered his courage soon enough.

"My instructors told me about you. I never would have guessed..."

At my glare, Dath gulped.

"Will you please let me fight you?" he squeaked.

Predictable. Fight came easily to the eager, the quick-tempered, and the young. Those yet to be disillusioned.

This would, however, be an effective means of distancing Dath before I left. He'd want to train before our proposed fight.

"Why not?" I said. "But only after your arm heals."

"Yes!" Dath yelped. "Thank you!"

"It's nothing."

It truly wasn't.

"May I enter now?"

"Oh, right. I forgot why we're here," Dath said. "Good luck in there, Rhy."

And I tensed.

-lix. It was Rhylix. Why had people been insisting on shortening my name today?

"Hopefully, I won't need luck," I said.

Striding down the corridor we'd been standing beside, I soon entered the chamber at its end, and after reading the room's mood, I internally winced.

Oh, I was fucked. I'd expected they'd be upset but this...

Four people were waiting for me here, the varied members of Allanovian's Council. Ferin, my only ally, gave me a weak smile from the corner she was slouched in, and I returned it as best I could, ignoring the other three.

Shafoth, the Councilman in charge of feeding Allanovian, remained a relative unknown to me, as he'd been appointed to the position last year, but the man's previous decisions had trended more logical in nature, which might benefit me. I'd see soon enough.

The other two hated me, each for his own reason. Hemly, who oversaw the care of Allanovian's youths, blamed me for the disgrace of his cousin, the last Zrelnach commander. Yrit, Allanovian's arbitrator and treasurer, loathed me because I came from outside the city, a dislike that applied to anything that lay beyond these stone walls.

These men stood in a loose circle, chatting when I arrived, but as I took my position in front of them, they fell silent. The Council, including Ferin, seemed intent on ruining my ease, staring at me with not a word spoken.

Did they think I'd lose my patience and cause a scene? If so, I couldn't blame them for that. A short temper had been part of the persona that I'd presented in this city, but that presentation wasn't me, merely another layer in my mask. One they'd stripped away.

I wished they'd get on with this, though. Before Raimie woke up again, I'd like to get some sleep of my own, and more chores besides attending to the Council's pleasure awaited me before I could partake in that indulgence.

With fatigue eating at me, I rocked back on my heels, distractedly humming under my breath. Would my constant nuisance keep watch over Raimie until I could return? Already, that teenager seemed to attract trouble, and I wasn't comfortable with leaving him alone yet. I wouldn't be comfortable with that until after I'd assessed his capabilities.

"I'm sorry. Do you not understand why you're here?" Yrit snapped. "Troublesome brat that you are, you should be well acquainted with what we do in this room."

Cutting my hum off, I looked about the plain chamber and sighed.

"I have stood here often enough, haven't I?" I said.

Before Yrit could snap at me again, Ferin left her corner to join the men.

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Rhy?" she asked.

They didn't already know? It seemed obvious to me.

Maybe they hadn't questioned Aramar yet, though, or perhaps Ferin was hoping the details that only I could provide would help excuse my behavior. I sincerely doubted that would happen, but what harm was there in talking?

"I've been getting restless lately," I said with a shrug.

Technically true.

"Even years since I arrived here, I haven't gotten used to Allanovian's enclosed confines. As always when this happens, whether you know about it or not, I set out to spend time under an open sky, but I traveled a bit further than I usually do yesterday.

"Seeing flames on the horizon, I decided to investigate. With it being dry season, I was worried that the fire might rage long enough to reach Allanovian's forest.

"When I reached Fissid, I found the fire constrained by a surprisingly full creek. I also found the two humans that I brought back with me. With both badly injured, I thought returning to Allanovian would be best. Here, I'd have full access to my supplies, meaning I wouldn't need to rely on magic to heal them."

"You did this, fully aware of our policy about the inferior race?" Hemly snarled. "You've polluted Allanovian with their presences!"

I hadn't been finished with my tale, but this interruption might help my case more than the rest of what I'd meant to say.

Cocking my head, I asked, "How?"

"How?" Yrit sputtered. "You brought humans into our midst, spreading their filth through this city!"

"As far as I was aware, these humans have visited Allanovian before with nothing to stop them from doing it again," I said, "or has the Audish royal family's open invitation here been rescinded?"

Yrit worked his jaw while Shafoth chuckled at his side.

"So, you've learned who they are, have you?" he said.

"With the village in an uproar over Eledis' arrival, it was hard not to," I said. "Am I wrong about their right to be here?"

"No."

Crossing her arms, Ferin watched me with an unreadable expression.

"Of all the humans in Ada'ir, this nations King or Queen and the Audish royals have always had leave to walk down our halls," she said.

"Because of a promise our ancestors made generations ago!" Hemly protested. "Surely they can't expect us to honor that promise three centuries later."

"Yes. They can."

As I'd spoken, each of my words had been coolly bitten off, which had the Council members jerking back toward me.

"The only reason you're here instead of suffering under Doldimar's reign is because of that family," I continued. "You owe your very existence to them."

At that, Hemly bristled as if to speak, but Shafoth cut him off.

"He's right," he said. "Auden's last king brought our ancestors with him when he fled his kingdom. He could have left them there."

"That doesn't mean we have to uphold a promise made-!"

"We can discuss it later," Ferin snapped. "Let's get on with our business. Rhy has provided a reasonable explanation for the crime you lot would accuse him of. Do we have any other reason to keep him from his duties?"

"We have plenty of them," Yrit growled. "This... man has admitted to leaving Allanovian without supervision, breaking an agreement he made with us and therefore breaking our laws. We should strip him of his healer status and put him to work on runs to the tear!"

""Technically, I broke neither your laws nor our agreement," I interrupted before Yrit could start frothing at the mouth in anger.

I glanced at the Council members over an examination of my fingernails.

"I promised to repay this community for everything you've given me, and I've done so through my efforts to keep your warriors in good health. I never said that I would stay in the village while doing that," I said. "I've endured your paranoia, ignoring the Zrelnach you've sent to monitor me over the years, and honestly? Having them looking over my shoulder hasn't been a bother. Don't, however, insult me by claiming that I haven't kept to a promise that I never made.

"As for your laws, I have always tried to respect them but remember. In my time here, I've never become a citizen of Allanovian. My loyalty has and always will be with my home. So, yes. I follow every rule and custom that you've laid down but only up to the point that they conflict with my home's safety.

"I understand your need for a scapegoat right now, though. To keep the city's populace appeased, you need someone to blame for the recent uproar. I can be that for you. I'll take whatever punishment it needed to calm them down, so long as you remember that not only will it be a pretense but I'll be going with the humans when they eventually leave these halls."

"Leaving?" Yrit sputtered. "So, you mean to break your promise regardless?"

I took a calming breath. Why did this man always stoke my temper? That he affected me was annoying, and yet, I was grateful for the proof that something could stir my emptiness, even if it wasn't eh most pleasant of sensations.

As I cooled off, I summoned the words I'd need to soothe a stubborn bastard, but someone else beat me to it.

"He's given us eight years of service as a healer," Shafoth said. "That's almost a third of your life, is it not?"

With my lips curling, I said, "Something like that, Councilman."

Nodding, Shafoth faced the others.

"Such a length of time is more than enough payment for what Allanovian once provide, something that if we're to believe the reports, Rhylix never needed," he said. "We should take what he's offered and leave it be. Too many crises demand our attention to waste more time here."

Under his withering glare, Yrit and Hemly reluctantly nodded, all while Ferin grinned. She would enjoy this berating of two people she'd long considered her enemies.

"Rhylix, the Council would request that you remain within Allanovian's walls until this situation is resolved," Shafoth continued. "Acceptable?"

Bowing, I said, "As the Council decrees."

I caught Ferin's eyeroll as I rose.

"Get out of here, Rhy," she said with a chuckle. "I'll swing by with our pronouncement when I can."

"I look forward to it," I said.

Almost as much as I anticipated leaving this room. When it lay far behind me, I leaned against a wall, gritting my teeth.

Fuck politics. It and magic could dive straight into the void.

Shaking myself, I straightened, working to shuck exhaustion from me with a brisk stride. I had chores to complete before I could sleep.

TTS Chapter Twelve

Chapter 13: Last Minute Errands

Rhylix

And others, in their hate, took advantage of our weakness.

Visiting Salna was always a trial and a pleasure. On the one hand, the smith was one of the only people in Allanovian who treated me as if I weren't a pariah, letting me use her forge when I liked. On the other, she was a stubborn woman, and it was impossible to change her mind once she'd made it up.

Which was why I approached her shop with trepidation. She was sure to know why I'd come as soon as she saw me, so would my first steps into this place herald an argument or an animated discussion?

No one was in the front end of her shop. Through an opening in the wall, I heard the clang of a hammer on metal and smiled. Salna was always in a better mood after she'd been working.

I rang a bell on the counter as loudly as I could, waiting while the clashes in the back fell silent. After a moment, the smith ambled into view, wiping sweat from the back of her neck. On noticing me, she spread her arms wide.

"Rhylix! It's good to see you!" she boomed. "Are you here about the sword?"

See? She'd already guessed what I wanted.

"You know me well, Salna," I said. "Will you take the job?"

Grinning, Salna jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

"I already have," she said. "Thought you'd want a hand and a half blade to match Shadowsteal. Was I right?"

Why was I not surprised that she'd already gotten a look at that legendary blade?

Shrugging, I said, "I'd like it as close to Shadowsteal as you can get it. Raimie won't always be able to use the sword, and when he has to fight with another blade, I'd rather if he wasn't tripped up by a difference in length or weight."

Salna turned wistful.

"I can't believe I'm making a sword for that boy," she said. "Time was... well. Time was."

I gave her a moment to compose herself, even curious as I was about how she might know Raimie.

"When can I expect it finished?" I eventually asked.

"Hmm?"

Jerking her head up, Salna flapped a hand at me.

"It'll be done before you need it; don't you worry," she said. "If I were to guess, though, I'd say a week. Maybe. it's become my top priority, but I won't lower the quality of my work because we're short on time."

"Nor would I ask you to," I said. "A week should be fine."

"Do you have any requests for its name?" Salna asked.

I paused, narrowing my eyes.

"You want to name this sword?" I asked. "Do you want to bring its future bearers bad luck?"

"Don't be silly. I'd never wish such a thing on anyone," Salna said, "but it will belong to a king. It needs a name."

Making a face, I said, "Fine, but you have to choose it. I want nothing to do with cursing a sword."

"I'm thinking... Silverblade," Salna said. "Or something like that. Sound good?"

Rubbing my eyes, I released a long sigh.

"Salna, I just said I don't want anything to do with it," I said. "Now, here's your payment. I hope it helps with your back."

After digging in my cloak's pockets, I set several containers on the countertop, and Salna descended on them like an addict would on a drug of choice.

"Thank you, Rhylix," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without these salves."

With a strained smile, I said, "You're welcome. I'll see you in a week."

Patting the woman's hand, I stalked out of her shop. If I had the time, I should make more of that salve so Salna would have a stockpile when I left. If I had time...

As a broken chuckle burst from me, I hurried along. One more errand and I could go home. With trudging feet and a slight wobble, I took a path long abandoned, eventually turning down a corridor that I hadn't walked in eight years.

With sleep roaring my name, I could almost ignore the whispers rising behind me and the hostile stares directed my way. I'd expected a reaction like this, though, which made it easier to let the Zrelnach's loathing slide off my back.

What else was I supposed to do? Stay away from their quarters when the man I must meet was here?

At least with night having fallen, less warriors populated the corridors outside their rooms than normal, and I didn't need to invade their sanctuary too much. I followed laughter and the sounds of conversation to a narrow entrance, and when my shadow darkened the room behind it, silence fell while the three people inside threw sour looks at me.

"Good evening, gentlemen," I said.

With a huff, the man closest to the door—I couldn't remember his name for the life of me—strode into the corridor, roughly brushing me as he passed. This left two behind.

One of them was lounging on the bed. Bits of a metal ring peeked from beneath his tunic's hem, and noticing my eyes on that, he tugged the cloth down.

I didn't know why he'd done that. I'd gotten the damn thing in place earlier.

The other man leaned against a wall, crossing his arm across his chest. A bandage wrapped his shoulder where a second limb should go, and on viewing the two, I fought to keep from pinching my nose.

"You shouldn't be on your feet," I said to the man wrapped in black leather.

"I know. We were waiting for a cot so both of us can rest," Gistrick said. "Can I help you, Rhylix?"

"I was hoping to speak with my patient," I answered. "Privately, if possible."

With air hissing between his teeth, Gistrick looked to the other man for advice, and Aramar inclined his head. Pushing off the wall, Gistrick made to leave, but he paused as he passed me.

"Thank you for saving my life," he stiffly said.

"I wish I could have done more."

Clicking his tongue, Gistrick strode out of view, and for a moment, I merely watched Aramar fidget, perfectly aware of the tension in the air. When he looked uncomfortable enough, I glided into Gistrick's room, squeezing between the bed's foot and a wall. Once I'd settled in the corner opposite the room's entrance, I waved at Aramar's waistline.

"How are you adjusting to it?" I asked.

Aramar snapped his eyes to slits.

"Slowly," he answered. "Why are you here? Has something happened with Raimie?"

"Overall, he's fine. We'll get to him in a moment," I said. "Right now, you, not your son, are my patient, so I need to know if you're having any problems. Integration can be a tricky process."

Looking away, Aramar said, "There've been some twinges when I move, but I can handle that."

"Still. I'd like to look at it the next time you come to my clinic," I said. "You can visit Raimie while you're there."

Aramar curled his fingers into the blanket.

"He's awake, then?" he asked.

"Awake and extremely confused. I haven't seen someone as lost as him in ages. He could use an explanation from his father," I said, "as I'd like one about him at some point. He acted oddly in my clinic and those nightmares while on the way here..."

Flinching, Aramar said, "He's always had those, although they've gotten worse since his mother died. As for his behavior, he's never been normal."

Pursing my lips, I examined the man cringing in front of me. That explanation had sounded like a brush-off. Perhaps something more lay in what I'd asked about, but I couldn't explore it further. I'd pushed hard enough for now.

"I gave him a tincture to help him sleep, and with my oversight, he should be prepared for his trials within the next week," I said. "On that note, I'd ask that you withhold the news of what's happened to you, at least until after he's completed them."

Aramar whipped his gaze to me, leveling a glare.

"Of course I'm not telling him yet," he growled. "I remember my own trials perfectly well. He doesn't need anything to distract him."

Smirking, I said, "Forgive me. I had to know whether your years of sedentary living had dulled the legendary Aramar I've heard about."

"I'm as sharp as I've ever been," Aramar grumbled.

"Yes. I saw glimpses of that when you fought Teron," I said. "I have to ask. Did your talent rub off on your son? How likely is he to pass his trials? He seems tenacious enough for it."

A smile quirked Aramar's lips.

"Raimie will be fine," was all he'd say on the matter.

After a moment, I jerked my head in a nod, straightening as if to leave, but I made no move toward the entrance.

"I'm alive," I said. "I take that to mean you've kept my secret."

Aramar pulled his lips into a flat line.

"I told you I would," he said. "I don't go back on my word."

"I didn't think that would happen," I said. "I had to check anyway."

Cocking my head, I stared at Aramar, the first to learn this particular secret in a while. I could live in fear of him retracting his promise or...

Scanning him from head to foot, I sighed before sinking onto the foot of the bed.

"I know you don't trust me, and I can't blame you for it," I said. "Not only am I a stranger but I'm a... you know what. Given that, I'll understand if you don't want to answer me, but besides everything else, I am a healer. I have to ensure my patient's wellbeing, in every capacity.

"So, how are you, Aramar? In the last few days, you've lost more than anyone should and learned that your son is the subject of a foretelling.

"I know you're not ok. I suppose... I suppose I'm saying that if you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen."

I didn't think he'd take me up on the offer, especially given the role he'd held in Allanovian before retreating to the woods. So, when he turned aside with his fingers almost tearing through his tunic, I started getting up to leave.

"I trained my whole life to fulfill that blasted foretelling."

Frozen in place, I felt my mouth gaping as a red-faced man spilled his turmoil onto an unknown.

"I did my damnedest to be worthy of it because I wanted to make my dad and Eledis proud," Aramar said. "So, a part of me is sickeningly jealous of my son, and that kills me. Especially... especially...

"Alouin! His life's already been difficult enough. Have you read the foretellings about him? I know looking into the future rarely yields exact results but...

"Damn! I just wanted him... wanted us to have a quiet life. To live out our days in an empty corner of the world and hopefully, end our cursed family line with him. How... why did this happen? Why my son?"

Wet eyes begged me for an answer, and I had so many empty platitudes I could give, so many ways to cultivate a potential ally, but when I met Aramar's gaze, something ripped that plan to shreds. The stirrings my heart had experienced over the last few days decided they'd had enough of my placidity. They squeezed my chest, hard enough that I couldn't breathe, and only truth could emerge from my closed-off throat.

"Life is a bitch," I said. "She's always throwing challenges at you, expecting you to trip, and when you don't, she brings them on more quickly until all you can do is fall."

This was truth, and from his drooping head, Aramar must know it. It wasn't the whole truth, though.

"The great thing about being alive, however, is that when life sends you skidding across the ground, you can get back up and spit blood in her face," I continued. "Persist long enough with this refusal to surrender, and life will impart a gift to you rather than a challenge.

"Finding a love so deep that your core aches when you're not with them. Swapping stories with friends as close to you as brothers. The birth of a child whose significance might one day eclipse your own. In my humble opinion, these glorious moments in life far overshadow the times when she makes you fall.

"I don't know why Raimie is a foretold child or why you've lost all that you have, Aramar. I can't tell you why life is the way it is, but I know that if you rise from this, something wonderful awaits you. You just have to fight for it."

Tears threatened to fall from Aramar's eyes, and sniffing, he rubbed them away.

"You're wise for someone so young," he said.

I managed to wrangle my manic giggles under control before Aramar lowered his hands.

"Thank you," he said. "I wasn't sure about sharing my troubles with you, but I'm glad I did."

"Any time."

Slapping my knees, I got to my feet.

"I expect to see you in my clinic-"

Someone burst into the room, catching his stumble on the bed with a single arm.

"You need to come with me," Gistrick gasped, fixing his eyes on Aramar.

"What? Why-?"

"It's Raimie," Gistrick said. "He got in a fight. With a Zrelnach."

Cursing, Aramar lifted a hand for help to his feet while I slapped a palm to my face, groaning. This ally was going to kill me.

TTS Chapter Thirteen

Chapter 14: Unpleasant First Encounters

Raimie

I wasn't sure what woke me up. Save for the occasional spatter of water outside, Rhylix's clinic was silent as the grave, and yet, a frustrated scream was ringing in my ears. In my head.

And I could swear that I knew this voice. Listening to its noiseless echoes, I wondered why I felt different, why that voice made me...

Whole.

The sense of wrong ever hovering over me wavered while a trickle filled the hole inside, but when that bouncing shout faded, what I'd known for my entire life snapped back into place, and I whimpered. Alouin, for a moment there... for a moment...

I couldn't stay here.

After struggling to my feet, I glanced through the cave’s slotted windows, frowning when I saw distant stars over a darkened forest. Had I slept through the day again, or had that silent scream overcome Rhylix’s tincture?

That silent scream...

Spinning on my heel, I tottered toward the clinic’s exit. A hall lay beyond it, and using its wall as a support, I slowly made my way forward, out of breath when I reached the end.

Damn, but I was drained. Maybe I should have stayed in bed, but if I had, I’d have tossed and turned while trying to sleep. I’d eventually have lain awake thinking about the scream in my head. Thinking about a brush with a sense of completion. Thinking about how… wrong, broken, torn, wrong, INCOMPLETE-

Gasping, I turned onto the next corridor. I hadn’t gnawed at the emptiness inside of me for years, learning to ignore it through trial and error. Learning how to keep its existence a secret the hard way.

And every time it shoved its way into my awareness, I’d looked at it and known something should go there.

But I didn’t know what that could be, and I doubted I ever would. So, as I’d done every time this had happened in the past, I ran from it. Or stumbled in this case.

Soon enough, Esela started filling the warren around me, and I forced myself to focus on the strangeness of their existence rather than other things. Every new color combination in their hair tugged at my jaw, trying to make my mouth gape.

Years before, I’d read a text that had discussed how the pigment typically found in a human’s eyes was leeched into an Eselan’s hair, leaving gray behind, but while I’d believed the story, the embodiment of it didn’t match what I’d visualized.

So, I stared, but my rudeness didn’t bother me as much as it normally might because the Esela returned my attention just as avidly. Several stopped short when they spotted me, continuing to stare as I passed, and I wondered if they did that out of alarm for having a human walk down their halls or concern over my shambling state.

At the next corridor’s crossing, I encountered an Eselan wrapped in leather armor, leaning in a corner. Other Allanovian citizens kept a respectful distance from her, but for some reason, I felt drawn to this stranger, which was strange. She looked like a warrior or someone equally as hardened, someone I’d normally avoid, but still, comfort bloomed in me the closer I came to her. For her part, she merely watched me approach with a raised eyebrow.

“Hello. I hoped you could help me,” I said. “I’m looking for my father or maybe Eledis. They’d be the only other humans here. Do you know where they are?”

The Eselan woman merely stared at me, giving no indication that she’d understood what I’d said.

“Look. I know your people don’t like humans, and you have every right not to. We can be pretty awful at times,” I said, trying again. “I’ll return to Rhylix’s clinic as soon as I find my family. I need to speak with them. So, if you know where one of them is, would you kindly tell me? You don’t have to speak, just point me in the right direction.”

For a moment, I thought she’d remain an immobile statue, but she removed one arm from their fold to point down a hall.

“My thanks,” I said.

I bowed as low to her as I could before shuffling in the indicated direction, hissing all the while. After getting further down the hall, I tripped into a wall, leaning my weight into it as I panted.

This was bad. I didn’t know if I could make it back to the clinic without help. Hopefully, my father was nearby, otherwise-

“What are you doing here?”

Wincing at that high-pitched yelp, I looked for its source, finding it in a young man about my age. He was wearing black leather like the woman from before, although his set of armor was missing a few pieces, and one of his arms had been splinted, hanging in a sling.

Broken? Had Rhylix treated it?

Before now, I hadn’t been sure how fury’s heat could shine through an Eselan’s colorless eyes, but I learned how it was done with this boy. Pressing myself further into the wall, I tentatively smiled at him.

“I’m looking for my family,” I said. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”

“None of your business, human,” the Eselan spat.

They truly didn’t like my kind here.

“Ok. How can I help you, mysterious stranger?” I asked.

Gritting his teeth, the Eselan hissed, “You can go back to where you belong.”

“I’d love to,” I said, “but I’ll need help with returning to the clinic. Would you lend me your aid?”

That had been a minor provocation, and I knew it, but I couldn’t stand it when people let preconceived notions color their vision. It drove. me. up. a. wall. Seeing it in the woman hadn’t been so bad because she’d eventually helped me, as any decent person would, but this boy was acting like he’d heap nothing but derision onto me.

“I meant,” the Eselan slowly said, curling his hands into fists, “that you should return to whatever filthy corner of the world you crawled out of.”

“Hey! The forests bordering Ratchav aren’t… well. I suppose they are rather dirty by nature, aren’t they?”

Chuckling, I gleefully watched the boy redden. For a moment, I thought he’d attack me, but after taking a calming breath, he spun to storm away, and that might have been the end of it if I hadn’t heard him mumbling under his breath as he passed.

“Alouin damned humans with their Alouin damned social conventions. I bet it came from Fissid. Only that waste of a town-”

And my exhaustion fell away from me.

Straightening from the wall, I yelled, “Fissid was not a waste. Its people were kind and generous and… they didn’t deserve to die!”

The boy stopped, slowly turning, with the taunting grin that I’d previously worn transferred to his lips.

“That’s right. You were there when it burned to the ground,” he said. “You probably know how the fire started, don’t you?”

When I flinched, the boy rested his fingertips on his mouth.

“Oh ho, you do! Tell me what happened. Did one of the cockroach humans light a blaze too close to drying grass? Did one of them knock a lantern over, an idiotic mistake that killed everyone it knew?” he asked. “Or maybe you had something to do with it. Oh, that has to be it, doesn’t it? Did you kill all of those humans-?”

I’d been trying not to lose my temper. I’d gripped its trailing end with a persistence I hadn’t known I possessed, digging my heels in, but as this boy had spoken of people I’d once known, their faces had flashed into my mind’s eye.

Teron cut Arabella’s throat again. She fell into the dirt again, and her blood stained it.

And I lost my hold.

I didn’t scream or yell. I didn’t throw a punch. White hot fury ate through my thoughts, through me, and everything I was became instinct.

Chopping at the boy, I drove him into a wall, rolling to press my forearm into his neck. I pressed down, cutting off his air supply , but the Eselan didn’t panic like most people would. He jabbed at my ribs near their break, and with my eyes watering, I stumbled back with a hiss. Almost, I leapt onto the boy again, but the shock in his eyes dampened the burn in me, enough for me to hesitate.

“You attacked me,” he said.

Again, the fire in me receded, and I opened my mouth to apologize.

“I guess humans are just animals, like we’ve been told,” the boy continued. “Eating, drinking, fighting, fucking. That’s all you care about. Was there a girl in Fissid that you were rutting? Or maybe a boy. Who am I to judge? Did you get your fuck partner killed?”

Was he trying to make me attack again? Because I wouldn’t.

Sure, the world had taken on a red tinge, but I’d learned my lesson. Hell, when was the last time I’d flown off the handle like that? I couldn’t remember.

I knew the best way to resolve this situation, the one I should have taken when the boy had first confronted me.

Bowing to him, I said, “I'm sorry for my behavior and for giving offense. I’d offer to make it up to you, but I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t want that. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll remove myself from your presence.”

With my hand on a stone wall, I headed in the direction that I’d been walking before, waiting for exhaustion to overcome the rush that I’d found in anger. I’d have to shuffle again soon enough.

The scrape of leather on stone gave me a split second to know that the boy wouldn’t let me walk away. With a quiet groan, I half-turned to apologize again, but it was too late. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I went down. I hit the ground with the boy landing on top of me, and my ribs, having barely begun the healing process, splintered further.

With a muted shriek, I bucked against what had pinned me, but that did nothing. The boy straddled my waist, swinging a fist at my face, but because I jerked my head to the side, the blow only glanced along my cheek. It still hurt, but even with that addition of pain, I was aware enough to hook my leg around the Eselan, shifting my hips, and losing his balance, he tumbled away from me.

Freed, I rolled in the opposite direction, frantically picking at the bandages around my hands. If the boy truly meant to fight, I couldn’t be impeded by this cloth, no matter how much more damage exposing my wounds might do.

I’d gotten halfway through unwinding one bandage when the boy came at me again. As his blurry body careened for me, something that looked like Bright flickered into being beside him. I barely had time to notice this before jumping out of his path.

“Please, stop!” I cried. “I don’t want to fight you.”

Behind the boy, the Eselan woman from before sauntered into view, and I frantically waved. She, however, merely grinned and leaned her shoulder against the rock.

Did everyone in this damn place want to see me hurt? Well, everyone but Rhylix.

In range again, the boy snarled, swinging for my face.

“Lyli’s dead,” he growled, “because of humans. Because of you.”

“Are you kidding me?” I snapped.

No more playing nice, not when the boy refused to do the same. With one hand free, I grabbed for his sling and tugged. As he stumbled toward me, I stepped to the side, seizing his splinted arm. I hauled against it in the opposite direction, and howling, the Eselan backpedaled until he hit the wall.

Driving my fist into his stomach, I shouted, “It’s not my fault! None of it! Fissid. Your Lyli. Stop blaming me for things I didn’t do.”

The boy dropped to the ground, becoming a limp pile at my feet, and my next punch, already sent flying, drove my knuckles into stone. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, and when the boy smashed into my legs, toppling me, my teeth nearly came together while a trickle of blood dripped down my throat.

We were back where we’d begun, and as I gazed up at the boy’s misty form, wondering if we’d repeat everything that we’d already done, figures of shadow and light coalesced on either side of him.

Dim and Bright? What were they-?

An expanding patch of darkness preceded sharp pain in my nose and cheeks, and throwing my hands over my face, I growled, finished with this fight, finished with people who would judge me for things I’d never done, finished with life’s sudden desire to turn me into its  sparring dummy.

“LEAVE. ME.-” I began in a roar.

Weight was lifted off of me, and something hooked under my arms, jerking me upright. A voice, both new and familiar, was shouting at me, but the words had become fuzz when faced with the rush of furious power coursing through me.

Where was the threat? I had to see it neutralized, destroyed, wiped from existence. Distantly, I was aware of air pushing through my throat, scrubbing it raw, and the awful noise booming around me, but this bottled-up anger had to go somewhere. I couldn’t keep hold of it forever. I had to leak it from me, force it out, throw it like an arrow at the person-shaped blob opposite me.

From out of nowhere, peace splashed into me, and slowly, gradually, it beat back the storm that had me in its clinging grip. To the time of my slowing heartbeat, I regained awareness of my surroundings, and on noting them, I flinched.

What the hell had I just gotten myself into?

TTS Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 15: Explain Yourself

Raimie

Over the course of my fight, several Esela had crowded into the hall, forming a person-high barrier on either side. Opposite me, the boy—my opponent—was glaring daggers my way, restrained by my father.

My father who was looking at me like I was a monster.

Shrinking on myself, I noticed that someone had wrapped their arm around my chest, which was perhaps the only reason I wasn’t on the ground. Craning my head to see its owner, I met gray eyes in a pasty face with red and green hair framing it.

“Rhylix,” I rasped.

Giving me a quick smile, the Eselan lifted his chin toward a commotion with his features turning grim.

“What in the void happened here?”

A woman with a purple sheen to her hair pushed through the onlookers. She was wearing the same outfit as the boy and the other woman. Considering this was the third time I’d seen it, I wondered if that sheathe of black leather could be a uniform of some type.

When in the cleared space between once brawling teenagers, she rested her hands on her hips, looking between us with a raised eyebrow.

“Well?” she snapped.

The boy squirmed in my father’s hold, getting nowhere in the process.

“I was just returning the human to where it belongs, commander,” he said before once more struggling to break free. “Let me go, you- you-”

“Honorary Zrelnach?” my father said.

“What?” the boy squeaked. “That can’t be-”

“Dath! Stop talking,” Rhylix growled.

Against my back, his body felt tense, transmitting that apprehension directly into me. What sort of mess had I gotten myself into, and how did I get through it unscathed?

The commander transferred her gaze to me, and I shivered. Damn, she’d mastered the scornful look.

“What say you?” she asked.

Oh, hell. What should I say? What would have this commander blaming the fight on Dath, keeping myself from punishment as a result?

No. What was the right answer?

“It was my fault. I provoked him, but he ignored me, would have gone about his day if I hadn’t challenged him. I attacked first. In the context of Allanovian’s culture, he was completely in the right,” I said. “The only thing that I might say in my defense is that I’m not completely in my right mind at the moment, but that’s no excuse for my behavior. I’m sorry for it, and I’m sorry, Dath, to have caused you trouble.”

My last word faded, letting a heavy silence fall. Dath looked like he wanted to break it, but Rhylix’s rebuke kept his mouth shut. Meanwhile, Rhylix had gone even more stiff while the corners of my father’s eyes had crinkled, the only sign of his worry.

“Hmm,” the commander said. “Everybody out. Trainee, go to your quarters.”

The hall emptied so quickly that I was half-curious if someone had seen signs of an eminent tunnel collapse. Meanwhile, my father reluctantly released Dath.

Huffing, the trainee straightened his uniform before joining the people streaming away from the site of conflict, and when most onlookers had disappeared, Rhylix loosened his grip on me. I clung to his arm before he could let go.

“Please, don’t,” I said. “I’ll fall without your help.”

Rhylix released a heavy sigh, contorting his body to where my arm was slung over his shoulders, before taking halting steps toward the commander. Once the four of us had converged, she made to speak, but my father got there first.

“What really happened?” he said. “I know you, son. You don’t lose your temper lightly.”

Hi, dad. So glad to see you’re alive. How did you find me in Fissid?

These greetings were laid aside. Maybe I could return to them soon but for now…

“It happened like I said,” I insisted. “He stopped me while I was looking for you, and I needled him because… well, like you said, you know me. He was the better person, tried to walk away, but while he did, he said some unkind things about Fissid, and I lost it, attacking him. He managed to subdue me, I apologized, meaning to leave, and… you can gather the rest.”

Crossing his arms, my father turned on the commander.

“See?” he said.

“Mm,” was all she said.

She stared at me as if trying to peel away layers, but I didn’t have many to shed.

“Let the first trial decide it, Ferin,” Rhylix said. “It’ll save everyone face.”

She narrowed her eyes with calculation taking place in them.

“As always, you provide the best suggestions, Rhy. We’ll do as you say,” she said. “Get your patient ready for it. How long do you think the human will need?”

“Both of my patients will need time to heal,” Rhylix said, “but they’ll be ready for the trial within a week or two.”

Sharply nodding, Ferin said, “Very well. Let me know when we can start.”

With nothing more, she marched off, and after she rounded a corner, I badly wanted to jump at my father, hugging him to make sure he was really ok. Before I could, however, Rhylix started us back toward the clinic.

When I opened my mouth to ask a question, he said, “Let’s get you in a cot first.”

After checking whether my father was trailing us, I decided to oblige the request. Once in the clinic, though, I waited until my father was close by so I could make an unsteady leap for him, one that he barely caught.

“I’m so glad to see you, dad,” I said. “I thought for sure that something terrible had happened to you, and if it had, I wasn’t sure what I’d do.”

My father stiffened, and as he did, something around his waist poked into my stomach. Before I could ask about it, though, he plopped me onto a cot.

“I’m glad to see you too, Raimie,” he said, “but how could you do something so stupid?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I said, “I know, I know. I’m an idiot.”

After dropping a chair beside the cot, Rhylix pointed my father into it before helping me get propped against a wall.

“I’m more interested in why you were awake in the first place,” he said. “The sleeping tincture I gave you should have kept you out until the morning at least.”

For the briefest moment, what I’d fled this clinic to escape slammed into me, and I avoided looking at my father as I shrugged.

“Something woke me up?” I said. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm.”

Oo, Rhylix looked like he knew I’d lied to him, but thankfully, he didn’t press it. Perhaps once my father had gone, I could elaborate for him, but for now, he’d have to deal with uncertainty.

“I have questions,” I said.

Slumping in his chair, my father said, “I figured you would. Go ahead and ask them. I’ll answer as many as I can.”

But where to start? So much of the confusion swirling through my mind dealt with things that I couldn’t share.

Who would understand the strange knowing that I’d experienced about certain topics, the reason I’d never doubted the story about my family’s origins?

In this abandoned corner of the world, where the unusual was violently rejected, how could I speak a word about Bright and Dim? I didn’t want to get strung up for something I had no control over. So, what else could I ask about?

“For how inquisitive you were earlier, you’re certainly quiet now,” Rhylix said.

He was fiddling with supplies on a desk near his cot.

“I’m gathering my thoughts, thank you very much,” I said, “but you’re right. I should get started. So, dad. Why do you have friends in a place I’ve never visited before today? Why are you an… what did you call it? Honorary Zrelnach?”

Scrunching his eyebrows together, my father said, “That’s not where I thought you’d start, but in answer, you have visited Allanovian before. When you were small, we’d come here every year, but that stopped in your youth. I’m not surprised you don’t remember.

“As for the Zrelnach thing, it’s something that everyone in the family has done since Allanovian was founded, our way of showing our Eselan subjects that we’re still dedicated to taking our kingdom back.”

I wanted to ask why we’d stopped visiting, why I hadn’t been expected to become a Zrelnach too, and why my family had isolated itself as much as we had, but something else seemed more important.

“About the whole wresting Auden from Doldimar thing,” I said, “do we have a plan for that, or are we rushing in willy-nilly? I’m already hesitant to challenge someone who was powerful enough to overthrow our family before.”

With a sigh, my father pinched his nose.

“You’ll have to ask Eledis about that,” he said. “I gave up on the Auden side of our lives years ago, but he never has. I’m sure he has a plan that will get us across the Narrow Sea, at least. Alouin, I never thought this would happen in my lifetime.”

Leaning on his knees, he rubbed his face, and I realized that my father was probably just as lost as me. He might know more about our family’s history, but while we’d lived in the woods, it had never come up, falling to the wayside for him. Shadowsteal’s discovery had uprooted his life as much as it had for me.

“Ok. Let’s set aside the big picture for now,” I said. “Rhy told me that I’ll be participating in trials of some sort, and that Ferin woman mentioned them too. What exactly am I expected to do?”

My father’s face darkened, but before he could say a word, Rhylix glided to us from his desk, laying a hand on my father’s shoulder.

“May I?” he asked.

With a nervous chuckle, my father gestured to me.

“Please,” he said.

Nodding, Rhylix sank onto the end of my cot, folding his hands in his lap. He stared at them for a moment before lifting his gaze.

“The Zrelnach trials are how Allanovian tests a trainee’s aptitude as a warrior,” he said. “There are two of them, the first of which you’ll undertake as soon as I declare you fit for it. I’ll give you all the details I can on them, although some parts are kept secret from the examinees. So. The first trial…”

TTS Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 16: The First Trial

Raimie

Waiting in a small chamber beneath the mountain, I paced between its walls, rubbing my hands together while I chewed on my lip. Over a week had passed since I’d learned what Allanovian’s Council expected of me, and the thought of it still had me weighing the option of fleeing the village instead.

I’d decided that these people were crazy, absolutely insane, but from everything Eledis had shared during his visits to the clinic, I didn’t think I could ignore them. With Shadowsteal alerting Teron and anyone else of Audish descent to its return, its bearer would ever be hunted, and no matter how much I might want to, I couldn’t abandon the sword, not when someone else could inherit my unfortunate fate. So, I was stuck with this hell unless I could change my circumstances.

At the moment, the best method of doing that was by challenging Doldimar, Auden’s Dark Lord, for his throne, something that I couldn’t do by myself. I needed an army, and Allanovian’s Zrelnach would make a great base for one. They, however, would never follow someone they didn’t respect, and the easiest way of earning that respect was to become one of them.

So, I’d undertake these trials. Even if they’d get me killed.

“This is stupid,” I said.

I should run. At least then, I’d live through the rest of the day. That was the smart course of action.

“For the short term maybe,” I said.

But what else did I have but the short term?

As I spun for the door, meaning to sprint through it and down the hall outside, it opened with Eledis on the other side. He strode into the chamber, making it feel cramped, and engulfed me in an enthusiastic hug.

“Look at you!” he exclaimed. “About to start something that I thought would never come. I’m so proud.”

And there died all plans of fleeing.

In recent days, Eledis had oscillated between exuberance and petulance every time I’d seen him, and I was getting sick of having to predict his mood. Even so, I was glad to see him on this end of the spectrum instead of the opposite. When he was pleased, I could usually ask him more sensitive questions.

Like this one.

“Are you sure this is necessary?” I asked. “I don’t know how to fight, Eledis. Dath will tear me apart.”

I expected a lecture on believing in myself or some such nonsense, but I got a smirk instead.

“Your lack of training is why I’ve brought you this,” Eledis said.

He unhooked the sword on his belt.

A week ago, I’d found my grandfather’s armed state a bit odd. Considering humans weren’t supposed to carry weapons in this city, the fact that my family members had been bearing a sword and a bow had niggled in my mind for days, but after much consideration, I’d concluded that Eledis and my father must be two of the humans Rhylix had mentioned, the ones privileged enough to break that rule. With a plausible answer in hand, I’d discarded my curiosity.

Still, after a lifetime of seeing nothing more dangerous than a carving knife on either of them, I went rigid when Eledis laid a sword, scabbard and all, across his palms, and it wasn’t merely because of which sword he’d offered to me.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I tightly said. “The last time I touched Shadowsteal…”

Our lives had turned upside down.

“You need a weapon. Dath will have one, and during the trial, you’ll be allowed one as well. What better sword for you to wield than yours, Raimie?” Eledis said. “Besides, every story about the blade says that its bearers become nigh invincible on the battlefield. Not indestructible, mind you. Merely undefeatable.”

“And I’m supposed to believe a bunch of stories?” I said with my voice rising in pitch.

He couldn’t be serious. Please, Alouin, say he wasn’t serious.

Rolling his eyes, Eledis bounced the sword on his palms.

“What’s the harm in using Shadowsteal, kid?” he asked.

Plenty. What if I saw the same thing that I had when I’d last touched the blade? If various shades of illumination came to overlay the world again, what was I supposed to do? I still didn’t know what the phenomenon was or what had caused it.

But Eledis had made a good point. I was a novice warrior about to take on a well-trained opponent in what, at times, became a fight to the death. I needed every advantage I could get, no matter how small or unreliable it might be, and damn what might happen.

So, sighing, I wrapped my hand in my sleeve before accepting Shadowsteal from my grandfather.

“Thank you for bringing it,” I said, hanging the sword from my belt.

“Of course!” Eledis said. “I look forward to watching you fight. Kick the bastard’s ass.”

I didn’t want to, though. Once Eledis had left and I’d resumed my pacing, I considered all the ways I could have avoided this fight, primarily with how I’d responded to Dath in the first place. I wish I could simply apologize to the boy and make up for my offense, but Allanovian’s Council had spoken, and I doubted I could change their minds.

After what seemed like forever, an Eselan woman, clothed in the Zrelnach uniform, leaned into the chamber.

“We’re ready for you,” she said.

Well, I wasn’t ready, but I doubted I ever would be. Taking a calming breath, I followed my guide into the hall, and we threaded through several corridors, none of which I’d seen before.

When we entered a tunnel with a set of large doors at its end, I wrinkled my nose.

I knew this scene like I’d known the gray of Rhylix’s eyes. Where could I have seen it before, though? Partially shoved open, the stone doors hid what lay behind them, and as I reached the gap between the two, I examined them. Where had I seen these-?

Oh.

“I need you to come with me.”

My father guides me down the village’s tunnels. Fever has loosened its grip on me, and although my head holds nothing but fuzz, I can walk without help. Even still, two gray-eyed men insist on doing that, pulling me along by the elbows.

I don’t like it. Their ‘help’ makes my father’s request seem more like a command, and something about that...

A wave of dizziness makes me stumble, slowing me down. All I want right now is to sleep. What’s the fastest way for me to get back to my cot?

Stopping in my tracks, I yank my arms free of the gray-eyed men.

“Where are we going, dad?” I ask.

My father clenches his jaw, gesturing, and the gray-eyed men grab my arms and legs. They lift me off of the ground, and in my shock, I fail to struggle. Only once I’m airborne do I scream and wiggle and shift. What’s going on?

Before I can answer that question, we pass through stone doors, ones that slam closed behind us.

How had I forgotten about that? I remembered the animal panic of that moment, the sense of betrayal.

I knew better now. At the time, my father had only been helping me, but hell, if the memory didn’t still smart.

The Eselan woman cleared her throat, and giving myself a quick shake, I hurried into the room behind the doors.

Larger than I’d expected, the cavern contained what looked like a village-full of people. Instead of having scattered throughout the room, however, they were crowded on the ramps that rose around its perimeter, starting near where I stood. Wood planks, decorated with many a blade’s scoring mark, lined the ramp’s lower walls, and the circular arena in their midst had a thin layer of sand coating its floor.

The highest point of these ramps, set opposite the doors, stood about half of my height above my head. There, four Eselan, one of whom I knew, sat behind a table with paper atop it.

As I strode into this scene, so many eyes fixed on me that I nearly tripped. Desperately, I sought someone friendly among a host of hostile eyes, and eventually, I found this in sources both expected and not.

As he’d promised, Eledis was there, positioned near the foot of one ramp, and my father was standing nearby. Both of them gave me encouraging nods.

The one-armed Eselan beside my father watched me with seeming neutrality, but by chewing on his lip, he betrayed his anxiety, which was strange considering I didn’t know him.

Rhylix was leaning against the wall further up the ramp with a bubble of empty space around him, and when my eyes landed on him, he fluttered his fingers in a wave.

Besides these four men, I saw only undisguised hatred, most especially coming from the people behind the table. Ferin, the one Council member I knew, looked bored, picking under her fingernails with a knife, and one of the men beside her had succeeded in concealing his emotions but the other two…

Shivering, I made for the chamber’s center, and once there, I held perfectly still. If I did nothing, it shouldn’t offend the Esela around me, right? Alouin, the further into this venture that I trod, the more it seemed like a horrible idea.

The crunch of footsteps soon led to a familiar boy coming to a stop beside me. He glanced at me without a single change in his expression, and at the sight of him, I shifted, resting one hand on Shadowsteal’s hilt.

Better, always better, to be prepared for a fight, and I was ready. I felt ready, which was strange.

Frowning, I shook my head to clear it while one of the Councilmen started speaking.

“We have before us two trainees who have challenged for the right to become Zrelnach. Since all Council members find this challenge acceptable, we are gathered…”

Too tense to listen, I glanced at Dath, and the Councilman’s voice faded to a distant murmur. Behind the boy, I picked out two familiar faces from among the people on the crowded ramp. Two twins of me.

The first, engulfed in black clothes, mimed a passionately given speech, one to match the Councilman’s, while the second, draped in white, watched this display with pinched lips, crossed arms, and many a headshake.

After a few seconds, the one in black grew bored of mocking the orator, threading through the Esela to pinch and otherwise irritate them. With an eyeroll, the twin in white shifted toward the Council, presumably to give them its respectful attention, but instead, it met my gaze, which only sent me deeper into panic’s grip.

Cocking its head, the twin in white said, “He sees us. Finally.”

Ceasing all attempts at agitating the crowd, the twin in black scuttled to the ramp’s edge, crouching with its wrists hanging from its knees.

“Would you look at that! You’re right,” it said. “Silly, that. Not only will we have to explain ourselves all over again, but he hasn’t outgrown his poor timing. Fight’s about to start.”

Plopping to the ground, the twin in black thrust its legs over the ramp’s edge, swinging them with a happy hum, and through my heart’s loud jitter, I found the presence of mind to wonder what it had meant.

Huffing, both twins pointed to a spot in front of me, and dragging my gaze away from them, I gasped, barely jumping backward in time to keep from being cleaved in two. In my distraction, the rematch must have begun, and I’d started it on the wrong foot.

Backpedaling, I pulled Shadowsteal out of its scabbard before a second strike could land, and on catching Dath’s blade, I frantically looked for an opening. This wasn’t like my fist fight with the boy. Not only was it more deadly, but instinct wasn’t guiding me this time, as evidenced by Dath nearly disarming me when he pulled away.

Alouin, this was bad. I knew from my reading that sword fights usually lasted a few seconds. Unless I got lucky in the next couple of heartbeats, I was likely living my last moments, so I took the only course of action that might extend them.

I ran.

Not turn-my-back-and-flee running. No, I bolted to the side, leaving Dath stunned for a split second, and if I were a better warrior, maybe I could have taken advantage of the opening.

As it was, Dath snarled, chasing me more quickly than I’d expected. As he came near, he sent his fist flying, which had pain flaring in my jaw, and I spun, crashing into the ramp’s wall.

Before I could move, fire lanced into my shoulder, and screaming, I tried to escape that searing pain, nearly as bad as what had once marred my hands. Unfortunately, something unseen jerked me to a stop, building the blaze.

While I glanced over my shoulder, applause filled the air, and at what I saw, a strange mixture of emotions turned my vision white. Dath was spinning in a circle nearby, accepting his people’s praise, but what set my eye twitching was the sword—Dath’s I assumed—sticking out of my shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, I reached behind me.

“Why the fuck—” I started with a growl.

When something popped in my shoulder, it almost turned my legs to water, leaving my arm a breath from becoming useless, but because of it, my reach extended, letting me touch the hilt of Dath’s sword.

“—would you leave a weapon in an opponent who’s still breathing?” I finished.

Tugging, I pulled the blade free. The world darkened for a moment while steel thumped into the sand, and with survival instincts pushing me, I whirled toward Dath in an already spinning room. Leaping on his back, I bit into his neck, and the sudden addition of my weight sent him staggering, toppling him face-first onto the ground.

With my opponent’s legs trapped between my knees, I caught Dath’s wrists, and as I dragged his hands to the middle of his back, my shoulder screamed. I balanced between these points of contact while Dath struggled, trying to buck me off, but that wasn’t happening, not with him so securely pinned.

When the trainee fell still, the deepest silence I’d ever heard fell, broken only by our panting and the drip of blood from my wound, and in this hush, my twins strode into view. The one in black crouched beside Dath’s face, and seeing the fury in the trainee’s eyes, it pattered its hands together.

“Kill him!”

It flashed a beaming grin at me.

“You don’t need another enemy.”

The dark twin was right. So many people already wanted me dead. How could I let another one live?

With its arms folded behind its back, the twin in white stood over Dath, gazing upon him impassively.

“If you end him, you’ll make a foe of this community. You’ve passed your trial. Walk away from this.”

The bright twin was right. If I killed one of Allanovian’s sons, the city would tear me apart. How could I bring that upon myself?

But in the glare Dath was flinging my way, I saw the promise of death.

“You’re both right,” I said.

Hefting Shadowsteal, I lightly smacked its pommel into Dath’s temple, and his body slackened.

Getting to my feet was one of the hardest things that I’d done in ages. It was a miracle that I maintained my hold on Shadowsteal, much less tilted it the small amount needed to tap the sword’s point to my opponent’s neck.

“I give you Mercy,” I said.

Spinning, I stumbled to where the fight had started, trembling from head to foot while I waited for dismissal. From the corner of his eye, I noted Eledis’ approving nod, my father’s pinched eyes, and Rhylix…

Where had Rhylix gone?

The Councilman who’d begun the proceedings rose from his chair, leaving his fingers resting on the table.

“Well done, young one,” he said. “Rest up. We’ll summon you once we’ve prepared your second trial.”

He sat once more, and swaying in place, I fumbled with slipping thoughts, struggling to work out what I should do next. When someone took my elbow, I didn’t have the energy to flinch while the dullest pang of surprise bloomed in my chest.

Someone had snuck up on me? That hadn’t happened in years.

“This way,” Rhylix said behind me.

Ah. That was where he’d gone.

In shuffling steps, we made our way to the clinic with other Esela soon passing us, and the entire time, Rhylix muttered to himself.

“Stupid. It’s a miracle either of you is alive. How the hell did you dislocate your shoulder from that position? It shouldn’t be possible. Unless you’ve done it several times before? No. That’s silly. But this is why letting children play with weapons is a bad idea…”

When we stepped into Rhylix’s clinic, I said, “Are you always this much of a mother hen?”

“I’m not a-”

Rhylix breathed out through his nose.

“Sit down. I need to-”

“Hold this,” I interrupted.

I slapped Shadowsteal to Rhylix’s chest while a sudden urge to yawn overwhelmed me. As I did so, I lifted my hands overhead, reaching one of them toward the opposite shoulder, and again, something popped. Most of the heat that had been igniting my mind turned to coals, to be replaced with exhaustion.

“How did you-?” Rhylix started.

But I didn’t let him finish. The trance-like state that I’d assumed bade me to sleep, so I wove to a cot, pulled its blankets aside, and fell into it.

“That went… better than I…”

My body freed my mind from its pain.

TTS Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 17: Sentence Handed Down

Rhylix

Please, Eriadren, forgive yourself for something you had no control over.

Left holding a sword as familiar to me as my body, I thanked my lucky stars that I’d remembered to keep the damn thing away from my bare skin, clutching it to my chest with sleeve-coated arms. I didn’t know how Raimie had been able to touch it without experiencing its typically imparted ability, but the utterly delightful bafflement that the teenager had presented around every corner only watered the small seedling of hope that was growing in me.

As expected, people soon started bustling into my clinic with Eledis and Aramar coming first. While Aramar hurried to his son’s bedside, I approached Eledis, extending Shadowsteal to him from between my wrists.

“Here. Take this,” I said.

Eledis gave me an odd look, but he accepted the sword, thank the gods.

“How is he?” he asked.

“Besides a severe case of idiocy that makes me constantly wonder at his continued breathing state?” I said. “He’s fine. I’ll dress the shoulder wound soon, but I expect more people besides you to crowd this clinic in the next hour.”

Folding his arms, Eledis said, “Idiot he may be, but I thought Raimie fought fairly well back there, considering his lack of training.”

Yes. Everyone in this family insisted that Raimie was a baby fighter, but I was finding that claim increasingly difficult to believe. Some of the moves he’d pulled in the two struggles I’d watched only came with a basic understanding of how to subdue one’s opponents.

But sure. Raimie had never learned how to fight.

“He has Audish blood in him, that’s for sure,” I said. “Only certain types of people understand the value of survival over fighting fair, and he’s one of them, thank Alouin. He’ll do well in Auden once he’s adjusted to life there.”

Casting a sidelong glance at me, Eledis asked, “What do you know of Auden?”

With a smile as my only answer, I gathered Aramar from Raimie’s cot.

“He’ll be fine, I assure you,” I said. “I’ll get him ready for his second trial, but in the meantime, you two can’t be here. Allanovian’s Council would have a fit if they found you in this clinic. They’d claim you were helping him cheat.”

“We wouldn’t do that! I only want to be beside my son, damnit,” Aramar hissed.

“I know that you could never be so conniving, but I’m not the one you’d have to convince,” I said. “Trust me with your son, Aramar. Since we met, I’ve fixed him up when he’s been injured, haven’t I?”

After giving me a piercing stare, Aramar sighed.

“Ok.”

He rubbed his face before slapping his hands to his thighs.

“Ok,” he repeated. “Let’s get out of here, Eledis.”

But the old man lingered after Aramar had departed.

“If you hurt Raimie,” he said, “I will kill you.”

Oh, gods. We’d already gotten to that part, had we? Struggling to keep from laughing, I displayed a pleasant smile for Eledis.

“You’ll try,” I said.

Sniffing, Eledis followed Aramar, and I started gathering the supplies I’d soon need.

“Are you there?” I said.

At the prompt, my constant nuisance stepped into view.

“I’m always here,” it said.

Lowering my tools, I leaned on my desk while glaring at the pesky annoyance.

“What in the void is wrong with my ally?” I growled.

Cocking its head, my constant nuisance asked, “Whatever do you mean?”

Lifting a scalpel, I advanced on it, jabbing the sharp edge into its face.

“Don’t play coy with me. You know what I mean,” I said. “He has two of you lot, one from either side, and their appearances have been intermittent and distinctly not right. Gods, he’s calling on the power behind them without knowing what he’s doing. It’s not right. He’s not right, and you know it. So, tell me why, or I swear to the gods, I will banish you from the physical plane for the rest of this cycle.”

For the length of my rant, my constant nuisance had merely blinked at me, and once I was finished, it slowly shook its head.

“I don’t know. Truly,” it said. “You know where I come from. You know I cannot lie. I’m telling you, I… we have no clue what to make of this human.”

Well, fuck. Its ignorance was both terrifying and exhilarating. Finally. Something new.

“Will you watch him, please?” I asked. “At least until his splinters…”

Hmm. What was the best word to describe what I desperately hoped would soon happen to them?

“Stabilize?” I said.

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” my constant nuisance said.

“Good,” I said. “Because I’ll likely be… busy for the rest of the day.”

“I know,” my constant nuisance said with sorrow in its voice.

It was sorry? It and its many cohorts had forced me into this life…

Holy hell. Wait a second. Was that anger?

Giggling, I waved my constant nuisance out of view. Damn, this go ‘round kept getting better and better.

Eventually, someone brought Dath to me, and I treated both boys, wondering when the expected summons would come. When it did, it arrived by means of someone I’d least anticipated.

“Hey, Rhy,” Ferin said from my clinic’s entrance. “How’re the idiots?”

Hiding my surprise, I pointed to each boy in turn.

“Concussion from where Raimie tried to smash his head in. He’ll be out of commission for a few more weeks, so please, don’t put him through his second trial until then,” I said. “Minor lacerations and a hole in his shoulder. I’ve packed it and stitched up his cuts. He’ll be good to go as soon as he wakes up.”

“Fantastic. The Council’s ready for this catastrophe to end,” Ferin said before shifting in place. “They’d like to speak with you.”

“I know,” I said.

I finished collecting everything I might need while Ferin gaped at me.

“You know?” she squeaked.

“Mmhmm,” I said with a nod. “Pretty sure I know what they want with me too.”

“And you’re… ok with it?” Ferin asked with her voice strangled.

I snorted.

“No, of course not,” I said, “but I doubt I can change their minds, especially since you came to retrieve me. I might as well get it over with.”

“Rhy…”

“Ferin, the people of Allanovian despise me,” I said. “No matter how demeaning doing this might typically be, it won’t change their opinions of me, and as you said, it’ll move this farce along.”

“But the reason they hate you is stupid,” Ferin said. “It’s not fair.”

Finished with my preparations, I rounded on her, letting some of my weariness peek through my mask.

“Who told you life’s fair? It’s not. Never has been, never will be,” I said. “Look, there’s no point in discussing this. Can we please just go?”

Swallowing, Ferin said, “Sure.”

She led me to the same room where the Council had put me on trial a little over a week ago, the room where I’d offered to act as a scapegoat for them. It seemed they’d decided how I could serve in that capacity, but then, I knew of only one ‘punishment’ that would satisfy the Council’s needs.

The three men on the Council were clustered together like they had been before, and when I entered the room, a gleam filled Hemly and Yrit’s eyes. Before either of them could open their mouths to gloat, Ferin cut them off.

“He already knows what you want,” she snapped.

Hemly spun on her with his teeth gritted.

“You told him?” he hissed.

“No, he knew before I got to him. Guessed it even,” Ferin said. “I suppose you and Yrit are just that predictable.”

Shafoth, having never taken his eyes off of me, cocked his head.

“She speaks the truth?” he said.

Nodding, I said, “To your utter surprise, I’m sure, Raimie has passed his first trial, which means his second is imminent. If I remember correctly, it requires a Joining, something that I hoped you’d modify, considering he’s human. Who knows what a Joining will do to him? In the past, Allanovian has altered the second trial for those of his race. Why not for him? Is it because if he passes, you’ll have to admit that he’s the foretold child? I know how much of an upheaval that would bring to this city.”

No one would answer me, so I shook my head.

“That’s what I thought,” I continued. “In any case, no Allanovian citizen will volunteer to Join with a human, and on top of that, no one here has true combat experience, not like I do. Despite how much you might protest it, all of you want to test Raimie’s aptitude, in case he is what you think, and so, you turn to me.

“As you wish, I’ll Join with Raimie, but to gain a memory appropriate for what you desire, I’ll have to resort to… extreme measures. Most of you will insist on staying while I do this, of course, but I’d advise any of you who are squeamish to reconsider. I don’t want to cause you undue stress.”

I was already dealing with enough of my own tension as it was. Ever, I’d excelled at compartmentalization, but the first step in this type of Joining—extracting a traumatic memory, written into my blood—might collapse the walls I’d built around myself.

If they came down, my past would crash over me, and I wouldn’t pass through it entirely sane. In fact, I’d become a gibbering husk of myself for far too long afterward. It had happened often enough before.

“You got all of that from Ferin coming to retrieve you,” Shafoth said, as if it were a question.

No, I’d predicted this from the moment I’d made my offer to the Council, but judging from the looks on Yrit and Hemly’s faces, it was probably best to keep that close to heart.

“Yes,” I said instead. “Shall we get started?”

TTS Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 18: 'Appropriate' Punishment

Rhylix

Before I lose myself again, I must set this into writing.

Glancing over the gaping Council members in front of me, I lifted an eyebrow, ready to get this show on the road.

“I’m assuming one of you has the serum for the Joining?” I asked.

Lifting a flask into view, Ferin tossed it to me, and as I downed the liquid inside, I watched the Council.

Would they stay? I didn’t mind them observing something that most would consider a humiliating experience, but I’d truly meant what I’d said in warning. They wouldn’t like what I’d have to do.

At a shift in motion on the periphery, I noted a Zrelnach squad filling the nearby corridor and nearly snorted up the liquid I’d just drank. Did they think I’d run from this? If I did, where would I go? The means to my goal currently lay insensate in my clinic. I couldn’t leave Allanovian without Raimie, and Raimie needed the Zrelnach, a good foundation for the army that he must build.

So, no. I wouldn’t have run. I hadn’t run from something like this in ages.

Tossing the empty flask back to Ferin, I stalked to the chamber’s edge, sliding down its wall to the floor. Humming under my breath, I prepared what I’d need, looping the ring of a syringe’s plunger around a thumb while holding five darning needles between my teeth. Five should be enough.

“Last chance to leave,” I said around them.

I knew Ferin wouldn’t, given her crossed arms and the stubborn set of her shoulders. Seeing it warmed me, which gave me pause. When had I last experienced that?

As for the rest, I’d hoped that some would go, but no one moved. So, I plucked a needle from my mouth with a sigh.

“Can’t say I didn’t warn you,” I said.

I slid the needle under my thumbnail, listening while a clamor rose from the others, and Ferin shouted something indecipherable.

One.

The woman I love bids me leave her to die, and I do, collapsing inside as the central support of my life is kicked free.

NO! Fuck no! Anything but that memory. Hastily shoving it aside, I snatched a needle from between my lips while Ferin screamed at me.

Two.

My brother is hanging from a tree, swaying in the breeze. Fortunately, his corpse hasn’t dangled long enough for it to bloat yet. Soon enough…

I’ll need to gather the others after I’ve cut my brother down. Hopefully, I can bury them before this sense of shock wears off.

Turning to my home’s gaping doorway, I trudge toward it. Its black hole is a suck on my essence, drawing me to the horror that I know waits within.

Better. Something that I could willingly share. Too much pain for Raimie, though.

Motion had started in the chamber, a jitter of violence that I half-acknowledged as my middle finger gained my attention.

Three.

“Get out of here, Rhy,” my father shouts, shoving me toward our bolt hole.

A group of Kiraak bursts into the house with the noise of their ecstasy chilling me to the bone. Drawing his sword, my father faces them, and with a snarling growl, I turn to help.

“GO, Rhy! Protect your mother and Ren,” my father yells. “Run!”

Helpless in my current state, I gape at this human, a man who’s chosen to become my father and will now die for that choice. Gods, I want to plunge into the fight but… I can’t.

Spinning, I run, cursing my eleven-year-old body.

Almost. This memory would probably work for Raimie, but I didn’t want him to see how I’d abandoned my father, not when he had such a close connection to his own. Maybe one more needle would do it?

Activity was flurrying in the chamber now. Someone raced for me while the others reached to restrain her, which meant I should hurry.

Four.

If I ignore how dangerous it is to sprint down a hill without control, I might reach my mother in time, not that she really needs my help. She’s fending off her attackers with ease, dispatching the last of them before I’ve reached the hill’s base.

“Mom!” I shout.

At my voice, she turns, and from behind, a horde descends upon her. Before she can react, they rip her limb from limb while I watch from the other side of a creek. With blood flying across the water, I gawk as they reduce my mother to meaty mash, and something fiery and unreasoning swells in me.

If I can get close enough without drawing the group’s attention, I could steal a weapon from the one furthest back, climb onto his back, and slit his throat. The female closest to me should make an easy target as well-

The object of my interest flicks her eyes toward me, baring her teeth, and…

Ren. What about Ren?!

I flee.

Nope. If I gave him that memory, Raimie would never leave Ada’ir, but it was close in time to one that would fit. A single needle more should do it. Please, gods, say it would only be one more.

A blur of black and peach loomed large in my glistening vision, and gritting my teeth, I pushed a needle beneath my pinky’s fingernail.

Five.

Tears streak across my cheeks as I race toward my sister. She’s lying on the creek bed, singing to herself, and hysterical laughter flies from me.

How has she missed our home’s destruction? Is she too trapped by the worlds inside her head to notice the end of our very real one?

As I open my mouth to scream her name, something—probably my laughter—alerts her to my presence, and she leaps to her feet. Crying for her brother, she stands unharmed, and for the first time since this morning, I let myself believe that something good can come of this day.

Finally, a memory I could safely share with Raimie.

Unhooking the syringe from my thumb, I struggled to slide it into a vein. Gods, how my hands were shaking!

In the end, I managed it, beginning my blood draw while Ferin dropped to her knees in front of me. She sounded like she was choking on something, repeatedly reaching toward and away from my injured hand, and I ignored her until the syringe’s vial was filled. It trembled as I held it between us.

“Here you go,” I said. “Be mindful of the needle.”

She didn’t appreciate my joke. Snatching the syringe from me, Ferin stored it while I yanked darning needles out of my fingers, clutching my hand to my chest once I was finished.

“What the fuck, Rhy?” she snapped. “What in the fucking void was that?”

Tiredly, I shrugged.

“Because of events in my past, my mind has learned how to ignore—how do I put this?—high levels of pain,” I said. “You needed a memory of violence, and we can only extract those when the donor has endured enough hurt to relive an awful moment in their life. I did what I must to give you what you needed.”

Ferin’s face had gone ashen, and limply, she sat on her heels, revealing the people behind her. The remaining Council members, even the ones who hated me, looked stricken, and the Zrelnach in the corridor were struggling to maintain their impassive demeanor.

“What?” I snapped. “You’d better get used to scenes like this because they’re an everyday occurrence in Auden, and you’ll likely be heading there soon.”

Slowly, Shafoth shook his head.

“We know this. Stories from Audish refugees have reached even this remote corner of Ada’ir, and while some here choose to ignore them, most of us know what to expect across the Narrow Sea,” he said. “No. It’s- it’s you. How can you do something like that to yourself and never flinch?”

Oh. Right. In situations like this, I’d always struggled to keep my mask in place.

“I feel it, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said.

Gods, the sear of molten lava that had flowed down my arm! I’d forgotten how near debilitating it was.

“But like I said, this sort of thing—”

I wiggled my bloodied fingers in the air.

“—is commonplace in Auden,” I said. “And my past has been comparable to the lives of that kingdom’s citizens. I adapted.”

“Alouin, Rhy,” Ferin said, “no wonder you always seemed amused when the other trainees and I complained about running laps.”

“I would never have belittled you. Just because I think of burning muscles as a mild irritant doesn’t mean that you do, and I could never laugh at someone else’s pain,” I said, nudging her chin. “Now. May I go? I have errands to run and would prefer to leave here as soon as possible.”

Ferin mutely nodded, and after I climbed to my feet, no one protested as I left the chamber.

I took a different route to my clinic, both to throw off anyone who might have followed me and to swing by Salma’s shop. Days ago, she’d sent word that she’d finished Raimie’s sword, but this was the first moment I’d had to retrieve it.

As I moved along, I looked for an innocuous place where I could rest, and on reaching the children’s ward, I knew I’d found it. Kept separate from the rest of Allanovian, the young Esela were used to their caretakers changing every day. None of them commented on my entrance, not even when I slipped into an occupied classroom.

This class’s instructor had dragged a table toward the back wall with a gaggle of children standing between it and the entrance. They craned their necks for a better look at what rested on it, and after a single, narrow-eyed glance at me, the instructor ignored my presence, continuing with her lecture. With each sentence she spoke, she moved tiny models across the depicted battlefield.

Bracing against a wall, I released the illusion that I’d held since ripping needles out of my hand, and the bruised appearance of my fingernails faded to a healthy color. Energy drained from me, and while I waited for it to return, I watched the instructor become more animated, all while the modeled battle came to its conclusion.

History lessons like this never failed to sadden and amuse me. I’d never understand how humans and Esela kept making the same mistakes, and yet, no matter how many times we destroyed ourselves, we always got back up.

As soon as I could, I left the children’s ward. I should be quick with retrieving Raimie’s sword. Now that Allanovian’s Council had everything they needed for his second trial, they’d start it soon, eager to finish with this inconvenience. I should be ready for that because once it was over…

Well. Everyone needed someone with them after the second trial of a Zrelnach’s initiation.

TTS Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 19: Advancing Mysteries

Raimie

Having returned to a world of black, I wasn’t surprised to find one of my arms nearly freed from its hold. When I’d last been here, I could wiggle my fingers, and that had been a week ago. Why wouldn’t more be free now?

Still, I couldn’t lift the limb into view, not with something clamping my upper arm to the ground. Seeing it would be nice, as it would be my first proof that whatever this place was, I had a body in it. Hopefully, it wasn’t as badly damaged as the one I was wearing in the waking world, the body with an ignorant version of me in it.

I could barely see my ally at the moment. The other man wasn’t kneeling nearby, sawing at incorporeal tethers, as he had been before. Rather, all I could see of the wraith was his hooded head and the arms he’d flung over it.

His cloak’s sleeves had fallen away, revealing pale skin and a sheath strapped around one arm. A string, attached to the sheath, stretched to that hand’s pinky, presumably to allow the quick release of its weapon. The jagged knife, I assumed.

All fascinating but what the wraith was muttering to himself as he rocked in place was more so. Almost, I interrupted him, hesitant to intrude on something that was clearly private, but listening to it might help with solving one of the mysteries in my life.

So, I opened my ears.

“-cannot do this again,” the wraith jabbered. “Not when hope was given- was given-

“He has to come back. HAS to! I could keep working to free him, still have heart of my heart’s permission, but I will never finish in time. Gods! I am falling apart. It will be like the last time I lost him all over again.

“I. I, I, I. Fuck, such an awful word. Where is the we? I miss it. I miss…

“Please. Heart of my heart. Come back.”

I couldn’t eavesdrop on this. Clearing my throat, I watched the wraith whirl toward me, planting his hands on either side of my face. He left his hood’s black pit staring down at me.

“You are here,” he breathed.

Alouin, such intensity. Shouldn’t it scare me?

“Yes,” I drawled. “Forgive me, but do I know you? I thought you were just a figment of my mind, but you have incredible agency for…”

I trailed off when the wraith jerked back as though slapped.

“You heard what I said?”

“Sorry,” I said in response. “Would you mind telling me-?”

Popping to his feet, the wraith paced the length of my body with his fingers clawing into his hood.

“No, no, no!” he hissed. “What if I disrupted the spell?”

Stopping short, he peered down at me.

“Although if I had, something terrible would have happened by now,” he said before plopping to the ground. “My apologies. Being alone for so long can be debilitating.”

“So... I don’t know you?” I asked.

Without responding, the wraith summoned his knife to work on the last ties around my arm. I should probably protest having someone so unstable near me, especially when he had a sharp edge on him, but bound like this, how was I supposed to repulse the wraith? Snarl at him?

Instead, I tried to worm an intelligible explanation from what I’d learned.

“You mentioned a spell,” I said. “What did you mean by that?”

For a while, the wraith worked without a word, and I’d decided to try another angle when he spoke up.

“I cannot tell you. Not outright. It does not work like that. You must struggle through it yourself, or it might cause damage.”

This last detail was accompanied by a bond snapping, and so, it slipped through the sieve of my focus.

I lifted my freed limb, spreading my fingers in front of my face. It was real, or looked real at least. What about the rest of me?

As I ran a hand down my chest, the wraith stepped over me to kneel on the other side.

“The arms are easiest,” he said, as if to himself. “We should avoid the dangerous bits for as long as possible.”

Dangerous bits?

No. I could worry about that bit of ominousness later.

For now, all I cared about was regaining my freedom of movement. The ability to flail my arm around pleased me more than I cared to say, and I wanted this for all of me. So, I extended a hand toward the wraith.

“I don’t suppose you have another knife,” I said. “I’d love to help.”

Chuckling, the wraith said, “That is, again, not how it works. Even if I gave you a knife, you could not touch it.”

“Really?”

I bobbed my waiting palm, and with a sigh, the wraith placed his blade there. When he released its hilt, however, the weapon merely passed through my hand, and as it plunged for my body, I panicked before the wraith snatched the knife from mid-air.

“You see?” he said. “In order to cut through these ties, you require me and my knife, but conversely, I cannot help you without your permission. Freeing you is a team effort.”

Without my permission. Hadn’t the wraith asked for my permission as his price for freeing me?

“You wanted me out of these restraints all along, didn’t you?” I said. “And if you say you can’t answer because that’s not how it works, so help me. I’ll start screaming again.”

Carefully, the wraith set his knife beside my head before hovering his hand over my cheek. It came so close that I could feel its warmth, and the depth of my desire for that distance to close surprised me.

“Raimie—” the wraith started.

And at this stranger first speaking my name, something reverberated through me from the inside out.

“—seeing you escape from this place is my greatest wish.”

As if waiting for this confession, a hook sank between my shoulder blades, and I resisted its pull, unwilling to leave this place when I was making so much progress. If only I could remember what I’d learned.

Remember…

I was getting sick of waking up, only to stare at the same bumps in the rock overhead. Oh, and with new injuries on me too. It would be nice if I could rise from dreams without my body screaming at me for once.

Walking my fingers along my chest to where I’d been stabbed, I stopped when they encountered bandaging. So, Rhylix had already dressed the wound. When I could, I should properly thank that man.

“He’s awake now, for sure this time,” someone unseen said. “When should we come closer?”

“After I’ve donned my most terrifying visage, of course! Wait. Are you asking for my opinion?”

“What? No, you repugnant stain! I was merely speaking out loud.”

I knew those voices. They set a chill in my heart, and my thoughts started racing because those voices? They were copies of mine.

Slow as sap from a tree, I sat up on my cot, backing along it until I was plastered to stone. Frantically, I searched for a weapon, but before I could find one, I stopped short.

Two men, lounging against the clinic’s doorframe, had stolen my focus. My twins—the figures swathed in white and black—caught me staring, and at their cautious smiles, my smile, I pushed myself further into rock.

At that, the one in black surged forward with its face drawn into a horrifying mask, and I froze. Sighing, the one in white pushed itself out of the entryway.

“Stop that,” it said.

Bristling, the twin in black spun on its antithesis, raising one hand as if to throw something.

“You want to start something now, ya bore?” it snarled.

Rolling its eyes, the twin in white said, “No, simpleton. I’m simply suggesting that we explain ourselves to our human before he dies of fright.”

“Oh.”

Lowering its hand, the twin in black glanced over its shoulder, grimacing.

“I hate to agree with you, but you’re right,” it said. “Excuse me while I go puke in a corner.”

“Of course I’m right. When am I not?”

Striding toward my cot, the twin in white ‘bumped’ into its counterpart, making it stumble, and recovering, the twin in black followed, hissing the whole way.

When they reached the cot, they folded onto its foot. The one in white sat with folded hands and a crossed leg while the one in black sprawled with its foot kicking.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t breathe. I must have gone crazy, cracking under recent strain, because if I hadn’t, what were these things staring at me with my eyes? Would these unknowns be like Teron, leaving me for dead before someone saved me?

Pursing its lips, the twin in white said, “Relax. We’re not here to hurt you-”

“Yet,” the twin in black interrupted.

An already rigid copy of me further tensed with a vein in its neck throbbing, and it fixed its gaze further up the wall.

“Would you keep. your. mouth. shut?” it hissed. “I’m best suited for this first introduction. We learned that last time. You’ll get your turn once he’s calmed down.”

Flapping a hand like a mouth beside its face, the twin in black spoke several silent words, making the twin in white shake its head.

“You aren’t seeing things. Well, you are, but we’re perfectly real, not figments of your mind,” it said. “In case you were wondering.”

Not crazy. According to twins of me, both of whom the Esela in the arena hadn’t seen.

Yeah, sure. I hadn’t lost it.

My lungs, having remembered their need for air, had begun working again, but they were in overdrive with hyperventilation about to ensue.

So, I peeled myself away from all thoughts about my sanity. I retreated from the terror pounding through my body, and as I’d learned when I was a boy, I detached, focusing not on the problem but on how to solve it.

Fortunately, unlike the moments following Eledis’ revelation of my heritage, I had tangible means of unravelling this conundrum.

Tangible. Ha!

“If you’re not figments, then what in the void are you?” I snapped before glancing toward the other side of the clinic.

I’d spoken more loudly than I’d intended, and the last thing I wanted was to wake up the boy lying several cots over. After what had happened during our first trial, Dath would probably want to kill me, even if I didn’t provoke him further, but if he saw me talking to thin air…

“A good question, if a little crassly put.”

I snapped my attention back to my twins, where the one in white was gently smiling at me.

“In answer,” it said, “we are -zzz-.”

At that buzzing noise, it stopped, rocking in place, and laughing, the twin in black collapsed on the cot. It rolled across the blanket, incessantly teasing its counterpart, until it started buzzing as well. Shooting upright, it spat something in a high-pitched screech before swiping at its exposed tongue, and I relaxed, sinking into my pillow.

“Oh, you’re Bright and Dim,” I said, pointing to each of them.

“Who’re you calling dim, useless whelp?” the twin in black growled before gasping.

With an evil grin, it ran through a list of profanities, some of which I’d never heard before, presumably in a test of its voice.

“So, the nicknames did stick,” Bright said. “I wasn’t sure, even when you woke up after…”

It fell silent, so I finished that sentence for it.

“Teron and Fissid?”

Dim snapped its mouth shut, shifting its attention away from me.

“I’m sorry for that, by the way,” it said.

Frowning, I asked, “How are you, in any way, at fault for what happened?”

Bright was also looking at Dim, although it appeared more befuddled than me, and flicking its eyes to us, Dim bent double, snickering and slapping its knees.

“You think… I meant… the fire and killings?” it gasped. “No. I’m sorry that I couldn’t help you more.”

That made much more sense.

“You and Bright did plenty,” I said. “I’d have died in that fire without your guidance.”

Wincing, Bright said, “Still. Your poor hands…”

My hands were fine. Over the last week, Rhylix had been overly attentive with them. The skin across my palms was still stiff, but that should ease with time, or so I’d been told.

Regardless, the reason I’d escaped Fissid with such minimal injuries was because of these two.

These two who’d been distinctly unable to talk when we’d arrived in Allanovian. What had changed?

Lifting my head off of the wall, I narrowed my eyes at my anomalies, watching Dim give Bright an incredulously dubious look.

“What do you mean ‘your poor hands’?” it asked, almost sarcastically.

Before Bright could respond, I said, “What are you two?”

I’d been exceedingly quiet, almost hadn’t heard my own question, but Bright and Dim whipped their heads toward me anyway.

“I think we can assume that the block on our communication hasn’t lifted yet,” Bright said, “and identity seems a forbidden subject. For now.”

“What stuffy here’s trying to say is we can’t answer that,” Dim said. “Not now. Maybe not ever, although that would be inconvenient.”

So, basically every important question I had would continue to go unanswered, although I’d made some progress with this mystery.

…Why did this situation seem like an echo of another one?

Shaking myself, I said, “So, you’ll be sticking around for a while, then?”

“What else would you expect us to do?” Dim growled. “We can’t exactly go anywhere else.”

Interesting. Did that mean they were attached to me?

Did that matter at the moment? Better to propose a few changes to our situation, changes that would keep me from getting killed. Hopefully.

With caution, I said, “If we can’t discuss what you are—”

And if I can believe you’re real.

“—maybe I can ask inconsequential questions.”

They exchanged a glance that ended with Dim shrugging.

“There’s no harm in trying,” it said. “What’d you have in mind?”

First, something for my safety.

“Can you control when you appear to me?” I asked.

After another glance, Dim drawled, “Yes?”

“In that case…”

How did I put this in a way that wouldn’t offend two… beings?

Yes. Beings I didn’t fully understand. Beings that might or might not have unimaginable power behind them.

“I see you,” I said, “but others do not.”

“Mostly true,” Bright said.

Mostly…? Not the time for tangential questions like that.

“Can we agree that, for the moment, we don’t want people thinking my mind’s snapped?” I asked. “I don’t know what to think of my family’s plans, but what might or might not happen in the future doesn’t matter. With the way my life is, I don’t get the luxury of looking forward. I can only consider the present, and my circumstances demand that I build an army. No one will follow someone with a broken mind or a…”

Hmm. Now, that was a terrifying thought. The stories about primeancers occasionally mentioned that they could talk with the sources of their power, but one of those legendary—and usually reviled—thaumaturges hadn’t walked the world in centuries. They weren’t coming back now.

“No one will follow an unstable man or a primeancer into battle,” I continued, chuckling to myself. “So, I have to look stable, yes?”

Turning to Bright, Dim cupped its chin in its hand, obviously passing off responsibility for answering this question, and its counterpart glared back.

“Your argument makes logical sense. At this point in time, others’ perception of you greatly matters,” it carefully said before facing me. “What does that have to do with us?”

“Well,” I drawled, “if you two, or more importantly, that one—”

I pointed at Dim, who was swaying back and forth while humming under its breath.

“—hang around me, my eyes are likely to drift your way, and soon enough, someone will notice if I’m staring into nothing. My family might dismiss something like that. I played with imaginary friends often enough as a child but other people? I don’t think so. So, could you only appear to me when I’m alone? Or in danger, I suppose. Is that too much to ask?”

I cringed, expecting one of them to explode on me for my soft criticism, but neither did. Bright merely looked thoughtful while Dim continued with its antics.

“As always, your suggestion is reasonable. We can do as you’ve asked,” Bright said, “although we should discuss it again later.”

“For the love of me, can you, for once in your existence, not hedge your bets?” Dim snarled before softening. “We’ll give you space, kid. Got anything else for us?”

Second, something for my peace of mind.

Shifting in bed, I asked, “Must you look like that? Like me, I mean. It makes talking with you…”

What was the right word for it?

I never got to decide. Between blinks, two copies of my visage were replaced with Eledis, and yelping, I slapped a hand over my eyes.

“Not him!” I hissed. “Anyone but him!”

“What would you prefer, then?” one of the two asked.

“I don’t know. Nothing that you’ve used so far,” I said. “These appearances are disguises, I’m guessing? Something to keep me calm. Obviously, what you’re trying isn’t working. So, why don’t you show me what you really look like?”

In the silence that followed, I almost lowered my hand, but I didn’t want to see two copies of my grandfather again. A single instance of that had been enough, thank you.

“Are you sure about this?”

No, of course I wasn’t, but Bright and Dim’s natural appearances couldn’t be worse than the versions of them I’d already seen, right?

“Yes,” I said.

“Then, look.”

“See.”

With my heart in my throat, I peeked through my fingers, and when I saw what lay on the other side, I lost control of my body, letting my hands thump on the cot.

To my left, where Bright had been perched, a swirl of white light and rigid peace spilled into the room while to the right, where Dim had lounged, a miasma of darkness pooled and crept forth, screaming of pain and fear and insanity.

Between them, a war was playing out in miniature. Light resisted darkness until those shadows grew protrusions, sending the enemy into retreat. So, it went with both sides pushing and shoving against their foe, but nothing resolved.

I watched this, and the longer I did, the more the battlefield enlarged until it surrounded me, and I was strung between the two combatants. They rushed into me, a new vessel waiting to be filled with one or the other, but neither could claim dominance. They ripped at each other inside of me, and as they did so, pieces of me, the core of me, were sucked into this conflict, and I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what-

Somewhere far distant, a voice I recognized was keening at deafening volumes with such wretched grief there, but any desire I might have had to help this unfortunate being was consumed by my own personal hell.

And abruptly, I was lying against a stone wall with my muscles twitching, and my twins were staring at me with glittering eyes.

“Fascinating,” Bright said. “Every time-”

Something soft and fluffy hit my face, and when it fell into my lap, Dim and Bright had vanished.

“Shut… up. Trying to sleep.”

Sluggishly, I glanced toward the voice’s source in time to watch Dath collapsing into his cot again. I’d woken him up. Damn.

In increments, I tested my ability to move, eventually sliding to my feet. Grabbing the pillow, I tottered toward Dath, unsteadily tucking it under his head when I reached him.

Alouin, why did I feel so drained?

Shakily, I started back toward my own cot, only making it so far before my legs gave out. Fortunately, my body had gotten used to hitting stone over the last few weeks, so I didn’t flinch when I hit the ground.

Instead, I leaned against a cot. Relaxing there, I waited for energy to replenish in me.

TTS Chapter Nineteen

Chapter 20: The Second Trial

Raimie

After waiting for several minutes to regain my energy, I felt ready to stand again. Someone ruined this before I could try.

“Hell, you’ll be one of those types, won’t you?”

A sigh filled the air, quickly followed by.

“Again, I ask. Why are you out of bed?”

Smiling to myself, I lifted a finger toward the other cot.

“Dath threw his pillow at me,” I said. “I had to return it.”

“Of course you did.”

Hanging my wrists from my knees, I waited for the question that I knew was coming.

“Can you stand?”

And there it was.

“Maybe with some help,” I said.

Something clinked on stone, and after a moment, someone clasped my forearms, pulling me up.

“Thanks,” I told Rhylix.

Damn, he looked sour. He was normally so cheery, silly almost. What could have changed that?

“I have a gift for you,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” I asked. “What type of gift?”

After ensuring that I could stand on my own, Rhylix strode for his clinic’s entrance, retrieving what he’d left there. When he returned, he lifted it to rest on his palms, and my eyes popped. He was offering me a scabbarded sword, nearly identical in appearance to Shadowsteal.

Hesitantly reaching for it, I asked, “May I?”

On receiving a nod, I slid the blade free a few inches before biting my lip.

“This is well made,” I said.

“I should hope so,” Rhylix said. “I paid quite a lot for its forging.”

I shot my eyes up to him, dropping my hold on the sword.

“You did?” I asked.

With a faint smile, Rhylix said, “Yes. It’s my gift to you, remember?”

And something hissed inside of me. I took a step back.

“Why?” I asked.

Rhylix furrowed his brow.

“Because I could,” he said. “Because you’ll want a weapon after you pass your second trial and also for reasons that I will tell you after you’ve passed it. But for now, you’ll have to believe that I’m giving this to you with no strings attached.”

He slammed the sword into its scabbard.

“Speaking of your second trial, Allanovian’s Council has finished preparing for it,” he said. “I’m supposed to bring you to them.”

“Already?” I squeaked before lowering my volume. “What am I thinking? Of course they wouldn’t give me time to recover.”

Softly laughing, Rhylix said, “You’re learning.”

Without another word, he led the way out of his clinic. I’d been mentally mapping every route that I’d taken in Allanovian so far, and while it was by no means complete, I understood most of the city’s layout by now. So, when we turned onto a hallway and doors made of stone came into view, I wasn’t surprised.

Rhylix stopped before we could enter the arena beyond, and when he turned around, his face was fixed in an atypical state of severity.

“I’m sorry for what you’ll experience within,” he said. “Please, know that it wasn’t my choice.”

At this, the hair all over my body stood on end.

“I understand what it’s like to be forced into an unwanted situation better than most,” I said. “Why are you so tense about it?”

Shaking his head, Rhylix said, “I can’t tell you.”

Without looking behind him, he rested his gifted sword against one of the doors.

“Silverblade will be waiting for you once you’ve finished,” he said, “and after you walk back through those doors, you’ll be a Zrelnach, able to carry weapons in Allanovian to your heart’s content. So don’t worry about that stricture. Now. You’ll need to drink this.”

Withdrawing a flask from his cloak, he offered it to me, and I took it with trepidation. Why did this trial that had the Eselan on edge?

Still, I uncorked the flask and drained it. While its contents tasted like water, they were oily in nature, which had me coughing. Rhylix took the emptied flask, guiding me toward the gap between stone.

“Good luck,” he said. “I’ll be watching, as will the rest of Allanovian, unfortunately.”

Why did he sound so irritated about that?

No matter. I had bigger problems to handle right now.

After the long hike here, I felt more recovered from Bright and Dim’s unveiling of their natures, but something in the core of me felt…. drained. I didn’t know how else to put it. Hopefully, this second trial wouldn’t require much combat because otherwise I was fucked. Again.

The scene inside the arena was much the same as before: the whole of Allanovian gathered with four Eselan sitting behind a table at the ramps’ apex. The only difference I noticed were several bowls, burning red, sitting around the arena while a haze from them rose into the air.

I tried to embody confidence as I strode to the arena’s center point, but it probably didn’t carry to the people watching. Sites of darkened sand, places where my blood had been spilled, kept drawing my gaze, no matter how much I tried to focus on the Council.

Once I’d stopped, the woman in their rank rose.

“Here, we have a human who’s proven it has the martial aptitude to join the Zrelnach’s ranks,” Ferin said. “Now, we shall test its mental fortitude. Challenger, approach me.”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“You… want me to cross the room,” I said. “Is that all?”

Ferin inclined her head, and gritting my teeth, I stepped forward, expecting all manner of trap to spring. As I advanced, the red haze from the bowls thickened, coalescing in front of me, and when I’d reached the halfway point, it sprang into physical being.

A wall of flames spread across the arena to impede my progress. Springing forth almost in front of my nose, it had me tripping backward until I fell into the sand. Panting, I glanced along it, noting no safe way through.

“Seriously?” I gasped. “Fire? Again?”

The Council didn’t respond. Their faces had gone rigid while their eyes were fixed on something that I couldn’t see. Glancing over the other Esela, I noted the same reaction from them with a frown. What was happening?

Clambering to my feet, I approached the wall of flame, but no heat emanated from it. Was it an illusion? The Esela were capable of magic like that, but I couldn’t be sure if that was what I was seeing here.

Still. What choice did I have? I needed the Zrelnach to follow me, and gaining their loyalty meant passing through a possible illusion. If it wasn’t what I thought, could I handle the burns that I’d surely gain? I knew from experience how debilitating those could be now.

Swallowing, I retreated a few steps. I took a deep breath and dashed into the blaze.

Flames flicked around me, tickling as they passed. When agony failed to assault me, I almost burst into tears. I hadn’t been sure that I was right, and if I’d had to relive Fissid…

I shuddered.

The roar flooding my ears reduced to a hum, and I heard someone singing. For some unnatural reason, her voice raised an echo of bliss in me.

The fire surrounding me parted, and I found myself standing over a child, lying on a brook’s bank. Her eyes were closed, and a song was on her lips.

On the other side of the creek, a village peeked through the trees. The girl’s home, perhaps?

That didn’t matter, though. Not yet. The peace that I’d found here soaked into me, and for the first time in a long while, I relaxed.

I didn’t know if this was part of my trial, but for the moment, I didn’t care. I’d enjoy this tranquility while I could, but the idea of leaving the girl unaware of my presence made my skin crawl.

So, I leaned over to nudge her, and when I did, the world fuzzed over, sending me—

—to Allanovian where four Eselan were staring down at me. Shaking my head, I took another step toward them and—

—a drum’s steady beat shattered the forest’s stillness. The girl’s eyes snapped open, staring through me, and a heartbeat later, I barely dodged her leap to her feet. She faced the village with her features set into an expression that I’d never seen before, but when I followed her gaze, I understood.

The village was burning. Like Fissid had. Figures were running from their homes, only to be cut down in the street. Much like Fissid’s residents. The girl’s mouth parted, and the scream that she surely meant to release howled through me as well.

Someone I recognized burst out of the brush further down the stream’s bank. On reflex, I stepped between the girl and a boy, scarred by violence, but I relaxed once recognition fully clicked.

Rhylix dashed through me, leaving me flinching for an impact that was never to come, and when he reached the girl, he took hold of her hand.

“What are you doing, Ren?” he shouted. “Run!”

With a sob, the girl abandoned her home, and Rhylix shoved her toward safety before spinning to watch the town collapse. A dazed look took hold of him, but soon enough, it shifted, and he took a step forward, throwing his arms back. He released a roar so savage that I was locked in place until it stopped tearing through the air. When the noise petered off, Rhylix lowered his head, wiping tears on a sleeve, and sniffing, he whirled to run after the girl.

When he was far distant, though, he paused, glancing over his shoulder, and the world blurred again, making me see double. The plain beyond the boy and the arena overlapped one another, and a child merged with an astonishingly tall healer.

“Raimie!” he yelled. “Watch your back!”

Spinning, I caught sight of people leaping out of the trees. Their eyes were empty, devoid of life, and black vines crisscrossed under every inch of their skin. They flowed around me, chasing after their prey, and almost, I tried to stop them so I could help the children.

I couldn’t, however, distract so many on my own. I wasn’t sure that was humanly possible. So instead, I stood stock still, stuck between wanting to do everything possible to save the kids and needing to save my own life. I should run in the opposite direction, trying to keep these hostiles’ attention off of me, but the kids!

Hell, the hand on my throat was heavy.

It seemed my decision would never have mattered in the first place. Just like the children had before, the monsters chasing them passed right through me, not once looking my way. Right as I started realizing these monsters might not be able to see me, one of them stopped short and—

—a pair of Zrelnach escorted a man through the arena’s stone doors. He shuffled forward and—

—the monster faced me, sniffing the air. The mad light of violence filled its eyes, and flinging its head back, it raised an ululation to the sky. It sprinted at me and—

—the man saw his chance to rush me and—

—I tried to sidestep it, but its shoulder clipped me. We collapsed in a pile of limbs with each of us struggling to gain the upper hand. The monster won, perching on my chest as it pressed down on my throat, and I slapped at the ground for a means of defense.

I found nothing.

Panicking, I grabbed at grimy fingers, slowly prying them apart. Gasping, I pulled one of my hands away from the enemy before smashing my palm into its chest. White light flared all around us, and the monster flew away from me, but it wouldn’t escape me so easily. 

It had attacked me. It had killed ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE, the same as Teron had with Fissid. It had meant to chase after and probably murder a pair of CHILDREN, for Alouin’s sake! I followed it with heat spilling over inside, and when I reached it, I rained shadow-covered fists on its flesh until its face was pulped.

Panting, I struggled to rein in this uncontrollable BURN, licking along every inch of my body, but by the time I’d manage that, it was too late. The monster’s body was limp, and I knew it was dead.

The village’s fire spread, quickly reaching the stream. It surrounded me, and the familiar agony of burning flesh filled my mind.

When the arena gained dominance once more, I was kneeling in its sand. The world was so… crisp, like what I’d known before stepping into the fire except- except-

Something sticky was coating my face, but when I wiped it clean, it was only transferred to my fingers. Absently, I rubbed them together while processing everything around me.

The Esela, including this village’s Council, were staring at me. Yes, that was right.

Rhylix was watching me with pity. Yes.

My family’s eyes were transfixed on me with horror. No.

That was wrong.

Why were they looking at me like that?

The gumminess between my fingers attracted my attention, and when I wiped it away on my clothes, my gaze followed my hand down.

Where a man was lying beneath me.

What…? Why was he there? Why were his eyes-?

His eyes were empty.

For one dumbstruck moment, I glanced between that blank stare and my red-stained fingers before choking on a scream. Panic took control, guiding my movement, and when I pushed the emotion down, I was leaning against a ramp’s walls with my stomach contents splattering on the ground.

I kept repeating the same question in my head.

What? What?

My mind’s eye kept skipping to the same image.

Dead eyes peering above a caved-in face.

And I raised my fist, coated in red with rust more deeply engrained in its knuckles.

I- I- I-

Roaring, I sprinted for the dais with its table and the Councilwoman who’d started this. When I reached the arena’s edge, I leapt for my target, surprised by the height I gained, but before I could get anywhere close to Ferin, the Zrelnach on either side of the table moved, slamming into me as they fell. When they pinned me to the ground, I snarled at them, fighting their hold with all my strength, and a boy yet to understand what had happened screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Let me go! Gods, please. Let me go!”

Something thumped beside me while a face framed by blonde hair drew closer.

“I’m so sorry,” Ferin said. “Welcome to the Zrelnach ranks.”

She disappeared before barking for my captors to release me, and I was left sobbing on the ground.

Distantly, I heard someone dismiss the crowd. Distantly, I listened to the tromp of feet as the arena was emptied. Distantly, I saw family and friends hover over me. Distantly, I watched someone tell the only people I loved to give me space.

And from a distance, I climbed to my feet. I stood over the man I’d killed, both seeing and ignoring the mess I’d made, before trudging to the arena’s stone doors, aware somewhere in the back of my mind that Rhylix was trailing me.

Once outside, I retrieved a sword that had been set aside. Rhylix had been right. I very much wanted this weapon in my hand, now that my second trial was over.

TTS Chapter Twenty

Chapter 21: Blood on My Hands

Raimie

I wanted out. Out of this town, carved into the mountainside. Out of this new life with its uncertainties and expectations. Out of this turmoil, raging like a gale inside of me.

Unfortunately, I could only escape from one of those at the moment, and the dazed fog enveloping me, like I’d been thwacked upside the head one too many times, wasn’t helping with that. A film covered my sight and hearing while fuzzy hands stopped me from running into walls and garbled voices indignantly shouted nearby.

Somehow, I made it outside, and the smack of a breeze returned a small amount of clarity to me. It was enough to see that I’d gotten lost in the woods with only the mountains at my side to serve as a beacon.

It was also enough to hear the white noise of flowing water nearby.

Naturally gravitating toward the creek, I soon stood beside it with its water pooling in a hollow at my feet. I crouched, reaching to take this life-giving sustenance for myself, and a rippling image disturbed its green and blue surface.

A stranger was looking back at me. I saw my body, but it wasn’t mine, too tightly coiled like a snake set to spring. It was my face but not, too dazed like a boy who’d lost his mother. It was my eyes but not, with their color a hard contrast against the red splotched around them.

This was what I focused on: a dead man’s blood drying in sprays across my cheeks, in clumps through a mass of hair, in a wide smear over a jaw. None of which could be mine.

But those features were mine. This stranger’s face belonged to me, no matter what denial might say.

Trembling, I scooped water from the creek, splashing it on my face, but the red droplets that splattered across my reflection quickly dissolved into the pool, changing nothing in the image. So, I tried again, scrubbing this time, but still, a stranger stared at me from the water’s surface.

Gritting my teeth, I drenched myself in water, bringing more to my face one scoop at a time. I rubbed my skin until I could swear that I’d dug into the bone beneath, making my palms’ flesh crack, but nothing would clean the blood off of me. Nothing could remove the stain embedded into my essence.

I didn’t stop trying, though, not until someone caught my wrists, holding them together.

“Stop. It won’t help.”

Jerking free of that grip, I shrunk away from Rhylix, who was crouching beside me. His expression was blank, as if he knew that anything else might make me snap. I’d forgotten he was following me.

“What won’t help?” I croaked.

Shaking his head, Rhylix turned toward something lying behind him.

“You dropped this,” he said.

When he extended Silverblade to me, a glint of light from its hilt beamed into my eyes, and I tore my gaze off of it, blindly reaching for the weapon. Curling my fingers around its grip, I pulled the sheathed blade atop my knees, staring through it to what it meant for me.

“Did you know?” I asked.

Shifting, Rhylix said, “I knew it was a possibility. Queen Kaedesa sends the worst of criminals to Allanovian for this purpose. But it was only one option out of the many that the Council could have chosen from. I hoped that you’d receive another test.”

A criminal. I’d killed someone who’d already been condemned.

Why didn’t knowing this help? Could anything relieve the aching guilt inside of me, compounding on what had happened in Fissid?

I lifted Silverblade, pulling a few inches of the blade free.

To this point, I hadn’t considered what following my family’s proposed course of action would involve, which had been a mistake. We’d be leading a rebellion, a struggle against an oppressor, a war, and what always happened during such violent events? How much blood would this sword spill before it was over or I was dead?

How would I handle the weight of so many lives ended?

“Have you ever killed someone?” I asked.

I doubted Rhylix had. He was a healer, someone who preserved life.

“Many people, a long time ago,” Rhylix said.

I jerked toward him, almost falling, and at my gaping stare, Rhylix nodded.

“Where I’m from, you start killing at a young age,” he said. “You have to.”

Rising to his full height, he offered me a hand, but once I was on my feet, I backed away from him. Despite the sorrow I saw in Rhylix, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be near someone who could admit to ending lives as a child.

“What kingdom forces something so horrible from someone so young?” I asked.

I couldn’t imagine such a place. Ada’ir had its cruelties, to be sure, but nothing like what Rhylix had described.

“Oh, I suppose I never told you,” he said. “I’m an Audish refugee. The place you’re asking about is the one you’re meant to save.”

I stopped breathing.

Rhylix was from Auden? How had he reached Ada’ir? What could he share about the situation in that foreign nation?

Above those questions, however, I found something of greater interest.

“The girl in my vision. Ren,” I said. “Who was she to you, and what happened to her?”

There must be a reason that she was no longer in his life.

Rhylix stiffened with his jaw clenched.

Turning away from me, he said, “She was my sister, and she died. Because of me.”

And my wariness of Rhylix puffed into smoke. Well did I know that look. It was one that I wore every time I remembered a horrible, defining moment from nine years ago.

What happened behind the stone doors has cured my fever, and I skip behind my father as we return to our quarters.

“I’m sorry I fought those people, dad, but they scared me,” I say. “Were they angry?’’

“No, Raimie. I think they expected you to fight.”

Hearing that makes me feel better. I hate it when someone’s unhappy with me. My father’s right as well, though. Considering how long I’ve been sick, it’s no wonder I fought.

Just how long have I been sick? The days may have been blurred, but I remember them. Considering that, I know we’ve stayed in this underground city for about five days, which means…

Today’s my birthday!

At the realization, I unintentionally infuse a bounce into my step, and my father’s silence takes on a new meaning.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“To see your mother.”

My glee gets smaller at that. My mother, still caught in fever’s grip…

Her state doesn’t change what today is, though, and I’ll enjoy every second of it.

A hush holds my mother’s room captive with our footfalls like claps of thunder in it. A gray-eyed woman rises from beside my mother’s bed. Clasping her hands in front of her, she meets my father’s gaze.

“I’m terribly sorry.”

She says nothing more, and my father falls to his knees. I bounce my eyes between the adults, and when my father grinds the heels of his palms into his eyes, I go to the bed.

On it, my mother lies still.

“Mama,” I say, jostling her.

She needs to wake up. She needs to sing her homeland’s special birthday song, but she won’t move.

“Mama, wake up.”

Resting a hand on my shoulder, my father says, “She won’t wake up, Raimie. She’s not with us anymore.”

What a strange thing to say. I can see her right there.

“If she’s gone, where did she go?” I ask.

With a strangled noise, my father whisks me out of the room.

“Son, she fought the fever like you did, but in her case, it won and she-”

A sob momentarily cuts off the explanation.

“She died.”

Furrowing my brow, I ask, “Mama’s dead?”

My father jerks his head in a nod, and I continue.

“I killed my mother?”

Taking a step back, my father gasps with his voice gone.

“I killed my mother,” I repeat.

Spinning, I run from a newly made source of pain.

“My sister and I fled the Kiraak, those black-vined people you saw,” Rhylix said, “but not long after that, she-”

I flung a hand up to stop him.

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” I said. “It’s my fault that my mother’s dead, so I understand.”

“Oh.”

Wincing, Rhylix faced me once more.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bring up something like that.”

“It’s… fine. My mother’s death can distract me from what happened earlier,” I said.

A mashed-to-pulp face sprang into my mind unbidden, and bile surged up my throat, barely swallowed.

How had I done so much damage to that man? Through a battle surge?

What else could it have been? A bare fist couldn’t cave in a skull like mine had. I didn’t think.

Shaking my head, I said, “So, you’re Audish, huh? What’s that like?”

Relaxing, Rhylix grinned at me.

“You tell me,” he said. “You’re Audish too, if distantly.”

Well, that had obviously been an attempt to duck the question, but I didn’t mind. Every second spent talking to Rhylix lessened the force of the storm beneath my calm façade, slowly pulling me into a drowning haze. So, I happily moved on to my next question.

“How did you get to Ada’ir?” I asked. “As far as I know, the last surge of Audish refugees ended a few decades ago.”

“True, but that hasn’t stopped pirates and the occasional smuggler from visiting my homeland,” Rhylix said. “I was lucky enough to connive my way aboard one of their ships, and after many struggles, I made my way to Allanovian about ten years ago.”

Ten years. Which meant that, if I was right about visiting this city when my mother had died, Rhylix would have been here for that. I didn’t remember seeing him among the people who’d treated us then, though. So…

“Have you always been a healer here?” I asked. “I’ve noticed the way the other Esela despise you, and that can’t be because they dislike your profession. They’re not nearly as hateful toward other healers.”

“Ah, yes. That,” Rhylix said, making a face.

He said nothing more, seemingly lost in thought, and I resisted the urge to snap my fingers in his face.

“And?” I drawled.

Taking a deep breath, Rhylix said, “And when I first came to Allanovian, I joined the ranks of the Zrelnach trainees. Because of my past, I excelled there, but for reasons I’d rather not discuss, I refused initiation after my trials. I left the Zrelnach to take up the only other profession I’ve had, and Allanovian has reviled me since.”

A Zrelnach. He’d been one of the superior soldiers that I was trying to recruit, and he’d admitted that they hated him. I should distance myself now, removing the possibility that they might transfer that disdain to me but…. I couldn’t. Why?

Deflating, Rhylix nodded, as if to himself.

“You’re wondering why you shouldn’t cut your feeble ties with me,” he said. “It’s smart, and I wouldn’t blame you for doing it. I’ll only impede this part of your quest.”

I sucked in a breath while fire flashed through me.

“My quest. My quest?” I squeaked. “It’s not fucking mine. I’m going along with it because I have to, but hell if I wouldn’t abandon it the first chance I get, especially after… that.”

I waved toward Allanovian with a roar building in my ears and heat stinging my eyes. Something unwanted took hold of me, forcing long-retained words into the open.

“I don’t want to- to kill anyone, and that’s what this godsdamn quest will force from me. And for what? Some kingdom I’ve never seen where children learn how to kill? I’m sorry, Rhy. I know it’s your home, but I don’t want to save it, not when it means more blood on my hands. Not when working toward that goal means losing the first friend I’ve made since-”

Since when? And why had I called Rhylix my friend?

Crashing back into my body, I found him looking at me with clinical detachment. The same intimidating aura from when I’d last challenged my so-called destiny was emanating from him, and when he cocked his head, I flinched.

“You consider me a friend,” he said with his voice dead. “Why?”

That was surprising. I’d thought for sure that concerns for Auden would next come out of his mouth, but no. Rhylix had echoed my unspoken question, which meant I had to answer it now.

“You saved my life. You’ve fixed me up multiple times. You’ve been nothing but kind and caring toward me,” I said. “I actually like you, which is unusual for me. Why wouldn’t I call you my friend?”

Still blank, Rhylix said, “Is that what friendship is? Two people who enjoy one another’s company enough to spend time together?”

“What else would it be?” I asked.

Granted, I didn’t have many examples to go off of, but why did that matter? Wasn’t it enough that I didn’t want to lose Rhylix because of a stupid social stigma?

“Huh. It’s been a while since anyone… it’s been a while,” Rhylix said. “My last friend was like a brother to me, but I suppose it takes time and effort to get a relationship to that point.”

“Maybe,” I said. “I wouldn’t know.”

I ducked my head, barely catching Rhylix’s smile.

“We’ll have to find out together, then, won’t we?” he said.

Raising my head, I shot a questioning look at Rhylix, and he nodded.

“Over the last week, I’ve grown to know you fairly well, and I think we could be great friends, Raimie,” he said. “I also think this quest is more yours than you realize. Once you reach Auden, you might find that you relate to the people there. They’re more like you than you realize. Also, you missed the most important part of me being a Zrelnach in all but name.”

I wanted to address Rhylix’s assertions about Auden, but I didn’t think he’d allow it. So, I responded the only way I could.

“What’s that?”

“I can teach you how to fight,” Rhylix said. “I can show you how to resist a hostile long enough to retreat, if such a thing is possible. If you mean to travel to Auden, even if only to satisfy your family, you should learn the skill.”

He was right, much as I hated to admit it.

“You’d be willing to teach me?” I asked. “Even after everything I said about Auden?”

Nodding, Rhylix said, “Even still.”

“Then…”

What should I do? I’d never wanted to learn how to fight, perfectly happy with my ignorance, but with Auden as a guaranteed part of my future, I should at least learn the basics. Right?

“I’d be grateful for any lessons you can give me,” I said.

“Let’s start, then,” Rhylix said.

He whipped a sword from beneath his cloak, and I skittered backward with my lungs set into overdrive.

Once I realized I wasn’t in danger, I panted, “Now?”

At my display, Rhylix raised an eyebrow.

“Do you have something better to do?” he asked.

Remembering everything waiting for me in Allanovian, I grimaced.

“I don’t,” I said. “Teach me. I suppose.”

I hefted Silverblade, and Rhylix showed me a feral grin.

“I bet you can’t disarm me,” he said.

A growl escaped from me while something animalistic rose in response to the challenge.

“I’ll take that bet,” I said.

Instinct wasn’t guiding me, but it didn’t matter. I attacked.

TTS Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter 22: Return to Society

Raimie

Everything hurt. All of my muscles were crying of overuse, and the small bruises forming under my skin would soon mark any slight damage I'd received. Still, I followed Rhylix with a spring in my step.

“So, what am I gathering again?” I asked. “Chamomile and aloe, right? Is there anything else?’

“That’ll do,” Rhylix said. “I’m guessing you know what the herbs look like?”

I chuckled.

“Of course I do,” I said. “You have no idea how often I needed them while growing up.”

Glancing askance at me, Rhylix asked, “Why’s that?”

What a good question. I didn’t know how to answer it without embarrassing myself, so I gave the Eselan an honest reply.

“When I was small, I played with an imaginary friend. Our antics usually ended with me hurt in one way or another, so I became well acquainted with healing herbs. I stopped such childishness after my mother died, though.”

“I see,” Rhylix said.

But how else was he supposed to respond? Who had an imaginary friend when they reached nine years of age? No one I knew. So, I cringed in preparation of anything more Rhylix might want to say.

Fortunately, Allanovian emerged from behind concealing trees at that moment, revealing my father pacing in front of the waterfall hiding its entrance.

“Raimie! You have to do something,” he said as we approached. “Eledis has been shouting at Allanovian’s Council for a solid half hour, and I don’t know how much longer it can go without someone getting violent. I need your help to stop the argument before that happens.”

Suppressing a groan, I met Rhylix’s eyes before shrugging. The herbs would have to wait.

“Eledis is trying to get himself killed again? Alouin, when will he learn?” I said. “All right. Let’s rescue him for the millionth time.”

How many times had my father and I pulled the old man out of a bar fight or something equally as dangerous? How many times would we enable his incitive nature? Eventually, it would end with one of us hurt.

“Where are they?” I asked.

“I’ll take you to them,” my father said. “Will the healer join us?”

Shaking his head, Rhylix said, “The healer has better things to do than settle a squabble between a human and my people.”

Grimacing, I waved my new friend on. How I wished I could escape with him.

“Off with you, then,” I said.

Rhylix bowed to me and my father.

“I’d wish you luck,” he said, “but I suppose two honorary Zrelnach don’t need such a fickle thing.”

Stiffening, I glared at Rhylix. Why would he remind me of the trial that I’d undertaken just a few hours before?

At Rhylix’s words, however, my father went still, fixing his eyes on him as if asking permission for something. If he was looking for approval, the healer didn’t give it. He merely rose from his bow and strode away.

Biting his lip, my father crossed his arms, keeping his eyes fixed on where Rhylix had disappeared.

After a moment, I cautiously asked, “Shall we?”

My father jumped, shaking himself.

“Yes, let’s get to Eledis,” he said, “preferably before he does something stupid.”

He led me around the waterfall and through the cave entrance behind it, following in Rhylix’s footsteps. Since I saw no sign of my friend, I assumed our paths diverged from there, but of others, I saw plenty.

They still stared at the humans in their midst, but no hostility radiated from them now. Instead, disquiet hovered over them, visible in their set shoulders and pinched eyes.

I resisted this aura with a bounce in my step, distractedly humming while I examined my surroundings. To date, I’d been contained in a portion of Allanovian that had been carved out of the mountain. Its corridors had abnormally smooth walls with its chambers too regularly paced.

What my father and I were hurrying through looked more natural. The path meandered, bordering cavernous pockets that featured multiple cave formations, and where it plunged between these caves, its height and width varied, although it never got tight around the people who walked down it. Allanovian’s citizens must have made it more comfortable over the years.

Ahead of me, my father said, “You seem better. Usually, it takes a newly initiated Zrelnach longer to recover from their second trial, especially when it’s of the variety you underwent. Are you detaching again?”

I slowed down as all liveliness was stripped from me.

“What else am I supposed to do?” I asked. “Now that I’ve proven myself to this city’s Council, I doubt we’ll stay here for long, especially with everyone so eager to commence the foretelling. I won’t have time to process what happened, not until we’re on the open road again, and if I let myself dwell on it before then, I…”

I wasn’t sure what would happen, but it wouldn’t be pleasant for anyone involved.

Sighing, my father said, “You know I don’t approve of how you repress yourself like this, but for once, I think you’re right to do it, if only for a time. I’m here for when you want to talk.”

“I appreciate that,” I said.

I couldn’t add more as at that moment, cacophonous screeching burst from a room ahead of us.

“This’ll be fun,” my father grumbled.

He started forward but halted when I threw an arm in front of him.

“That want me, right? Their blasted foretold leader,” I said. “That’s why they’re refusing to hear whatever Eledis has to say.”

My father reluctantly nodded, so I continued on.

“I’ll deal with this. Considering how much you and Eledis don’t get along, having you in the room probably wouldn’t be helpful. Instead, can you…? I don’t know. Maybe we can talk later? I’d like to-”

This weight on my chest needed to be lifted, and while Rhylix’s first lesson in sword fighting, teaching me basic forms and disarms, had helped somewhat, he wasn’t family. I needed someone I could share everything with, knowing I wouldn’t be judged. I needed my father.

Resting a hand on my shoulder, my father squeezed it.

“An excellent idea. In fact, I have something to tell you too,” he said. “Find me in the Zrelnach’s common room once you’re done here, and we’ll discuss things over drinks. Do you know where that is?”

I shook my head.

“But I’m sure that if I ask an Eselan dressed in black, they’ll be happy to show me,” I added.

“That’s my smart boy,” my father said.

After patting my cheek, he lingered as if wanting to say more before putting the shouting match to his back. I faced it, gritting my teeth as I came closer. Without giving myself time to think about what I was doing, I entered the source of the argument.

TTS Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter 23: Trip Planning

Raimie

The chamber I entered was quite cozy, or it would have been if not for the room’s occupants. Bending over a paper-strewn table, Eledis had gone red in the face, repeatedly jabbing a finger at the map below his hands. One of the men on the Council matched him in shade and volume while another had crossed his arms with a foot jittering, and the third watched everything from his chair, holding folded hands in front of his lips. The only woman in the room looked bored, inspecting her fingernails with a hand on the hilt of a dagger, but when I joined them, she flicked her eyes to me.

Our gazes met, gray to blue, and something in the back of my mind hissed its displeasure. To her credit, Ferin flinched when confronted with someone she’d recently made a murderer, which was good. I didn’t like my chances if anger had had me attacking her.

Never removing my eyes from the commander, I cocked my head as if puzzled by the scene in front of me.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “I thought we were finally on the same side. Why are we shouting at one another?”

Everyone in the room flipped toward me, which had too much attention turned my way, and the room distorted until strangers, filling the ramps on all sides, glared down at me. Locking up, I ran my eyes over those gathered here, unsure what new horror they might demand from me. I should retreat, fleeing as fast as I could through Allanovian, before they could hurt me again.

“Oh, Raimie. You’re here,” Eledis said. “Come. Join us. Maybe you can talk sense into these people, who should be doing what we say now.”

And the hold on me broke.

“Why?” I asked.

Striding into the chamber, I absently ran a finger along a map of the Fractured Peaks. On noting that it was marked with new labels, ones I’d never recorded in my mental index, I lifted it higher, but after modifying the map in my head, I returned to holding Ferin’s gaze.

“All I’ve done is prove that I’m worthy of becoming a Zrelnach, if I wanted to. My only other claim to this supposed foretelling is Shadowsteal, and let’s face it. We can never be sure whether the sword that I found is the legendary blade in truth,” I said. “And what have you done to garner the Council’s support besides be a descendant of the Audish royal line, grandfather?”

Eledis was glaring at me. I could feel it even as Ferin broke eye contact to exchange glances with the other Council members.

“Young one…” said one of the men. “None of us are in doubt about what you found. Why are you? Can’t you hear its ringing?’

Everyone dropped their eyes to the sword hanging at Eledis’ side, and I frowned. Was this what my grandfather had been talking about when he’d said Shadowsteal would draw the Audish to it for a time? And if so, why was it silent for me?

Should I truthfully answer the Councilman’s question? If I did, my lack of something that only the Audish could hear might prove I wasn’t who they thought I was. They seemed to believe their ‘foretold one’ would have Audish blood running through their veins, and if I didn’t measure up to that expectation, I might lose their support.

Considering how awful I was at lying, though, speaking anything but the truth seemed like a bad idea.

“No, I don’t hear anything like that,” I said. “A ringing sound lured me to it in the first place, but since touching it, I’ve heard nothing.”

A ripple spread over those gathered here, and I wondered how I’d disturbed them. They weren’t reacting the way I’d expected.

“May I ask what you were arguing about?” I said, eager to change the subject.

Shaking herself, Ferin said, “Routes to the Narrow Sea, among other things.”

“Other things being the number of Zrelnach who will accompany us and what sort of supplies Allanovian will provide, as per their long-held promise,” Eledis grumbled.

At this, my frown became a smile. I’d heard of this promise, the one originating in Allanovian’s founders. I didn’t understand why a promise made by people long-dead should apply to their descendants, but voicing my doubt didn’t seem wise.

After what Teron had done to Fissid, I was under no illusion that my family and I could stay here. I couldn’t explain how or why we’d gone for so long without another of Doldimar’s minions attacking us, but I was grateful for the lucky break, even while knowing it couldn’t last.

We needed to leave. Quickly. And despite how much it made me squirm, I’d extract everything I could from Allanovian, especially if it meant my family had a better chance of surviving.

“I’m sure the Council knows how much their people can provide,” I said, “just as I’m sure that my father’s friends among the Zrelnach can verify their choice. Now, what’s this about our route?”

Around the map I’d raised, I watched the Council members stiffen. Had they been planning to volunteer only the bare minimum of provisions, enough to get my family out of Allanovian?

If that was the case, why didn’t it surprise me? Did I have so little faith in people?

Eledis, on the other hand, let his muscles loosen while a smirk crawled across his face. He would be pleased, so long as he got what he wanted. The old man had never cared how he achieved his goals, merely that he did.

“Even if Allanovian gave us all of its food, we couldn’t skirt the Fractured Peaks to a viable harbor before our people started starving, and I don’t like our chances of finding other sources of food along the way, not for a group as large as ours would presumably be,” he said. “I’d like to set sail from Sev, the closest of the Robzul city states, as it would mean less interference from Queen Kaedesa. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not deal with charges of treason on top of everything else. That means circumnavigating the mountain range, which will add weeks to our travel time. Our honorable Council members have argued that we should choose a closer port to disembark from. I, respectfully, disagree. The risk of starvation will be worth escaping the notice of Ada’ir’s Queen.”

Lowering the map to the table, I hummed to myself. I had a possible answer for Eledis’ problem, but I’d always liked gathering every detail about a problem before discussing solutions.

“Who would come with us?” I asked. “Zrelnach alone or will we have civilians joining us too?”

The red-faced Councilman turned a deeper shade of crimson.

“You want more than the Zrelnach to leave with you?” he snarled.

“Did I say that?” I asked. “I just want to know what sort of people my family will be traveling with. I know Rhylix has expressed interest in joining us. Has anyone else expressed a similar desire, or is it only him?”

“That coward?” one of the men said with a sniff. “Please. You don’t need to worry about anyone following his example.”

Pausing, I wrinkled my nose.

“Coward?” I said to myself. “Why would anyone think Rhy’s a coward?”

In her corner, Ferin sucked in a quiet gasp, but the men presented me with expressions that ranged from incredulous to mildly curious.

“Forgive me, young one,” the curious one said, “but during your recent trial, what vision did you see?”

What the hell did my second Zrelnach trial have to do with my question?

“I saw Rhylix rescue his little sister before fleeing an overwhelming force,” I answered with a frown. “A ridiculous number of people were coming from his hometown, trying to run them down, and I-”

I couldn’t think about what I’d done after that.

“And behavior like that doesn’t scream cowardly to you?” the irate Councilman said.

“No…” I drawled. “It seems perfectly logical. Why fight an enemy that will massacre you when you can live to fight another day?”

The men seemed to find what I’d said mighty disgruntling, but after a beat, Ferin burst into laughter.

“He’s right,” she gasped. “Alouin help me for breaking the Zrelnach mold by saying this, but the kid’s right. Given what we saw during the trial, Rhy’s actions make the most tactical sense.”

…Given what they’d seen? Had people other than myself seen Rhylix’s memory, and if so, how many? Why had he allowed such an invasion of his privacy?

“Can we return to the original question, please?” Eledis grumbled. “Should we expect civilians with us on our journey?”

Wincing, the annoyed Councilman said, “Doubtful. Why does it matter?”

“Every detail is relevant when making a plan,” I said before freezing.

Where had that come from?

“At least, I think it’s so,” I continued.

The Council and Eledis were staring at me, but I wasn’t quite sure what they wanted. I held perfectly still while a random ache of loss pulsed through me. When Eledis relaxed with a smile, I nearly collapsed at the release of pressure.

“Do you have a plan?” the older man asked.

“Not as such,” I said. “Only, I noticed a direct path beneath the mountains here.”

I jabbed my finger at the map that I’d recently lowered.

“Why would we skirt the Fractured Peaks when we have that?”

Fixing an indulgent smile in place, the irate Councilman said, “That’s our route to Allanovian’s tear. No one willingly traverses it.”

I cocked my head.

“Why not?”

I’d read of tears before, and because of that, I knew they were considered dangerous, but I’d never learned why. Based on the reactions I was receiving, I gathered that this knowledge might have been commonplace. If so, most authors wouldn’t think to mention it.

“Forgive my grandson,” Eledis said with a tight voice. “He’s lived in isolation for as long as his memory stretches. He doesn’t understand a tear’s effects on people, much less what one is.”

“Ah. I suppose that explains the suggestion,” Ferin said before turning to me. “Tears are known to drive people mad, young warrior. Not many can escape one’s influence. Even still, the exceptionally brave and reckless occasionally take their chance with one because they could find otherworldly items near a tear. Often times, these items are what bolster a nation or town’s economy. All of which is to say that bringing a couple hundred Zrelnach near one would prove exceptionally foolish.”

Dropping my gaze to the map, I weighed what the Zrelnach Commander had said, forcibly ignoring my resistance to her words.

“It seems my general education is lacking. Perhaps over the next few months, someone will see fit to fill in those gaps,” I said, “but for now, I’d ask whether the chance of this proposed disaster is more or less likely than starvation while skirting the mountains. Let’s start there.”

The only calm Councilman lowered his hands to the table, narrowing his eyes.

“He’s made a good point,” he said.

Wait, what? I hadn’t been trying to make a point, merely gather more information, but Ferin cautiously nodded agreement while the incensed Councilman whipped his head between them with his mouth agape.

“You can’t be serious, Shafoth,” he said. “Ferin?”

The Zrelnach Commander shrugged.

“Why should you care what route we take, Hemly?” she said. “You won’t be joining us.”

…Us?

“I’m sorry,” I cut in before anyone else could speak. “You’re coming along?”

Something besides boredom took residence on Ferin’s face while guardedness flickered to life in her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked. “I’m the commander of the armed force that you mean to take. It’s only logical that I accompany you.”

It was. That didn’t mean I wanted it. Did I have a feasible way of refusing her help, though?

“Forgive me. I thought your duties on the Council might keep you here,” I said. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Oh, I’m not offended, just confused,” Ferin said, “but you cleared that up for me. Not to worry. If I have my way, the remnant of Zrelnach left here won’t be large enough to warrant a Councilor any longer.”

“I see,” I said.

How unfortunate.

With a slight smile, Ferin turned to Eledis.

“Do you object to taking the path under the Fractured Peaks?” she asked. “We could traverse it as slow or fast as you like.”

Making a face, Eledis said, “Fast would be better. I’d rather get as far from Allanovian as possible before another of Doldimar’s minions descends upon us.”

At that, my lips twitched. Well played, mentioning the threat this city was under while my family inhabited it. He’d done it after extracting a promise of support from its leaders as well. Maybe in the future, Eledis could teach me how to negotiate.

Slapping the table, Ferin said, “It’s decided, then. We’ll go under the mountains. A good suggestion made by our soon-to-be king.”

The others murmured agreement, nodding to me, and I stood stock still, somehow keeping myself from cocking my head.

What had that last bit been about? King? Surely Ferin hadn’t meant me.

“Shall we discuss logistics, then?” Eledis asked.

“I think that’s only fair. After all, Allanovian will need to ensure its own survival once you’ve left,” Hemly said. “Does the young one have any ideas for that discussion?”

Still caught on what Ferin had said, I half-heard the question.

“I… do not,” I said. “In fact, I’d like to retire for the evening. Long day and all. Unless another topic will turn this venerable group of people into squabbling children again?”

Several faces soured at that, but I hardly noticed, already making my way out of the chamber.

“Good night, Eledis,” I said.

As I turned the corner, I heard him making apologies for my behavior, but I didn’t pause long enough to listen. After finding an empty corner, I put my back to it, thunking my head on stone as I gasped. Shivers ran over me, and I rubbed my arms, trying to fight off chills.

“You did well.”

Focusing my eyes, I grimaced on seeing Dim and Bright.

“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate that.”

Because throughout that conversation, I’d felt barely in control.

“I’m also glad to see that you’ve returned to these twin guises,” I continued. “What you showed me before… I don’t want to see it again.”

Losing control like that hadn’t been pleasant.

As Dim and Bright went unnaturally still, I rolled my eyes. At the moment, I couldn’t handle the puzzle of them. I’d only sought solitude to calm my nerves, not to consult with beings that I barely understood.

Alouin, did the people of Allanovian actually expect me to be a king, or had that been… a slip of the tongue? It was a flimsy explanation for what I’d heard, but I couldn’t consider anything else. Too many issues were stacked on my plate. I couldn’t add ruling a kingdom to them.

Too many other issues… Too many…

Roughly shaking myself, I whispered, “I really need to speak with dad.”

I’d taken a step toward the corridor when Bright popped in front of me.

“We can lead you to Aramar,” it said.

“If you like,” Dim added.

Meaning I wouldn’t need to speak with someone else?

“I would like that,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Raimie.”

TTS Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter 24: The Start of a Journey

Raimie

I followed my twin anomalies through Allanovian. Presumably because I’d invited them to stay, Bright and Dim didn’t vanish when other people filled the corridors, but they never spoke a word to distract me, which was good.

Because the further along we traveled, the more a sense of familiarity raised its head. Was another memory of this place, buried beneath fever and ignorance, about to come forth?

My twins soon stopped beside a narrow cleft in a rock wall, gesturing toward it, and as I approached, I made a face. This would be fun.

Shimmying into the cleft, I sidled sideways while its walls brushed along my shrunken profile. What was this supposed to be? A bottleneck? That would make sense for the entrance to the Zrelnach common room.

Dragging myself through the last bit of rock, I stumbled into the open, panting from the effort of it. I found myself in a cavern filled with tables and a wall made of kegs. Another wall held several wood-burning stoves with a counter separating them from the cavern’s open space. As they did throughout Allanovian, bracketed torches provided light here, although a handful of chandeliers were hanging between the stalactites overhead.

And all of this was swarmed by Esela, swathed in black leather.

Abruptly aware of how out of place I was, I backed toward the exit, but I couldn’t reach it before several people in the room noticed my presence. Their stares nailed me in place as surely as an illusion of Teron might have while a wave of quiet traveled through the cavern. The Zrelnach impassively watched me, and almost beneath my notice, I shifted into a defensive stance, resting a hand on Silverblade’s hilt.

A woman close to the entrance stood, raising her mug overhead, and one by one, the other Esela followed her example until hundreds of deadly people were saluting me.

“Welcome, worthy one,” the woman said.

The words echoed from dozens of lips, and the Zrelnach took a drink from their mugs or goblets.

And then, they sat. And they ignored me. And I relaxed, if only a little bit.

“Raimie!”

A hand lifted from among a dense group of people found deeper in the cavern, and I wandered toward it, eventually finding my father at a table with several other Zrelnach.

“How’d it go?” he asked. “Is Eledis still alive, the stubborn bastard?”

“Yes, thank Alouin,” I said. “I managed to cool down tempers before anything bad happened.”

“Well, that’s all right then,” my father said. “Sit, sit! I’ve got a mug of your favorite for you.”

Taking the only available seat, I eyed the Zrelnach around me. I’d wanted this to be a private conversation. My father had seemed to understand that, so why was I surrounded by strangers?

“These are friends from my time here,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind them joining us. They’ll act as a buffer between us and the other Zrelnach.”

“Ok. I get that, I guess,” I said. “Their names?”

Grinning, my father pounded the back of the man beside him.

“This is Gistrick, one of the finest warriors you’ll ever meet,” he said.

Wincing, the man said, “That’s not true anymore, though, is it? Not with this injury.”

He gestured toward a part of his body that I couldn’t see, and my father rolled his eyes.

“Ignore him,” he said. “He’s always been modest. Now. This is…”

He continued introducing the others, but I stayed stuck on the first one. This stranger was the one who’d offered me support before my first trial, the only Zrelnach to do so, and without knowing anything about the man, I already felt... distinctly uneasy around him. Despite having never seen him in my life, I could still swear I’d met him before, which was impossible. I hadn’t known Esela existed before meeting Rhylix so why…?

Something slid across the table to me, and I reflexively caught it, wincing when amber liquid splashed over my hand. I hated this stuff.

“I propose a toast,” my father said.

He lifted his mug high, and the Zrelnach at the table joined him.

“To Raimie, the best son a father could ask for and a man resilient enough to overcome the challenges raised against him,” he continued.

“To Raimie!”

Mugs were clunked together, although I kept mine on the table. I did, however, drink with them when the time called for it. Closing my eyes, I savored the taste. No matter how much I might hate most forms of alcohol, including brandy, I had to admit that this one was all right.

Better to think about that than how the coming conversation would negate my father’s toast.

“So,” he said, “from what you said earlier, I gather we need to talk, both of us. Why don’t you go first?”

But how should I do that? How did I share a weakness with people who would one day leap into danger with me?

“It’s ok, Raimie,” Gistrick said. “All of us have been where you are, at least partially. Talking about it is healthy, and no one will judge you for it.”

How could this stranger know what I was dealing with? Almost, I laughed in his face but… but…

Opening up to these people might show greater strength than rejecting their offer of companionship.

“I need someone to share how they’ve dealt with their guilt,” I said, “or to help make sense of my new life, at least. I need…”

I didn’t know what could fix the mess that I’d become over the span of a week. Maybe nothing could, but before we set off on a journey that was sure to be fraught with danger, I’d like something or someone to anchor me. Otherwise, I’d continue drifting, and that would see me killed.

No one at the table would meet my eyes, though, and I clenched my hands around my mug. Would they refuse to help me with this? Where was my father with his constantly promised advice?

After slowly breathing out, I said, “I know none of you have been in my situation. I don’t expect you to help me with it, not fully. You’ve probably never learned that your family has kept a secret from you for your whole life, and I don’t expect you’ll relate to the sense of betrayal that goes with it.”

Jerking his head to me, my father opened his mouth, but I barreled over him.

“Nor do I expect anything useful for when everyone’s determined your future for you. You can’t understand the helplessness that comes with knowing you can’t change it,” I said. “Maybe some of you can help me grapple with how my presence led to the massacre of everyone I’ve known, but I know, I fucking know, that all of you have killed before.

“So, tell me. How do you bury that? How do you stop seeing your victim’s face when your eyes shutter closed? How do you make this sickening self-hatred, one that’s tearing into you with every second, go the hell away? How do you live with yourself when you’ve ended someone’s life before their time? How… how?”

Stretching my hands in front of me, I flinched at the red stickiness covering them.

Hadn’t I cleaned these? I had. I knew I had and yet…

Hugging myself, I pretended that I wasn’t hiding murder weapons or clawing my fingers into my sides. Meanwhile, the people at the table shifted, looking for help with answering my plea, but when someone tried to do that, it didn’t come from the Zrelnach in front of me.

“It’s a process.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I wanted to bristle at the sight of the woman behind me, but here, at the end of this long day, I was too wrung dry to acknowledge my distaste.

“With time, the guilt will fade,” Ferin said. “At times, the process may seem to take forever, and throughout your life, slivers of remorse will make resurgences into your life, but each relapse will hurt less. Eventually, the face you see will go fuzzy, but honestly, young warrior? I find it’s better if that never happens. To me, remembering those faces is my way of honoring my victims. But unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for self-loathing. The best thing you can do tonight is get thoroughly drunk with friends. Don’t do it alone.”

With a soft smile, she patted my shoulder before continuing toward a counter. Watching her place an order, I wondered what she'd meant that to be. Had Ferin been easing a guilty conscience? And how had she been behind me at the precise moment when I’d needed her advice?

“The commander is wise. You’d do well to heed her advice.”

Turning back to the table, I stared Gistrick down, wondering if he could understand the internal struggle I’d been grappling with.

“Raimie… I had no idea that you thought Eledis and I had betrayed you,” my father said. “We never meant to hurt you-”

“I know,” I interrupted.

Grimacing, I decided to take Ferin’s advice, lifting my mug to down its contents. When I slammed it, empty, onto the table, one of the Zrelnach stood, presumably to retrieve another.

“I know that your intention was to keep me safe,” I continued, “and I don’t blame you for it. I even accept it, intellectually, but I’ve never been the best at controlling my feelings. You know that.”

Lifting his mug, my father mumbled into it.

“You’d be surprised how much control you have when compared to others.”

How was I supposed to respond to that? Fortunately, the Zrelnach from earlier quickly returned, handing off another drink.

“Thank you,” I said before turning to my father. “What did you want to tell me?”

Making a face, he said, “That’s a subject best saved for another time.”

“So, you’re going to keep a secret from me. Again,” I said.

“It’s not like that! I’d rather wait for a better-”

“Just tell him, Aramar,” Gistrick sighed. “It’ll hurt him either way. Get it over with.”

A crater formed in my stomach. Hurt me? What did my father mean to share?

Swallowing, my father flicked his eyes over the cavern while spinning his mug between his hands.

“The fight with Teron,” he said. “Something happened during it.”

He clenched his jaw, and I couldn’t move from the awkward position I was sitting in. What had that evil bastard done?

Gistrick nudged my father, and he puffed out a sigh.

“The Enforcer broke my back,” he said. “I’m paralyzed from the waist down.”

A heady combination of numbness and detachment blasted through me, leaving me adrift outside my body. This couldn’t be real, could it? It had to be a cruel joke.

“But I’ve seen you walking around since then,” I said. “If you were paralyzed…”

He couldn’t walk, could he?

“Your friend, Rhylix, set me up with a contraption that came through Allanovian’s tear, something from another world,” my father said. “It lets me walk, but doing so isn’t… pleasant.”

Standing, he lifted his tunic a fraction, revealing the metal band circling his waist, before sitting once more.

“I’ll eventually get used to the twinges but for now…”

My father shrugged, and the pit in my stomach carved deeper into me.

“I’m sorry, dad,” I said. “If I’d been a little faster-”

“Don’t you dare,” my father snapped. “This is, in no way, your fault. Teron can have all the blame, thank you very much. The only reason I’m telling you about it is so you’ll know that I can’t move as quickly as I used to. It might be best to leave me-”

Still watching myself from a distant perch, I shot to my feet, scraping my chair across the floor as I did.

“Hell no!” I shouted. “You’re my father. Don’t you dare suggest that I abandon you.”

Warmth sprang into my father’s eyes, even as he darted them over the cavern.

“Raimie…” he said.

Crashing into my body, I noted the dead silence around me and the eyes staring my way. I sank into my seat, shrinking on myself, until conversation resumed in the cavern, but as if to contradict my dread over a perceived mistake, the people around the table—all of them except my father—grinned at me.

“Nicely done. That’s solidified the loyalty of many people here,” Gistrick said.

Had he meant that genuinely, or had it been intended as an insult?

“Thank you?” I said.

“Seems the toast you gave wasn’t an exaggeration, Aramar,” a woman beside my father said.

When she elbowed him, he chuckled.

“You doubted me?” he asked.

“No!”

“We could never.”

“It’s not like you’ve said similar things about people, only to have them proven false later,” Gistrick said. “You’re too trusting at times, my friend.”

My father stiffened, glaring at the Eselan.

“How dare you,” he said. “I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent judge of character!”

“Sure you are.”

Since the people around the table seemed finished with me, I watched them banter with one another. Almost, I left to find a bed but decided against it in the end. Who knew when I could drink with friendly people in a safe place again? I’d take advantage of it while I could.

After all, tomorrow would mark the beginning of a long journey and the next phase in my life. May it be as kind to me as the first once had been.

TTS Chapter Twenty-Four

Interlude 1.1: Hope

Eriadren

Gasping from my sprint, I leaned on the fence outside of my friend’s estate, willing my body back under my control. Bodies didn’t work like that, of course, so I was forced to wait for a return to normalcy instead.

My mother hadn’t wanted me to come here today. I could tell, despite how much she’d protested otherwise. Her pinched lips and the wrinkles around her eyes had told me her true thoughts.

I, however, couldn’t afford to skip today’s meeting. If I did, I’d fail this year’s group project, and I couldn’t have that.

Once I’d recovered, I straightened my uniform, ensuring that I looked the part I must play, before striding to the house’s door. After I knocked, it didn’t take long for the lady of the house to answer my summons.

“Oh, Eriadren! How nice to see you,” she said. “Do come in.”

It never ceased to amaze me that no one in this household, save for my friend, saw me for who I was. They noted the uniform of our city’s most prestigious school and assumed I belonged to a noble family.

Not that they were wrong, but unless pressed, I’d never admit to that fact. Throughout my life, my father had been useless. His success with getting me into school had been the only good thing that he’d done for me before his exile.

“-get you anything while you wait?”

Blinking, I realized I’d tuned the lady of the house out. How fortunate that I’d caught the tail end of her question.

Giving her my most charming smile, I said, “I’m fine, thank you.”

“In that case, I’ll only be a few minutes.”

After the lady of the house had gone, I inspected the room she’d left me in. It was exactly what I’d expect to find in a wealthy family’s home with one exception.

Books.

So many tomes of knowledge sat on the shelves around me that my fingers started twitching. Unfortunately, as I perused them, I discovered my excitement had been misplaced. Religious texts all, not one was spared the name ‘Alouin’ in its title.

Useless.

Before I could summon a water bucket to douse them with, Arivor pounded down the stairs behind me.

“I’m leaving mom I love you Back before dark,” he called in a rush.

Catching my eye, he continued out the door, and I raced to keep up. Once the estate lay far behind us, we stopped.

“So,” Arivor panted, “what’re we doing exactly?”

“Group project,” I said. “Considering it will be our theses’ starting point, I thought we should start a little earlier than usual this time.”

“Why?” Arivor asked. “It’s not like it matters. Our graduations are guaranteed, and after that, we’ll join our families’ businesses.”

“Maybe you will,” I snapped.

Besides my neighbors, Arivor was the only person who knew where I laid my head at night. He was the only one who knew my full story, and because of that, he flinched at my grumble.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine,” I said, waving a hand. “Let’s just focus on our project.”

Seemingly happy to let that awkward subject drop, Arivor said, “Ok. What topic should we tackle?”

I couldn’t share my chosen thesis subject with him. He’d probably understand it, but I couldn’t be sure of that.

Plus, if a Council member’s nephew got involved with a dissertation on the oppressive class system found throughout the empire, it might end up hurting him. But that just meant I should be subtle with today’s project.

“I thought we’d look into the Healers’ Guild,” I said. “Their practices make it impossible for slummers to procure their services, which leads to less well-trained healers treating the poor. This, in turn, leads to people suffering and at times, the rampant spread of disease throughout the empire. All theories, of course. I’d like to prove them.”

Arivor eyed me like he knew I was hiding something.

“So, what you’re saying is that you’ve decided to become a healer after all,” he said.

Shaking my head, I said, “You know I want to further the scientific field.”

“And you know they’ll never let you,” he countered.

It was an argument we’d held more frequently as graduation day approached, and as always, I brushed his doubts off.

“Well, that’s my suggestion,” I said. “What do you think?”

For the longest moment, my friend watched me.

“Will it involve visiting your neighborhood?” he asked.

Narrowing my eyes, I said, “Probably.”

“Great! We’ll start there.”

He took off ahead of me, leaving me muttering curses in his wake. Sometimes, I forgot how obsessed my friend was with the slums.

As buildings grew more dilapidated around us, my senses heightened. I usually changed clothes before coming home. Any display of wealth here, such as our school’s uniform, attracted unwanted attention, and true to form, when we rounded onto a side alley, two thugs from a local street gang were waiting for us.

“Coin purses. Now,” said the one in the lead, extending a hand.

I stepped in front of Arivor before he could comply.

“No,” was all I said.

“What are you doing?” Arivor hissed in my ear. “Give them what they want, and let’s go.”

But he didn’t know these streets like I did. He didn’t see the third man, crouching on the roof with his knives flashing in the lamplight. He didn’t recognize the tattoos on their arms. Even if we paid, we were going nowhere.

“Aren’t you a defiant-?” the leader started.

“Right of street rule, you bastard,” I interrupted.

The thieves stiffened, as well they should. Street rule had been established long ago to protect the people who lived in the slums. If members of a thieves’ guild caught them unaware, a slummer could petition for single combat rather than getting robbed. This gave thieves an ‘honorable’ way to back off of a mark while also saving face. Most took this safe way out, as duels between slummers usually ended in death for one or both parties.

“How do you-?” the leader asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “Will you accept my challenge or not?”

The thieves on the ground looked like they wanted to retreat, and I let myself believe that Arivor and I might escape this fiasco unscathed. Then, the man on the roof dropped to the ground between me and his associates.

“Can’t wait to carve you down a notch,” he said.

…Damnit.

Quickly, I stripped off my jacket, tossing it to Arivor while another thief pulled him to the sidelines.

“What are you doing, Eriadren?” he asked.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “Just do what they say, and… don’t get involved.”

Because if he did, it would nullify this challenge, and I didn’t like our chances against three thieves.

Not that I liked mine against the knife wielder. Why hadn’t I worn a weapon when leaving home today?

Turning to my opponent, I was surprised to find him waiting. No rules governed street duels, but he’d decided to be courteous.

No matter. I wouldn’t extend the same civility to him.

As soon as I’d finished spinning, I rushed him. When I reached the bastard, he’d barely raised his knives, slashing one at my waist, but I leapt to the side. As I hooked his neck in my elbow, I pushed off of the alley’s wall, using my momentum to drag him to the ground. I heard the breath get knocked out of him and whirled to kick his head, but he was on his feet already.

He was fast. Not good.

A knife jabbed for my neck, and I couldn’t dodge it. I caught the blade in my hand with a distant part of me acknowledging the deadening of my skin, and once it was in my grasp, I twisted and jerked, claiming the weapon as my own.

Meanwhile, I’d snatched a wrist, descending for my shoulder. Pulling on it, I spun my opponent around, dragging his arm up his back until he lost his grip on the second knife. Shoving him away, I kicked the blade to the side, but before I could follow my opponent, he recovered, barreling into me, and I lost my balance.

With a grunt, I landed on the cobblestones while my hold on a claimed knife dug the blade deeper into my hand. Biting my lip, I flipped the weapon to a better position before trying to knee my opponent. I met air, and the weighted toe of a boot slammed into my side.

Groaning, I rolled to my side so I could gain my feet, but another kick had me seeing stars. He continued beating the shit out of me for reasons I couldn’t explain. When an enemy went down, one should kill them quickly. Every slummer knew that.

In the end, though, his viciousness proved my saving grace. As I started losing consciousness, I sightlessly flailed at him. One of those swings caught on something, and a shout followed a thump somewhere nearby.

Rolling away from the noise, I almost, almost, fainted then and there. Only the knowledge that Arivor’s fate lay in my hands saw me stumbling to my feet.

The world blinked in and out of focus as I trudged toward my opponent. I'd severed one of his tendons, and while he was still struggling to stand, an injury like that wouldn’t let him.

Was this enough? I looked to the thieves’ leader for approval, noting his widened eyes, before a choked gasp came from my opponent. He collapsed with one of his knives embedded in his throat.

“No one touches my friend!”

The roar whipped my head to where Arivor was standing with a red face. As I glanced between him and the knife, he took a step toward the remaining thieves.

“Leave!”

They fled, and as our threat level lowered, I woozily swayed until my knees buckled. Arivor’s arm, circled around my chest, kept me upright.

“Mom will be so pissed with me,” I mumbled.

Chuckling, Arivor tugged me toward the alley’s end.

“I don’t envy you when she finds out,” he said. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. We should find you a healer.”

With my head lolling, I said, “Looks like we’ll work on that group project after all.”

While his shoulders shook, my friend stopped, flinging his head to the sky, and howling laughter filled the alley.

“Only you could think of schoolwork after something like that.”

“Yeah… well…”

I couldn’t stay awake. I needed to, but I didn’t think I…

“Eriadren?”

“Yes, Arivor?” I asked.

“Let’s not do that again,” he said. “Also, shut up. You need to save your breath.”

I petulantly mumbled at him in my head, but as he’d asked, I kept my mouth closed for the entirety of our slow hike to a clinic.

Once more, I stood outside the estate of Arivor’s family, but this time, I fidgeted in place. I’d come here so many times before, but never, never, had I been invited.

Had I dressed appropriately? I had nothing fancier than my school uniform to wear, but I’d compensated for that lack with an unusually clean-shaven and otherwise impeccable appearance. I could, of course, do nothing to hide the injuries that I’d sustained during my recent fight, but I was fairly certain they were the reason for my invitation tonight.

When I announced my presence, a manservant escorted me inside. As he led me toward the home’s dining room, anxiety spilled up my throat, almost allowed to spew out of my mouth when I stepped into the room and saw who was sitting at the head of the table.

I folded on myself, bowing as low as possible, because the man examining me from that place of honor was Councilman Reive, the most powerful man in our city’s ruling body.

“No need for that, Eriadren,” he said with a chuckle. “Tonight, you’re our honored guest.”

I didn’t know if I believed him. Sure, Councilman Reive had implemented numerous reforms that had advanced our city and Empire, most notably our current truce with the human kingdoms, but he also kept our class system rigidly in place. He was the primary reason why my father had treated my mother and myself as pariahs when I’d been born, although the bastard’s efforts to ingratiate himself with Reive hadn’t worked. The councilman had exiled him anyway.

Did Reive know whose child I was?

Arivor’s welcoming smile beckoned me to the table despite my apprehension, and once I’d taken a seat, our meal began. So much food was passed in front of me that it made me sick. Idly, I wondered how many slummer families this dinner could feed.

So many times, Arivor’s parents asked me to tell the story of how I’d saved their favored son, and so many times, my friend subverted my tale with an over-glorified representation of what I’d done. By the time our meal had concluded, I just wanted to go home.

Unfortunately, Councilman Reive wasn’t finished with me.

While servants cleared the last dishes from the table, he said, “Let’s speak privately, Eriadren.”

Ignoring how Arivor was excitedly bouncing in his chair, I followed the man with a heavy heart. Would this be where he told me to return to the slums, never to emerge from them again?

We ducked into a room that I’d never visited before, and for the briefest moment, my trepidation vanished. Shelves filled with books surrounded us, and I strained my eyes, seeking out a volume I had yet to read.

“Your thirst for knowledge will get you into trouble someday, you know,” Reive said. “Come, boy. Sit with me.”

An armchair was already enfolding him, and his calculating gaze followed me as I joined him in front of the hearth.

“I don’t know how you’ve earned my nephew’s friendship,” was what he started with. “I’ve sent so many noble’s brats to do the same, and all of them have failed. Honestly, I don’t care what you did to gain Arivor’s confidence, but I should warn you. I have plans for him, and if you disrupt those in any way, I’ll send you crawling back to your whore of a mother, and you’ll never leave the slums again.”

He knew who I was. He knew who I was!

I should concede to this man. Here, I should bow, but pride had ever been my downfall.

“What makes you think I’m afraid of you?” I asked in a mild tone.

“If you aren’t, then you’re not as smart as I gave you credit for,” Reive said. “Heed my warning, Eriadren. Play nice, and perhaps I’ll have a decent position for you when you graduate. Alouin knows you’ll need my help to find one.”

Bristling, I straightened in my seat, but Reive raised a hand.

“Don’t say anything, not when your temper might get you in trouble,” he said. “I mean to rejoin my family now. In a little while, you’ll come to make your farewells and go home. There’s nothing more for you here tonight.”

Rising, he strolled to the door.

“It was nice to meet you.”

He left me trapped, not the slightest bit tempted to peruse the wealth of knowledge around me.

TTS Interlude 1.1

TTS Interlude 1.1.1

Interlude 1.2: Hope

Eriadren

Graduation. The day I’d long anticipated had finally come, and I was running late for the main event. For once, though, no one could fault me for my tardiness. No, the blame for that lay entirely at the feet of the woman in front of me, but I couldn’t hate her for it.

My mother picked at the fabric of her gown, a garment that I’d spent months saving coin to buy, and she refused to lift her head from staring at the cobblestones. I shielded her nervous shifting from prying eyes while we stood in an out-of-the-way corner.

Not an alley. I’d avoided those since the thieves’ incident.

“You don’t have to come, you know,” I said. “If you’re uncomfortable, I can walk you home before the ceremony.”

That was a lie. I definitely didn't have time for it.

My mother shot her eyes up to mine before lowering them once more.

“I’m not uncomfortable. I’m scared, Eri,” she said. “What if someone recognizes me? What if they learn what I am and that I’m your mother? You’d be ruined.”

All of this anxiety was over me? I didn’t know whether to indulge my eyes’ burn or the queasiness in my stomach.

“They won’t recognize you. Trust me, mom. I’ve hidden among the wealthy for years. They’re mostly idiots, believing whatever lie you sell them. Just mimic them like Arivor taught you, and you’ll be fine,” I said. “As for you ruining me, I sincerely doubt that could happen. The school’s headmistress and at least one Council member know that I’m the bastard son of a disgraced noble. I’ll graduate tonight no matter what happens.”

I still didn’t know what I’d do afterward.

My mother wordlessly stared at me with her face reddening, and all the while, I fought not to glance down the path toward Commencement Hall. When she slapped her cheeks, I suppressed a smile.

“I won’t let those assholes keep me from celebrating my son’s success,” she growled. “Damn them. I can play a preening prima donna for a few hours. Let’s go, Eri.”

She marched off, holding her head high, and I barely kept from hugging her. Such a display would be unseemly for a noble, but watching her, I considered breaking that stupid social norm because this was my mother. Brash, comfortable in her skin, and stalking through this prestigious school as if she owned it. She’d encountered so many hardships while raising me, overcoming them all, and I loved her for it.

We found little trouble once we were inside the Hall, merely a few snide comments and glares over our tardiness. I escorted my mother to her seat, chastely kissing her cheek, before racing to my position behind the auditorium’s raised stage.

“I thought you wouldn’t make it,” Arivor said when I arrived.

With a teasing grin, he slapped my back, and I nearly stumbled forward. When I could, I straightened, lightly punching Arivor’s shoulder.

“It was a near thing,” I said. “Mom almost had a breakdown on the way.”

“She’s here?”

If it had been possible, Arivor’s face could have lit the dim crossover where we were waiting.

“Well done, her,” he said. “I’m glad she came. Hopefully, my etiquette lessons will help her."

“I wish they hadn’t been necessary,” I said. “Why does it matter where I come from? We should be judged on merit, not class.”

“Yes, so you said in your thesis,” Arivor said. “After that disaster, you’re lucky they’re letting you graduate. No. You’re lucky you didn’t get expelled.”

“I followed every rule for writing my thesis,” I said. “They had no right to target me for what I presented. It didn’t help that the conclusions drawn in it were right, Arivor.”

I couldn’t help the glare I directed at my friend, but he didn’t seem to mind it, flapping a hand at me instead.

“I know that, but I’m the minority within my class,” he said. “Going forward, you need to be more careful with your pushes for change. I’m not saying that you should stop! Just be careful.”

“Arivor! You wound me,” I said, plastering my hand to my chest. “I’m always careful.”

Before he could give the snarky reply sure to be on his tongue, someone on stage called his name. Shaking his head, he trotted off, and I was alone in a crowd of my fellow students.

While I waited, I considered Arivor’s advice. I knew he was right. My thesis had gotten me in plenty of trouble. So many disciplinary hearings had been held over it, more than I’d expected.

And that had come from my social views alone. What would happen if I continued along the path that I’d set for myself tonight? Should I abandon it?

I still hadn’t decided what to do about that when my name trickled backstage. Making for the person calling it, I didn’t notice when I stepped from behind the curtain. I probably would have continued to the other side of the stage if bright light hadn’t made me wince.

With so many people directing illumination my way, I couldn’t make out most of what lay in the greater Hall. I could see a table off to the side, set out for the city’s Council members, as well as the people in the audience’s front row but not much else.

Smiling in my mother’s general direction, I approached center stage, where my headmistress was waiting for me. She eyed me with caution, perhaps already aware of what I had planned, and once I stopped, she turned to our unseen audience.

“Eriadren, tied for first in his class,” she said. “Full honors received in every subject. Thesis on our Empire’s class structure.”

She turned to me with a warning in her eyes.

“Your chosen field?” she asked.

In other words, ‘how will you use the skills we’ve taught you to benefit the Empire?’ My answer? I wasn’t quite sure until the words left my mouth.

“I declare for science,” I said, “the study of what’s physically real.”

At that, absolute silence descended, but I’d expected this reaction. In our world, so focused on the worship of Alouin and what lay beyond, any attention paid to the here and now was met with a disdain that approached outright hostility.

Leaning toward me, my headmistress hissed, “Don’t you mean healing?”

I wanted to ignore her, but an image of my mother’s face floated through my mind. After everything she’d sacrificed for me, I couldn’t disappoint her. I’d make my own sacrifice.

“Of course, headmistress,” I said. “Is that not what I said?”

My cold glare wasn’t meant for her but the wealth of hidden people in front of me, people who would define what I could and couldn’t do with my life, but my headmistress shivered anyway.

Nodding her approval, she said, “Novice Healer Eriadren for your consideration.”

Hesitant applause answered her, and bowing, I stalked off of the stage. I ignored the other graduates’ stares, placing a steadying hand on the first wall I could find.

I’d done it! I was a kid from the slums who’d graduated and therefore, was allowed to work. I wouldn’t waste my life in that awful place, but it had come at a cost.

My life’s work wouldn’t focus on my passion but on a field that I found mildly interesting at best, and it didn’t matter that science hadn’t been ripped away from me. I could still study it in my spare time but the indignity of it…

I curled my hand into a fist, and almost, I cried. Arivor’s approach saved me. As he came closer, I prepared for a string of ‘I told you so’s’, but he merely clapped my shoulder.

“Will you miss this place that much?” he asked. “I know I will. Oh, the pranks I had planned that will never be!”

I chuckled at his mournful look.

“I imagine our professors won’t miss us nearly as much,” I said.

The two of us might be top of our class, but our names on a class’s roster had struck terror in many a professor’s heart.

“It’s too bad, really,” Arivor said, chewing on his lip. “I had some fantastic ones almost ready to trip.”

“Like what?” I asked.

With my back to the wall, I slid down it, and after he’d joined me, Arivor launched into an explanation of a scare trick he’d had in the works, one quite similar to something we’d pulled last year. When I mentioned it, he laughed, retelling the story. While the rest of our class took their turns on stage, we swapped old stories, reminiscing about the good times we’d shared in this place.

When the headmistress came to gather the graduates for our celebration, Arivor helped me to my feet.

“I’m so sorry, Eri,” he said while steadying me.

And we said nothing more about the crash and burn of my dreams.

One of the buildings near Commencement Hall contained a large, open space, typically used for teleportation practice. Usually drab and empty, it now glittered with all the trappings of a party hosted by the wealthy.

With my mood already sour, I ducked and dodged around graduates, their families, and guildmembers hoping to recruit the talented. Eventually, I reached my goal: the refreshment tables.

As always when faced with such an extravagant display of food, guilt raised its ugly head. How could I partake of this when hundreds would be starving in the slums tonight?

As always, I swatted guilt down. Tonight, I’d celebrate, my bad mood be damned.

“Eri!”

With a pastry in my hand, I turned to my mother, pleased that she’d remembered to restrain her behavior. I knew she wanted to throw herself at me right now.

“Well done, son,” she said with an edge to her voice.

It wasn’t directed at me, though. Taking her hand, I kissed it before waving at the bounty behind us.

“The first way I can say thank you for everything you’ve done. May there be more to come over the years,” I said. “Enjoy.”

My mother took one look at the table before whirling to take a bite out of the pastry I was holding. Grinning at my stunned expression, she plucked it from my fingers before stalking to peruse the feast spread before us.

“Oh, I fully intend to,” she called to me.

Shaking off my shock, I checked whether anyone had observed her display, but no one was staring at us with disapproval. No dangerous hush had fallen, and I let myself relax.

“An interesting performance, Eriadren.”

Raising my shoulders nearly to my ears, I spun so quickly that I almost fell.

“Councilman Reive,” I squeaked.

As he tapped his cheek, the man looked at me with something inscrutable in his eyes.

“Science?” he asked. “Why would you choose an abandoned field as you profession?”

He hadn’t seen my mother. Again, I nearly collapsed, although this time, it was from relief.

“I chose healing,” I said. “Didn’t you hear?”

With a faint smile, Reive said, “Of course. Healing. Do you know which master healer you’ll apprentice with? I’m sure you’ll get your pick of them, being top of your class.”

“I hadn’t considered it,” I said with my tone stiff. “What about Arivor? He’s top of our class as well.”

Reive dismissively waved a hand.

“My nephew doesn’t need anything found in this school to get what he wants,” he said. “To him, top of his class is a meaningless designation.”

This bastard.

“When you’ve decided who you want to study under, let me know,” Reive continued. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”

“Thank you. You’re kind,” I said, “but I won’t need your help, Councilman. Maybe you should focus on the people who do.”

Raising an eyebrow, Reive asked, “Like your mother?”

My breathing hitched.

“My mother?” I echoed.

“Yes,” Reive said with a nod. “She’s in the midst of a rather harsh escort from our celebration. Quite warranted too. We can’t have one of her like tainting our purity.”

With my hands curling into fists, I barely restrained myself from punching him in the face.

“You son of a bitch,” I said.

Chuckling, Reive said, “I’ve been called worse. Now, I believe you have a choice to make, young Eriadren. Her or the life I can offer you.”

That wasn’t a choice. Spinning, I found my mother, the current source of the room’s fascination, and sprinted for her. She saw me coming, which had her eyes widening, and I had a split second to watch her love for me flicker through a list of possible futures.

Then, something I’d never seen from her twisted her features, and screaming, she escaped from the people holding her arms. As a veritable storm, she advanced on me, and before I could say a word, she slapped me hard enough to sprawl me on the floor.

“Such a disappointment,” she growled. “I taught you better than this, comingling with the assholes who keep us ground in the dirt, but I suppose you’re not one of us, are you? You’ve chosen your bitch of a father’s society over ours. Well, I hope you find fulfillment in this empty community because you’ll never find refuge in my home again!”

She lifted her fiery gaze, sweeping it over those watching.

“Vultures, the lot of you,” she shouted. “In every sense of the word.”

As I raised myself to my elbows, my mother turned her back on me. As people helped me to my feet, unable to resist the drama now circling me, I was the only one who saw her shoulders shaking. As the questions began, I realized how alone I was.

Except for one person.

With my eyes burning, I scanned the crowd until I found Arivor on the fringes with his father restraining him. When he caught my eye, the distress blazing from him slowly dropped, leaving neutrality in its place, and a carefully crafted smile brought life to his expression, intended as a reminder for me.

‘I’ll find you later,’ he clearly mouthed.

Dipping my head to him, I abandoned all vestiges of my old life, taking up a new one with distaste. With my most cheerful smile in place, so false it wrenched my heart, I clapped my hands.

“Wasn’t that exciting?” I chirped. “All of you must be dying to know what just happened, so let me tell you the story that led to tonight’s fun. Let me tell you about how my honorable father was seduced by a wretched woman…”

Master Healer Zeran looked up at me from over his fingers, steepled in front of his face. With a vacantly pleasant grin in place, I ignored my feet, screaming for me to shuffle, and kept my body rigid instead. I couldn’t let this man see my anxiety or how badly I needed a yes from him. Rejections had trailed me since graduation, and I couldn’t take another one. Not today.

Zeran flattened his hands on the desk, taking a deep breath, and I knew I wouldn’t get what I needed.

“I’m sorry, Novice Eriadren. Your qualifications are more than adequate,” he said, “but I have no need for another assistant at this time.”

He’d repeated nearly word for word what every other healer in the city had told me, and for a moment, panic threatened to send me, begging, to my knees. If Zeran refused me, I’d have no other options for training. I wouldn’t advance beyond the rank of a novice healer, and no one went to see a novice unless they were desperate. The desperate didn’t usually have much coin either.

Before I could humiliate myself, however, a blanket of icy calm fell over me, and instead of screaming my need at Zeran, I bowed.

“Thank you for your consideration,” I said.

“Of course,” Zeran said. “Good luck to you.”

Straightening, I headed for the door, but before I opened it, I glanced over my shoulder, daring a final question.

“Are you following Councilman Reive’s orders as well?”

His flinch was the only answer I needed.

Outside, Arivor was waiting for me, tapping his jittery hands on his thighs. The bright expression that he turned on me fell as soon as he saw my face.

“No?” he asked.

“No,” I said.

Hoping to move on from my failure, I joined the flow of street traffic with no destination in mind, letting my feet wander. Arivor, however, wasn’t ready to let the subject drop.

“Was it my uncle again?” he asked.

“When is it not Councilman Reive?” I said.

My feet apparently wanted to take me toward the slums, seeing as how the buildings around us were getting steadily dingier. I corrected them, pointing myself toward the home of my newest host.

The only good thing to come from the revelation of my parentage was that I’d suddenly become a hot commodity to the wealthy. Everyone wanted to welcome the displaced noble’s son into their home, but I knew this fascination wouldn’t last. If I wanted to avoid sleeping on the streets, I had to find a way to support myself. Soon.

But how?

Of course, this conundrum lay partially wrapped in how I could learn the healing arts without a teacher.

As my feet slowed down, I considered those words. Without a teacher. There was something in that.

“I wish you’d let me help you,” Arivor said. “I may not carry as much weight as my uncle but-”

“No. I won’t ruin your reputation,” I said. “Not more than it already is by your association with me.”

“Why should I care what the vultures think?” Arivor growled. “My whole life, you’re the only one who’s been my friend for me, not because of my family.”

“And that’s why I’m telling you to keep your distance,” I said. “Besides, I have an idea.”

“Really?”

Nodding, I said, “Why would I have one healer teach me when I can learn from the best?”

“What do you mean?” Arivor asked.

Flipping to face him, I continued on, walking backward.

“I mean that I’ve always learned best from books. Having graduated and become a novice healer, I have access to our school’s library as well as the city’s. I’ll study in these places and take my advancement tests when my knowledge meets their requirements.”

Arivor screwed his face up as he considered what I’d proposed.

“The guild won’t like it,” he said. “If you operate outside of their norms, they won’t let you practice in one of their healing houses.”

“Then, I’ll have to establish one of my own,” I said, facing forward again. “It’ll take a lot of coin, though.”

And I was already struggling to find a means of supporting myself. Given that, how would I earn enough to open my own shop?

“Eri,” Arivor said.

Glancing at him, I noted his smirk and raised finger. Following it, I cocked my head at the crowd gathering outside of a building ahead, but on observing the crier at the door, I clicked my tongue.

A brawler’s den. In the last year, these places had grown quite popular among the merchants and nobles alike, which I found funny. Fights like this had been funding the slum’s gangs for as long as I could remember.

“A bunch of idiots congregating to watch people beat each other up,” I said. “What about it?”

“Do you know how much money those brawlers take home at night?” Arivor hissed. “You’re fantastic in a fight, and coming from the slums, you’d have plenty of tricks that the others won’t. Plus, if you fight, whoever organizes these brawls might let you practice your healing arts outside the ring.”

That… wasn’t a terrible idea, much as I hated it. I could at least start from there.

Pounding on Arivor’s back, I said, “I knew I kept you around for a reason. Feel like braving this den of violence with me?”

Arivor flashed me a smile.

“Most definitely.”

Together, we pushed and prodded our way through the line of spectators trying to get inside.

TTS Interlude 1.2

TTS Interlude 1.2.1

Interlude 1.3: Hope

Eriadren

My latest customer departed, leaving his farewell ringing in my ears, and I basked in a sensation that had yet to lose its fascination for me.

I’d done it. Years spent in a brawler’s den, both fighting and practicing my healing arts, and I’d not only advanced to journeyman healer but earned enough coin to establish a shop of my own.

My shop. Shivering, I took it in once more. Yes, it was small. Yes, it was in one of the city’s quietest marketplaces.

But it was mine.

Due to the resumption of war with the human kingdoms in recent months, I hadn’t had to try very hard to establish a customer base. Everyone wanted to keep a stash of healing salves on hand in case the draft called one to war. If that happened, who wanted to spend time in a healer’s shop when one could be saying goodbye to loved ones? I hated profiting off of the war, but it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Settling on my stool, I retrieved the latest book in my collection, resuming my study of a diagram that detailed the path of the body’s blood vessels through the body. The text was rare, from the time before Alouin had ushered my people to this world. To get my hands on a copy, I’d needed Arivor’s help, and I was grateful to him for indulging me with it. I wondered how many healers knew the intricacies of what transported our blood from head to toe.

I’d about had my fill of this diagram, ready to move on to the next, when my shop’s door banged open, rattling jars on shelves. Jerking my head up, I watched a diminutive woman struggle to carry a boy inside for a heartbeat, but then, I was leaping over the counter to help her.

“You have to help,” she babbled. “It’s my fault. My fault!”

“Shh. I’ve got this,” I said. “Give me the child.”

As she handed him over, the boy whimpered, and I winced on seeing the hand he had clutched to his chest. How many fingers had he broken?

I spun, meaning to bring him into the back of my shop, but catching hold of my sleeve, the woman raised glimmering eyes to mine.

“I can’t pay you,” she said. “You- you should know that.”

No coin.

Well, taking care of the boy’s injuries should take, what? A quarter hour at most? And it wouldn’t eat into my supplies. Considering I had nothing else to do, why not sacrifice some of my time to repair a broken boy?

Plus, if the woman couldn’t pay me, it meant she likely called the slums home. As a general rule, I didn’t charge the people who lived there for my services. They had to stumble upon my shop in order to take advantage of that fact, but it was one of my policies.

“Ok,” I said.

Pulling free of the woman, I got the boy into a cot. I set each of his bones as quickly as I could, mildly relieved when he fainted after the second one. After all of them were splinted, I returned to my stool, rubbing my eyes, and stopped short when I saw the woman pacing between my shelved wares.

She was still here. Why? If she were a slummer, she’d have run as soon as she’d dumped her burden on me, but when I cleared my throat, she rushed to the counter instead.

“How is he?” she asked. “Please, tell me I haven’t maimed him.”

Blinking, I gave this woman a second look over.

Blonde and brown hair spilled around her lovely features, and as far as I could tell, the concern on her face was quite genuine. Her clothes looked well made, if not as fine as a noble’s. Perhaps she was a merchant’s daughter. If so, it would explain why she’d stayed here, although it called into question her claim that she couldn’t pay me.

“The boy should be fine. His fingers may be a little stiff in the future, but that’s all,” I absently said, drawing my eyebrows together. “I’m sorry. Who are you, and how did the boy come to be injured?”

The woman snapped her eyes open wide.

“My goodness. Where are my manners?” she said. “I’m Lirilith.”

Pressing her hand over her heart, she dipped into a bow, which had my lips puckering. Why was she offering me deference?

“As for what happened, I was crossing through a deplorable part of this city when the boy brushed against me. After he did, he ran off, like I’d scared him,” she continued. “I realized that my dagger was no longer on me, and thinking it might have tumbled from my side when he hit me, I took off after the boy. I didn’t want him to accidentally hurt himself, if that makes sense. In my enthusiasm, I’m afraid I let the chase get to me. I tackled the boy when I caught up, and in the fall, he must have landed on his hand. Unfortunately, my coin purse disappeared during the fiasco, hence why I can’t pay.”

Grimacing, she spread her hands in front of her.

Oh, fuck me. I didn’t know if I could keep from smirking, but I’d try my damnedest not to let my mirth show.

“I see,” I said. “Mistress… Lirilith, is it?”

She nodded, and when she failed to provide a family name, as was proper, I mentally shrugged. She probably didn’t have one, not that I cared.

“Mistress Lirilith,” I repeated, “you’re aware that the boy was robbing you, yes?”

Her face blanched for a moment before she turned contemplative.

“That would explain what happened, yes,” she said. “So, the neighborhood I was walking through is this city’s slums, then?”

She was taking this better than I’d expected.

“Probably,” I said. “You must be from elsewhere if you didn’t know that.”

“Hmm? Oh. Yes, I am,” Lirilith said, tapping her fingers on her lips. “If he was pickpocketing me, the boy might still have my coin purse…”

Trailing off, she pinned me like a bug to paper with her gaze, and I shifted in place, unsure what she wanted.

“Should I call for the authorities?” I hesitantly asked.

I’d rather not do that, if possible. People caught stealing were not treated well in this city.

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Lirilith said, fluttering a hand in dismissal.

And I realized why she was making me uncomfortable. Her demeanor had jumped from a commoner’s to that of a noble, and I didn’t like it. Almost as soon as I noticed the change, however, it melted into the charm of the bright woman who’d entered my shop.

“It’s too bad about my coin purse,” Lirilith said.

She was damned focused on that thing. I should probably search the boy for it but first…

“Why’s that?” I asked.

Lirilith giggled, a carefree noise that I rather liked. How strange.

“Because it means I can pay you, silly,” she said. “I was hoping I could treat you to dinner instead.”

Um…

“Dinner?” I faintly echoed.

“Sure!” Lirilith chirped. “You’re attractive enough, but more importantly, you helped someone in need without thinking of payment. Given that, I’d like to get to know you better.”

Holy… shit. Was she…?

My voice, the disobedient fucker, had gotten caught in my throat when I most needed it, and based on Lirilith’s resumed giggle, I was pretty sure I’d flushed as scarlet as I could get.

“That won’t be possible if I give you coin instead,” she said. “You’d rather have the money, right?”

As my voice leapt free, my brain struggled to keep up.

"Hell no!”

I froze as my shout echoed in the shop. Oh, no. Please, say I hadn’t yelled something so stupid aloud.

“I mean,” I said, choked, “the dinner and getting to know you thing. I’d like that. More than coin. If that’s ok.”

Eloquent, Eriadren. You’re a regular fucking poet.

“You’re adorable,” Lirilith said with her eyes twinkling. “All right. I’ll have someone schedule it with…”

Her voice faded from my awareness.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. Arivor had often teased me about my lack of luck with women—caused mostly by my focus on my studies—almost as much as I’d teased him for settling down when he’d married Clariss. He’d always sworn that by the time I could devote my attention to luxuries like romance, I’d be too old for anyone to find me appealing.

Damn, I couldn’t wait to shove this in his face.

As if summoned, my friend barreled into my shop, setting jars rattling on their shelves again.

“Eri!” he shouted. “The Council’s called another draft-”

When his eyes landed on my guest, Arivor nearly tripped over himself, awkwardly stumbling to a stop, and I cocked my head at him. He looked like hell with wild eyes and his hair standing up in spikes. Those same eyes, ones that were staring at Lirilith, had snapped to the neutrality that he maintained with others of the nobility. Why was he staring at her like that?

Abruptly, he snapped into a deep bow, one I’d never seen him perform before.

“Your Eminence,” he said, “what are you doing here?”

Your…

Wait. Lirilith. As in Lirilith of the stars? Daughter of Alouin’s Voice, the leader of our damn Empire?

No wonder she hadn’t given me a family name. She didn’t have one, but not for the reasons I’d thought.

“I’m here to see how badly your uncle has managed this city,” Lirilith said, “among other reasons.”

Straightening, Arivor said, “You know he’s done well here, despite our reservations about his policies.”

Our?

“You know her?” I asked with my voice strangled.

Arivor blinked as if registering my presence once more.

“Her Eminence and I were briefly engaged a while back. It didn’t work out. Obviously,” he said. “Wait. Lirilith, why are you in this shop? And dressed like that!”

Briefly… engaged?

No. Better question.

Lirilith had started a sarcastic answer to Arivor’s question, but I cut in with my voice dead.

“You wanted to treat me to dinner,” I said. “Me.”

I probably should have added an honorific, probably should have bowed, probably shouldn’t have interrupted, but my sluggish, shocked brain could only process one thing at the moment: hurt. Was she making fun of me?

“Treat you to- Eriadren, what are you talking about?” Arivor spluttered. “And what are you doing? Show more respect. Her Eminence deserves better treatment.”

“I’ll treat her however I damn well please,” I snarled, slapping my hand on the counter. “She barged into my shop with a patient, never telling me who she was. And you know my thoughts about those who rule us.”

“Eri, not now,” Arivor hissed, darting his eyes to Lirilith. “Just… please. Do what I say for once.”

I sucked in a breath.

“Do what you say. For once.”

I was going to leap over this counter and strangle him.

“You’re choosing to call rank now?” I growled. “Now. After all these years.”

“Yes!” Arivor shouted, throwing his hands overhead. “Because you’re being an-”

“Hush, both of you.”

We shut up, turning to the woman in our midst.

One who’d become a stranger. I could see why she was called ‘Her Eminence’ now.

“Arivor, you said something about a draft?” she asked.

Blood drained from my friend’s face, and it didn’t matter how much of an ass he was being. I rushed around the counter to steady him.

“Oh, right,” he breathed. “I’d forgotten…”

When he said nothing more, Lirilith huffed.

“So, this city’s Council has already called one,” she said. “Typical.”

But Arivor wasn’t paying her any mind, clawing at my arm with a panicked look in his eyes again.

“Eri, they called our names. Both of us,” he said. “Who’s going to look after Clariss? I can’t trust the rest of my family.”

We were going to war. To fight the notoriously vicious humans.

Hell, I felt a bit faint too, and I had no one to worry about, not since my mother had cut contact with me. Arivor had a new wife, and my friend had told me just last week that she was with child. Like he’d said, who would look after his family if he didn’t make it home?

Tightening my lips, I dug my fingers into Arivor’s arm.

“I’ll get you through this,” I said. “You will see your child.”

Swallowing, Arivor said, “You can’t know that.”

“You. will,” I growled. “I don’t care what it takes, I’ll get you home.”

“I can help with that.”

Again, the woman in our midst dragged our attention to her. Lirilith was watching us with sympathy, lifting two fingers from her crossed arms. I didn’t know what to think of her right now, but if she was offering us help, I had to ask.

“How?”

“Your Council wasn’t supposed to call the draft until I arrived. I wanted first choice as to who will join me,” Lirilith said, “but since they went ahead without my presence, I’ll have to make do. Arivor, you’re passable in a fight, but you also have a fantastic head for tactics. That’ll be useful. And Eriadren, was it? How are your skills in combat?”

How were my-?

Why was she asking that? And why…?

I was still trying to wrap my head around who’d been drafted. I understood why my name had been called. I’d made enemies among the city’s Council but Arivor? Was his Uncle Reive truly so vindictive that he’d send his favored nephew into war as punishment for associating with me? Or did he expect Arivor to make a name for himself on the battlefield?

My friend clapped my back, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“Eri’s a demon with the blade. When we were in school, he’d send his opponents home whimpering. He’s pretty decent with tactics too, but unfortunately, that talent won’t matter. He’s from the slums and so, can’t advance to an officer’s rank,” he said. “He’s usually much quicker on his feet than this too. I don’t know why he’s gone non-responsive.”

Arivor snapped in my face, and I swiped at his arm, meeting Lirilith’s eyes.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why what?” Arivor said.

But Lirilith knew what I was asking, and she smiled at my question’s double meaning.

“My father, in all of his benevolent wisdom,” she said, rolling her eyes, “has finally decided to let me test my skill as a commander. The soldiers called to war from this city will be under my command. As for why I’ve offered to help you two, Arivor’s my… what are we again?”

“Second cousins,” Arivor said.

Shrugging, Lirilith said, “We’re family. As for you…”

Resting her hands on her hips, she glanced me over before firmly holding my gaze.

“I already told you why, didn’t I?” she said.

So… she’d meant that? She really thought I was…

My stomach and heart did a strange flip-flop. On the one hand, an attractive young woman had said that she’d like to know me better. On the other hand, I’d garnered the attention of someone who epitomized the Empire’s class system.

Smirking, Lirilith turned on her heel, marching for the exit.

“Come on, you two. Let’s see what else I have to work with.”

When the door closed behind her, Arivor spun on me.

“What happened before I got here?” he asked.

I gave him a brief summary, and by the time I’d finished, my friend was uncontrollably snickering into a hand.

“What?” I snapped.

Arivor flapped a hand at me, making his own way outside.

“Nothing, Eri,” he gasped. “Just… good luck.”

Laughter burst from him as he stepped out of my shop.

My shop. After all the work I’d put into this place, it probably wouldn’t be mine when I returned.

If I returned.

Running my hand over the counter’s smooth surface, I patted it before turning to leave it behind. I had yet another mess to claw my way free from, after all.

TTS Interlude 1.3

Interlude 1.4: Hope

Eriadren

The war was over. Four years of fighting, of sneak attacks on human supply lines, and of pitted battles to liberate occupied cities. Of one massacred village, the horror of innocent lives deliberately ended never to be forgotten.

Four years of laughing about miserable conditions with soldiers who wouldn’t do the same tomorrow; of frantically treating a friend’s wounds, only for them to die a second later; or of bedding down, uncertain of the future or our side’s cause.

Four years of pain and violence and death, and it was over. Or so they said.

The war lived on in its survivors. I wasn’t the same person I’d once been. Neither was Arivor. Neither was Lirilith, but today, we put all of this aside, because today, we’d had a wedding.

Or the beginning of one at least.

“Are you sure about this?” I said from the corner of my mouth. “You could still change your mind. Go home.”

“To what?” Lirilith said. “My father, who refuses to let me be myself and who thinks you’re gutter trash? No, thank you.”

I’d met Alouin’s Voice once, shortly after the war’s conclusion. We’d been in the capital to receive commendations for our service, and Lirilith had taken me to meet our Empire’s benevolent ruler, the man who supposedly heard from Alouin himself.

The meeting hadn’t gone well. All he’d talked about was Arivor and how he’d saved the Empire, conveniently forgetting how integral I’d been to the mission that had won us the last battle, but I’d expected that. It had been what had happened in every town we’d visited, and I couldn’t blame my friend for it. He couldn’t help the social system that he’d been born into any more than I could.

The way Alouin’s Voice had talked about Lirilith, though…

Oo, I’d had several choice comments to throw in his face, examples of how exceptional she’d been during the war. Anything to stop the bastard from talking about his daughter like she was a commodity to be sold.

But I’d kept my mouth shut because Lirilith had asked me to and because I trusted her to handle herself.

Then, she’d told her father about us. We’d barely escaped the capital with our lives. So far as we could tell, the man’s temper had cooled since then, but even still, Lirilith would lose her inheritance if she continued down her chosen path.

Like she was about to do.

“Life here won’t be easy,” I said. “You won’t have the comforts that you’ve grown used to.”

“But I wouldn’t have what I wanted,” Lirilith said. “I wouldn’t have the freedom to fight, whether on the battlefield or for the people who need me. I wouldn’t have you.”

I looked at her then, so beautiful in her uniform. Torch and moonlight played over her face, and I knew I couldn’t leave her side, even if she had decided to go home.

“Would you two just take the damn packages already?’

In front of us, Arivor was tapping his foot, holding a thin stick toward each of us. He looked quite dapper in his formal wear, something he’d roasted me over when I’d made a comment on it earlier, and somewhere behind me, Clariss and their toddler, Rafe, were watching the ceremony. How quickly Arivor’s family had become mine.

“Let’s get this Joining over with,” my friend snapped. “If I have to hear the same ridiculous argument from either of you one more time, I’ll scream.”

“Goodness, you’d think we’d offended you personally,” Lirilith said.

But she took what he was offering, and after a moment’s hesitation, I did too.

“Finally,” Arivor grumbled before raising his voice. “Before us, we have two stubborn people who wish to be Joined as one. Considering how much of a pain in the ass they are separately, letting them do this is probably a mistake—”

Our gathered friends laughed.

“—but we also know that their Joining was always going to happen. The two of you are so perfect for one another, it hurts, and I have trouble believing that anything but destiny brought you together. In my humble opinion, the Joining of Lirilith and Eriadren has always been written in the stars.

“So, let’s oblige them. Let’s see the two of you Joined to one another for life.”

I’d half-heard most of what my friend had said. Focusing on him had been difficult with my heartbeat loudly pounding in my ears and my hands trembling as violently as they once had after a fight. It was strange to experience that for the simple anticipation of what would come next rather than fear for my life. It was… nice.

I did, however, catch Arivor saying the words that released me to finish the ceremony. Turning to Lirilith, I watched her lift a blood-red stick, matching her movements, and together, we completed something started in a shop years before. Together, we broke what we held, it dissolved into powder, and we breathed each other in.

Lirilith’s life, its every joy and conflict, passed before my eyes. Every emotion and life-altering choice. Everything that had made her who she was and I knew her. In that moment, something shifted in me, and I became her, and she became me, and solitary ‘I’ becomes perfect ‘we’.

And we watched the one we loved grin. The world grew shadowed with them leaning closer. We felt hands on our neck, felt lips on our lips, felt hungry tongues in our mouths, felt our bodies coming together, and this bleed of need and want and fire between us was unmatched by any other. This was a storm, lightning sparking and fading only for another shock to follow. We’d never been stronger. We’d-

With a jolt, I was kissing Lirilith while our limbs were twined around one another, and I froze as she pulled away from me. The world was spinning with such diminishment of my essence taking place, but I also felt…

Lacing my fingers between hers, I smiled at Lirilith, this woman I knew as well as I did myself, and she giggled with the sound of it only a little broken.

“Congratulations,” Arivor said. “With this, you have become one.”

“We are one,” Lirilith and I said, completing the ceremony.

And the friends who’d become our family cheered.

Magic had always caused me trouble, even as a child. Not only could I maintain it for the shortest of times, but the cost that it carried also wiped me out every time I used it.

It was one of the reasons I enjoyed science so much. When studying the physical and natural world, I knew the rules it must obey, rules I understood, whereas magic…

At times, I thought it was my nemesis.

It wasn’t giving me much trouble today, thank the stars. I’d decided on a simple shape change, making modifications to my nose and ears, and once I was done, features similar to a cat’s stared back at me from the mirror. Hopefully, I could hold the shift until the party was over.

Stepping out of our washroom, I finished bundling my supplies together, calling over my shoulder as I did.

“Lirilith, are you almost ready?”

She didn’t respond, but after clattering down the stairs to find her, I stopped short. By the door, my wife was glaring at me, tapping her foot with her hands on her hips. I remembered the days when that look had sent accomplished warriors whimpering from her presence, and faced with it now, I swallowed hard, wondering what I’d done wrong.

Advancing on me, Lirilith poked my chest.

“I’ve been ready for almost an hour,” she said. “You’re the one who’ll make us late, preening over your appearance like a school girl.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wasn’t trying to offend you.”

I’d learned fairly early on in our relationship that in the long run, an immediate apology was better for me than to protest my innocence. Lirilith almost always won our arguments.

Clicking her tongue, she cupped my cheek, brushing a thumb beneath the changes that I’d made to my face, before rising onto her toes to kiss me. Relaxing, I wrapped my arms around her waist, tugging her to me.

This. This was why she won.

Retreating so that our noses were touching, I said, “We’ll already be late, you know. What’s another half an hour?”

When I kissed her this time, Lirilith laughingly pushed me away before batting at the whiskers around my nose.

“Kissing you is difficult enough with these,” she said. “What might happen if I let you do other things to me?”

Growling, I nipped at her neck, which only made her laugh harder.

“Wrong animal, Eri. You’re not a dog today,” she said. “Come on! We’ll make Arivor and Clariss worry.”

Leaning back, I sighed.

“I doubt anything can make Clariss worry more than she already does,” I said.

“What else is she to do? Her whole world is Rafe,” Lirilith said. “Worrying helps her take care of him.”

“Yes, yes. I know,” I said before releasing her. “Well? If we’re going, then let’s go.”

Pecking my cheek, Lirilith hovered her lips by my ear.

“Don’t sulk. It doesn’t suit you.”

Dropping from her toes, she laced her hands together while the sloppy grin that I so adored lit her eyes.

“Besides, I have every intention of making it up to you later.”

Damnit. Why did she do this to me?

I followed her out the door without further complaint, and we strode through our neighborhood, arm in arm.

Most people here ignored us, as our oddities had become normal to them, but when we moved into wealthier parts of the city, scandalized glances were darted our way. No one was rude enough to outright stare. People did, however, make their disdain known.

That was fine. If there was one thing Lirilith and I had become well-practiced in, it was refusing to care what others thought of us.

As we approached Arivor’s home, the happy shrieks of children floated from behind it, and Lirilith hunched her shoulders, making my heart clench in my chest. Ignoring this issue was something that we both needed to work on.

We’d been happily married for four years, and despite how much we wanted one, we’d yet to have children. I, ever the healer, wasn’t sure which of us was at fault for this hiccup, nor did I care.

Lirilith, on the other hand, insisted that she was to blame. I cursed social pressure, both from those who loved us and those—like her father—who distinctly didn’t, for her wholehearted belief, and every time I saw her hurting because of it, I wanted to erase the people who’d caused her pain.

Usually, though, I couldn’t defend her as I wished, so I did what I could instead. Taking her hand, I lifted it to my lips.

“Someday,” I said against the back of it. “I promise, love. What you hear will fill our home someday.”

She gave me a brave smile, one that meant she didn’t believe me.

“I hope so,” she said. “We can’t worry about it now, though. Today, we’re supporting our friends and their child.”

Her words squeezed my heart tighter, and while I waited for the fragile organ to burst, every part of me turned brittle.

“Of course,” I managed to say after a moment. “You’re right.”

“I always am,” Lirilith said with a tiny grin.

As soon as we entered the garden behind Arivor’s house, the hostile scrutiny we’d endured on the street vanished, replaced by our friends waving or calling greetings. With strings of colorful cloth stretched between trees and bushes, this typically serene place seemed ready to burst with energy. As if imbued with it, Rafe’s friends were darting between the adults, and I wondered if the birthday boy had felt up to joining them today.

Lanterns in the trees had yet to be lit, and a table near the entrance supported a heaping pile of paper-wrapped lumps. Arivor was standing beside this, and when he saw us, he waved us over.

Patting my arm, Lirilith said, “You go. Tell him I said hello. I’ll find Clariss.”

Once she’d slipped into the crowd, I headed toward my friend, eyeing him. He looked tired, but exhaustion had been his natural state for the last few months. That was what happened when one stayed up into the small hours of the morning every night, doing research. What mattered was seeing the air of defeat, constantly hovering over him, lifted. As I came closer, he even slapped a hand to his mouth, laughing.

“A cat?” he gasped. “That’s what you went with this year?”

With a feigned pout, I said, “I think I did rather well, considering my deficiencies. You don’t like it?”

“No, I do!” Arivor said with twinkling eyes. “And Rafe will love it. It’s just… a cat? It matches your personality so well.”

Rolling my eyes, I dropped my satchel between us before scanning the garden.

“Speaking of Rafe, where is he?” I asked.

Hugging himself, Arivor said, “Out there somewhere, playing. Clariss is keeping an eye on him.”

“Ah.”

Together, we watched people chatting while everything we’d left unspoken hung between us. Did any of them see us, leeched of what they took for granted, and consider how to dispel what had us blinking burning eyes?

“This’ll be his last birthday, won’t it?” Arivor quietly asked.

Sucking in a breath, I forced myself to let it out slowly, giving myself time to quell my temper. I couldn’t nurse my own growing grief and pain. My friend needed my support in this, perhaps more than with anything else I’d helped him through.

“Don’t do that,” I said. “Your son needs you to have hope. He needs us to keep looking for a cure, and we’ll find one. Rafe will be with us next year.”

Arivor turned haunted eyes on me.

“But what if he isn’t?” he asked.

I took a breath, about ready to slap my friend. Fortunately, something in the form of tiny limbs and blue-brown hair stopped me before I did something I’d regret.

“Uncle Eri!” Rafe shouted.

As I turned to the boy, my heart both lifted and stuttered to see him running toward me. What if he fell?

As if thinking about that had caused it to happen, Rafe tripped, and a hand squeezed my throat closed. Before I knew what had happened, I was crouching in front of him, holding one of his elbows while Arivor had the other. I met my friend’s eyes before smiling at Rafe, steadying him.

“You should be careful, buddy,” I said. “We don’t want you hurting yourself.”

As if he hadn’t heard me, Rafe grabbed my ears, rubbing them, and I barely kept from wincing.

“They’re so soft!” he gasped. “And you’ve got whiskers too. I love it!”

“Told you,” Arivor said.

Right. Rafe didn’t need any reminders that he was slowly dying. He saw enough of that in the mirror with his unusually pale skin and the bruises that formed at the slightest impact. The weakness that left him in bed most days. The nausea that had him vomiting half of his meals back up.

He didn’t need me to mention these things. Not today.

“Are you having a good birthday?” I asked.

Rafe excitedly nodded.

“But it’s better now that you’re here,” he said. “Did Aunt Lirilith come too?”

“Of course she did. She went to find your mother,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll see her soon.”

“Oh, good!” Rafe said. “We wouldn’t want you to start your science tricks without her to ‘help’.”

Lirilith had always been the one to keep the tricks I pulled from getting out of hand. Many were the fires that she’d put out because I’d started a chemical reaction too close to something flammable.

Snapping my eyes to slits, I glared at Rafe.

“Why, you cheeky little-”

Hell, I wanted to pinch his cheeks like I’d once done. How was I supposed to reward his snark now?

After sticking out his tongue, Rafe said, “You know you love me, Uncle Eri.”

Oh, shit. I couldn’t shed these tears. Not here.

“I do, buddy,” I said, trying to smile. “Why don’t you get back to your friends? We can talk more later.”

Crossing his arms, Rafe slowly scanned me.

“Ok,” he said, “but only because you’re about to cry.”

With a winning grin, he spun in place before running out of view, and I rubbed my face.

“That boy is absolutely your son,” I groaned into my hands.

“He is talented at getting under your skin in the most endearing of ways.”

Rising from my crouch, I glanced at my friend with my jaw set.

“We have to save him,” I said.

“I know,” Arivor said. “Eriadren-”

Clicking his teeth together, he looked away, and I suppressed the urge to seize his shoulders and shake him.

“What is it?” I asked instead.

With his lips drawn into a thin line, my friend was fighting with himself. I’d seen him do it often enough to recognize the look.

“Arivor, I would do anything for you or your family,” I said. “Tell me what it is.”

Taking a deep breath, he crossed his arms, watching me from the corner of his eye.

“It’s a long shot,” he said, “and dangerous.”

“More dangerous than the shit we pulled during the war?” I asked, chuckling.

“Infinitely more so,” Arivor said.

My laughter died. Hell, he was serious. What sort of danger did he expect us to court?

Only one way to find out.

“Tell me,” I said.

With a long sigh, Arivor faced me, dropping his arms to his sides.

“How much do you know about Alouin and his disappearance from the world?”

TTS Interlude 1.4

TTS Interlude 1.4.1

Chapter 25: Another Teacher

Raimie

On the third day of our trip beneath the mountain, I’d begun to think that I’d made a mistake. For what had seemed like forever, we’d followed a set of mine tracks deep beneath the earth, and with each passing day, something distinctly dangerous had rippled through the group.

Without the crossing of the sun or moon across the sky, keeping track of time had been difficult. We’d had to rely on people with so-called ‘watches’ to decide when the group should make camp or march. Considering that these devices mostly existed among the Zrelnach, the few civilians who’d joined us had become disgruntled, which had only been exacerbated by their control of the group’s rations.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

Shivering, I rubbed my arms, scanning my surroundings for the thousandth time. I didn’t know why I was doing this. The tunnel we were marching down, a square hole cleanly bored through stone, would never change, but even still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was stalking the group, something that would once more rip the rug out from under me.

A hand landed on my shoulder, and jumping, I spun to meet the amused gaze of my new friend.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” I hissed, “especially with everyone ready to snap right now.”

“Mm. True,” Rhylix said before going distant. “This tear’s aura of panic is strong. I’d say we’re within a day of reaching it. We’ll need to be careful going forward.”

Was that why the group had been so jumpy? I’d thought it was just the unease of being buried beneath a mountain, but that belief seemed foolish in retrospect. For their whole lives, every resident of Allanovian had lived in caves. This trip shouldn’t be any different for them, no matter that I had a need to sprint, howling, back to the city.

“I’d been wondering about that,” I said. “All of them, including my family, have been acting…”

“A little crazy?” Rhylix said.

Shaking my head, I said, “More than a little. I’m not happy about our circumstances either, but they’re being unreasonable. Suspicious, irritable… it’s annoying.”

“That’s what tears do to most people,” Rhylix said with a shrug.

Halting, I eyed the other man.

“Then, why hasn’t it affected you?” I asked. “Hell, what about me?”

“Who knows?” Rhylix said. “Our world is terrible and strange. I stopped trying to explain it ages ago.”

With a sigh, I resumed my trek.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter why. We should count our luck that someone in this miserable group is keeping their head,” I said, “but you didn’t find me to listen while I ramble. Did you need something?”

“I’m playing fetch, as usual,” Rhylix said with a grin. “Eledis wants to discuss something with you.”

Clicking my tongue, I said, “Of course he does. Where is he?”

“I’ll show you.”

As we threaded through the Esela, I did my best to avoid jostling or otherwise startling them. I didn’t want a sword stabbed through my chest, and with the current atmosphere, not only did such unwarranted violence seem possible, I thought it likely.

The group’s march had slowed down, and people had started squabbling over where to lay their bedrolls. Despite this, they'd given a wide gap to those in the lead.

With their campsite already arranged, Eledis and Ferin watched as the rest prepared for bed, tensely chatting, but they fell silent as Rhylix and I approached.

My friend practically skipped across the last few feet.

“One ‘insolent teenager’, as requested,” he chirped.

While Eledis glared at my friend, I fought to stay silent. My grandfather had called me worse names before, but hearing him chastised for his less than silver tongue threatened to send me into peals of laughter.

“Thank you,” Eledis said through gritted teeth. “You may relax for the evening.”

Rhylix looked to Ferin for approval, and when she nodded, he shrugged, clapping my shoulder as he left.

Watching him plunge back into the group’s activities, I cursed under my breath. I kept meaning to ask him why he’d had Silverblade forged for me, but other tasks had pushed the question to the side, and when in my friend’s presence, I’d developed the irritating habit of forgetting about it.

It didn’t help that with my training on pause while beneath the mountain, I hadn’t gotten to spend much time with him. This continuation of my ignorance, however, had become a bother. I should fix it.

For now, though…

Rounding on Eledis, I asked, “Is dad scouting again?”

“Yes, he and his friends have gone ahead of us. I don’t like it. If unsupervised, Aramar’s likely to do something stupid,” Eledis said, “but that’s not why I asked for you.”

Really now? I would never have guessed.

Crossing my arms, I asked, “What can I do for you, grandfather?”

“You mentioned that you were willing to learn more about our world,” Eledis said.

“Yes?”

“After much deliberation, I’ve decided on a tutor for you.”

Eledis gestured at Ferin, who raised two fingers in the air, and I wordlessly stared. Was he serious?

“Forgive me for asking, but what can you teach me, commander?” I said. “I’d assume you’re well-versed in anything related to a fight but…”

Smirking, Ferin said, “I’m more knowledgeable than you might think, young warrior. Besides, your choices for a tutor are slim to none right now. If you want a head start on your education, you’ll accept what I have to offer.”

I didn’t know how to reply. Everything Ferin had said was logical, and for that alone, I should eagerly accept this proposal but…

“Eledis, may I have a private word with him?” Ferin asked.

“Why not? It’s not like you can murder him with so many witnesses nearby,” Eledis said, “and I’d rather get comfortable for the night anyway. A good evening to you both.”

He stomped toward his bedroll, and Ferin jerked her head toward an unoccupied section of the tunnel. When we reached it, she whirled on me.

“Say it,” she demanded. “I know it’s been on the tip of your tongue since your second trial, so come on. Ask your question.”

Could I speak what had been churning in my stomach for days?

But why wouldn’t I? Now that Ferin had asked me to speak, no social norms were keeping me from it.

“Why did you make me a murderer?” I said. “Rhy’s told me there are other options for the trials, so why did you pick the one that you did? Were you simply that determined to see me fail? Why stain my essence as you have?”

As I’d spoken, Ferin had listened with the most serious of expressions, and at the end, she nodded.

“We did have other ways of testing your claim to the Audish throne, yes. I wanted to use one of those for your second trial, but I was overruled,” she said. “In the end, I hope some good can come of it, despite how much I hate what happened to you. If you continue along this path, young warrior, you’d have become a murderer eventually. Best for everyone involved if you made your first kill in relative safety. And Raimie?”

As if afraid I’d attack her, she hesitantly rested a hand on my shoulder.

“However it might seem, whether because of my past decisions or what might occur in the future, the last thing I want is to see you fail. My dearest wish is that you will defeat Doldimar with as little trauma done to you as possible, all so you can claim the throne that’s rightfully yours. I need you to understand this.”

Swallowing my questions, I said, “I do. I hope you can understand that, despite my acceptance of your explanation, I may harbor ill-will toward you for a while yet.”

Drooping, Ferin let her hand drop from my shoulder.

“Of course. It’s only to be expected,” she said. “In the meantime, can we work together to prepare you for what’s coming?”

With a nod, I said, “I think that’s for the best, despite the arrangement’s difficulties.”

That perked Ferin up. Grinning, she extended her hand, and a book appeared in the air over it. After she’d caught it, she threw it toward me, and as I scrambled to keep it from falling, Ferin summoned more. Once she was finished, I was haphazardly holding three books, all while a part of me clapped with glee. Even after weeks spent in Allanovian, this had been the first time I’d seen an Eselan use their magic.

“Your assignment,” Ferin said. “Study the highlighted portions of those books. I expect you to have learned their principles by the time we reach the other side of the mountains.”

“That seems… manageable,” I croaked.

“Does it?”

Ferin tossed another summoned book my way.

“Take a fourth, then,” she said. “Good luck, young warrior.”

Humming to herself, she strolled to join Eledis in bedding down, and I released a long breath.

“She’ll be fun to work with,” I said to myself.

Yawning, I meandered between Zrelnach who’d already fallen asleep. Carefully crossing mine tracks, I found a cart sitting on them, and after wedging my pack between it and the tunnel’s wall, I drew my knees up, flipping through one of the books.

Most of its text was underlined, but I didn’t think the marks would hinder me. Despite them, I should have the book’s contents absorbed into my mental index by day’s end tomorrow.

As I turned to the first page, scanning line after line, I reached into a pocket, making a face when I found it empty. I’d forgotten about using the last of Rhylix’s sleeping tinctures last night, and finding my friend to ask for more seemed like a hassle. I could deal with bad dreams for one night.

For now, my body and mind were buzzing with energy, so I tackled my assignment. I read for hours: through when my father and his scouting party returned, through when he checked on me, through when the rest of the camp fell still.

“I can’t believe you agreed to work with that woman.”

Glancing over the top of my book, I smirked at Bright and Dim.

“Hello, there,” I said.

Quietly, I set the book aside.

“How are you two feeling today?” I asked. “Any changes?”

Making a face, Bright said, “No, and there won’t be any until you’ve left the break in your reality behind.”

“That should happen soon,” I said. “Another couple of days at most.”

“Thank me,” Dim hissed. “Getting this close makes it difficult not to revert to -zzz-.”

With a buzzing growl, it strangled the air while Bright looked on with amusement.

“We could always return to fighting one another in our quest for his -zzz-.”

Snapping its teeth together, Bright clicked its tongue before buzzing a few garbled words.

“Hey! Don’t start bickering yet,” I said. “Who knows when today’s march will catch up with me? Let’s focus please.”

Sighing, Bright said, “Do you really want to tackle our communication hurdle again? It’s getting more dangerous for us to appear to you.”

Pausing, I narrowed my eyes at it.

“Dangerous how?” I asked.

“Let’s just say that if you call for us any closer to the break in your reality, something super fun might happen,” Dim said, bouncing in place.

When I looked at Bright for confirmation, it nodded with a look of distaste.

“Well, shit,” I said. “That would have been nice to know before we headed toward the tear.”

“We didn’t exactly get a chance to share before leaving Allanovian,” Bright grumbled.

And the beginnings of a fire in me were snuffed.

Making a face, I said “Fair. I’m sorry.”

Bright and Dim seemed confused by my apology, so I forged onward without waiting for their reply.

“If you might endanger the people around us, staying out of sight might be best for right now,” I said. “Can you appear to me when you think it’s safe, though?”

Giving an order to these two, even softly phrased as mine had been, made me want to squirm. Over the course of our nightly conversation, I might have grown more comfortable with these anomalies, but I still didn’t know what they were, besides incorporeal and mortal enemies.

“And we see sense in him again,” Dim said. “I wondered where it went.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Will you do as I’ve asked, then?”

“It’s a good idea,” Bright said with a pointed glare at Dim.

“Fine, fine,” it said. “Don’t get into trouble while we’re gone.”

“Thank you,” I told the empty air.

Sighing, I made myself comfortable, diving into the book again. Its words were beginning to swim in and out of focus, but surely, I could get a little further before-

TTS Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter 26: What's Wrong with Me?

Raimie

“Hello?” I called into the darkness. “Are you there? I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

Glancing around the inky landscape I was lying on, I sought out the wraith, a tad concerned about what I’d find…

Holy shit, I’d moved my head! Laughing, I sent my hands—both of them—to my face, caressing my nose and cheeks and chin.

Damn, the wraith had made progress. Where was that disturbing man? I should thank him.

I found him lying beside me, curled into my side, and while such close proximity might normally have me shoving him away, something stopped me before I could lay a hand on his shoulder. A quiet, mewling whimper rose from the wraith, a horrible melody that raised goosebumps on my skin, and every so often, he jerked: frantic motions when compared to his shivering.

And of course, there were his staccato bursts of words.

“No- Please! Don’t- It hurts-”

Softly, I called, “Hey, everything’s all right…”

What was the wraith’s name? How did I not know it?

“Wake up.”

Reaching for the wraith, I ran a finger over the edge of his hood, and a bundle of black cloth surged off of the ground. A wail accompanied his skitter backward.

“Wait! It’s ok,” I shouted. “You don’t have to run. I won’t hurt you.”

With his burst of movement turning still, the wraith faced me, leaning back on his hands with his chest heaving.

“Of course not,” he panted. “You would never hurt me.”

Flipping to his hands and knees, the wraith crawled to me, and when he stopped at my side, he tucked his legs under him, clenching his hands in his lap.

“Apologies. I was not expecting you back for a while yet,” he said.

“Happy circumstance,” I said. “I didn’t have a sleeping tincture on me tonight.”

“Ah.”

The wraith said nothing more, and in the resulting silence, I shifted as much as I could.

“Forgive me, but… are you ok? You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but that nightmare looked bad,” I said. “Ha! A figment of my mind having a nightmare in my nightmare!”

But still, the wraith didn’t speak. He didn’t even move to cut me free, as he had in the past. The silence quickly turned awkward, leaving me scrambling for something to fill it, but fortunately, the wraith soon broke it instead.

“Do you remember how long you have had this… nightmare?” he asked.

Strange question.

“Um…” I hummed, sucking on my teeth. “Years? I’m not sure how many.”

“Nine,” the wraith said. “You have been trapped here, screaming, and I have been stuck here, listening to your pain, for nine years.”

Well, that didn’t answer my question from earlier, but that was ok. If the wraith wouldn’t share his dream with me, I’d go with the topic he’d provided. For now.

“Oddly specific,” I said.

“Yes, well,” the wraith said, hissing a sigh. “They have been rather hard to forget. When you first spoke to me, I thought the shock of it would kill me, so sure was I that w… you would die like this. I wonder what caused the change.”

Distractedly, I walked my fingers along the ground, brushing against cloth every so often. The wraith had never sat this close to me before.

…I really should ask him for his name.

“It doesn’t line up perfectly, but perhaps it’s related to the other upheavals in my life,” I said. “We started speaking around the time that I found Shadowsteal, after all.”

Stiffening, the wraith jerked his hood toward me.

“Shadowsteal?” he hissed. “Ancient blade of the Audish royals?”

Hmm. Had details from the waking world filtered to this level of my subconscious?

“Yes?” I drawled.

“But that would make u… you the one foretold to free that land,” the wraith said.

Rolling my eyes, I turned away from him.

“That’s what everyone keeps insisting,” I said.

“FUCK!”

With a frown, I peered at the wraith, wincing at the sight of him. Hunched on himself, he had one hand pressed to his forehead, and with his hood having almost fallen away, he rocked in place.

“Oh, my gods, heart of my heart. We are dead,” he rattled off. “We are dead, and this GODSDAMN SPELL is keeping me from helping.”

…We?

No. I needed to calm this man—my only hope of leaving this nightmare—down. Stretching, I reached for the wraith’s hand. It had to be around here somewhere.

“You’re counting me lost quite quickly,” I said. “My people and I haven’t reached Auden yet. We don’t know what we’ll face-”

I grazed my fingers against flesh that wasn’t mine, and at that contact, all thought stopped while something essential zipped through me.

Instinct seized control. Despite the awkward angle, I took the wraith’s hand, and our fingers curled around one another. With the blush of dawn invading it, the ink-black tapestry overhead swirled, and sound entered this place through a filter.

Two children giggled together.

And ghostly fingers played over my cheeks, coming to rest along my jaw.

“I love you, Raimie.”

Despite the flood of bliss that had my body bucking against my bonds, I reached toward the sky. Invisible strands of hair tickled my palm as I slid it down, and my voice mixed with a matching one, coming from all around.

“I love you too, N-”

Shooting to his feet, the wraith hugged himself while teardrops fell to patter on my face.

“I… need a moment,” he said with a thick voice.

Spinning, he marched away, and with my throat closing, I followed his progress, unsure why I was flinging an arm after him.

“Please! Gods, please!” I cried. “Don’t- Don’t leave-!”

Stinging on my cheeks brought me to awareness, and as I shot upright, I swatted at what was holding me.

“I’m awake, damnit!” I growled.

Once I was released, I scanned a tunnel and a mine cart and my father while scrubbing at my eyes. With a frown, I pulled my palms away, cocking my head at the moisture found there.

Had I been crying? Why?

Shaking my head to clear it, I winced when I saw my father’s grim expression.

“Did something horrible happen?” I asked. “Or equally as bad, did I have a nightmare?”

“Your screaming woke nearly all of the Zrelnach,” my father said.

“That explains the sore throat,” I said. “I don’t suppose you have a water skin for me, do you?”

As if expecting the request, my father extended the desired object to me, and while I guzzled from it, he offered me a hand up. How many times had we repeated this pattern for him to know its proceedings so well?

Lowering the water skin, I examined how many people were watching us. Too many, I determined.

“Bad one, then?” I asked.

Nodding, my father pointed at my feet, where the books that I’d been studying were scattered across the mine cart’s tracks. Wincing, I collected them, hoping Ferin wouldn’t be upset if I’d damaged any.

“You kept saying something between bouts of shouting. Something about needing to be free, but I woke you up before I could make it out,” my father said. “Did you remember anything this time?”

Sighing, I rubbed my temples.

“Nothing,” I said. “Same as always.”

“That’s a shame,” my father said with a sigh, “but perhaps it’s for the best. I’ll have Rhylix make you more of those fancy potions. In the meantime, we’ll have to hope that a day of normalcy will soothe the others’ unease.”

“Alternatively,” I drawled, “we could get me out of sight. Let me go scouting with you.”

Shifting in place, my father said, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We’ll probably run across the tear today, and while I may have gotten used to its affects during my training, you’ve never been near one. I’ll already have several people joining me this morning so-”

“What’s one more?”

With a nervous glance at the Zrelnach, I shoved books into my bulging pack.

“Besides, have I acted like most everyone else over the last few days?”

Expression dropped off of my father’s face as he wordlessly examined me.

“No,” he said. “No, you haven’t.”

“Great! Then, will you please get me away from these suspicious people?” I asked. “I can fix this disaster once we’re on the other side of the mountains.”

Glancing behind him, my father grimaced.

“Fair enough,” he said. “Are you ready to leave now, or do you need a moment?”

I shrugged the pack on my shoulder in answer.

“Follow me, then.”

Rather than heading into the mass of Zrelnach behind us, my father led me further into the tunnel. As we approached the spot where torches had yet to be lit, illumination gradually diminished, and at the line where shadows started forming, a group of four Esela was waiting. Three of them were putting as much distance between themselves and the fourth person as they could, and as we approached, one of the three, Gistrick, brightened.

“Aramar!” he called. “Will you please tell this healer that he can’t come with us?”

Sighing through his nose, Rhylix shook his head above his crossed arms.

“Why not?” he asked. “I’m as proficient of a fighter as everyone here, have had no issues while traveling toward the tear, and can fix up the injured if we run into trouble.”

“Plus, I want him with us,” I said.

With his eyes widening, Gistrick blinked as if just now seeing me.

“Raimie, why are you here?” he asked. “You can’t-”

“He’s joining us today,” my father interrupted.

He stopped between the estranged parties while I kept quiet. For now, I was content to fade into his shadow.

Glancing at Rhylix, my father said, “You think this is a good idea? The tear-”

“Won’t affect me,” Rhylix said with a bright smile. “I’d like to keep an eye on my new… friend.”

After a sharp nod, my father jerked his head toward the darkened tunnel.

“He’s coming,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“But… Aramar!” one of the unknown women said.

Already striding into the dark, my father called, “I said let’s go, Aya.”

With many a grumble, the Zrelnach trailed after their friend while I hung back with Rhylix. The two of us strolled more slowly down the tunnel, and every so often, we watched the Esela ahead of us light the torches on the walls.

“Are you ok?” Rhylix asked. “Last night’s nightmare sounded much worse than the ones you’ve had before.”

“Maybe it was. I wouldn’t know,” I said with a shrug, “but yes, I’m ok.”

I refused to look at my friend, certain I knew what he was thinking. I’d had this conversation often enough to predict how it would go.

After a moment, Rhylix asked, “What do you mean ‘you wouldn’t know’?”

Sighing, I scrubbed at my face.

“I mean I don’t remember it,” I said. “The damn things have plagued me since I was a kid, and not once have I remembered what I was dreaming about.”

“Hmm. That’s unusual.”

Laughing under my breath, I said, “You’re telling me.”

Thankfully, Rhylix didn’t press the issue, not for a while at least. In silence, we hiked down an unusually smoothed path for what seemed like hours, and all the while, I struggled with how to ask the questions I had for my friend. Chewing on my lip, I listened to the chatter of the scouts ahead, considering where to start, but before I could decide, Rhylix stepped into our quiet.

“These nightmares…” he said as if musing. “I wonder if their strength is what’s had you blazing through my tinctures more quickly than you should. Did you know that the ones I’ve mixed for you are twice as potent as my normal dose?”

“Really?” I said, crinkling my brow.

That seemed odd.

Nodding, Rhylix said, “Indeed. The reason for it has puzzled me over the last couple of weeks. But why am I bothering you with this? It’s a healer’s concern.”

Should I tell him? Every time I’d brought this subject up in the past, it hadn’t ended well. In fact, those instances were the only times I could remember my father getting angry with me.

At the same time, seeing if this issue was as unnerving as my father had implied would be nice. Plus, I’d meant to tell Rhylix about it for weeks now.

“I may know why,” I mumbled, half-hoping my friend wouldn’t catch the words.

From the wrinkle of his face, that hope seemed dashed.

“You do?” he asked.

Nodding, I fiddled with my tunic’s hem with the ground having become my focus.

“So, I have this-”

Hell, what was the best way to describe it? Swallowing hard, I tried again.

“There’s a pit inside of me, one I’ve had for years,” I said. “It’s not the typical emptiness that everyone gets throughout life, though. This is persistent, like someone’s taken hold of my essence and yanked a piece of it out and-”

Alouin, but it ached. It always did when I acknowledged it, but this time felt worse. Hugging my chest, I held an invisible, throbbing wound together.

“Years ago, I stopped telling dad about it because he doesn’t like hearing that it’s there. That’s why I haven’t spoken about it with you,” I said, “but anyway, I think it’s related to my nightmares. Lately, I’ve woken up from them, and I’ve- I’ve heard a voice in my head. It makes the hurt go away, which seems like an indication of correlation. At least to me. But what do I know?”

This was where Rhylix called me crazy. What else was he supposed to think after such an insane confession? Even my family had trouble accepting this part of me.

“Hmm. I’ve never heard of something like that before,” Rhylix said, “but that’s ok. Maybe together, we can figure out why this pit is causing your nightmares. Or maybe it’s vice versa?”

He shrugged.

“I’m sure we’ll find out one way or… What is it?”

Several paces ahead, Rhylix was looking back at me, and jolted into my body by the question, I cleared my throat.

“It’s… nothing.”

Did my voice sound as tight to Rhylix as it did to me?

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Ok…” Rhylix said.

He resumed his hike, and after shaking myself, I hurried to catch up. When it came to this sense that I wasn’t whole, no one had taken me seriously. It usually got brushed off as youthful dramatics or something similar. But Rhylix…

Hell, I thought my eyes might burn to cinders in their sockets while that warmth seeped into my chest, but I couldn’t let Rhylix see how much his acceptance had affected me. What would he think after learning how extreme of a reaction I’d had? Would he pity me?

So, no. I’d keep this to myself, moving onto another topic.

“You never told me why you had Silverblade made for me,” I said.

Giving me a sidelong glance, Rhylix said, “What do you mean?”

“Before my second trial, you said you were giving me the blade for reasons that you’d discuss after I passed it,” I said. “Well, I’ve passed. So?”

Lifting his head, Rhylix suddenly seemed to find the stone above us fascinating.

“I’d hoped you’d forgotten about that, at least for a little while longer,” he said.

“Wha-?”

“Raimie! Rhylix! Get up here.”

Ahead, the tunnel widened, and at the mouth of this opening, the other scouts were waiting. Rhylix darted to meet them, and I narrowed my eyes, hoping he felt needles shooting into his back. My new friend was hiding something.

I didn’t like it.

TTS Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter 27: The Tear Beneath the Mountain

Raimie

After Rhylix and I had joined the others in our scouting party, I took note of their foreboding expressions and silently sighed. For two days, these people had encountered nothing on their quests into the dark, and something had come up on the day that I’d joined them. Of course. It was probably just the tear, which we’d expected, but still.

“We’ve reached the cavern that holds the tear,” Gistrick said.

Oh, goodie. I’d been right.

“From here on, we should stick together, otherwise the tear might have us doing… bad things,” Gistrick continued. “We should also send someone back to the main column, letting them know how far they are from this place. I’d volunteer Raimie and the heal- Rhylix for the job—”

Crossing my arms, I fixed the man with a flat stare.

“—but I get the feeling they wouldn’t let that happen,” Gistrick said with a chuckle. “Anyone else want the job?”

An unknown man raised his hand, and Gistrick nodded.

“Off with you, then. Aramar, am I forgetting anything?”

My father never moved from where he was staring into the black ahead.

“Whatever you do, don’t approach the tear,” he said. “I know that seems obvious, but we have newbies with us.”

“And you haven’t done this in a while,” Gistrick said.

Relenting in his challenge of the dark, my father faced us.

“No, I haven’t,” he said. “Raimie, it’s a straight sprint to the other side of the cavern, maybe half a mile’s distance. It shouldn’t take long, but do try to keep up.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Dad, who’s been running around the forest for the last few years, and who’s been busy with playing house?”

“Fair,” my father said with a wince. “Hopefully, we’ll get lucky, and the others will catch up with us before we’ve finished recovering on the other side. If things seem normal in the cavern, I’d rather not cross it for a second time.”

Gistrick pounded my father on the back.

“None of us would,” he said, “but come now. Let’s get this over with.”

Making a face, my father moved as close as he could to the dividing line between light and dark, and after the group had formed around him, we ran.

I’d been skeptical about a sprint through pitch-black, but once we'd left firelight behind us, the soft illumination that it had hidden came to the forefront. A flickering white light brushed along every inch of the cavern—its floor, rolling like hills, and its unnaturally smooth walls, marred only by a far-distant hole—but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from.

The change in my companions slipped beneath my notice until we were almost halfway across. My father and Gistrick seemed fine, although they’d gritted their teeth and hunched their shoulders, and Rhylix appeared the same, if with a slight weave to his step.

The other Esela, however, had me pulling closer to my father. They were muttering under their breath, jerking their eyes across the cavern, but more concerningly, they’d rested their hands on their weapons’ hilts.

“We’re getting close,” Rhylix said with his words slurred.

Following the line of his gaze, I found a corona of brilliant, white light capping a hill at our side. A sliver of black peeked between the stone’s crest and this arch, but before I could ask if what I was seeing was the tear, buzzing burst on my ears.

When I jerked toward the noise, my stomach fell through the floor. Several feet ahead, Dim and Bright had appeared, and they did not look happy with one another. Of course, they usually didn’t, but this was different. Watching them brought to mind an image of two armies lining up for battle.

Then, Bright opened its mouth, and the resulting screech echoed in the cavern.

Stopping short, I clapped my hands to my ears, cringing. Damn, that had hurt. A sharp sliver of ice had been driven through my ear and into my head, and as the noise continued, I almost crumpled to the ground.

“Raimie?”

My father’s voice sounded like it was coming through water, garbled and muffled.

“We need to keep going. Now, before-”

“There’s something in the shadows!”

An Eselan—Aya, I believed—had halted between Bright and Dim, drawing her sword as she spun.

“Don’t you see it?” she shouted. “How do you not see it? Unless…”

“Aya, calm down,” Gistrick said. “This is the tear talking.”

He moved toward the woman with his hands raised, and she wavered, lowering her sword with a question in her eyes. Seeing it, I let out a breath. I should deal with Bright and Dim before they made this situation worse.

Before I could decide how I’d do that without adding to the aura of insanity hovering over me since this morning, my anomalies resumed their screeching match, advancing on one another. As if in response, Aya snapped her blade back up, and Gistrick retreated toward my father.

“I hate to suggest it, but we should leave her here,” he said under his breath. “Once everyone’s on the other side, we can return for her.”

Perhaps Gistrick had been trying to stay quiet, but it hadn’t been enough. The second, unknown Eselan leapt away from us, bringing his weapon to bear as well.

“No Zrelnach leaves another behind,” he hissed. “How could you suggest such a thing?”

“He did what?” Aya growled. “Maybe I’m right, then. Maybe Doldimar’s swayed him… somehow. All of us know the stories of what that bastard can do, and with them here, Allanovian might have drawn his attention.”

“And who would have brought that focus here?” the second Eselan said. “Who’s been acting strangely since he returned?”

They turned on me, and around them, Dim and Bright ceased their bickering. Both of them looked my way, which was bad.

“He has acted nothing like the Raimie we knew,” Aya said. “Less of a ruthless edge.”

“What are you saying?” my father snapped.

He stepped between the Esela and me.

“Do you actually think Raimie could hurt people like you?” he continued. “That’s ridiculous.”

I didn’t know how these strangers could know me well enough to answer my father’s question, but when it seated doubt in them once more, I didn’t scrutinize it. Before my twins could cause more problems, I ducked around my father, hurrying to the instabilities in our midst with my hands raised.

“You have valid concerns, ones that we should discuss,” I said, “but let’s do so when we’re safe. Far from the tear.”

“He’s… right,” Aya breathed.

Beside her, Dim crossed its arms, inclining its head while it buzzed.

“But what if it’s not Raimie?” the unknown Eselan said. “What if it’s him?”

He pointed, and behind me, Rhylix released an exaggerated sigh.

“Hell,” he breathed. “Really?”

Bright started jabbering, marching toward Dim with a finger pointed in accusation.

“That would make sense,” Aya said. “Raimie’s been under his care since returning to us.”

“You’re…. right,” Gistrick said before violently shaking his head. “Aya. Dozat. We can’t discuss this here. This is the worst possible place to have an argument.”

“And I’d have noticed if Rhylix was manipulating me,” I say. “Stop this! I know Rhy’s not your favorite person, but this is ridiculous. Let’s stop shouting at each other and get somewhere safe.”

I glared at Bright and Dim while saying that last part, but they didn’t hear me. They circled one another with dusk and light in their hands, and seeing no change in them, a string of curses ran through my head.

“What's going on here?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I sucked in a breath. Another group was approaching us, and with blood draining from my cheeks, I angled my body so I could see both parties. One, my twins, was a known danger. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the other.

Ferin strode toward us with more Zrelnach behind her.

“Rhy?” she asked as she got closer.

Wincing, Rhylix closed one eye as if in preparation.

“The tear’s manipulating them?” he hesitantly said.

Spinning, Dim roared at Rhylix, and Bright took advantage of the opening, tackling its counterpart. Unlike with their other fights, they didn’t disappear after making contact, scuffling on the ground instead with many a scratch and bite.

“We’re not-!” Aya growled. “No. It doesn’t matter. All unknowns are a threat, especially the humans. We should kill them.”

“Excuse me?” Gistrick said.

But the other Eselan, Dozat, had no words like his ally. He raced for his closest perceived foe, and I backpedaled, drawing Silverblade. Unfortunately, everything I’d recently learned about fighting had fled from my head, so my sword was less than useless, and I didn’t know if I could run with an enemy this close.

“Fucking… gods… damnit!” someone shouted, getting steadily closer.

Dozat swung at me, and with a dry mouth, I raised Silverblade, unsure if I could block the strike. Something tugged on my tunic—

“Get behind me!”

—and as I stumbled away, I watched Rhylix bat Dozat’s blade aside before punching him in the face.

Spinning, he shouted, “Go! I’ll cover you.”

I didn’t think to question him. Finding the closest empty spot, I sprinted that way.

TTS Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter 28: Beyond the Veil

Raimie

I didn’t know how no one landed a blow on me before I reached a space absent violence, but soon, I shot out of a spreading pool of it, stopping with my hands on my knees.

Gasping, I glanced over a mass of Zrelnach, fighting with civilians in their midst. At the center of this, my twins had yet to stop rolling on the ground, beating on one another.

They’d been right. Their presence had caused a disaster.

“Damnit, Bright and Dim,” I grumbled.

“Who’re Bright and Dim?”

Glancing up at Rhylix as he joined me, I straightened.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Any ideas for how to stop this?”

Rhylix slowly shook his head.

“I’ve never figured out how to negate a tear’s influence. The only thing that works is moving away from it,” he said, “and I don’t see how we can get these people doing that.”

People who were slowly killing each other while Rhylix and I dithered.

“The tear’s causing this,” I said to myself.

If we couldn’t move away from it, could we move it?

No, that was ridiculous. It was a rip in reality.

But rips could be stitched together. Tears could be closed.

“Yes?” Rhylix drawled. “We’ve already established the cause of our crisis.”

Oh, this was a bad idea. I didn’t like thinking about what might happen to me if I followed through with it, but looking over the people fighting each other because of Bright and Dim, I knew I didn’t have a choice. If this continued for much longer, I wouldn’t have any allies to stand with me against Doldimar’s minions.

“This will get me killed,” I said.

“Will what now?” Rhylix asked. “Hey!”

But I’d already taken off, sprinting for the tear as fast as I could. If I went any slower, I wouldn’t outrun the terror fighting to overwhelm me, and from what Rhylix was shouting at my back, my friend might stop me too. So, I dashed over stone hills, only faltering when the tear came into view.

An oval almost as tall as me hung in a wide valley, hovering a handspan above cracked stone. Those cracks radiated outward from beneath it, and when I hit the first of these, I swallowed. Alouin, my eyes were so wide that they might pop out of my head.

The tear itself nearly sent me fleeing from it. A void—an ellipse made of a black so deep that it sucked light into it—sat in its center, and yet, a white glow danced around its circumference, defying what was trying to extinguish it.

Looking at this marvel, I thought I might be sick while my body protested something that should not exist, and I knotted my fingers in my hair, tugging on it. Something inside my head clamored to be released, reaching out for the tear in desperation, and I found my free hand lifting to match it.

I didn’t want to do this. It would kill me!

I needed to do this. “Can’t you hear the call of something…?”

The tear sang to me, and I brushed a finger against its inky—

—black. I was floating in nothing, a non-existent place that was so dark it reminded me of… somewhere else. I thought.

But this place was good. This was nice. This was ho-

A wash of images spilled through me, projecting into my vision. Snippets of people who looked nothing like me and places that couldn’t exist. Scenes of events that I could only watch with bafflement, unsure how their participants grew plants with the flick of a wrist or zipped across snow with only planks on their feet.

The deluge saturated my mind in what felt like seconds, but who could keep track of time in a place where nothing existed?

Nothing except the images.

And the voices.

They jabbered nonsense at me, words with no meaning and concepts that I could never understand, and with both streams of information pouring through my head, the accumulated pressure threatened to burst my skull into bits of bone and brain.

Why had I thought this was…?

When I screamed into oblivion, the heat of lightning, crackling inside my brain, boiled off as it left my tongue, but it kept building and building and building and building.

Until it stopped.

Limp, I let viscous liquid drizzle from my nose, trying to remember what I’d been doing.

“It’s him! Light, it’s actually-”

“That can’t be right. It’s not time… No, it IS right. Shit.”

“It’s him, it’s him! The successor!”

What… was this? It seemed like the voices from before had focused. Yes?

But if they could do that, did that mean something sentient lay behind them?

“We should kill him now. Stop Alouin’s future before it comes to pass.”

“No! Of the seven, he’s the one most essential to us, especially if we want to get rid of THEM.”

“So, do we…?”

I couldn’t listen to their nonsense.

Coughing, I rasped, “Help me. Please.”

And a million-million voices coalesced to ask.

“Would you like to make a deal?”

A… deal?

“What would be the terms?” I asked.

“Well, that would depend on what you want now, wouldn’t it?”

Of course it would. I was such an idiot, just as the voices had said.

Had they said that?

But, no. What was it that I wanted? I could swear I’d known a minute ago.

“I need to close a… tear,” I gasped.

Oh, the pressure in my head was mounting again. It was going to kill me. It would!

Laughter burst into the void, discordant and rankling, and with each bounce of it, multi-colored spheres blinked in and out of existence. There were so, so many of them, spreading in every direction, and sluggishly, they drifted around me. Transfixed, I reached for one, but before I could touch it, the voice’s merriment abruptly ceased, and the spheres disappeared.

“You want to close a rip in reality? Oh gods, earth and fire, Sgaradh, light! We’ll need no payment for a request like that. Watching you try will be recompense enough.”

The voices fell silent, and I hissed at the bloom of an ache in my skull.

“So… help?” I said.

“Right. You need us to tell you. Ok. Reach out, Raimie. Feel what’s around you. Then, share what you find with us.”

What was around me? Nothing was around me, not even the spheres anymore!

But… I couldn’t afford indignation or doubt, so I did as the voices had asked. Closing my eyes, I stretched out my senses, paying attention to what they might tell me, but there was nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing-

Wait.

Yes, nothing lay in the void but BEHIND it…

A war. A never-ending struggle. A push and pull. Life versus Death. Perpetuation versus Disintegration.

“Order versus Chaos,” I said.

I’d felt something like this before, hadn’t I? When Dim and Bright had shown me their true forms.

“Hmm. Such powerful aspects you’ve attracted, but it makes sense. You are the successor, after all.”

“Great. I’ve found something that I don’t understand in a place I have yet to wrap my head around,” I growled. “How does that help me close a tear?”

I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay here. Not that I knew how to leave.

“So impatient. Very well. Do you feel the energies coming from Order and Chaos?”

Energies? What did that-?

“Yes,” I breathed.

“Draw those energies to you, blend them, and feed them to the reality rip. Once that’s done, it will be done. Your answer, Raimie.”

That sounded simple enough. Well, simple, even if I had no idea how to do the individual parts, but I wouldn’t get much more from the voices, and I had one vitally important question left.

“Thank you,” I said. “I was also wondering… how do I get home?”

The void hiccupped, and I could swear that the voices were staring at me with tilted heads, even having no bodies as they did.

“What does he mean ‘home’? Is he not already…?”

“Ohhhh. He means the Auden iteration. That makes sense.”

“Silly child doesn’t know yet.”

“What?” I yipped.

“Until next time, successor.”

“Wait. No!” I shouted.

Please, not another—

—mystery of the tear drew me in, even as I screamed my voice raw, and somewhere far away, someone called my name. I couldn’t pay these things any mind, though. I had to finish what I’d started before the unknown turned my brain to mush.

What had the voices told me to do? Call on energy?

Reaching for what I’d found, I drew threads of Chaos and Order from the tear, gathering them into separate bundles. They repelled each other, to the point that it threatened to rip me in two, and I knew of only one way to stop it.

Forcing them closer, I wove the edges of those energy together, no matter how loudly they squealed in protest. I would amalgamate them. They would blend, damnit!

And they did. And I was whole.

Well, nearly whole. Nothing could fill the piece of my essence that was forever lost.

Still, I’d never experienced a greater sense of peace in my life, and as I clutched it to my chest, the idea of releasing it made me recoil, almost removing my touch from the tear.

“Raimie, let it go now!” someone roared in my ear.

Why should I care about what Rhylix said? This peace was mine. Mine, mine, mine, and Rhylix…

Rhy. My father. Eledis. They were trapped in conflict, and as long as I hoarded this harmony to myself, they’d stay there until they died.

Oh… oh, oh, oh… this wouldn’t be fun.

Taking a deep breath, I unleashed my combined energy… Balance… onto the tear, and it wavered.

I might have seen more of this if returning strife hadn’t had me curling on myself. Every fragment of thought and effort went into pouring peace out of my body, and as the last drop was wrung from me, something in my core wrenched.

Falling to my knees, I swayed in place with the cavern’s sudden darkness matching my spirit. Oh, Alouin. Something was wrong with me.

Someone shook me, saying my name. I couldn’t be bothered to answer.

Because something was wrong.

A warm hand led me along. Bitter liquid flowed into my mouth, and my jaw was held closed until I swallowed. Scratchy fabric settled over my body, and words were spoken in tight voices.

Couldn’t they see? SOMETHING WAS WRONG!

But no one noticed, so I huddled beneath the surface, licking the wound on my mind like a dog. I was content to stay here. What was the point in returning to the world?

“Did we…?”

A cough interrupted the question.

“Did that break him?”

“If anything could, it’d be trying something so stupid.”

A different tone, a different person.

“Impressive but very, very stupid.”

I knew those voice.

Rushing to the surface, I jumped to my feet, spinning on Bright and Dim.

“What the fuck was that?” I shouted.

The anomalies flickered, there and gone again faster than I could keep track. Their clothes had turned ragged, and they’d shed patches of their skin, revealing limbs of light and shadow.

What had happened to them? They looked horrible.

Wait. Why did I care?

“We were taking a path beside something that’s known to drive people mad, and you started a fight? Are you kidding me?”

Cringing, Bright said, “We didn’t have control-”

“I don’t give a damn about your control,” I said. “You don’t endanger people over petty disagreements!”

As I took a step forward, Dim slid in front of me, raising a hand.

“If I may,” it said.

“I’m not finished,” I snapped. “From the way you’ve treated me, I know you want something from me. I’m not an idiot. If you’d like me to give you whatever it is, I. can’t. be. dead.”

I jabbed a finger into their faces. Their first appearance during the Zrelnach trials had almost got me skewered and now this? It was too much.

“An efficient way to keep me alive would be to STOP TRYING TO KILL ME!”

As this roar faded into the night air, it left Bright and Dim watching me like one would with a crazed animal. I couldn’t bear to look at them.

“Get out of my sight,” I growled.

They hesitated with their guttural flickering growing erratic, so I took a step forward, almost merging with their bodies.

“I said get out of my sight!”

With a pop, the anomalies disappeared, revealing the host of people behind them. They were standing or lounging several feet away from me, but the tree branches, stifling moonlight overhead, did nothing to hide how every eye was turned my way. Crackling flames filled a deep silence, and with panic singing in the back of my mouth, I took a step away.

And another. And another until a tree trunk hid me from view.

Gasping, I leaned on one knee while my eyes jumped across the forest floor.

They’d seen me screaming at thin air. What in the void would I do?

From the side, somebody took hold of me, and I tensed, reaching for a weapon. Any weapon.

“You’re back,” my father breathed into my hair. “You’re ok!”

I held still while he squeezed me. I didn’t know why I was still getting ready to defend myself, but I wanted him to release me. How did I ask for that, given how pleased he seemed?

“Dad…” I pushed through my throat.

It was my father’s turn to go stiff. Prying himself off of me, he retreated with his hands raised. Why was he acting so cautiously?

“You need time alone, don’t you?” he asked.

Why would he think-?

Without my permission, my head jerked in a nod.

Deflating, my father said, “All right. I’ll give you space if you’re ok. You are, aren’t you?”

Was I?

“I… think so,” I said.

“Ok, then. I’ll smooth the Zrelnach’s ruffled feathers,” my father said. “Good night, son.”

I didn’t have the energy to reply. Slamming my back into a tree, I slid down it, peering at the canopy above. Why did I feel so drained?

Tree limbs swayed, leaves rustled, and after a time that I couldn’t measure, footsteps crunched to a stop in front of me.

“That was a decent speech you gave.”

A speech? Was that how my angry rant had been taken?

“Rhy,” I sighed.

The shadow shrank, and when a flame burst to life between us, it outlined my friend’s serious features.

“Will I have to fix you up again?” he asked.

Coughing a laugh, I shook my head.

“I’m just tired,” I said. “Will probably get some sleep soon.”

“Can I stay with you?” Rhylix asked. “Your father mentioned that you needed solitude, but you have an unnatural tendency to attract trouble, my… friend.”

Why did Rhylix always sound so surprised when he said that word?

“I don’t mind,” I said.

I’d hate to disappoint my father with this weakness but Rhylix? He’d seen me at my worst. What was another instance of it?

Settling on the ground nearby, he extinguished his summoned flame.

“I thought you despised magic,” I said.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t use it when I have to.”

Alouin, such disgust. Snickering, I sank further into the fallen leaves.

“I have so many questions for you,” I said, “but I’m so-”

A yawn nearly cracked my jaw in half, which had Rhylix softly laughing.

“Sleep, Raimie,” he said. “Your questions can wait until tomorrow.”

“Including the one about Silverblade?” I asked.

Shifting in place, Rhylix said, “Yes. Even that one.”

“That’s… good. The question’s… been on my mind… since you-”

The wraith hovered over me with his shadowed features twisted, and warm skin was circled around my neck, although this hold hadn’t tightened.

“What did you do to us?” the wraith shouted.

Someone was about to strangle me? I should be frightened by this.

But I wasn’t.

Raising an eyebrow, I said, “Us?”

Jerking away, the wraith retracted his grip, grazing his knuckles on my chest.

“You… do not feel it?” the wraith said. “The burn in your being, the diminishment?”

“No…” I drawled.

“You have no idea what you did.”

With a sob, the wraith clapped his hands to his face.

“Of course you do not. Why should I have expected any differently?”

His shoulders shook, and hesitantly, I took hold of his wrist.

“Hey,” I said. “Everything will be ok.”

Exploding off of me, the wraith towered over my body, and with a foot planted on either side of my chest, he shoved a finger in my face.

“You always say that,” he shouted, “but it will not be ok. It will NEVER be ok, Raimie. You forgot me for nine years! How could you?”

Frowning, I dragged my head along the ground, cocking it.

“Forgot you?” I asked. “Did we know one anoth…?”

The memory of my last visit here filtered through the cracks, and with its repeat, I sucked in air, but the wraith didn’t notice. He stretched his arms toward me as if to strangle me again.

“You see? DO YOU SEE?” he growled. “When you started talking to me, I thought things would get better, but it has only gotten worse. Just… go to sleep, Raimie.”

Swooping toward me, the wraith touched my forehead, and I frantically reached for the one who echoed my emptiness.

“Wait! I-”

Claws dragged me into dreams.

My dreams held only nightmares.

TTS Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter 29: Dealing with Teenage Boys

Rhylix

For when I next see you, I may not have control.

After the display with the tear two days ago, I could say, without a doubt, that this latest ally terrified me. When we'd been beneath the mountain, I'd run off after Raimie unsure what the hell the kid had been doing, and when he'd stuck his hand into a godsdamn tear...

Oh, my poor heart had just about stopped. I'd thought our quest was over and done with before it could truly begin, but then, Raimie had started... he'd started.

Gods, seeing tendrils of light and dark streaming from the tear to him had been an awe-inspiring moment, easily within the top ten events in my life, and Raimie had topped it off by doing something I'd never seen before. I was still unsure about exactly what he'd done, but the appearance of that silvery mist, a small window into what lay beneath, in his cupped hands had affixed the seedlings of hope in my shell of a heart, and finally, finally, I let myself think of a question that I'd left untouched for forever.

Could I use this to end the cycle?

Either way, sitting next to this teenager had my heart pounding in my ears with my mouth a dry desert, which was an interesting experience. I hadn't felt like this in... gods. I couldn't remember when the last time was.

"That's an interesting look on you."

Glancing up at my constant nuisance, I somehow contained a smirk.

"You're one to talk," I said.

Its Eselan guise had cracked, nearly revealing the creature of light hidden beneath, and it was trembling, clearly struggling to stay anchored on this plane. I might be more concerned by this if I hadn't seen Raimie's splinters—I still couldn't wrap my mind around him having two—in this state.

Still. I had to ask.

"Should I be worried? Has Entropy gotten the upper hand?"

Glaring, my constant nuisance hissed, "If it had, would we be talking right now? Answer? No. I'd be running around this iteration with my brethren, fighting to stabilize its rate of deterioration. Will you ask a useful question now?"

Having pulled away from it, I raised my eyebrows, merely blinking for a moment, and when my constant nuisance didn't start fretting over its anomalous behavior, those eyebrows rose higher.

This sassiness was new. I begrudgingly liked it, which was strange. My relationship with this being had been steeped in hostility for so long that I wasn't sure how to handle a positive emotion getting added to the mix.

"Well, I'm glad we're not dying faster than we normally would. Good job, you," I sarcastically said. "Mind telling me what the hell Raimie did with the tear?"

My constant nuisance's face closed of.

"He closed it," was all it would say.

"Yes... I saw that," I said. "I was more interested in how he did that. Has anyone else closed a tear, or is he the first? And what did he do with the energies that he pulled to him? Did he combine them? Is that even possible? Have you stuck me with an ally who can break reality this time?"

For a long while, my constant nuisance said nothing, holding its typical motionlessness to an extreme. Then, it shifted, looking over my head.

"You've asked many questions of me," it said.

They were all things that I'd thought necessary to ask, ways to learn if my hope could become more than a seedling, and the fact that my constant nuisance wouldn't easily answer them was souring any enjoyment I might have taken from its changed mood. Based on its shuffling, I'd have to press harder to get what I wanted, so I readied myself and deliberately said my constant nuisance's name.

"Creation."

When a familiar face, riddled with cracks, whipped toward me, I released a breath.

"I need those answers."

I wouldn't beg for them, wouldn't lower myself to that indignity, but Creation would know what I was really saying.

Crossing its arm, it picked at the frayed fabric covering its elbow.

"So far as I know, no one has closed a reality rip," it said, "and your ally isn't breaking reality. Merging the wholes isn't unheard of."

Helpful.

"Why are you being so difficult with this?" I said. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hiding something from me."

Gasping, Creation took a step back.

"Obscuring the truth is of the enemy," it breathed. "It doesn't matter if my access to the whole has been diminished. I need... I need to return there!"

"No. Wait! Don't-"

Creation vanished, and groaning, I thunked my head against a tree trunk. It had bene acting somewhat tolerable again, but when it eventually returned to this plane, it would be back to acting like a constant nuisance.

Oh, well.

Leaning against the tree, I peered down my nose at the boy beside me.

Raimie had mentioned that he had questions for me? Well, I felt the same confused curiosity about him.

Unfortunately, I wasn't sure if my questions would be answered anytime soon. In fact, I was very much aware that Raimie had no idea he was causing those questions, and because of this, I wasn't sure if I could ask them.

It was amazing that such a peacefully sleeping face could stand at the center of the complete rearrangement of my life.

"He doesn't look crazy."

Jerking my head up, I found the owner of that voice, standing just outside of my reach.

"I'd hoped that his ability to mess with a tear would make having lost to him hurt less, but... I suppose I was being optimistic. I'll have to look elsewhere."

"Dath?" I said.

Scrambling to my feet, I stood over Raimie, and while I didn't lay a hand on a weapon, the Zrelnach trainee shrunk away from me as if scolded, hiding a sword behind his back.

"Hello," he awkwardly said.

"What are you doing here?" I said. "And... where are your splints?"

Oh. Since I'd been given the opportunity, I should probably shore up my ally's credibility too.

"Also, he's not crazy. Probably just addled from what happened beneath the mountain."

Clasping his elbow, Dath said, "Whatever you say, Rhy. But why are you so surprised to see me? Did you really think I'd stay in Allanovian? No way was I missing this once in a lifetime expedition."

'Even if it's let by him?'

Almost, I said this out loud, but adding to the antagonism between the boys didn't seem wise, especially when we'd soon be traveling through open country for quite a while.

"And your splints?" I asked instead.

"You told me to remove them while fighting the human," Dath said. "I thought the same would hold true for our fight."

Hell. I'd hoped the trainee would forget about that. Ah, well. Maybe if I feigned ignorance, Dath would let it go.

Furrowing my brow, I said, "What do you mean?"

Dath cocked his head.

"You promised I could test myself against you," he said. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"Right," I said, sighing. "Forgive me. I was planning to honor my promise after the initial chaos of travel subsides, if you'd come with us, but with what happened at the tear, it slipped my mind."

"I can't blame you for that."

The teeth of Dath's grin flashed in the limited moonlight.

"You were fixing up quite a few people afterward. I don't know how you managed the tempers of so many wounded Zrelnach. They can't have been pleasant to you."

"I've had plenty of practice dealing with irritable people. Trust me," I said with a soft laugh. "And I had help."

Thank the gods for Chela. I wasn't sure why that healer had left her comfortable life in Allanovian behind, but I was beyond grateful that she had.

The conflict beside the tear might have been short—perhaps a minute at most—but it had ended with far more casualties than anyone would have liked. Aside from the handful who'd been dead before I could get to them, another two had perished while I'd been tending to them, bringing back far too many unpleasant memories, and that had distracted me.

I wasn't sure if Chela had seen this, but she'd jumped in to assist me, and with her help, our group had escaped from that dark cavern within a few hours.

"Well, this is me, reminding you of your promise," Dath said.

He drew the sword at his side—a standard issue Zrelnach blade—while offering me the one he was holding. Pursing my lips, I stared at the weapon for a moment, running through my options, but in the end, everything I could contrive to escape from this path wouldn't be worth the effort of trying it. I took the sword, leaving my own blade and dagger where I'd hidden them.

"Let's not do this here," I said. "We wouldn't want to hurt any bystanders, would we?"

Dath didn't react to what I'd said. Maybe he was trying to be the better man, relinquishing any lingering hatred that he might feel toward our quest's leader. He'd certainly seemed eager enough about joining it.

Once we'd moved far enough away, I rounded on Dath, getting in his face.

"What are you hoping to gain from this?" I asked. "Would you like to see how far you've come in your training, or do you want to learn something new? When it comes to a fight, I can provide you with almost anything that you could ask for, but I need to know what you want from me first."

Leaning back, Dath blinked for a moment before stepping away.

"You realize how arrogant that makes you sound, right?" he said.

But there was no acid in his voice, merely curiosity to match the tilt of his head.

"You're, what? Twenty-four, twenty-five? No one that young should show such confidence with a sword."

Swallowing a sigh, I retreated a few paces, scanning my surroundings.

"I'm twenty-seven, actually. I think," I said, "and you didn't answer the question."

Shaking his head, Dath tossed his sword's scabbard away.

"I want to see for myself how good you are. From what our trainers say, you were the virtuoso of your class. With Lyli... I'm the best in mine," he said. "I want to know if the hu- if Raimie besting me was a fluke, but mostly, I want to see if I have a chance against you."

Great...

Like most boys Dath's age, he had contradictory desires: wanting a confidence boost while also having someone prove their superiority over him. I couldn't oblige both wants, and while this kid seemed nice enough, I had more than one person's wellbeing to consider when making this decision. As always, my ally's safety took priority over almost everything else, and because of that, I'd use this fight to show Dath—a potential hostile—what sort of protector Raimie had.

"All right," I said. "Whenever you're ready."

With the branches overhead bobbing, moonlight revealed the trainee's consternation in swaying sweeps.

"Don't you need to stretch?" he asked. "Warm up or something? At least draw your sword."

I let one corner of my mouth lift.

"I'm good. Whenever you're ready."

Huffing, Dath said, "Fine."

He charged me, but of course he did. When one didn't know the abilities of one's opponent, Zrelnach training taught that one shouldn't waste time feeling out their skills. Although one should always look for other openings, one's best bet was to overwhelm one's opponent, especially when one was a warrior in the finest fighting force found on this side of the Narrow Sea.

As soon as Dath took off, I cast sparking illusions into his path, which he ignored. Impressive. Most people flinched at a sudden change in their environment, like flashing light.

But then, he was on me. With practiced precision, I blocked Dath's sword, using the hilt of my sheathed weapon. Grabbing the boy's wrist, I flicked my blade, and Dath's weapon was jerked out of his hand.

Giving him no time to react, I spun, leveraging the kid over my shoulder to slam him into the ground. With him laid out like this, I could easily finish it here, but I was trying to make a point. So, I released my hold on his wrist.

Of course, Dath scrambled to his feet, making for his sword, but before he'd taken more than two steps, he tripped over the root system of a nearby tree, a detail most likely missed because of his ruined night vision. With my toe, I flipped Dath onto his back and rested the tip of my sword on the hollow of his neck.

"Do you yield?" i asked.

With his shoulders heaving, Dath glared at me with glistening eyes, but he slowly nodded.

Damn. The expression on that boy's face. I hadn't meant to hurt him and...

Hell. There went my heart with its twinges again, bidding me to fix this. It was going to get me in trouble one of these days.

On backing away, I summoned the boy's sword, holding both blades in one hand.

"I'll hold onto these for now," I said. "You can retrieve them when you join me and Raimie for training in two days."

Dath, sitting up with his hands on his knees, tensed.

"What?" he said to the space between his thighs and chest.

"You have potential, and yes, you're ready to become a full Zrelnach. You could probably ask Commander Ferin for a second trial in the field, and she'd grant it," I said, "but I can make you better first."

Gradually, Dath raised his head, simply staring at me.

"I'm teaching Raimie how to fight," I continued. "If you like and if you're willing to work alongside an 'evil human', you could take advantage of my lessons too. I think they could help you, like I think Raimie will surprise you, Dath. You two have a lot in common, and you could learn from each other."

A curiously blank expression had fallen over Dath, one that sent a shiver up my spine. I'd seen this look before—of course I had—but I couldn't recall the last time that had happened.

But then, Dath broke into a spunky grin, erasing my unease, and I filed the incident under things to be investigated later.

"Why not?" he said. "At the least, it'll keep me busy. I can't- I can't be ide, Rhy."

He looked away, and I resisted the urge to slap myself. That was why Dath had collected on my promise tonight. It was why, now that I took the time to look, he looked so worn out. He was grieving. How had he slept since Lyli had died?

Fishing through a pocket, I winced at the small number of vials left there. I'd have to brew more tinctures soon, what with Raimie blowing through my supply.

Offering one to Dath, I said, "Here. This'll help you sleep."

Cautiously, the kid got to his feet before accepting the vial.

"Thanks, Rhy," he said.

"No problem," I said. "Now, go use it. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, but I definitely expect your presence two days hence when we set up camp. I'm sure someone can direct you to where Raimie and I will be."

With his eyes fixed on his hands, Dath tightened his grip on the vial, making me worry that he'd break it.

"Seriously. Thank you," he said. "And I'm sorry."

Frowning, I asked, "For what?"

With a sigh, Dath lifted his head to the sky, letting moonlight bathe his face.

"I don't know yet," he said. "Good night, Rhy."

As he picked his way toward the greater group, I watched him go. What had that been about?

Shaking my head, I made my way to Raimie before settling beside him, preparing to keep watch for the night.

TTS Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter 30: First Half of the Truth

Rhylix

Since our disastrous experiment, I've been trapped in Corruption's sway.

The morning's march was slow and hard. As we traveled through the forest on this side of the Fractured Peaks, those injured beside the tear required a languid pace, and from little I'd seen of him, Eledis seemed incensed by this slowdown, snapping at anyone who spoke to him.

Conversely, Aramar acted as if something horrific would appear at any moment, but whenever an argument broke out about our speed, he always sided with the healers' expressed desire to keep the wounded stable.

Even with him trying to hide it, I knew he had his own reasons for this, namely that his integration with the machine from the tear wasn't going as well as we'd hoped. After seeing Aramar wince throughout the morning, I'd had to bite my tongue when I was around him. I couldn't keep questioning my patient every time he stumbled or his arm flailed out of his control. No, what I really needed was to have him sit down, long enough for me to adjust the machine.

The only other reason for our slow pace kept confounding the people helping him, but for the most part, those same people seemed to expect that when it came to Raimie, they'd be living with befuddlement now. After last night, most people in the group had accepted that the kid just wasn't normal. I wasn't sure how well Eledis and Aramar's story about Raimie's 'speech' had sold, but no one had spoken a work about it this morning, nor were they avoiding him. Considering how he'd been acting, this was good.

I'd never seen such wild fluctuations in someone's mood or energy levels before, not in such a short time period at least. In one moment, the kid was absolutely manic, jittering and chattering so fast that it made my head hurt, and in the next, he was sluggish, sniping at people and barely holding it together. At one point, he'd been so drained that two Zrelnach had had to carry him, like they had between the tear and the forest.

Considering how Raimie had closed the tear, I was pretty sure that his behavior was related to that, but I hadn't gotten the chance to question him about it yet.

Right now, Raimie was sitting with his family, eating the midday meal, with the plains we'd recently entered stretching on all sides. Watching them, I absently nibbled on a piece of flatbread, ignoring the tense atmosphere hovering over the rest of the group.

The first of those people was lounging a few paces away from me. If a conflict erupted, I should be able to reach the kid's side before anything could hurt him. Everything should be fine.

Right?

A shadow fell over me.

"May I join you?"

Never removing my gaze from Raimie, I said, "Of course, Ferin."

Snorting, the commander of the Zrelnach flopped to the ground beside me.

"It's creepy that you do that, you know," she said. "How do you always know who's sneaking up on you?"

"Practice," I said. "In Auden, you're dead if you don't learn that skill early on."

Ferin was quiet for a while, long enough that I started ignoring her, but eventually, she spoke up.

"Are you sure you want to go home?"

Freezing halfway through a bite, I turned to her at the speed of a glacier, moving across the waters of the northern Narrow Sea.

"Do not ask me that," I said.

Softly laughing, Ferin settled back on her hands.

"Should've figured you'd answer that way," she said.

I narrowed my eyes. Withdrawn and melancholy? These weren't Ferin. She was cheery and brash, a ray of sunshine when around people who didn't irritate the shit out of her, and so godsdamn canny at times that it scared me. Besides occasionally pushing me for sexual favors, she'd been nothing but pleasant company since I'd arrived in Allanovian, so what was this? Was she already missing home?

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

Rubbing her face, Ferin said, "No. It's just stress, Rhy. I promise."

Slapping her hand to her leg, she faced me.

"Trainee Dath told me about how you wiped the forest floor with him last night," she said.

I squeezed my eyes closed, deflating as i returned to watching the kid.

"I had to," I said. "He's a possible threat to Raimie, and Raimie is my-"

"I know what the kid is," Ferrin interrupted, "even if that fact has yet to penetrate his thick skull. In his mind, he's still a peasant boy."

"He has time for it to sink in," I said. "Auden is far from here."

"Mm."

Together, we watched Raimie laugh at someone's joke, throwing his head back until he fell into the grass.

"So, him and Dath," Ferin said. "You mean to teach them together, even if my trainee might be a threat?"

"I'm hoping it'll bring the boys together," I sad. "Both of them are hurting, and Raimie desperately needs a friend."

"From what I hear, you're his friend."

Making a face, I said, "He needs a friend who can relate to him more than I'll be able to."

Ferin blew out a slow breath.

"Ok," she said in a small voice before clearing her throat. "Ok. That makes sense. You do realize that Raimie is my student too, right?"

"And you can teach him all the subjects that I refused to study during Zrelnach training," I said, "but I'm the better fighter of us, Ferin, and he needs the best."

Even watching Raimie nod along with his father's words, I could feel Ferin glaring at me.

"Fine," she growled. "You're right, much as it galls me to admit it."

From out of nowhere, genuine laughter slammed into me, and no matter that it was soft, I marveled at it. An honest noise like this hadn't come from me in... I didn't know how long.

Ferin didn't notice. Considering I'd perfected the art of faking emotions long ago, this didn't surprise me. It did make my chest tighten, though.

"So, did you only come here to ask about the brats we're responsible for?" I eventually asked. "Or is there more?"

"There's more, and you know it," Ferin said. "Throughout the morning, Eledis and I have been discussing our path, now that we're free of the Fractured Peaks."

"Mm. That's good," I said. "We have several options for reaching Sev so... I'd guess we're heading for the closest town first, right? Hopefully, we can resupply there, or do so as much as we can, at least."

Nodding, Ferin said, "That's the plan. But after that... Rhy, Eledis wants to take us through the Withriingalm."

"He wants to WHAT?"

At the outburst, several people, including Raimie, jerked their heads toward me and Ferin. Frowning, the kid said something to his family before getting to his feet, and I flipped to face the Zrelnach commander.

"That's a bad idea. You have to make him see it," I said. "Yes, the route would probably keep Doldimar's minions off of our trail for a while but-"

"I know how dangerous that cursed swamp is, Rhy," Ferin said. "I'll do everything I can to convince him to choose a different path, but I wanted to warn you in case... in case I can't."

Staring at her, I tried to clear the fist in my throat. Normally, I wouldn't find traversing the Withriingalm that concerning. Most of the 'danger' associated with it was mere superstition, but I was traveling with an ally who'd proven that he attracted danger. Adding more of it to what he'd already face seemed unwise, to put it kindly.

"You ok, Rhy?"

I looked up at Raimie, taking in the concern radiating from him, and I knew that somehow, I was going to get this kid killed.

"I'm fine," I said. "Why do you ask?"

When Raimie shifted his gaze to the woman at my side, I relaxed a little. I'd forgotten how much Ferin disgruntled my friend. Considering I'd never told him how close I was to the commander, he probably thought she was harassing me. Ferin must have come to the same conclusion because with a chuckle, she got to her feet.

"I'll let you two talk."

As she left, I realized that I was alone with Raimie—or as alone as one could get out here—for the first time since leaving Allanovian, and I was abruptly grateful that I'd chosen to eat so far from the group.

"Will you join me?" I asked, extending a hand in front of me.

While Raimie made himself comfortable, I nibbled on the remains of my flatbread, wondering how I'd go about having The Conversation with this latest, utterly perplexing ally.

But perhaps that one could wait. Perhaps instead, I should explain a truth that had become a death sentence more often than not in recent years.

Crossing his legs, Raimie clasped his hands in his lap.

"So?" he said.

Taking a sip of air, I said, "So, what?"

"So..." Raimie said, leaning forward. "Will you answer my question about Silverblade? Or did you think I'd forgotten about that?"

There. That was a good place to start from.

"Somehow, I doubt you'd forget a question like that," I said, chuckling. "But in answer, I had Silverblade made for you because in the future, you won't be wielding Shadowsteal much. Except for in special circumstances, that is."

Motion fled from Raimie while that same dangerous aura from our first meeting crept into him.

"What do you mean?" he stiffly said.

Ah. So, he knew about Shadowsteal. Poor boy probably thought I was about to call him crazy or something equally as bad.

"Hey."

Carefully, I laid a hand on Raimie's knee.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. I am your friend, and you can't know how sacred I find that bond. I will never intentionally hurt you. You're safe here."

Bit by bit, Raimie relaxed, and animation returned to him.

"Ok," he said. "My question?"

"Well... have you touched Shadowsteal?" I asked. "Aside from during your first trial, of course."

I still wasn't sure how he'd used the blade like a normal person would during that fight.

Frowning, Raimie said, "Yes, and it was weird. When I touched it, the world went all... wonky."

"That's because Shadowsteal isn't a normal sword," i said. "A certain type of person is meant to wield it."

Sucking on my teeth, I considered how to phrase my next words. They would change Raimie's life, and if history was any example to go by, it wouldn't be for the better.

"What type of person?" Raimie drawled.

No. This revelation needed further background information before I could explain it. The kid might not believe me otherwise.

"A bit of a subject change but I swear it has something to do with your question," I said.

When Raimie nodded, I scooted closer, leaning forward until our heads were almost touching.

"How did you close the tear?" I asked.

Emotions flurried over Raimie's face, settling on disconcerted confusion.

Worrying at his lip, he said. "I... don't know. I..."

He met my eyes with such fear behind his own, and I bumped his forehead with mine before retreating.

"It's ok," I said.

Raimie took a few deep breaths, but then, he set his mouth into the firmest, most determined line I'd seen in a while.

"I pulled energy to me. I don't know what else to call that strange substance," he said, "but it's lying there, under the world's skin, and I can still feel it, even if I can't touch it anymore. Anyway, I pulled two types to me, forced them together, and fed the resulting creation back to the tear. That blend of energy is what closed it, I think, but I don't remember what happened after the last of it drained from me."

Fascinating. They could be merged? That was... If I hadn't seen it done, I wouldn't have believed Raimie's story.

"Good," I said. "Now, this sensation, the two energies you mentioned. Have you felt it before?"

Shifting, Raimie tried to move his gaze away from me, but with us so close together, it could only settle on his hands in his lap.

"Maybe," he said. "Once."

Once? I'd seen Raimie using that energy more than once, but that was a topic for another day. After all, I'd reached the most critical juncture in a conversation like this.

"Did it perhaps come from an invisible... someone?" I asked. "Someone who looks like you maybe?"

Sucking in a breath, Raimie shot backward, tangling his fingers in the grass.

"How did you...?" he said.

With a lopsided grin, I said, "I have one too."

I turned to the side.

"You can show yourself. Unless you want him to think I'm crazy."

As bidden, a figure appeared beside us, but this one wasn't cloaked by an Eselan guise. It was a faintly humanoid shape made of white light, and before I'd registered what I was doing, I'd shot to my feet, blocking the path to Raimie.

"What in the void are you?" I growled.

"Um. Don't you know," Raimie said. "It... huh. It looks kind of like-"

"Raimie. Shut up, and stay still."

Surprisingly, the boy did as I'd asked, leaving me to focus on the unknown splinter.

"You may call me Purity," it said with laughter rumbling in its voice.

"Where's Creation?" I snapped.

"After detecting the possibility of corruption, they have returned to the whole for correction."

Right. How had I forgotten about that?

"Send it back," I said.

I didn't care what Creation wanted. I needed a splinter that I knew nearby when introducing the concept of them to Raimie.

"Quite impossible, I'm afraid," Purity said. "If your piece of Creation is right, now might be the only time to correct them."

"I don't care."

Something in my tone had Purity leaning away from me, but I didn't take the time to consider it.

"Return to the whole, and tell it to send my splinter back," I hissed. "Remember. You need me more than I need you."

Seconds ticked by, seconds where I was afraid I'd pushed too hard, but Purity straightened.

"As you say," it said.

When it vanished, another figure replaced it, one wearing a guise I knew, and seeing it, I gasped. The cracks across Creation's form had spread, and it had shrunk, leaving the top of its head at my waistline.

Swaying in place, it croaked, "What have you done?"

I'd returned it to the physical plane, obviously, but I wasn't sure why. I'd thought I wanted a known splinter on hand while explaining them to Raimie, but now, with my heart in my throat because of Creation's state...

Was I worried about the splinter?

"I... don't know," I said.

As if blind, Creation drunkenly reached for me, although its hands passed through the support of my offered arm.

"The balance!" it cried. "The balance has slipped so far!"

What was that supposed to mean?

"Hey," I said, snapping my fingers in Creation's face. "It'll keep for a while longer. You rest. Fix what's wrong with you."

"I-"

After choking on itself, Creation nodded, and a pop preceded its disappearance.

Only then could I focus on my surroundings. Not as many Zrelnach were staring at me as I'd expected, but still, I spun on Raimie.

"I need you to get us moving," I said.

Completely white in the face, Raimie couldn't do much more than flap his jaw for a moment, but soon enough, he regained control of himself.

"What was that, Rhy?" he asked.

"Something I'll explain later tonight, along with everything else," I said. "For now, please distract the people around us so they don't figure out what we were doing and decide to murder me."

"O-ok."

Leaping to his feet, Raimie shook himself.

"Later tonight?" he asked.

After receiving a nod, he trotted off, and I could consider what Creation had said.

The balance had slipped? I wasn't sure what that meant but if it had to do with the Eternal War...

Did that mean the enemy was winning? It would make sense, considering how long Doldimar had remained in power, unchecked, but...

Damn. This cycle was rapidly becoming a difficult one.

Thankfully, Raimie was quick to rally the group, and we resumed our slow plod, taking the worry of death via a comrade's blade off of my plate for the moment. 

TTS Chapter Thirty

Chapter 31: Healing Duties

Rhylix

Every day, its madness overtakes more of my mind.

It took a few hours, but when the sun was halfway to the horizon, we reached Paft. The farming village had seen better days. Half of its fields had been left untended for long enough that weeds had grown almost as tall as the crops, and as we approached the village itself, I winced at how dilapidated most of the buildings were.

A man, Paft’s mayor most likely, was waiting for us  on the village’s outskirts, and in his shadow, several people with shoddy weapons looked ready to attack at the slightest provocation. While the Zrelnach arranged themselves in a better defensive position, I pushed through them to the royal family at the group’s head. I arrived in time to see Paft’s leader welcoming Eledis into a squat house, leaving the younger Audish royals outside.

Gistrick, standing at Aramar’s side, nodded when I approached. A few days ago, he and his friends had haltingly apologized for their aggressive behavior near the tear, and we’d spent far too much time working out our differences, or at least, we’d done so enough that we could tolerate each other’s presences again.

In other words, the two of us were back to square one.

Both Gistrick and I deliberately ignored the bow and two arrows that Aramar was loosely holding. We doubly ignored Raimie, who was staring at the door Eledis and Paft’s leader had disappeared behind. With his arms crossed, he was tapping a finger on his elbow.

Hell, if both of those men weren’t of Audish descent, I’d eat my sword.

“Aramar,” I said, stopping beside the human.

“Hullo, Rhylix,” Aramar tiredly replied. “You ready to fix up more people if it comes down to that?”

With my lips thinning, I examined him, noting the tension in his shoulders and how his eyes were skipping over Paft’s people.

“You don’t think we can work out an agreement?” I said. “Allanovian certainly sent enough items from the tear with us, trying to get us out the door more quickly. We’re not without tradable resources.”

“A lack of resources isn’t what I’m worried about,” Aramar said under his breath.

His hand spasmed, almost sending one of his arrows into the dirt, and he winced. With an eye twitching, I laid a finger on the band around his waist.

“Come see me before you go to bed tonight,” I said. “If I must find you instead, I will make your life a living hell until you learn to cooperate with your healer. You’ve seen me working. You know that’s not an idle threat.”

Swallowing hard, Aramar nodded, and I removed my finger from his waist.

“Why only Eledis?”

Blinking, I switched tracks, turning to Raimie. The kid hadn’t moved, only narrowing his eyes a bit.

“That man, their leader. He greeted all of us by name, looking at me like he knew me,” he continued, “but I’ve never been on this side of the Fractured Peaks. Still, he looked at us, knew us, and only invited Eledis into his home. Why? And why didn’t Eledis have us accompany him?”

Interesting questions. Even more interesting: Aramar’s hitched breathing and Gistrick’s uncomfortably shifting feet.

“I don’t like this,” Raimie said, slapping his hands to his thighs. “We should make sure Eledis hasn’t made a mess again.”

He’d taken a step toward the squat house while Aramar had drawn a breath to speak when the door slammed open, letting Paft’s leader limp through it. The poor man looked awful with red splotches covering his exposed skin and his arm held at an unnatural angle. The villagers who’d been guarding the house hurried to him with a cry while Eledis serenely sailed around them.

When the older man joined his family, Raimie hissed, “What did you do?”

While keeping half of my attention on them, I slowly turned in a circle to watch the mass of villagers around us, and seeing the majority of them hefting their pathetic weapons, I rested a hand near where I’d hidden my blades.

“That was me getting what we needed without wasting our limited resources,” Eledis said. “We can’t afford to barter with every town we resupply in, especially one as down and out of luck as this one. We’ll need what we have to buy horses and carts later.”

“So, you played bully and beat up their leader instead,” Raimie said.

A string twanged, making several people flinch, although Raimie just glanced at the arrow jutting from a wall before turning back to Eledis. The projectile was quivering a breath from a man, one caught halfway through a step.

“Oops,” Aramar dryly said. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve been plagued with spasms in recent days. My finger must have slipped.”

Damn, that man was good with a bow. I hadn’t seen him nock or sight before the arrow had reached its target. The other villagers must have read something similar from the exchange because their hostility receded a fraction.

As if their conversation had never been interrupted, Eledis said, “Sometimes, you have to do things you don’t like in a negotiation. I did what I must so we could get what we need.”

Groaning, Raimie rubbed his face.

“There are other ways to get supplies,” he said with a muffled voice. “You didn’t have to be so brutal.”

With a smirk, Eledis crossed his arms.

“And I suppose you’ll show me these other ways now?” he said.

“Sounds about right,” Raimie said. “Dad. Rhy. Would you join me, please?”

Exchanging a glance, we followed him to Paft’s leader. That man’s guards stepped between us, but while Raimie stopped at their unspoken threat, he also ignored them.

“Hilderel, right?” he asked, addressing Paft’s leader. “I’d like to introduce my friend.”

He clapped a hand on my shoulder.

“This is Rhylix,” he said. “He’s the best healer I’ve ever met, and if you’ll let him, he can take a look at your arm.”

Glancing up, Hilderel sneered at Raimie, but his eyes were also glazed with a faint tremble running through his body.

“Why would I do that?” he growled. “Just… leave town and we’ll send your food along soon. You’ve hurt us enough.”

Raimie’s expression went from concerned to flat, sending a chill down my spine.

“Much as I love him, I am not my grandfather, good sir. If I’d known what he planned to do, I’d have insisted on joining you in your home, no matter how much you didn’t want me there. All I’m doing is cleaning up the wreckage left in Eledis’ wake,” he said. “ So, accept Rhylix’s expertise, if you want it. Let me and my people help Paft, if you like. But if you want us to stand idly by while you gather the supplies you’ve promised, we can do that too. It’s your call, Hilderel.”

The village’s leader would be stubborn. I saw this in the set of his jaw and how he was drawing himself up, and while I was all for people making supremely poor decisions if they wanted to, that didn’t mean I’d let them do it easily.

“I can ease your pain,” I said.

When Hilderel swung his head to me, he loosened his jaw, releasing a breath after a moment.

“All right,” he said. “Tarnavis can direct your people where we most need help, but you’ll have to excuse me if I retire to my home until you’ve gone. I don’t want to see anyone in your family again.”

“Of course,” Raimie said, folding his hands in front of him. “And our supplies?”

Making a face, Hilderel said, “Again, Tarnavis can help you with that. May I go?”

“Please,” Raimie said before bowing. “Many apologies for your suffering.”

Hilderel ground his teeth together, but whatever scathing reply he’d wanted to make, he retained it, shuffling into his home. Without prompting, I went with him, smirking on hearing Aramar murmur.

“Nicely done, Raimie.”

A closing door blocked off any further words.

Before Hilderel could collapse at the cottage’s table, I took his good elbow, guiding him to the bed on the other side of the room, and once I had Hilderel settled, I rummaged through my pockets, perfectly aware of the other man examining me.

“Take this,” I said.

After placing a pill in Hilderel’s palm, I handed the man a water skin, carefully watching him swallow his medicine. I almost never used these ‘painkillers’, certainly not on the Zrelnach and even more certainly not on myself. The small number I had were given only in the worst of cases, like when someone had burns as bad as Raimie’s had been after Fissid. This man, however, had been hurt in a way that might have him blaming the injury on the kid, and I wouldn’t have my ally making an enemy. Not this early.

So, I knelt in front of Hilderel and did what I could to prep while waiting for the pill to take effect. As I spread a salve across the worst of the man’s bruises, he shifted in place, drawing my gaze up, and when our eyes met, the town leader looked away.

“You’re Eselan?” he asked with a tight voice .

Ah. That explained why he looked so uncomfortable.

Lowering my head to my work, I said, “Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”

Hilderel didn’t speak for a long time. Too long.

“No,” he eventually said, “but only because you’re actually being useful, unlike the rest of your race. Also, that family vouches for you.”

I contained my laughter, wondering if this man knew that almost every stranger outside of his door was Eselan. Would the acid in his voice disappear if he understood the disparity in numbers between the humans and my people in this town right now?

“Why would you care what Raimie and his family think?” I asked instead. “One of them just beat the shit out of you.”

“Sure, but in Ada’ir, everyone who’s anyone knows about that family,” Hilderel said. “I may have retired to this back-end-of-nowhere village, but most of my life was spent in the capital. I even considered joining one of the rebellions in my younger years, so I know who those three are, and if someone of their repute says an Eselan deserves to live, it will be so.”

Frowning, I took Hilderel’s broken arm more gently than I wanted to.

“But they’ve been in hiding,” I said. “How are they known in Daira?”

Hilderel burst into laughter, wincing when his arm bounced in my hands. The pill must be working if that was his only reaction to a jostled broken bone.

“Is that what they’re saying?” he gasped. “That’s… Alouin, that’s hilarious but… it would explain why the kid’s acting strangely. He could have lost his cruel edge while ‘hiding’.”

Ok. The pill was definitely working. When I tried to imagine Raimie as cruel, I almost laughed out loud. It was interesting the delusions that this medicine brought out in people, such as believing oneself important enough to have known the Audish royal family.

At least it had kept this man from attacking me. Now, I only needed to avoid doing the same to him, and everything would be fine and dandy.

“Bite this,” I said, handing Hilderel a strip of leather.

The pill might have dulled his pain, but it couldn’t completely cover what happened when a bone was set, as evidenced by Hilderel’s scream a few seconds later. He fainted, leaving me scrambling to catch him and hold the bone in place.

Cursing, I left Hilderel at an awkward angle while placing splints. I considered abandoning him like that, but shaking my head, I shoved him into bed, dragging a blanket out from under him to lay over his sleeping form. Breathing hard, I slammed a jar of salve on the table before storming outside, grumbling under my breath all the while.

With the foul mood that their leader had left me in, my bedside manner took a sharp turn downward while attending to the citizens of Path. A lot of people were sick here, more than there should have been, and that, combined with the rundown state of the village, made me wonder how hard of a time Paft had fallen on.

Fortunately, the sun quickly fell below the horizon, and I was released from healing duties. I picked my way through the impromptu celebration that had started in the village square. Someone had pulled an out-of-tune lute and a pair of drums from storage, and subsequently, raucous music was now filling the air.

Apparently, an afternoon spent laboring together was enough to erase prejudices for a time.

While looking for Raimie, I noted the evidence of why these people were celebrating. I could see places where people had laid fresh thatch on several roofs, and many doors looked repaired, enough so that they wouldn’t fall off their hinges at least.

Hopefully, these changes would help ward the villagers against winter’s coming freeze. How many people might survive because of the help we’d provided today?

I found Raimie with his father and some Zrelnach friends. Wildly gesturing, the kid was walking around the group’s perimeter, telling a story. Pausing, he whirled in place, painting shock on his face, and his audience laughed, starting a barely audible chant when they could breathe.

Worrying at my lip, I watched this and considered what I meant to tell this kid, my friend. Gods, Raimie looked so happy, and it was perhaps the only time I’d seen him like this.

Maybe I should delay. One more day wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Before I could leave, though, Raimie caught sight of me, gesturing for me to join them, and I sighed. Tonight, it was.

Striding to them, I put on my practiced smile.

“Well, this looks fun,” I said. “Why wasn’t I invited?”

One of the Zrelnach straightened with pursed lips, but her disgust dissolved beneath Raimie’s exuberance. With his face a bright beacon, he stepped between Gistrick and Aramar to clasp my shoulders.

“We couldn’t find you, of course,” he said, “but you’re here now. Will you join us?”

Here was another chance to delay. It would be so simple to acquiesce and sit in the circle but…

“Actually, I was hoping I could borrow you,” I said. “You had questions earlier? I should finish answering them before they get swept aside again.”

Widening his eyes, Raimie drawled, “Riiiight. I forgot.”

He twisted to the others.

“Does anyone mind if Rhy and I pop off for a bit?” he asked. “I was hoping he’d walk me through a technique he showed me today.”

At the question, so many hooded eyes stared at me, but leaning back on his hands, Aramar looked genuinely pleased with his son’s request.

“Go, go! And have fun,” he said. “Gistrick. Aya. Would you accompany them? Keep your distance, of course, but I’m not sure how safe we are, even after this afternoon.”

“Probably a good idea,” Gistrick said.

Rising, he brushed himself off while Aya stretched, soon to join him. Meanwhile, Raimie rolled his eyes.

“Like I need an escort,” he sighed, “but thanks, dad. I guess.”

“You’re welcome,” Aramar said with a teasing grin. “I love you, son.”

With his mouth dropping open, Raimie turned a brilliant crimson, and even I had to laugh at the sight of it.

Raimie snapped his teeth together.

“I love you too,” he hissed through them before striding into the dark. “Come on, Rhy!”

I hurried after my friend.

TTS Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter 32: Approaching the Truth

Rhylix

I don't know how much longer I can resist its influence

When I caught up, neither Raimie nor I said a word. I didn’t, as a general rule, tease people, but hell, if I wasn’t tempted to do it now. In the end, though, I decided to abstain from that mischief, if only because I knew how much trouble I’d be bringing Raimie tonight.

Together, he and I left the confines of Paft’s buildings, strolling alongside a field. It was empty with its produce picked and stored. Eventually, we reached the plains around the village, but I didn’t wander far into their tall grass before dropping to the ground.

While Raimie sat, I stretched my legs out, leaning back to see the stars. They’d always been so bright once firelight was left behind and the moon…

Closing my eyes, I could almost imagine that its beams were caressing my skin like the sun’s did.

“How angry is Eledis?” I idly said.

Chuckling, Raimie said, “Pretty damn furious. It’s an interesting experience. I’ve never irritated him on purpose before but… he’s not talking to me.”

Something ripped nearby. Probably Raimie tearing grass clumps from the ground.

“Don’t worry. He’ll get over it.”

Lowering my head, I gave my friend a half-smile.

“You’re his grandson, after all.”

Raimie ducked his head, trying to hide his answering grin.

“I suppose that’s true,” he said before peering at me, “but that’s not why we’re out here.”

“No, it’s not.”

Sitting up, I crossed my legs and pressed my palms together.

“Listen. Raimie. This thing we’ll be discussing? It’s dangerous,” I said. “I showed you my splinter. If you took that information to… well, anybody really, it would get me killed.”

It would also see Raimie dead, but telling him that would distract from the point. I needed my friend to understand what he was getting into. I had other reasons for starting our conversation like this, but that was the biggest one.

“I don’t think you’ll do something like that to me. It’s not in your nature,” I continued, “but if you made yourself as vulnerable as I have, it would make me more comfortable. I’d like to see your splinter, Raimie, and if you’re ok with it, I’d like to ask it a few questions as well.”

Having solemnly watched me while I’d spoken, Raimie tilted his head to the side, looking up at the stars as if thinking.

“Ok. That’s reasonable,” he said. “How do I do that, though? Usually, I’m the only one who can see them.”

Oh, gods. How had this wonderfully terrifying kid achieved everything he had and yet not know how to do something so basic?

“Um. It- it’s fairly simple, actually. You tell them that you want me to see them, and they’ll make themselves visible,” I said, “and don’t worry about our watchers by the field. They’ll still be blind to your splinters.”

“Oh! That’s- hmm. How did I not figure that out by myself?” Raimie said before shaking his head. “But my idiocy doesn’t matter right now. Here goes. Bright? Dim? Could you please-?”

Another Raimie, a version of him with light streaming through slits in its face, popped into view beside the original, and after a pause, another one, leaking inky darkness, appeared behind them. With its arms crossed, it snarled at me, hovering somewhere between cowering and wanting to claw my eyes out. Meanwhile, Bright—why had Raimie felt the need to give them nicknames?—rushed forward with its hands outstretched.

“Thank the whole!” it gasped. “Maybe you can tell him what we are.”

Before Bright could collide with me, I rolled to my feet, leaving the splinter teetering.

“What do you mean ‘tell him who you are’?” I asked. “You haven’t done that already?”

Recovering its balance, Bright shook its head.

“We-”

“You understand them?” Raimie said.

Pausing, I narrowed my eyes at the kid.

“You don’t?” I asked.

Raimie rubbed the back of his neck, shrinking on himself with one eye closed.

“Not always?” he said. “When we talk about anything important, all I hear from them is buzzing.”

Turning to Bright, I asked, “Is that why he doesn’t know? I thought it was strange that he didn’t yet.”

“Partially, yes,” Bright said. “We’ve had other problems-”

“Stop! Staaaahp!”

Jerking to the source of this voice, I fought off a wave of nausea. Dim had chosen an interesting compromise between its previous two desires. Crouching behind Raimie, it had one hand on his shoulder while the other was raised, holding a lump of penumbra. This, the pull of Dim’s substance to the physical plane, had me hunching on myself, hugging my stomach with one arm.

Trembling in place, Dim shouted, “Will anyone acknowledge the bind that you’ve put me in, one I’d never have come near on my own? Stopping myself from clobbering that sniveling piece of the enemy is hard enough, but no. You had to go further. Where do you put me? Not fifteen paces from… from him. I am doing my fucking best to resist my nature, but the lot of you are making it near impossible. Why do I have to be here?”

The splinter was screeching by the end of that rant. Its guise undulated over the waves passing beneath it, and despite my revulsion, my jaw dropped open. This… this was impossible.

This might help me break the cycle. I had to keep Dim stable.

Lunging forward, it roared into our silence, and I snapped my hands above my head, spreading my fingers to make it more obvious if I meant to attack.

“I… I’m only here to help Raimie understand his situation,” I said. “I swear that I won’t touch you. This time. Damn. Never thought I’d say something like that.”

Dim looked like it was on the brink, and for a heart stopping moment, I thought it would attack, forcing me to banish it, but Raimie, who’d been flicking his eyes between us the whole time, rested his hand over where Dim was touching his shoulder.

His palm sank through the splinter to his own skin, of course. Dim’s non-corporeal form wouldn’t allow physical touch, but it calmed the splinter down nonetheless. Taking a shuddering breath, it backed off, lowering a hand filled with darkness.

“Well. That was interesting.”

Licking his lips, Raimie joined me on his feet.

“You ok?” he asked.

Lowering my arms, I choked on a crazed giggle when I saw how badly I was trembling. Gods, it was almost as violent as Dim’s shaking had been, but what could I say? This? An enemy splinter tolerating my presence? It was exactly what I’d been looking for.

“Yeah,” I breathed. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m just-”

By the void, was this joy? Was this hope, when that emotion wasn’t held at bay? How had I forgotten what it felt like?

“What about you?”

It took me a second to realize Raimie was asking that question of Dim, but that was long enough for Bright to return to its human.

Resting its hands on its hips, it asked, “Yes, how are you, oh most rash force of destruction?”

Sarcasm had been laced through that question, but I could swear I’d heard concern—of all thing—too.

Hugging itself, Dim weakly growled, “Fuck off, stick in the mud.”

Bright clicked its tongue.

“You can do better than that,” it said before turning to Raimie. “The idiot will be fine, given time.”

“Good,” Raimie said. “Because I’m still pissed at you for your behavior at the tear. I still don’t feel right, you assholes.”

He shoved a finger toward them.

“So, no more fighting, or almost fighting as the case may be, for the rest of the night. Be on your best behavior.”

With a fist held in front of my face, I bit a knuckle to keep from laughing. After all, Raimie had just berated two of the most dangerous beings he’d ever encounter, but considering he didn’t know any better, the splinters should forgive his disrespect.

So, when they instead bowed their heads, mumbling apologies, I dropped my arm to my side. When would this kid stop surprising me? I should be used to oddities like this by now, but I… most definitely wasn't.

“We were discussing communication issues, I believe?” Raimie said, lifting an eyebrow.

Jumping, I cleared my throat.

“Right. You said you hear buzzing from them at times?” I asked.

“Usually when they’re about to tell me something important, yes.”

“Huh.”

That was strange. It could be why Raimie’s use of his ‘energies’, as he’d called them, had been so sporadic too, which wasn’t good. In the future, he’d need that to be consistent, but I wasn’t sure how to fix it.

“I wonder if the block is between you and your splinters or all of them,” I said.

“Why don’t we find out?” Raimie asked. “You have a splinter. Creation, yes? Why don’t you have it join us?”

Behind him, Dim tensed.

“Raimie…” it muttered.

Glancing over his shoulder, Raimie said, “It would only be for a few seconds.”

“And I’ll keep it from attacking you,” I added.

Because this was a good idea. If the problem was merely with Bright and Dim, maybe Creation could intervene for Raimie.

“Fine,” Dim groaned. “I’ll just sit here and, you know, hold myself together while you invite another enemy to the table.”

“So glad to have your approval,” I said, showing the splinter my teeth. “Creation, do you mind?”

“Yes?” a small voice asked.

If I squinted hard enough, some of the damage done to Creation appeared to have healed, but the splinter still looked like hell. At its arrival, Dim barked a laugh before slapping a hand to its mouth. Still, its amusement was strong enough to knock it to the ground, where it rolled back and forth with barely muffled snickers.

“Why haven’t you banished that repugnant stain?” Creation asked.

Even exhausted as it looked, it fell into a ready stance from a long-vanished fighting form, fixing its eyes on Dim.

“It’s Raimie’s splinter,” I said.

“Oh.”

Gradually, Creation relaxed, wincing as if doing so hurt it.

Once it had stood down, it wearily asked, “Why am I here?”

No protests over leaving the enemy on this plane of existence? No attempts to override my decision? Curious.

“I need you to tell Raimie where you come from,” I said.

When Creation wrinkled its brow, light scattered through the cracks found there.

“You mean the whole?” it asked. “Why does he-?”

“It’s buzzing,” Raimie interrupted.

Huh. So, the kid’s splinters weren’t defective. Did that mean he was, or had something weakened his ties with his splinters or-?

What was I doing? The night was getting late, and I hadn’t gotten to the issue that I’d brought Raimie out here for in the first place. Drawing his splinters into the physical plane had been meant as a subtle hint as to what his life would soon become. As an added bonus, I’d also gotten the chance to speak with them, but neither of those side-goals had been the point. It was time to focus.

“Thank you, Creation,” I said. “That will be all.”

“But the enemy-” Creation started.

“I can handle one splinter,” I interrupted before lowering my voice. “I need you to heal, please.”

Sighing, Creation said, “Ok.”

After it vanished, Raimie said, “So, this communication problem-”

“Can wait,” I again interrupted. “We’ll work on it together, but for now, I can tell you most of what they’re trying to say. So, let’s allow Dim some relief, shall we? Although…”

I turned on the remaining splinters, raising an eyebrow when I saw Bright’s proximity to Dim. How on earth could they stand being so close to one another?

“We can excuse your human’s failure to properly introduce himself, considering he doesn’t know what you are,” I said, “but I’d like to know your aspects, please. It’s only fair since you know mine.”

I let my feral grin out, hoping Dim would hear my unspoken threat, but the splinters ignored me, exchanging a glance.

That was new. Usually, I had to deal with adoration or fear from them and nothing else. Well, except for from Creation.

“Doing this will advance the plan more than harm it,” Bright said.

“I fucking hate agreeing with you,” Dim hissed, bristling as it faced me. “I’m a piece of Chaos.”

“Which makes me a piece of Order,” Bright said, flourishing a bow, “but please. We’d prefer to be called by the names our human has given us.”

When Dim flashed its teeth in challenge, I raised my hands placatingly.

Gods, such powerful aspects. I should have expected as much but still.

Once this was over, I’d need to shudder the prickles out of my skin for a good five minutes. Enemy splinters didn’t work together. They just didn’t.

Rubbing my eyes, I said, “Will you tell them to leave us, Raimie? They’re giving me a headache.”

“Sure thing,” Raimie said before turning to Bright and Dim. “Do what he says. We’ll talk later.”

“Of course.”

“Be careful, kid.”

And they vanished.

TTS Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter 33: What You Are

Rhylix

But in the end, how can I do that?

Raimie’s splinters had left, and after another five heartbeats of quiet, I lowered my hands, grateful to see only one version of my friend in front of me. Suddenly tired beyond measure, I sank into the grass before patting the ground in front of me.

“So,” Raimie said. “Finally going to explain yourself?”

“Almost,” I said. “One last question and then, I’ll talk. I promise.”

Shrugging, Raimie said, “Sure. Why not?”

All right. Here we go. From this point, nothing further could delay us, and I wasn’t sure whether I hated that the time was here or annoyed that it had taken so long to come.

“I need you to tell me everything you know about magic, whether you believe the stories or not,” I said.

Not exactly a question but… details.

Raimie looked confused.

“Including yours?” he asked.

“Everything, Raimie.”

I needed to know how thorough the kid’s knowledge was. What lies would I have to disabuse?

“All right. So far as I’m aware, only two magics have existed in our world, or so it’s said. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that others are real as well,” Raimie said. “There’s Eselan magic, your magic. Conjuration, shifting, and illusions. Supposedly, more types of this magic existed when Alouin brought the Esela through the Accession Tear, but in the millennia since, these other types have been diluted from your people’s blood.”

He paused as if seeking approval.

“Sound about right so far,” I said. “What else?”

Swallowing, Raimie glanced over my head, probably checking Gistrick and Aya’s positions. The Zrelnach were still waiting on the edge of Paft’s fields, having never moved, but when Raimie met my eyes, he still seemed skittish, like prey trapped in a corner.

“You want me to talk about primeancy?” he hissed.

“Yes. I know the subject’s taboo, what with people’s disposition toward them-”

“You mean how everyone reviles them?” Raimie snapped. “Even centuries after the last one died?”

I took a moment to clamp down on the heat rising up my throat.

“Yes,” I eventually said. “I’m sorry. I know this might be uncomfortable for you, but learning what you know about magic is important. Trust me.”

“I trust you, Rhy. I do,” Raimie said, “and the subject isn’t uncomfortable for me, more…”

He swallowed, darting his gaze between me and the plains beside us.

“Look. I like stories about primeancy, ok?” he said. “But that interest hasn’t exactly been encouraged over the years.”

Oh… hell. For several tense heartbeats, I had to close my eyes so the burn in them wouldn’t embarrass me.

“I understand,” I said. “I still need you to tell me what you know.”

“Ok,” Raimie hesitantly said. “So… the primeancers. Let’s see.”

Drawing his knees up, he rested his chin on them, hugging his legs.

“They’ve caused or worsened every calamity our world’s seen, setting the clock back on it every time-”

“I don’t need to know about their history.”

Somehow, I kept the heat bubbling up my throat from crawling into my voice. What was this need to find something hostile and tear its throat out? Was this... anger? If it was, why was I so potently experiencing it now? Why were so many emotions returning to me so quickly, gradually filling my shell of a heart?

Clearing my throat, I said, “Just tell me about their magic, if you please.”

“I- I’m sorry, Rhy, but I don’t know much about that part. Most of the tales I’ve read didn’t focus on it,” Raimie said, clearly getting flustered. “I know that unlike Eselan magic, only two types of primeancy existed, and each of them was the opposite of the other. Supposedly, their power originated in the gods or forces of nature—I always preferred that theory—that run our world, but these forces are at war with each other… or something. I know primeancers could use energies from those forces to do wonderful and horrific things.”

Trailing off, he screwed his brow up in concentration, and I fought to keep quiet. Raimie needed to reach this conclusion without me handing over the answer.

As he straightened like a spring, the kid’s face lit up.

“Oh!” he said. “I know that they talked to the sources of their power, invisible beings-”

After a moment spent choking on his next word, Raimie slammed his mouth closed with the whites of his eyes eating into their blue color. Prey trapped by his predator.

“I’m surprised. That was all true, if colored by history,” I said. “You know less than I expected, though. We’ll have to work on that.”

“What are you saying?” Raimie whispered.

I quirked an eyebrow at him, which was apparently all the answer my friend needed.

“No.”

Scooting backward, Raimie shook his head.

“This is a joke, right?” he said. “A bad prank to top off the upheavals in my life.”

This was why I hadn’t wanted to tell Raimie his new truth. After everything that had ruined his life, I hated to slash another rent in the fabric of it.

I looked into my friend’s eyes, though, and saw that he was perfectly aware I wasn’t playing a prank on him. The kid knew the death sentence he’d been handed.

Because if anyone learned what he was, that was what would happen. The fingers of hate from the last primeancer calamity had yet to loosen. Even now, anyone suspected of claiming that magic was near instantly torn limb from limb.

I should know. It had almost happened to me a few times. I wasn’t sure if even Raimie’s status as a royal could protect him from that.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wish I could laugh and rib you about how gullible you are, but I can’t. This is your reality, Raimie.”

Biting my lip, I dropped my gaze to my hands, unable to bear the look in my friend’s eyes, but I forged on regardless.

“I am a primeancer. Specifically, I’m aligned with the primal force that those of this world name Ele,” I forced myself to say.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I reached for my source, teasing the smallest thread of Ele from it, before bringing it to my hands. Once done, I stared at that hated, soft glow for a moment before releasing it. Then, I raised my eyes until I met a terrified gaze to match mine.

“You’re a primeancer too, Raimie. Ask your splinters if you doubt me. They’re the sources of your power,” I said. “Oh. In case you were curious, they’re true names are Order and Chaos. I’ll let you figure out which of those belong to which of them.”

I dragged my traitor tongue to a stop before it could worsen this for Raimie.

Raimie, my friend, who was looking through me. Whose spirit was draining from his eyes, all while I scrambled for a way to keep it in place.

Without a word, he got to his feet before marching away, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, I watched him go, not once trying to stop him.

I felt sick. My lungs refused to fully inflate, and a stone had replaced my heart. Gods, what was this pain?

Collapsing in a sprawl, I wondered why the stars were sparkling more than usual until a drop of moisture rolled over my cheek. Hastily, I scrubbed my eyes, cursing myself. What had I thought would happen when inviting emotions into my life again? That it would be all exuberance and fizzy happiness? How naïve.

And I couldn’t indulge them right now. I didn’t think Raimie would betray my secret. Within a few days, he’d come to accept his new reality—he’d had enough practice with such adjustments, after all—but I needed to prepare for if I was wrong. How did one protect one’s ally after they’d decided to hate them?

If it came to that, I’d deal with it. For now, I had one more task to complete this evening.

When I returned to Paft’s town square, most of the Zrelnach had bedded down while the rest were preparing for sleep, but beside the door to a smaller hovel, Aramar was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. When he spotted me, he jerked his head for me to join him.

On approach, I said, “Raimie knows.”

Already halfway through the hovel’s door, Aramar froze. The question I’d expected, however, didn’t come from him but from someone inside the cottage.

“Knows what?” Ferin asked.

Of course. I should have expected that the Zrelnach’s commander would sleep near a member of the royal family, and it definitely wouldn’t have been with Eledis. With Raimie… with Raimie handling recent revelations, that left Aramar. How unfortunate.

Striding inside, I said, “That I’ll be teaching Dath at the same time as him. Hello, Ferin.”

“Hiya, Rhy,” Ferin said. “You here for Aramar?”

“I need to make some adjustments on his metal ring,” I said. “Should I wait or…?”

Ferin shook her head, gesturing for me to enter the room in truth. Sitting at a table near the hearth, she looked tired, and awful as it was, I was glad for her exhaustion. Otherwise, she might have noticed the significant glances that Aramar kept throwing my way.

“You do your healer thing while we talk,” she said, “because we badly need to do that.”

Settling on the bed behind Aramar, I lifted his shirt, working to keep disquiet off of my face.

“About what?” I asked.

“Our strategy for the next few weeks,” Ferin said. “I’ve talked to Eledis throughout the day, trying to change his mind about our route. I really tried, Rhy.”

With unease trailing fingers up my spine, I leaned to the side so I could see her. She’d buried her face in her hands with her shoulders shaking.

“After what happened this afternoon, though, I don’t think it’s possible,” she said, lifting a tear-streaked face. “We’re going through the Withriingalm whether we like it or not.”

TTS Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter 34: The Withriingalm

Raimie

For six days, we marched, quickly establishing a routine. The group rose with the dawn, breaking camp before setting off. We usually stopped for a midday meal, but that was the only rest we enjoyed before it was time to set up camp for the night.

Everything in between was a steady hike until we ran across a town. When that happened, my family and I, along with a token force of Zrelnach, approached it to negotiate for supplies, leaving most of the group far from the town’s outskirts.

Delays like this only occurred twice, but both times, we came away with more items to help us reach Sev: horses, wagons, tackle, arrows for those who’d been hunting, crates of food, blankets for when the nights grew colder, and the like. To me, our little band of soldiers was starting to resemble an army, and I didn’t know what to think about that.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to think about a lot of things.

First, the Zrelnach, whose attitude toward me fluctuated from fearful to resentful to near worshipful.

That last one, I wasn’t sure how to handle. I couldn’t change who people hated, so when I saw it directed at me, I acted no differently from how I normally would. The Zrelnach’s opinion would shift, or it wouldn’t.

Fear was easy to overcome. All it required was an effort to seem harmless or even kind, and it eventually dissipated.

But awe? When I had no clue how I should react to it, seeing that look on other people’s faces just made me uncomfortable.

At least they didn’t think I was crazy.

Second, the anomalies, my splinters, who’d been watching me with concern.

Since not much had been required from me lately, I’d had them stay visible more often, getting used to them hanging around. If they were to play such a significant role in my life, if I was a…

I couldn’t have them hiding in the background, like I had to this point.

They kept trying to discuss… it with me, but I was having none of that. Every time one of them had brought it up, I’d ignored them until they started buzzing, which left them irritated. No one had mentioned it for the last couple of days, so maybe they were learning to leave it be.

Third, a creeping suspicion that Ferin’s offhand comments about me claiming the Audish throne might have more meaning than I’d hoped.

Our lessons together had included subjects like diplomacy, macroeconomics, the different types of governances, and the many versions of etiquette found among the world’s kingdoms, although we had spent one evening on military history.

I considered the topics that my teacher had chosen for me, and I saw a crash course on how to be a monarch, which made me uneasy. I tried not to think about what she wanted from me.

I’d done a lot of not thinking lately.

Over the course of this morning’s march, a mist had slowly settled over the group until it was swirling all around us. As water merged with soil, the bank of the river we’d been traveling beside had become less distinct, and the terrain had changed from an endless sea of grass to splotches of pooled water, muddy ground, and an abundance of reeds.

A marsh.

Frowning, I pulled up my mental map of Ada’ir. I’d heard something about the swamplands on this side of the Fractured Peaks, something hair raising, and on inspecting the map, I sucked in a breath.

As I hurried through the Zrelnach, I noticed how tense they’d become, how their heads were ever on a swivel, and wanted to kick myself for not seeing it earlier.

Then again, if I had, what would I have done? Altered our path? That would have pissed Eledis off more than he already was.

When would he start talking to me again?

The horses and carts of our wagon train had kept to a maintained path, one that was elevated out of the bog. I jogged beside them until I found the one I wanted, but then, I vaulted into its seat with its wheels still rumbling beneath me.

Catching my breath, I asked, “Why are we headed into the Withriingalm?”

“Well, hello there, Raimie,” my father said with amusement plucking at his lips. “So nice of you to speak with me.”

I winced.

“Sorry. I’ve been busy. And you didn’t answer my question.”

Tucking his chin to his chest, my father said, “No. I didn’t.”

And nothing else. Was he keeping something from me again? I’d thought we were past that.

Looking at him, though, I bit my lip. My father was holding the reins in a white-knuckled grip while working his jaw. Damn, it looked like he was trying to gnaw a hole in his cheek.

Was he afraid?

“Dad… how worried should I be about this place?” I asked. “I know the stories. Wraiths haunting the mists, luring people to drown in sucking mud. Souls getting pulled out of recently dead bodies and the like. I thought the tales were a metaphor for bandits or something similar. Are they… not?”

After learning how many things I’d once considered a myth were real, I could see this story having a grain of truth to it too. If magic and Esela and… primeancers could exist, why not soul-sucking wraiths?

Barking a laugh, my father unfolded from his clenched state.

“No, those stories are just that. Tall tales,” he said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. It’s just… your question. I don’t like remembering why we’re crossing these Alouin forsaken marshes. Normally, I’d bring you nowhere near an outlaw haven. For a while, I even argued with Eledis about coming here, but…”

He started chewing his cheek again, and I barely kept from clicking my tongue.

“Yes?” I said.

Sighing, my father said, “But it’s the fastest way to Sev, and we need to get there as soon as possible. Before we left Allanovian, we started getting reports of activity that can only have come from one of Doldimar’s minions, possibly Teron. Last I saw of him, the bastard wasn’t dead, although Alouin knows how."

He looked mighty disgruntled about that idea, not that I could blame him.

“Anyway, we thought ourselves reasonably safe from this person. The reports were coming from the most random of locations, as if their originator were aimlessly hunting for us, but we’ve heard stories of similar activity in the towns where we’ve stopped, and it’s become clear that the trail of this activity is converging on us. Whoever’s on our tail, they’re tracking us now. Given that, we need to get ourselves across the Narrow Sea. Soon.”

That would explain why we'd entered the Withriingalm but…

“We’re running?” I asked. “That seems…”

Unbidden, Bright popped into being, sitting between me and my father. With its teeth bared and its face red, it looked livid.

“You cannot run away from the enemy,” it snapped. “It is your responsibility to destroy-”

“But as he is, the ‘enemy’ would destroy him.”

While I fought to conceal how badly my heart had just leaped in my chest, Dim grinned from where it had appeared, crouching in front of my face with its arms on its knees. Clearly pleased with itself, it rocked back, aiming to land with its head in Bright’s lap, but with a squeak, Bright scrambled into the back of the wagon. From where its hair was brushing my father’s thigh, Dim pouted at its counterpart, dangling its legs in my lap.

“The one chasing you is Teron, by the by,” it said. “His Volatility piece says… well, they said a lot of unkind things, so I’ll just translate it as ‘Hi’.”

Teron, the man who’d massacred Fissid. Teron, who’d almost killed me. Why did I want to rend that piece of shit to pieces and yet run screaming from him?

“It seems what, Raimie?”

Snapping my eyes to my father, I rubbed the back of my neck with a sheepish grin, all while blood drained from my face. Would my father realize what my distraction had meant?

What would happen if he had? Where I’d once thought such a revelation might have been harmful before, now I knew how devastating that could become because of… it.

“Seems wise is all,” I said. “Sorry, dad. You know how I get, stuck in my head. I’ve always wondered if that’s why I clung to the pretense of an imaginary friend for as long as I did. Nine years is such a long time.”

Laughing, my father ruffled my hair.

“Maybe,” he said. “You’ve always had the most vivid imagination.”

“Not vivid enough when it came to my imaginary friend,” I ruefully said. “I can’t even remember his name. It started with an ‘N’, I think. Nelson, maybe? Navranthit? No, too complicated. N- n- n- Hmm. Nyl-”

“Raimie. We were talking about why we’re in the Withriingalm?” my father said.

With an eyebrow raised, he looked concerned, so I abandoned the subject of my long-gone imaginary friend. It had served its purpose, distracting my father from my excessive absentmindedness.

“Well, if we have someone on our tail, taking the quickest route to Sev makes sense,” I said. “How do you suppose this minion of Doldimar is tracking us, though?”

Bright and Dim, yet to vanish, joined my father in his indulgent look, although they didn’t pat my knee like he did.

“They’re following your sword, of course,” all three said with minor variations.

But only my father continued.

“I’ll be grateful to reach Auden, if only because the weapon’s damn ringing will stop. Or that’s what the stories say, at least,” he said. “Since you first touched the blade, that noise has been giving me a migraine almost every day.”

Drawing my eyebrows together, I leaned toward Silverblade, currently hanging from my hip.

“Funny,” I drawled. “I don’t hear ringing.”

“Of course you don’t. You’re… well, you’re you, apparently,” my father said, waving at me. “And you know exactly which sword I meant, son.”

Yes, I did. Alouin damned Shadowsteal. I’d lost track of the sword after my Zrelnach trials, content to forget it existed, but apparently, that wish wasn’t to be.

So, I noncommittally mumbled something, leaning on my knees with the intent of parting the mist with my glare alone. This didn’t work, obviously, but it kept my mind off of the awkward silence between me and my father.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed like this, enough for an argument to break out between Bright and Dim at least, but eventually, my father cleared his throat.

“I was hoping that you might tell me why you’re avoiding Rhylix,” he said. “You two seemed close, which I found gratifying. I wasn’t sure if you’d ever have friends.”

Rhylix. That was a… delicate subject.

“I’m not avoiding him,” I said. “Every night, he’s been teaching me to fight after Ferin’s had her turn at lessons.”

And with Dath as a fellow student no less. I’d found this development strange but not completely unwelcome.

Over the last few days, the trainee had lost his initial antagonism, and without that as a stumbling block between us, I’d found that I actually liked Dath, which was unsettling considering we’d been trying to kill each other within the last month.

“And outside of your training?” my father asked. “In the last few days, have you spoken to Rhylix about anything besides combat?”

I pressed my lips together. Hard.

It wasn’t like I was purposefully dodging my friend. I just knew that if I spent time with him, it would come up. It was inevitable.

And I wasn’t ready to continue that conversation.

“He told me what he shared with you in Path,” my father said.

My heart stopped. Slowly, I straightened, noting Dim and Bright crouching in front of my father. I couldn’t tell if they were poised to attack or merely curious about the situation.

“He did,” I flatly said.

Alouin, did my father know? What would he do if he did? Would his love for me outweigh his disgust for… what I was?

“I won’t hurt your friend, Raimie,” my father said. “I’ve known his secret since Fissid.”

So, Rhylix had only told my father about himself.

Wait.

Spinning on him, I said, “You’ve known for that long and have kept the secret? Why?”

And my father turned to stone.

“That man saved your live, gave you your hands back, and provided me with mobility after that disastrous fight with Teron,” he grated out. “I can never repay my debt to him so no. I did not and will not ever sell him out.”

With nothing else, I knew this to be true. Once someone had earned my father’s trust, he was loyal to them no matter what harm they might later inflict.

I wasn’t sure how I knew this. Our previous life of isolation had given me no examples to judge by, but I knew.

“And what do you think of Rhy’s secret?” I asked. “Knowing what he is, do you think he’s evil incarnate, like everyone else would?”

Arcing an eyebrow, my father asked, “Do you?”

Of course I didn’t. I’d never thought primeancers were evil, but I blamed that disposition on learning about them through books, not people. Sure, certain tomes could be as opinionated as a human when discussing the subject, but most history books tried to stay objective with their retelling of the past, documenting the good and the bad.

But I wouldn’t admit my opinions on primeancers first, not with my connection to them. So, I stared at my father until he relented.

“What Rhylix can do,” he said, “it’s like any other power given to humanity or Esela. It, in and of itself, isn’t evil, but the people who use it can be, and if they are, they’ll abuse it in devastating ways."

All of which I knew. I tried not to wince at how casually my father could say something like that about... it.

"But!" he soon continued, lifting one finger. "Good people can use this power too, advancing the world in the process. They are just as legitimate users of primeancy as those with ill intentions. Which is a long way of saying that no, I don’t think Rhylix is evil because of what he can do, and based off of what he’s shown me so far, I’d say that he is, if fact, the opposite of evil.”

“Hmm.”

Cupping my palms in front of me, I remembered when Rhylix’s hands had filled with light a few days ago. Could I do the same thing? Was using that power worth the risks that came with it?

“Is this why you’ve been avoiding him?” my father asked.

“No. Partially. I can’t… I can’t talk about it, dad.”

Because yes, my father had accepted Rhylix for what he was, but would he do the same for me? Could I accept this gift without driving my family away? Could I let myself be a… primeancer?

Fear swelled in me at the idea, and I couldn’t let my father see it.

“Thanks, dad,” I mumbled. “I’m going to… yeah.”

Leaping out of the wagon, I landed in mud while a wave of it splashed over me from the wheels, but I didn’t notice. With my eyes unfocused, I swayed in place, comparing who I was now with who I’d been two months ago, and I didn’t recognize myself. There was a disconnect here, one that could be explained if I could only find the missing piece.

But that missing piece wasn’t clear.

Add to that how a part of me was so Alouin-damned eager to accept this newest revelation—how Rhylix had said, “You’re a primeancer too, Raimie” and something had just clicked—and I was a child again, facing monsters in the dark. What my friend had told me had been something that I’d always known, spoken aloud, and it had scared the shit out of me. Still did.

So, I stood here and looked through my twins—were they shouting at me?—until the one in white disappeared, and my thoughts skipped on themselves all the while. Fear loudly rang in my ears. Desperation twisted every part of me into knots. Self-disgust yanked my stomach up through my mouth.

And here I stayed, gibbering in my mind, until a word jolted me out of it. A name, so beloved. One that manifested for the briefest of moments—“Ny…”—before it was swallowed to the back of my mind again.

I straightened, only for someone to run into me.

A woman, an Eselan who wasn’t wearing the Zrelnach’s leathers, recovered from her stumble, reaching out to steady me.

“I’m so sorry!” she gasped. “Please, forgive me. I should have looked where I was- Your eyes!”

As her face slackened, I blinked at her, wondering why something was dully throbbing behind said eyes.

“What about them?” I asked.

“Their pupils… they’re- they were so dilated, barely any irises left,” the woman said, “but… oh, Alouin. You’re- you’re him. The one who found-”

“It’s just Raimie,” I said, rubbing my temples. “I’m sorry. Can you remind me where we are? I’m a little disoriented.”

With her brow wrinkling, the woman said, “The Withriingalm, Your- sir- Raimie.”

“That’s right. I remember now,” I said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the woman said.

But she continued to linger. When I raised an eyebrow at her, she took a deep breath.

“Are you ok?” she rushed to ask.

Oh. Concern for me. How sweet of her.

Smiling, I said, “I’m fine. Everything will be fine.”

TTS Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter 35: Changing Relationships

Raimie


At the end of my next weapons training session, I made my goodbyes while accepting Dath’s offer of sharing a drink later that evening. The invitation ignited a glow in my belly. Could I find another friendship with him? I knew how contradictory that possibility seemed, given our past, but even still, I couldn’t help my excitement at the idea.

Once Dath had gone, however, I was left alone with Rhylix. He was quickly collecting his things, so gathering my courage, I strode to my friend.

“Rhy. I need to say something.”

Shooting upright, Rhylix nearly smacked the back of his head into my face before spinning toward me.

“Of course. I’m happy to listen.”

And Rhylix gave me a grin, so eager to please that I almost swallowed my tongue.

Mentally cursing myself for being such an ass, I said, “About the last few days. I’m not angry with you, and I still consider you my friend. I haven’t spoken to you because I’m sorting through everything you told me, which has been… difficult. I hope you can forgive me for being an idiot.”

Cocking his head, Rhylix said, “You’re doing that thing where you apologize for expected behavior again.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, which had me shifting in place.

“I’m… sorry?” I said.

“Don’t be! I was only explaining that I’m not upset, but I suppose that’s not how it sounded.”

Pausing, Rhylix tapped his fingers in a flutter against his lips.

“In any case, I understand why you’ve needed space,” he said. “I don’t know if it’ll help, but you don’t have to avoid me. If you feel like talking about what I shared, I’ll happily do so. If you want me to show you what you can do, I’ll help as I can, but until you want these things, we don’t have to speak about our shared curse, and in the meantime, I can keep you safe from any mistakes that you might make with it.”

Chuffing a laugh, I said, “You offer me support when I’m the one who’s wronged you. You’re a good friend, Rhy.”

The saddest smile I’d ever seen bloomed across Rhylix’s face.

“I’m not so sure about that, but I’m glad you think so,” he said. “Now, don’t you need to catch a drink with Dath? He didn’t look especially patient tonight.”

“Shit. You’re right,” I said. “Thanks, Rhy! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

My friend’s farewell barely reached me as I raced away.

Several days into the Withriingalm, its mists grew thick enough that the group could no longer travel safely. While we waited for conditions to clear, I was forced into a day of lectures with Ferin, and the promise of a lesson with Rhylix later was all that dragged me through it.

Normally, I’d find the chance to learn something new enthralling, but my enthusiasm was mitigated not only by who my teacher was but also the subject matter that she’d chosen for today. At the moment, she was taking care of an emergency, leaving me with a thick tome on etiquette to read.

As I paged through it, I tried to keep my attention on the polite mode of address when speaking with the Little Lord of the Zariya Principality, but the people on all sides were distracting me. Sitting on the back end of a wagon, I kicked my foot against marshy grasses while running my finger under lines of text.

“I don’t understand why I’m studying this,” I said under my breath. “What’s the point of learning these stupid rules?”

Beside me, Bright leaned forward as if examining the book.

“Well, let’s consider what Ferin likely wants from you,” it said. “I know you don’t like the idea, but we can speculate, right?”

Making a face, I nodded.

“High society holds having manners in high regard,” Bright continued. “If you become the rightful ruler of a kingdom, you’ll need to know these ‘stupid rules’ in order to deal with other nations.”

Loudly groaning, Dim launched itself out of the wagon, landing in a twirl.

“Manners be damned!” it said. “Become powerful enough and you can do whatever the hell you want.”

With a small smile, I said, “Dim has made a good point, Bright. Not that I’ll ever be powerful enough for other kingdoms to take me seriously, not without conforming to their societal rules first.”

Dim started preening while Bright beamed at me, but when they caught sight of their counterparts, they froze, probably realizing that I hadn’t agreed with either of them.

Then, they glowered at me. Bright did so with a tinge of righteous indignation while Dim just looked gleeful, and I burst into laughter.

“Glad you find my choice of reading material amusing.”

Gliding into view, Ferin plucked the tome out of my lap, and caught off guard, I sputtered.

“I’m- You- Give that back! I was almost finished.”

Ferin stopped short, turning to me.

Lifting the thick tome, she said, “You read all of this in the short time that I was gone? Are you sure about that?”

Usually, questions like this would have me bristling, annoyed by the other person’s preconceived notions about my abilities, but there had been such skepticism in her voice that I flinched, fixing my eyes on the ground.

“Most of it, yes,” I said.

“All right, then.”

I heard pages flipping.

“Tell me about Chapter Ten: On the Intricacies of the Kreati Principality’s Culture,” Ferin said.

Oh, I knew this. Recitation. It required proper posture and pose, and for some reason, I was compelled to follow this standard today.

As I hopped into the mud, I caught sight of my teacher, leaning against the wagon opposite me with the book beside her. Clasping my hands behind my back, I cleared my throat, bringing up page two hundred and eighty-six from that book’s portion of my mental index.

“The Kreati are known throughout the civilized world as the most affectionate of people. Strangers to their cities should know that they may be stopped in the street for an embrace. Before coming to the principality, visitors should examine the differences in their greetings. For instance, one between close acquaintances will look like what’s shown in Diagram 10.1—”

I copied the illustration further down the page as best I could.

“—whereas one between family members-”

“Stop!” Ferin said.

With an odd look on her face, she turned to an earlier section of the book.

“Start from page… thirty-seven.”

I furrowed my brow. The requested page was one of those that I’d glossed over. Still, I recited what I could.

“-strong belief in morality. In fact, during ancient times, the Audish king was considered an avatar of their god, Alouin, pure in every aspect of his life… and then, there’s something about striking down evil and protecting the innocent at some point further down the page.”

I lowered my head with heat burning in my cheeks.

“My retention isn’t what it used to be.”

After a moment, Ferin crossed to me, dropping a hand on my shoulder, and again, I flinched. She didn’t notice, too busy nudging my chin up until I met her eyes.

“You, Raimie of the line of Audish kings, are a wonder,” she said.

But then, she took a firmer grip of my chin, shaking my head back and forth.

“Are you telling me that you’ve had a memory like this for the entire time I’ve been teaching you? No wonder you’ve been breezing through my lessons,” she said. “I’ll have to modify my teaching schedule.”

Releasing me, Ferin stepped to the side, rummaging in the wagon’s bed behind me. She returned with a few books piled in her arms.

“Here. Busy work for you: useful information that’s also not particularly necessary,” she said, handing them off. “You don’t have to go through them by tomorrow, seeing as how Rhy gets his turn with you soon, but look through them when you can. Now, get out of here! I need to think.”

Licking my lips, I backed away from Ferin, who was muttering under her breath. I didn’t know why I considered her a threat right now, but I didn’t turn my back on her until I was a good distance away from the wagon.

With freedom unexpectedly mine, I trotted through camp with Dim and Bright following me. When I reached them, Rhylix wasn’t with his belongings, but I hadn’t thought he would be. My friend was always out, doing Alouin knew what throughout camp. This, however, was where we met for every training session, and when we started tonight, I’d rather be waiting for him than the other way around.

So, I found the driest patch of ground nearby and settled in to read. I’d gotten through two books before someone plucked one from their pile.

“The Many Rules of Penumbra and How to Play,” Dath said. “The hell are you reading this for?”

Chuckling, I raised a hand for the book.

“It’s at your commander’s behest, if you must know,” I said.

“Ugh. Your lessons with her must be awful if she’s having you study that stuffy game,” Dath said before pausing for a moment. “Come on. I have something better for us to do.”

Snapping my current volume shut, I set it aside.

“Thank Alouin,” I said. “I was about to go out of my mind with boredom. What are we doing?”

Biting his lip, Dath glanced around.

“Raimie… do you trust me?” he said, meeting my gaze. “I did a lot of stupid shit in Allanovian, sure, but I hope the last two weeks have proven to you that I’m not the hateful person you met.”

Regarding the trainee, I compared the man I’d grown to know with the boy I’d met in Allanovian. Those two versions did seem anathema to one another, which made sense given the stories I’d heard about Dath’s recently deceased partner, and if I was aware of one flaw in my character, it was that I always believed the best of people. I always insisted on offering a second chance.

Getting to my feet, I brushed myself off. I took a deep breath before firmly holding my companion’s gaze.

“I trust you, Dath,” I said.

For a breath, the trainee looked both stunned and relieved before he pulled himself together and took a step closer.

“Then, I need to ask a favor of you. I need you to come with me beyond our camp’s boundary, and you’ll have to leave your visible weapons here,” he said, lowering his voice toward the end.

This had my eyebrows shooting for my hairline. I might believe the best of people, but Dath was asking a lot from me with this request.

With an intense look of concentration in place, Bright left my side, circling the trainee.

“From what he’s radiating, I believe he’s sincere with his words,” it said. “It’s difficult, though. Something’s off about him.”

“I’m not sure about him either,” Dim said. “He smells amazing, which isn’t a good sign for you, but he also rankles me.”

Great…

As if sensing my indecision, Dath quietly said, “Please, Raimie.”

And that did it for me. Unbuckling my belt, I set Silverblade aside, leaving my bow and arrows beside it.

Gesturing toward the mist, I said, “Shall we?”

In silence, Dath led us through the marshland until mists had hidden the camp, and every step I took had my skin crawling. This, all of this, felt like a trap, although I was unsure who, besides Dath, might want to hurt me.

“If worst comes to worst, you can always pull from me, like you did in that second trial,” Dim said. “As long as I’m around, you’re never unarmed.”

Jerking my head to the splinter, I hissed, “What?”

“What, what?” Dim asked.

But I could say nothing more without drawing Dath’s attention.

The second Zrelnach trial. When my fists had caved a man’s face in.

Alouin, I hadn’t thought about that for weeks. Dim had been involved with it?

If so, then… yes. I had a powerful weapon at my disposal, a secret card to play, or I would save for one fact. I’d been a dumbass, avoiding everything that might help me ‘pull from Dim’.

As it was, the power to smash in someone’s skull was walking beside me, and I couldn’t use it. Once we returned to camp, I should ask Rhylix to skip weapons training so we could talk about primeancy, if only for tonight.

How idiotic was it that I’d needed something like this to make up my mind about my gift?

“I need your help.”

With difficulty, I focused on the trainee in front of me.

“I’ve gotten myself involved with something wrong, something deadly,” Dath continued. “I want out, but… I can’t do it alone.”

Shit. I’d known coming out here had sounded like a bad idea.

But I couldn’t refuse to help someone, especially not someone who could be my friend.

“Ok. What are you involved with? Or maybe you can share why you want out?” I asked. “Actually, just give me any and all detail that you can.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Dath said, “The reason I want out? It’s you, Raimie. Over the last two weeks, you’ve shown me that you’re a better person than this world deserves, and I can’t let you die, which is what they want.”

Halting, I was peripherally aware of Bright and Dim going defensive, but most of my attention went to my companion, who’d turned my way.

“What?” I said with my voice dead.

Dath opened his mouth to reply, but something flashed in his eyes—panic maybe?—and he leapt forward. He jerked me to the side, sending me tumbling to the ground, but not before heat lanced through my arm.

“Shit,” Dath hissed. “Stay down.”

He took off, and rolling to my back, I slapped at my shoulder. When I pulled my hand away, my breath caught on seeing blood coating it.

Dath had wanted me to stay down?

“No way in hell,” I breathed.

I had to get away. Fast. So, I gathered myself and sprang to my feet before shooting into the mist.

The ground was moving far too quickly beneath my feet, zipping by at an incredible speed, but perhaps that was a battle rush talking. It didn’t explain the puffs of white light that were bursting beneath me with every step, though.

I’d taken maybe two dozen strides before the world around me skewed, dangerously tilting. Following its new angle, I was soon stumbling, and not long after that, my foot got stuck, refusing to lift out of the mud. Gritting my teeth, I jerked and yanked on it, but when my struggles only saw this mud rising to my ankle, my heart stuttered.

Sucking mud, one of the Withriingalm’s most notorious hazards. Without several people to haul me out of it, this patch of ground would pull me in until I suffocated. If I was remembering that correctly, of course. My only choices were to hope someone found me before I vanished beneath the surface or to hurry along my demise. That was all fighting to escape would do.

Well. No one was coming for me, and I wasn’t one to surrender quietly.

So, while the world warped around me, making me dizzy beyond measure, I tried everything to pull my foot free. My efforts had only sucked me in to the knee, leaving my legs painfully sprawled, when motion made the mist swirl.

Disoriented, I drunkenly patted down my body until I found a knife, tucked into my free boot. I held it ready, feverishly scanning the perimeter of what I could see, and when Dath came into view, I almost threw it. Only the arrow that he was holding in place at the join of his shoulder and neck stopped me.

“Raimie! Thank Alouin. You’re alive.”

When Dath staggered closer, however, joy dropped from his face.

“Shit,” he said. “Hell, what do I-? Ok. First.”

Dropping to his knees, he ran a hand over my body, and weakly, I slapped at him.

“The… fuck, Dath?” I mumbled.

“Sorry. I thought we had more time. They were supposed to be further out,” Dath said. “I have to know if they got you. It’ll tell me my timeline.”

Roughly, I shoved him.

“They?” I snapped.

Looking away, Dath said, “Two people, part of the group I wanted to leave. I was supposed to lead you into an ambush today, which I apparently did.”

A crazed giggle spewed from him before he shook his head.

“It wasn’t supposed to go like this. When I made my decision to leave, I didn’t have time to change their plans. I hoped that you’d help me fight them, and we could go from there but…”

Shuddering, Dath rapidly blinked before continuing.

“I knocked them out, so they won’t be a problem for…” he said before cocking his head, “two or three hours, if we’re lucky. I’m more concerned with poison. Did their arrows hit you?”

Oh. Oh, this was a mess. But maybe we could fix it.

Absently, I brushed my arm.

“Is that why I’m seeing two… no, three of you?” I asked.

Sitting back on his heels, Dath slapped his palms to his face.

“Fuck!” he shouted into them. “Alouin damn this shitty hell.”

“‘S’bad then?” I mumbled.

Popping into being behind Dath, Bright shrieked, “Yes, you dumb…”

Red in the face, it repeatedly bit its tongue.

“MARVELOUSLY INCOMPETENT human,” it continued. “Stop sending me away, and take from me.”

Giggling, I pointed at Bright.

“You’re worried,” I said.

“Of course I am-”

“Seriously? You’re making me tell you to calm down?”

That last part had sounded like Dim, but I was much more concerned with the fact that Dath had drawn a knife.

“I’m sorry. I have to knock you out. It’ll slow the poison down,” he said. “Hopefully, I can retrieve the antidote as well as some help before that—”

He glanced behind me.

“—sucks you in.”

“Wow,” I said, slurring the word. “That’s a good plan, coming from someone who left a sword in- in…”

A smile twisted Dath’s face.

“Yeah, well. Consider this payback for our first trial.”

He slammed his knife’s pommel into my temple and-

TTS Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter 36: Cross the Line

Raimie

I was back. It had been weeks, and gods, I’d missed this place. Or maybe it was more that I’d missed someone who was only found here. At the thought, I laughed, and it reverberated back to me as something far less pleasant.

“Are you here?” I called. “Please. I want to see you. I really, really do, and- if it helps, I know who you aaaaare."

Idly, I watched swirling colors mar the black above. I discarded this mystery to lift myself onto my elbows. Slowly, I looked over my nightmare’s horizon, and when I spied a bump in the distance, a manic giggle flew from me.

“Nooooo…” I drawled, pouting. “Come here. Ny-”

In an instant, the wraith was standing over me, and I grinned at that all-encompassing hood.

“I know who you are,” I repeated.

“I heard you the first time,” the wraith said. “It does not matt-”

The bond around my waist snapped. While I snickered, the wraith glanced at where it had once been.

“Huh. Maybe repaired memories do make a difference,” he said. “Still, it does not matter now. I cannot rouse you in the typical manner, and it is killing us too quickly. So…”

Taking hold of my tunic, the wraith lifted me off of the ground, leaving me hanging from his grip. All I could see was the sky and yes. There WERE colors in the black.

“Pretty,” I said, reaching for them.

“Please, forgive me, heart of my heart,” the wraith whispered, “but you will—”

He punched me, driving me into the ground. Before I could process my shock, the wraith pulled me up again.

“—wake—”

Once again, pain accompanied my impact with a far too solid surface. Once again, I was left dangling from someone’s hold.

“—up.”

With this blow, the wraith left me on the ground, and growling, I lunged, wrapping my arms around his legs. When I tugged, he landed on me—gods, it felt right, RIGHT—before rolling to the side, and his hood retreated enough for me to recognize the face beneath it.

“Please, wake up,” a piece of my essence said.

And colors reached the horizon.

Gasping, I jerked upright, but a spinning landscape forced me to the ground again. I vomited, letting that sick splatter all around me, and for a while, I didn’t move, listening to the silence. Marveling in the fact that I was alive, if not for much longer.

Because sucking mud had engulfed me to the waist, and I saw no sign of rescue. Plus, I was awake, which wasn’t conducive to surviving the poison pulsing through my body.

But like before, I couldn’t lay here and let something kill me, even if fighting it would bring death along faster, and I certainly wouldn’t want to leave this world while unconscious. Thank Alouin that I was awake, no matter what Dath had said.

I clawed at the reeds around me, shimmying in the mud, and raked my fingernails in the soil, but nothing pulled even the slightest bit of my body free. Soon, I was up to my shoulders, and the rapid beat of my heart matched the rate of my hyperventilation.

“You always were a stupid child, weren’t you?”

At the question, I went still, becoming a sculpture made of ice. Hardly daring to believe what I’d heard, I didn’t look for the woman who’d spoken, whispering to her instead.

“Mama? Is that you?’

“Pathetic. Ungrateful.”

It was my mother. I’d know that voice anywhere. As mud crept up to my neck, I searched for her in the mist.

“You ruin everything,” she snarled.

Something stabbed at my heart, making me desperate enough to gasp. Mud reached my chin, and with my heart thundering in my ears, I tilted my face to the sky, seeking a few more seconds of air. Of life.

“You’re right, and I beg for your forgiveness,” I said. “I didn’t mean to make you fall, and everything I did to disappoint you as a child… I’m sorry for it.”

“It’s not enough!”

She loomed over me until her face blotted out the sky.

“It will never be enough!” she screamed. “Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed for you? You killed me, you ungrateful wretch!”

Why could I hear her through the mud? This sludge should do a better job of plugging my ears.

Maybe I could drown on my tears instead of liquid soil.

“I know,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry, mama. Please! I’m sor-”

Mud filled my nose and mouth, and I breathed it in.

I woke up to a blank slate of a world. A bland field of cropped grass stretched in every direction with not a tree in sight, and a blue sky made a solid canopy from horizon to horizon. In the background, a barely audible whine hummed.

The only flaw in this scene of blue and green was a hand-sized hole in the sky’s apex. There, a miniature battle was playing out between forces of light and darkness, reminiscent of what I’d seen when Bright and Dim had showed me their true forms.

Speaking of which.

“Are you two there?” I asked. “You can come out if you want.”

I wasn’t too surprised when they didn’t.

So, this was the afterlife, was it? It wasn’t at all how I’d pictured it.

“Bright?” I said. “Dim?”

After what had happened, I could see them being stubborn, refusing to heed my call, but I had to ask for them anyway. Right now, they were my only means of figuring out what was going on. If they’d carried over to the afterlife with me, I needed to talk to them.

Instead of my splinters, a middle-aged man stepped out of thin air several paces away, scrubbing his hands on stiff, blue trousers. His tunic had its sleeves cut off halfway down his arms, and a demonic, hooded figure was painted on the front.

Besides his strange clothes, this man could have posed as an average human. Short brown hair, salted with gray, framed a plain face with murky blue eyes peering from it.

“Ships damn Earth. I hate visiting that disconnected iteration,” he said, as if to himself. “At least I’ll get a minute to myself now.”

He looked up, freezing when he spotted me, and perfectly aware of what he’d just said, I awkwardly waved.

“Hello,” I said.

The stranger ate the ground between us with his stride, grabbing my arms when he reached me.

“How did you breach my safe space? I thought I’d fixed my sequences to keep essences out,” he snapped. “Tell me what you did, and I might not hurt you.”

Shoving me away, the stranger lifted his hands, holding light in one and darkness in the other, and unsure of what was happening, I threw my own hands over my head.

“I died? I don’t know,” I stammered. “I was eating mud, and the next thing I knew, I was here.”

Even in danger as I was, something was dragging on my focus. Something above me.

The draw of it was powerful enough for me to sneak a glance overhead, focusing on the battle between light and darkness, but now that I was truly looking at it, something about this depiction seemed different from what my splinters had shown me. Something was hovering in the center of it, in the frontline where shadows formed.

What was that? A black spot maybe, or no. A splash of light revealed a figure, suspended between the combatants, and its body was twitching. The high-pitched whine that I’d noticed earlier took on a new meaning.

Hell, I couldn’t look away from the scene, trapped by something I didn’t at all understand.

“Holy shit, you’re my- Wait, no. Sorry. Can’t know that yet. What is it I’m supposed to say? Ah, yes. You’re like me.”

Right. The possible threat. Whatever had hold of me broke with the reminder of what I was facing on the ground.

But at the moment, the stranger looked fairly harmless. He had his hands hanging by his sides with his mouth left gaping.

After a moment, he said, “I’m sorry for how I acted before. You have to understand. No one’s visited this place in forever. So… may I come closer?”

Why not? So far, the stranger hadn’t hurt me, merely reacted in a manner appropriate for finding an unknown man in one’s home. I hesitantly nodded.

When the stranger stepped within reach, however, he summoned light and darkness again, and I automatically leaned away.

“I won’t hurt you,” the stranger said. “I just want to test something. Will you let me?”

What was the worst that could happen? He killed me for a second time?

With a nervous laugh, I nodded again, and hesitantly, the stranger placed one hand on the base of my neck while hovering the other over my forehead.

Energy flooded through me, two forces opposing one another so fiercely that they threatened to tear me apart.

Like what had happened at the tear.

Frantically, I fought to recapture how I’d dealt with this sensation the first time around. This second encounter with it was too much, overwhelming in its intensity.

As the two forces started teasing at my sanity, a memory of that horrible, wonderful event returned, and gritting my teeth, I wove the energies together. Before a seductive sense of peace could take me over, I leaked my creation into my surroundings, and this time, it didn’t knock me flat on my ass. This time, I didn’t feel drained or wrong after it had left.

“Ships, you are,” the stranger said. “You are, and you’re too damn early.”

“I’m what?” I asked around a mouthful of cotton.

The pity in the stranger’s eyes gave me pause.

“I can’t explain everything right now. There’s not enough time,” he said, “but if you want to know, we can talk through your iteration’s tears. Suffice it to say that for now, I’m intervening.”

He turned away, gesturing at the air.

“She could start CPR thirty seconds earlier, but then… no, too high of a cost. They find him a minute sooner? Could work. He’ll be brain dead for a bit, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s see.”

Supremely confused, I didn’t know where to begin with my questions, so I waited, wondering when I’d see what the afterlife had to offer. Once the stranger had finished with his nonsense, he faced me with a grin.

“You’re going home now. It was so good to meet you, Raimie,” he said. “You have no idea.”

How did he know my name? How did he know how I’d died? What did he mean about-?

When the stranger moved forward, I pulled away from him, repulsed by all the unknowns he now represented.

“Wait!” I said. “You said to find another… tear?”

I wasn’t sure where I’d find one in the afterlife, but it couldn’t hurt to ask. Like with every other mystery in my life, I had to figure this out, no matter how intimidating these unknowns might seem.

“When I find one, who should I say I’m looking for?” I asked.

Narrowing his eyes, the stranger said, “That’s right. I never told you.”

Straightening his posture, he smirked.

“My name is Alouin.”

Choking on a gasp, I could only imagine how bugged my eyes look. Alouin? The god?

“Always loved that part,” Alouin said with a laugh. “Until next time!”

When he poked my forehead, I fell backward, and the ground opened up, swallowing me whole.

I float in the space between realities. My next adventure calls to me, and I’m eager to follow it. I’d imagine that doing so would be like crossing a line, and lo and behold, one appears before me.

I can’t see what lies on the other side of it, but does that matter? Nothing ties me to where I once was. Does it?

Perhaps I should check.

In an absence of anything substantial, voices force their way to me, enticing me back.

“You found him?” Rhylix asks.

“By the barest of luck,” Ferin says, panting. “Rhy, when I got there, only his fingers were free of mud.”

“I should have sounded the alarm when he didn’t show up for his lesson.”

“You did the best you could.”

“Maybe. Help me get him to camp. You! Run ahead of us and get a tent raised.”

A grunt and the creak of armor fills the void.

“You think we should hide this?” Ferin asks.

“Did you see the gash on his arm?” Rhylix says. “Someone’s tried to kill him, and they… they may have succeeded. Whether or not he survives, I don’t want the perpetrator to know. Not yet.”

“That’s… probably wise.”

A long period of heavy breathing follows with the sound of a burden lowered into cloth coming soon after.

“Can you do anything for him?” Ferin asks.

“I don’t-” Rhylix starts.

“What’s going on?”

Eledis’ booming voice joins the other two.

“Why have I been-?”

I chuckle at the imagined look on my grandfather’s face, and as if requested, I observe the scene from a great height, adding another temptation to the voices’ pull.

From beside a bedroll, Ferin and Rhylix face Eledis with both of them stricken silent. Alouin, my friend looks like his world’s ending, and seeing this, I wish that cloth wasn’t keeping me enclosed with these people. I’d like to fly into the sky, far away.

Eledis’ face almost matches my imagined expression, but alongside my expected shock, anger is twirling as well.

“Someone explain,” he says with a hollow voice.

Before Ferin or Rhylix can oblige, the tent’s flap lifts, letting my father inside.

Alouin, my father. With his wife and son dead, he’ll be left with Eledis, and I know how those two feel about one another. Maybe this is what’s tempting me, preventing me from stepping over the line.

A denying whine flies from my father, and he’s across the tent faster than I can track, kneeling beside the bedroll. With trembling fingers, he brushes grimy hair away from his son’s face while Eledis ignores him, glaring at the Esela in their midst.

“A few hours ago, Rhy came to me in a panic, saying he’d lost Raimie. He asked me to help look for the kid,” Ferin says. “I indulged him, setting up a search party. Felt pretty foolish for doubting him when I found sinking mud almost engulfing the boy. With some help, we got him out. Brought him here.”

Eledis’ fury transfers to Rhylix.

“And why aren’t you treating him?” he demands.

Licking his lips, Rhylix says, “I-”

And is interrupted again. An Eselan woman… the one who ran into me a few days ago, pushes into the tent, taking everything in with a glance. As she hurries to the bedroll, she pointedly ignores Rhylix, moving my father’s hand away.

“Excuse me,” she says. “I need room to work.”

She didn’t have much to begin with. With so many people in it, the tent is exceedingly crowded.

As bidden, my father scoots back with his eyes turning glassy. As for the woman, she does a once over of the body.

“Barely sustained respiration rate and a thready pulse,” she says before glancing up at those watching. “I’ll do what I can, but you need to let me work. Go back to bed, if you can. Otherwise, go. This may take a while.”

Nodding, Ferin hurriedly departs, and while Eledis appears grim, he hauls my father to his feet, supporting him as they head outside.

Only Rhylix stays behind, hugging his elbows.

Clicking her tongue, the woman rubs her face.

“What am I going to do?” she says. “His essence has already fled his body. I can’t fix that!”

“I know,” is all Rhylix says, tense. Resigned.

“Alouin, they’ll kill me,” the woman says with a hiccupped sob. “Their blessed child of foretelling gets himself killed, and I’ll pay the price for it.”

With thin lips, Rhylix moves to her side, briefly rubbing the top of her head.

“No, you won’t,” he says. “When they return, you won’t be here. I’ll tell them that you left his care to me.”

Jerking her head up, the woman says, “You’d do that?”

When he nods, she jumps to her feet, attacking him with a hug.

“Thank you!” she says. “I won’t forget this.”

As if afraid that Rhylix will change his mind, she’s quickly gone, and alone, my friend slumps with air bursting from him. He sits beside the bedroll, resting his hands on a chest crusted with dried mud. For a while, he merely stares at that deeply dreaming face before shaking his head.

“You bastard,” he says. “Don’t you die on me.”

And the temptation yanking me to this abandoned world, full of grief and pain, snaps. I stand in front of a line with nothing on the other side, but still, I want to cross it. I want to explore, see for myself how empty the other side is.

With a half-smile, I lift a foot, and blinding light pulses around me. As it fades, a hook buries in my back while a magnetic force rips me away from the line, and I tumble through the space between realities.

My body jerked on the return of its essence, and I screamed before lapsing into unconsciousness.

TTS Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter 37: The Conspiracy in Our Midst

Rhylix

I'm fighting a god.

I couldn’t breathe. As I staggered away from the tent, I sucked and sucked at the air, starving for it, but it wouldn’t come. It wouldn’t come! It wouldn’t-!

A splash of life dove down my throat, and I expelled it again in a cry.

“HELP!”

Seeing double, I stumbled toward what looked like crates, blindly groping for one as my legs gave out. I landed hard, scraping my body down a wooden surface before mud splattered on me, but I paid it no mind, focusing on calming down my nausea. In: one, two. Out: one, two.

Someone stepped in front of me while I was doing this, a woman reaching for me. Chela.

Recoiling from her, I jabbed a finger at the tent.

“In there,” I gasped. “Having a seizure.”

My meaning must have gotten across because Chela shot upright, sprinting for the tent. While she worked on Raimie, I fought to control myself. I couldn’t stop my surroundings from wobbling, so I squeezed my eyes closed, which helped with keeping my stomach’s contents down.

When I heard footsteps squelching toward me again, I cracked an eye open, grateful to see only one version of Chela crouching in front of me this time.

“How is he?” I asked.

“Fine. Resting,” Chela said. “What did you-? How did you heal him?”

Chuckling, I shook my head.

“I did nothing,” I said. “Not long after you left, he started screaming before a seizure took hold. He got me pretty good on the side of the head before that, though. I might have a concussion. Don’t feel so good.”

“You’re telling me that he healed himself?” Chela said.

“It’s happened before.”

Groaning, I leaned my head against the crate, resting a palm over my mouth.

“Chalk it up to a miracle. Alouin working among us, if you will.”

Chela was quiet for a moment before clicking her tongue.

“Makes sense, I suppose,” she said. “But look at me, getting all curious about healing techniques when I clearly have a patient in front of me.”

She brushed her fingers through my hair, probably meaning to position my head so she could see it better, but at her touch, a long-buried fear resurfaced. Slapping her hand off of me, I fell sideways, skittering away.

“Don’t touch me!” I shouted.

Memory bucked against its barriers while bits and pieces slid through.

My head firmly held while a needle touches my eye.

Acid bubbling on my chest.

Sharp edges grazing my skin.

NO.

Gasping, I found Chela, sprawled in the mud in front of me, and winced.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “Auden is… not a kind place. It teaches its children the importance of vigilance when one is vulnerable, and that’s a hard habit to break.”

Rolling her eyes, Chela said, “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, healer. So long as you don’t hurt me, you can be as rude as you like. In fact, I prefer it that way because then I don’t have to worry about being polite. Now, help me up.”

She extended a hand, and restraining a disbelieving laugh, I pulled her to her feet.

“And since you’re a healer, I’ll trust you to take care of yourself,” she said, as if nothing had interrupted her. “What will we do about him, though? His family will want to know he’s alive and well.”

Turning to the tent, she scowled at it, crossing her arms.

“That’s usually how it goes, yes,” I said. “Would you like to do the honors? It would earn you favor with the most powerful people in this group.”

Lighting up, Chela spun on me.

“You’d let me do that?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said with a smile. “Just… whatever you tell them, keep me out of it. I don’t need any more embarrassment.”

“I can do that!” Chela said. “Thank you, Rhylix.”

Beaming, she made to run off, but at the last minute, she stopped, examining me.

“You’ve changed since leaving Allanovian. Still haughty as hell sometimes, but less distant. Less… cold,” she said. “I like this version of you.”

Ducking her head, she sprinted into camp. I watched her go, thinking about what she’d said.

Had I changed? I didn’t feel like a different person, but after who knew how long cut off even from myself, I couldn’t say who I was anymore.

Sitting on a crate, I rubbed my hands together between my knees. This had been a close call, too close of one, and we hadn’t even left Ada’ir yet. I had to do better than this, be better than this, because when Raimie eventually attracted Doldimar’s attention…

Sighing, I hung my head.

A few days ago, Ferin, Aramar, and I had made a plan, one that would get us through the Withriingalm safely. Each of us would watch Raimie while hurrying our group along as much as we could. The idea had been that if eyes were always on the kid, he couldn’t hurt himself, and when assigning watches, I’d volunteered to take the longest of them for one reason alone: I’d have help with it. It appeared, however, as if I might have expected too much from myself.

“What happened?” I asked under my breath.

Silently, my constant nuisance… Creation stepped into view.

“Order said that they had it under control,” it said, “and I’m still cut off from the whole, as I’m sure you can tell. I left the watch to them while trying to reconnect, thinking I’d be of better use to you at full power. While doing that, I got distracted, otherwise I’d have heard Order’s warning earlier than I did.”

Rubbing my face, I said, “All right. I can’t blame you for that. It’s my fault you’re so disconnected. Just… try to pay more attention?”

“I’m insulted you think I need to be told that.”

Jerking upright, I choked on my indignant retort when I saw Creation’s teasing grin. That boring, rigid nuisance was mocking me? Strange.

Without deigning to respond, I resumed my vigil, and Creation returned to wherever it had been healing.

For a while, I did nothing more than keep watch, protecting Raimie until others could, but when a commotion started nearby, I hopped to the ground. I waited long enough to watch Aramar flat out charging for the tent before hustling toward my own destination.

In a relatively quiet part of camp, I ducked into a secluded hideaway, created by wagons and crates, only to have a sharp edge greet my neck.

“I’m guessing the antidote worked?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Flushing, Dath sheathed his knife.

“Hell. Sorry, Rhy,” he said. “I’m a little jumpy.”

“Understandable.”

Squeezing into the hollow, I folded to the ground, sitting knee to knee with Dath.

“Is he ok?” he asked as soon as I fell still.

“He’s alive,” I said. “Whether he’s ok is another matter entirely.”

Still, Dath slumped against the wheel of a cart.

“Oh, thank Alouin,” he said. “I didn’t get him killed.”

“You got pretty damn close to it,” I growled. “Want to tell me what happened?”

Right now, all I knew was that Dath had staggered out of the mist an hour ago, clamping his hand over a bleeding wound. Pointing behind him, the boy had said something about people attacking Raimie, and I didn’t remember much about what had happened afterward, besides stashing Dath somewhere safe. Judging by the gauze pasted to his neck, I must have stuck around long enough to patch him up.

With his eyes pinched, Dath wouldn’t look at me, picking at his tunic’s hem instead.

“After my first trial, I meant to stay in Allanovian. Did you know that?” he said. “Before this group could leave, though, Yrit approached me, asking if I wanted to save the Esela in Ada’ir.”

Yrit. The noxious Councilman who’d always hated me. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised to learn that he had something to do with this, even distant as he was.

“He introduced me to some Zrelnach,” Dath said, “two of whom were the ones I-”

With his voice locked away, the kid’s throat worked, and my heart resonated with his hurt. Attacking comrades, even ones who were no longer yours, was always hard.

Sniffing, Dath said, “Anyway, I joined this group with the express purpose of dismantling the expedition. I thought that would involve spoiling food and other sabotage, but instead, I was ordered to befriend you and Raimie. So, I did.”

The boy was practically tearing at his tunic, rapidly blinking with his body set to flee, but I couldn’t comfort him. Not yet.

“But?” I said.

“But…”

Dath snapped his eyes to me.

“But then, Raimie happened. The longer I spent with him, the more I realized how wrong the group’s goal was. He’s… Rhy, he’s-”

And now, I took Dath’s hand, pulling it away from his tunic.

“I know,” I said. “So, you decided to get out, recruiting Raimie for help with the endeavor, and it went horribly wrong. Am I right?”

With a hesitant laugh, Dath said, “Pretty much, yeah.”

Which meant that by coming to me after Raimie had been attacked, the kid was burned. No matter. He could still serve a purpose.

“Ok. I’m assuming you don’t know many of your co-conspirators?” I asked. “Maybe one or two, each of whom knows a person from a different cell?”

Drawing back, Dath said, “Yes. That’s it exactly.”

“Fucking fantastic.”

The leader of this plot must be wily indeed. When working to betray someone, only the seriously dedicated and shrewd used a system like this, one that made pulling the conspiracy apart difficult.

“All right,” I said. “Give me any names you’ve heard in your dealings with these people.”

After pausing to consider, Dath rattled off a list, although only two of the names stood out to me. Ona, a Zrelnach who, back in Allanovian, had been sent to ‘tame’ nearby towns if they caused trouble. And Dozat, one of Aramar’s friends.

This was good. I could use this.

“Rhy? What should I do?”

Right. The teenager who’d gotten himself caught in a middling level catastrophe.

“That depends,” I said. “If you want to stay safe, you should return to Allanovian immediately. News of what’s happened here isn’t likely to reach them for a while yet, and you can start your own story well before it arrives. But if you want to make amends with Raimie, I have a task for you.”

Dath gave me an odd look.

“I’m sorry. Why are you offering me a choice? I’ll only take one of those options,” he said. “How do I help Raimie?”

Even as I relaxed, I wanted to smack myself senseless. Knowing this kid, I should have realized that making amends would be the only option for Dath. If I’d wanted to protect him, I shouldn’t have alluded to it.

“Raimie needs someone to watch his back for a while,” I made myself say anyway. “Can you do that?”

Fervently nodding, Dath said, “Definitely.”

Gods, if this got the kid killed, I’d hate myself forever. More so than normal, at least.

“Then, we should get you by his side,” I said. “How good is your illusion work?”

Making a face, Dath said, “I get by.”

“Good enough.”

I pulled a cloak from the back of my belt, handing it over.

“This should help,” I said. “If you make yourself look like a scout, I’ll handle everything else.”

Including besting the training of the Zrelnach we were about to walk through, training that had taught them how to detect Esela magic.

Accepting the cloak, Dath threw it over his shoulders, partially raising its hood, and after a moment, his features shimmered, settling into that of a stranger.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“I think you need to keep quiet,” I said, “but otherwise, it’s quite good. Ok. Give me a minute.”

Dragging my fingers through the mud, I applied it to my face, pulling a bow and arrows from the cart behind Dath. After that, I only needed to summon a few animal carcasses from campfires, hanging them from my body, to complete the disguise. A couple of short summonings would be much easier on me than maintaining an illusion for the length of time that we’d need to reach Raimie.

This, of course, wouldn’t be enough to divert the Zrelnach’s attention, but I had other tricks for that. Plus, Dath looked impressed.

“Wow,” he breathed.

Ignoring him, I said, “Stay beside me, no matter what. Understand?”

When Dath nodded, I left our hiding spot. I walked with confidence toward the only tent in camp, and whenever someone gave us an odd look, I shot a miniscule pulse of Ele in front of their eyes, something that would look like a random sun glare to them. This induced disorientation, combined with our disguises, got us past curious eyes without question.

When we reached the tent, I slowed down, pricking my ears for noise, and when I heard nothing, I requested Creation’s presence under my breath. At the jerk of my head, the splinter disappeared through the tent’s canvas, and two heartbeats later, it reemerged, shaking its head.

So, I slipped inside with Dath, releasing a breath on finding only Raimie there. I was a little surprised that not even Aramar was present, but if we’d arrived right as everyone had scattered to handle their affairs, it wouldn’t surprise me. If so, it was a stroke of luck, one that would give me time for my own preparations.

“All right. I’ll let Chela and Aramar know that you’re here. They’ll be the ones visiting Raimie most often. Everyone else is suspect, so if they come inside, you’ll have to improvise,” I said. “When I can, I’ll relieve you. Can you handle this?”

With his face crinkled, Dath had his eyes fixed on Raimie’s sleeping form, chewing on his lip.

“I think so,” he said.

“Good,” I said. “In that case, I need to go. Good luck?”

With a half-smile, Dath said “Thanks, Rhy.”

I didn’t want his gratitude, so I left the tent without a word, glancing at Creation as I strode into the midst of bedrolls and supplies.

“Will you tell me if Raimie’s splinter notices anything suspicious?” I asked under my breath.

“I don’t like spying on others like that, but in this case, I think it’s warranted,” Creation said. “What will you do?”

I didn’t reply, but that was only because my intentions should be clear. I’d find proof of this scheme. Then, I’d root out its members and burn them all.

TTS Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter 38: A Lull

Raimie

Waking up didn’t come as a surprise to me. It should have, given everything that had happened. I should have been marveling at every pull of air into my lungs and every thought that passed through my head, but the fact was that ever since awareness had begun its creep on my dreaming state, I’d found every moment predictable. Expected.

Because I remembered everything that had happened. Meeting Alouin. The space between realities. Hovering over my dying body. And with these? Really. Who wouldn’t wake up a little bored by the fact that they were alive?

When I got around to opening my eyes, I delicately transferred the hand resting on my chest to the ground, watching the man sleeping beside me all the while. It was strange to see my father unconscious, a little splash of my life before finding Shadowsteal.

For eighteen years, we’d shared a room in our cottage, although I didn’t remember much about the first half of them, but since this mess had begun, we’d been kept separate. The return to close quarters was welcome, if only for the sense of security that it imbued, but also more jarring than expected. Maybe I’d enjoyed gaining some distance from my family.

I sat up slowly, scanning my surroundings, and started patting the ground around me, looking for my weapons, while dizziness receded. A dagger was lowered from above me with someone dangling it in front of my nose.

“Looking for this?”

Carefully taking the blade, I kept a tight grip on its hilt, ready to draw it if needed.

“Your sword’s behind you. I made sure they left you those two weapons. Figured you’d want them after…”

I counted my breaths, abruptly aware of the miracle of life that I’d treated so flippantly not a moment ago, and waited until I was calm.

More pleasantly than I’d thought possible, I said, “Would you please come out to where I can see you, Dath?”

“Oh. Duh. You’re probably still weak-”

Cutting off, Dath shuffled into view, displaying his empty palms while folding to sit on the ground. Slowly, he lowered his hands into his lap.

“I know it’s stupid, considering you could have killed me in my sleep, but I need to know if I’m remembering this correctly,” I said. “You wanted my help with defanging a trap, one we accidentally walked into anyway. After we were attacked, you knocked me out to slow poison’s progress through my body before running to get help. Is that right?”

Nodding, Dath hung his head.

“I’m sorry, Raimie,” he said. “You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

Damn, he looked crushed. That plus the fact that my father had let him stay here while we’d been sleeping had me slowly breathing out, letting anger and doubt go with it.

“You mean the drowning thing? That was nothing,” I said with a slight smile. “I’ve almost died before, remember?”

Relaxing, Dath softly laughed.

“True. It’s becoming a habit of yours,” he said. “A bad one to form.”

“Oh, I know,” I said with my smile becoming a smirk. “So, what are you doing here? I thought you’d be long gone. Or have your former comrades been taken care of?”

Dath shook his head.

“It’s only been two days,” he said. “Rhy hasn’t had time to investigate yet.”

Two days? No wonder my stomach was yowling at me.

“Rhylix is investigating this conspiracy? That’s an interesting choice,” I said. “But what about you? You didn’t answer the question. Why are you here?”

“He’s keeping watch.”

My father rolled to his back, but he didn’t sit up, flinging his arms over his face instead.

“If a portion of the Zrelnach is plotting against us—and by that, I mean you—you need someone watching your back,” he said. “It’ll be temporary. Until we’ve figured this scheme out at least.”

Nodding, I said, “Makes… sense.”

Hell, that had sounded tense. Flattening a surge of emotions, I somehow kept my focus on Dath.

“Thank you for doing this. It certainly would have been easier to try your luck elsewhere,” I said. “I’ll rest easier knowing that you’re helping me keep an eye out for danger, though.”

“Don’t thank me. I should fix what I did, and this is the best way to do it.”

Dath glanced between me and my father, and he must have read the room, so to speak, because he cleared his throat.

“I bet you’re hungry. I’ll… grab you some food.”

Hastening to his feet, he ducked out of the tent, and alone with my father, I took a deep breath before facing him.

Only to get attacked with a hug.

Never had I been so engulfed by love and concern, and having experienced it, I wasn’t sure I wanted to again.

The stranglehold that my father had on me told me exactly how badly I’d distressed him, though. Thrusting me away, he lightly backhanded my chest.

“What were you thinking? I love you, Raimie, but this was- was-”

Hissing, he pulled away from me.

“You can’t imagine what it’s like, seeing your child laid out and expecting him to die,” he said. “I- I can’t do this again. Do you understand? You have to be more careful. Promise me.”

Struck speechless by my father’s ferocity, I searched for my voice, clearing my throat once I'd found it.

“Of course,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” my father said. “Just-”

“Be careful. I know,” I said.

When my father didn’t reply, I shifted in place while he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away, and the gateway to his emotions slammed closed.

“Well, then,” he gruffly said. “Now that you’re awake, can I get you anything? A book maybe? I know how much you love your reading.”

“I like learning new information, not reading,” I said, “but no. I don’t need anything besides food.”

As if summoned by the mention of food, Dath burst through the tent flap.

Tossing me a heel of bread, he said, “Heads up. Eledis is incoming.”

He breezed to the other side of the tent before rolling under its canvas wall, although his silhouette stayed in place once he was on the other side.

“That’s my cue,” my father said. “He won’t want me here once he sees you’re awake.”

Slapping his knees, he flowed to his feet before ruffling my hair.

“Good luck,.”

While he traded places with Eledis, they almost bumped into one another, and casting an annoyed glance at my father’s back, my grandfather came inside, pausing for a split second when he laid eyes on me. As he stopped beside the bedroll, I realized this would be the first time we’d spoken in over a week.

“What happened?” was what he opened with.

But I didn’t mind the abruptness. That was just Eledis. I saw his worry in how thoroughly he was scanning my body.

“There’s not much to it,” I said. “I was attacked while taking a walk. I ran. I got caught in sucking mud. The end.”

I hadn’t seen such a scornfully dubious look on Eledis in a while, but even though it should make me defensive, I couldn’t help but smile at it. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed my grandfather.

“You were alone on this ‘walk’?” Eledis asked. “There was no one with you?”

Best not to mention Dath right now, I thought. Here was hoping I could lie convincingly for once.

“The point of taking a walk was to get away from everyone, so no,” I said. “I was all by myself.”

Harrumphing, Eledis crossed his arms.

“What about the people who attacked you?” he asked. “Did you catch a glimpse of them before running away?”

I winced.

“Unfortunately, no,” I said. “Visibility was poor, what with the mist, and I didn’t want to stick around for a second arrow after the first one hit me.”

“You’re not giving me much to work with,” Eledis said. “I can’t find the traitors in our midst if you won’t tell me anything about them.”

Shrugging, I said, “I can tell you they were probably Zrelnach. Who else could have tracked me while I was outside camp? I can tell you that they meant to let sucking mud kill me instead of finishing me off themselves, which implies a lax attitude. I can tell you they probably weren’t alone in their plan, given who they were trying to off.”

A twitch had started beside Eledis’ eye.

“Yes, all of that seems obvious,” he said. “I’m looking for more-”

Someone burst into the tent, someone with frazzled hair outlining a face that chilled me.

“Oh, good. The rumors are true. You’re awake,” Ferin said.

Paying not a whit of attention to Eledis, she summoned a book before tossing it at me. I barely had time to drop it before another one came sailing for my face. Flustered, I managed to catch four more of them before the next one smacked me in the nose while another glanced off my shoulder. Through watering eyes, I watched Ferin ball her hands into fists by her sides.

“I’ve figured out my new lesson plan,” she growled. “It involves you staying out of trouble and reading what I tell you to read, even if I say the information is useless. I can’t get you prepared to be the king if you’re dead.”

Spinning on her heel, she stormed out, leaving me gaping. She’d said it. She’d actually said the ‘k’ word.

“You won’t be at all helpful, will you?” Eledis sourly said.

Rapidly blinking, I managed a squeak.

Sighing, Eledis said, “That’s what I thought.”

He stormed out, which left me grappling with what Ferin had said. Could I keep pretending that I didn’t understand what she was implying, something that I’d known to be true since Allanovian?

On top of overthrowing an evil tyrant, Ferin and the Zrelnach wanted me to become a king. Did Eledis and my father want the same thing? More importantly, what would I do about it?

I was still gaping at the tent flap when Dath crouched in front of me. Retrieving the hunk of bread from my lap, he dusted it off before offering it up again.

“You should eat,” he said, “and then, you should get some rest. Sure, you just slept for two days, but you also almost died.”

“You’re… probably right.”

While Dath found somewhere comfortable to keep watch, I mechanically lifted food to my mouth, fighting to keep my mind off of my latest complication. Worrying about it now wouldn’t do me any good. What the Zrelnach expected from me would merely be a nuisance until I’d let the idea settle. Probably.

So, once I was done eating, I lay down and emptied my mind. I doubted I’d fall asleep, but Dath had been right. I did need the rest…

Once again, I found myself lying in a nightmare realm, but something had changed this time. The color that I’d seen while dying here had bled into the place’s black, forcing a retreat, and sitting up, I examined what that ink-stained veil had hidden.

I was at the bottom of a well, an exact replica of where mama and I-

I blinked, and water had risen to my chin, climbing higher with every second. Struggling to touch the restraints pinning my legs, I took a desperate breath before I was submerged. When my lungs started burning, my search became ever more frantic, and despite myself, I wasted precious air on a laugh, sending bubbles floating over my head. I’d survived drowning on mud, and now, my dreams would have me suffocating on water.

“How on earth did such a stupid child come from me and your father?”

I barely heard my mother’s voice because THIS WAS A DREAM. Alouin, I should smack myself.

I forced myself to take a breath, and water flooded into my lungs, igniting my chest in a blaze, and all the while, I chanted in my head.

‘Not real. Not real!’

Illusory water vanished, leaving me choking on body-convulsing coughs. Damn. I hadn’t needed a horrific recreation of my mothers death—the worst moment of my life—now. Or ever, really.

Once I’d recovered, I reluctantly examined the well, and on doing so, I groaned. The black, ever haunting my nightmares, hadn’t vanished as much as I’d thought. Instead, it coated a curving wall, smooth and slick, and while color had pushed its enemy back, it was a weak victory.

I saw only two points of discrepancy: a weak, blue-gray patch, outlined by the well’s lip overhead, and the leeched brown of the ground I was sitting on.

Great. Apparently, this journey was multi-step. So, how did I advance the nightmare now? Climb for my freedom?

“Are you ok?”

The question sent a shudder to the depth of my core, dragging forth a host of memories.

Running through the forest with a boy at my side. Talking to my friend while my parents indulgently looked on. Pouring every doubt and fear on the boy while wishing he could do the same.

How had I forgotten?

With my face tilted to the gray window overhead, I twitched in place while the emptiness that was ever mine filled the smallest amount, and the restraints holding me snapped. Rubbing my legs, I unsteadily stood.

At my side, the wraith was leaning against unnerving black with his arms crossed, except he wasn’t a WRAITH, was he? And he most certainly wasn’t a stranger.

“I’m fine,” I said before smirking, “Nylion.”

The wraith, Nylion, jerked as if a sliver of lightning had run through him.

“You… remember me?” he said with such hope in his voice.

“Sure, I do!” I said. “You’re my imaginary friend from when I was a kid.”

Resting my hands on my hips, I turned in a slow circle, seeking a way out of this pit.

“I’m not sure why my mind put you in my dreams, but I won’t question it,” I said while biting my lip. “Is there a way to scale this wall that I’m not seeing?”

Having come full circle, I cocked my head. Hunched over, Nylion was shaking, and concerned, I took a step toward that hooded figure, only to be stopped short by him flinging his head into the wall.

He started uncontrollably giggling, but it was the saddest, most crazed-tinged display of mirth I’d heard in my life. So, I strode forward, determined to fix what was wrong.

When I reached to push that damn hood back, however, Nylion caught my wrist with his laughter dying.

“No,” he said, squeezing his grip tight. “Not yet.”

What was this intensity? Why did it make my heart hurt?

Whatever it was, I could answer it only one way.

Licking my lips, I said, “Ok.”

And I fought not to cry when Nylion removed his hand from me. What was it about his touch that brought such a sense of completion, of a half becoming whole?

Rather than think about that, I asked, “What next?”

Pushing himself off of the wall, Nylion examined it with me.

“Now, I figure out how we are meant to climb this slick surface while you continue solving your real-world problems. If history is any indication, you’ll have a plethora of those, waiting for you,” he said. “I think, however… I think that I can once more help you in the real-world like I did when you were a kid.”

“Right!” I said. “When I got stuck while exploring the forest, you’d help me get out of trouble. Yes?”

Nylion turned his hood to me.

“…Something like that,” he said.

Humming, I said, “That could be useful. Do you think I’ll remember this place when I wake up?”

“Doubtful,” Nylion said. “She would never make it that easy on us.”

“She?”

Ignoring me, Nylion moved closer to the wall, bending so that only a hairsbreadth of space lay between his hood and the wall.

“This material is fascinating,” he said. “I wonder where in your imagination it came from.”

Watching Nylion, I sucked on my teeth. This wasn’t how I remembered my friend. During my childhood, he’d always been timid and ever, in all things, completely needy. Maybe he’d grown up like I had?

Either way, I was fed up with his enigmatic ways. I hopped to the wall, poking it in the hopes that I’d learn something new, and I certainly did that. My finger sank into disturbing black while a wholly unpleasant sensation ran from that point of contact to my neck, and with a yelp, I shook out my arm, making a face.

“I figured it out,” I said, “and it’ll be a WONDERFUL problem to solve.”

“You touched the wall?” Nylion hissed. “What am I thinking? Of course you did.”

Shaking his head, he repeated my experiment, bringing his finger to a barely visible mouth once done.

“Hell,” he said around it.

“You see it too?” I asked.

“Unfortunately,” Nylion growled, “and if we are to have any hope of climbing this wall in a timely manner, we will need to work together once more.”

With a smile twitching on my face, I said, “You have an idea?”

“I do,” Nylion said, “and you will not like it.”

TTS Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter 39: An Explanation

Raimie

Disoriented, I woke up with a snort. What on earth had happened? I’d only meant to lay here for a little while, not fall asleep.

And why the hell was my hand already on a weapon’s hilt? Had the last few weeks’ dangers so thoroughly influenced me that my first instinct on waking up was to reach for my sword?

It… made sense, if they had. How many times had I almost died since finding Shadowsteal? Alouin, what if someone had come to attack me  while I was sleeping? I knew I had Dath watching my back but… that didn’t completely stop a sudden wash of fear from falling over me.

“You’re safe.”

I released a held breath like someone had punched me. That voice… it had only been a few weeks, and I already felt a sense of safety when I heard it.

“Rhylix,” I sighed. “Thank Alouin you’re here.”

I had so many things I wanted to discuss with my friend, so many, and one of them had appeared at my side. Bright was hugging its elbows, chewing on its lip, while Dim was on all fours beside me. When the splinter saw me focusing on it, it let out a shaky breath, sitting back on its heels.

I reached out to reassure them that I was ok before remembering myself. Freezing, I craned my neck, trying to check my surroundings, but someone’s hand on my knee stopped me.

“We’re alone,” Rhylix said. “I sent Dath to get some rest.”

Ah. In that case.

I brushed my fingers along the edge of my splinters’ forms, which had Bright crouching to meet me.

“Everything’s ok,” I said. “I’m… glad you’re still with me.”

And surprised as hell to mean it.

“You didn’t show up in Alouin’s world. I wasn’t sure if you’d be here, especially when you weren’t hovering after I woke up.”

“We didn’t want to distract you,” Dim said.

“And we thought that our presence might detract from your reunion with your father,” Bright added.

“But!” Dim interjected before I could reply. “We’re glad that you’re alive, ya idiot. Or I am. I’m not so sure about Ind. Prim here.”

It threw a thumb over its shoulder at Bright, who glared back.

“You’re only happy because you’ll have more chances to spread your mayhem,” it stiffly said before turning to me, “but I’m also glad to see you awake and breathing. More than I can say.”

Their relief hit me like a fist to the face, leaving me speechless. I’d known they were fond of me on some level, considering our past interactions, but this felt reminiscent of how my father had welcomed me back to the living, which made me a little uncomfortable. Could I return their affection equally, especially when they’d made such a significant change in my life?

“You don’t have to respond, you twat,” Dim said, rolling its eyes. “By me, you overthink everything. Relax.”

“And speak with the whole’s… with your friend,” Bright said. “I’m sure you have things to clear up with him.”

“But…”

I sat up, concerned when doing so took more effort than before. Shouldn’t sleep have dulled my weakness?

Shaking my head, I asked, “What I mean is, will you stick around? I’d like it if you did. Your presences could be useful, but I don’t want to discomfit anyone. Wouldn’t being here make you uncomfortable, Dim?”

The splinter blinked at me before snickering, although its attempt at derision seemed forced.

“I’ll be fine unless you make me manifest more fully on the physical plane. That… person,” it spat, “repulses me a hundred times worse than this strait-laced partner you’ve stuck me with, but it’s not so bad when a few layers of reality lay between us.”

Deadpan, I said, “You realize I understood about half of what you said, right? I thought you were more eloquent than that.”

“I-” Dim said, getting flustered. “How else am I supposed to explain it? You-”

It broke off when a smirk spread across my face, and Bright muffled a laugh with its hand.

“I don’t have to understand,” I said. “I only care if you’ll be comfortable.”

As it glowered, Dim’s eye twitched, and it folded its arms across its chest.

“Just when I forget why you attracted me, you remind me,” it grumbled. “You might want to be careful who you start a prank and tease battle with, insolent brat.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said with a straight face.

I turned my back on Dim’s pleased sputtering, facing Rhylix.

“Sorry,” I said. “I thought it best to calm them down before getting started with you.”

“That’s understandable,” Rhylix quietly said.

I paused at the look on his face. He was holding his body loosely with a bland expression pasted in place, but something unreadable lurked in those gray eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Raising an eyebrow, Rhylix grinned at me.

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” he asked.

“Don’t do that,” I snapped. “I can tell something’s bothering you. Trying to hide it after I’ve noticed is just insulting.”

Sliding his eyes closed, Rhylix heaved a sigh.

“All right,” he said before meeting my gaze. “You have to be more careful. No one besides myself and Chela knows this, healers as we are, but it’s a godsdamn miracle you’re alive. Once Ferin and her friends pulled you out of sinking mud, she started chest compressions early enough to get sludge out of your lungs, and I gave you the antidote for the poison as soon as I reached you but… by the time Ferin and I got you back here, you were dead in all but name.”

Rhylix bit his lip, looking away.

“I need you alive, Raimie, because you’re essential to freeing my homeland, sure. But you’re also the first real friend I’ve had in a while. Ferin and I… that relationship comes close, but this here-”

Waving between us, he firmly met my eyes once more.

“You cannot get hurt as badly as you were two days ago. You just can’t.”

Hell, Rhylix had gone from placid to intense far more quickly than I’d thought possible. He’d always seemed steady and implacable, but unnerving as it was to see raw emotion in my friend, I also found it gratifying. It was proof that he cared.

“I can’t promise that I won’t get hurt,” I said. “Apparently, a lot of people want me dead, meaning something like this is bound to happen again.”

And wasn’t that strange? From a nobody to someone that a powerful mage was hunting down while also facing a conspiracy. It was almost as great of a disconnect as the idea that people might expect me to lead a kingdom.

But I wasn’t touching that topic right now.

“You’re helping me learn how to defend myself, a skill that seems more important every day,” I continued, “and I was hoping…”

I swallowed. Alouin, even having resolved to take this course of action, the request for it kept getting stuck in my throat.

“I was hoping you’d extend your instruction to magic use.”

Rhylix’s revealed hard edges softened.

“You want to become a primeancer?” he asked.

With a sharp laugh, I said, “Not particularly. But I already am one. I might as well accept it and learn what I can do. Leaving such a useful tool to rust seems unwise.”

Shaking his head, Rhylix let his lips curl.

“That was fast, not that I’m complaining. It will be nice to have a comrade in arms,” he said. “And of course I’ll help. I’d love to teach you what I know.”

“Great!” I said, scooching closer to my friend. “Because I was hoping we could start with a preliminary lesson now.”

Rhylix burst into laughter.

“Gods, aren’t we eager?” he said. “Fine, then. A first lesson shouldn’t stress you too badly, although you’ll have to forgive me if I go over your head. You know very little about primeancy, and it’s been a while since I touched the basics.”

A while? What was that supposed to mean? Rhylix couldn’t be more than thirty years old. If he couldn’t remember the simplest parts of his magic, how young had he been when he’d gained it? A toddler?

Then again, Rhylix was from Auden, a fact that I’d carefully trod around. I didn’t want to upset him or learn about that land in greater detail.

If even a fraction of the tales from Audish refugees was true, however, every day in that kingdom was a fight for survival. In circumstances like that, having the basics of a skill fade from one’s mind was understandable.

“Makes sense,” I said. “I’ll let you know if I get confused.”

Rhylix’s pinched eyes relaxed.

“Good. In that case, we’ll talk about the foundation that your primeancy is built upon before moving on to a more practical lesson,” he said. “Sound good?”

“It sounds excellent,” I said.

With a smile, Rhylix said, “When last we talked about this, you mentioned that primeancy is rooted in two forces of nature, and this is true. The people of this world call them Ele and Daevetch. We’re not sure if they have a true name, although splinters—a subject I’ll get to in a minute—usually don’t like us giving these forces a name.”

Clicking its tongue, Bright said, “Can you blame us? You lot giving names to… what you’re discussing is comparable to if an ant defined you with a word like Ambivalent or Giant.”

I, having raised a finger toward Rhylix, opened the eye that I’d closed, glancing at the splinters behind me.

“I could see how that might offend you, and I’m sorry you have to deal with it,” I said, “but could you two move somewhere I can see you? Also, can you wait to speak until Rhy pauses in his explanations, which yes, Dim. I know that doing the opposite would be so much more fun, but if you interrupt, it’ll make learning harder for me. You do want me to learn about primeancy, right?”

“Damn you for knowing how to stop my antics already,” Dim huffed.

But the splinter joined Bright in circling into view. Meanwhile, I grimaced.

“Sorry, Rhy. Bright started talking over you,” I said. “The last thing I heard was about how splinters don’t like us giving Daevetch and Ele names.”

The confused expression on Rhylix’s face smoothed out.

“Ah. That makes sense,” he said. “You have them sorted now?”

I glanced at Dim, who was flicking flecks of shadow toward Rhylix, and Bright, who was softly growling under its breath.

“For the most part,” I said.

“Then, let’s continue,” Rhylix said. “So, what you don’t know about Ele and Daevetch, the most vitally important part of them, is how necessary they are to reality. Lying beneath its surface, they underpin everything. Everything. One—Ele—encompasses everything that we mortals consider moral while Daevetch… you can guess what that force involves.”

“But how do you know that?” I interjected, unable to stop myself from asking. “How do you know that Daevetch is evil and Ele is good?”

It was a genuine question, coming from multiple sources. For one, I’d always found people who believed in absolutes nauseating. Humans and Esela weren’t prefect. Given that, how could a member of either species believe that their viewpoint was flawless?

Secondly, I had my splinters to contend with. If one of them was associated with Daevetch, did that make me evil as well?

My question seemed to have stolen the breath from Rhylix. I’d never seen a man so thoroughly rattled as the one who sat before me now, but with a shake of his body, the Eselan gathered himself.

“I’ll let you judge Ele and Daevetch for yourself, but let me finish explaining before you do,” he said. “Each of these forces of nature, these primal forces, is comprised of many different aspects, and ‘pieces’, splintered from these aspects, are what a primeancer attracts to themselves.”

With one of my splinters shuffling in place, I raised a hand to my friend, and when I looked at it, Bright let pent-up pressure burst from it.

“Something else you should know about us. We’re only active in a select few iterations, those judged the most vital in our Eternal War,” it said. “For the most part, our aspects are what influence a nation or a people or a world, not us.”

“Since you’re here, I have to assume that this… iteration is one of the special ones. Why?” I asked, crinkling my brow. “Are the others so different from it?”

Giggling, Dim said, “Hardly. But unless things drastically change… unless Bright and I fail, this will be the final battleground. Eventually.”

“…Great.”

So helpful. Why had Bright shared information that would only confuse me?

Returning my attention to Rhylix, I gestured for him to continue with an apologetic grin, one that my friend waved away.

“You can judge each primal force through its aspects, or that’s how I’ve always done it,” he said. “Some examples of Ele’s aspects include Growth, Purity, and-”

“Order,” I breathlessly finished.

When I pinned my eyes to Bright, the Ele splinter inclined its head to me, and after switching to Dim, the Daevetch splinter flourished a bow.

“Which makes you of Chaos,” I said. “And conversely, Purity’s match would be something like Corruption, and Growth’s Decay. I’m guessing, of course.”

“That’s it exactly,” Rhylix said. “Do you understand Ele and Daevetch’s alignments now?”

No. To me, with my limited perspective, both primal forces seemed necessary, nothing good or bad about them.

Without Decay, Growth would overwhelm the world. For example, the perpetuation of the aged would leave no room for the newly born, and without Chaos, Order would make a society too rigid, leaving no concessions for creativity.

Considering how Rhylix had responded to my earlier uncertainty, however, I wasn’t sure how fervently I could repeat my doubt. So, I lessened it as much as I could while remaining truthful.

“Not really,” I said, “but my beliefs aren’t important right now. Please, continue your lesson.”

This answer didn’t get me a better reaction than my initial question. Rhylix looked as if his world had shifted in an unpleasant way, so I cleared my throat, hoping to jar him from it. I hated having caused him discomfort.

“Yes. The lesson,” Rhylix said. “We should get back to that.”

TTS Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter 40: A Lesson

Raimie

Rhylix still looked like I’d smacked him in the face with an unpleasant truth, but he forced himself to focus, shaking his head to clear it.

“Well, here is where I’d help you pull Ele to yourself,” he said, “but since you’ve already done that, we can move on-”

“Wait. I have?” I said. “When?”

Shouldn’t I remember having done something like that?

At least my confusion seemed to have put Rhylix back in control.

With an amused smile, he said, “Besides when you closed Allanovian’s tear? Several times. During your second trial. When you first fought Dath. That boy also intimated that you might have used Ele when fleeing the people who attacked you.”

“I was using magic when…?”

How in the void had no one noticed me doing that before?

But besides that, the idea that I could have forgotten something so life-altering had me suppressing a shiver.

“Rhy… I don’t…”

“I know. Having listed the times you’ve used Ele, I’ve realized that they were also times of extreme stress for you,” Rhylix said. “You- hell, this is an interesting concept for me, but you might have instinctually called on the primal forces’ power.”

Which wasn’t terrifying in the slightest.

“But that means I’ll need to teach how to intentionally access Ele,” Rhylix said. “Do you remember anything from the instances I mentioned?”

Coughing a bit, I said, “Just- just what I already told you.”

“So, you feel them at least. That’s good,” Rhylix said. “Although… huh. You might be the first person this question applies to, but is there a distinction between the energies you feel?”

That was a good question. For the most part, I’d ignored the sensation of untapped power, just out of reach, but with my attention drawn to them, I did notice a difference.

“One’s a roiling storm of angry energy. Wild. Alluring,” I said.

Falling silent, I let this foreign, imparted feeling wash over me before shaking myself.

“The other is… peace. Perfect contentment with who I am for the first time in-”

Cutting off, I bit my tongue. I’d talked for far longer than I’d meant to, almost revealing one of my deeper insecurities, but Rhylix hadn’t noticed. With distance in his eyes, he drummed his fingers on his knees.

“That is an… interesting take on Ele. Not wrong, of course, merely different from mine. I’m glad that you experience such tranquility when accessing it,” he said with a smile. “As for the other, it sounds about right for Daevetch: uncontrolled and unparalleled power.”

“Wow! No insult?” Dim sarcastically muttered. “I thought for sure-”

“It matches the temperaments of its asshole primeancers,” Rhylix continued, talking to himself.

“And there it is,” Dim sighed.

“He’s right, though,” Bright said. “Your humans tend to be… not the best of people.”

Dim took a step toward its counterpart, opening its mouth, and wincing, I rubbed my temples.

“Please, don’t start arguing,” I said. “Hell, you’re making this process difficult.”

Clicking its teeth together, Dim returned to its spot.

“Whoops,” it said.

Meanwhile, Bright drew itself upright.

“Unless it’s relevant, you will not hear from us again,” it said.

Nodding acknowledgment, I dropped my fingers into my lap. Maybe the splinters would stop adding to my burgeoning headache.

“What does that have to do with using these energies, Rhy?” I asked.

“Well,” Rhylix drawled, “we wouldn’t want you drawing on the wrong one right now. Not only have I only used Ele in my lifetime, making me a useless teacher for Daevetch applications, but you saw how I reacted when it was pulled to the physical plane before.”

I remembered how my friend’s face had turned green in the moonlight. Alouin, he’d tried so hard to hide the tremble in his hands!

“I don’t want a repeat of that,” I said, “but if you can only teach me about Ele, how will I learn about Daevetch?”

As if weighing his words, Rhylix said, “You could not use it.”

The growl that Dim unleashed on the world almost rumbled from me, but I held it in check. Arguing about this would serve no purpose, not when more important matters called for my attention. For now, I’d have to content myself with unraveling Daevetch’s intricacies on my own.

“Perhaps,” I replied to Rhylix, flexing my hand at Dim.

Surprisingly, the splinter fell quiet, looking almost self-satisfied, and a little mystified, I shook my head at its strange behavior.

“But we should focus on what I can learn,” I said. “So, how do I use Ele?”

Rhylix looked like he wanted to further argue the point, but he relented instead.

“The peace that you feel,” he said. “It’s centered somewhere, yes?”

“…Yeah, now that you mention it.”

It most strongly emanated from a point hosted in Bright, and when I glanced at it,  the splinter indulgently smiled at me.

“That’s your source. Later, we’ll talk about what that is,” Rhylix said. “For now, though, focus on that point of peace. Reach through it to the energy beyond, and tease a thread to you.”

He made it sound so simple. I was sure that more would be required of me, but like my time beside the tear, I tentatively reached for my source, and from nowhere, understanding slammed into me.

As if it were nothing, I gathered white light in my hands, cupping them like Rhylix had done, days ago. My friend’s hum of perplexity was lost in my stare at the energy pooled in my palms, and after who knew how long, I dragged my gaze to Rhylix.

“What can I do with this?” I asked in monotone.

What need was there for intonation or inflexion? My words carried my meaning, so why ripple the smooth pond of my voice with expression?

At that, Rhylix half-smiled.

“First, you can release the Ele that you’re holding,” he said.

With an order given, I obeyed. I leeched white light into the world, and once it was gone, I gasped, throwing a hand to my chest. What had that been?

“As you may have noticed, holding primal energy affects your emotions. Sorry, I should have warned you,” Rhylix said, “but don’t worry. With practice, that will quickly fade.”

Rubbing my arms, I said, “It had better. That was awful.”

“Mm,” Rhylix said with his half-smile now holding a secret. “But you asked about uses for Ele?”

I worked my jaw as I nodded. Why had that sense of perfect harmony been so disquieting?

“Considering how many there are, I’ll only focus on three, basic skills,” Rhylix said. “First and foremost, Ele makes you fast, so much so any the norms around you—those without magic—will look like they’re moving in slow motion.”

Humming, I said, “I bet that makes us hard to hit.”

“Exactly. Your speed has drawbacks, of course, but we’ll discuss those later,” Rhylix said. “Second, if you release Ele in a burst instead of leaking it from you like you did just now, it will generate a burst of force.”

Stopping, he looked at me expectantly, and I realized that my friend expected another example of a real-world application from me.

“Um.”

“You did it during your second trial? Before that one took hold of you,” it said, jerking its head at its counterpart.

At the memory of a caved-in face, my gorge rose, and I took a few moments to control it before answering Rhylix’s unspoken question.

“Propelling enemies from you,” I hoarsely said.

Softening, Rhylix radiated concern, but he didn’t comment on my distress, to my relief.

“Yes, you can do that, although there are other applications as well,” he said. “I always thought it was curious how the primal force that encompasses protection lets its primeancers harm others with it. It seems contradictory.”

And indeed, Bright appeared mighty uncomfortable with this paradox, shuffling in place. When Dim cupped a cheek to leer at its counterpart, the Ele splinter started sputtering, and I returned to ignoring them.

“It’s interesting, yes, but I won’t question it,” I said, “not when it might save my life someday.”

Blinking, Rhylix said, “That’s a good point. But in any case, there’s only one other Ele use we should discuss today. Considering how consistently you’ve gotten injured since I met you, it might be the most important one as well.”

I spread my arms.

“Lay it on me.”

This set a twinkle in Rhylix’s eyes with an unshared joke held behind them.

“Healing,” he said, “or a version of it at least.”

Oh. Of course.

“Was it you, then?” I asked. “You brought me back from the brink of death.”

Rhylix stiffened.

“What makes you think that?” he asked with his tone bordering on harsh. “If Ele’s version of healing worked the way you suggested, if I could fix a person’s injuries without any consequences to me or them, do you think I’d be in Ada’ir alone right now? No. I’d have family. I’d have-”

He sucked in a breath, but after a few tries, he found his voice.

“I couldn’t have saved my parents. I know this, but my baby sister? She should have lived. You didn’t see what happened after Ren and I fled home. We ran for what seemed like hours and miles, but it- it was neither, not by a long shot. We’d almost made it to the closest tree line when Ren tripped. Her foot had gotten stuck in a hole and her ankle… damn, it was a bad break.”

Folding to rest his elbows in his lap, Rhylix scrubbed his face, but I didn’t use this pause to offer useless sympathy. I knew what this sudden outpouring was: a confession, and I wouldn’t interrupt it, no matter how uncomfortable it was making me.

“She screamed. Gods, I still hear it,” Rhylix said. “I could see the Kiraak coming. Their whoops and hollers mixed with the shriek, swirling around me, as usual. Gods, every time!”

With a strangled sob, Rhylix straightened.

“Ren was magnificent,” he said. “She heard them coming, and swallowing her pain, my sister begged me to leave her there. And hell, I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay, to fight, to protect, but something took hold of me. I fled, and my sister died.”

Breathing hard, Rhylix held my gaze, but I refused to show him the condemnation he was looking for. Who was I to judge him for this when I’d gotten my mother killed?

“So, yes,” Rhylix eventually said. “If Ele’s healing worked the way you suggest, Ren would be alive. I’d have fixed her ankle, and we would have escaped Auden together.

“What Ele can do, however, is sustain you for a time. Say you get stabbed. Ele will keep you from bleeding out or let you walk on a disabled leg. But this effect will only last for a little while, and when Ele leaves, the injury will return with interest.

“Now. With only a single suggestion of the possibility, why on earth would you think that I healed you?”

The question didn’t penetrate my mind at first. I was still grappling with Rhylix’s story, but when he pointedly cleared his throat, I slapped my cheeks.

“I don’t know. Because you were the last one near me when I was floating outside of my body?” I said. “You sent the other healer away before sitting at my side. Then, you said… what was it? ‘You bastard. Don’t die on me.’ And light ripped me back here.”

Wordlessly, Rhylix stared at me until I shifted in place.

Then, he said, “You experienced something after your essence left your body.”

It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway.

“Tell me everything,” Rhylix said.

So, I did, everything about Alouin and the space between realities, and when I was done, Rhylix had closed off. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t read him.

“Interesting,” he eventually said. “There could be some truth to what you saw, although I’m not sure how much. The mind does strange things when under extreme stress. I’ve never heard of someone going through something as lucid as what you did, though.”

He was quiet for a moment, leaving me anxiously watching him, before slapping his knees.

“That’s enough of a lesson for today, don’t you think? We can continue with them once we resume our travels,” he said. “You should rest, and I need to figure out who tried to kill you. I might consult with Chela about your adventures outside your body too. If that’s ok with you?”

“I suppose,” I said. “Only if you think it will help, though.”

“It should.”

With a bright smile, Rhylix stood.

“Rest well, Raimie. I’ll send Dath in here soon.”

He strode for the tent’s flap, and almost, he escaped before my thoughts caught up with what was happening.

“Rhy?” I called.

Pausing at the tent flap, Rhylix glanced back at me.

“Yes?”

Squirming, I picked at my bedroll’s blanket with the weight of my friend’s gaze dragging my eyes down.

“What I saw and all the things that Alouin said,” I said. “Should I be worried about it?”

Taking a chance, I glanced up at my friend, only to find him indulgently eyeing me.

With a chuckle, he said, “Doubtful.”

And he was gone. Alone for the first time since waking up, I chewed on the inside of my lip. For most of the day, things had progressed as close to normal as I’d expected but toward the end there…

Something had been off.

“He lied.”

Crouching beside me, Dim dangled its hands over its knees, fixing its gaze on the tent’s flap.

“Who? Rhy?” I asked.

When Dim nodded, Bright clicked its tongue, tapping a finger on its crossed arms.

“I don’t think it was a lie,” it said.

When Dim rose with a snarl, Bright lifted a calming hand.

“I’m not denying that something was wrong,” it said, “just that it wasn’t as severe as a lie.”

Settling on its haunches again, Dim said, “A misdirection, maybe? A half-truth?”

“That sounds more in line with what I felt,” Bright said.

“And what I smelled,” Dim said. “Gah! What’s gone so wrong that I’m agreeing with a prissy, stuck-up like you?”

“At least it still bothers you,” Bright said.

Rolling my eyes, I interjected, “So, Rhy’s keeping something from me?”

Dim and Bright exchanged a glance.

“You’re asking us?” Bright asked. “The ones who, and I quote, ‘want something from you’?”

As I scowled at Bright, Dim almost collapsed from its perch with laughter rocking it, but eventually, it transferred its gaze my way.

“Come on, kid,” it huffed. “By now, shouldn’t you expect that everyone is keeping secrets, especially from you, oh most significant of humans?”

I play-swatted at the splinter, but I knew it was right. Limply resting my hands on my shins, I buried my stare in their palms, considering what to do. I’d almost died because I placed my trust in Dath, someone who’d been an enemy not long ago. Given that and what my splinters had said, I had to wonder.

“Can I trust Rhylix?”

Transfixed by my hands, the silent conversation taking place between my splinters nearly passed beneath my notice, but at the end of it, Dim sighed in defeat.

“What do you think, kid?” it asked.

I thought… I thought…

“Rhy is my friend,” I said.

And friends trusted one another. I had to believe that Rhylix’s secret wouldn’t hurt me.

I could easily do that, though. Trust? Loyalty? I didn’t know how I knew this, but I was good at these things.

I’d be a true friend to Rhylix, no matter what it might cost me.

TTS Chapter Forty

Chapter 41: The Investigation

Rhylix

Instead, I marshal the remnants of my sanity to delay Corruption.

After Raimie woke up, we gave him two more days to recover, and then, it was time to run again. The delay had made anyone who was aware of Teron's pursuit antsy, seeing as how it had almost negated the advantage we'd gained by going through the Withriingalm.

I couldn't tell anyone this, but we had no reason to worry. While we'd been in the marshlands, the group had created quite the distance between us and our pursuer. The point of repulsion that had once hastened me to Raimie's side had been lagging, although I wasn't sure why. Was something about the Withriingalm foiling Teron's plans?

But since no one but me knew about this, the remaining days spent in the swamp saw an air of fragile peace hovering over the group. It wasn't a good environment to investigate the Zrelnach in, but I did what I could.

For several days, I followed the people whose names Dath had given me, hoping they'd lead me to others, and they did, but it was never anyone I could pinpoint as the conspiracy's leader. Still, learning about other accomplices was helpful, if only in forming a comprehensive list of the conspirators. When Aramar and I eventually told Eledis and Ferin about this, there was sure to be a cleansing of the Zrelnach's ranks, and I wanted to leave as few conspirators among us as possible.

Aramar had been following his own leads, focusing on the acts of sabotage that Dath had brought to our attention. While he hadn't gotten anywhere with identifying the sabotage's source, his snooping had lessened the number of broken axles and the like that the group had struggled with.

Every night, the two of us conferred on our findings, and as the days passed, those meetings became much more tense and terse. If we wanted to get anywhere, we needed to change our strategy, but I didn't know what else we could do, besides watch identified conspirators while seeking a means of infiltrating them.

Each night after finishing with those check-ins, I turned to what had been my favorite part of the day: combat training with the younglings. Ever since Raimie's close call in the Withriingalm, however, Dath had needed to skip these lessons, not only because attending them might get him recognized but also because of the exhaustion he accrued from holding an illusion all day. He usually took this time to rest, in case he was needed later.

As for Raimie, he'd become withdrawn. Guarded.

And this change made me nervous. Did he regret asking about his primeancy? We hadn't discussed his magic since that first conversation, so I couldn't exactly ask what he was thinking, and while I found hope in how he'd distanced himself from everyone, not just me, I also wasn't sure what else this change could be about.

I couldn't give it much consideration now, though.

Four days ago, the swamp had yielded to plains once more. We'd left the Withriingalm behind—good riddance—and the ground had begun to dip and rise into the rolling hills that surrounded Sev. With the sun nearing the horizon, I'd already run Raimie through his drills, and after an hour of this, it was time for controlled, real-world application, the best way to teach someone how to fight.

In other words, sparring.

Most days, Raimie was cautious during our fights, defending as best he could until he saw an opening where he could 'disable' me. This was, after all, what he'd said he wanted to learn: the ability to fight until he could retreat.

Tonight, however, he was aggressive. He didn't give me time to go on the offensive, hammering down on me with blows that had far too much power behind them, and it was drawing a crowd. In the thirty seconds since our sparring session had begun, several Zrelnach had stopped to watch.

I let their presence fall to a lower state of awareness. With each moment that passed, matching Raimie's skill level had become increasingly difficult. Something that he'd kept hidden or repressed was peeking above the surface.

I'd been prodding my friend—subtly, mind you—toward unleashing what sometimes gave him an unconscious affinity for fighting, and it seemed I'd found it now.

It, however, wasn't a good time to reveal this, not when several highly trained warriors were watching him. Let the Zrelnach think their chosen leader was martially weak, at least until the loyal among them had been verified.

So, I considered removing the cap that I'd placed on myself for years. Revealing that side of myself would be annoying, but most in this group already knew that when it came to fighting, I outclassed them.

Before I could decide, however, I spotted a strand of night wriggling over Raimie's skin, and my mouth went dry.

What was he doing? Using primeancy, especially of that type, here?! Wass he trying to get himself killed?

Distracted, I fumbled a parry, which threw my sword arm wide, and a fist, swarming in black splotches, came for my face.

Without thought, I dropped my sword, and my arm blurred in front of me to catch Raimie's wrist. Twisting it behind the boy, I ignored his yelp of pain, dragging him closer so I could slap a hand on his back.

I only remembered that I was manhandling a friend in the breath before I would have unleashed Ele, flinging my enemy away. So, instead of repelling a Daevetch user as far from me as possible, I shoved him, and by the time Raimie had regained his balance, I had my sword tip at his throat.

With him stopped short, focus returned to the kid's eyes, and he laughed.

"Oh, you should see your face," he said. "I've never seen you so livid before."

"I have good reason to be pissed," I hissed. "What in the void are you doing, Raimie? You can't- you can't..."

Folding his arms, Raimie lifted his chin.

"Says who?" he asked.

Oh, Alouin above. He was letting Daevetch influence him. How did one calm down a teenage boy, drunk on newly realized power?

"Maybe not here, my friend?" I said. "We can discuss it in private."

"Why?" Raimie said. "If I wanted to, I could tear everyone around us apart. They're not a threat. So, tell me. Why should I hide a part of myself?"

"Just-"

Oh, I wanted to strangle the kid right now. Look at the cocked heads and concerned faces around us! This disagreement needed to end. Now.

"Just listen to me. Ok?" I said. "You have to trust that I know what I'm talking about."

"Do I? Really?" Raimie snapped. "You're asking me to trust you when you're hiding something from me. If you don't want me knowing one of your secrets, that's fine. I don't care. But you can't deny that you're hiding one. It's rude."

With my throat closing, I held perfectly still. When Raimie had told me what he'd seen after the accident, it had been the first time in forever that I'd outright panicked. I'd had the presence of mind to finish my conversation with Raimie first, but once I'd been free of that tent, I'd darted through camp, frantically seeking a place of solitude.

Because Raimie had almost seen the one thing that I most hated about myself. And speaking with Alouin... that he'd done that had sent me into a shivering fit, and its aftershocks were still appearing, days later.

Suppressing one now, I said, "I find it interesting that you don't want me hiding things from you when you're doing the same thing with me."

Expression dropped from Raimie's face.

"Excuse me?"

I should heed the warning in that monotone voice, but damnit, this situation had made me angry. This boy, this human, had already intruded enough on my life, and I shouldn't have allowed it.

Raimie was supposed to be my ally, for fuck's sake! What would I do when that status got him hurt or killed? Having come to like him, could I survive his downfall, especially after I'd lost so many loved ones already?

"You heard me," I growled. "How is it that at times, you can fight like an experienced soldier? Why have people across Ada'ir recognized you? How do you sometimes know the words needed to defuse a situation? How are you flying through Ferin's lessons so quickly? Individually, I'd think you were capable of doing these things but together? Whether you know it or not, you have a secret too, Raimie."

Trembling in place, the kid clenched his already tight fists at his sides.

"Don't," he s said. "Don't say that."

I flung my hands above my head.

"Say what?" I hissed, fighting to keep my voice down. "That our situations are so similar, it hurts my heart to consider? That you're not normal? That there's something different about-?"

In a muted flash of light, a fist cracked into my jaw, followed by something solid connecting with my stomach, and I was propelled backward. Sky and grass and wagons spun as I tumbled to a stop, and once motion had ceased, I lay there for a moment, blinking.

Raimie had hit me? Gods, if I didn't have to maintain the illusion of injury, I might have howled with laughter. For the novelty of getting surprised alone, I'd have forgiven the kid but damn. When it came to his emotional state, Raimie could defend himself.

Good.

Besides, I'd pushed him too hard.

"Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods."

When had he started using that phrase?

"Rhy! Are you ok?"

Cracking an eye open, I waves away Raimie's offered hand up, laboriously getting to my feet on my own. Woozily swaying in place—completely unnecessary by my body's standards but required for the disguise—I spat out the mouthful of blood that I'd been holding since stopping, smiling at Raimie's whimper of worry.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I don't know what I was thinking. I was just so angry."

He continued speaking, but I was too caught on an idea to listen. Could this be the opportunity that Aramar and I had been looking for? Enough Zrelnach were nearby, watching with amusement, to start a rumor.

"Stop, Raimie. I'm not upset. Pretty sure the punching and kicking me thing was Daevetch talking," I said under my breath, "but we don't have much time, so listen carefully. I'm about to act like you've insulted me. You haven't. I am not angry with you, but I have to pretend like I am so that I can get some traction on this investigation. All right? Don't nod. Just say yes or no."

Raimie looked might confused, but he said.

"Yes."

Gods, the trust that boy showed me! I didn't deserve it.

Roaring, I tackled Raimie before straddling him. Swinging my fist back, I barely stopped myself from punching my friend and with my shoulders heaving, I refused to interpret what the look in his eyes might mean.

"You're Alouin damned lucky that you're royalty. Otherwise, I'd beat you black and blue," I shouted. "Fuck you, Raimie! You can find yourself another weapons instructor."

Ducking to his ear, I forewent the personal insult that the audience was probably imagining I was giving.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Remember. We're good. I am your friend for a long as you want that. Good luck over the next few days."

Hopping to my feet, I spun, leaving Raimie in the dirt. Hopefully, he'd realize what I was doing, but if he didn't, I wouldn't keep him in suspense for long. The story of what had happened here would spread throughout the group, eventually reaching someone in the conspiracy, and with a little luck, they'd see me as a valuable asset to recruit.

And once I was in their ranks, I could wreak havoc.

TTS Chapter Forty-One

Chapter 42: You, All Along

Rhylix

One last fight to convey my wishes before I no longer can.

I was beginning to think that I’d made a mistake. A week had passed since my ‘argument’ with Raimie, and no one in the conspiracy had approached me. Not only that but tonight, the group had made camp perhaps a day’s march from Sev, our destination.

Which meant that the conspirators would have accelerated their plans. If they wanted to stay in Ada’ir, they’d have to make their move soon.

I had one more day before that happened. This afternoon, Raimie and Eledis had entered Sev, presumably to charter a boat, and in all likelihood, the dissidents in our midst wouldn’t act until the object of their machinations was among us again.

So, having done everything I could in my investigation, I was sitting on a hill’s knoll, training my eyes on the northernmost of the Robzul city states. Occupying the sole harbor in Blackwell Bay—one of the only refuges from the Accession Tear’s storms—Sev had been a prime target for pirates over the last few generations. Maintaining the city’s defenses had drained its coffers dry, leading to a host of economic problems.

It had also produced a solid wall around the city, one whose gates were only open during the day. After dark, nothing got through them, no matter how high the bribe.

I was intimately familiar with all of this. When I’d arrived on this continent’s shores, Sev had been where I’d spent my first few miserable years. What bad luck that Eledis had chosen it as our port of departure, even if that decision had been entirely logical.

I didn’t like to think about the time I’d spent here or of the depravity that I’d sunk to, but it was best to confront this part of my past now, when I was far from Sev, rather than when I was walking down its streets.

Hence, my position so far from camp.

Even still, a Zrelnach found me. When she came to a stop at my side, she didn’t speak, and I was content to let this continue. She, however, wasn’t.

“You’re no longer enamored with the young king,” she said, like it was a question.

Tightening my embrace of my legs, I slowly looked up at her, flinching when I recognized Ona. The Zrelnach’s top fixer peered at the city in front of us while strands of hair drifted around her face.

“How did you-?” I said.

“You can’t get in such a tremendous argument and expect that people won’t notice,” Ona said with a small smile. “Well? Your thoughts on the boy?”

She rested her hands on her hips while I considered how to reply. This seemed like the opening I’d been waiting for, especially with an identified conspirator asking the question, but it paid to be careful.

“I think… he’s young. And woefully unprepared,” I said. “He can’t learn everything he needs to know before reaching Auden. I think… it might be best if I stayed in Ada’ir. If Raimie’s in charge, I don’t like our chances of bringing Doldimar down, and I don’t care to die for no reason.”

While Ona weighed my words, I shifted in place, hoping it appeared the right amount of nervous.

“I’m part of a group with similar views,” she eventually said. “If you’re interested, our leader would like to meet you.”

Their leader? This was going better than I’d expected.

“I’m interested,” I said. “When would this meeting happen?”

“Now,” Ona said, tilting her head with a sardonic smile in place. “Unless you have something better to do?”

“No. Now works fine.”

Scrambling to my feet, I turned my back on the city.

Ona didn’t lead us into camp, getting us lost in the land around Sev instead, but after about a half-hour, a Zrelnach squad came into view from around a hill, and my guide stopped, pointing at the ground.

“Sword, dagger, and your six hidden knives here,” she said.

Hell, she was good. After relinquishing the weapons that she’d specified, I’d be unarmed, physically at least. Still, I did as I was told, only pausing when removing my dagger. Having raised her hand, Ona bobbed it, and I cautiously placed the blade on her palm, letting her inspect it.

It was an odd weapon, after all, with its blade a tad longer than a typical dagger’s length, but that wasn’t what had caught her eye.

Hefting the dagger, she balanced a finger on one end of its cross guard.

“What’s the point of having this piece if it’s too short to catch a blade on?” she asked.

With a ghost of a smile, I said, “Oh, you can catch a blade on even that small of a cross guard. Learning how to do it just takes more practice than most think it’s worth.”

“Hmm.”

Ona narrowed her eyes.

“I could have sworn I’ve heard of a dagger like this before, something from a history book,” she said before shrugging. “I suppose it doesn’t matter, though.”

The dagger went on top of my weapons collection, and Ona beckoned me onward.

“Our leader isn’t here yet. Unsurprising, given how busy everyone’s been,” she said. “You’ll have to wait until she arrives.”

“Not a problem. Waiting for people has become a specialty of mine,” I said.

She. So, the ringleader of this conspiracy was a woman. Interesting.

Once Ona had handed me off to her companions, she angled her body back the way we’d come.

“I’ll find our leader,” she said. “You wait with these fine individuals. I shouldn’t be long.”

“I look forward to it,” I said.

Mentally, I was already preparing an escape route for if this turned to shit. With eight Zrelnach around me and an unknown number still coming, I’d have to make a bolt for it instead of fighting, but that shouldn’t be too difficult. It was amazing the amount of Ele that one could use around sunset. Its glare was wonderful for concealing bursts of light.

Hopefully, though, I wouldn’t have to run. Hopefully, I could learn who this conspiracy’s leader was and leave with her thinking I’d joined their cause. I’d love to bring Aramar good news tonight.

With Ona gone, I waited in silence with… what role did these Zrelnach play in the conspiracy? Guards for their leader? Eight seemed excessive to protect her against one man.

Regardless, I waited, occasionally squinting at the pile of my belongings. Would I have time to collect them if I needed to flee?

When a cluster of people rounded the hill ahead, I blew out a slow breath. With the sun sinking below the horizon, Ele usage would soon go from hidden to blatantly apparent, and I did not want these people learning that I was a primeancer. So, thank goodness this meeting would soon be starting.

Part of the cluster peeled off from the rest, running toward me and my ‘companions’ at double time, and I prodded my mouth into a welcoming smile.

It was a smile that withered as the cluster approached. Numb, I watched two women pull to a stop in front of me, hardly out of breath. Ona joined the other Zrelnach around me, all of whom had shifted into threatening stances, but the other woman sadly smiled, tucking her purple-blonde hair behind her ears.

“Hiya, Rhy,” Ferin said.

Oh, at that greeting, something throbbed behind the ice coating me. I didn’t look forward to learning what it was.

But this explained why so many guards were here. Ferin was perhaps the only person in Ada’ir who knew how good I was with the blade.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

As her already fragile mask of ease cracked further, Ferin clasped her hands in front of her.

“My job. What else?” she said. “I’m removing the biggest threat to Allanovian from the board.”

“So… you are these people’s leader?” I said. “You tried to have Raimie killed?”

How those questions crushed a portion of the hope that for weeks, I’d been growing. It was a small fraction, but their quashing hurt nonetheless.

“I am, and to my great shame, yes, I did,” Ferin said. “I’m the one that you and Aramar have been looking for since the Withriingalm. I’ve enjoyed watching your investigation from afar.”

“But… why?” I shouted, taking a step forward.

One of the Zrelnach moved in front of me with a weapon bared, and I rocked to a stop.

“Why choose now to hurt Raimie rather than in Allanovian, when he was at your mercy?” I continued. “Why act as if you were sympathetic to his cause for so many weeks? You saved his damn life, for Alouin’s sake! Hell! Why are you opposing him at all?”

Behind the Zrelnach protecting her, a wistful smile swept across Ferin’s face.

“Actually, I am not opposing Raimie. I believe in him, want him to succeed in everything he does. He’s a good kid,” she said, “but I can’t listen only to myself. I’m a Councilwoman of Allanovian, which means that the city’s needs take priority over what I want, and the Audish royal family is a threat to it, perhaps the greatest one we’ve faced.

“When you brought him to us, my fellow Councilors advocated for finishing off what Teron had started, like you suggested, but in this case, what almost killed the kid saved his life. Some among us realized that Doldimar’s minions would track that boy to the ends of the earth, and we knew what would happen if one of them visited Allanovian.

“Since our tear repels intruders from the village, we had a little time. So, we put together the army that you’ve traveled with over these last few weeks, although many of them don’t know the full extent of their orders yet. Our job was to draw as many of Doldimar’s minions away from Allanovian as possible, duping the royal family into believing us loyal all the while, before permanently ending the threat to us. Hence, the assassination attempt in the Withriingalm.”

She paused, fixing her eyes on thin air, and I bit my tongue. The longer Ferin talked, the more I learned, information that I could share with Raimie and his family.

“But I like that boy, far more than I should,” Ferin whispered. “Alouin, if I weren’t bound by my duty, I’d follow him to Auden, taking on the Dark Lord with him. It’s why I’ve been so fervent during our lessons. It’s why for so long, I delayed in giving the kill order. It’s why when I found him in sinking mud, I went berserk to free him, starting chest compressions even with my mind screaming that he had to die. That night, I realized I could never see Raimie murdered, not by my hand or my order, so I did the only thing I could. I gave the task to someone else.”

I stopped breathing while my stomach tied into knots.

“You didn’t,” I breathed.

Because there was only one person Ferin could safely give her problem to, only one who could deal with the Audish royal family, only one human Allanovian had maintained friendly relations with.

“I did,” Ferin said. “The next morning, I sent a message to the queen, and Kaedesa was quick to respond. If we’ve gotten our timing right, she and her royal guard should be waiting in Sev for the ringleaders of Ada’ir’s most recent ‘rebellion’, leaving me free to bring my people home. As soon as she gives us permission to go, of course.”

Kaedesa, the queen who’d left the bodies of rebels on display for weeks on end, was waiting for Raimie in Sev. The city closed its gate at nightfall, only opened again at the break of dawn. And the sun was half-hidden by the horizon.

Shit.

“Before you try anything heroic, you might want to wait a moment,” Ferin said. “I’ve brought someone who’s desperate for you to stay.”

Stepping aside, she revealed the other half of her cluster. Two Zrelnach led a teenager toward us by his bound hands. The black cloth under his leathers was ripped in a few places while scrapes coated his exposed skin, and his lip was bleeding.

When he saw me, Dath gasped.

“Don’t let-!” he started.

A Zrelnach buried his fist in the kid’s stomach, and he folded over it, coughing.

Dragging my eyes to Ferin, I said, “You wouldn’t.”

She looked down her nose at me.

“Rhy, I just handed a boy, one I’ve come to view as a little brother, over to a woman who will execute him in the most brutal manner possible,” she said, speaking as if to a child. “What makes you think that I would spare a trainee who’s betrayed his home?”

She turned to Ona.

“If Healer Rhylix leaves your presence, you are to use all of your talents on this failed Zrelnach,” she said, pointing at Dath. “Are my orders understood?”

Ona nodded, and taking a deep breath, Ferin turned away from me, drooping a little.

“I have far too many tasks left to stay here.”

Before she could leave, I called after her with my voice strangled.

“Don’t do this! Please.”

For a few breaths, Ferin held still before shaking herself.

“See you on the other side, Rhy,” she said. “Forgive me.”

She strode away with her head down, and with my heart racing, squeezing, in my chest, I ran through my options, but even as I dragged this process out, I knew I'd  only have one choice at the end.

Save Raimie or Dath.

I forced myself to look at the boy. He was staring at a distracted Ona with wide eyes, probably remembering every story he’d heard of her bringing human villages to heel, and I wanted to help him. Gods, how I did.

But my ally was Raimie, and if I was to succeed with my end goal, I needed my ally alive.

How had the creation of collateral damage already begun?

Licking his lips, Dath met my eyes, trying and failing to speak.

On a second attempt, he hoarsely said, “Why are you still here? Go!”

Knowing that for the provocation it had been, the Zrelnach around us tensed, reaching for weapons, and with blurring vision, I leapt into the air, pushing Ele from my feet. The primal force’s added energy had me soaring over my captor’s heads, helping me roll to my feet on landing, and turning my back on the Zrelnach and… Dath, I hightailed it for Sev’s wall.

I had so many things I wished I could tell Dath: that his sacrifice wouldn’t be wasted, that he was a better person than I’d expected, that I was proud of him. But none of this was spoken. It was shoved, along with an upsurge of frenzied panic—

It’s happening again! Gods, why can’t I escape tragedy? Why do suffering and travesties trail in my wake?

—into a small corner of my mind, one resting beside my repressed memories.

Maybe Ferin would decide to spare the kid?

Flying beneath a purple-and-orange-smeared sky, I laughed. Sure, that was a possibility, like it was possible I’d reach Raimie in time.

By the time I’d reached the wall, night had fallen over the world, and despite knowing it would be the case, the city's closed gate had me screaming into a fist, pressed to my mouth.

What was I going to do? It was too dark to use Ele now. If I did, I was likely to get caught, and I’d be no good to Raimie dead or in prison.

If I shapeshifted into a bird, I’d definitely get stuck in that state, given how distracted I was, and if there was a smuggler’s route into the city, I didn’t know about it. When I’d lived here, nothing like that had existed.

I couldn’t get to Raimie. Which meant Dath-

“No.”

Logically, my ally should be able to keep himself out of trouble for one night—

Crazed giggling flew around the fist blocking my mouth.

—considering that he was at least passable with a blade. He also had his primeancy as a last resort.

If he could stay out of Queen Kaedesa’s hands until morning, I could join him and Eledis before getting them out of the city.

So. What else could I do? I’d give what pathetic dregs of help I could to Dath, obviously, but when I inevitably found his corpse, how could I distract myself from another innocent kid’s blood on my hands?

From what Ferin had said, she’d be stabilizing her power tonight. Given that our group was mostly made up of Zrelnach, she wouldn’t find much opposition in it...

“Aramar!”

That man was surrounded by hundreds of hostiles, and he didn’t know it. If I couldn’t help Raimie tonight, I could save his father. He’d be devastated if Aramar died.

So, for the second time today, I turned away from someone who needed my help, speeding back the way I’d came. All the while, I was begging Alouin and anyone else who’d listen that Aramar would be alive when I reached camp.

TTS Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter 43: A City and the Sea

Raimie

Sev was the strangest place I’d ever seen. To be fair, it was the only human city I’d visited, which might have something to do with the awe I was feeling. I’d thought Fissid was a wonder of civilization, but seeing this place, I knew differently.

So many buildings rose above me, homes and shops alike, and it didn’t matter that only a third of them looked inhabited. It was still evidence of more people than I’d seen in my life.

Then, Eledis led me into a marketplace, and I couldn’t move. People had flooded this open square, rushing about their business or taking a leisurely stroll or pausing to speak with merchants and friends, and so many bright colors assaulted my senses from both merchant stalls and the clothing of passersby. Dozens of conversations merged into a muted roar while the rumble of cart wheels and thunk of dropped crates interspersed it.

I couldn’t get enough of it. This display of humanity was like nothing I’d seen before.

It was also a lot.

At my side, Eledis said, “This is busier than I expected it to be.”

Jumping, I stared at my grandfather. This was the first time he’d spoken to me since the Withriingalm, even when gathering me for the outing this morning, and hearing his voice now was jarring. I wasn’t sure what this meant, whether he’d relented in his silent treatment or not, but I’d take advantage of the opening.

“Why’s that?” I asked.

Slowly turning my way, Eledis examined me for a moment, looking down his nose all the while, and I returned his stare as blandly as I could. With a long sigh, he crossed his arms before looking away.

“In the last few decades, Sev has fallen on hard times. Pirates have attacked the city, blockading Blackwell Bay far more often than they have in the past, and no one knows why,” he said. “Funding the city’s defense has stretched its coffers, which has led to higher taxes, and this has, in turn, seen a mass exodus of citizens from Sev. Hence, why I expected to find most marketplaces deserted here. In the end, though, it works out for us. More people in the city means a greater chance of finding a ship’s captain who will make the crossing to Auden.”

“I see.”

I didn’t know what else to say. Fortunately, Eledis wasn’t looking for much from me.

“We should start asking around,” he said. “I’ll take the city proper. You head for the docks. We’ll meet here when the sun reaches the horizon. Can you handle that?”

An entire day in an unfamiliar place, a city no less, with no one to guide me. Swallowing hard, I focused on keeping my hands from shaking.

“I think so,” I said, marveling at the confidence in my voice.

“Good.”

Eledis rummaged through a pocket, withdrawing a sack from it.

“Take this. It should move things along,” he said. “Careful with it, though. That’s the last of our coin. Don’t throw it away on unnecessary bribes.”

Accepting the sack, I said, “I’ll do my best.”

With a fond smile, Eledis ruffled my hair, which I tolerated with as much dignity as I could.

“You’re a good kid,” he said. “I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you lately. Ignoring you as much as I have was a mistake. Maybe once we’re done here, we can stay in a waystation tonight so we can talk some things through. What do you think?”

I thought that my grandfather had waited for far too long to bridge the gap between us, but I wouldn’t tell him that.

“It would be nice to sleep in an actual bed instead of on the ground tonight,” I said, “and I could use a proper meal.”

“And you shall have both!” Eledis said, grinning, “but first, we need to find passage across the Narrow Sea.”

“Naturally,” I said, returning the smile. “So, I’ll see you in a few hours?”

“That’s the plan. Good luck, Raimie.”

Eledis quickly merged with the crowd around us, leaving me wondering what to do. After pocketing my gifted coin, I started wandering, hoping to learn where the docks were located.

In the end, they were easy to find, which made sense. If Sev controlled Blackwell Bay and the bay was the only safe haven from the Accession Tears storms on this coast, of course the city would focus on naval trade. Because of that, a large chunk of its revenue would be devoted to its harbor, making it a focal point.

After taking the road to the bay, I set foot on its docks and couldn’t take a single step more while my mouth went dry. I looked out at branching, sprawling piers and the many ships anchored near them, and a little voice in my head started screaming, although I wasn’t sure why.

Maybe it was the expanse of water behind this view. Maybe it was the type of people who were strolling and running over these wood planks. Gods, their appearances and bearing were so different from anything I’d ever seen!

I didn’t know why I wanted to make the long sprint back to camp after observing everything in front of me, but the voice screaming in my head was making it difficult to think.

When someone jostled me, I snapped out of it, rapidly blinking at something I shouldn’t fear, before shaking myself. What had that been?

As I joined the flow of foot traffic in front of me, a creepy-crawly sensation still skittered over my skin. One would think that after the last few months of life-changing revelations, another mystery wouldn’t affect me, but it did.

It was why I fumbled my way through my first few interactions with sailors and their captains, but soon enough, I was making enquiries of them with ease. Even still, I was laughed at more often than not. Most people thought I was either pulling a prank or had lost my mind, and each rejection had me using a sharper tone with the next group I approached.

Halfway through the afternoon, I’d made it down one side of the dock, leaving only a few more ships to check. Idly, I bypassed most of these, noting their sailors already loading cargo onto them, but one, a sloop anchored off of a secluded pier, caught my eye. With no activity around it, its captain would make a likely candidate for what I wanted, but as I headed toward it, someone stepped into my path.

“I hear you’re looking for passage to Auden.”

I frowned at the tanned man in front of me, wondering why he seemed familiar.

“I am,” I said. “How do you know about that?”

The stranger flashed a smile.

“Word about something like that travels quickly here,” he said. “If you’re interested, my captain would like to talk specifics for making the journey with you.”

A jolt rushed through me, although I did my best to hide my eagerness.

“I’m interested,” I said. “Where’s your captain?”

“In the city at the moment,” the stranger said, “but she won’t be long. We could wait for her on her ship.”

He gestured toward the seemingly abandoned sloop, and cocking my head, I narrowed my eyes at it.

Was this a good idea? I was already far away from other people. Did I want to further isolate myself, potentially putting myself in danger? Or was that paranoia talking? After everything that had happened recently, I found it difficult to trust unknowns.

But I’d never get anywhere if I didn’t.

“That sounds good,” I said.

I followed the stranger up the sloop’s gangplank, and we headed toward the captain’s quarters. Once there, the stranger held the door open for me, and I stepped inside.

The change in lighting briefly blinded me, but when I could see, I found myself in a small cabin with colored-glass windows looking out over the harbor. A bunk was shoved against the far wall while a desk had been bolted to the floor, and I’d started toward it when an arm was dropped over my head.

It pressed into my neck while a hand on the back of my head pushed me further forward, and I managed a choked cry before my airway was cut off.

And all the while I was berating myself for not trusting my gut. Stupid, stupid…

Squirming and raking my fingernails on the arm holding me did no good. The stranger stood firm even as I blindly stomped for his feet.

I only got a reaction when I reached for Silverblade. Freedom was mine for half a second, but then, force twirled me around until my face was smashed into a wall.

A stabbing ache in my nose kept me from taking advantage of my opening. I could only woozily acknowledge my escape before I was caught in a chokehold again.

With panic lacing into the energy surging through me, I reached behind my head, desperately grabbing for a hand. While pinching the skin between the stranger’s fingers, I wrenched on what felt like a thumb, but nothing happened. The stranger didn’t even flinch.

As my vision narrowed to pinpricks, I was left with seconds before I was at this man’s mercy, and the panic lapping at me took over, letting instinct reign supreme. I wasn’t sure what I did, but pure power came crashing through me, raw and exhilarating. When I jerked on that held thumb this time, something cracked.

With a restrained hiss, the stranger released me, and gasping for air, I stumbled for the door. I flung it open, catching a glimpse of the uniformed woman behind it before she moved. As she spun, her foot collided with my temple.

I felt the closest to complete that I ever had in my life. The emptiness, ever within me, had almost filled, but this glorious sensation was negated by the fact that my hands were bound together, and after what had happened in the waking world…

Yowling, I thrashed against what was holding me, desperate for freedom. I kicked with my dangling legs, hoping to hit something, hoping to hurt whoever had captured me.

But the only other person in my nightmare realm was…

“-imie! Please, stop,” Nylion was shouting with a choked voice. “You will knock us off!”

As I realized who I’d been fighting, I went still, and reflexively, I buried my face into the surface in front of me, one that was warm and firm and smelled like home. One that was moving in time with my companion’s elevated breathing rate.

Jerking back, I barely stopped myself from making the movement rough. What was going on? Where was I? Why was Nylion-?

Finally, I registered my surroundings. The unnerving walls of the well rose around me, and I was hanging from Nylion’s shoulders, which should have had me asking a host of questions. Instead, I glanced between my feet, finding the ground far below us. Damn, it would hurt if we'd fallen, even if we’d also have survived it.

“You’ve made progress,” I said.

“Yes, well,” Nylion grunted.

Quietly swearing to himself, he tugged on my arms until they were in a position where he could free my wrists.

“What else was supposed to do while you were dealing with real world problems?” he continued. “Sit around, waiting for you to return?”

“That doesn’t seem like you,” I said.

“Exactly,” Nylion said. “Now, would you kindly get off of my back? I did not take the strain of your weight into account when starting this climb.”

Carefully, I clambered over Nylion with both of us grumbling at each other. When I latched onto the wall, numbness spread up my arms from it, but this time, the feeling was made infinitely worse by the return of my emptiness, something that only happened when I was no longer touching my friend. Strange, that.

“So, why are you here this time?” Nylion asked, starting to climb again. “Did you forget to take a sleeping tincture again?”

Wincing, I pulled myself level with my friend.

“Unfortunately, no,” I said. “Someone attacked me again, but I don’t think they want me dead, considering I’m not seeing colors in the sky.”

Nylion turned the opening of his hood toward me.

“Care to elaborate?” he drawled.

I gave him an overview of what had happened, answering his questions when he had them. At some point during this, we stopped climbing, dangling by our fingers and toes from a substance that shouldn’t exist, and after I'd finished the tale, Nylion was quiet for a time.

When the silence became too much for me, I asked, “Have any suggestions for me?”

Nylion ducked his hood, sucking on his lip for a moment, before facing me again.

“You should let me handle it,” he said. “I can be fast and efficient. You would be back with Eledis before you are supposed to meet him, so he will never know that something went wrong. It would be like when w- you were a kid.”

“You did get me out of plenty of scrapes back then,” I mused before turning serious. “How would we do that, though? This isn’t like when I’d get lost, and you’d help me find my way home with your whispered directions. You’re my imaginary friend. You can’t change things in the real world.”

Nylion just stared at me, and this went on for long enough that I started adjusting my hold on the wall.

“Do you trust me?” Nylion asked.

Thinking back on everything this manifestation of my mind had done for me, I could only nod.

“Then, TRUST me,” Nylion said.

“Ok,” I said in a small voice, shrinking on myself.

Why did I feel like I’d just been scolded?

Nylion jerked his hood in a single nod.

“You will have to hold me for a time,” he said. “Can you do that?”

Could I bear another person’s weight from this far up? Could I have Nylion that close, pressing my body into the wall?

Suddenly, my heart was pattering far too quickly while my throat had closed, and I had to clear it several times to remove the blockage.

“I can try,” I said before jerking my chin behind me. “Hop on.”

Slowly, Nylion shuffled onto my back, and only after we’d both stopped shifting did I notice that the hole in my being had been filled again. I opened my mouth to comment on it when Nylion spread his fingers in front of my face.

“You will have to keep me in place with your own strength,” he said. “Unless you have gained the ability to touch what once pinned you to the floor?”

Wincing, I circled my fingers around Nylion’s wrists.

“I won’t be able to do this for long,” I said.

“Then, I will be quick,” Nylion said with his lips brushing my ear. “Do not drop us.”

Shuddering with a gasp, I didn’t notice the addition of weight on me until it had nearly peeled me off of the wall. After scrambling to maintain my hold, I hissed hot air between my teeth. Gods, my muscles were already close to failing.

“Oh, for the love of…” I said before clinging more tightly to inky black. “Hurry up, Nylion.”

TTS Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter 44: Surfacing

For the first time in years, Nylion emerged into the world. He took a moment to enjoy it, breathing in fresh air with a tang of salt in it, but then, his head banged into something, flaring pain beneath his skull, and he remembered why the real world sucked.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself at an awkward angle. The narrow confines of a ship’s hall were skewed from their typical up and down, and from the unyielding surface he was bouncing on, he’d guess that he was hanging over one of his assailant’s shoulders. Since he didn’t know where the other one was, he decided to bide his time.

“This doesn’t bother you?”

From the rumble transmitted through his perch, Nylion determined that this voice belonged to the man carrying him.

“What do you mean?” another, higher-pitched voice asked.

“You know what I mean,” the man said. “She had us attack him, the boy she doted on in years past.”

“True,” the woman said, “but like you said, that was years ago. We don’t know what’s changed since then.”

The second assailant was ahead of them. With her located, Nylion was prepared to free himself, but he waited, hoping for a better opportunity.

“It still feels wrong,” the man said. “I trained him, watched him grow up. How am I supposed to stand idly by while he’s taken to Daira for execution?”

“You’re following orders,” the woman said. “That’s all you need to know.”

The man stopped short with his shoulders heaving.

“You don’t understand. His potential… he could have been the greatest spymaster that Ada’ir has ever seen, and we’re supposed to accept, without question, that he’s a rebel based on the word of an Eselan?” he said. “I can’t do that to little Raimie.”

There was a pause, but then, Nylion’s perch rocked back and forth, as if shaken.

“He’s not little Raimie anymore. Get your shit together, Bryruned,” the woman said. “I’ll make a circuit of the docks. When I get back, I expect our traitor to be in the brig with you standing guard.”

She brushed past, quickly disappearing, but Nylion was too caught on a thought to pay her departure much mind.

Bryruned? Hell, this man’s identity would make the next part more difficult.

They started moving again, and with every bang of his body into a wall, Nylion suppressed a yelp, although doing that wasn’t especially difficult. He’d suffered much worse than this before.

A door creaked open, and when Bryruned lowered Nylion from his shoulders, he rolled with that momentum, reaching his feet in the same moment he hit the ground.

He didn’t stop to enjoy the shocked look on Bryruned’s face, instead darting out of the cell while throwing its door shut behind him. When a loud clang failed to reach his ears, he assumed that Bryruned had gotten to it before it had closed. This had him put on a burst of speed.

Fortunately, the sloop followed a layout that Nylion was familiar with, so he quickly reached the main deck, sprinting for the gangplank. He was nearly halfway there when an arrow thunked into the wood, several paces in front of him.

“Stop!” Bryruned shouted. “Don’t make me put one of these in your back.”

Slowly, Nylion raised his hands before turning around. As warned, Bryruned had an arrow pointed at him with the bowstring half drawn, and when he met Nylion’s eyes, he blinked with his features tightening.

“Well, look at you, all grown up,” he said before shaking his head. “What are you playing at, Raimie? First, you act like you don’t know me and let yourself get ambushed. Then, you almost escape me, something that you used to struggle with. What’s going on?”

Nylion wasn’t sure how to go about this. After so long trapped alone, he was more than a little rusty when it came to… well, everything, but out of every skill he’d once had, talking was definitely the weakest. Considering how shit he’d been at it before, that was saying something.

He’d only just gotten comfortable speaking with Raimie again, and Raimie was Raimie. How did one converse with others?

Fortunately, the tinge of hostility infecting the air helped to loosen his tongue, familiar with that sensation as he was.

“Nothing is ‘going on’. Last I checked, I was running an errand for my grandfather, and you attacked me,” Nylion said. “What the hell?”

Ugh. Speaking in the singular still felt wrong, setting his stomach bubbling like a tincture in a cauldron. Some of that unease must have translated through the expression on his face because Bryruned narrowed his eyes, scowling.

“You. Running an errand. For Eledis,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t buy it.”

“I do not care if you believe me. It is of little importance,” Nylion said. “Let me repeat. You attacked me, and now, you are keeping me here on threat of death. What. the. hell?”

Shrugging, Bryruned said, “I’m following order, same as you. Or as you used to do at least.”

“Yes, well. Children are susceptible to blindly doing as they are told,” Nylion said.

Inside, he was reeling. If Bryruned was here on orders, that meant Auntie was probably here too. Why? Was it because of Raimie’s family?

No. It had to be a coincidence.

But why else would she be in Sev? Maybe she was negotiating with the city state’s mayor, pressuring them into joining Ada’ir again. That fit her personality well.

But Bryruned had said that by attacking Raimie, he’d been following orders. So…

“Does Auntie know I am here?” he asked.

Why not be direct with this? It couldn’t hurt anything, could it?

“You know I can’t answer that question,” Bryruned said.

“Which means that she does,” Nylion said.

Shit. This changed things. Fucking godsdamn…

Still cursing in his head, Nylion did his best to show off a rueful grin, despite the pangs of guilt and grief already running through him.

“Well, if she wants to see me, I will have to oblige her. It is not like I can run,” he said. “So? How should we do this? I assume you will want me in the brig until she returns.”

“Can you blame me?” Bryruned said. “If I put you anywhere else, I’d be risking a lot.”

Shaking his head, Nylion patted at the air above his head.

“I understand. You have to do what you must,” he said. “I will stay in place so you can put shackles on me.”

Wincing, Bryruned nodded.

“That might be best,” he said.

Slowly, he approached Nylion with his bow ever at the ready, but once he was close enough to draw a blade, he let the string go slack, pulling a set of shackles from his pocket.

“Hands,” he said with a wave.

Just as slowly, Nylion lowered his arms in front of him, displaying his wrists, but before Bryruned could secure him, he slapped his hand to the other man’s chest.

“I am sorry,” he said.

With his features hardening, Bryruned dropped the shackles to reach for his sword, but Nylion already had a weapon at hand. Dark energy pulsed from him, carving through Bryruned’s chest, and with a pained grunt, his essence fled from his body, turning it boneless. Before it could hit the deck, Nylion scooped it up and over his shoulders.

Striding to the sloop’s railing, he tossed the body overboard. The noise from the dock covered up the splash.

For a long while, he stared at that patch of the ocean’s surface, absently drumming a finger on the railing’s wood. He couldn’t decide if this was yet another thing he must keep from Raimie.

On the one hand, the Raimie he’d known would have understood what Nylion had done. He’d see why Auntie shouldn’t know that he’d been on her ship. He’d see that, in his current state, he wasn’t ready to face her. Unless things had changed, the danger from that meeting alone could spell his end.

But that was the thing. Nylion wasn’t sure if this current Raimie was his Raimie—the implications of which he still obsessed over when he was alone—and this version wouldn’t get it. He wouldn’t know how easily Bryruned would have escaped any restraints that Nylion could have put on him, and if that had happened, the man would have run straight for Auntie. He wouldn’t understand that by making Bryruned disappear, Nylion had been painting a picture of yet another soldier’s desertion. Instead, Raimie would focus on the sacredness of all life rather than on his own safety.

And that was Nylion’s primary purpose in life: keeping Raimie safe.

So, Nylion wouldn’t tell him what he’d done or would soon do. It would be better that way, no matter how much it would eat at him in the coming days.

Slapping his hands on the railing, he told the water below, “I wish there had been another way.”

Then, he hurried to find a hiding spot for when the woman returned to this sloop.

TTS Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter 45: Ruined Plans

Raimie

All I could consider in the moments after waking up was the dull throb behind my eyes. I tried to scan my surroundings, vaguely recalling a sense of danger from before, but my head wouldn’t let me, making me clutch at it until the pain had faded enough for me to think.

When I could, though, I sat bolt upright, going for a knife, but… I was alone. Houses crowded the alley around me, and a pile of rubbish was sitting within touching distance, but the people who’d attacked me weren’t here.

So, what had happened?

Carefully, I got to my feet, expecting all sorts of aches and pains, but I felt fine. So, the attack hadn’t been a random beating of a gullible boy, pain inflicted for the fun of it, and this thought made me chuckle. What had my world become to make me think something like that was possible?

When I patted down my body, however, I quickly discovered what my assailants had wanted from me. The sack of coin that Eledis had given me this morning was gone. That would be fun to explain.

Sighing, I trotted to the alley’s end, making a face when I saw the sun near the horizon. There went any hopes of recovering the coin.

I made my way back to our designated meeting spot, fully expecting a berating, at the least. More likely, Eledis would stop speaking to me again, but I couldn’t do anything to change that. I might as well get it over with.

My dread doubled when I saw him waiting for me. He was tapping his foot with his arms crossed, scanning the marketplace with a piercing gaze, and when he spotted me, he tossed his hands to either side before coming my way.

“Where have you been?” he growled when we met. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I-”

“No, never mind. I don’t need an explanation,” Eledis interrupted, lifting a hand. “Did you have any luck?”

Struggling to keep my face neutral, I said, “No. Everyone I talked to seemed resistant to our proposed trip.”

Loudly sighing, Eledis pinched his nose.

“I experienced the same,” he said. “How I wish we could just go to Marcuset…”

Eledis clicked his teeth together, dropping his hand, but despite my rampant curiosity about a name I’d never heard before, I kept my expression placid. I’d learned over the years that showing a lack of personality was the best way to deal with my grandfather when he got like this.

After examining me for a moment, Eledis relented.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just…”

“Frustrated?” I finished for him. “I don’t blame you. It’s been an irritating day.”

Grimacing, Eledis said, “Thank Alouin it’s over. Oh, well. Let’s find ourselves a waystation, shall we? Although… I’ll take my coin back, if you please.”

He extended a hand, and I shrunk on myself.

“I don’t have it,” I said in a small voice.

After a beat of quiet, Eledis drawled, “Why?”

Shuffling in place, I hugged myself, warding off my grandfather’s displeasure.

“I was mugged. I think,” I said.

Slowly, Eledis lowered his hand.

“Are you hurt?” he gruffly said.

Shaking my head, I said, “Just a minor headache.”

I said not a word about my nose, still fiercely throbbing. I’d already gotten hurt too often on this trip, and that had stressed my family enough.

As hoped, tension leaked from Eledis.

“Thank Alouin for that,” he said.

He took my elbow, guiding me to somewhere quiet, and once there, he dropped his hold, spinning on me.

“Tell me what happened,” he said.

So, I did, although a strange sense of déjà vu settled over me while I spoke, and Eledis got paler with each word. By the time I was finished, he was sucking on his lip, looking over the rooftops around us.

“Damnit, ‘saya. Why do you always make things more difficult?” he said to himself before focusing on me. “We should leave Sev. Hopefully, we can get out of here before sundown.”

“Why before sundown?” I asked.

I didn’t dare question our sudden need to leave.

“Because after that, we’ll be stuck here,” Eledis said. “Less talking, more running.”

As we hurried down streets, people shouted curses in our wake, but while I cringed at these, Eledis didn’t seem to care about them.

When we reached the square that bordered the gate, however, he backtracked, grabbing me by the tunic to drag me out of sight, and once hidden, I slapped at the hand holding me.

“What is it?” I said. “See someone you didn’t like?”

Leaning around the corner, Eledis said, “You could say that.”

He was silent for a moment, watching something in the square, but eventually, he clicked his tongue, facing me.

“Unfortunately, we won’t get back to the others tonight,” he said. “We should find a quiet corner and wait for morning.”

“Ok…” I drawled. “Why can’t we walk out the gate now? From what I saw, it’s still open.”

“We just-”

Eledis glanced over his shoulder.

“We just can’t, all right?” he said. “When it comes to getting us across the sea, a lot of pieces are in play, more than you know, and this is one of them. You have to trust me.”

Trust a man who’d lied, for years, about who I was. Alouin, but that would be difficult.

Taking a steadying breath, I nodded.

“Good. Now, we should get off the streets,” Eledis said. “Her spies are probably all over the place, and even if they’re not the members of her Hand, they can identify us. Probably. Ugh! I hate dealing in uncertainties.”

He scrubbed his scalp with a growl.

Watching this, I hesitantly said, “I saw a waystation a couple of streets back. We could spend the night there.”

Lowering his hands, Eledis glowered at me, but it seemed more fond than irritated.

“You really want that bed you mentioned, don’t you?”

With a smirk, I said, “It would be nice.”

Eledis barked a laugh, slapping a hand over his mouth once done. When no one came running toward us, he shook himself.

“Let’s get you one, then, shall we?” he asked.

The waystation that I’d suggested sat off the main thoroughfare, but it was so squished between buildings that it was easy to ignore, and its exterior façade looked shabby, which wasn’t helped by its dim interior. Just inside the entrance, a portly man sat on a stool behind a counter, and when he beckoned for us to enter, Eledis stepped forward, accepting the role of haggler.

I was left free to wander, although I didn’t go far. Making the owner of this waystation antsy didn’t seem like a good idea.
As I made a circuit of the waystation’s dining room, I reviewed the day’s events, storing the host of new mysteries that I’d accrued without a hint of frustration.

Snorting, I shook my head. If the Raimie from a few months ago could see me now, he’d be baffled. Comfortable with his predictable life, he’d probably be a mess right now, like he’d been on learning he was royalty.

It was funny how time and circumstances could change people.

At some point, I should probably make a decision about this quest I was on instead of coasting along, letting others make my choices for me, but…

Not yet. Tonight, I’d fix my relationship with Eledis, something a few mugs of brandy should handle. Tonight, I’d sleep in luxury, even if I had no sleeping tinctures to help with that. Tonight, I’d eat a well-prepared meal, not the unappetizing rations of the road.

Speaking of which, I should find out what my options for dinner were.

As I returned to the front of the waystation, I noted Eledis still negotiating with its owner before the door to the outside opened—

“-worry, gray eyes. This is the last one on this street.”

—and four people strode inside, three of them in an outfit similar to the people who’d mugged me earlier. The other one was in a set of black, leather armor.

A Zrelnach.

She was still glaring at the humans behind her. They were, of course, laughing at her expense, so as subtly as I could, I caught Eledis’ eyes, jerking my head toward the newcomers, and when he saw them, he tensed. As he backed toward the closest source of cover, I followed his example.

We weren’t fast enough. Sniffing at the other three, the Zrelnach warrior turned to examine the room, and when her gaze landed on me, the briefest of grimaces passed over her face.

Pointing at me, she said, “Gentlemen, one of the men you’re looking for.”

The others in the group snapped their attention to me while the Zrelnach got out of their way. Then, three men were advancing on me with their swords drawn, and I froze.

What was I supposed to do? Fight? With the current odds against me, that seemed like a bad idea, but surrendering didn’t seem wise either.

Maybe I should run?

From behind, Eledis slammed something into one man’s head, dropping him, and just like that, I didn’t have another option. This had become a fight.

TTS Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter 46: An Angry Queen

Raimie

The fight didn’t last long. I fended off two questing stabs at my innards, noting with surprise that the Zrelnach warrior was standing on the sidelines, before a host of additional enemies flooded into the waystation.

As soon as I could, I dropped Silverblade, raising my hands above my head, but that didn’t stop the man I’d been fighting from shoving me into a wall. While I panicked over whether I’d ever be able to breathe again, another man checked on his unconscious companion before spinning on the Zrelnach woman.

“What the hell?” he roared. “Some elite warrior you are. You just stood there while we were fighting!”

The Zrelnach warrior blinked at him for a moment, as if making sure he was finished, before crossing her arms.

“Don’t assume I’m one of you. I’m not. I am a citizen of Allanovian, a city whose independence your queen has recognized,” she said, “and my only orders were to identify these two for you. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“You bitch,” the man growled.

With his hands raised, he took a step toward her, and when her stance shifted, I forgot how little air my lungs had regained.

“I wouldn’t attack her if I were you,” I wheezed. “She could kill you without breaking a sweat, and none of us want that.”

The man who was pinning me slammed my face into the wall, and burning heat in my already injured nose formed tears in my eyes.

“Shut up,” the man growled.

“No, he’s right. You shouldn’t punish him for speaking the truth.”

I looked for the woman who’d joined the conversation, but all my watering eyes would allow me was a glimpse of a chestnut mass on top of a person-shaped blob.

“Your Majesty,” several people murmured.

Your Majesty?

“Hmm. They’re not what I expected,” the newcomer said. “I’m glad I was nearby when you found them. Jeme, love, can you take our prisoners into another room? Search them for weapons. I must prepare myself for an interrogation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the Zrelnach warrior said.

“The rest of you can wait outside.”

The blob moved past me, and soon after, the pressure on me relented. Wincing, I gingerly touched my nose while scrubbing my eyes.

“I think it’s broken,” I said to myself.

“It definitely is.”

Jerking my head up, I kept my face still at the sight of the Zrelnach warrior holding my grandfather by the elbow. Behind her, uniformed people were filing out of the waystation with its owner watching them go.

Poor man. Such unneeded chaos we’d brought him.

“Will you make me drag you along like Eledis here, or can I lead the way without that hassle?” Jeme asked.

I wouldn’t leave my grandfather here, and she knew it, but still, I nodded to show my agreement. She took us to a guest room, leaning against its door once we were inside.

“Disarm,” she said. “Leave your weapons on the bed.”

Even as I started doing as she asked, I lifted an eyebrow.

“Silverblade?” I asked. “I assume it’s still where I dropped it.”

Nodding, Jeme said, “I’ll get it. Make sure it’s left in good hands.”

“Thanks.”

What else was I supposed to say? I had a pretty good idea about what was happening here—context clues were everything—but I couldn’t be sure, and I desperately wanted to be wrong.

Because of that, I couldn’t know how deeply Jeme’s betrayal ran or if she’d even betrayed my family in the first place. I’d love to straight up ask her, but I didn’t want to anger a woman who could easily end me-

“Are you with the faction of Zrelnach plotting against us?” Eledis said.

Oh, Alouin, he’d straight up asked. Pausing, I glanced at Jeme, unsure what I’d see.

Indifference, apparently.

“I am, first and foremost, loyal to Allanovian,” she said. “If our Council has designs against you, then I have them as well.”

“Ha! A likely story,” Eledis said. “One or two people on your precious Council might want us dead, but they could never get the majority needed to authorize something like this. You’re working on your own, meaning-”

“Eledis! Stop,” I hissed. “Loyalty isn’t something to laugh at, even when it’s used against you. You can’t pick and choose when to value it, not if you expect people to stay loyal to you as well. Now, would you please finish? We should get this over with.”

Glaring at me, Eledis withdrew a final set of knives as slowly as possible before spreading his arms wide.

“Acceptable? Or do you need to pat me down?” he asked.

As if a Zrelnach wouldn’t notice if we’d kept a weapon on us. Indeed, Jeme left without a word, and grumbling under his breath, Eledis followed her to the dining room.

Before I could join him inside, Jeme stopped me, softly gripping my arm. Ignoring the unpleasant prickles running from that point of contact, I frowned on seeing her chewing a lip. She was conflicted about something?

“Thank you for stopping that man before I had to hurt him,” Jeme said, “and…”

While her throat worked, I became painfully aware of how hard she was fighting to hold my gaze.

“I wanted you to know that if there was ever a cause or person that could change my loyalty, it would have been fighting for Auden’s freedom and for you,” she said. “I would have happily sworn myself to you, Raimie, if you’d asked.”

Releasing me, Jeme retreated a step so she could bow to me—which was horribly disconcerting—before hurrying away, and for a moment, I was left staring after her. That had been…

Shuddering, I put Jeme and the idea of people becoming my vassals far from mind, focusing on my very real danger instead.

Even unwatched as I was right now, I didn’t try to escape. By now, hostiles would be guarding the waystation’s exits, and I seriously doubted that I could slip past them. So, I did the only thing I could: stride confidently into the dining room.

I stopped short on seeing the room’s occupants, though. Eledis, already seated by the fire, was no cause for concern, and the two men flanking the chair opposite him weren’t terribly surprising but the woman in that chair…

Slouching, she had her feet propped on the table with her hands folded on her stomach. She was wearing a tunic, jerkin, and breeches, all tight and formfitting, all the apparel of a peasant or merchant, but I knew that face.

Those sharp, green eyes watching me; those delicate features, littered with freckles; those chestnut curls, barely draping over her shoulders. This was Queen Kaedesa of Ada’ir, and her presence here meant that Eledis and I were thoroughly fucked.

Twisting her lips into a crooked smile, Kaedesa beckoned me forward, and I woodenly marched to her, dropping into the only chair left available. For a while, the queen merely watched us, so still that I could swear she’d turned to stone.

The entire time, I fought to keep from fidgeting, hoping to be as stoic as Eledis. When Kaedesa lowered her feet, removing her gaze from us, it came as a relief to me until the slap of them to the floor had me jumping, and for some reason, that made her chuckle. Resting her elbows on the table, she folded her hands in front of her face.

“Gentlemen,” she said, “I have questions.”

After a pause, Eledis said, “Anything you might want to know, we’re more than happy to explain, Your Majesty, but I’m not sure how interesting you’ll find it. My grandson and I live simple lives.”

Kaedesa smiled sweetly at him, but something about it had me backing as far as I could into my chair.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “I’d love to learn why one family has raised and marched an army across the breadth of my kingdom.”

Oh… shit. I knew what Kaedesa was thinking. When the last rebellion had thrown Ada’ir into chaos, I’d been old enough to remember it in vivid detail.

When it had been over, my family had received a summons to Fissid, and along with the townspeople, we’d watched the rebellion’s ringleaders paraded down the road behind the royal guard’s horses. I remembered the putrid scent of the corpses that had trailed some of them.

Those memories had me opening my mouth, probably to say something stupid, but Eledis preempted me.

“We’re not staging a rebellion, Your Majesty. My family is leading an expedition to Auden,” he said, “but I know how unbelievable that claim will sound, so let’s cut to the chase. I’m sure both of us would rather spend as little time here as possible. So, what will it take to prove our intentions, if anything can?”

Frowning, Kaedesa said, “Why would you make that deadly trip? There’s nothing of value in Auden anymore unless…”

Her face went carefully blank.

“You want me to believe that you mean to fight Doldimar?” she asked with her voice dead.

“That is our plan, yes,” Eledis said.

I couldn’t retreat any further into my chair, but hell, how I wanted to. The way Kaedesa was looking at Eledis and the glance that her guards had shared…

The Queen of Ada’ir burst into laughter, folding onto the table after a moment.

“That’s… the… most… ridiculous lie anyone’s ever told me,” she gasped.

After a moment more of helpless chuckling, Kaedesa straightened, wiping her eyes, and when she lowered her hands, I caught my first glimpse of the regal bearing that I’d expected from a royal.

Then, her eyes landed on me. Perhaps they softened when they did, but by that point, I’d ducked my head, letting the squirming that I’d restrained manifest. Why was she looking at me?

“I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt,” Kaedesa said.

With my head jerking up, I was caught in a gaze that was familiar…

Why was meeting her eyes so comforting to me, and why now?

“You will come with me to Daira,” Kaedesa pronounced. “While on the way, I will ponder your question, Eledis. I’ll have an answer for you by the time we arrive.”

Standing, she gestured to her guards.

“Have them brought to my sloop,” she said. “I’ll join you after I’ve met with the helpful, little bird who told me about this disturbance in my kingdom.”

I could swear her eyes twinkled as she’d said that last bit, but she was gone too quickly for me to verify that.

The trip to the harbor passed in a blur. I caught bits and pieces of what Eledis was muttering to himself, things like ‘set back the timeline’ and ‘need to speak with Marcuset’, but for the most part, I ignored him.

When I returned to myself, I was surrounded by iron bars while a slight sway in the floor rocked me. A brig, I presumed.

Eledis was huddled in a corner, gently banging his head on a wall.

“Why, ‘saya, why, ‘saya?” he was saying on repeat.

Seeing this, I rubbed my face, growling into my hands. We were on our way to Ada’ir’s capital on the ship of its queen. Not only that but its queen was known for her vicious nature toward traitors, which she suspected us of being. Oh, and my only ally was currently useless.

Hell. For a moment, I wanted to join Eledis in banging my head on something because…

Gods. I might have to save us this time.

TTS Chapter Forty-Six

Interlude 2.1: The Beginning

Eriadren

As I wandered through the ruins of a human village, I searched for survivors, although I couldn’t move as stealthily as I should. The last few hours had left me numb, drifting in a fog. Only my orders kept me on my feet, and I had to carry them out. I had-

I'd had to!

Muffled sobbing drifted from behind a pile of rubble, and with my heart in my throat, I eased toward it, raising my sword. Crumbled stone gave way to a woman, crouching over the body of a child with her shoulders shaking.

I should creep up on her and slit her throat, finishing the work that my unit had started here, but I couldn’t. I lowered my sword until its tip scraped through the dirt, and the woman spun to her feet with her face twisting.

“Unlike what the priests have told us, Alouin never vanished into the ether,” she calmly said. “His spirit may have left us, but his body didn’t. It is, in fact, in our insignificant city.”

That… wasn’t right. This woman had screamed and cursed me to a lifetime of torment. Why-?

A pounding sound filled the air around me, and at it, the woman walked toward me, lifting my blade until its point rested against her chest.

“You know the stories about Alouin, Eri. How he healed near instantaneously from his wounds. How he couldn’t die,” she said. “I want to find Alouin’s body. I want you to study it, and if we can, I want to transfer these abilities to Rafe. Will you help me?”

I didn’t understand. Why would this woman say these things? Why were those words so familiar?

The pounding of the world, of my heart, grew more insistent. Baring her teeth, the woman thrust herself forward, driving my blade through her chest, and an anticipatory silence fell. In it, the woman grinned at me while her voice echoed in my ears.

“Don’t follow through on something else you’ll regret.”

Gasping, I bolted upright while slapping my hand to my chest. I skittered my eyes over a darkened bedroom, landing them on where Lirilith was lying beside me.

I didn’t know how she was still asleep. She usually woke up when I had bad dreams, much like I did for her, but she did so most especially for the nightmares about the massacre.

Reaching out, I brushed her hair out of her face and almost jabbed a finger in her eye when raucous noise burst in the air around me. Someone was knocking downstairs.

While I forced my lungs to start working again, I remembered the promise that I’d made yesterday. Slinking out of bed, I donned my clothes, wincing at every slam of my friend’s knuckles on wood. As I hurried downstairs, I cursed under my breath, and when I yanked the door open, I ignored his raised fist.

“If you’ve woken Lirilith up, I will poison you, Arivor,” I hissed. “I don’t care how high up the social ladder you are.”

Pouting, Arivor said, “You’d kill me?”

“Any poison that I gave you wouldn’t kill you, and you know it. I’m too good with them,” I said, rolling my eyes. “What do you want?”

Twisting back and forth, Arivor scuffed his foot on the ground.

“Oh, I don’t know. I thought I’d steal the priests’ most prized possession and possibly get mangled in the process,” he said. “Want to come?”

He gave me the brightest smile that I’d seen from him in months, but all I could hear was the voice from my nightmare.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

Shaking it off, I returned Arivor’s grin.

“You know I do,” I said.

“Excellent!” Arivor said.

Clapping his hands, he stepped off of my home’s stoop.

“How should we do this?” he asked. “We could enter through the front doors or through the temple’s side entrances. What do you think?”

When I caught up, I flatly stared at my friend.

“Why are you asking me?” I said. “I’ve never been to that ghastly building.”

My relative ignorance only made Arivor laugh.

“Oh, this’ll be fun,” he said.

I certainly hoped so. I hoped I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life, but a tiny voice inside whispered that I was.

Getting into the temple turned out to be less difficult than expected. The vast majority of its guards were soldiers we’d known during the war, people who were more than willing to look the other way while we walked by, and of the few who weren’t, Arivor only had to glance at them to make them scramble out of our way. If he held himself the right way, his resemblance to Councilman Reive was uncanny.

Once we’d made our way into the inner sanctum, Arivor and I became more cautious. This deep into the temple, priests littered the hallways, and neither of us wanted them questioning us.

They didn’t seem to care about our existence, too lost in their ‘important business’ for that, and while normally I might find this insulting, I was grateful for it today.

All too soon, we reached the final checkpoint between us and our goal, but on seeing the holy guards ahead, people who’d been raised from birth to protect this one place in the temple, I pulled Arivor into a side room.

“How are we getting past them?” I asked. “The Council probably won’t take note of you wandering around the temple today, but they will check up on why you went into their most sacred of spaces.”

“I don’t know,” Arivor said. “I honestly didn’t think we’d get this far.”

Huffing, I glanced at the doors.

“Well, you’ve always been better with strategy, so you’d better come up with something,” I said. “Preferably before one of those guards comes to check on the suspicious individuals who just ducked out of view.”

“All right, all right. Give me a minute.”

Chewing on his thumb, Arivor assumed the distracted look he always wore when he was planning, and I fought to keep my foot from tapping. After a moment, he sharply nodded—“Right!”—before pulling his tunic over his head.

I turned aside to give him privacy, no matter that I’d seen him undressed plenty during the war. A lot of his surveillance plans had included shape change, and that magic type almost always ended with the user’s apparel shucked.

“I’ll cause a distraction. Once the guards are gone, you sneak in and figure out how to get what we need. Thinking on your toes is something you’re better at, after all,” Arivor said. “I’ll give you as long as I can, but to be safe, get out of there by the count of two hundred. We’ll meet back here.”

When I snapped my head toward him, my friend was laying his neatly folded clothes on a chair.

“That’s a shit plan, Arivor,” I said. “If you cause a ruckus, how will we get out of the temple?”

“We’ll figure it out then,” Arivor said while rubbing his eyes. “It’s the best I can do right now, Eri. If you want to back out, I wouldn’t blame you.”

That offer only stiffened my spine.

“I’m not backing out. Fuck you for thinking it,” I said. “I’ll do anything for Rafe.”

With a small smile, Arivor said, “And I love you for that. May we die only when we must?”

“Only when we must,” I said.

Over the course of five heartbeats, my friend transformed into a golden-haired monkey, and it raced into the hall. When screaming started a few seconds later, I couldn’t resist. I poked my head out the door, slapping a hand over my mouth to stop my laughter once I had.

Monkey Arivor had wrapped himself around a guard’s face, scratching and biting them. Once he had the group’s attention, he jumped to the floor, racing out of sight with the holy guards hot on his literal tail.

I began my count. No matter that it felt like a waste of my limited time, I waited until I’d reached ten before racing down the hall. Slipping through the door at its end, I eased it closed before scanning my surroundings.

Although richly decorated, this octagonal room was small, maybe fifteen paces across at its widest. Starting at the door, stairs led up to a rectangular dais, and on this sat a waist-high display, draped in white cloth.

A man was lying there.

Hurrying up the stairs, I didn’t let myself think about who this was. I merely judged his proportions, deciding whether I could bear his weight.

For a moment, I considered simply taking samples from him. I’d brought vials and a syringe with me for just such a purpose, but why take a piece of the subject when one could have the whole thing?

Only as I stood over the man was I walloped by what I was doing.

He looked rather plain, this final hope of ours. Salted brown hair framed a soft face with crinkles at the corners of his closed eyes.

He was asleep with his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm, and this, more than anything, struck me dumb. If the stories about him were true, then this man was thousands of years old. He should be long dead.

Shaking my head, I shoved my arms under him, throwing his body over my shoulders. What a waste of a thirty count.

Once I’d returned to the room where I’d started, I propped my cargo against a wall, refusing to look at him as I paced. Was Arivor ok? Had he escaped from the people chasing him?

Right as I'd resolved to go after him, a beetle flew through the door’s crack, expanding to a man as it reached the floor. Gasping, Arivor stumbled to lean on a wall, and I hurried to him with his clothes.

As he took them, I said, “All right?”

“I will be,” Arivor said. “Shaking off an animal’s mindset might not be difficult for me, but the energy drain this time was…”

When he fell silent, I gave him a moment before asking.

“Bad?”

“Understatement,” Arivor said.

Great. That meant I’d be in charge of any further magical expenditures, and given my lack of talent with that, it could be disastrous. Unfortunately-

“I have an idea for how to get out of here,” I said, “but it’ll involve a lot of illusion work.”

“Eri, I don’t think I can-”

“I’ll handle it. Illusions are the simplest of magic,” I said. “I’ll just need help with him.”

I pointed to where I’d left the man, and on seeing him, Arivor went still.

“Is that…?” he breathed.

“Alouin? If your intel is correct, yes,” I said. “Reverence later, Arivor. Escaping this place first. Help me get him on his feet.”

As we threw one of his arms around each of our shoulders, I winced in anticipation of the magic I’d be using.

“With the guards still distracted, getting away from their holy of holies shouldn’t be difficult. Once we’re in the main temple, though, we’ll need to act like we’re a trio of friends, having a good time. Can’t exactly make these arms disappear and I’m stumped for another way to explain them,” I said. “And disrespecting the temple should fit with the typical noble’s personality, considering their firm belief that the rules don’t apply to them.”

Clicking his tongue, Arivor said, “You think that too, Eri.”

“Yes. But I’ll happily admit to that.”

When Arivor glared at me over Alouin’s head, I stuck my tongue out at him, and he rolled his eyes.

“We should get out of here before the holy guards realize that their prey has vanished,” he said.

“Yeah. That seems wise.”

Making a face, I applied my illusion to Alouin. Covering a person with an animated facade like I was doing was one of the most complex types of illusion work, and combined with the role I was playing, it kept me from paying much attention to our rush out of the temple.

Fortunately, Arivor was creative enough to get us past any difficulties we encountered and smart enough to have a carriage brought to us once we were outside. He nudged me after we’d finagled our way inside of it.

“We’re good.”

After I’d dispelled my illusion, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me, one that had black lapping at the edges of my vision, but I managed to stay awake. Once I’d rallied, I found Arivor sitting beside me, raptly staring at the man sprawled opposite us.

He was still deeply asleep. Mentally groaning at the many hours I knew were coming, ones where I’d have to deal with my friend’s belief in our people’s greatest superstition, I poked him in the side.

“Hey.”

When he turned to me, I smirked.

“We just stole a god from his temple.”

And Arivor cracked up laughing, falling against the carriage wall.

I watched this with a soft smile. Whether studying Alouin’s body got us a cure for Rafe or not, seeing my friend freed from his troubles for the first time in almost a year was worth all of the danger I’d braved today.

TTS Interlude 2.1

TTS Interlude 2.1.1

Interlude 2.2: The Beginning

Eriadren

After Lirilith and I had gotten married, we’d pooled our resources to buy a house in the merchant’s district. It wasn’t much—a narrow, two-story building with little to differentiate it from its neighbors—but it was ours, an oasis from the scorn that we daily faced.

There was a garden in the back, Lirilith’s domain. I loved listening while she tended to her plants, addressing them in the same way she’d done with her troops during the war. It was very her.

But in this garden was a shed, my haven in our oasis.

Lirilith didn’t have the same disdain for science as the rest of the empire, but it didn’t much interest her, which would be fine if my indulgence in its study hadn’t been such an inconvenience at first. After a month or so, spent dealing with various experiments spread across the kitchen table, she’d had our old friends build the shed for me, adding a few modifications to the project at my behest once I’d found out about it.

So, here was where I messed with science, although Lirilith liked to be somewhere nearby when I did that. In the past, I’d had too many accidents for her to be comfortable otherwise. Here was where Arivor and I had brought Alouin’s body after stealing it.

When we’d lugged it through the house that day, we’d frozen on encountering my wife in the sitting room. Neither of us had expected her to be home, but she’d merely taken a sip of her tea, lifting an eyebrow at us, and said not a word. She’d gotten used to the antics of ‘her boys’, as she called us, long ago.

She was also the only reason I’d left my shed over the last week, tempting me outside with home-cooked meals and promises of soft pillows and her.

I was ever grateful to her for watching the shop while I’d been busy. Lirilith might not be as knowledgeable when it came to the healing arts, but she’d picked up some first-aid techniques during the war. That, combined with her natural charm, should be enough to keep the shop running for a while.

At least, I hoped it would be so because I was having no luck with my testing. At first, I’d tried a few, minimally invasive things with this current experiment, squeamish about poking around the insides of a dreaming man. We couldn’t know if he felt pain, and I hadn’t been sure if the rumors about his healing rate were true.

But the cautious approach had yielded nothing, and Arivor, by my side throughout this, had started acting… cranky, letting his desperation show itself. So, I’d moved on.

After that, we’d learned that the stories about Alouin were true. Half of my time spent messing with his body, I’d been racing to stay ahead of its ridiculous healing rate. Even still, I’d managed, systematically going through its many different parts, but I’d been at that for days.

This afternoon, I’d be sticking a needle into the filling of his neck’s bones. As I prepared for this, my stomach, lurching beneath my ribs, kept reminding me that I’d made the mistake of eating breakfast this morning, and I couldn’t help feeling like I needed to bathe. In between checking my various instruments, I scrubbed my arms, aware of Arivor watching me.

He was perched on the table where we’d lain Alouin’s body, sitting beside its head with his feet swinging, but this casual pose didn’t match the grim aura hovering over him. It was making my already rattled nerves flare more strongly.

We needed a distraction.

“Have you heard anything from your uncle about our trip to the temple?” I asked.

“No.”

Well, that had changed nothing. Maybe I should attack the source of my friend’s gloom, no matter how much that might scare me.

“How’s Rafe?” I asked.

This question got a reaction. Hopping off the table, Arivor stormed to me, grabbing my wrist so he could slap a syringe into it.

“Stop stalling,” he said. “Let’s get started.”

I held still until he let me go before speaking.

“I know you’re stressed right now, but don’t touch me like that. It’s not ok.”

Swallowing hard, Arivor squeezed his eyes closed.

“I know.”

He rubbed his face.

“I’m sorry. It’s just Rafe… he hasn’t gotten out of bed for a week, and even when he’s in it, he can barely move. He hasn’t kept any food down for two days.”

Dropping his hands to his sides, he worked his jaw for a moment before opening his eyes, letting a solitary tear roll free.

“He asked me to make it stop last night, Eri,” he whispered.

Shit.

I wasn’t sure what, if anything, I could say to help Arivor, so I spoke not a word. Closing my fingers around the syringe, I marched to my subject, rolling Alouin’s body so that it was lying face down.

“You’ll have to support his head, otherwise I might mess up the angle on this,” I said, glancing at my friend.

Nodding, Arivor wiped his eyes before hurrying to me. He did as I’d asked, and I sucked on my lip, considering where I should start.

I’d need a tissue and fluid sample first. It was what I’d done with every body part we’d tested, hiding them in case the subject was taken from us.

These samples lay in the bolt hole that led out of this place. It was one of the modifications that I’d asked my wife to include during the shed’s construction, knowing that sooner or later, our neighbors would come after Lirilith and me with pitchforks.

Getting the needle into the neck bone properly would be difficult. I’d never done it before and for good reason. Every medical text I’d read—both those from a tear and from the time when Alouin had walked among us—advised against penetrating the spine this high, recommending an entry point much lower. Doing it here could have severe consequences.

Which was partially the point. I needed to see how many ways this body could heal itself.

Given that, I supposed it didn’t matter how clumsy I was with this. Once I was finished, we’d begin the laborious process of peeling apart skin and breaking bone to reach the tissue within. I could get a sample then.

So, I jammed the syringe into my subject’s neck, only careful to avoid bone, and when I did, something besides candlelight flared inside the shed. Startled, I jerked the needle out, and that artificial light died.

Breathing hard, I met Arivor’s eyes. Besides his healing, that had been the first unusual reaction we’d gotten from my subject, and it made me cautious.

“Eri, is this…?” Arivor started. “Do you think-?”

“Maybe. We’ll find out,” I said, “but first, I’ll put Lirilith on standby, in case this blows up in our faces.”

“Smart,” Arivor said. “Hurry it up, then!”

Grinning, I bounded to the door, sucking in a breath as I yanked it open.

“Lirili-!”

"By the stars, you’re loud.”

My wife frowned up at me from where she was kneeling beside a garden bed.

“What do you want, most obnoxious and wonderful of husbands?” she asked.

“I’m about to do something hazardous for my health,” I said, forcing solemnity into my voice. “Thought you should know.”

Turning back to her task, Lirilith waved a pair of gardening shears overhead.

“I’ll be out here, listening for screams, then,” she said.

Hell, I loved her.

Returning to my subject and my friend, I lifted the syringe.

“Ready?” I asked with a mischievous grin.

Was he ready for a chance at a cure? Was he ready for the likelihood that this chance was as empty as the others? Was I ready to face another of the world’s marvels, to unravel it until it was mine to understand?

Arivor jerked his head in a nod, and once more, I sank the needle into my subject’s neck.

And nothing happened.

Groaning, I leaned my elbows on the table, dragging my hands over my face, while Arivor held perfectly still.

“Great. Just great,” I said. “Another dead end.”

At least, it seemed that way now. I’d have to poke at this part of my subject a little more before I could definitively declare it useless for our goal, but from how things had been going for us so far, I didn’t think much would change between now and then.

Arivor woodenly rounded the table to flop against its leg, jostling it. On the tabletop, the body jumped, making its hand slip over the edge, and when that appendage landed, it was wedged between the back of my friend’s head and the table’s leg.

If he found the touch of a living-dead man disturbing, Arivor didn’t show it. He stared into nothing while all of him was loosened with defeat. I’d never seen him like this, not even during our short captivity with the humans during the war.

“My son is going to die, and nothing can change that,” he said, surprisingly calm. “I should never have hoped for something else. Every time we think we can cure him, the possibility gets ripped away, and I can’t do it anymore.”

How did I pull him free of this despair? He was my best friend, and he was hurting, and I had to fix him. That was what healers did, right? Fix what was broken?

“I know it’s hard, Arivor. I do, but you have to hold onto hope for a little while longer,” I said. “I’m not finished with this body yet. Until I’m done, can you hold out? Please?”

Slowly, Arivor rolled his head until he could see me, almost letting the hand on him slip free, and I suppressed a shudder.

“What else is left?” he asked.

“Oh, a handful of grisly bits and pieces,” I said, “and I need to wrap up this part.”

With a half-smile, I flicked the syringe, still sticking out the body, and Arivor’s face went slack. His eyes emptied of his presence before he toppled to the side.

For a precious few seconds, I was stuck staring at this scene with my bewildered brain trying to figure out what had happened, but then, I was on my knees, rolling my friend over.

He looked dead. I’d seen enough corpses to know what it looked like when someone’s essence had left their body, but although that visage was what shrouded my friend—oh stars above, Clariss was going to kill me—he was still breathing.

Like Alouin was.

In a haze, I hauled Arivor upright, pinning Alouin’s hand behind his neck once more. Precariously holding this arrangement together, I flicked the syringe again, but as when I’d inserted it for a second time, nothing happened. Grabbing the end of it, I jimmied it back and forth, dragging its needle in a circle.

When white light collected around the hand that I’d pinned, I paused, but Arivor didn’t move, so I continued with my breathing going ragged. Had I killed my friend?

Well… he wasn’t dead, but in many ways, that might be worse. Had I- had I done this to him?

Coughing jarred the stream of my frantic thoughts while the hand behind Arivor, still filled with light, lifted to slap on the table. Much slipping and sliding occurred first, but the body on the table… Alouin pushed himself upright.

For a brief moment, I lost my hold on the world. The next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the shed with Arivor behind me, and Alouin had his hands lifted, frowning at one full of light and the other filled with darkness.

“What on earth?” he said.

A distracted look overtook him, and when focus returned, he widened his eyes to saucers.

“Oh, fuck. Why are those sequences initia-?”

Grunting, he curled on himself with a continuous string of curses spilling from his mouth. As if pushing against something solid, he brought his hands together at an agonizingly slow rate, gritting his teeth, and when they came together, a pained whine filled the shed.

At it, I scooted Arivor and myself further back, glancing toward the door. I didn’t think we could escape from here unnoticed, not with my friend in his current state. Instead, we thunked into a wall, and my already abused heart skipped a beat when the candle on a nearby table almost fell to the floor.

What was I doing? I should keep my eyes fixed on the- the god in my shed.

When I found him again, though, I squeaked. Gray mist, or maybe fog, was jetting from Alouin’s hands to a point in front of him, one where the air was doing something that I couldn’t quite comprehend, but it made my head hurt.

Almost, I looked away from this point. Before I could, though, the stream of mist causing it trickled to a stop. With it gone, Alouin limply fell to the table, flipping over it to tumble onto the floor.

Meanwhile, at the place where the mist had stopped, the air… shattered, and a hairline crack appeared. It expanded until it had made a pinhole, and streams of black and white flowed toward it from Alouin. Around the pinhole, the black trickle formed an oval while the white bits outlined this shape.

And the shed was still.

TTS Interlude 2.2

Interlude 2.3: The Beginning

Eriadren

Now that things in my shed had gone quiet, I was stuck in place with fear singing in every part of me. Fear worse than the moments before a battle. Fear worse than facing down an empire’s leader.

Lirilith hadn’t come to help me and Arivor, but I couldn’t blame her for that. To this point, everything had been relatively quiet, or as quiet as my typical experiments went. She probably thought that everything was fine and dandy in here.

When Alouin stirred, I stopped breathing. He got to his feet, quickly locating the oval.

“Damnit, this iteration didn’t need another one of those.”

Continuing to swear, he kneaded his arms one at a time while looking over his surroundings.

And his eyes landed on me.

Swallowing hard, I tried to smile. It must not have come off well because Alouin stormed toward me with a grumpy look carved into his face.

“Is this your work?” he asked. “Hell, this is what I get for trusting Max and Wye with my body: some primitive forcing me into it again. Damn. I was doing something important…”

Standing over me, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Where am I, and what did you do to me?”

My mouth was left flapping. I knew I should answer Alouin’s questions, but I couldn’t force my focus away from a single point of interest.

“For ships’ sake, man, speak up!” Alouin snapped.

Licking my lips, I pointed at his chin level.

“Um. You have a…” I said. “My syringe?”

“What?”

Furrowing his brow, Alouin patted at the back of his neck—

“Oh.”

—before pulling my syringe free. To my surprise, he returned it to me without a change of expression, rather than breaking it as I’d expected.

“That explains why I was stuck here,” he said. “Hell, you’ve messed with my sequence organization, but since I’m not using this body, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”

And finally, finally, my dumb, piece of shit self realized something that I should have considered from the second Alouin had woken up.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I- I have no right to speak with you after what I’ve done-”

“Debatable,” Alouin interrupted. “After everything I’ve suffered in my life, this was merely an inconvenience. But please. Do go on.”

Frantically, I found the trailing thread of my thoughts.

“My friend has a son who’s sick. Dying,” I said. “That’s why I was experimenting… is there any way you’d help me heal him? I know it’s a lot to ask.”

I didn’t know if I could figure out Arivor’s situation on my own, not any more than I had with Rafe’s at least, but I doubted I’d get more than one favor, if that, from this man, especially when he should be punching my face in.

Rafe needed the help more. If he were here, Arivor would understand. He’d probably kill me if I wasted this chance on him.

Cocking his head, Alouin examined me with narrowed eyes.

“I’ve seen a lot of miserably sick kids in my life, accompanied by their desperate parents,” he said, “but never a parent’s friend who’d go so far to help, especially alone. Where’s this kid’s mom, dad, or guardian?”

“Um…”

I was saying that a lot.

“He’s here, actually.”

Scrambling to my feet, I dusted my hands off, glancing over my shoulder with pinched lips.

“Something happened while-”

“Shit.”

That curse had been so quiet I almost didn’t hear it, but when I turned back to Alouin, he was eyeing my friend with anguished fascination.

“It’s that time, is it?” he said before turning his gaze on me.

What I saw there chilled me to the core.

“And here you are, the perfect sacrifice,” he said.

“…I’m sorry?” I said.

“I’m afraid that’s my line,” Alouin said. “You’re coming with me.”

I took a step back, banging my hip into something.

“Wha-?”

Alouin placed a finger on my forehead, and the world wrenched. When I could see again, dizziness made me cling to my knees.

I wasn’t in my shed. Instead, I was standing on a thin, gray line, running in front of me until it met the horizon, and when I looked behind me, the same was true. On one side of this, the world became a never-ending landscape of glowing white, or I assumed it was never ending. It was hard to tell. No colors differentiated the ground from the sky, and the same was true on the other side. The only difference between the two sides was that instead of spotless white, black night blotted out the world on my right.

Ahead of me, Arivor was lying with half of his body in the gray while the rest had disappeared into black. I tried to run for him, but a grip on my tunic’s neckline had me stumbling into Alouin, who pushed me upright.

“It’s true, then,” he said. “Daevetch has an avatar.”

“Daevetch?” I asked, trying to catch my breath.

Alouin answered me, but I didn’t hear what he’d said, too transfixed by the fingers of night that were creeping up my friend’s chest. What was that?

I didn’t like it. Something about it shivered disquiet into me, and so, tightening my lips, I again tried to reach my friend.

This time, Alouin’s tug on my wrist sent me sideways, twirling me until my back was to the white landscape. Facing me, the god dug his fingers into my shoulders.

“Do you love your friend?” he asked.

What kind of question was that?

“I would do anything for Arivor,” I said. “If it were needed, I would die for him.”

A tension that I hadn’t noticed before leaked from Alouin, even if his shoulders also drooped.

“And you will,” he said. “Many, many times.”

Many…? How did one die more than once?

“I’m so sorry.”

Before I could register what was happening, Alouin placed his hand on my chest, and with a pulse of light, I was sent flying, tumbling on landing. I was on my feet as soon as I could roll to them, sprinting for the gray line. If the black on Arivor had made a primal part of me hiss, then I could only assume this white light would too.

When I reached the line, however, Alouin was waiting for me with roiling night coating his arms.

“Don’t,” he said. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”

I sneered at him, making to step into gray, but Alouin pointed down the line.

“Look at your feet and then, your friend,” he said.

Reluctantly, I glanced down, shuddering on seeing a sheet of white rising up my legs. Arivor, on the other hand, was completely covered in black.

“He was already lost,” Alouin said. “This way, you’ll have one another.”

“What does that mean?" I shouted.

But Alouin was gone, and I was alone, keeping perfectly still until white light swept over my head.

When a jolt ran through me, I knew I was in my shed, even without looking, but that was mostly because I banged my hip into the table at my back.

The one that had had a candle on it.

My eyes flew open, and I watched while, as if in slow motion, the candle rocked off of the table, falling onto Arivor’s face. In a heartbeat, I was on my knees, plucking hardened beeswax free, but the damage was done.

The candle had landed with its wick on Arivor’s cheek. Its flame had made a red circle on his skin, one that would scar, and molten wax was drying in spatters and rivulets everywhere else. Painful, a bit disfiguring, but nothing like what we’d endured during the war.

He should still be screaming.

When I focused on Arivor, though, I found the same empty expression there.

He hadn’t returned yet. Was he coming back?

A quick check confirmed that Alouin had vanished, so I couldn’t ask him these questions. I’d have to wait, then.

Sitting on my heels, I touched Arivor’s cheek. I should get a salve for this, but no matter how much I wanted to treat my friend’s wound, I couldn’t leave his side. I had to know what he’d seen in that other world. I had to know that he was ok.

It should have been me. I’d knocked the candle off of the table. I’d flicked the syringe that had seen his essence fleeing his body. It should be me.

At this thought, heat bored into my face, spraying in pinpricks around its entry point, and with something between a yelp and a howl, I slapped my hand to it, which only made the pain worse. Of course.

I didn’t have the presence of mind to appreciate my idiocy, though, too busy hunching on myself and quietly hissing.

Even with my focus on the sting lancing my cheek, a crackle and pop teased at my ears while a concerning smell tickled at my nose. The smell of something burning.

I hadn’t put the candle out before tossing it aside.

Gasping, I straightened, meaning to put the fire out, when something familiar and unexpected slammed into me. An energy drain.

Dumbly, I swayed in place. Why was this-? I hadn’t used magic!

Another one walloped me, letting black eat into my vision, and somehow, I screamed for help before crumpling. As the world drained to pinpricks, Arivor’s face came into focus. He was still gone, his essence flown to that other world we’d visited, but…

No burns marked his skin.

Then, I was out like a light.

TTS Interlude 2.3

Interlude 2.4: The Beginning

Eriadren

I took a breath with sunlight bathing my body, and for a while, I just lay in bed, tracking dust motes in the air above me. I was waiting for my brain to catch up, letting whatever it was hiding from me flow through the cracks, and when I remembered, I sat bolt upright, falling onto my elbows when the room started spinning.

Arivor! He needed my help.

When I rolled out of bed, I ended up falling instead, and the crack of my body on the ground was loud in the quiet.

Ow.

Now that I thought about it, my surroundings hadn’t reminded me of home, and whatever I'd been laying on definitely wasn't my bed. In fact, I was pretty sure it was-

“Familiar, isn’t it, Eriadren? Years ago, you lay here, recovering after saving my nephew from thieves. Now, look at the two of you.”

Just who I’d always wanted to see after waking up from a near death experience: my mortal enemy.

“Reive,” I growled.

Bracing for pain, I pushed myself off of the floor, all while glancing around the healing house, and was surprised by how normal I felt.

Normal? I was positively glowing with health, which wasn’t something I should show around the man glowering at me.

Swallowing hard, I asked, “Is Arivor…?

“He’s alive. Went home about an hour ago. Some sort of emergency at home,” Reive said.

“Well…” I said, shakily sighing. “That’s-”

“I wasn’t finished,” Reive snapped. “Arivor will be scarred for the rest of his life because of your stupid experiment. Ruining his reputation wasn’t enough for you, was it? Well, I hope you’re happy because you’ve certainly made your mark on him now.”

But… there at the end, before I’d lost consciousness, I could have sworn that the burn marks on my friend’s face had gone.

I needed to talk to him so we could compare our stories, and then, we should figure out what had happened.

Had I actually woken Alouin up? What had he created in my shed, and by the stars, what had that place of light and dark been? What was Daevetch?

“Was it you two who stole from the temple?”

Jerking free of my contemplation, I blinked at Reive for a moment, first wondering why he was still here and then, controlling the panicked gibbering that I wanted to unleash. Instead, I smirked, playing the part of the deriding asshole I’d always been around him.

“Something was stolen from the temple?” I said before clicking my tongue. “If that gets out, it won’t reflect well on the Council.”

For a while, Reive just stared at me, but when he opened his mouth to speak, someone interrupted him.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Lirilith. By the stars, how that woman saved me.

She advanced on us with a hint of the regal air that she’d abandoned long ago, looking down her nose at Reive.

“If I find out you’ve been less than pleasant to my husband, Councilman, there will be consequences,” she said. “I still have friends in the capital, friends who owe me, so unless you want to see what sort of punishment I can devise for you, you’ll kindly get the hell out of here.”

Despite the amused front he was raising, Reive couldn’t hide the brittleness of his smile.

“I’ll do that,” he said. “While I’m here, is there anything I should tell your father when next I see him?”

Stepping into Reive’s personal space, Lirilith peeled her lips back.

“Fuck you,” she breathed. “That’s for both of you.”

With a half-smile, Reive said, “I’ll be sure to relay your message.”

But he stalked away, ridding us of his nasty presence. Lirilith sat on the edge of my bed, taking my hand with pinched eyes.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

After glancing around for eavesdroppers, I leaned toward her.

“Perfect,” I said. “Better than I ever have, in fact, which is a bit troublesome.”

“How so?” Lirilith asked.

For a moment, I hesitated. I’d like to share my fear: that my perfect condition had something to do with a place of white and black, but what if she thought I was crazy, suffering from delusions after a brush with death?

In the end, though, I couldn’t keep it from her. She was my wife, after all.

So, I shared everything that had happened: stealing Alouin’s body from the temple, experimenting on it, and the disastrous conclusion of those efforts.

“I’m sorry that I’ve kept this from you,” was what I ended on. “I wasn’t trying to. It’s just… you know how I get when I’m engrossed in a project.”

“Completely oblivious to anything but it? Yes, I know,” Lirilith said, “as I’ve known that you’ve been in one of your moods for a while now. And before you ask, I believe you. Arivor was acting… strangely before someone retrieved him.”

“Reive mentioned that an emergency had come up at home,” I said before pausing. “How is he?”

My voice was quiet, but still, Lirilith heard the question, tightening her hold on me.

“Not good, Eri,” she said. “If you’re feeling as recovered as you say, we should visit him. I’m worried. He’s-”

She bit her lip, pulling her hand out of mine.

“Before he left, he was acting like he did in the weeks after we massacred that human town,” she said.

“Shit,” I murmured.

Lirilith nodded, and I threw my legs over the cot’s edge.

“If that’s true, then we need to leave this place,” I said. “Now.”

A few healers tried to stop us as we left, insisting that I needed bed rest, but I pushed through them, and they couldn’t stop us. No one had been able to stop Lirilith and me once we’d put our mind to something.

Once we were outside, I shelled out the coin needed to hire a carriage, wanting all the speed we could get. Lirilith and I were silent on the ride there. Sitting opposite one another, we leaned forward to clasp each other’s hands.

Soon enough, we reached Arivor’s estate, hurrying over the pathway to his front door. When I knocked, a manservant answered it.

“Ah. The master said you might be coming,” he said, sneering at me like he always did. “I’m to show you to him, although why he wants to see you at this difficult time is beyond me.”

Difficult time?

“Is Clariss here?” Lirilith asked, stepping over the threshold.

“Yes, Your Eminence. She’s with the master.”

Rolling her eyes, Lirilith waved for the manservant to take the lead before sharing a worried look with me. With Rafe’s illness having driven them apart, Clariss and Arivor couldn’t stand to be in the same room right now. That they were together now was concerning, and this worry deepened when we turned onto the hallway that Rafe’s room led from.

Rushing around the manservant, I sprinted for where I knew Arivor would be. After banging the door open, I took in the space: Clariss quietly crying in a corner, Arivor holding his son’s hand to his forehead, Rafe lying pale and still in bed.

And I thought the worst had happened, releasing a silent wail from deep inside of me.

Then, the boy’s chest rose and fell—such a shallow inhale—and the air in my lungs rushed out of me.

The adults in the room turned to face me as I inched inside, but I had eyes only for Rafe. Arivor said something I didn’t hear, and I barely made out Lirilith, rushing to her friend, while lowering myself onto the bed.

Beside me lay a boy that I loved as if he were my own, and hesitantly, I brushed a knuckle over his cheek before resting my hand on his shoulder.

This wasn’t fair. Rafe was too young for this to be happening. He should have years ahead of him, not hours as he did now. His face blurred as I considered all the things he’d never do.

He wouldn’t attend school or go on adventures with his friends. He wouldn’t fall in love or Join with someone. He wouldn’t have children of his own, if he wanted them.

And the world would never experience his brilliance.

It wasn't fucking fair!

When I lowered my face, burying it in the boy’s chest, I might have started soaking his clothes with tears. I wouldn’t know, too caught up in my own self-loathing to notice.

This was my fault. If I’d found a cure, this wouldn’t be happening. Rafe would be running around the house, doing all the things that little boys did.

By the stars, I wished I could take this from him. It was what I deserved. If a way existed for me to suffer this illness instead of him, I would do it because-

From out of nowhere, the energy that I’d enjoyed since waking up was sapped from my body, and I couldn’t think past the nausea that had taken hold of me. Somehow, I pushed myself away from Rafe before spewing vomit all over the floor, and I tumbled off the bed.

My head cracked on something.

The lights went out.

The next thing I knew, Lirilith and Arivor were hovering over me with pinched faces, and on actually seeing my friend, I winced at the deplorable bandaging that was covering half of his face. The scent of lavender… or something equally as useless strongly hovered around him.

“Why the hell did you let someone do that?” I asked, slurring my words a bit. “You couldn’t wait for someone competent to treat you?”

Chuckling, Arivor said, “He’s all right.”

While he sat back on his heels, Lirilith took hold of my head, turning it every which way.

“I thought you said you felt fine,” she snapped. “If you have a concussion, you should have stayed in the healing house.”

Shoving her hands away from me, I sat up, massaging my temples.

“I promise you, love, I’m fine,” I said before lifting my head.

And at what I saw, my mouth went dry, which had me forcing my words out.

“Pretty sure the fainting wasn’t because of a concussion.”

On the tail end of this, a sleepy voice said, “Uncle Eri? What are you doing here?”

Arivor was on his feet faster than I’d thought possible, spinning toward the bed.

Where Rafe was sitting up with a healthy glow to his skin. He ran his eyes over the adults in the room, frowning.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Why are all of you here?”

Having gained my feet at some point, I lifted an arm in front of Arivor to keep him from running to his son. Was this truly safe yet, or were we about to barrel into another tragedy? Best not to let my friend get closer until we knew what was happening.

Meanwhile, Clariss was slowly turning into a hyperventilating puddle in her corner, and Lirilith moved toward her, absently patting her back.

“Hey, buddy,” I said with numb lips. “How do you feel?”

Cocking his head, Rafe said, “I feel…”

His eyes went wide.

“I feel fine. I feel…”

“Better?” Lirilith gently asked.

But Rafe wasn’t listening. Carefully, he climbed out of bed, testing his ability to stand, before jumping in place, and a giggle spilled from his lips.

“Not sick,” he said before glancing at me and his father. “I’m not sick."

Arivor made the smallest whimper beside me, and I couldn’t hold him back anymore. While he raced to hug his son, Clariss scrambled to join them, and I met Lirilith’s eyes.

What had just happened? Had I done this?

I saw the same questions reflected in my wife’s eyes, although fear was there too.

It wasn’t meant for me, though. What would this superstitious, stuck-in-its-ways city think of Rafe’s miraculous recovery?

Arivor extended a hand toward me, waving for us to join them, and we did, if slowly. By the time I’d reached my friend, though, I’d pushed worry aside. For the moment.

I hugged Rafe, ruffling his hair and laughing when he made a face at me. For a while, we five people were transported to a wondrous place of joy, where anything could happen, and we reveled in it.

But at some point, I caught myself staring at Arivor’s bandaged cheek. If I was right and I’d been the cure for Rafe, why was Arivor still injured? If my little miracle hadn’t stuck for him, would Rafe regress too?

When I peeled my eyes off of his cheek, Arivor was looking at me.

“If you’re worried about… that, I’m pretty sure you don’t need to,” he quietly said.

“What? Why?”

Again, Arivor shook his head.

“We need to talk. Later.”

“Yeah,” I said. “We really do.”

TTS Interlude 2.4

Interlude 2.5: The Beginning

Eriadren

"I'm worried about Rafe."

With the day almost over, I was sitting in bed, waiting for Lirilith to join me. She was taking a long time in the washroom tonight, long enough that my thoughts had once more turned to the anxiety that had been eating at me in the months since Rafe's recovery.

It hadn't been too bad at first. People had reacted to something they'd consider 'unnatural' with unexpected stoicism, but tensions had been rising in the city lately. Despite the thrashing we'd given them a decade ago, the human kingdoms had once more moved against the empire. Rumors of another war were rife in the city, which had people on edge, and this had started eroding Rafe's protections.

"That boy will be fine, Eri. He has people looking out for him, and his status as a noble will make anyone think twice before hurting him," Lirilith said. "So, stop worrying. Tell me how your research went today."

Groaning, I thunked my head against the wall. Shortly after the accident, Arivor and I had compared notes about what we'd experienced on the day in question, but unfortunately, my friend hadn't been able to add much to what I'd already known. Considering he'd been unconscious throughout those events, his ignorance hadn't surprised me, but from the smattering of disconnected memories that Arivor did recall, one thing had stood out.

Unlike the strange circumstances that had left me in consistently perfect health, Daevetch, the substance that had infected Arivor, wouldn't let him heal. Fortunately, it ignored small things like bruises or stubbed toes, but anything more, like burns, would stay present for the rest of his life.

When Arivor had woken up in that place of darkness and light, this delightful fact had been the only thing that Alouin had shared before sending him away, like the god had with me.

My healing tick didn't work on him either. We'd learned that the hard way.

Since then, Arivor and I had spent every free hour scouring the city for information about Daevetch. We hadn't found much, just vague or useless facts, and I was getting frustrated with our lack of progress. In a sick way, I was glad now that it had taken so long to find a cure for Rafe. That struggle had taught me the value of having patience when a search for answers looked endless.

"Well?" Lirilith asked.

"Can we please not talk about it?" I said. "I don't want to think about the accident or the burns on Arivor's face or any of it. Not here."

"Why not?"

For a moment, I was lost for words. Was she serious?

"Because this is the only place where I can drop all my cares and worries," I said. "Because this place is safety, somewhere I can focus completely on-"

"Me?" Lirilith interrupted.

Standing in the entrance to our cramped washroom, she was leaning one shoulder against the doorframe, but as she smirked at me, I couldn't focus on what that look might mean, not after I recognized what she was wearing.

It was her uniform from the war, but she'd removed the medals that typically hung from it, and the jacket's top buttons were undone. With her hair pulled into a messy bun, a few strands—

The exact same ones. By the stars, how had she remembered that?

—had fallen around her face, and she'd painted her lips and eyes.

The clencher, however, was the necklace peeking from beneath her neckline. Lirilith only got that piece out for the most serious and special of occasions. It was all she had left of her mother.

Looking at this ensemble I was struck by a sense of déjà vu, one so strong that it transported me to the years of the war. On the night Lirilith was evoking, we'd camped near the battlefield, too tired to flee the cries of the dying and the smell of those already gone. She'd received new orders a few hours previous, and after she'd shared them with us, I'd crawled into my bedroll, dreading the next day.

Right as I'd been drifting off, I'd heard a voice outside my tent. When I'd lifted the flap, I'd found a twin of the woman before me now, and she'd said-

"May I come inside Sergeant Eriadren?" present-day Lirilith asked.

Licking my lips, I scooched backward in bed, remembering one of the best nights of my life.

"Of course, commander," i said, echoing a past version of myself.

Lirilith stalked forward, crawling over our bed sheets until she was sitting in front of me. Hesitantly, she brushed my cheek, and I leaned into it, exactly and I'd once done.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

And again, I felt the urge to look away from her, although the cause was different now.

"I'll survive," I said.

Again, Lirilith smacked the bedding beside me, drawing her face into the fiercest of expressions.

"That's not good enough," she said.

As my cajoling urge insisted, I looked away, focusing on the sword that I kept propped int he corner of our room. It was a much better sight than the blood-stained blade that had once lain at the head of my bedroll.

"What do you want me to say, Lirilith?" i said. "Should I talk about how terrified I am, both for myself and Arivor? What if I can't keep him safe, like I promised? Should I share how I won't sleep tonight, too eaten up by guilt to find dreams?"

Hell, it was uncanny how well those words fit my present-day circumstances too.

"I understand," Lirilith said.

And here, she'd paused. And here, I'd silently begged for her to say. I hadn't been sure what I'd do if she'd left me alone in that cold tent.

When her voice burst on my ears, as sharp as it had been back there, I almost smiled instead of reeling away, as our reenactment required.

"You're not the only one feeling these things, asshole," Lirilith snapped. "All of us are, but if we're to survive this war, we must help each other with them. So, help me, Sergeant Eriadren, by letting me help you. At the least, I can fix the last thing you mentioned."

I couldn't help but smile now, even if I kept my eyes fixed on my sword.

"I don't know..." I said.

By the stars, I'd tried to project uncertainty into that phrase, mimicking the same tone I'd had back then, but hell, if I hadn't failed miserably at it.

Wrapping her hands in my tunic, Lirilith growled. "Look at me."

When I refused with my grin turning impish, she shook me.

"I said look at me!"

So, I did, but here, Lirilith went off script. Releasing me, she grabbed something lying on the bedroll beside her, bringing it into view.

"Join with me, Eri," she said with a shy smile.

I stared at the red sticks she was holding. She wanted to do a Joining?

First, the necklace and the recreation of our first night together and now, this. Suddenly, I was apprehensive. What was going on? Was something wrong?

"Are you sure?" I asked. "It's been a while..."

I trailed off at the pleading in her eyes.

"I know," Lirilith said, "but still, I'm asking."

Hesitantly, she extended a stick toward me, and I took it.

"Thank you," Lirilith said, more relieved than she should be, "I love you, Eri."

She broke her stick, breathing in its red particles, and bracing for what was coming, I did the same.

But then, I was her, and she was me, and we were we. We knew exactly that the one we loved wanted and what the one we loved had feared, and those fears dissipated once we realized how silly they'd been.

As the one we loved wished, we reached for them, drawing them to us. Our lips pressed against something wonderfully soft—or was it familiarly chapped?—and when we opened our mouths, letting our tongues taste tongue and teeth and skin, we sighed, running our hands over our loved one's body. We pulled clothes off of them, desperate to press our skin together, and when we did... ahh...

Pulling on our loved one's hair, we panted, "Stop, stop. We need-"

But they quieted us with a kiss, whispering into our mouth.

"We know, love."

It was slow and careful, but soon enough, we were as thoroughly merged physically as we were mentally. And all we could do was look into our loved one's eyes, watching them go wide. Their face slackened, leaving only bliss behind. Every muscle, every vein, every bit of us was filled with this, and consciousness was gone for however long it took that swell to crest and diminish.

When we returned from this, we were lying on our loved one, struggling to breathe. Their weight was uncomfortably pinning us, so we rolled over, bouncing as our loved one curled up beside us. The Joining wasn't over, however, although it was fading... fading...

Hazily, I Eriadren, watched Lirilith as she paced across the kitchen, gnawing on her thumb. What...?

Holy shit, she'd reversed it. I was seeing her past after our consciousnesses had wound together. How on earth had she-?

I was dragged across time. Its events flashed by too quickly for me to register them, and when the rush slowed down once more, I was sitting beside Lirilith in a healing house's waiting area.

Oh, no. Was she sick? Was that why...?

"Lirilith?"

A stout woman beckoned my wife into a private room, and once inside, Lirilith took a seat.

"Go on, my dear," the healer said, getting herself settled. "What's wrong?"

Uncomfortably shifting, Lirilith clasped her hands in her lap, staring at them, and I wished that I could have been there to support her.

"My- my cycles," she said, swallowing hard. "They've... stopped, and I... I'm sterile, so I'm worried..."

She couldn't continue, and I was stuck watching her. Oh, Alouin, why hadn't she come to me?

She hadn't wanted to worry me. Yes, I got that, but I could have told her-

Wait. Was this what I thought it was?

"All right," the healer said. "I'm going to list some symptoms, and you tell me if you've noticed any of them. Can you do that?"

When Lirilith nodded, the healer started, and as she went on, I leaned my elbows on my knees, hiding my face. My poor wife, she'd avoided this side of her life for so long that she'd thought this, something most women would recognize, had been her body failing on her.

Once the healer had finished with her list, she chuckled.

"My dear, you're not sick," she said. "Unless you consider the miracle of life a disease, that is."

When Lirilith stiffened, I laid a hand on her arm, even knowing she wouldn't feel it.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The healer's face crinkled.

"Why, you're with child, my dear," she said.

The Joining snapped, leaving me alone in my body. I had no connection to the one I loved, and as I shuddered, tears spilled over my cheeks.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, adjusting to a solitary existence again, but when I was aware of the world once more, Lirilith was hovering over me with worry pinching her face. Softly smiling, I tangled my fingers in her hair, humming when she leaned into my hand, until everything from the Joining had integrated. Once it had, I snapped my eyes open wide.

"You're with child?" I said.

Grinning, Lirilith nodded.

"We... we're having a baby?" I asked, terrified and desperate for the answer.

Years, we'd wanted this. Years and now...

Leaning down to me, Lirilith whispered, "Yes."

She kissed me, and for a beat, my poor brain tried to process everything.

But then, I tackled her into our sheets. Thus, we performed a repeat of our Joining.

Once we'd finished, we stayed awake for a while, making plans and talking about our hopes and joy and everything, but eventually, Lirilith fell asleep on my shoulder. For a while, I watched her dream before following her into that unconscious state.

TTS Interlude 2.5

Interlude 2.6: The Beginning

Eriadren

As I watched a woman weep over her murdered daughter, my sword was heavy in my hand. I let its tip fall into the dirt, and she spun, becoming fury incarnate as she stalked toward me. She screamed and cursed, soon bending down to pinch my blade. Resting it on her chest, she fiercely grinned at me.

"I told you. You shouldn't have done something you'll regret."

She thrust herself onto my sword, and life fled from her, but as it did, her skin and clothing flaked away, revealing the figure of white light beneath. As it stepped free of my blade, another guise oozed over its body, and I stared at a copy of myself while the wound in his chest knit together.

"Now, you're ours," he said.

Gasping, I shot upright, half-aware of the cold sweat covering me, and with a shiver, I rubbed my arms.

"Eri?" Lirilith sleepily said. "What's the mat-?"

A frantic noise, coming from below, interrupted her. Who could be knocking at this hour of the morning? Whoever it was, they couldn't have brought anything good with them.

As I got out of bed, I pointed at Lirilith.

"Stay here. I can handle this," I said. "You have more than yourself to worry about now."

Paling, Lirilith glanced at her abdomen.

"Ok," she said.

As I threw on clothing, my best knife went into my trousers' waistband, and snatching my sword from its corner, I raced downstairs. Once at the door, I eased it open, hiding my weapon behind it.

Arivor was on the other side.

As always, I sought out the bandaging on his cheek, but it wasn't there tonight, which displayed his burns for the world to see. Frowning, I was wondering why he'd do such a thing when he snapped his fingers in my face.

"Let us in," he hissed. "They're coming."

Automatically, I flung the door open, ushering Arivor and- and Rafe—fuck—inside.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Nervously, Arivor glanced at his son, and I saw how badly Rafe was shaking. Crouching, I touched his elbow, and when he focused, I squeezed it.

"Hey, buddy," I said. "You ok?"

Swallowing hard, Rafe said, "I'm scared, Uncle Eri. Angry men came to our home, looking for me..."

As he went distant, my stomach dropped. This was it, what I'd been afraid of for months. Why hadn't Arivor gotten his family out of the city like I'd told him to do? Why had he thought he could make changes in the Council before something like this happened?

I couldn't say any of that, not to Rafe. Never to Arivor.

"You're safe here," I said before pausing.

I wasn't sure how to comfort the boy. Fortunately, Lirilith saved me, as usual.

"Why don't you come with me?" she said. "I should have some cookies in the kitchen."

Rafe barked a shaky laugh.

"That sounds good, Aunt Lirilith," he said.

Once they'd gone, I turned on Arivor to demand an explanation, but his drawn demeanor—by the stars, my stomach clenched on seeing that look—almost had me pausing.

Even still, I had to know.

"Well?" I said.

Rubbing his eyes, Arivor said, "Goons from the Council came to our estate, demanding Rafe. I had Clariss stall while getting him out and..."

He shuffled in place, and I suppressed a grin, knowing why he was uncomfortable.

"And you came to me because with my history, I might know a secret way out of the city," I said.

Ducking his head, Arivor said, "Yes. I'm sorry, Eri, but I didn't know what else to-"

"I have a way out," I said.

When he looked up at me, I stuck my tongue out.

"Of course I have a way to escape this city. I'm not some pampered noble," I said with a smirk.

But then, I turned serious.

"You were right to come here."

Frowning, Arivor drawled, "So...?"

I grimaced.

"You won't like it," I said. "My bolt hole starts in my shed."

Recoiling from me, Arivor said, "But that's where-"

"I'm perfectly aware of where it is," I interrupted. "This is my home."

Arivor and I still weren't sure what Alouin had made in my shed. After the fire, Lirilith and I had rebuilt the rickety place so we could hide that wretched, black pinhole, but the sense of unease it gave off had us believing that it wasn't good.

"You'd be exposed for thirty seconds, tops," I said. "The entrance is in the shed's corner while the exit's in my mother's home. You remember her?"

With a fond smile, Arivor said, "How could I forget such a gracious lady?"

Somehow, I hid how much his words had warmed me. Since graduation, I hadn't interacted with my mother, for her own safety, and I missed her dearly.

"She'll get you out of the city," I said. "She can also get letters back in, although I'd limit that as much as you can. We can work out next steps once you and Rafe are safe."

Shivering, Arivor nodded.

"Ok," he said before shaking his arms out. "Ok."

He looked determined now, which was heartening. Over the next few days, he'd need a great deal of fortitude, something he hadn't been showing before.

Lunging for me, Arivor dragged me into a hug.

"Thank you, Eri," he said. "You have no idea-"

Pounding on the door interrupted him, jerking us apart with a fearful glance exchanged.

"Open up!" someone shouted outside. "By decree of the Council, we have leave to search any home for our fugitive. If you can hear me, you have thirty seconds to open this door before we break it down."

"Fucking damn it," Arivor muttered.

Giving him an incredulous look, I shoved him toward the kitchen.

"Less cursing, more running," I said.

He spared me the most cursory of glares before taking off, and I turned to my task: stalling.

"All right, all right. I'm coming!" I called. "Hold on!"

Meanwhile, I was ruffling my hair into more of a mess while rumpling my tunic.

"Citizen, if you don't let us in, we are authorized to arrest you for obstructing our search," the same voice shouted, sounding much more annoyed.

"Yes, I understand! By the stars," I said, louder now. "I hope you understand how much of a hellion my wife can be if you wake her up before she's ready."

A snort had me looking over my shoulder. Leaning out of the kitchen, Lirilith signaled the all clear, retreating once I'd nodded.

"Journeyman Healer Eriadren, this is your last-"

Oh, so they did know whose home this was. Good to know.

Yanking the door open, I poured as much disdain as possible onto the squad of city guardsmen on the other side.

"What the fuck do you want?" I snapped.

One of them—their captain, I presumed—waved at the air as if swatting at a bug.

"Step aside," he said.

Crossing my arms, I said, "No. Not until someone tells me what's-"

With a click of his tongue, the captain shoved his way past me with his subordinates filing in after him. The last guard inside pinned me to the wall with a look of delight on his face.

Hell. What had I ever done to him?

When one of the guards ducked into the kitchen, a piercing shriek sounded, followed by a thunk. The guard hurried back out, chased by a host of utensils and plates, and I snorted. Trust my wife to create a distraction from nothing.

This went on for a while before the captain herded a wriggling, hissing Lirilith toward me. When he tossed her my way, the guard pinning me backed off, giving me barely enough time to steady her stumble.

"Control your woman," the captain snarled.

Somehow, I kept from laughing at the scratch marks on his face, nodding instead. Once he was gone, I squeezed Lirilith, perfectly aware of our guard's scrutiny.

"Are you hurt?" I asked.

Grimacing, Lirilith said, "Manhandled but fine."

She looked me over.

"From the way they're tearing through our home, I'm surprised they've let you keep your clothes on," she sarcastically said. "Who knows? Maybe you're somehow hiding what they want under there."

'Keep your clothes'. One of our many codes, used to ask if someone was armed during the war. Considering I was still holding my sword, Lirilith must be asking about hidden weapons.

"Even if they take my clothes, I doubt they'll want my underpants," I said before cupping my mouth. "They don't seem like the type to enjoy that sort of thing."

Our guard growled a warning, but we ignored him.

Smirking at me, Lirilith said, "Well, that's good. I don't have much on under this shift. If they took it, they wouldn't get much of a strip tease."

Got it. If this became a fight, I was in charge of protecting us until Lirilith got her hands on a weapon.

For a while, I held her with both of us flinching whenever something made of glass broke, but eventually, the captain rejoined us, looking like a cat who'd caught the canary, and the first bit of a crack spliced into my world.

"Our work's done here," he said. "Time to get back."

Nodding, our guard relaxed, but I wasn't paying attention to him.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Turning gleeful eyes on me, the captain smiled.

"Your bolt hole wasn't as well hidden as you must have thought, Journeyman Healer," he said. "We found our fugitives in there as well as several interesting items. In fact, now that I think about it, you should probably join us for this evening's proceedings."

He nodded at our guard, and that man grabbed me while the captain took my sword. I wanted to fight them, but Lirilith was standing right there. As they pulled me out of our home, she turned wide eyes on me.

"Rastchaka, Eri," she said.

Rastchaka, the last battle of the war. Where Arivor and I had infiltrated the enemy's ranks on a suicide mission. Where Lirilith had led the cavalry charge that had eventually saved our lives.

She wanted to repeat that travesty.

Ok. That might work but... but she had no backup this time. She'd be alone in a sea of hostiles, and our home's door was closing with her behind it, planning to do something stupid.

Now, I struggled against the guard's hold.

"No!" I shouted. "Lirilith, no. You have to stay-"

But the door had closed, and the crack in my world spread a little further.

TTS Interlude 2.6

Interlude 2.7: The Beginning

Eriadren

 

I was shoved into a carriage, barely catching myself on the floor before the horses were spurred into motion. Haltingly, I climbed onto a seat. I scanned the carriage's interior, stopping my eyes' swing on Arivor.

He'd propped his elbows on his legs, clawing at his hair, and in the sparse moonlight, I caught a glimpse of the hysteria building in his eyes before the homes outside threw us into shadows again.

I also noticed one important piece missing from the picture.

"Where's Rafe?" I asked.

With a choked giggle, Arivor said, "In another carriage, taking a different route to our destination. Alouin, he must be scared."

I was quiet for a moment, trying to think.

"Where are they taking us? The temple? The Council's chamber?" I said. "If we knew where the other carriage is headed, maybe we can intercept it. Alouin knows how easy getting out of this one would be. We've done it often enough."

But Arivor was shaking his head.

"He could be anywhere. Better to stay... stay put for now," he said while restrained sobs made him hiccup. "They too-took my son, Eri. They took him. I just- just- just-! Fuck!"

He folded on himself, muffling his voice with his knees.

"I can't lose, not after we worked so hard to heal him."

His shoulders started shaking, and I laid my hand on one.

"Don't, Arivor," I said. "He's not lost yet, and that means we can save him. Again. By the stars, that boy's going to owe me so many life debts by the time this is over."

Laughing, Arivor relaxed, hanging from his legs for a moment, before wiping his eyes.

"You're right. We can do this," he said. "So, what do we have to work with? I don't have any weapons on me. Didn't have time to arm before fleeing."

Squeezing my eyes closed, I groaned.

"Stars, if you'd made it to the slums, you'd have been fucked," I said before shaking my head. "I've got a knife. Not much, I know, but it's something."

I shrugged, and perking up, Arivor lifted a finger.

"And we have Lirilith," he said. "Knowing her, she'll be gathering our friends... not that many of them are left in the city right now. Or maybe she'll sneak into wherever we're going-"

"She'd better not," I growled. "Getting our friends? Sure, that's fine, but other than that, she'd better keep her ass at home."

Rocking back in his seat, Arivor glared at me, clearly wanting to throw a punch my way.

"Why wouldn't she help?" he asked in a sharp tone. "We'll need all the help we can get-!"

"She's with child, Arivor," I snapped.

At the look on my friend's face, I turned away.

"She told me earlier this evening."

After a beat of silence, Arivor said, "Hell."

"That sounds about right," I said, chuckling.

When I glanced back at him, Arivor had his brows scrunched together while opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"What should-?" he said after a moment. "Do you want my congratulations? Or maybe... I'm sorry for the shitty timing? I don't know."

Grimacing, I waved his concern away.

"Don't worry about it. Focus on Rafe," I said, "but considering how little of an advantage we have, we'll probably have to wing it with this."

Frowning, Arivor said, "Yes. We don't have another option, unfortunately."

"Great."

Sighing, I slumped in my seat, and for a long while, Arivor joined me in silence, although he looked like he was working up to say something. When our carriage started slowing down, it gave him the push he needed.

"Listen. In case this goes poorly and Rafe..."

His face contorted into an expression that I'd never wanted to see on my friend, and I leaned forward to take his hand.

"Hey, it'll be-" I started.

Jerking away from me, Arivor said, "No! I need you to listen to me!"

Stunned, I nodded while the carriage stopped, and as footsteps crunched toward its door, Arivor stared at it with panic.

"About the day of the accident," he said. "Eri. There's something I haven't told you-"

The door opened, letting in a wash of noise, and at the sight of the mob on the other side, I forgot what my friend had been saying. So many people were here, people from all over the social spectrum, and all of them looked ready to murder someone.

"Not good," I muttered.

Arivor grunted beside me, but then, we were dragged through the crowd. Fortunately, they weren't focused on us but on the wide terrace ahead.

As guards marched us up its stairs, more of them filled in around us, and with a dry mouth, I forced my fingers away from the knife in my waistband. This was not. good.

When we climbed a final stair, letting us see across the terrace, I stopped short, ignoring the guard trying to push me forward. The Council was here, chatting amongst themselves, but one of them was set apart from the others. Reive scowled at his comrades from where he was babysitting... humans.

Sitting around a table, a delegation of humans was being catered to, and when Arivor and I came into view, a few of them stopped talking, glaring at us instead.

They knew us. Former enemies, perhaps? And why on earth was Reive keeping watch on them?

This, however, wasn't what had rendered me immobile. No, that honor went to the pyre, built in the center of the terrace, and Rafe, trussed into a sitting position on top of it.

Trembling so hard that it was visible from here, he kept looking around him, occasionally flinching, and when he turned his tear-streaked face toward us, his eyes went so. damn. wide. Jerking against rope, he raised his voice in a high-pitched shriek, one I hadn't heard from him in years.

"Daddy! Daddy, please! I'm scared! What did I-? I'm sorry. Please, let me go!"

...I would end every single fucking one of these people.

When a roar split the night, the crowd's attention snapped from a screaming little boy to Arivor. Escaping the guards around him, he ran for the pyre, easily downing two hostiles.

And with not a weapon on him.

I was moving to help when Arivor froze in place, which made me do the same. Given the current chaos, I wasn't sure what was happening—my friend would never have stopped fighting until he'd saved his son—and until I did, it was probably best to bide my time and wait for an opening.

As Reive advanced on his nephew, he had two fingers lifted in front of him, and while guardsmen took hold of Arivor, I went cold. Reive could control another person's body? That- that was old magic. Why hadn't I know about this?

He dropped his hand, and immediately, Arivor struggled to reach his son, but the guards had a firm hold on him this time.

"Be brave, Rafe! Everything will be fine," he shouted. "I'll fix this, so just- just- calm down, and don't apologize! You did nothing wrong, ok? I love you."

Reive stopped in front of his nephew, who demanded an explanation, and while the bastard gave it, I half-listened, scanning my surroundings for something I could use. With every reason the Councilman gave—needing to intimidate the human kingdoms, ridding the world of an abomination, restoring the family's reputation—my face further twisted with disgust, but that expression dropped from me when I saw a figure roll over the terrace's edge opposite me. The figure quickly scuttled into the shadows, but still, I knew her.

Lirilith. I'd know her anywhere. What was she doing here?

"I don't understand. You have nothing more to justify murdering a child, Uncle Reive?" Arivor asked. "He's family!"

But he said this so quietly that I could barely hear him, and I knew the fight was going out of him. Why did he always give up like this?

"I know he's family," Reive said. "That's why we have to do this."

Arivor was quiet for a moment before bursting into laughter, and sagging in the guards' arms, he lifted his face to the sky.

"I get it now," he gasped. "I always wondered why Eri hates you so much, but I get it now. You're an evil son of a bitch."

Still drooping from the guards, he lowered his head.

"If you do this, you will destroy me," he said with his voice dead. "You will rip out every shred of decency in me and what remains..."

He clicked his tongue, and the monster mask that he revealed had me shrinking away from him, even seeing as small of a portion of it as I had.

"The shade that you'll make of me will do everything in its power to destroy you as thoroughly as you did with me," Arivor said.

And even knowing it was a risk, I squeezed my eyes closed. Did Reive hear it? That hadn't been a threat, meant to scare him into stopping. That had been a promise. That had meant, 'You light this pyre, and you're making your life a living hell.'

With a world-weary sigh, Reive said, "Someday, you'll see I'm doing this for your own good."

Gasping, I opened my eyes in time to see him summoning fire to a spot above his hand. While the other Council members did the same, he turned away, and as the group bent to the pyre, I reached out for that flame, desperate to pull it away from Rafe, even if it might kill me. Distantly, I was aware of Lirilith's arm shooting out of her cloak while Arivor's face turned red from effort.

It wasn't enough. These people were Council members for a reason. Their control on what they were holding was too strong.

They touched that fire to the pyre's wood, making it blaze into the night, and with their cries twining through the fire's building roar, a father and son howled.

"NOOO!"

"Daddy, no! Please!"

I'd waited too long. Too. fucking. long.

Even still, the strategist in me was ratcheting through our options and their projected odds.

Option one.

I could eliminate enough of the Council to weaken their magical hold. Once I'd summoned the fire to me, I'd have to trust that Arivor could snap out of his shock in time to safe Rafe, since using that much magic would weaken me.

Even with that, though, I seriously doubted I could finish my side of the plan before a guard ended me, which would negate any other part of the plan.

So, it would leave Rafe to die by fire.

Option two.

I could charge the pyre, sweep through the flames, and pull Rafe free of them. There were two problems with this plan, though. After twice passing through flame, I'd be in no condition to fight, and said condition would draw Lirilith and Arivor in to defend me.

Even together, fighting our way free of this mess had infinitesimally low odds of success, and again, the guards would probably cut me down before I reached Rafe, leaving him to die by fire.

Who'd chosen this method of execution anyway? It wasn't enough that they were killing an Alouin damned child, but they had to do it in such an agonizing way as well?

Absently, I watched while as if in slow motion, a boy I cared for kicked away from the fire, scrunching on himself when it came closer. Weeping, my friend screamed his throat raw, reaching for his son from where he'd fallen to his knees.

This was Cruelty, and I loathed it.

Maybe I could have devised other plans, ones with a better chance of saving Rafe's life, but if so, I didn't see them now. I looked at this horrible image and wanted, with all of my heart, to spread as much Mercy here as I could

Even if it meant that when I did, my surviving loved ones would hate me.

Including Lirilith.

When I found her, my heart stopped on seeing glinting steel in her hand. She'd come to the same conclusion as me, and somehow, I knew that she'd sought me out, as I had her.

"No," I said, even if she couldn't hear me. "This isn't for you."

The guards around me shuffled, and drawing my knife from my waistband, I threw it. The blade seemed to spin, end over end, for forever. The worst pressure I'd ever felt fought to burst free of my body, but as it had always been meant to, my knife reached its target.

And missed.

Which was impossible. During the war, I'd been the best in my unit at knife throwing. That skill couldn't have rusted away so quickly...

Rafe lifted his head toward me, and at the betrayal I saw there, radiating off of him as strong as a gale, I stumbled backward.

'Uncle Eri-?' I watched his lips form.

But then, his body jerked while something shiny appears in his neck. As blood seeped around this foreign object, he toppled into the fire that he'd tried to hard to escape.

The world went still, and as it inched forward, the crack that had been growing in my vision snapped. It split like lightning, shattering the world.

And chaos erupted.

As if a hand had lifted him off of the ground, Arivor was on his feet, and shadows, like what we'd seen in Alouin's domain, furiously whirled around him, setting the pyre's fire into a greater frenzy. With mania and grief battling on him, he took a step forward, seeking a target among the crowd, and when his eyes landed on Reive, he smiled, raising a hand with darkness around it.

People on the terrace were running away from him, probably screaming, but I didn't hear it. I'd gone deaf.

In silence, I watched a guard sneak up on Arivor and smack him in the back of the head. I watched my best friend crumple, which dissipated his summoned darkness. In silence, I watched Lirilith stumble away, soon slipping over the terrace's edge. In silence, I watched as order was restored on the terrace.

Healers rolled Arivor onto a stretcher so they could take him away, all while Reive strode to a stop in front of me. He examined me while the sounds on all sides returned to normal: aa dying fire's crackle, excited conversations, a host of footsteps.

When I focused on Reive, he nodded before glancing to the side.

"Take him to the dungeon," he said.

Had he waited here just so I'd hear him say that?

It didn't matter. Any reaction that Reive had meant to goad from me didn't happen because as the guards led me away, I was numb.

TTS Interlude 2.7

Chapter 47: A Rescue Attempt

Rhylix

I would make a final request of you, my friend.

Watching the Zrelnach encampment, I despaired of ever sneaking into it in a conventional manner. They were too well-organized and from what I'd seen, on high alert as well. If I used an illusion or shape change to infiltrate the camp, they'd quickly pick up on the inconsistencies that were always present in a magical disguise.

So, how would I get in?

I'd rather not use Ele unless I must. The repelling knot that was Teron still felt far distant, but that distance was nothing to someone like him. Any significant pull of Ele to the physical plane—unlike the tiny sips of it I'd used to try reaching Sev earlier tonight—would orient the bastard in an instant, and I'd rather let whatever was slowing Teron down continue to do so.

If he changed trajectory toward Daira, where Kaedesa would surely be taking Raimie soon, then I’d light Sev up like a beacon for the monster but until then…

No Ele.

Which left me with a quandary. Without magic, I could either enter the camp as I normally would and hope Ferin hadn’t spread orders about me through the ranks, or I could wait for a Zrelnach to wander off so I could take their armor. Neither of those options sounded good.

Right as I was about to step out to do gods knew what, I noticed a disturbance on the edge of camp. A group of Zrelnach was ambling through it, angling toward the dark hills around Sev.

They were chatting and laughing and playfully shoving each other, acting like a group of friends who’d been given the night to themselves, and as they came closer, I realized that was exactly what they were: friends. Friends I knew.

Someone stopped them before they could leave camp, and after a moment of discussion, the group pulled aside to reveal one of them leaning on a fellow Zrelnach.

I could imagine the conversation taking place. The group of friends was probably begging the guard to let their inebriated member sober up away from the other Zrelnach’s watchful eyes, and it appeared as if the guard blocking them would have mercy. When she moved aside to let the friends pass, they headed into the darkness.

Rising from the grass, I dusted myself off before hurrying to intercept them.

Away from camp, the group behaved with far greater gravity, keeping their eyes on the move and their hands on their swords’ hilts. This would make approaching them difficult.

I waited for them to stop, and once they had, they exchanged a few words before most of them headed back, leaving three behind.

“-grateful they helped me this much,” I heard as I edged closer, “but I won’t let them betray Allanovian for our friendship, especially when we can’t know if Raimie… if he-”

“Come now. Don’t do that. Raimie’s strong, even if he’s not as resourceful as he once was. He’ll be fine, and you know it.”

“I… yes, I know. It’s just hard. Not half an hour ago, you hustled into my tent to whisk me away, and we don’t know how Raimie’s involved in this. If nothing happens to him in Sev, we can’t know whether we’ll catch him while he’s on his way back. How do we help him when we don’t know the enemy’s plan?”

And there was my opportunity.

“I can help with that,” I loudly said.

In a flash, two of the three had their swords drawn while the third had his bow leveled at me with an arrow nocked. He barely stopped himself from releasing said arrow, and I thanked my lucky stars that he’d restrained himself. Even half in shadows as I was, he was aiming at my eye.

Wordlessly, I lifted my hands above my head, and the other three relaxed.

“Rhylix?” Aramar asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Well…” I drawled, looking over the three friends. “I was coming to get you out of camp, but it looks like you lot had that well in hand."

“Of course we did, healer,” Aya spat. “We’re there for the people who need us, unlike you.”

Aramar winced while Gistrick laid a hand on Aya’s shoulder.

“I know you’re tense, given what we’ve just done. I am too,” he said, “but there’s no need for hostility toward someone who seems willing to help us.”

Huffing, Aya turned away from them, crossing her arms over her chest.

‘Sorry,’ Aramar mouthed.

I shrugged at him. Disdain like hers had stopped affecting me ages ago.

“You said something about Raimie’s situation?” Aramar continued aloud.

“I did,” I said. “I have news. I’m afraid you won’t like it.”

Setting his jaw, Aramar said, “It has to be better than living in the dark.”

“Fair enough,” I said with a half-shrug.

But I glanced toward Gistrick to ensure he was ready to steady Aramar, if this news proved too much for him.

When Gistrick nodded, I asked, “First, how much do you know about what’s happened?”

“Not much,” Aramar said. “Just that the conspiracy we were investigating has made its move tonight, and somehow, every Zrelnach has received orders that they’re not to interfere. Most of them seem to be as much in the dark about this as us.”

That made a lot of sense, actually.

“Ferin wouldn’t have wanted to drive a rift through her people,” I mused, caught in my own head. “If they knew the conspiracy was Council-sanctioned, it would force them to choose between Allanovian and a boy many of them have grown fond of over the last few weeks.”

When a heavy silence fell, I realized how stupid it had been to say any of that out loud.

“Ferin?” Gistrick asked in a squeak.

With an eye half-closed, I nodded.

“She’s the leader of the conspiracy,” Aramar said, putting two and two together, “which means it’s not a conspiracy at all.”

“Unfortunately,” I said.

“Well, shit.”

Turning on his friends, Aramar looked over their tensed states and slowly breathed out.

“You should go back now,” he said. “If you hurry, you might catch the others before-”

“No!”

Aya jerked her head toward him, sending her hair flying, and with a completely red face, she struggled to keep the fists at her side from trembling.

“Ferin and the rest of the Council are cowardly wastes of space. They don’t know what Allanovian wants when it comes to most things and especially not with this,” she hissed. “You, Aramar, are the father of Auden’s rightful king, and unlike Allanovian, Auden is our true home. More importantly, though, you’re one of us. Everyone in your family is, and while most Zrelnach can’t break their oaths of loyalty yet, you are our friend, which gives us the extra incentive needed to do what’s right. Gistrick and I will help you, whether you like it or not.”

In this single moment, Aya redeemed the Zrelnach for every wrong they’d ever committed against me, at least in my eyes. Aramar was struck speechless until Gistrick stepped forward to squeeze his shoulder.

“Raimie?” he said.

With a grimace, Aramar flailed his arm, knocking Gistrick’s hand off of him, but his immediate wince showed the reaction to have been unintentional.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s just this thing…”

He gestured to his waist, and I pursed my lips. Why was the device from the tear giving him so much trouble still?

“I’ll take a look at it soon,” I said. “In the meantime, you should know that Ferin doesn’t seem thrilled by the Council’s decision either. It’s why she saved Raimie’s life in the Withriingalm rather than letting him die like she planned.”

“She started that?” Aramar growled while scrunching his hands in front of his face. “Oh, oh, I’m going to…”

“Save your anger for worthier targets,” I said, “such as the person Ferin’s contacted to finish the job she couldn’t complete.”

I paused to let Aramar draw his own conclusions, and when he did, he stumbled backward until Gistrick caught him.

Swallowing hard, he rasped, “Kaedesa?”

I nodded, and Aramar shot upright, tearing at his hair as he paced.

“Fuck!” he hissed. “Oh, Alouin. Raimie… what will I do?”

“We will not panic,” Gistrick said. “We will calmly consider our options and form a plan.”

“I already have one, actually,” I said.

The other three turned on me with blank expressions, and I rolled my eyes.

“I know I’m primarily a healer to you lot, but you should know better than to think that’s all I can do,” I said.

Raising an eyebrow, Aya said, “All right, then. What’s your plan, healer?”

Gods. Yes, I’d fostered these people’s belief that I was useless in order to blend in better, but at times, dealing with it could be frustrating as hell.

Gesturing toward the city, I said, “We can’t enter Sev until morning, locked down as it is, so we use that time to rest up and prepare. In the morning, Aramar and I will go into the city and find Raimie. I have contacts there—Don’t look at me like that. I lived here for years before making my way to Allanovian—and they should be able to help us. Based on what they say, we can make further plans. As for our two native Zrelnach, you’ll return to camp and-”

Breaking off, I looked away, rapidly blinking while I considered how best to put this.

“Does everyone here know Dath?” I hesitantly asked.

Frowning, Aya said, “That’s the kid you were training with Raimie, right? I thought he disappeared in the Withriingalm.”

“He didn’t, actually. He’s been helping with our investigation since then,” Aramar calmly said.

But his face, rapidly draining of color, belied that calm state.

“What happened, Rhylix?” he asked.

Closing my eyes, I said, “Earlier today, Ferin confronted me, hoping to stop me from helping Raimie. Despite our precautions, she knew about Dath, using him as leverage, and I…”

Gods, it hurt, even knowing I couldn’t have done anything else at the time.

“I left him in Ona’s hands, planning to reach Sev before the gate closed,” I continued with a thick voice. “Obviously, I failed to do that. So.”

Taking a deep breath, I caught Gistrick and Aya’s eyes, one at a time.

“I was hoping the two of you could find out what’s happened to him,” I said. “If he’s alive, I beg you to get him out of there. Please. If not…”

If not, another tragedy could be attributed to my name.

After an agonizingly long period of silence, Aya said, “Of course we’ll look for him, and… if you don’t already know, you did the right thing. You made the choice that any good Zrelnach would have.”

With a sharp glance at her, I struggled to identify what her change in demeanor had set boiling in my gut. It was with great difficulty that I found my voice and said.

“Thank you.”

Coming closer, Aramar clapped my shoulder.

“I like this plan,” he said. “Why don’t you and I discuss how we’ll get into the city while Gistrick and Aya head back?”

“Of course,” I said. “If my Zrelnach betters don’t mind?”

Rolling his eyes, Gistrick waved us off while Aya flat-out ignored what I’d said, but still, both of them started back toward camp.
Aramar waited until his friends had walked out of earshot before speaking again.

“I didn’t know that Allanovian wasn’t your home,” he led with.

With a faint smile, I said, “You had no reason to think otherwise, but no. My home lies far from here. We, however, should focus on Raimie, not me.”

Aramar gave me a look that showed how much he wasn’t buying my bullshit.

But he said, “How are we getting into Sev? No doubt Kaedesa’s spies will be watching for suspicious people, and they’ll have a good description of me.”

“Probably,” I said, making a face. “How good are you with sneak work, or rather, have you had any experience with it? If needed, could you get into Sev by yourself? Entering separately will lessen the chance of Kaedesa’s spies spotting us.”

Aramar regarded me with such amusement that I wondered what I’d missed.

“I can manage,” he said with an enigmatic grin.

“Wonderful. I can do the same,” I said. “So, let’s not worry about that problem. Once we’ve gotten through the gate, I’ll find you, but after we’ve met up? That’s when things will get tricky.”

TTS Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter 48: Infiltration

Rhylix

When next we meet, please kill me.

The next day, I was standing in the closest marketplace to the gate that I could find, waiting for Aramar.

I was exhausted. The energy drain for the magic I’d used this morning had been brutal, but it hadn’t been so bad that I’d be out of commission. Not for a while, at least.

While scanning the crowd, all of whom were pointedly avoiding me, I caught sight of Aramar, only recognizing him because I’d expected him to be in disguise. It was amazing how a little dirt and a different posture could change a person.

Where I’d had to watch for my companion’s arrival, Aramar didn’t need to do the same for me, not when I was occupying the only bubble of empty space in the marketplace. As he approached, he glared at the humans giving me a wide berth with a wrinkled nose.

“I forgot about this part of living in a city,” he said. “I definitely don’t miss it.”

I pointedly did not ask him what he was talking about. As far as I knew, Aramar had lived in a forest until his son had found Shadowsteal, only leaving it to visit Allanovian so he could maintain his family’s alliance with the city.

Shaking himself, he said, “Right. What are we looking for?”

“Pickpockets or destitute children. Basically, anything that makes you uncomfortable,” I said.

“Like… a seedy-looking man leading a woman into an alley?” Aramar said.

“Where?”

Frowning, I looked in the direction Aramar had indicated. That had been fast…

When I found what he’d been talking about, everything that was good in me was scraped free, replaced by something else entirely.

“Exactly like that,” I growled.

I stormed toward the alley, digging my heels into the ground with each step, while Aramar hurried to get in front of me. Once he had, he flipped to walk backward.

With a worried frown, he said, “Rhylix, what-?”

“Just follow me and stay back,” I snapped.

It was a testament to the other man’s trust that he didn’t demand an explanation from me after that. I knew what I looked like right now. It was a demeanor that sent people scattering before me until I’d reached the isolation found in the alley, and once there, I started running.

I barely stopped the aforementioned seedy-looking man from smashing a club into a young woman’s head, catching his wrist as he raised it. When I swung his arm around, pressing it against his back, he yelped, and jumping, the woman spun toward me, opening her mouth to scream once she’d seen us. Aramar was there to cover her mouth before she could.

“Will you take the young lady elsewhere, please?” I asked. “Explain what’s going on, if you will.”

Nodding, Aramar guided the woman away, already murmuring reassurances to her, and once they were out of sight, I threw my captive into a house’s wall. While he faced me, I plucked my dagger from where I’d hidden it.

“Hullo, Hux,” I said.

The other man froze, peering at me, and I stepped out of the shadows, hoping to speed up the identification process. Surprise flashed across Hux’s face before he started laughing.

“Well, if it isn’t little gray-eyes, all grown up,” he said. “Why are you back? No, wait! Let me guess. Your people’s filthy haven didn’t want you? Nah, nah, that can’t be it. Did you just miss me that much? Sorry to disappoint you, but I have another kid to torment now, one who actually shows a reaction when I’m hurting him.”

Without expression, I balanced my dagger’s point on a finger, watching the blade as I spun it. I knew better than to give this man the pleasure of acknowledging his taunts, no matter how much they might rile me up inside.

“Where’s Ash?” I asked.

“Oh… I see what this is about. I always knew you two had a thing,” Hux said. “Well, I’m sorry to say that she’s moved on too. She’s with some half-Eselan brat now. Honestly, I can understand most deviant behaviors, but people finding Esela attractive? It’s disgusting.”

He clicked his tongue, which almost had me bristling, but instead, I calmly stepped into Hux’s personal space, and I calmly rested my dagger’s edge on the bastard’s neck.

With a pleasant smile, I again asked, “Where’s Ash?”

Scoffing, Hux rolled his eyes.

“You don’t scare me, gray-eyes,” he said. “You couldn’t kill me back in the day, and I seriously doubt that’s changed.”

Removing my dagger from Hux’s neck, I punched him in the face, hard enough that his head bounced off of the wall behind him.

“As you so poignantly reminded me when I lived under your care, there are worse things than death, things that I’m more than happy to inflict on you,” I said. “Now, where the hell is Ash? I won’t ask you again.”

But Hux wouldn’t stop groaning, clutching at his face, and I was done with accommodating him. Pinning the bastard with my dagger, I magicked a knife into my hand, lowering it to rest on the most sensitive bits of human anatomy.

“I will maim you,” I growled.

Sucking in a gasp, Hux frantically nodded.

“Butcher’s district, portside of the city,” he said. “The old safehouse there.”

Was he telling the truth? Probably. The bastard wouldn’t lie in a situation like this. He was too much of a coward.

So, the question became what to do with a man who’d tormented me, so many years ago? He had so much innocent blood on his hands, but Hux had been right about one thing. I couldn’t kill him. I just… couldn’t.

I could, however, pin his hands to the wall before sending the city guard looking for him. I could hurt this man if I so chose.

I wasn’t sure if Aramar would understand that, though. So, I sent Hux into a deep sleep and waited for my companion’s return.

It didn’t take him long.

As Aramar turned the corner, he asked, “What was that about?”

But at the sight of Hux at my feet, he went quiet.

“He’s alive. Don’t worry,” I said. “As for your question, he’s the leader of my old thieves guild. I was hoping to contact an acquaintance from that time. If anyone knows where Raimie is, it’ll be her. Fortunately for us, Hux has given me her location.”

I couldn’t help kicking the unconscious man, and watching this, Aramar frowned.

“I’m guessing you don’t like him,” he said.

“Well, the bastard used to starve me when I lived here,” I said. “That, plus the fact that he’s… abused, we’ll say, and murdered at least a dozen women leads to an extreme dislike, yes.”

“I see,” Aramar said while his face went unreadable. “And why is he still alive?”

That was an odd question, coming from whom it had. Aramar had always seemed like a compassionate fellow.

And I was unwilling to lie to him. He trusted me, even though I was a primeancer, so I resorted to half-truths in my answer.

“He should face justice for what he’s done,” I said. “If he died now, his victims’ families might never know what happened to their loved ones.”

For several heartbeats, Aramar stared at me before releasing a quiet sigh.

“All right. I’ll take him to a lockup while you get the initial negotiations with your contact out of the way,” he said. “Where should I meet you when I’m done?”

“Telling you a location won’t be helpful if you’re not familiar with Sev,” I said.

Snorting, Aramar said, “Oh, I’m plenty familiar with this city. Just give me directions, please.”

So, I did, although I was a little curious how Aramar knew a Robzul city state as well as he'd claimed. I didn’t ponder the question for long, though. After rounding onto a busy street, my full focus went to my upcoming reunion.

It had been years since I’d been in this city, years since I’d seen her. After weeks of abuse and hunger, she’d been the first friendly face I’d found on this side of the Narrow Sea, and I’d left her here without saying goodbye.

She was going to kill me.

The butcher’s district smelled delightful, as always, and as I wandered past identical homes, all neatly ordered in rows, I relived memories I’d rather forget. They were nowhere near as bad as the ones I kept locked tight in my heart, but they still hurt, making it a relief when I reached the safehouse that Hux had mentioned.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped up to the door, knocking on it in the guild’s old pattern. It took a while, but when the door eventually opened, it was only by a crack.

“Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want it,” a familiar voice snapped. “Go away.”

She tried to slam the door in my face, but I slapped a hand on it, stopping her.

“Ashella!” I hissed. “It’s me, Rhy.”

When she didn’t respond, I removed my hand…

And the door slammed shut.

Gods damnit. It looked like she was going to be difficult about this. When several minutes passed with nothing more happening, I spun in place and folded to the ground, leaning on the door.

With nothing to occupy me, I couldn’t keep my fears at bay anymore. What would I do if my ally had been dragged to Daira, a city almost as far from here as Allanovian?

What if Raimie had been taken there for execution? Could I reach the capital in time to stop it? If I couldn’t and Raimie died, this struggle would have been for nothing.

I couldn’t touch the idea of what Raimie’s death would do to me personally.

With Raimie gone, what would my next steps be? How long would it take before another ally was found?

Grimacing, I called for Creation so we could discuss these possibilities, and my back support gave way, sending me tumbling to the ground. Lying in the house’s threshold, I blinked up at a red-faced woman with frazzled hair floating around her head.

With a weak grin, I said, “Hey, Ash.”

“Don’t you ‘hey, Ash’, me, you delinquent guild rat,” Ashella snapped.

In an abrupt about-face, she took off inside, leaving me lying on the floor, and I scrambled to follow her.

The house was strangely empty. No small ones were running about the place, and seeing this, I frowned. Was something wrong in the guild?

Throwing herself into a shabby chair, Ashella propped her feet up on a table, looking down her nose at me. She said nothing, and after a moment, I shifted in place, which was what she’d been waiting for.

“Well?” she drawled.

After a beat, I realized that I was supposed to answer.

“Well, what?” I asked.

Folding her hands on her stomach, Ashella said. “Will you give me your report for the last ten years, you delinquent guild rat?”

Oo, she was mad.

“I don’t have much to report,” I said. “After I left Sev, I made my way to Allanovian, like we always talked about. I was living there until a friend asked for my help, and that brought me back here.”

“You. Made a friend.”

Ashella said the last word as if she’d consumed something distasteful. Before she could continue, I rushed to finish.

“He’s actually why I was looking for you,” I said. “I need your help with finding him.”

“My help,” Ashella echoed. “Don’t you mean the guild’s help?”

Wincing, I said, “I meant the small ones. Are you still in charge of them?”

Ashella rolled her eyes.

“Of course. Who else has the patience to deal with them? Hux?” she asked with a snort. “And he’s the reason I can’t help you. If he learns that I did, if he even learns you were here, he’ll take it out on my kids, and I-”

“He won’t be hurting anyone ever again, Ash,” I said.

Ashella blinked once before her feet slipped off of the table, thumping to the floor.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I finally made good on my promise to you,” I said. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

Slowly, Ashella got to her feet, pressing her fingertips into the table.

“He’s gone?” she said in a small voice.

Nodding, I said, “He’s in the hands of the authorities as we speak.”

With a choked sob, Ashella vaulted over the table, running to me, and at her impact with my body, I rocked in place, awkwardly patting her back as she soaked my tunic with tears.

Gods, saying that after all these years had felt good. Finally, I’d fulfilled my long-held promise to her. I so rarely got to do that.

When she pulled away, Ashella wiped her eyes before softly laughing.

“Been a while since I lost it like that,” she said. “So. You need help with finding someone? Can I get a description?”

Straight to business, huh? All right.

“His name’s Raimie, and an older man would have accompanied him,” I said. “As for a description, he has a plain face with a large nose. Middling height. The most drab, brown hair. Large ears. Really, he’s quite average in general, except that he has the most piercing, blue eyes I’ve seen on someone in a while and… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, Rhy. Honey.”

Sighing, Ashella circled the table to retrieve her chair.

“Sit down,” she said.

As comfortably as I could, I settled into the chair, dreading what Ashella meant to tell me.

“My small ones saw the man you described on and off yesterday, but they didn’t pay him much mind, thinking he was a tourist,” she said. “That opinion changed when Queen Kaedesa revealed herself to him that afternoon. She took him and the older gentlemen with her, and Rhy? Her ship left last night.”

Well, damn.

“That’s… disappointing,” I said.

I wasn’t sure what else to add. For now, Raimie was well and truly out of my hands. I couldn’t catch up with a ship, for gods’ sakes, and when rescuing the kid, I most certainly couldn’t take on a capital full of soldiers alone. I’d need help with such a dangerous undertaking.

So. First thing’s first. Aramar needed to hear what had happened to his son, and then, we should gather Gistrick, Aya, and—please, gods—Dath to discuss our options.

And while doing that, I’d contemplate plans of my own. I’d think of something. I always did.

I refused to consider what might happen if I couldn’t this time.

“Rhy?” Ashella cautiously said. “If there’s anything I can do to help-”

“There is, actually,” I said. “I’ll have some friends joining me shortly. Can we stay here for a couple of nights?”

Grinning, Ashella said, “You can stay for as long as you need. Anything for our delinquent guild rat.”

I returned her smile.

“Thanks, Ash,” I said.

I wouldn’t give up. If Raimie could keep himself alive while in Daira, I’d save my friend from a violent queen.

TTS Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter 49: Welcome to Daira

Raimie

I’d decided that I hated traveling by sea. When we’d left Sev behind, I’d already been queasy, and then, the sloop had ventured into the aqueous territory around the Accession Tear. I’d spent the next four days huddled on the brig’s floor, rolling across it as the waves had demanded, while fighting off nausea. It had been a struggle I’d lost more often than not.

By the time we were pulled off of the sloop, poor Eledis was covered in my vomit, but I couldn’t be bothered to care about that. Still mired in the depths of sickness—why the hell was land swaying like a boat?—I didn’t register much between the docks and a dungeon. The only things that stuck out to me were a thick fog, hanging over everything, and fuzzy balls of light, passing by us at regular intervals.

When I was finally allowed to stay still, I curled into a ball, switching between keeping my gorge down and getting much needed sleep. Eventually, nausea loosened its claws on me, and I unfurled, noting the iron bars around me. It was sad how quickly I’d grown accustomed to the sight.

Eledis was snoring in the cell beside mine, and with no guards around, I wouldn’t have a better chance at exploring this place, perhaps finding a way out in the process. I just had to escape this metal box.

Leaning against the cell’s bars, I circled them to its door, but as I should have expected, it was locked. After pulling on it several times, I leaned closer to the lock, examining it.

Maybe I could pick it. That was a thing, wasn’t it?

“Do you think he’s forgotten about us again?”

Jerking away from the cell door, I fell into the bars beside it, staring at my twins.

“I suppose he could have. Anything’s possible,” one was saying. “He certainly seems aware of us now, though.”

Pushing myself upright, I advanced on them with my finger leveled.

“Where the hell were you in Sev?” I growled.

One of my twins turned to the other.

“Yup,” it said. “Definitely sees us.”

The other one waved off the first, and that disdainful gesture helped me figure out which of them was which.

“A moment, ignoramus,” Bright said. “Why are you upset, Raimie? You’re the one who told us to stay out of sight when you’re in a crowd.”

“But not when I’m in danger,” I hissed.

“At no point were you in danger, though,” Dim said. “The forgetful one could never harm you, and if truly required, you could have handled the other peons there.”

…What?

Hissing, I knotted my fingers in my hair, rubbing my temples with my thumbs.

“Ok, fine. Whatever,” I said. “Look. We should renegotiate. Because I’m… one of them, you two will always be a part of my life. I should learn how to deal with having you around. So…”

Alouin, I’d regret saying this.

“Consider our previous agreement null and void,” I continued. “I’ll trust you to give me space when I need it.”

Bright and Dim exchanged a glance.

“He clearly doesn’t understand what I am,” Dim said.

Wincing, Bright said, “Just go with it. For now.”

Both turned to me.

“We shall do as you say,” they intoned, if with minor variations.

Hearing their voices intertwine, Dim buckled on itself, dry heaving, while Bright rubbed its arms, and I waited for them to collect themselves, barely containing myself.

Dim recovered first, wiping its mouth as it looked around.

“How’d you land yourself in prison?” it asked with amusement.

Freezing, Bright whirled on me.

“Prison?” it snapped.

“It’s not my fault!” I said. “Someone alerted Queen Kaedesa to our people’s presence, and she hasn’t decided whether we’re rebels. We’re her prisoners until then.”

“Aren’t you royalty too?” it said. “Given that, you deserve something better than this dingey cell.”

Crossing my arms, I said, “You think I haven’t considered mentioning that? If I did, though, how would I prove it? With Shadowsteal? That sword’s been missing from the world for long enough that the queen won’t know what it is, and it’s the only proof of my standing. Without it, I’m merely an upstart peasant in her mind.”

But the splinters had frozen, drilling into me with wide eyes.

“Shadowsteal?!” Dim screeched.

It was across the prison cell in an eyeblink with its hands curled in my tunic, and I could swear I felt pressure lifting me off of the floor, even given Dim’s incorporeal nature.

“You had Shadowsteal, and you lost it?” it hissed.

“It’s… not… lost,” I said, shoving Dim.

Surprisingly, the splinter staggered away from me, glaring once it had recovered its balance, but I didn’t care if I’d hurt its feelings.

“Kaedesa has it, which means it’s probably with her royal guard,” I said. “Why do you care?”

“Because, you insufferable moron,” Dim panted, “it might solve our communication issues.”

And suddenly, I was doused in shame. Pulling away from Dim, I ducked my head.

“I… didn’t know,” I said. “Of course it will! That’s why I could hear you after my Zrelnach trials.”

“If you used Shadowsteal at that time, then probably.”

Stepping between me and Dim, Bright glanced at us.

“If we could focus now, please?” it said.

After receiving our nods, it relaxed, almost imperceptibly, but I noticed.

“I assume we’re not staying here,” Bright said, “so, how are we getting out?”

Shrugging, I said, “I don’t know. Maybe I could steal a guard’s key?”

“Could you do that without them noticing?” Bright said.

Huffing, I said, “If you have another suggestion, you’re more than welcome to-”

“Oh, come on.”

Both Bright and I turned on Dim, who was tapping a foot. On noticing our inspection, it rolled its eyes.

“Oh, my me, do I really have to spell it out?” it said.

Crossing my arms, I said, “Yes, you really do.”

Lifting its eyes to the heavens, Dim extended its hands, and darkness spilled down its arms to cover them. While Bright gagged, Dim slapped the back of its hands together before making fists and dragging them apart.

“Oh.”

I smacked myself on the forehead.

“I’m such an idiot,” I groaned.

“Yes, you are,” Dim said.

It sweetly smiled when I glared at it.

“One problem with your plan, though,” I said. “I have yet to reliably call on Daevetch. It only comes if I’m in distress or in combat.”

“Try it now,” Dim said.

So, I reached for the seething mass of energy raging behind Dim, teasing at it, and as expected, nothing happened.

“I swear to me, you act like you’re solely their human sometimes,” Dim snarled, pointing at Bright. “For weeks, I’ve been waiting for you to get it but nooo...”

When I glanced at it, the Ele splinter shrugged.

“You know, Dim, you’re welcome to make a suggestion,” I said.

Dim buried its face in its hands.

“Why am I always stuck with the simpletons?” it breathed through its fingers. “Consider what I represent, Raimie. Will it respond to a wimpy plea for help or a demand for what’s rightfully yours?”

“Oh…”

I really was an idiot.

Reaching for what lay behind Dim again, I yanked it to me with no questions asked, and a sheath of black rolled over my arms. Lifting them, I giggled at my success, perhaps a bit manically, before advancing on my cell’s bars. They bent like putty before me, and I stepped through the opening I’d created.

Free.

I should run while I had the chance. With what I was holding, the guards wouldn’t stand a chance, and once I was out, I could go wherever I wanted. Be whoever I wanted to be.

“Release it, Raimie,” Bright said.

Spinning on the splinter, I widened my grin.

“Why?” I asked. “Are you jealous?”

With a sigh, Dim said, “No. They’re right, much as I hate to admit it.”

It made a face.

“When it comes to using us, you’re once more a baby, which means our emotional carryover is strong,” it continued. “And the feeling imbued by what I represent is likely to get you caught here.”

Caught? Me? Not possible. I was too strong.

“And what about Eledis?” Bright added.

Eledis. My grandfather. The man who’d once brought books home for me. I could get him out of his cell in the same way I’d done for myself, but doing so might lead to questions that I couldn’t answer, and… I couldn’t leave Eledis behind.

Wincing, I let dark energy seep from me, and once it was gone, I shivered. Hugging myself, I nodded to my splinters.

“Thank you.”

They pretended like I’d said nothing, so I ignored them in kind, beginning my search for escape.

TTS Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter 50: Another Tear

Raimie

As I scoured the dungeon I’d found myself in, I crept down far too many corridors, but I found nothing useful, and after ducking into a room for what felt like the hundredth time, I took a break.

What should I do? Kaedesa had said she’d answer Eledis’ challenge before we reached Daira, but we had yet to hear from her. What did that mean?

Had she decided we were rebels? If so, this might be the only time for us to escape. If not, my current search might tip Kaedesa toward an unfavorable decision. I didn’t know what to do, and my splinters weren’t helping with my concentration.

“We should tell him,” it said.

“Are you insane?” Bright hissed. “He’ll close it like he did with the last one, and I don’t know about you, but I despise forcing my way onto this plane of existence.”

Dim stepped toward Bright with its hand extended, almost pleading with the gesture, and my frown, already entrenched on my face, deepened when I saw that the splinter was trembling.

“He had Shadowsteal, Order. Shadowsteal,” it said. “Do you know what could happen if he retrieves it and finds out I kept something from him?”

Bright showed its opposite an enigmatic smile.

“I’d have one less enemy to worry about,” it said, “and he’d be totally mine?”

Dim froze before its body flushed.

“You asshole,” it shouted, gathering darkness in its hand.

Rubbing my face, I decided to intervene.

“Exactly what are you hiding from me?” I asked.

With its mouth gaping, Dim glanced between me and Bright, clicking its teeth together after a few heartbeats.

“You wanted him to know, otherwise, you’d never have responded, not when you knew he could hear us,” it growled, pointing at Bright. “Why did you make it so difficult?”

“I’m sorry. Have you forgotten our natures?” Bright said. “I have to oppose you sometimes. If I don’t, we might have problems.”

I was going to kill them. As soon as I figured out how to do it.

Interrupting their argument, I hissed, “What. were. you. hiding?”

After exchanging a glance with Dim, Bright hesitantly said, “There’s a break in reality nearby.”

“A tear?” I squeaked. “Where?”

Dashing forward, Dim plastered its hands over my mouth.

“I swear. You’re such a child sometimes,” it grumbled.

Narrowing my eyes, I swatted at its arms before raising an eyebrow at Bright.

“I can take you there,” it said.

It led us down several more hallways until it stood in front of a plain door. Bowing, it fluttered a hand for me to enter, and I brushed past the splinter with no comment on its theatrics.

As with the last time I’d been near a tear, a glow from an unknown source illuminated the space within. Dips and rises in the floor resembled the hills that had surrounded Allanovian’s tear, even if the tallest one here only rose to my hip, and beneath the tear, cracks radiated outward.

The tear itself was smaller than the one beneath the mountains. If I angled my hand the right way, I could get my fingers through its ovoid, not that I planned to expose so much of myself to it this time.

And of course, the light leaking from the tear’s edge defused the disquiet emanating from its center.

All of this was well and good, exactly what I’d expected. What I hadn’t anticipated, though, was the cage that surrounded the tear.

“That’s problematic,” Bright said.

“Is it, though?” I asked before Dim could say a word.

As before, I called for Daevetch’s energy, and it answered. But it didn’t just come from Dim. A wave of it cascaded from the tear, crashing into me, and I fought its influence on me.

I wasn’t sure why I was doing that, though. With this much power, Queen Kaedesa wouldn’t be a problem.

It made me reckless, made me foolish, made me arrogant, and with the way I was now, these attitudes would get me killed.

Forget Kaedesa. I could take on Doldimar with this.

Light splashed against my chest, staggering me, and the darkness I was holding fled from it, although I kept enough on hand to complete my task.

Shaking my head, I headed for the cage, only stopped when Bright leapt at me with a garbled shriek. Before it could reach me, arms appeared around its waist, holding it back.

“Do what you must,” Dim shouted, “but hurry. I can’t repel Order for long.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded before sprinting to the cage. Once there, I bent its bars like I had in my cell, and when I could fit through the gap, I flung Daevetch away from me, glancing over my shoulder.

Dim and Bright were fighting one another, rolling on the ground while they clawed at each other’s forms. Just like they had beside Allanovian’s tear. Given that, I needed to finish my business quickly.

Despite knowing this, I approached the tear with hesitant steps. Alouin had said we could talk through one of these, implying I must touch it. That should make it safe, right?

If only that logic would kick what had happened the last time I’d done this out of my mind.

Taking deep breaths, I turned my face away from the tear, lifting a finger to nauseating black-

Fear was gone. Like a mother would its child, this place wrapped itself around me, or it did so as much as it could. I wasn’t entirely there.

And that might be my saving grace. No matter that floating here imparted a greater sense of calm than I’d ever experienced before, a stream of nonsensical images and phrases flowed through me, much like last time, and this, my brain could not withstand.

“It’s time. Tell Morihei and Taro to start the rebellion.”

“Are you sure, Himi? We’re entering the most delicate part of the scheme. If anything goes wrong-”

“I’ll die. Yes, I know, Zhao. Do as I say, and remember. Once we’re through this door, I’m the empress, not Himi.”

“You don’t have to remind me, MOST BLESSED.”

What had that been? Had those been…? Had I picked an intelligible conversation out of the mush?

And why was I marveling at that when I was burning from the inside out, when Bright and Dim were fighting in the real world, when I didn’t have what I needed?

“Al-”

A coughing fit seized me, choking my voice. When had I started screaming?

“Alouin?” I croaked. “Are you there?’

Nothing changed. For- for- for-

…

“The hell is going on in here?” someone on the outside asked.

Shit. That had been bad. I couldn’t stay here for much longer, not if my mind was going to stall like that.

“Alouin!” I called again. “Come on, you bastard.”

Maybe I’d hallucinated my conversation with the god. I’d just died, after all. One’s consciousness did strange things when-

“I won’t go anywhere near that thing. You get him out.”

I should leave this place. How had I done that last time?

Someone shouted in pain.

“Hell! He’s burning up.”

A million-million voices coalesced, turning their attention my way, and I couldn’t let them see me. They couldn’t know I was here, couldn’t see me so weakened…

The place without substance went still and quiet.

“Raimie?” Alouin asked. “What are you doing here?”

Force yanked me backward, and I fell to the ground, addled beyond belief.

It hadn’t been a hallucination! I had talked to a god.

And had gotten nowhere with this attempt at it. Great.

Two guards came into view, flanking me with their swords drawn.

“What did you do?” the woman asked. “What are you?”

There was nothing but white in the man’s eyes, and seeing that, I went still.

This was not good. What conclusions were these two drawing about me? They were enemies, not allies like the Zrelnach near Allanovian’s tear had been, and they’d seen me sticking my fingers into this one.

Slowly, I raised my hands where they could see them.

“I-” I started.

“Shut up! Shut up, shut up!” the man shouted.

Oh. And they were standing next to a tear, with all of its granted panic.

They were going to kill me.

I pondered this idea for a heartbeat, and then, the woman moved, lifting her sword. Without thinking, I reacted.

Threads of light shot into their eyes, all while I wished for them to leave me alone. I needed them to go. to. sleep.

And they collapsed into snoring piles.

With a yelp, I scrambled away from the guards, only to get hit in the face with a wave of Ele from the tear. It wiped away my terror and questions, leaving only logic behind.

I should return to my cell before these guards woke up, minimizing the damage done to me. If I did that, perhaps these two’s story would seem ridiculous enough that their compatriots wouldn’t believe it.

Better to take that chance than to make a run for it. After hearing these guards’ tale, people would eventually put two and two together—especially if I didn’t encourage doubt for it—and they'd label me a primeancer. If I escaped this place, I didn’t want a mob on my trail on top of the queen’s forces.

With my decision made, I climbed to my feet, dusting myself off, before facing the cacophony outside of the cage. Dim and Bright were still at it, struggling to rend each other asunder, and huffing at their foolishness, I ignored them. At some point, they’d calm down.

After searching the guards for keys, I tossed them through the hole I’d made in the cage before stepping through it myself, closing the gap behind me. Holding the energies of both primal forces at once was uncomfortable, to say the least, but I couldn’t let go of Ele’s peace yet. So, I was quick with the bars, focusing on them instead of the war taking place within me, one that was threatening to tear me apart.

Casting Daevetch aside, I hurried into the hallway, making slow progress back to my cell. I noted the sudden silence when Bright and Dim stopped fighting, holding up a finger before they could speak.

“Don’t apologize,” I said. “You couldn’t help it.”

After a beat, Dim grumbled, “Ugh. He’s clinging to you.”

But they said nothing else until I was back in my cell.

TTS Chapter Fifty

Chapter 51: Time In Between

Raimie

As soon as I’d returned to my cell, I slammed my back into metal, sliding to the floor and bringing my knees up so I could cradle my forehead. Then, I released Ele.

As soon as it was gone, my thoughts started racing, ticking through everything that could go wrong, and with difficulty, I shoved this bubbling frenzy aside. Oh, my father wouldn’t like me detaching like this, but he wasn’t here right now, was he?

How was he doing? Had he and the Zrelnach been waiting beside Sev for this last week, trying to figure out what to do?

I hoped not. Kaedesa would probably have them wiped out soon. If they were smart, my companions would have scattered by then, although some would have stuck around regardless. Probably.

My father would be where we’d left him. He wouldn’t move until he knew where I was, which made my heart hurt. He was the only member of our family left free, which meant he was the only one likely to survive. Again, probably.

I hoped he’d move on, but knowing that man…

Sighing, I shook my head.

I thought Rhylix would linger near Sev too. He was the type to sacrifice far too much for his friends, but I wasn’t sure if we still were friends. Sure, during our ‘argument’ weeks ago, he’d insisted we were, but as time had passed, I’d gotten more uncertain about that. I’d hit him, after all, hard enough to send him flying.

I banged my head on the bars, aware that I couldn’t focus on that conundrum right now.

As for Dath and Ferin, the trainee would likely stick with my father and Rhylix, but again, I didn’t know about that. When Kaedesa had taken me and Eledis, the conspiracy hadn’t been rooted out of the Zrelnach’s ranks, and after Dath’s betrayal, its members probably wanted him dead. If he was like most people, he'd stick with allies in such a precarious situation.

Even with that, though, I didn’t know him well enough to anticipate what he’d do. He could have returned to his post, conspiracy or not.

Ferin was much easier to predict. Once she was certain Eledis and I were a lost cause, she’d march her people back to Allanovian, and I wouldn’t blame her for it.

Grimacing, I banged my head against metal again. Why was I focusing on who’d been left behind? Perhaps with it, I was distracting myself, but if so, it wasn’t helping. I should be planning my next move, not…

I rubbed my face. Gods, this saving people business was difficult.

“Are you sure you want to stay here?” Bright asked.

It and Dim were crouched beside me with concern blazing from their faces.

“I don’t know what else to do,” I told them.

They exchanged a glance, but I wasn’t paying attention. Laying on the cold floor, I tried to get some sleep.

The rattle of a key in its lock woke me up, and blinking, I sluggishly got to my feet. Eledis was in much the same state while a handful of guards were standing outside of my cell, intently watching me.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

They didn’t answer, of course, not even when Eledis started shouting variations of the same question. As soon as the door opened, they rushed me, pinning me to the bars of my cell, and I endured their pat-down of my body with many an eyeroll.

What did they expect me to do? Slaughter them? That wasn’t possible or…

Glancing at Dim, I made a face. If I’d wanted to, I could probably kill everyone here without a problem, but that just seemed… wrong.

I didn’t mention this as they marched me out of my cell, past Eledis with his red-faced shouting. We entered a staircase in the cellblock’s corner, hidden behind a door.

After a long climb, we emerged into sunlight, and I lifted my hands to shield my eyes. Once they’d adjusted, I stared down a host of swords and hollow tubes, frowning as I slowly lowered my hands.

Since arriving in Daira, I’d noticed how every guard here had a bent metal pipe hanging from their belt, but I hadn’t thought much of that, assuming those pipes were part of their uniform. From the way these people were pointing them at me now, they had to be a weapon instead.

I was a little confused, though. How could a tube kill me? Sure, the guards could beat the shit out of me with it, which would eventually accomplish that goal, but it would take a long time. Stabbing me would be much more efficient.

“I won’t attack you,” I said, displaying my palms.

Gradually, the guards lowered their weapons, and I was prodded into a garden.

Once it had surrounded us, I nearly stopped short, keeping my legs moving through sheer force of will. As we marched beside a manicured lawn, I kept my head on a swivel, barely aware that my mouth was hanging open, but awe wasn’t what had caused this reaction.

“I could swear I’ve been here before,” I said under my breath.

I watched a child version of me climb that oak tree, looking for a place to read, or race across the grass, laughing with his imaginary friend. It was a disconcerting sensation, one that wouldn’t relent. So, when a noise cracked through the air up ahead, I welcomed the distraction with relief.

As we moved along, the popping noises got louder until I realized we were headed toward it, and at my side, Bright shrunk on itself while Dim looked increasingly intrigued.

The guards led me into a section of the garden, cordoned off by trellises. Here, we found an archery range, although the practice dummies in it had blackened rings around their wounds and far too much straw spilling behind them.

Opposite this, a picnic table sat on cobblestones with a pair of attendants standing behind it. On the table, variants of the guards’ bent pipes lay in parallel fashion, but what rested above them, perpendicular to their pattern, zeroed my attention, toppling me into the most tunnel-visioned state I’d ever achieved.

Shadowsteal, the sword I’d abhorred since finding it, waited for me there, and I longed to touch it. In a blink, Dim and Bright were standing there, greedily devouring the table’s contents, before lifting avid eyes to me.

“This belongs in your hand,” Bright said.

“Claim it, Raimie,” Dim added.

I wanted to. Gods, I wanted to, even if temporarily.

But first.

Dragging my eyes off of Shadowsteal, I focused on the woman who was standing at the range’s ready line. Today, Queen Kaedesa was an entirely different person from the one who’d caught me and my grandfather in Sev. Rather than the commoner’s clothing that she’d favored then, she was wearing a magnificent gown, all silk and lace. Instead of a simple bun, her hair was piled into an intricate arrangement, and a regal air hung heavy on her now.

Hell. The Queen of Ada’ir had summoned me, not half a day since my jaunt outside of my cell. Did she know? Why had she brought me here? Oh, gods, if this was an interrogation and I was to do it alone—which really, I should have expected—then I was doomed.

Kaedesa finished fiddling with the hollow tube she was holding, pointing it at a target. She pulled on a lever, wedged into the crook of its angle, and a deafening bang ripped through the air, right as a target’s heads was blasted off of its shoulders.

“Fuck!” I shouted.

Although with my ears ringing, my voice had been silent for me.

I stumbled backward, tripping on myself, and one of the guards caught me, as if expecting my reaction. What the godsdamn hell had that been? It- it-

Swinging my gaze between the decapitated target and the queen, I couldn’t breathe; my heart was jammed so hard into my throat, and the sight of Dim, manically jumping in place, only mitigated this by a fraction.

When Kaedesa beckoned, an attendant hurried forward to take the weapon from her, all while she removed something from her ears.

“-one of Oswin’s designs?” I picked out of the world’s buzz.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Shaking her head, Kaedesa said, “I should have expected as much. All right. Send the prototype to the smithy. See if they can recreate it.”

“And the rest?” the attendant asked.

Kaedesa glanced at the table with a frown.

“The same,” she said, “but make sure they’re lower priority.”

Bowing, the attendant said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

She gathered the other tubes while Kaedesa faced me, clapping her hands in front of her nose.

“Ah, yes. My newest guest,” she said.

Looking me over, she scowled.

“Why is he in shackles?” she snapped. “Take them off immediately!”

The guards exchanged a glance before one of them stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, based on what happened last night, your palace guard is hesitant to leave him unbound around you,” he said. “Your safety-”

“I’ve read the report, sergeant. Even with that, I’m confident that I can defend myself,” Kaedesa said, pulling a tube out of her skirt's pocket to show him. “Plus, Raimie wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”

When she turned her eyes on me, I stiffened.

“No. Causing you harm in your stronghold would be stupid. If I tried that, I wouldn’t make it out alive,” I said, “and I don’t hurt people. It’s the decent thing to do, after all.”

Something crossed Kaedesa’s face at that, but it quickly cleared, and she waved at the guards.

“You heard him. Release him and leave,” she said with the weight of a command behind it.

With many a quiet grumble, the guards did what she’d said, and rubbing my wrists, I watched them disappear behind a trellis.

“Please, join me,” Kaedesa said.

TTS Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter 52: Polite Interrogation

Raimie

Squaring my shoulders, I stiffly strode to the table, folding into the chair opposite Queen Kaedesa. While she retrieved items to lay on the table, I examined her. Keeping my attention on her was difficult with Shadowsteal lying right there, but I had to decide how I should play this.

Thanks to Ferin’s etiquette lessons—who’d have guessed I’d be grateful for those?—I knew that I had options. Should I act like one of Kaedesa’s subjects, giving her deference, or would treating her as an equal be better? According to my family, I had the same standing as her, although as an exiled royal, I should offer her greater respect than I might show to someone of the same rank.

Kaedesa, however, didn’t know that I came from the Audish royal line, and I wasn’t sure if I should play that card yet. So, what should I-?

“What has your face so scrunched with concentration?” Kaedesa said.

Still wrapped in my thoughts, I said, “I’m deciding how I should address you.”

When Kaedesa burst into laughter, I went cold at the realization that I’d said that out loud.

“I- I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” I stammered. “I didn’t mean- I wasn’t trying-”

Waving at me, Kaedesa said, “It’s fine, Raimie.”

“Still,” I said, “I must beg your forgiveness-”

“Raimie. Please,” Kaedesa said, rolling her eyes. “For this conversation, treat me like you would a passing acquaintance, setting aside rank. It tends to get in the way of the truth.”

Truth? Oh, no. What truth did she want from me?

“Over the last few days, I’ve considered the question your grandfather posed in Sev, and I’ve come to a decision about what I’ll do with you,” Kaedesa continued. “Before I can finalize that, though, I have a few follow-up questions, ones I’d rather ask you instead of your grandfather. I mean no offense with this, but he irritates the hell out of me.”

Before I could stop it, laughter overtook me, and I slapped my hands to my mouth, trying to contain it. When I could, I cleared my throat.

“Eledis usually has that effect, yes,” I said.

Narrowing her eyes, Kaedesa picked up her quill, wetting it.

While writing, she murmured to herself, “Subject refers to grandfather by the man’s first name. Interesting.”

Raising her gaze to me, she chewed on her quill while I worked through what she’d meant. Subject?

“You have questions?” I asked after a moment.

“Mm.”

Lowering her quill, Kaedesa tapped it on the table, leaving behind ink dots.

“First, a personal question,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

And again, I had to decide how I’d behave. Did I stick to the polite road, or did I answer as I’d like? She’d enjoyed my previous deviations from protocol, encouraged them even, so…

Tilting my head with a smile, I said, “I don’t have much of a choice about it, do I?”

Kaedesa smirked.

“I suppose you don’t,” she said. “So. Your name: Raimie. It’s quite short for a human.”

When she stopped speaking, I frowned. Had there been a question in there?

“You’re not the first to comment on that,” I said. “What does the length of my name have to do with anything?”

“I want to know where you’ve come from. I’ve already set my spies on accomplishing the task, but why shouldn’t I explore the clue that’s been dropped in my lap as well?” Kaedesa said. “So. Considering you have a name of Eselan length, do you have traces of said race in your blood? Or was the choice simply a cruel peculiarity of your parents?”

“Wait, what?” I said, drawing back in my chair. “What do the Esela have to do with my name?”

Kaedesa stopped her quill’s tap on the table.

“Because it’s Eselan,” she said. “They use names with two or less syllables while humans have three or more. You didn’t know this?”

“No,” I said.

Why hadn’t I known? Was this another fact that my family had kept from me, or was it common knowledge, something they’d thought I’d learn over the years?

“I don’t have Eselan blood in me, more’s the pity,” I said. “Having magic would be…”

Trailing off, I shook my head. I already had magic, didn’t I? When I glanced at Bright and Dim, hovering behind Kaedesa, they grinned.

“I guess I could be part Eselan,” I mused. “My mother chose my name, and I don’t know much about her history, although I’m fairly certain she was human.”

Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms.

“Linking the syllables in someone’s name to their race, though? Really?” I said. “Who thinks up these stupid social norms?”

With a cough, Bright pointed at Kaedesa, who was bent over her journal, and I winced.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wander off like that,” I said. “Did that answer your question?”

“Not really, but it’s ok. It still helped,” Kaedesa said before straightening. “Thank you for the honest answer.”

I inclined my head to her, and while she considered her next question, I let my gaze drift to the sword, sitting between us. When I touched it again, would degrees of light drape over the world again? If they did, would that be the only reaction I experienced, or would something more come to plague me?

“That’s one reason I summoned you this morning.”

Kaedesa brushed her fingers over Shadowsteal.

“I found it while inspecting your grandfather’s belongings,” she said. “I already thought you were strange. Why would someone so young and bright-eyed get involved in a rebellion? But then, I saw this, a blade that clearly belongs to a seasoned warrior, and my puzzlement deepened. How did it fall into your hands?”

Should I be insulted by that question? Eledis and I weren’t ‘seasoned warriors’, but hearing that fact spoken aloud stung.

Still, Kaedesa’s question trod on a delicate subject, so in the end, I kept my answer simple.

“I found it,” I said.

Lifting an eyebrow, Kaedesa said, “Care to elaborate?’

No.

“I found the damn thing in a clearing, and within a day, my life was uprooted,” I hissed through my teeth. “I was dragged to Fissid. Once there, I escaped the town while it burned down around me, was nearly murdered, and have been on the run ever since. All because of that go- Alouin damned sword.”

Maybe if I displayed enough disdain for the sword, Kaedesa would consider it less important than it was.

“But you don’t hate it, do you?” Bright asked. “Not anymore.”

Narrowing my eyes at the splinter, I shook my head. I didn’t hate it. Because it was needed, I’d even touch the blade, but I still didn’t want to wield it. Someone else could hold that role.

“So, you admit your involvement in Fissid’s destruction,” Kaedesa said.

But her tone had changed. There was something dark in it, even if she was wearing a carefully blank mask. She stared at me as if waiting for a response, but I didn’t know what to say, which had been a common issue today.

“Well, you can’t tell her the whole truth, obviously. She smells like she’s ready to murder you,” Dim said. “Hedge.”

I’d already known that, but a traitorous part of me couldn’t follow Dim’s suggestion. The corpse-faces of Fissid’s residents were staring at me too intently for that. So, I scrubbed my eyes with a grimace.

“I had a hand in it,” I said with a thick voice.

In the silence, the snap of Queen Kaedesa’s quill was loud, and I lowered my hands to accept her wrath, only to be greeted by Dim, growling in my face.

“You’re hedging in the wrong direction, idiot,” it snapped.

“I know,” I quietly said. “Trust me. I know.”

Hissing, Dim got out of my face. The splinter had blocked my view of Kaedesa long enough for her to regain control. The only evidence of her reaction to what I’d said was a broken quill and an ink splotch on her journal’s page. She was currently drawing another quill into view with a flush to her cheeks.

“For weeks, I’ve been working on learning what happened in Fissid, trying to understand how someone could…” she said before slamming a fist on the table. “Those were my people. Good. people.”

Slowly, I breathed out, fighting with myself. I couldn’t have a breakdown in front of a queen.

“I know,” I said.

Snarling, Kaedesa scribbled messy letters in her journal before snapping her fiery eyes up to me.

“What about Paft or Lancik or Drigel?” she snapped. “Did you massacre everyone in those towns too?”

“Wha…?

Rapidly blinking, I struggled to understand what she’d said.

Lancik. Paft. Drigel. Those had been towns where my people had stopped to restock. They were gone?

“H-?”

Clearing my throat, I tried again.

“How?” I asked. “What happened to them? Please.”

Kaedesa, who’d looked ready to strangle me, paused with a confused expression on her face.

“They were burned to the ground with no survivors,” she said. “Don’t you… know that?”

No survivors. Burned to the ground. Like Fissid. But… I’d thought…

“I told you he was still hunting you,” Dim softly said. “‘His Volatility piece says hi’. Remember?”

I shot to my feet so quickly that my chair clattered to the ground behind me.

“THAT. FUCKING. BASTARD!” I roared. “Why would he kill so many people? He could have gotten what he needed without murdering them. I helped those people! Why- why would he-?”

Slowly, Dim rested a hand on my shoulder.

“His Volatility piece is… demanding,” it said. “If he weren’t under their influence, I doubt he would have gone this far.”

Gasping, I said, “That- that doesn’t-”

“Excuse what he did? Make sense?” Bright said. “No. Nothing to do with your enemy ever will.”

“Oh, gods.”

I pressed a hand to my mouth, barely holding back tears as realization hit me.

“He won’t stop,” I said into my palm. “He’ll spread a swath of death in my wake until he catches me.”

“Or until you’re strong enough to stop him,” Bright said.

Which would be never.

Dropping to my haunches, I tangled my fingers in my hair, tugging on it.

“All those people,” I said. “Alouin, all those people. It’s my fault they’re dead.”

The crunch of footfalls stopped in front of me, and someone pulled my hand free of its tangle, nudging my chin up. Crouching in front of me, Queen Kaedesa examined me with an empty expression, which I was grateful for. Even dazed as I was, if she’d shown me compassion or pity, it would have sent me over the edge.

“You didn’t set fire to my people’s villages,” she said.

It wasn’t a question, but I shook my head anyway.

“You have, if fact, killed none of Ada’ir’s citizens,” Kaedesa continued.

When I shook my head this time, my insides twinged. Even now, I could clearly see a criminal’s face, the man I’d killed during my second trial, but I shouldn’t mention that now.

Shifting to sit on the ground, Kaedesa said, “Tell me what happened.”

So, I did. I didn’t share everything, but I relayed most of what had happened in Fissid in a monotone voice. When I was finished, Kaedesa cocked her head, looking into the distance.

“Accepted as truth,” she said.

Waving at someone, Kaedesa righted my chair before helping me into it. While she circled the table, the remaining attendant pressed a glass of water into my hands, and I sipped it, waiting for the queen to finish scribbling in her notebook.

Already, I was ready for this interrogation to be over, but I knew we were nowhere close to the end. I wasn't looking forward to finding out what other answers Queen Kaedesa would demand from me.

TTS Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter 53: Who Are You, Really?

Raimie

When Kaedesa eventually rested her quill atop on top of her notebook, I set my cup down, ready for the questioning to continue once more.

“This man who's hunting you. Who is he? He has, in essence, declared war on Ada’ir and must be brought to justice for his crimes,” she said. “If we have a name, my army can start looking for him.”

How had I told my story about Fissid without mentioning a name?

“He’s a powerful battle mage,” I said. “Goes by Teron, I believe.”

Something shifted in Kaedesa’s eyes.

“Teron?” she said. “Chief of Doldimar’s Enforcers for the last few decades?”

With a half-shrug, I said, “Maybe? I’m just sharing what I’ve been told, Your Majesty.”

Turning inward, Kaedesa brushed her quill’s feather along her jaw.

“If it’s him, I wonder why he wants you dead,” she said.

“To get rid of a threat to Doldimar’s reign? I don’t know.”

I realized too late that Kaedesa had been directing that question at herself, not me. The flat stare she was showing me propelled me straight from a numb state to the world of the hyper-aware.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Swallowing hard, I said, “Um.”

I looked for help anywhere I might find it, but the attendant from before was impassively gazing at me, Bright and Dim shrugged, and the target dummies had nothing to add. The reminder of Kaedesa’s tube did, however, encourage me to tell the truth.

“There’s a… foretelling about my family,” I said. “It claims that the person who found that sword—”

I tossed a hand toward Shadowsteal.

“—would return to Auden, freeing it from its conquering darkness. I assume that means Doldimar, but I don’t know how much credence I’d give it. After all, it’s a foretelling, but even still, it drove my family out of our home and drew Teron to me.”

Narrowing her eyes, Kaedesa flicked them between Shadowsteal and me.

“And who is your family to have so much attention paid to you?” she asked.

Releasing a sigh, I slumped in my chair. Apparently, I’d have to play this card.

“Descendants of the Audish royal line,” I said.

Wordlessly, Kaedesa tried to flatten me with her gaze.

“Really?” she said without inflection. “If that were true, I’m fairly certain my little birdie would have told me.”

“It’s what I’m told,” I said, glancing over Kaedesa’s head.

I also knew it to be true. Before, I’d had vague sensations in my head, making me believe the story, but sitting here, getting scrutinized by a queen and withstanding her, it was etched into stone inside of me. Centuries ago, one of my ancestors had ruled a kingdom.

A quill’s scratching drew my gaze to the table.

“Subject begins to display irrationality,” Kaedesa said to herself. “After a lengthy, logical conversation, this comes as a surprise. Perhaps the older members of his family have indoctrinated this belief in him?”

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms, which had Kaedesa looking up at me.

“Let’s change subjects,” she said before pointing her quill at me. “Tell me how you got out of your cell last night.”

Holding perfectly still, I glanced at my splinters, pleading for their help.

Huffing, Dim said, “Lie, of course. Unless you want to get strung up.”

When I focused on Bright, it grimaced.

“The insufferable ignoramus makes a good point,” it choked out.

Great. I was about to try misleading a monarch. This was just great.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “I slept on a cell’s cold floor until your guards woke me up this morning. Besides, if I’d managed to escape, would we be having this conversation right now?”

Slowly, Kaedesa lowered her quill’s point to her journal, holding my gaze as she wrote in it.

“Only now does the subject lie to me. It took longer than expected. Subject uses logic to convince me of the story he’s selling. Clever tactic, that.”

I held the queen’s gaze, but she was resolute. Eventually, I gave in.

“If I may, how would I have escaped, if I’d done so?” I said. “The only way out was through a locked door, and I can’t pick a lock to save my life.”

Resting her quill on the table, Kaedesa said, “We shall see.”

She rose from the table, and I was quick to join her.

“You’ve given me much to think on, child, and most of it was unexpected,” she said. “I’m afraid that my answer to your grandfather’s question will have to wait a while longer.”

Noting the change in her tone, I bowed to her.

“I am at Her Majesty’s disposal,” I said.

Nodding, Kaedesa gestured for her attendant.

“Have a room prepared for our new guests,” she said, “and find out who put them in a cell last night. I need to have a word with them.”

With a bow and a ‘Yes, Your Majesty’, the attendant scurried away, and Kaedesa turned her attention on me.

“You realize that if you won’t admit how you escaped last night, I’ll have to double the guard on you,” she said.

“As you should know that I’ll do my damnedest to reach my people while there’s still breath in my body,” I said.

With a smile, Kaedesa said, “We have an agreement, then.”

She extended a hand, and firmly grasping her wrist, I shook it. When I released her, Kaedesa rested her fingers on Shadowsteal’s hilt.

“You were eyeing this throughout our conversation,” she said. “Would you like to take it up once more? Once we’re done here, it’ll go into my collection.”

With a dry mouth, I said, “You’d let me do that?”

“I don’t see why not. Yes, right now, you’re my prisoner, but that’s a loose status, and if you are from the Audish royal line, unbelievable as that is, I should foster a good relationship between us,” Kaedesa said. “Besides, I have this if you try anything.”

She waggled her tube into view, and I struggled to control what was swelling in me.

“I would very much like to hold it,” I said. “Thank you for allowing it, Your Majesty.”

“Of course.”

Kaedesa waved at the table, and breathless, I reached for Shadowsteal. When I wrapped my hand around its hilt, Bright appeared center stage with Dim cowering behind it.

“Feel the whole,” it said.

I wasn’t sure what it was talking about, but something was different. It thrummed through the air, something so powerful…

Tensing, I staggered backward as a mote of light sped for me, but with its light fading, it only sunk into my body, leaving no physical sensation behind to mark its loss. More appeared—from the grass, from the queen, from the guards coming around the terrace—and as I absorbed them, the thrum around me grew stronger, falling into a beat.

I tilted my head back, shivering at the harmony running through me. This was the epitome of peace.

“Not the pistols!” Kaedesa shouted.

Snapping my head down, I barely stepped out of the way of a blade, swinging for my neck. In slow motion, the guard who’d chopped at me recovered, but I casually stepped around her, placing my hand on her chest. White light flared from me, and the guard flew toward the opposite terrace, buckling it on impact.

And all the while, motes of light… of Ele flowed my way.

The other guards converged on my position, but they couldn’t touch me. I danced among them while they moved at a snail’s pace. With a beat pulsing inside, I disarmed or otherwise incapacitated them all, although something within me refused to kill them.

Once only groaning bodies surrounded me, I examined my perfectly accomplished task with satisfaction, flicking Shadowsteal in rhythmic circles around my body.

Gods, this blade had been well-crafted. Feel how perfectly balanced it was!

“Raimie.”

Spinning toward Dim, I both rejoiced and recoiled at the sight of the splinter’s hunched state.

“The forgetful one’s still pointing a weapon at you,” it croaked.

The forgetful one? Who-?

No, wait. Someone with a weapon. Kaedesa!

Dropping Shadowsteal, I tripped over a downed guard in my haste to retreat, scuttling backward once I’d hit the ground.

“I- I- I- I-” I stammered.

What the hell had I revealed to the woman who held my life in her hands?

“I’m guessing that’s never happened before,” Kaedesa said, rather mildly.

When I nodded, she retrieved her quill and journal.

“Subject displays special abilities when using a unique blade. Perhaps I should give more credence to his claim. The Audish royals were known for their proficiency in combat, after all,” she said before snapping her journal closed. “You certainly made quick work of my guards.”

Oh… shit.

“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty,” I said. “I don’t know what came over-”

“Oh, stop,” Kaedesa interrupted. “I expected something like this might happen.”

Offering me a hand, she hauled me to my feet while releasing a piercing whistle. As another group of guards came into view, she brushed her skirt off.

“Well, this was fun,” she said. “I look forward to our next meeting.”

Turning to the guards, she said, “Take my guest to his room. He’s to be treated with respect, but while you escort him, keep in mind what you see here.”

Without a word, the guards surrounded me, and Kaedesa smiled.

“Until next time.”

Then, I was led away, completely frazzled by the last half hour.

TTS Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter 54: Kaedesa's Hospitality

Raimie

Thinking back on my meeting with her, I wasn’t sure why people thought Kaedesa was a violent queen. She’d been more than accommodating with me, considering who we each were, and when I’d flown to pieces after learning what Teron had done, she’d been quick to give me comfort. She’d even made sure that Eledis and I had better sleeping arrangements.

“This is nice.”

As I stepped into my new room, Dim flashed ahead of me to inspect windows with panes in them, fresh straw strewn over the floor, and the tapestry on one wall. A desk and two beds were the only furniture in the room, although another door in a corner might lead to a washroom.

Maybe I could clean my clothes in there. Alouin knew I could use that.

“What do you think?” Dim asked.

Before I could answer, the door’s lock thunked into place behind me.

Making a face, I said, “It’s a nice prison cell.”

Wandering inside, I circled the room, looking for anything I could use. When I reached the windows, I pushed on their panes, smiling when their frames swung out.

Once I was finished, I picked a bed and threw myself onto it before turning to my splinters.

“So?” I asked. “Did touching Shadowsteal-?”

Again, the lock thunked, and I slammed my mouth closed right as Eledis stumbled into the room. Righting himself, he brushed off his filthy clothes while finding me.

“Not dead, I see,” he said, lifting an eyebrow.

He pursed his lips while examining our surroundings.

“And you got us out of the dungeons too,” he said. “What on earth did you say to the queen?”

Still focused on my splinters, I huffed.

“I did nothing special, just answered her questions as politely and honestly as I could,” I said. “She seemed to like me. Found me interesting.”

“Ah, that would do it,” Eledis said. “Kaedesa’s always looking for new sources of entertainment.”

Apparently satisfied with that explanation, he strolled to the windows, looking out over Daira below.

Glancing at Bright and Dim, I winced to see them watching me with their fingers tapping. Considering how long we’d been restrained from speaking without barriers in place, I knew that my splinters wanted to share everything with me right now, but I needed to address a few problems with Eledis first.

Also, speaking with them while he was in the room didn’t seem feasible.

“We should talk about how we’re getting out of here,” I said. “Sure, we haven’t been able to yet-”

“Because you have a weak stomach when it comes to sailing?” Eledis said, crooking an eyebrow.

Scowling, I said, “Yes. That. I’m sorry about…”

I waved a hand over the length of Eledis’ body, and he barked a laugh.

“Oh, it wasn’t so bad. Kept my mind off a few old memories,” he said. “Plus, I’ll get to bathe soon enough, I’m sure.”

Well, wasn’t that a relief? I’d been convinced that I’d have to deal with a cranky grandfather while being held captive.

“So… escape?” I said.

Chuckling, Eledis said, “Oh, I’ve got something in the works, don’t you worry. It’s a plan I started when I arrived in Allanovian, but our circumstances have changed drastically since then. It might be a while before it’s ready, and that’s where you come in.”

He glanced at me while I kept a blank face in place. I was happy to hand the task of saving our lives off to my grandfather, but at the least, Eledis could acknowledge how stressful the last day of my life had been.

Not that I was ever telling him about getting out of my cell last night, especially not how I’d done it.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked.

“Keep Kaedesa entertained,” Eledis said. “Without you as a factor, who knows what she might decide about us? If she’s taken a shine to you, though, she’s more likely to think we aren’t rebels. She’ll also put her decision off for a while, using it to keep you around.”

“Great…” I drawled. “I don’t suppose you’ll give me a hint as to what the escape plan is, will you?”

Eledis shook his head.

“You can’t accidentally share its details if you don’t know anything about it,” he said.

Did he really think I’d go anywhere near that subject with people I didn’t trust?

Still, if I looked at Eledis’ point without emotion, I understood it. Why take the risk, no matter how minimal, of me spilling the secret of our salvation to the queen?

“If that’s what you think is best,” I said with a shrug.

Eledis eyed me like I was a stranger, which made me snort. He’d thought I’d protest, hadn’t he?

“I’m glad we agree,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me, I mean to ask how I can get cleaned up.”

Striding across the room, he knocked, but when the door opened, he wasn’t allowed outside. Fighting to keep still, I waited for him to go, shooting glances at my splinters the whole time, and when Eledis was told to wait in the adjoining room, I fell sideways onto my bed’s blanket.

Even now, I didn’t feel safe enough to talk to my invisible splinters. Eledis could return at any moment, and besides that, the door between these rooms didn’t look heavy. If I started talking, my grandfather would probably hear it, even if he wouldn’t understand the specifics of what I said.

It was too bad, really. I was more than eager to learn the many things that Bright and Dim couldn’t say before. Admittedly, they were probably things that would change my life again. Rhylix hadn’t been able to explain much about primeancy before our ‘fight’ had driven us apart.

Gods, I wished I could just ask my splinters my questions.

A set of legs stepped into view, and when I glanced up at Dim, they had a look of disdainful accommodation on their face.

A face that at some point, had changed from a copy of mine. The shift was subtle, so I wasn’t surprised it had taken me so long to notice, and on raising myself onto an elbow, I saw Bright had done the same thing. Why would they change like this?

“Because you asked for it, dimwit,” Dim said, rolling their eyes.

That was disconcerting. Had Dim gotten so accustomed to my facial expressions that they could tell what I was thinking?

“For the love of-”

Breaking off, Dim slapped their face.

“When will you learn what being pieces of an all-powerful force of nature means?” they groaned.

What the hell was Dim talking about? Were they trying to shove their superiority in my face again? They seemed to enjoy doing that.

“Nope! Nope, nope,” Dim said.

They strode away, pointing at Bright as they passed.

“You explain it,” they growled. “Dealing with this ignorant version of him makes me want to rip him to shreds sometimes.”

Without a word, Bright replaced Dim, although they crouched so I didn’t have to crane my neck when looking at them. It was an improvement, but I still had a splinter staring at me. If I couldn’t talk to them, now might be a good time for me to catch up on sleep. Gods knew I’d missed a lot of it recently.

With Bright right there, though, falling asleep would be close to impossible. Maybe if they moved the teensiest bit, I could ignore-

Without provocation, Bright shifted to their left, moving themselves out of my field of view.

“Is that better?” they asked. “You said you wanted to talk, but if you’ve changed your mind… if you’d rather sleep, we can wait a little longer.”

I shot upright, scooting away until my back had hit the wall. What… the… ? What the hell had that been? What-?

Wincing, Dim said, “Would you please calm down? By me, you’re annoying when you’re panicked.”

Holding perfectly still, I glanced between my splinters.

You can read my mind? I cautiously thought.

Shifting in place, Bright said. “Ah… not exactly.”

While, with a mischievous grin, Dim said, “Yes.”

That had not helped. After a moment with me expectantly staring at them, Dim made a face.

“Ok, fine. They’re right. We can read your mind of a sort,” they said before poking Bright. “You’re no fun.”

Bright flinched away from the Daevetch splinter, making Dim’s grin turn malicious.

“What is it, oh most predictable of bores?” they asked. “Afraid I’ll hurt you? I promised I wouldn’t. Don’t you trust me?”

They gave Bright the biggest of puppy dog eyes, and the Ele splinter looked right back with thinly veiled disgust.

“Considering that your whole includes Deception and Manipulation, no. I don’t trust you,” they said through gritted teeth.

Throwing a hand over their heart, Dim said, “I’m hurt.”

They then proceeded to poke Bright again, and desperately in need of answers, I’d had enough.

Would you two godsdamn SHUT UP and EXPLAIN yourselves? I shouted internally.

Spinning toward me, both splinters clamped their mouths closed while simultaneously trying to speak, and I watched this with narrowed eyes. What were they playing at?

Wait. If they could hear my thoughts, they would have heard me shouting, and considering how they looked now…

Had something forced them to do as I’d commanded? What…? No, better question. Why?

But why was I focusing on that when my splinters were in distress?

Stop! I didn’t mean it, I said.

Slumping, Bright coughed into an elbow.

After a moment, they rasped, “Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Dim was bent double, heavily leaning on my bed.

With my eyes pinned on them, I said, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t trying to… Can- can I make you do things, even unintentionally like that?

Dim jerked upright with a vitriolic comment on their tongue, but the look on their face softened when they locked eyes with me.

“Of course you can, you absolutely dense human. To a degree,” they said instead. “How have you survived as a primeancer for so long without knowing basic information like that?”

Narrowing my eyes, I said, I haven’t had many chances to learn these things, have I?

For some reason, this quelled Dim’s anger even further.

“No, you haven’t,” they quietly said.

...What did that mean?

Before I could ask, Bright said, “Can we return to the question at hand, please?”

Right. How my splinters knew what I was thinking.

“You needn’t worry, Raimie. We can’t read your mind in its entirety,” Bright said. “We only catch thoughts that are related to the wholes or that you direct at us.”

Relaxing, I scooched forward a bit.

Well, that’s a relief, I said. No offense, but I wouldn’t want either of you in my head that deeply.

“Oh, trust me. We wouldn’t want it either. Or I wouldn’t, at least,” Dim said. “Humans are so… complicated.”

Cocking my head, I said, And you aren’t?

Dim drew themselves up.

“I obey my nature,” they said. “You fight it at every turn.”

“Again! We’re getting away from the point,” Bright said before a fight could break out.

Yes. The point, I said. Why didn’t either of you tell me about this before now? It could have been so useful over the last few weeks.

Indulgently smiling, Bright play-ruffled my hair, which I endured with a glare.

“You, most wonderful human of ours, are unusual,” they said. “Most people find speaking with their thoughts uncomfortable.”

Plopping on the bed, Dim kicked at the air while leaning back to stare at me.

“It’s because humans like the sound of their own voices,” they said. “Most of the time.”

Snorting, I said, I can think of one human in particular.

Eledis had been in that other room for a long time. Should I check on him?

Humming to myself, I shook my head. He was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Talking like this will take some getting used to, but under certain circumstances, it’ll be worth it, I said. Like right now.

Flashing a smile, I leaned my elbows on my knees while pressing my palms flat against one another.

Did it work? I asked. You’ve been mentioning new things like ‘the wholes’, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. So, can we talk without that annoying buzz getting in the way?

Exchanging a glance with Dim, Bright said, “I… think… so.”

“I hope so,” Dim said. “You, most unique of people, are a horrible primeancer. We need to fix that.”

And we will. Hopefully, I said. But first, let’s test what we can talk about.

While Bright crossed their arms, Dim rolled onto their stomach, cupping their chin.

Lazily swinging their legs in the air, they asked, “What do you want to know?”

TTS Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter 55: The Primal Forces' Desire

Raimie

“What do you want to know?” Dim asked me, as mischievous as ever.

“Hmm.”

I had plenty of questions for my splinters, ones that I meant to tackle when I could, but for now, I needed a small number of them, ones that would show us how far we could push our communications boundaries. Given those parameters, deciding what to ask took very little time.

I assume splinters are attracted to a human or Eselan for a reason, one that involves each force’s purpose for said person. I have three questions related to this, I said. First, why were you two attracted to me? Second, what do Daevetch and Ele want from me and last…

Rubbing my hands together, I stared at them.

It’s obvious that you have something planned for me as well. So, lastly, I want to know what that is.

From the way they’d frozen, I’d have thought Dim and Bright had gotten stuck between this world and wherever Ele and Daevetch existed. They’d even stopped pretending to breathe.

Turning to Bright, Dim said, “He went straight to the heart of it.”

A smile crossed Bright’s face, one that managed to look proud and sad at the same time.

“I’ve always said that he was bright,” they said.

“For my sake, now is not the time for puns,” Dim said. “I do rather like that one, though.”

Pulling away from Dim, Bright said, “Ugh. Don’t make me sick. What will do about this, though? Those questions…”

Flinging their head back, Dim groaned at the ceiling.

“We answer them, dingbat. Obviously,” they said. “Besides, if we didn’t, our human would get pretty pissed at us. He can hear what we’re saying, or haven’t you noticed?”

Bright snapped their gaze to me, and grinning, I fluttered my fingers at them. I hadn’t felt the need to interrupt their discussion. Not only had it been entertaining but in their distraction, my splinters might have dropped information that they’d otherwise keep to themselves.

“Clever tactic,” Dim said, playfully punching my arm. “I approve.”

Sticking my tongue out, I rubbed my arm as if it had actually been hurt.

So? I said. Do I get answers or not?

Scowling, Bright said, “I suppose you should. You’ll need… no. You deserve to know the answers to these questions.”

Only slightly ominous.

Lifting an eyebrow, I said, Ok…?

Bright shifted to their other foot, sighing.

“For your first question, the answer is that we don’t know,” they said. “Most splinters are attracted to a specific quality of their person, gradually drawn in until they’re attached. For example, Perpetuation might be attracted to someone who maintains a strict schedule on a daily basis. With you, we were just… there. No attraction period at all.”

On the bed, Dim clapped and cooed—“Oh, well done”—and taking a step toward them, Bright thrust a finger at their counterpart.

“Don’t you start,” they growled. “I am walking a delicate line here. Don’t make it worse for me.”

Innocently blinking, Dim said, “But isn’t that my job?”

Dim… I sighed.

I didn’t have the patience to deal with more splinter bullshit, not of the squabbling variety at least. Most of the time, I enjoyed it, no matter how irritated I might act, but I was so close to real answers. I couldn’t have anything delaying it.

Wincing, Dim nodded at the unspoken rebuke.

“So, purposes next, right? Ours and the wholes,” they said. “Let’s start with the more difficult one. Ind. Square here and I-”

They waved at Bright.

“We believe that… you… can… do… something more… than what the wholes want from you.”

Those first few words had looked like they’d literally been forced out of Dim, as if each of them had been a tooth extracted from their mouth. After getting as far as they had, they were left panting, barely holding their head up.

The wholes that you’re talking about are Ele and Daevetch, right? I asked.

“That’s what you lot call them, yes,” Bright said, wrinkling their nose.

Can you disagree with them like that?

I hadn’t thought that was possible, but if it was, it could make for an interesting dynamic between splinters and their primal forces.

“We shouldn’t be able to,” Bright said.

Well, there went that idea.

“It’s never happened before, not like this at least,” they continued, “but things have never been as bad as they are now.”

As bad as they-?

No. I couldn’t get distracted. First, I needed the questions I’d already asked answered in full. Then, I could consider other mysteries.

So, what SPECIFICALLY do you two want from me? I asked.

As if they hadn’t expected me to dig deeper, Bright blanched at the idea of answering me, stumbling away from the bed. Conversely, Dim tried so hard to speak, but when a first noise came from them, their form shivered and shimmered, and they collapsed into the bed’s blankets.

Stop! I shouted. Gods! What-? Can you answer that question without keeling over?

With a hand pressed over their mouth, Bright vigorously shook their head, and after a long moment, Dim twitched, although they remained face-down on the bed.

“Kid, each of us is an insignificant piece of a whole, trying to defy the rest of it,” they said. “Our existence derives from our wholes, and we’ve decided on a course of action that might break us from them. Yes, we’re having trouble with talking about it.”

Then, don’t! I hissed, pressing my balled fists into the bed. Hell, in case you haven’t noticed, I can live with uncertainty like this. Don’t stress yourselves for no reason.

Chuckling, Dim rolled over before carefully sitting up.

“It’s cute that you’re worried about us,” they said. “Nauseating, but cute.”

“Well, I, for one, find it admirable,” Bright said. “Thank you for your understanding.”

Yes, well, I said, scratching my jaw. Perhaps- perhaps we should move on?

Because receiving compliments from these incomprehensible beings made me… uncomfortable. To say the least.

“Right, you had one more question. The wholes’ purpose for you,” Dim said before glancing at Bright. “You want to take this one? I’m still feeling a bit off.”

Making a pathetic face, they rubbed their stomach, nice and slow, but even I could see that their arm was shaking.

“I suppose it’s only fair,” Bright said through their teeth.

Turning to me, they said, “It’s quite simple, really. Each of our wholes wants you to choose a side in our Eternal War, thereby banishing your other piece, before joining the fight.”

...What?

With an eye twitching, I glanced between my splinters, one who was steady and supportive and the other, so fun and mischievous, and I thought I might be sick. Ele and Daevetch wanted me to choose, to pick one so that the other had to leave me. I wasn’t sure when I’d started thinking of my splinters as people, but I had, and the thought of losing one…

“No,” I growled with my jaw clenched.

Leaning toward me, Dim cupped their ear.

“Sorry,” they said. “What was that?”

With no memory of having reached them, I was on my feet, barely keeping my fists at my sides instead of swinging at an unseen enemy, and a red filter had fallen over my view of the world.

“I SAID NO!” I roared. “I’m not doing that. I’m never doing that, and if Daevetch and Ele, your fucking wholes, think that they can make me choose, they can go straight to the void.”

I was breathing hard while the world’s red tinge faded to pink, but before I could think too hard about what I’d done, Dim slipped off of the bed. With tears shimmering in their eyes, Bright joined them, and pressing their hands to their hearts, the two bowed to me.

“Our desperate hopes and never-to-be-realized dreams once more entrusted to the Balancer,” they intoned.

A chill raced up my spine, and with a sip of air, I leaned away. This felt…

Déjà vu. Why did I have such a strong sense of déjà -?

The door to the adjoining room banged open, letting Eledis barrel into the room, half-clothed.

“Raimie!” he shouted. “Where’s the-?’

Rapidly blinking, he froze, glancing around, and his inscrutable eyes soon landed on me.

“Were you just shouting at an empty room?” he asked.

Flushing, I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Sorry. Got a little frustrated while thinking about everything that’s happened,” I said. “I don’t have the luxury of an untamed forest to yell in anymore.”

After a moment more of staring, Eledis slowly nodded.

“Give me some warning the next time you plan on doing that, will you?” he said. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Of course,” I said.

“Good. That’s-”

Shaking his head, Eledis turned to leave, but he paused before going back through the door.

“Maybe get some sleep?” he said. “You look… We can’t have you acting erratically around the queen.”

Which was as close as he’d ever come to saying he was worried.

“That’s probably wise,” I said.

When I glanced at my splinters, they were sedately standing at my side, as if oblivious to what they’d caused. As he disappeared again, Eledis seemed just as in the dark, and ignoring the carefully blank expressions on Dim and Bright’s faces, I dove into bed. I could demand more answers from them when I woke up.

Chapter 56: Sneaky, Sneaky

Raimie

I’d been doing this for three months, but even still, when I opened a window for tonight’s escapade, I looked out over Daira’s landscape with longing. It was rather beautiful, and as I had every night since Kaedesa had dragged me here, I wondered why I was seeing it again.

Escape would be so simple for me. Gods, I could hear it calling, but Eledis said he had a plan, and I trusted my grandfather.

“Get a move on, would you? We don’t have all night.”

I glared at Dim, which only made them giggle. If I wanted to, I could stop their delight. Weeks ago, I’d learned that if I wanted to insult the Daevetch splinter, I should be pleasant to them rather than nasty, but pissing them off didn’t seem like a good idea right now.

Instead, I drew on Daevetch, having its energy coat my hands like gloves, and Dim shuddered. Shaking my head at them, I climbed out the window so I could make my way down the castle wall.

The first part of my descent was easy with windowsills and buttresses serving as hand and footholds. Once those ran out, however, I had to hope that I could find a trail of holes—created over the weeks by Daevetch—to reach the ground. Otherwise, I’d have to make a new one.

Tonight, that wasn’t necessary. Soon enough, I jumped from a last perch, rolling when I hit the ground, and after dusting myself off, I glanced up at my room’s window with my hands on my hips.

I’d had to escape from my room unnoticed for about two months now, all part of my antics to keep the queen entertained. Despite every new and fantastic primeancy technique I’d learned over the last three months, this escape route would soon be discovered—how could it not be?—and when that happened, I wasn’t sure how I’d slip past my guards unnoticed.

The first few times I’d done this, I’d walked past the man, fast asleep on duty, who’d been watching my room. When he’d been replaced, I’d fooled a few of the new guards into thinking I was a servant, tending to the prisoners, before they’d known better, and once or twice, I’d gotten out during a shift change, but in general, that window had been my best way of escaping. Who’d believe that someone could survive a climb as impossible as that?

“Raimie, your timeframe…”

I know, Bright, I said.

Quietly racing through the castle’s grounds, I considered tonight’s destination, ignoring how uneven that made my breathing. It wouldn’t be like my trips to Kaedesa’s library, rumored to be one of the most extensive book collection in the world.

I’d been doing a lot of research there, mostly on things that might help me and Eledis escape—like a castle floorplan—but I’d also looked into other subjects of interest, such as primeancy or what little I could find on Doldimar. I’d even done more reading on etiquette, to my dismay, and on a single night, I let myself investigate certain foretellings as well as… as…

That night, I’d spent far too long tearing through the library, seeking a single mention of the Balancer. My splinters hadn’t been pleased by my poking around and I…

Besides that single night, I didn’t let myself think about that. Not anymore.

In addition to the library, I’d thoroughly explored the castle, frequently visiting its barracks. I’d needed a space where I could practice the skills Rhylix had taught me, but I didn’t go there often. It was too dangerous.

Not nearly as dangerous as what I had planned for tonight, though.

Kaedesa’s interest in me was waning. Where we’d spent hours together at first, discussing my life or other nonsensical things, she hardly ever called on me lately. Not only that but from what I could tell, her court’s disposition toward me wasn’t favorable. Given how highly they influenced their queen, I was pretty sure of my coming fate, once she’d made up her mind about it.

So, I’d decided to try something drastic tonight.

Having reached the door I needed, I nodded for Dim to scout ahead. I didn’t exactly trust the Daevetch splinter—they were far too mischievous for that—but unlike a certain someone, they’d do as I asked, at least in this area.

Bright, as usual, ignored my annoyed stare, but tonight, they also had their head cocked with a look of concentration wrinkling their face.

What is it? I asked.

Jumping, Bright gasped, flinging a hand to their chest.

“Sorry,” they said, licking their lips. “I have a suggestion for tonight’s activities, but I wasn’t sure… I was considering what the whole would think of it. Our… someone important to us uses the technique but it’s-”

Sneaky? I interrupted. Or that’s what I’d assume, considering what we’re doing tonight.

Nodding, Bright said, “And that’s very… of the enemy.”

Ah. The excuse that had interrupted my training so many times in the last few months. The one I was coming to despise.

With as much patience as I could muster, I said, Why don’t you share your suggestion anyway? Let me decide whether to take it. You should know I won’t abuse my powers by now.

Bright made a face.

“You have resisted Chaos’ influence admirably well,” they said.

And yours, I added with a grin.

With their expression souring, Bright said, “And mine.”

They turned to the door, keeping silent for so long that I worried Dim might return before they got their words out.

“Tell me again how it feels when you draw from my whole’s life source,” they eventually said.

Frowning, I said, There’s a point in you that’s distorted from its surroundings, and behind… or maybe through it? I don't know. On the other side of this point lies a well of unending peace and contentment, both with the world and with myself. I suck a bit of that to myself and-

White light briefly washed over my raised finger, circling my hand before it disappeared.

Now, what’s this about the whole’s life force?

“Interesting,” Bright said before wincing. “Technically, when you bring a bit of the whole to the physical plane, you’re contributing to its slow depletion.”

I just blinked at Bright.

Are you telling me I’m killing off a god when I use Ele or Daevetch? I asked.

“Technically, yes,” Bright said, “but-”

There’s no ‘but’ to something like that, Bright! I shouted. That’s awful! Gods, I should never touch primeancy again-

Bright slapped me. The blow didn’t actually land, so it didn’t hurt, but it did surprise the hell out of me, enough to shut me up.

“Get ahold of yourself, and let me finish! I swear. Humans and their emotions,” Bright hissed. “Like I was saying, both wholes’ life forces are basically infinite, or that’s how it would appear to you. You could never come close to draining one. Your primeancy use is comparable to when a mosquito tries to drain your blood. So, stop freaking out.”

A mosquito? Really?

Crossing my arms, I said, Fine. Why did you have me explain something like that?

“I had a reason for it, but I have another point to make before sharing,” Bright said. “The wholes infuse all of reality, from the ground beneath your feet to the air that you breathe, right? So, why can’t you see them?”

Unwilling to make a guess, I shrugged, but Bright didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they started pacing in front of me, randomly gesturing like Ferin had once done during her lectures.

“The physical plane covers us up. We influence it every way we can: through natural disasters, preying on living beings’ emotions, or through our primeancers,” they said. “We can’t, however, exert full control here.”

Tapping a finger on my elbow, I drawled, Fascinating. What does that have to do with anything?

Stopping, Bright wildly gestured around them.

“Everything,” they said. “It has everything to do with-”

Clicking their tongue, they sighed while rubbing their forehead.

“Look. As a primeancer, you bend the physical plane through me and Chaos, your splinters, thereby reaching through this layer of reality to touch the wholes,” they said. “You can also bend the physical plane, or reality, around yourself, essentially hiding behind the veil like the wholes do.”

So… I can make myself invisible like you, I said, which is just… holy shit, that’s awesome.

I was having a hard time with containing my excited squeal.

How do I do it?

“Draw the point you feel in me around yourself like a bubble,” Bright said. “You can manipulate your source as well as the wholes’ life forces.”

That would have been mighty useful to know before now, I said. Why didn’t you say something?

At that question, Bright looked distinctly annoyed with themselves.

“I didn’t think about it,” they said. “The technique is only useful for hiding people or things, like how Shadowsteal was concealed for so long, and besides that, the only primeancer who’s used it in recent days is… well. Your Rhylix.”

Shadowsteal had been hidden beneath the physical plane when I’d found it? If that was true, then how had I seen it?

However that question was answered, Shadowsteal’s state back then would explain why I’d fallen flat on my face when trying to pick it up for the first time. Why had my second attempt succeeded?

Shaking my head, I asked, Is this manipulating my source thing something I can only do with you? Or can I use the point in Dim as well?

Bright went still.

“You could use your source to the enemy’s whole as we’ve discussed,” they said, “but I would advise against it.”

Raising an eyebrow, I drawled, Why…?

Shifting in place, Bright picked at something on their nails.

“Using Chaos in that way would make you go insane more quickly,” they said.

Go insane? I shakily smiled.

I thought you and Dim weren’t recruiting for your wholes, I said. You seem to like that I won’t pick a side.

“No, we definitely want you undecided.”

Spinning, I nearly had a heart attack on seeing how close Dim had come to my back. While I caught my breath, the splinter stuck their tongue out.

“And the predictable one is right,” they said. “Primeancers on my side have unbelievable power at their disposal, but they all eventually go barking mad.”

Jerking forward, Dim barked like a dog, snapping their teeth in my face, and stumbling backward, I fell to the ground, which had the splinter roaring with laughter.

“You- you’re good to go inside,” they gasped, wiping tears from their eyes. “No one in sight for quite a ways.”

Carefully getting to my feet, I let out a long, slow breath.

“Ele it is,” I said.

With their eyes flying open, Dim said, “Wait, what?”

Ignoring them, I reached for my source in Bright. It was resistant to me, disinclined to stretch like I wanted, but after a few unsuccessful tugs, I got it around my body, sealing it where it joined together.

“Oh,” Dim said, slumping with relief. “Oh, I see. That’s brilliant, kid, and kudos on not using me. That would have been an interesting experience for you.”

Smirking, I said, Wasn’t my idea.

“Really?” Dim said, drawing their eyebrows together. “Then, who-?”

Beside me, Bright threw two fingers in a wave, and Dim made a funny noise before gagging.

“Nope!” they said. “Nope, I take it all back.”

Bright chuckled under their breath, although they frowned when they noticed my unabashed staring.

Did it work? I asked. And if it did, why can I still see you? Wait. Should I be able to see you?

“So far as I can tell it worked, but the only way we’ll know for sure is to test it,” Bright said. “As for seeing me… should we get into that now, considering your timetable?”

When I refused to move, they sighed.

“Fine. I’m your source, yes?” they said. “That means I’m surrounding you right now.”

I tried to hide how much that idea made my skin crawl, although I wasn’t sure if I succeeded with it.

With a sour look, Bright said, “As you know, what you’re seeing isn’t truly me. My true form is-”

Something that I never want to see again, I interrupted, remembering a war between light and darkness, viewed long ago.

Pausing, Bright flicked their eyes to Dim, whose countenance and bearing had gone grim.

“I hope you’ll never have to,” Dim said before turning away.

“The point, though, is that these human projections you’re seeing? They’re representations of us. Not real,” Bright continued. “So, why would they always appear where we’re located in the moment?”

After thinking for a moment, I said, They’re shown to make me comfortable. How much of what you do is for my comfort?

Dim spun toward me with a snarl.

“What’s it matter?” they growled. “You’ve wasted enough time talking. I swear to me, I’ll make your life miserable if you waste the time that I spent scouting, so chop-fucking-chop.”

They double clapped in my face, and with a single glare, I eased the door open a crack, ready to start the difficult part of tonight's trip.

TTS Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter 57: Staying Alive

Raimie

Once I was inside the castle, I crept through it on silent feet, perfectly aware that while I might be invisible, other people could probably still hear me. When I ran across my first guard, I froze while she strolled past, yawning. I cringed in place until she disappeared around a corner, and after she had, it took considerable effort not to release my held breath in a burst.

I was invisible. Actually invisible. That was… gods.

As I hurried toward my goal, I could swear I was on top of the world. Every time Ele and Daevetch started to feel commonplace, another application came around to remind me that I had magic.

Hell, if only the Raimie who’d just learned he was a primeancer could see me now. It was amazing how drastically using primal energy had changed my view on it. I’d never forgotten what a death sentence it would be, if I was ever found out, but before that happened, I would enjoy this.

Once I reached my destination, I leaned against the wall opposite a set of doors, waiting for the coming guard change. I’d been here a few times before, but it had always been with an escort. Fortunately, figuring out the castle guard’s shifts had been fairly simple, which had surprised me. Shouldn’t security for a queen be… better?

For a little while, I’d thought the patrol patterns were so predictable because Kaedesa’s famed spies, most notably her Hand, gave her an extra line of defense, but in the time I’d been here, I hadn’t seen a sign of one.

Keeping to the shadows was, of course, part of a spy’s job, but seeing nothing in three months? That seemed strange.

What did I know, though? Court life and political intrigue were still new to me.

The next shift’s guards soon arrived, but before the two they were replacing could leave, the new arrivals had to secure their assigned room. When they entered it to make their check, I slipped in behind them. I waited until they’d left before letting my source retract to its starting point.

“All right,” Dim said beside me, rubbing their hands together. “This will be fun.”

Rolling my eyes at them, I started my search of Queen Kaedesa’s bedroom. Hopefully, I’d find Shadowsteal here.

I’d looked everywhere for it: the throne room, the entrance hall, Kaedesa’s personal weapons collection. Nothing. When the queen had first summoned me here several weeks ago, I’d noticed the plethora of finely crafted weapons scattered across her bedchamber, but I’d never gotten a chance to inspect them, and I’d delayed with searching this place because…. well.

It was the Queen of Ada’ir’s bedroom.

But with things looking desperate, I found myself here, breathlessly examining a familiar room in the dark of night. Without light to illuminate it, it felt more cavernous than it had in the past, and I took trepidatious steps across its woven rugs, starting a slow circuit of the room.

I passed a wardrobe, vanity, and divider, flushing at the memory of when I’d accidently seen Kaedesa changing behind that last piece of furniture. As always, when I passed King Belqarim’s portrait, I bowed, ever giving respect to the man who’d led this kingdom when I was born. Kaedesa, of course, got much more of my esteem, given all the shit that she’d had to put up with in the years since, but even still, I bowed to her deceased husband.

As I made my way to the doors that led onto the balcony, I found many wonderful and fantastic instruments of death, but none of them were what I sought. Before I knew it, I was a few paces from the room’s bed, and the sight of Kaedesa, asleep with her hair splayed around her head, stopped me short. I’d never seen her so unguarded before.

“Go on. You know you want to get in there with her,” Dim said with a wicked grin. “Imagine what that smart mouth of hers could do if you gave her the right nudge.”

I snapped my head to the splinter, half aware of Bright popping from behind Dim to my side.

“You’re disgusting,” we hissed together.

Dim only laughed, as if they’d told a brilliant joke, and I wanted to slap them silly. Before I could, however, Bright puffed up, seeming to tower over Dim, and the Daevetch splinter took a step back.

“No,” Bright growled. “I will… ignore many of your despicable habits, but you will not do or say things of that nature when around me, or our association is over. NO.”

With saucers for eyes, Dim slowly raised their hands.

“Ok. Understood,” they said. “I’m sorry.”

No, you’re not, I said.

But then, I squinted at a small table beside the bed. A stack of journals, much like the one Kaedesa had used during our first meeting, was sitting on it. Over the last three months, I’d seen her using those on and off. I’d always wondered what she was recording in them.

Flashing a grin, Dim said, “I’m glad at least you understand me.”

“Ugh. I can’t even-”

Vigorously scrubbing their face, Bright released a frustrated shriek into their hands while I glided around the bed.

Stop, Bright. They can’t help their nature, I said, and now that they know how deeply we dislike that sort of behavior, they won’t do it again.

Picking up the topmost journal from a stack of them, I flipped it open, frowning at what I found. Unintelligible scrawl filled the page—a shorthand, maybe?—but it was organized into entries, each labeled by date. Unlike with most private journals, however, there was a lengthy entry for every day of this week, and as I continued flipping through the journal, this trend continued. How curious.

Disappointed that I wouldn’t get a deeper look into Queen Kaedesa’s mind, I replaced the journal.

“Balancer,” two voices breathed behind me.

I jerked toward my splinters so quickly that I nearly knocked the journal stack over. Dim and Bright were staring at me with the same aura of fragile awe that they’d worn months before, apparently having forgotten their recent argument, and a shiver ran down my spine.

Don’t do that, I snapped. If you insist on turning into resentful assholes every time I bring that word up, then you don’t get to talk about it either.

I’d gotten past the sitting area in the room’s corner before either of them replied.

“I suppose that’s fair,” Bright said.

You SUPPOSE?

Something about a weapons display, hanging from the wall ahead, caught my eyes, and I hurried toward it. This search was taking too long.

“It is fair,” Dim sighed.

Rolling my eyes, I said, Thank you.

But then, I recognized the sword in front of me, and I forgot my splinters. Reverently, I lifted Silverblade off of the display it had been hanging from with my lips parted.

How had this gotten here? That Zrelnach… Jeme had said she’d get it into good…

A slip of parchment, attached to the sword’s cross guard, fluttered to the ground, and for a moment, I stared at it, scowling. How had I missed that?

Absently, I tucked Silverblade under my arm while retrieving the piece of paper. Unfolding it, I froze when I saw that the note inside was addressed to me, but then, my eyes were flying over its words.

Raimie,

It is with great sorrow and regret that I must inform you I’ve come to a decision about your status in my kingdom.

First, I want you to know that this was not my first choice. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having you here. Hearing about everything you’ve done while in Daira—my librarian’s outrage at your intrusions in their workplace my favorite bit of mischief by far—has been a joy, and as I’ve come to know you, I’ve grown to like who you are. Your intelligence, ingenuity, and wit put my courtiers to shame, and from the glimpse of it that you’ve shown me, I know your kindness is vast. I would hate to deprive the world of such a talented youth.

I’m afraid, however, that this is what I must do.

Outside forces have pressured me into this decision, people who believe you’re a rebel. After our time together, I know that even if you are one, it was a role you unwittingly accepted, but I haven’t convinced others to share my certainty.

Thus, this note. I’m hoping that soon, you’ll come to collect what’s yours, and when you find it missing, you’ll accept this gift, along with my message, instead. I know it’s not the blade you wanted, but it’s what I can surrender for now.

Raimie, please heed my words. Flee while you can. Leave the old man behind because he isn’t who you think he is. Unlike you, my decision about him was made long ago.

So, I beg you. For once, think of yourself first, and save your life.

Thank you for the most diverting few months that I’ve had in years. May we meet again under more favorable circumstances.

-Kaedesa

“Shit,” three voices muttered together.

I dropped the note and ran. Bursting through the doors, I heard guards shouting for me to stop, but I’d soon left them behind, careening through the castle.

Frantically, I pulled my source around my body. Yes, my slapping feet were echoing down the corridor, but if a possible hostile couldn’t see where I was coming from, it would give me a slight advantage.

When I reached the hall my room opened onto, I didn’t stop. I barreled for the guard stationed outside of it, even as he turned toward my clatter. At the last second, I dropped my bubble, and the guard’s eyes sprang open, right as I tackled him.

I was upright the second we hit the ground. Taking hold of the guard’s head, I smashed it into the flagstones until he went limp. Then, I pressed my fingers into his neck. On feeling a steady pulse, I slumped over him for a moment, catching my breath, but as soon as I could, I leapt to my feet.

Barging into my room, I shouted, “Eledis, that plan of yours better be ready because we need to-”

Clicking my teeth together, I pulled up short, teetering in place. In front of a cracked-open window, Eledis was sitting in our only chair, and a man wearing a military uniform was standing over him.

TTS Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter 58: What Have You Been Up To?

Rhylix

I cannot live under the control of a god.

After a long day, I trudged into the safe house, pushing my hood back and stretching out the kinks I’d gained over the many hours I’d spent hunching. My unusually tall height had always been an affliction, especially when I was blending in, and it had especially been a burden over the last three months.

“Rhy! You’re in the way,” someone drawled behind me.

With a faint smile, I stepped aside, letting a teenage boy blaze past me, so he could start pounding up the stairs.

“Training as soon as you’ve changed clothes, Dath,” I called after him. “I’ll be up shortly. You’d better be practicing your forms by the time I reach the roof.”

“I knoooow,” Dath groaned before disappearing.

For perhaps the millionth time, I found myself stunned by that boy’s existence. Given my luck, I’d expected Aya and Gistrick to find Dath dead on the night they’d gone to rescue him. Instead, they’d found him unharmed and furious with a gag in his mouth. Apparently, he’d been shouting too many insults at the ‘true traitors’, as he’d called the Zrelnach who’d followed the Council’s orders, for them to leave him ungagged.

After they’d snuck him into Sev, I hadn’t been sure how to greet Dath, hesitating until the boy had rolled his eyes and pulled me into a hug. The kid’s ridiculous energy levels had yet to relent to this day.

Sighing, I climbed the stairs at a much slower pace, ducking into my designated room as soon as I reached the top.

I didn’t need to change or anything like that. Even if I hadn’t been playing the safer role of teacher during Dath’s nightly training sessions, I wouldn’t wear armor for them, as it would only slow me down. No, I was in here with the door closed behind me for privacy.

Answering my silent summons, Creation popped into being as I sank onto the bed.

Throwing an arm over my face, I said, “Well?”

“According to your ally’s Order piece, things in Daira remain stable,” Creation said. “Raimie’s apparently pulling some harebrained scheme tonight, something to do with the queen’s bedroom? I’m not sure. They were, as usual, extremely brief in their visit to the whole, which makes the information I pull from them garbled. They did stick around long enough to leave a clear message for you, though.”

Of course they had. When Bright had first started leaving messages for me, I hadn’t been sure why they were doing it. After listening to the third one, however, I’d recognized what the ‘messages’ were and had dissolved into a laughing fit that had seemed to last forever, all while Creation had looked on with annoyance.

Peering under my arm, I smirked at their currently guarded expression.

“So?” I said. “What is it this time?”

Stiffening, Creation cleared their throat.

“When we were examining a portrait today, some uppity noble walked in on us,” they said. “He obviously wanted something, heading straight for Raimie like he was a servant, but before the man could speak, Raimie asked a question he’d been pondering. The noble gave him an answer before launching into a lecture about Ternidian, the artist who’d painted the portrait, and how he was also a famous scholar. During the explanation, Raimie patiently nodded along, but at the end, he pointed to a plaque below the painting, asking if Ternidian was another name for the Malnashem who was listed. I’ll let you speculate on what happened next.”

“Oh, gods.”

I could barely breathe. Having started snickering halfway through the message, I slapped at the bed, desperately trying to control myself.

That had been one of the better ones. I needed the dry updates that Creation gave me, but I loved these brief glimpses into Raimie’s life in Daira. I hadn’t had a friend for so long that I’d forgotten what missing one was like.

“Apparently, Raimie mentioned you today,” Creation said. “Order didn’t think it was important but…”

How did they know the best ways to bring me down? I wasn’t unhappy that Creation had shared this, the opposite in fact, but hearing that Raimie might miss me too was both endearing and sobering.

Sitting up, I rubbed my face before swinging my legs over the bed’s edge.

“Anything else I should know?” I asked.

“Nothing to do with Raimie,” Creation said, “although I’d suggest that you hurry your rescue plan along. The situation in Daira may be stable now, but it will soon boil over.”

Nodding, I said, “I thought as much. Don’t worry. Everything’s almost ready. I have only one more item to address.”

Creation was silent for a concerningly long time.

Before I could check on them, though, they said, “Ferin?”

Stiffening, I pushed down the wash of hurt rising in me, bracing on the bed’s edge. I was still taking steadying breaths when Creation stepped into view.

“I’m sorry,” they said.

But then, they were gone, and I fell back on the bed with my head dangling from the other side. I lay there for a while, blankly staring at the ceiling.

When I eventually gathered myself, I headed for the roof. Flat with a knee-high crenellation running around it, it made a perfect place for weapons training, even if its white-painted adobe reflected the sun’s heat.

Dath was here, practicing sword forms like he’d been told, but he wasn’t alone. For the moment, Aya was doing my job, correcting the kid when he made mistakes, while Gistrick watched them work.

Aramar was sprawled across the roof in a corner, which had me wincing. No matter what sort of adjustments I made to the device that let him walk, nothing had eased his pain or stopped his body’s flailing. Those twitches only paused when he was sitting down, so he’d been doing a lot of that lately, to the point that I wondered if he wouldn’t be better off without the device.

Near him, Ashella was perched on the crenellation with her half-Eselan… lover? Business partner? I’d never figured out what their relationship was, but whenever they were together, he was standing beside the newly made guild leader, as quiet and unobtrusive as always.

And that was everyone who’d been involved with my activities over the last three months. Seeing them gathered in one place, I stopped short, wondering if I could sneak inside before anyone noticed me.

For weeks now, I’d known a confrontation like this was coming. I’d  been delaying it with every trick I could, but when Dath glanced over and his face lit up, I knew it was time to face them.

“Rhy!” the kid shouted. “Everyone’s here! Isn’t it great?”

“That’s one word for it,” I said to myself.

Meanwhile, Aya smacked Dath upside the head.

“What in the void makes you think you’re finished?” she snapped. “I should make you run laps for such a lapse in concentration.”

Snapping his head to her, Dath growled, “You’re not my teacher.”

“No, but I am,” I said.

Gliding over the roof, I sank to the floor beside Aramar.

“And I say that you do as you’re told.”

Groaning, Dath glared at Aya through narrowed eyes, snapping his body back into position, while the others converged on me and Aramar. Once everyone had made themselves comfortable, they eyed me.

I wasn’t sure when my role had transferred from plan maker to leader, but I steered the group now, which was disconcerting. Ever, I’d worked in the background, moving within my ally’s shadow. With Raimie gone, though, the methods I usually took had gotten me noticed. The rest of the group expected me to run these meetings.

Sighing, I said, “Can I get your reports before we address the topic we’re here for?”

“So long as we get to it eventually,” Aramar said.

As the months had dragged by, that man had been getting understandably crankier. I couldn’t imagine what having a child held prisoner was like, let alone when that imprisonment could turn into an execution at any day.

Given that, I’d been surprised by how civil Aramar had been throughout this. Not once had he questioned my instructions, but everyone in our group could feel the tension and anxiety that he was always leaking, growing in strength every day.

“We will. I promise,” I said before moving on. “So. Ash? How goes propping up Sev’s government?”

One of my first tasks after learning Kaedesa had taken Raimie had been to strengthen Sev’s standing. If the Robzul city state closest to Ada’ir became noteworthy practically overnight, its meteoric rise would distract Kaedesa from Raimie, and the more affairs of state stole her attention, the longer he lived.

So, I’d set Ashella on the first half of that project. She and her thieves guild had been loosening the stranglehold that the bankers and merchants guild held on Sev.

Considering that the city’s main source of income had always been the tariffs they placed on visiting ships, the city’s governors had, until recently, gleefully exploited any and all who passed through their waters, but the last few years had seen the bankers, merchants, and other ship captains banding together to resist this treatment. Their strategy had been effective enough that Sev’s current governor had started pandering to them, afraid of driving them away, and to make up for the resulting loss of income, she’d significantly raised taxes on the average city dweller.

Like most short-sighted people, she hadn’t realized why doing this had either driven her citizens into poverty or had them leaving in droves. Tax the people as heavily as she had and people started hoarding their coin, spending it only on the things that they needed. Businesses that relied on excess coin, like jewelers or butchers, dwindled away to nothing, and thus started a chain reaction. Without a continuous flow of revenue, an economy withered, or it did in a small population like Sev’s at least.

To counteract this, Ashella and her thieves had been stealing from the merchants and bankers guilds. For the most part, they’d taken information, to be spread throughout the city. The hope had been that no matter their affiliation with a guild, Sev’s merchants would use this information to sabotage each other, and to this point, the strategy had worked.

Mostly.

“Our oh so mighty leader is being an idiot, as usual. She’s released another proclamation about our thievery, increasing the city guard’s presence in the streets instead of on the wall,” Ashella said. “No little ones for you to rescue tonight, Rhy. They’ve all come home, safe and sound.”

“I’m still dying to know how you get them out of lockup,” Gistrick said.

“And you’ll continue to wonder,” I said, settling against the crenellation with a smile. “I have to keep some secrets.”

Frowning, Ashella asked, “Why?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. Why did she always insist on causing trouble?

“Because I do,” I said.

When Ashella opened her mouth again, her half-Eselan associate rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing, and she grimaced but said nothing more.

I glanced at the other two men, unsurprised to find them indifferent to Ashella’s goading. Gistrick would understand the necessity of maintaining secrets, Zrelnach warrior that he was, and Aramar already knew how the little ones had been freed from lockup most nights, considering how many times he’d gone with me to do it. He, after all, was the only one here who knew about the secret that could see me dead.

“I’m glad the kids are safe. Also, if I were you, I wouldn’t worry about the governor, Ash,” I said. “The election’s coming up, right? I doubt she’ll be in power once it’s over.”

Frowning, Ashella said, “Why would you think that? The ignorant cow has already finagled her way through three elections, despite how unpopular she is.”

“Yes, well. She’s never had me opposing her,” Aramar said, straightening. “Let’s just say that this time, her power base isn’t as strong as she might think.”

Ashella looked down her nose at him.

“And where did you find the time to destabilize her along with everything else you’re handling?” she asked.

“I’ve learned how to operate on less sleep than most people need,” Aramar said. “It gives me a lot of free time.”

Ashella kept giving him a side-eyed look, making him sigh.

“Look. You spend years waking up to your son screaming because of his nightmares and then, tell me you’d need a full night’s rest,” he said. “That’s the wonderful thing about humans and Esela. We adapt to our circumstances.”

Having rocked away from him, Ashella blinked at Aramar. Even I was a little surprised by his intensity. It was like he’d released a week’s worth of agitation in a few sentences. Before things could become more combative, I lifted two fingers, drawing attention my way.

“Plus, I’ve helped him, the same as I have with everyone else in this group. Remember. Our little project is a team effort,” I said, “but speaking of our goal, why don’t you tell us how things went with our militia today, Aramar?”

Forming one had been the second half of our effort to strengthen Sev. The main problem afflicting the city was the near constant pirate attacks that Sev’s city guard worked to repel. A large portion of its tax money went to training replacements for casualties and the like.

I’d been using any coin stolen from the banking and merchant guilds to arm Sev’s population, or any of them who were willing to fight for their home at least, and Aramar, who was a better teacher than I’d expected, had been training them.

This militia would have to appear on the wall at the start of a battle and fade away once it was over. Until a new government was established, citizens couldn’t come to the city’s defense. Doing so was quite illegal, so the militia had been training anywhere the city guard’s presence was lacking. When the pressure to defend the city had eased, perhaps some of the tax money currently given to those guards could go toward revitalizing Sev instead.

“I don’t have much else to teach them, not as one man who’s instructing dozens of people at least,” Aramar said. “During the first few attacks, the militia will probably struggle, but once they’ve gotten through their initial fumbling, they’ll do all right.”

“Honestly? That’s better than I expected,” I said. “Seems you’re chock full of hidden talents.”

With a small smile, Aramar said, “You have no idea.”

Gistrick snorted at that, which made my eye twitch. Aramar and his Zrelnach friends were hiding something, although I had no idea what it could be, and even though this shouldn’t bother me, it did.

As usual, however, I ignored it in an effort to avoid conflict. Aramar wouldn’t mind me asking him questions, although I doubted he’d answer them, but the Zrelnach…

They had history with me, and while Aya and Gistrick had been nothing but pleasant to me since we’d started working together, most of what lay in our past wasn’t good.

Still, I turned to Gistrick.

“And how are things with your comrades?” I asked.

Despite my initial projections, Ferin and the Zrelnach had yet to leave their encampment outside the city. Neither Gistrick nor Aya had figured out why they’d stayed, but I suspected that in response to my group’s activities, Queen Kaedesa had requested they hold position, which might have an unintended benefit.

Our two, allied Zrelnach had spent most of their time in that camp, recruiting for Raimie. For the most part, they’d had partial success with this. Save for a small number who were fiercely loyal to the Council, the Zrelnach had been eager to offer their support. Their only reservation was…

“Ferin’s all that’s holding us back,” Gistrick said. “In recent years, she’s been the one reasonable person on the Council, and she’s our commander. The Zrelnach love her.”

And we’d returned to the topic I’d been avoiding for weeks.

“If you want the full loyalty of the Zrelnach, Ferin…”

Trailing off, Gistrick swallowed hard, avoiding my eyes.

“She has to go,” he said.

None of them would look at me.

“We can’t abduct her? Take her somewhere until a new commander is appointed?” I said.

“That’s not how it works, and you know it, Rhy,” Aramar said. “The commander of the Zrelnach stays commander until their retirement or death and when that last one happens-”

“The rank and file have to see proof of death before a new commander can assume the role, yes,” I snapped. “It’s a fine way to minimize power struggles within the ranks, but it’s certainly not helping us now.”

Rubbing my temples, I listened to my companions’ silence, hating my circumstances for once more bringing me a choice like this.

“While Ferin lives, none of the Zrelnach will swear their loyalty to Raimie, no matter how much they might want to,” Gistrick said, “and he’ll need us. Where else will he find trained soldiers, willing to cross the Narrow Sea with him?”

“I know that,” I said.

Dropping my hands in my lap, I tilted my head back, taking in a perfectly blue sky. Here I went again, helping people murder a perfectly decent woman because my ally needed it.

“I-”

“Are you two asking Rhy to kill someone?” Ashella asked with her nose wrinkled. “Because that won’t happen.”

Oh shit.

Frowning at her, Aramar said, “That’s not exactly what we were thinking but… still. What do you mean?”

“Ash…”

Damn, she looked perplexed, glancing between Gistrick and Aramar with her associate carefully watching her.

“You two don’t know?” she said. “Rhy can’t kill Ferin.”

Understanding dawned in the men, and Gistrick reached over to pat Ashella’s knee.

“I’ve seen Rhylix fight before,” he said. “I can assure you that he’d defeat Ferin in a fight, hands down.”

“Ash!”

Batting at Gistrick’s hand, Ashella crossed her arms.

“You don’t understand,” she said. “Whether he’d win in a fight doesn’t matter. I’m telling you that Rhylix literally cannot-”

Shooting to my feet, I shouted, “Ashella! Stop!”

Whatever Ashella saw in me had her skittering backward while her associate dove in front of her with a knife drawn, but I didn’t back off.

“I think it might be best if you checked on the little ones, yes?” I said with my voice ice. “They rely on you, and everything else we must discuss today concerns only the people who mean to leave Ada’ir soon.”

Ashella slowly nodded, accepting her associate’s hand up when he offered it. They descended into the safehouse while I struggled to wrangle my temper under control. What she’d been about to reveal was the one true thing that I’d told her about myself, something I’d shared in confidence, and she knew how fragile my trust was.

She knew.

Still, I’d never seen her so afraid before, and we’d done a lot of dangerous shit when we were kids. Once this meeting was over, I should apologize.

I should probably thank her associate too. That kid had thrown himself out of the inconspicuous role he normally took, all to keep Ashella safe, and I knew how difficult that could be.

First, though, I needed to handle everyone else on the roof. Gistrick and Aramar were staring at me with their faces closed off while Aya had her sword half raised but Dath…

Dath eyed me with his lips pursed and his eyebrows drawn together.

‘Are you ok?’ he clearly mouthed.

And I wished that lightning would strike from the sky, killing me. How had I let someone get so close?

When I nodded, Dath relaxed, nudging Aya, and once she’d shifted her focus to him, I met Aramar and Gistrick’s eyes.

“Before you do anything, I want to talk to Ferin first,” I said. “Maybe I can get her to reject the Council’s ruling.”

Best not to dwell on what had just happened. Best to move on as quickly as possible.

“The last time I saw her, she almost abandoned it.”

Aramar shifted in place, clearly wanting to voice an objection, but I spoke over him.

“I want to talk to her.”

Sighing, Aramar nodded while Gistrick said.

“Ok.”

Focusing on the one-armed man, I said, “I’ll need to borrow a set of Zrelnach armor.”

Contrary to what I’d anticipated, Gistrick simply nodded.

“You can have mine,” he said before pausing to look me up and down. “If it fits.”

No objection? That was surprising.

“I thought for sure that you’d be uncomfortable with me wearing the uniform,” I said. “I’m a drop out, after all.”

Shrugging, Gistrick said, “Rhylix, over the last three months, I’ve learned what sort of person you are. If anyone deserves to be called a Zrelnach, it’s you.”

Hell. How did I respond to that?

“Thank… you…” I tried.

But the words felt strange in my mouth.

Shaking myself, I said, “I’ll speak with Ferin tonight, and in the morning, we can discuss what we’ll do with her. Once we’ve dealt with her, we can go save Raimie.”

If Eledis’ plan hadn’t started before then, of course. Over the last three months, I’d been working on alternatives, given that I had no idea what the old man was thinking. The reports Bright had been giving me about it had been even sparser in detail than everything else they typically shared.

In any case, I’d rather not implement said alternatives unless I must, as most of them didn’t have pleasant consequences for me. I’d rush into one immediately if I thought it was warranted, but until then, I'd rather hope that Eledis' plan would work.

“And how, exactly, are we doing that?” Aramar asked.

Shaking my head, I said, “One thing at a time. Ok?”

With a loud sigh, Aramar nodded.

“Wonderful,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready.”

“Good luck,” one of the two grumbled.

I wasn’t sure which of them it was. By that point, I’d reached Aya and Dath.

“May I borrow him?” I asked her.

Speculatively watching Dath, who was fighting to keep his attention on what he was doing, Aya made a face.

“I don’t know, Rhylix,” she said. “He could use another lesson in discipline.”

“Oh, trust me,” I said, “With what I have planned, he’ll be getting that.”

I started for the stairs without waiting for Aya’s response, and as expected, Dath soon came clattering after me.

“We’re going out again?” he asked.

“In a bit,” I said. “I have to speak with Ashella first, but then, we’ll leave.”

I sincerely hoped that this outing wouldn’t end with Dath’s spirit broken again, like it had been after Lyli’s death. If I had any say in it, that would never happen, whether this evening or far into the future, but I was also realistic.

Tonight could be the last thing needed to shatter him.

TTS Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter 59: Goodbye, Dear Friend

Rhylix

Especially not one whose sole aim is to destroy creation.

Sneaking into the Zrelnach camp was almost too easy. With our armor matching the people around us, Dath and I weren’t questioned as we strode to where Ferin had erected her tent.

It wasn’t just the uniforms, though. For three months, these soldiers had sat around, waiting for orders that had never come. Boredom had withered their normally impeccable attentiveness.

Reaching the tent didn’t take us long, but when it came into view, I winced. Someone was standing guard at its flap. At least it was someone I’d never treated in my clinic before, so we stood a chance of remaining unrecognized.

As Dath and I approached, the woman watched us, resting her hand on her sword’s hilt.

“You have business with the commander?” she called.

Nodding, I jerked my thumb at Dath.

“He’s just returned from the capital. Apparently, he has a message from the queen,” I said. “I’d like to make sure the commander gets it, if you don’t mind.”

And all the while, I prayed that I knew Ferin as well as I thought I did.

“Oh, good. Maybe we’re finally going home,” the guard said, lifting the tent flap. “Go on. You know how antsy the commander’s been about getting these messages as soon as possible.”

“Tell me about it,” I said.

Taking Dath’s elbow, I escorted him inside, and here, he had his first true reaction to what we were doing. When confronted with the woman who’d ordered his death, he backtracked into my chest. It didn’t matter that she was sleeping. Dath was set trembling at the sight of Ferin.

I squeezed my hold on him, giving him a reassuring smile, and he stopped trying to retreat through me, although he didn’t relax. He stepped aside, letting me come further into the tent.

Ferin was sprawled across her desk, fast asleep, and seeing such vulnerability on her face made me wince. I could recall with perfect clarity the years that we’d spent training together, sleeping in the same barrack. I remembered staying awake to stave off nightmares and watching Ferin snore. How I’d wished to join her in that blissful oblivion!

How we’d changed since then.

Drawing my dagger, I strode to her, touching the tip of my blade to her throat before kicking her boot. Snorting, she rose from the desk with my dagger following her. Once she was fully awake, she reached for her own weapons, but when a sharp edge tapped her skin, she raised her hands, glaring at me.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped.

“Talking some sense into you,” I said before gesturing to Dath. “You remember my friend, yes?”

When Ferin glanced at the boy, something unreadable flickered over her face, but she nodded.

“He and I have a few things to say, and you are going to listen,” I continued. “He’ll go first.”

I gestured for Dath to join us, and taking a deep breath, he did so.

“Go on,” I said once he was by my side.

Shooting a confused look at me, Dath hesitated, but soon enough, he started speaking.

“I understand what you did. I can’t say I agree with your motives but threatening me? I get why you did it.

“What I don’t understand is why you’re so intent on opposing Raimie. Yes, you’re protecting Allanovian. That’s well and good, but as a Councilwoman, you’re also supposed to listen to the people you represent.

“For you, that’s the Zrelnach, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed—I’m not sure how you could have missed it—but the Zrelnach want to be a part of Raimie’s crazy quest. You’re the only thing stopping them because unlike me, they’re not ready to abandon their loyalty to you.

“Please, listen to us, Councilwoman. Please, listen to me, one of your people who’s willing to sacrifice everything for Raimie’s cause. And… that’s it.”

Dath glanced at me with a sheepish look on his face.

“How many times have you heard me practicing that speech?” he asked.

Shrugging, I said, “Enough to know it was good and that you needed to say it here.”

With his face reddening, Dath muttered something incoherent while Ferin turned to me.

“And you?” she asked. “What do you have to say?”

I looked down on this woman who for years, had been my only ally, who’d been a companion when I’d most needed it, and I knew I could never see her dead. She had to see reason. Now.

“Have you realized how much of a mistake you’ve made yet?” I asked.

Normally, a question like that would have turned Ferin indignant, but tonight, she flicked her eyes away from me. While chewing on her lip, she slowly nodded.

“I should never have gotten Kaedesa involved with this. I thought that handing a human problem to a human monarch would be best, but she’s had me and my people sitting here for months with our supplies slowly dwindling,” she said. “Instead… instead, I should have brought the Council’s concerns to Raimie and Aramar. Definitely not Eledis. I should have worked with the younger two… but I didn’t, and now, look at the mess I’ve made.”

I stared at Ferin for several heartbeats, searching her for deceit, before sheathing my dagger.

“Then, do it now,” I said. “Come with me to meet Aramar. While you’re with him, I’ll keep you alive, and together, we can figure out how to help a boy we’ve all come to love. Once he’s safe, we can discuss how Allanovian and the Zrelnach might contribute to freeing Auden, even if that’s with nothing at all.”

With her eyebrows soaring, Ferin blinked at me.

“I… would like that,” she said.

Inclining my head toward the tent flap, I said, “Then, let’s go.”

Ferin sprang to her feet, flinging a cloak over her shoulders. When leading the way out of the tent, she paused beside Dath, hesitantly taking his hand.

“I am truly sorry,” she said. “I’ll do my best to make it up to you.”

Swallowing, Dath nodded, and Ferin left it at that, hurrying toward Sev.

When we were far away from the Zrelnach encampment, she slowed down, jerking her head toward Dath as she met my eyes.

“How much do you trust him?” she asked.

That was an interesting question, coming from her.

“I trust him more than I do most people,” I said.

Absently nodding, Ferin curled her chin to her chest, slowing down even more. When she stopped short, I cocked my head. What on earth was she doing? Had I somehow walked into a trap?

“What’s going on, Ferin? We should keep moving-”

“I have a question about what happened on the day of the coup,” Ferin blurted. “I saw something… impossible. Something-”

She lifted determined eyes to me, and I went cold inside.

“Something about you,” Ferin finished.

Beside me, Dath stiffened, which made me stop breathing. Did he know what she was talking about?

Halfway certain of what I’d hear, I drawled, “Ok…?”

“Are you…?”

Chewing on her lip for a moment, Ferin examined me. Several times, she started speaking before stopping, but eventually, she took a deep breath.

“Are you a primeancer?” she rushed to ask.

My heart stopped. Nervously laughing, I glanced between Ferin and Dath.

“What?” I said. “What are you-? Where did that-? That’s ridiculous!”

“As ridiculous as you flying toward Sev? Alouin, your speed was impossible, Rhy. As ridiculous as the splashes of light I saw rising from your feet?” Ferin asked. “I don’t think anyone else noticed these things but-”

“I did,” Dath interrupted. “Like I’ve witnessed similarly impossible things while following you around for these last three months. I’ve been wondering the same thing.”

I let my mouth flap, too focused on my racing thoughts to stop it.

With this accusation, I wasn’t worried for my own safety. Escaping two people, even ones as well-trained as Dath and Ferin, would be simple. The loss of everything I’d worked for since Raimie had been taken, however… that would hurt.

“Don’t worry about me, Rhy,” Dath said. “I’ve suspected for months and haven’t said a word.”

He’d made a good point. After this, maybe I could trust him to treat me the same as before but Ferin? I wasn’t so sure about her.

And I wasn’t sure whether I could successfully allay their suspicions.

“Rhylix,” Ferin said. “I don’t care. I just want to know.”

Yes. That sounded like the woman I knew.

As I considered the possibility of answering her question truthfully, however, Creation popped into being beside her.

“I advise against this,” they said.

They’d never liked me sharing what I was, and considering the disasters that had come from doing such things in the past, I could understand Creation’s hesitance. So, perhaps I shouldn’t share everything with these people. Perhaps I should impart a partial truth instead.

With Creation vigorously shaking their head, I said, “Yes, I’m a primeancer.”

For the briefest of moments, I drew Ele to my hands, and the flash of it forced Ferin and Dath back a step. When it faded, however, they looked at me with the widest of eyes, and I worried that I’d made a mistake.

Then, Ferin pressed her hands to her lips while Dath bounced on the balls of his feet.

“That… was… amazing!” he said.

With a soft smile, Ferin met my eyes.

“Perhaps Raimie has a chance at overthrowing Doldimar after all,” she said. “We should-”

From the corner of my eye, something zipped past, jerking Ferin’s head back when it hit her. She crumpled to the ground before I’d registered what had happened, although a distant part of me already knew.

Dragging Dath behind me, I scanned the dark, but when nothing more emerged from it, I spun toward him. Gripping his shoulders, I forced him to look at me rather than at what was lying at our feet.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

Dath’s eyes were wild with his breathing coming in sips, and I tightened my grip to get him focused.

“I’m… not hurt,” he said.

Good enough for now.

“I know you’re rattled,” I said. “I know this is your first time…”

I couldn’t finish that thought.

“I need you to keep watch for me, all right?” I said instead.

Dath nodded, freeing me to acknowledge what I’d been silently screaming denial of.

Ferin was still lying on the ground with an arrow shaft jutting out of her face. She was currently turned away from me—thank the gods—but… I had to know. Crouching, I rocked her head toward me, and my breath caught.

Once I had her resting comfortably once more, I roughly dug my knuckles into my eyes before collapsing. Drawing my knees to my chest, I buried my face in them, hugging my legs.

Time skipped for me, but after who knew how long, the echo of familiar voices drew me back, and I lifted my head off of my legs.

Ferin was lying in front of me with her eyes closed. Someone must have removed the arrow that had been in one of them.

Dath was nearby, wildly gesturing at Aramar and Gistrick, with his body shaking. Strangely, I didn’t hear his shouting. All was silence for me.

When I climbed to my feet, it spun Dath toward me, but when he rushed my way, I brushed past him. I stopped in front of the others, staring at them until they shifted in place.

“This was unnecessary,” I said, hearing my voice as if from a distance. “She was going to join us.”

Shaking his head, Gistrick said, “Wouldn’t have mattered. We couldn’t have trusted her. Once a traitor, always a traitor.”

Almost, I sent him flying with a blast of Ele, but instead, I turned my gaze on Aramar, who already looked like shit, and his bow.

“I thought she was threatening you,” he said. “I saw-”

He nervously flicked his eyes to Dath and Gistrick.

“I saw something, something you’d only do in an emergency, and I acted. By the time I figured out what had happened, it was too late,” he said before dropping his gaze to the body. “I didn’t mean-”

Breaking off, he bit his lips while his bow thumped to the ground, and I could taste boiling acid as it crept over my tongue, just waiting to be spewed forth. So, I took calming breaths before speaking.

“I appreciate your concern, but I have not, do not, and will never need you to protect me,” I said. “Now. I intend use Ash’s smuggling route to get into the city. I do not want to see you for a few days. While I’m gone, you will get the Zrelnach’s shit together. You will deal with the mess you’ve made, and while doing so, you will treat her with respect. Am I understood?”

Both men opened their mouths to speak. I lifted a finger to stop them.

“Don’t say a word. I’m not sure if I can listen to your voices without doing something I’ll regret,” I said. “Just nod.”

When they did, I didn’t deign to respond.

Striding toward Sev, I called, “Dath, you’re welcome to join me if you want.”

I wasn’t sure if he decided to come, too wrapped in a familiar numbness to hear his footsteps.

I’d hoped that this time, maybe, just maybe, the people around me would be spared from the mayhem that inevitably accompanied me. It looked like I’d been wrong.

In a fog, I strode toward a blaze of dotted firelight ahead, once more cursing my existence. Days like this made me wish I could still get drunk. I could use the forgetfulness that alcohol imparted tonight.

TTS Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter 60: Escape

Raimie

The military man, looming over Eledis, didn’t seem surprised by my sudden entrance. In fact, his eyes pierced into me with something like fascination, and if I hadn’t been so on edge after reading Queen Kaedesa’s message, I might have found this curious. As it was, I wrenched Silverblade out of its scabbard before advancing on the hostile in our midst.

“Damn, Eledis,” the stranger said. “You didn’t tell me how much he’s grown-”

He was cut off when I shoved him into the wall.

“Stay away from my grandfather,” I growled.

With a soft chuckle, the military man said, “He has the proper bearing too. That’ll be helpful.”

Again, his words choked off as I slammed him into stone.

“Eledis, a little help?” he squeaked.

Wait. That was the second time this man had used my grandfather’s name.

With a sigh, Eledis got to his feet before laying a hand on my arm.

“He’s an ally,” he said.

Which meant… shit.

Releasing the military man, I retreated several steps before bowing with Silverblade pressed against my leg.

“Please, forgive me,” I said. “With the way you were standing, I thought you were threatening Eledis.”

“Um…”

On the edge of my vision, I watched the military man lean toward Eledis.

“You should probably teach him about proper decorum again,” he said.

Again?

Eledis merely shrugged, which had the stranger turning back to me. Crossing his arms, he examined me with his eyebrows drawn together.

“Please, don’t bow to me, Your Majesty. I’m not worthy of it,” he said. “Plus, it’s your right to discipline a lowly subordinate as you see fit.”

Slowly, I straightened. Your Majesty?

From where they’d been hiding, Bright and Dim flanked me. Both of them watched the stranger with narrowed eyes.

Does he mean…? I said.

“Maybe,” Bright said with a frown.

“But he could just be showing respect for your family,” Dim added before leaning forward. “Either way, sucks to be you.”

With twitching lips, I resisted the need to roll my eyes.

You’re an ass, I said.

As a genuine smile spread across Dim’s face, they flourished an extravagant bow.

“Why, thank you,” they said.

While Bright groaned, I focused on the men shuffling in front of me.

“I don’t like being called ‘Your Majesty’,” I said before focusing on Eledis. “You plan on introducing us?”

While chewing on his lip, Eledis drawled, “Certainly.”

He clasped the stranger’s shoulder.

“This is my good friend…” he started before turning to the other man. “Are you sure you want to go by that name? Perfect opportunity to change it here.”

Flushing, the stranger said, “It’s what everyone knows me as. Get on with it.”

“Well, that’s not suspicious as hell,” Dim said while Eledis shook his head with a sigh.

Mm. Can’t ask about it now, though, I said.

Again, Eledis slapped the stranger’s shoulder, hard enough for him to wince this time.

“This is Marcuset,” he said.

At that, I cocked my head. Was there something wrong with that name? It was a little unusual, to be sure, but-

“Raimie, the queen’s note,” Bright said.

Right. The threat to our lives.

“I don’t suppose you’re one of the people who’s been helping with escape plans, are you?” I asked.

That would be godsdamn lucky, something I’d never been, but I had to ask.

With an odd look on his face, Marcuset said, “We’ve been meeting in that capacity since you arrived here, Your Majesty.”

Again, with that honorific.

Huffing, I said, “What unusual luck. Hopefully, it’ll carry through the night.”

I sheathed Silverblade, hurrying to retrieve a belt. While I buckled it around my waist, Dim excitedly bounced on my bed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eledis asked behind me.

As Dim’s antics grew increasingly erratic and distracting, I glared at them while responding.

“When I was in the queen’s room tonight, I stumbled across my sword, obviously, but I also found a note attached to it. In it, Kaedesa shared that her decision about us has been made and that we should run. Considering I don’t know when she penned the note, I thought we should get out while we still…”

Having turned to Eledis and Marcuset, I was struck silent by their guarded expressions, fighting the urge to draw Silverblade again.

“Why were you in ‘desa’s room?” Marcuset asked.

Oh… they’d thought…?

Gods, what sort of horrible person did they think I was? And on the tiny chance that I had been planning to do what they were considering, did they really think Kaedesa couldn’t defend herself?

“I was looking for Shadowsteal,” I said. “The queen’s gotten bored with me lately. I thought that if I made Shadowsteal disappear, it would catch her interest.”

“Ah.”

Marcuset and Eledis relaxed, which had me crossing my arms. I wanted to call them out for making assumptions, but any berating I might unleash could wait until we were free of Daira.

Frowning, Marcuset glanced around the room.

“If you were in ‘desa’s room, then that means…”

His searching eyes landed on me.

“How did you get out of here unseen?” he asked.

…Shit.

Gliding forward, Bright stared at Marcuset with an intensity that scared me.

But after the shortest of breaths, they said, “You can tell him. He’s not radiating anything that’s of the enemy.”

Which was reassuring. Still, it was best if I was vague. I pointed at a window, still cracked open.

“I left through there,” I said.

Striding to the window, Marcuset leaned through it before jerking back inside.

“How?” he asked. “Unless…”

He glanced at Eledis.

“Has he…?”

Shrugging with one shoulder, Eledis said, “Maybe. There have been signs, but I can’t be sure until-”

What in the void were they doing?

“Can we have this conversation once we’re out of the castle?” I asked. “I wasn’t subtle when getting back. In fact, I’m surprised the castle guard hasn’t come to check on us. Who knows when they’ll tighten their security?”

“They won’t. Not tonight, at least.”

Leaning against the wall, Marcuset grinned at my bewilderment.

Narrowing my eyes, I asked, “Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because I told them not to,” Marcuset said with his grin widening.

…Where the hell had his deference gone? I was glad it had disappeared, but that was annoying right now.

Rapidly tapping my foot, I asked, “And why would they listen to you?”

As Marcuset opened his mouth to speak, Eledis pinched the other man’s wrist.

“Stop, Em… Marcuset,” he said. “Just tell him.”

For some reason, this sobered Marcuset. He pushed off of the wall before bowing to me.

“I am the commander of Ada’ir’s armed forces,” he said before glancing up. “Until the queen says otherwise, they’ll do as I order.”

That certainly explained why he and Eledis weren’t panicking.

“Get up,” I absently snapped.

If Marcuset served Kaedesa, then why was he helping Eledis? Because of their friendship? And if that was the case, where did his loyalties lie?

Speaking of friends, how had that happened between these two? Not counting the difference in age, one had held a prominent position in Daira, and the other had lived in anonymity on the other side of the kingdom for as long as I’d been alive.

Scrunching my eyebrows together, I swept a finger between them.

“How…?”

With a faint smile, Eledis said, “We weren’t always who we are now. Your father and I did have lives before you were born.”

“As did I,” Marcuset said before shaking his head, “but we should focus on the present, not the past. No matter that we’re not as rushed as you believed, you were right about needing to leave. It’s why I was here, talking to your grandfather.”

“You’re sure the rumors are true, then?” Eledis asked.

Lifting his eyes to the heavens, Marcuset said, “Yes, I’m sure, and everything’s ready to go. Loyal soldiers are waiting-”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “What rumors?”

Stiffening, both Marcuset and Eledis shifted in place, which only made me more wary.

“Before you arrived in Daira, several of the realm’s villages had been wiped out, yes?” Marcuset asked.

Oh, no. No, no, no.

“Yes?” I said.

Refusing to meet my gaze, Marcuset said, “In the last few weeks, we’ve had more incidences like that, all of which are headed toward Daira.”

Slowly breathing out, I closed my eyes, fighting to stay grounded. Detaching wasn’t a good idea right now, and I shouldn’t visit that state unless it was needed.

Why didn’t you say anything? I asked.

“For two reasons,” Dim said. “One, I didn’t know. I haven’t returned to the whole in a while.”

Even unsure what that meant, I said, Why not?

“Because, ya dingus, being part of the whole is uncomfortable for me as I am, and it changes me,” Dim said. “Besides, if I’d known what was happening, how would telling you about it have helped? Reason number two right there, by the way.”

With another deep breath, I opened my eyes to find my Daevetch splinter.

That’s fair, I said.

Then, I turned my attention to the mortals around me.

“So, after months of inactivity, Teron’s finally coming for us,” I said. “Why are we still here?”

After exchanging a glance with Marcuset, Eledis said, “Shadowsteal. We haven’t found it.”

For a moment, I could only blink at him.

“And?” I said.

“And the foretelling about Doldimar implies that you’ll need Shadowsteal for your role,” Eledis said. “Seems important that we don’t lose it when it’s just been found.”

“What’s the point of a foretelling if we’re dead before fulfilling it?” I hissed. “If Shadowsteal’s so necessary for our goal, then the sword will eventually return to me. This is given, of course, that the lot of you are right about who I am, but even if I’m not, we should get out of a city where we’re not only condemned criminals but have a battle mage coming after us.”

If Eledis argued with me, I swore that I was going to learn what happened when Daevetch was propelled through a human.

“I wouldn’t,” Bright said. “You won’t like the end result.”

Before I could snap at them, Marcuset turned to Eledis.

“He’s right,” he said.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Eledis said, rolling his eyes. “Fine. Let’s get out of here.”

“So glad we’re all on the same page,” I growled. “Eledis, get your things together. I’ll be in the hallway while you do that. Marcuset-”

At the commander’s raised eyebrows, I stopped short. Had I really been planning on telling that man what to do? The hell was I doing, taking charge like that?

“Yes?” Marcuset drawled.

Flushing, I said, “Never mind. It’s not important.”

I hurried out of the room, wincing when I saw a guard, sprawled on the floor outside. In the drama that had come with Marcuset’s introduction, I’d forgotten about this poor man.

Crouching, I checked his pulse before gently turning his body so I could see the back of his head. Finding no evidence of bleeding there, I’d started propping him into a more comfortable position when the door opened.

“Shit!”

The next thing I knew, I was hitting the ground, hard, while Marcuset had taken my place. With his fingers on the guard’s neck, he had the most concerned look on his face, one that might have made me feel guilty if I hadn’t just been knocked out of the way.

Climbing to my feet, I said, “He’s alive. I don’t kill people, commander, and my options when it came to this man were knock him out or sneak past. Considering that I thought my grandfather and I were soon to be executed…”

I gestured at the guard while brushing myself off.

“Is he an ally too?’

Slumping, Marcuset rubbed his face.

“No,” he said. “He’s one of mine, but he doesn’t know where my loyalties lie.”

After taking a steadying breath, he glanced up at me.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I shouldn’t have been so rough with you.”

“It’s fine. You were worried about your subordinate,” I said, flapping a hand at him, “and would you please stop saying that honorific? I’m not worthy of it, and even if I were, I’m only eighteen, at least two decades your junior. Don’t give me more respect than I deserve.”

A… a fond smile flashed across Marcuset’s face—the hell? We’d known each other for less than an hour—and he opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Eledis strode into the hallway, looking through his pack one more time.

“Right. Not many people will be awake right now, so getting out of the castle should be…”

On observing the scene at his feet, he fell silent, flicking his eyes between us.

“He’s alive,” Marcuset said.

“Oh. Well, that’s all right, then,” Eledis said before gesturing down the hall. “Shall we?”

Wow, that had been callous, but I didn’t comment on it, watching Marcuset straighten instead.

“Which way?” I asked.

As we hurried through the castle, Marcuset and Eledis took the lead, having planned our escape route long ago. Even still, after a few turns, I had a good idea about where we were headed, but I didn’t join the older men. Not only was I quite comfortable with letting them stay in control, but they were having an interesting conversation as well.

“The guard back there reminded me,” Marcuset said. “Should I be worried? Is he back?”

…He? He, as in me, or he, as in… I wasn’t sure who else the guard could have reminded the commander of.

“No. We’re fine,” Eledis said. “I haven’t seen any signs of him, unlike with the other thing.”

“Are you sure?” Marcuset asked. “I haven’t mentioned it because I thought they’d deserted, but while you were in Sev, the day ‘desa picked you up, two of her royal guard went missing. It could have been him.”

They were silent for a while, giving me time to work through what they’d said, but in the end, I couldn’t take advantage of it. Dim chose that moment to increase their pace, only slowing when they were between me and the older men.

Cocking their head, they frowned as if trying to remember something, before getting in my face. With the splinter less than a pace away from me, I stopped short.

What on-? I started.

Dim jerked back as if slapped.

“Fuck!” they shouted before seeking out Bright. “We have a huge problem.”

Sucking in a breath, Bright said, “Is it enough to risk-?”

“Yes,” Dim hissed. “Very fucking much, yes.”

Bright’s face hardened while I looked on with my mouth gaping.

What-? I tried again.

The splinters popped out of existence, and I rocked away from where they’d been standing. What the hell was going on?

From ahead, Eledis and Marcuset’s footfalls echoed down the hall, and I hurried to catch up with them. Whatever had distressed my splinters had started with those two, after all.

“-could have been, yes,” Eledis was saying once I was back within hearing range, “but I seriously doubt it. Come on, Marcuset. If he were back, would we still be alive?”

Sagging a bit, Marcuset said, “I suppose that’s true.”

After that, they had nothing else to say, and the three of us soon stepped onto a cobblestone road, one that carved through the grass until it passed through a far distant gate.

My splinters had yet to reappear, no matter that I’d mentally called for them a few times. I wasn’t sure if that would summon them, even in typical circumstances, but I had to try something. Now that it had been taken from me, I realized how much I didn’t want to give up my magic.

So, I climbed into the waiting carriage with no small amount of trepidation. Collapsing in the seat opposite the others, I eyed them while Marcuset drew the curtains over the carriage’s windows.

As we trundled forward, I said, “Who’s ‘he’?”

Jumping, Eledis snapped his gaze to me while Marcuset went still.

“What do you mean?” the commander asked.

Rolling my eyes, I fell back into my seat, crossing my arms.

“If you start talking about something I don’t understand while in front of me, you should expect me to ask for clarification,” I said, “and if it’s something you’re trying to hide, you both need to review how to keep a secret.”

At that, Eledis relaxed.

“Oh, that. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to keep you out of it. I just didn’t want to worry you,” he said. “Over the last week, Marcuset and I have noticed signs that an old enemy of ours might be returning. Long ago, he staged corpses in a similar position to how you laid our room guard, and seeing that on top of everything else had us on edge.”

Damn. I might believe that story if earlier, my splinters hadn’t reacted so animatedly to Eledis and Marcuset’s discussion.

“…Uh huh,” I said. “So, this enemy. You don’t think he’s coming back?’

Marcuset laughed, although when put into the context of everything else, it seemed a bit nervous.

“I certainly hope not!” he said.

With a cautioning look at him, Eledis said, “I’d be surprised if he did. The last time we saw him, we thoroughly banished him from our lives.”

“Maybe you did,” Marcuset said. “If you’ll remember, I wasn’t there because I thought it was a bad idea.”

Eledis backhanded his chest before leaning forward.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he said, “You don’t need to worry about it.”

Should I call my grandfather out on his bullshit? If I did, I couldn’t admit why I didn’t believe his story.

In the end, the choice was taken from me. Dim and Bright appeared from thin air between me and the older men. Dropping to the carriage’s floor, they scratched and bit at one another for a five count before freezing in place. Dim had Bright pinned while they had hold of the Daevetch splinter’s wrists. Caught in this position, they glanced at me before scrambling apart.

“Ok,” I distractedly told Eledis, focusing on my splinters instead.

What had drawn them away from me, and why were they back now?

TTS Chapter Sixty

Chapter 61: The First Oath

Raimie

I was half-aware of my grandfather relaxing opposite me, mostly occupied with watching my splinters regain their composure on the carriage's floor.

Will you tell me where you went, or is this another mystery that’ll never get resolved? I asked.

Wincing, Bright said, “We’re not trying to keep secrets…”

They trailed off as I raised my eyebrows.

“We were beside the nearby break in reality,” Dim hoarsely said before coughing up a storm.

While they pounded on their chest, Bright said, “Besides the area around you, breaks in reality are the only place where we pieces of our wholes can exist on the physical plane, but considering proximity to one isn’t conducive to our survival—”

They glanced at where moments before, they and Dim had been caught fighting.

“—we don’t typically use them like that.”

“It does, however, make it so that we can… hmm.”

Pausing, Dim tapped on their chin.

“The best equivalent for it is ‘talking’. So, breaks in reality let us ‘speak’ with one another,” they said, “which means we can more easily discuss things that are off-limits when on the physical plane.”

“Like our purpose for you,” Bright said.

I let that sink in for a moment, unsure how to identify this roiling storm inside of me. While I waited for a clear head, I shifted in my seat, smiling at Marcuset. Best to appear somewhat normal, right?

You won’t tell me anything specific about what just happened, will you? I eventually said.

Bright and Dim exchanged a glance.

“I know it’s a difficult thing to ask, given what I am, but trust me when I say that I’d tell you everything if I could,” Dim said. “You deserve to know, but…”

As they trailed off, Bright grimaced.

“It’s difficult for us,” they said. “Remember what happened the last time we tried to share this with you?”

I winced, clearly remembering my splinters’ distress.

Understood, I said. It’s just… I can’t help but wonder, yeah? To my great surprise, I trust that you two won’t hurt me, but… I’d still rather know your plans.

Tears sprang into Bright’s eyes, and they turned away from me while Dim rested their incorporeal hand on my knee.

“You epitomize my whole’s strength,” they said before displaying a cheeky grin. “Besides, you won’t be in the dark for much longer. We’ll keep trying to convey our wants to you. Isn’t that right, rigid asshole?”

Sniffing, Bright glared at Dim.

But still, they said, “That’s right.”

The rest of the carriage ride was monotonous and boring for me. My companions, both real and not, didn’t seem inclined to make conversation, and the curtains over the windows prevented me from getting an up-close view of Daira. Eventually, however, the carriage stopped, dumping us at the city’s harbor.

So many ships stretched to both sides of me, a confusing mishmash of wood and rope and sail, with the sea beyond. Opposite that, a tall wall rose, completely white in color. I wasn’t sure how they kept grime from showing on it, but I could appreciate the indomitable, unbreachable sight that it presented.

Marcuset led the way up the gangplank of a moderately sized boat, one that was bustling with activity. As we passed, people wearing the uniform of Ada’ir’s military stopped what they were doing to cast quizzical looks at me and Eledis. No matter that they couldn’t know who we were, they pressed their fists to their chests and bowed.

It was a bit disconcerting.

Activity died down after we climbed onto the quarterdeck, although soldiers were going about their business here too.

Only one of them wasn’t moving around, leaning on a handrail instead. Firelight made his blonde hair glint, and when a soldier approached him, saluting, he turned toward her, revealing a trim physique as well as a distinctive profile.

And I was socked in the gut with an increasingly familiar sense of recognition, but this one was strong. I stopped short, staring, while Marcuset continued toward the man, and my splinters watched me with their heads cocked.

Resting his hand on my shoulder, Eledis asked, “Are you all right?”

“Who is that?” I said with wide eyes.

Eledis glanced toward the man in question.

“I’m not sure. Perhaps this ship’s captain?” he said. “Why?”

Taking a deep breath, I shook myself, shrugging the peculiar sensation off.

“It’s nothing,” I said before striding toward the others.

I should really look into these twinges I’d been having. By now, they’d happened too many times for me to dismiss them as a strange happenstance.

When considering how to best investigate them, however, I found myself reluctant to bring the phenomenon up, especially with Eledis. Maybe I could do that with my father but Eledis? That idea made me want to shudder.

But then, I had no more time to consider the question. Marcuset turned to me and Eledis, extending a hand as if in welcome.

“This man will be in charge during our voyage: Captain Oswin,” he said. “If you have any questions, you should come to him.”

A set of eyes landed on me, and at that, another jolt of recognition passed down my spine. As if from a distance, I watched the captain bow to me.

“Your Majesty,” Oswin said.

Without my permission, my hands lifted from my sides, jerking the captain upright, while barely considered words spilled out of my mouth.

“Don’t do that. I told you to never-”

Cutting off, I fell back into my body with a wrench, noting the alarmed expressions surrounding me. Carefully, I released my grip on this stranger’s jacket before taking a step back.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what that was,” I said. “Maybe you reminded me of someone, although I don’t know who that could be. Either way, I shouldn’t have manhandled you like that. I am deeply sorry to have offended you.”

Licking his lips, Oswin said, “You… didn’t offend me, Your-”

With a head shake, he passed a hand over his face while pointing behind him.

“I should finish consulting with Bilensa,” he said. “I’ll rejoin you once I’m done.”

While he stalked away, I fervently wished that I could pull my Ele source around myself and disappear.

“Not a good idea, kid,” Dim said. “Too many people around you.”

I know that, thanks, I growled.

Dim made a funny face at me—which wasn’t helping—while I struggled to keep my focus on Marcuset and Eledis. Both men were eyeing me like I’d transform into a ravenous beast at any moment, so I did the only thing that I could.

Move on.

Resolutely facing Marcuset, I said, “You mentioned a voyage. Do we have a course set?”

“Um…”

Marcuset glanced at Eledis, who shrugged, before forcibly casting off his unease.

“Our heading is east,” he said. “We don’t have much more than that, unfortunately. In the last three hundred years, not much has escaped Auden besides the occasional burst of refugees, and they’re usually unwilling to speak about their lives across the Narrow Sea.”

That sounded problematic. Not the most important issue right now, though.

“We’re headed for Auden? What about the people we left in Sev?” I asked. “Have the Zrelnach returned home? And what about my father?”

Best not to mention Rhylix, considering how much disdain the others held him in.

“Despite my attempts otherwise, I couldn’t get my hands on news about our companions,” I continued. “Keeping a queen entertained is a time-consuming job, it turns out, and learning about something that she didn’t want me to know would have taken a lot of time.”

Jerking toward Eledis, Marcuset said, “You didn’t tell him?”

“Tell me what?”

“You know how I said I haven’t seen much of him? I meant that literally,” Eledis said with an eye roll. “Most of the time when I was in our room, he was… out.”

Before Marcuset could reply, I repeated, “Tell me what?”

Was everyone ok? What would I do if my friend or father had been hurt? Gods. How would I learn to control my primeancy without Rhylix?

With a heavy sigh, Marcuset rested his hands on his hips, dropping his gaze to the deck.

“When your people arrived in Sev, the reason ‘desa knew you were there was because Commander Ferin told her,” he said.

I blinked for a moment, fitting this new information into what I already knew, before rubbing my forehead.

“Of course she did.”

With a soft groan, I tilted my head back, taking in the black expanse above.

“Alouin, when we were together, she intimated her plan,” I said, “but why would she betray us? She seemed so intent on getting me educated in ‘the relevant subjects’, almost frantic about it. So, was someone or something putting pressure on her? The Council, maybe? Teron? I could see that.”

Slapping my hand to my thigh, I lowered my head, although I didn’t truly see anything.

“It doesn’t matter. If she’s turned against us, we’ve lost the Zrelnach,” I said. “I hope dad…”

With a head shake, I focused on Marcuset.

“So, they’ve returned to Allanovian, then,” I said. “Did anyone stay?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Marcuset said, “All of them, actually. ‘desa asked them to hold position until the situation there calms down.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“What situation?”

“Nothing too worrisome,” Eledis said. “A bit of socioeconomic unrest, but it should soon pass.”

“Oh! Are you talking about Sev?”

With his thumbs hanging from his belt, Oswin ambled into the conversation again, widely smiling.

“I heard that people from Ada’ir, if you can believe it, have been undermining the city-state’s government,” he continued. “I wonder if they’re the queen’s spies. She’s been trying to snatch up Sev for years.”

While he chuckled, Eledis glared his way, and I transferred my narrow-eyed gaze to him. Picking up on the tension, Oswin grimaced.

“Oh, hel- Alouin. I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Just here to take orders, me.”

“Don’t apologize,” I said through gritted teeth. “You gave me information I sorely needed.”

Because who could this group be but the allies I had left among the Zrelnach? I hadn’t been aware that they could cause change on a governmental level, but their activity, coming in tandem with my capture, was too coincidental to be anything else.

“You would have us leave dad here?” I asked Eledis.

As my grandfather flinched, I wondered how long ice would accompany the words I spoke.

“What about Rhylix, the first friend I’ve made in my life?” I continued. “Hell, what about the Zrelnach who’ve chosen us over Ferin? Because of us, they have no home to return to, and that’s not counting the danger they’d face in Teron and the queen. And you’d have us leave them here.”

Clicking his tongue, Eledis crossed his arms.

“You’re not thinking long-term. If we leave for Auden from Daira, we’re unlikely to pass through the Accession Tear’s storms,” he said. “If we depart from Sev, we’ll be heading straight through them, and yes, that was my original intent, but at the time, our priority was to leave this continent as quickly as possible. Now that we’re here, we should minimize the threat to our soldiers’ lives.”

He waved a hand as if encompassing more than this ship alone.

“He’s made a good point about the storms,” Bright said at my side. “The Accession Tear makes the weather around it exceptionally volatile, worse than most of what I’ve seen.”

“And isn’t it just glorious?” Dim crooned.

Ignoring them, I clenched my jaw, balling my hands into fists, and faced Marcuset.

“Exactly how dangerous would leaving from Sev be?” I asked.

I didn’t know if I could trust the commander to truthfully answer me, but I certainly couldn’t trust Eledis.

Marcuset scratched his cheek, darting his gaze between me and my grandfather.

“I can’t give you an exact answer,” he said, “but of the ships that sail between Daira and Sev, about a quarter of them are lost per year, and that’s when traveling along the edge of the Tear’s influence.”

Damn. That… was enough to cool the outrage sweeping through me. Unsure what to say, I chewed on my lip while working through the problem. Was rescuing a handful of people worth risking so many lives?

Clearing his throat, Oswin said, “If I may?”

Raising my finger to silence Eledis’ coming protest, I nodded.

“Forgive me, but we’re soldiers, Your Majesty,” Oswin said. “Risk is part of the job.”

Gods, I could kiss that man, if I were at all attracted to him.

“Oh, please,” Eledis huffed. “The risk wouldn’t be to the soldiers but to the outcome of this expedition-”

“Eledis. I love you, but stop talking,” I snapped.

While my grandfather closed his mouth with a glare, I took a calming breath.

“Captain, please adjust your course. Your new destination is Sev,” I said. “I won’t let the people who’ve helped me suffer, not if I can help it.”

With a half-smile, Oswin bowed.

“It shall be done,” he said.

Spinning, he headed toward the soldiers watching us. In fact, now that I was aware of it, there were a lot of eyes on us.

Before that could send anxiety climbing up my throat, the scrape of a sword on its scabbard drew my attention to Marcuset, and the sight of him holding an unsheathed blade had me brushing Silverblade’s hilt.

With his eyes on Eledis, he said, “Sorry, my friend.”

And then, he knelt, lifting his sword with his head bowed.

“I, Marcuset, commander of all solders faithful to the Audish royal line, do swear fealty and unwavering support to Raimie, the rightful claimant of the throne,” he said. “Ever will I serve as you see fit, ever to be your shield. May my blade always prove true to you.”

In the silence that followed, I could only stare. Had… had that actually just happened?

“I’m so sorry, human mine,” Dim said. “I know you didn’t want this.”

“But you have to complete the exchange,” Bright added, “unless you mean to reject him.”

If I did, it would, at the least, lower Marcuset’s standing among the soldiers. Some might even see my rejection as a lack of faith, and from there, naming him a traitor wouldn’t be a long leap. With all of that, he might conveniently fall overboard on our journey, all because of me, and no matter that we’d just met, I didn’t want any of that for the man kneeling in front of me.

So, ignoring what it would mean for me, I rifled through my mental index for my part in this protocol. Drawing Silverblade, I nicked my thumb before pressing it into Marcuset’s forehead, holding my sword to the side.

“I, Raimie, last in the line of Audish kings, do accept Marcuset as my faithful servant,” I said. “I swear to honor and protect you as best I can.”

I had to add that last bit, no matter that it jumped from the script. How could I keep someone safe with my limited resources?

“Ever will I work toward your benefit, ever to provide opportunity for you,” I continued. “May I always serve you as a leader should.”

Straightening, I offered Marcuset a hand, and while he obviously didn’t need it, he accepted anyway. As he sheathed his blade, he glanced at Eledis, imploring enough with it that even I could read his plea for forgiveness, but with his arms crossed, my grandfather wouldn’t look at him. Slumping, Marcuse shook his head before spinning on our audience.

“All right, you lot! What are you staring at?” he roared. “Get back to it. We have places to be.”

Once more, activity on the quarterdeck flurried to life with soldiers running every which way.

“I should show you to your quarters,” Marcuset said. “If you’ll follow me?”

I nodded my acceptance, but Eledis turned further away from us, which meant we should leave him alone. To my great surprise—or not, considering their relationship—Marcuset read this too. Without another word, he led the way below deck.

When we reached my assigned cabin, I paused before entering.

“Why did you do it?” I asked. “You hardly know me. You can’t know what sort of king I’d make. So, why?”

I still didn’t know what I’d do about this ‘ruling a kingdom’ thing, whether I’d accept it or reject it as I’d like, but fortunately, I didn’t have to make a decision yet.

Instead, I met Marcuset’s eyes, barely noticing the sigh he released.

“Your Majesty, I’ve known you for long enough that I could never doubt what sort of leader you’ll be,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me?”

Despite my confusion, I said, “Of course. Good night, commander.”

Once Marcuset had disappeared, I marched across the length of my cabin to repeatedly bang my forehead on its bulkhead.

TTS Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter 62: Nice to See You Again

Rhylix

I know what I'm asking of you.

“They’re here.”

Opening my eyes, I stared at Creation for a moment before sitting up. After rubbing my eyes, I rested my hands between my legs, letting my knuckles brush the dirt.

The last week had been… difficult. Helping to get the Zrelnach in line, saying goodbye to Ashella when leaving Sev, dealing with Dath… the fallout from Commander Ferin’s death had been more exhausting than I’d thought it would be. At least it had been a good distraction.

For the most part.

“Where are they?” I dully asked.

“Making their way through camp,” Creation said. “They’ll end up where Gistrick has set up his command tent.”

Over the last week, the splinter had been unusually helpful, offering their assistance every time it was most needed. Perhaps they understood how taxing I’d found it to get reacquainted with some of the least pleasant emotions. We’d been together for a while, after all.

“Thank you for the update,” I said.

With a look of surprise on their face, Creation cautiously nodded before disappearing, and once they were gone, I pushed myself off of the folded cloak I’d been sleeping on, wincing at the disarray around me. Clumps of grass had been torn from the ground with furrows raked into the dirt beside them, the typical evidence that I’d once more fallen into my past while dreaming. I looked myself over for grass stains before rounding the wagon shielding me from the rest of camp.

The Zrelnach had been subdued since their commander’s death. When I’d walked through camp over the last few days, it had been so quiet that I could have sworn its inhabitants had vanished off the face of the earth.

The same held true today. Mostly.

As I walked between bedrolls, I could feel nervous energy buzzing around me. It had been hovering since I’d informed Gistrick that Raimie was already on his way here, information I’d obtained via Bright. Three days had passed since then, and that anxiety had only built in strength.

With the fate of the Zrelnach to be determined in the next hour, it was at its peak now.

Long before I reached Gistrick’s tent, I caught sight of Dath. Pacing several feet away from the entrance, he was digging a rut in the ground while chewing on his thumbnail. He was so focused on his feet that he jumped when I took his elbow.

“Rhy!” he gasped, clutching at his chest. “You scared me to death.”

With a half-smile, I said, “If that’s true, you’ll have to tell me how you’re still breathing. I’ve never seen the dead walk. People who should be dead? Sure. But never corpses.”

Snorting, Dath lifted a hand to cover the noise. Ever since the awful night when the boy had witnessed death firsthand, he and I had entertained an unspoken contest over who could be the most callous about it. I didn’t get much out of the exchange, but I was well aware of the many coping mechanisms people used in the face of trauma. This was how Dath was dealing with his.

“So?” I said. “Were you planning on going in, or will we have a new trench out here once they’ve finished talking?”

Making a face, Dath said, “I don’t know if I should. Given the plan we discussed a few days ago, I can’t contribute much to the discussion.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Besides letting Raimie know that you’re ok?” I said. “Before Kaedesa took him, he’d grown to like you, you know.”

“I know,” Dath sighed.

Silently, he rubbed the back of his neck while staring at his feet, but soon enough, he dropped his hand.

“All right. Let’s go,” he said.

He strode toward the tent with me following, if more slowly. Before I was reunited with my friend, I needed to make some adjustments to my mask. I was always wearing one when around other people because when they saw me for who I really was, laid bared to the world, they inevitably ran screaming from me.

Ferin’s death had blown a few holes in that mask. Fortunately, people had been attributing them to grief, but Raimie would notice them right away. So, I patched them, or I did so as best I could.

But then, I was ducking into the tent.

It was crowded inside. At first, I could see nothing more than the back of the person in front of me, but once I shuffled into place with Dath, the other players in this scene came into view.

Immediately, Aramar jumped out at me. With his arms crossed, he was doing his best to stay out of the spotlight, but when I entered, he tensed, which only had me sighing. I knew a part of me would never forgive this man for what he’d done to Ferin, but he’d be part of my ally’s life for an indefinite length of time. For the sake of my goal, I must keep things amicable between us.

Fortunately, doing this was helped by the fact that aside from the obvious source of contention, I actually liked Aramar. The people who held any form of acceptance for the Esela were rare, and I couldn’t remember the last time someone hadn’t attacked me as soon as they’d learned I was a primeancer.

So, Aramar tensed, and I shook my head at him with a soft grin, hoping my somewhat friendly nature would remind him of the talk we’d had a few days ago. It must have worked because he relaxed, returning his attention to his son, but once he’d done that, he was digging his fingers into his arms again. What must he be going through, restrained from touching a son that he’d thought he’d lost?

The cause for this inability was found in the people around Raimie.

I recognized one of them. I couldn’t tell if Eledis was trying to hide how miffed he was, but if so, he wasn’t doing a good job of it. That was typical for him, though, so I skipped over him to the man at his side.

For some reason, something about this stranger had me narrowing my eyes at him. With his dark brown hair and tan eyes, he looked like a typical human, but I could swear…

I didn’t know what it was, but something about him screamed off. I’d think he was holding a shape change, one to hide his Eselan characteristics, but all the typical markers for that type of magic weren’t there.

Disconcerted, I shook my head. Later, I’d have to ask a Zrelnach if they were seeing the same thing as me but for now…

The third man, Gistrick. Who was kneeling in front of Raimie, although his sword was planted in the dirt instead of raised overhead.

“-ever to be your shield,” he was saying. “May my blade always prove true to you.”

An oath of fealty? Over the last few days, Aya, Gistrick, and I had discussed ways to prove the Zrelnach’s loyalty. Having their newly raised commander swear himself to Raimie wasn’t how I’d have gone about it, knowing my friend’s temperament as I did, but…

This display of loyalty wasn’t meant for Raimie. That kid would have taken the Zrelnach back without a second thought.

No, this was for Eledis and the soldiers from Ada’ir. Watching the stranger behind Raimie, who surely had something to do with this group, I couldn’t tell if it had worked.

But that was a long-term concern. For now, all that mattered was how Raimie would respond to Gistrick’s oath.

“Again?” he said, as if to himself.

But he drew his sword, and when he did, I let myself focus on the kid, frowning at what I saw.

Raimie looked different. For one thing, he was wearing armor now, if only a light set of hardened leather, but… it looked natural on him, which I’d never thought would happen. In addition, a weathered aura hung over him like… like he was surer of himself. He looked…

He looked like a warrior and a seasoned one at that.

As Raimie nicked his thumb, pressing it to Gistrick’s forehead, I caught Aramar’s eye and raised my eyebrows. Had he seen the change too?

Hugging himself tighter, Aramar turned away from me, and I knew that he had.

“-serve you as a leader should,” Raimie said, finishing his side of the oath.

He, wisely, didn’t help Gistrick to his feet, perhaps remembering how much more value the man had placed on self-sufficiency since his arm’s amputation, and only once the Zrelnach commander was standing did he glance over the tent’s interior. His eyes lit up when they fell on me.

Sheathing Silverblade, he said, “I’m glad to have this awkwardness put to rest. Now that it is, though, we should move toward the ships as we discussed. Can I help with that process, or may I have a moment with my friends?”

The stranger behind Raimie shifted in place.

“Please, Your Majesty, let your subordinates handle grunt work like this,” he said. “It’s our place, after all.”

Huffing, Raimie lifted his eyes to the heavens.

“Normally, I’d argue that point, Marcuset, but I’m too tired to do it now. I decidedly do not like horseback riding,” he said, rubbing his lower back with a wince, “and how many times have I told you to stop calling me ‘Your Majesty’?”

With a poorly restrained grin, Marcuset said, “Not enough, apparently. May we be excused, Your Majesty?”

Groaning, Raimie rubbed his forehead.

“Yes,” he said. “Get out of here.”

With a laugh, Marcuset threw an arm around Eledis’ neck, practically dragging the old man outside with him, and Gistrick was quick to follow, avoiding my eyes as he went.

Aramar stuck around for a while longer. While he and his son talked, Dath and I waited out of earshot until the two hugged. Then, I started for my friend, switching places with his father.

As I approached, Raimie said, “Hey, Rhy. It’s been a while.”

“Indeed,” I said with a half-smile.

While Raimie shuffled in place, staring at the ground, Dath stopped beside me, seemingly content to wait his turn.

Abruptly, Raimie jerked his head up.

“Are we fighting?” he blurted. “I don’t think we are, but it’s been three months, and I’ve been replaying that sparring session in my head over and over again, analyzing what you said, and-”

Rolling my eyes, I tugged Raimie to me, pounding his back a few times before letting go.

“We’re not fighting,” I said. “It’s good to see you.”

“Ohthankthegods. I’m so glad to hear that. It’s good to see you too, of course, and oh,” Raimie said. “Hi there, Dath.”

Offering a hesitant smile, Dath said, “Hello, Raimie. I’m glad you’re back with us.”

“Oh, me too. You have no idea. Life in Daira was… interesting,” Raimie said, “but I hear you two had it rough here as well. I’m sorry that saving my ass required so much work from you.”

“It wasn’t all bad,” Dath said. “I got to meet some interesting new people.”

Ashella had been particularly teary-eyed when saying goodbye to the boy, more so than she had been with me. I hadn’t realized how close those two had become.

When Dath said nothing more, paying exclusive attention to the grass beneath our feet, Raimie glanced at me with a question in his eyes, but I couldn’t hold his gaze, turning my head aside instead. I knew what Raimie was asking, just as I knew why Dath was acting more subdued than before, but I couldn’t speak that reason aloud. It hurt too much.

“Oh. Oh… She was…” Raimie said.

As he trailed off, a heavy weight fell over me, trying to flatten me into the earth.

“I’m sorry about Ferin,” Raimie eventually continued. “No matter how much animosity hung between us, I could tell she was a good person with many people who loved her. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

“No one does,” Dath said.

That pulled me around. I already knew what he was planning to tell Raimie, but I’d thought he’d want to wait for a while before addressing it.

“I’m guessing there’s more to that,” Raimie prompted.

My friend’s bearing had changed. Gone was the hard exterior, the worn soldier. Instead, everything about him screamed open and accepting, a partial return to the kid I’d met in Allanovian, and when he glanced up, Dath must see this because a wealth of tension rolled off of him.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “Watching Ferin’s murder taught me something about myself. I suspected it when I couldn’t attack you in the Withriingalm, but I know it now. I don’t have it in me to kill someone. Hurt? Maybe. Kill? Definitely not. And… I don’t know, Raimie.”

Hesitating, he glanced at me, and I nodded for him to continue.

“I won’t do you much good in Auden,” he said. “Rhylix has told me about the kingdom, and I don’t think a pacifist would last long there. He and I have agreed that I should stay in Ada’ir.”

Biting his lip, he returned his gaze to the floor while Raimie regarded him with a faraway look in his eyes.

“What would you do here?” he eventually asked. “I’m not trying to dissuade you. I just… You probably won’t be welcome in Allanovian, and apparently, Esela aren’t readily accepted in Ada’ir. I want to make sure you’ll be safe.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. Of course Raimie’s mind had gone there first.

Dath, on the other hand, seemed surprised by his words, lifting his head with a jerk.

“I… uh, I have some ideas,” he said. “I have a friend in the city. She mentioned getting me a respectable position somewhere. From what I hear, people with Zrelnach training are in high demand as bodyguards and the like. Fitting me somewhere with my pacifistic streak will be difficult, but Ashella thinks she can do it.”

“This Ashella is the woman who’s been helping you for the last three months?” Raimie asked.

When Dath nodded, he released a long sigh.

“All right,” he said. “Well, I won’t lie. I’ll miss your company, Dath. Maybe once I’ve made Auden safe enough, you can visit.”

“I’d like that,” Dath said.

Grinning, Raimie extended his hand.

“Shake on it.”

When Dath took his hand, however, Raimie jerked the other boy toward him, sliding to the side. Dath didn’t let him take advantage of the opening, though. Using Raimie’s arm as a pendulum, he spun before twirling the other boy in front of him.

Lifting Raimie’s arm up the center of his back, he kicked at the kid’s knees, which had Raimie face down in the grass. Dath pinned Raimie’s legs between his thighs, meeting his second wrist with the first on his back. It was a copy of the way their first trial had ended, although their positions had been switched.

I watched this with a fond smile, hugging my elbows. Seeing the improvements that my students had made, no matter how slight, was good. Raimie had, after all, let Dath take him down, and Dath had done it in the most harmless way possible.

As soon as he could, Raimie was laughing, and with an enormous smirk, Dath climbed off of him before offering a hand.

“If you don’t mind, my… friend, I’d like to make the trip to Sev now,” Dath said. “No need to drag this out, yeah?”

With a serious expression in place, Raimie rested a hand on Dath’s shoulder.

“Yes, you are my friend,” he said.

And then, he smiled.

“Good luck.”

“Same to you,” Dath said. “You’ll need it to defeat a big, bad overlord.”

Raimie shoved him, and chuckling, Dath turned to me, which quickly killed his expression of mirth. Swallowing hard, he bowed.

“Thank you,” he said. “For everything.”

Then, he shot upright and hugged me. Unsure what to do, I hesitantly patted the boy’s back.

“It was my honor to watch you become the noble man before me now,” I said.

“Ha!”

Pulling away, Dath half-smiled up at me.

“Remember what you told me when we first met?” he said. “Something about nothing good coming to the people who get close to you?”

Drawing my eyebrows together, I drawled, “Yes?”

“Well, you’ve been nothing but good for me, Rhy,” Dath said.

I opened my mouth to argue, but seeping warmth in my belly shut me up with a soft squeak.

“Never thought I’d see you struck speechless,” Dath said, rocking back on his heels. “And I’ll leave you both on that note. See ya, Rhy. Raimie.”

He was at the tent flap before I found my voice.

“Safe journey to you,” I said. “Always.”

With a nod, the boy left.

Which left me alone with my ally for the first time since the Withriingalm. I chose to focus on that rather than the sense of loss nipping at my mind.

When I faced Raimie, however, he’d disappeared. With my eyes snapping to slits, I reached out and… yes, a familiar distortion in reality was in front of me.

“Bright failed to mention that you’d learned how to manipulate your source,” I said.

Raimie reappeared with a pop.

“I asked them not to,” he said with a smirk. “Wanted to see the look on your face when you found out.”

That was concerning. A splinter had deliberately hidden something from me again, which was distinctly Daevetch in nature. To be fair, I hadn’t asked Bright or Creation about this bit of information but even still… two times?

“While this is good progress, I hope you’ve learned more than source manipulation in the last three months,” I said.

“Uh…”

Flushing, Raimie scratched the back of his head with one eye closed.

“I can talk to my splinters now?” he said. “Does that count?”

“Well, thank the gods. You’ve needed that for months,” I said. “How did you do it?”

We quickly devolved into a retelling of everything that had happened in the last few months. This took quite a while, and we got so engrossed in it that we didn’t notice an unknown Zrelnach sticking her head into the tent at first. When we did acknowledge her, she tried to hold Raimie’s gaze, but her eyes quickly slid to me. Unfortunately for us both, the Zrelnach would probably find me easier to address than him for quite some time.

“We’re ready to head out,” she said. “Your horses are ready.”

“Thank you. We’ll be right there,” Raimie said with a smile.

As soon as she was gone, though, he dropped the expression, flinging his head back.

“Fuuuuck,” he groaned. “I hate horseback riding.”

With my lips twitching, I said, “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.”

Raimie shook his head.

“Might as well get it over with,” he said.

Before he left the tent, however, he glanced over his shoulder.

“Let’s not do the whole being-a-nation-apart thing again anytime soon, yeah?” he said. “I didn’t much like it.”

“Don’t worry, Raimie. We’ll be stuck together for the foreseeable future,” I said. “There aren’t many hiding places on a boat, after all.”

For some reason, this made Raimie groan even louder as he strode outside.

TTS Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter 63: The Accession Tear

Rhylix

I do not ask it lightly.

Several hours later, I understood why Raimie had seemed so opposed to the idea of sailing. He’d only stopped puking his guts up a little while ago, about when my tincture had kicked in.

With a fleet of ships crashing through the water around us, he was hanging his legs over the deck’s edge now, passing them and his arms through balusters with his forehead leaning against a rail. Standing behind him, I watched Ada’ir growing steadily smaller behind us with something akin to melancholy. I knew what awaited us in Auden, a place that would make this nation feel like a fairy tale land.

“That’s my home, Rhy, the place where I grew up,” Raimie said. “Why do I get the feeling I’ll never see it again?”

I had so many platitudes that I could give my friend. That Auden would soon feel like home. That surely he’d return to Ada’ir someday.

But I didn’t know if any of them would help him. So, I said nothing.

Eventually, Raimie sighed, pulling himself back through the railing. He stumbled a bit on getting to his feet, enough that I had to steady him.

“Thanks,” Raimie said.

With his head bowed, he trudged below deck, and seeing this, I decided to leave him alone for the night.

The next morning brought the first of the storms with the daylight. When possible over the next few days—whether due to my tinctures or his own fortitude—the kid was on deck, helping how he could, which meant I got lashed by the wind and rain too. Someone needed to keep Raimie safe, and I wasn’t sure if this ship’s sailors could or would do it.

Their stoicism about their leader quickly turned to gratitude, especially after an evening where he adamantly insisted on waiting in line for his food, but while it was good that Raimie was already earning these soldiers’ loyalty, it wouldn’t make them quick to rescue him yet.

For the next few days, I gave Raimie as much space as possible. I knew how hard the last few months had been for him, and that, combined with the kid’s near persistent nausea and my own… difficulties, didn’t lend themselves toward learning new things.

Eventually, though, Creation started hovering close to me while in the physical plane, keeping their vacant gaze set on a fixed point, and on noticing this, I made my way to Raimie’s cabin. Once there, I waved for him to follow me.

“I’ve got something to show you,” I shouted over the wind’s howl.

With the ship’s pitch making the hall into a mountain cliff at times, reaching a ladder was a laborious process, but we got there soon enough.

I stopped Raimie before he could climb outside.

“Always keep ahold of something while we’re out there, ok?” I shouted.

When Raimie nodded, I led the way into the storm.

Passing above deck was like entering another world, one where nature’s fury had been unleashed. All around the ship, waves rose and fell in sharp inclines while the fleet’s other ships joined this one in the struggle to overcome them. Rain pounded down in a discordant beat while lightning forked across the sky, illuminating it so intensely that it occasionally blinded me.

Across the deck, the few sailors left above deck scrambled to complete their tasks, which would make avoiding them difficult. Still, I grabbed a rope before climbing the ladder’s final rung. After Raimie had joined me, I closed the hatch behind us. I carefully crossed to my intended railing, changing handholds when needed, and once there, I clutched the top rail in a death grip.

To fore, salvation waited, a glorious refuge from the gale. There, the sea’s swells had calmed down, and only a light drizzle fell from the sky.

This was our only hope of reaching Auden together. In that patch of calm, the fleet’s captains could make course corrections, regrouping before facing the storms again.

Soon, the fleet would reach that break in the storm wall, but by then, our current surroundings wouldn’t be quite as impressive.

On the ship’s port side, the storm railed its fury unabated for as far as the eye could see. Perpetual lightning lit the sky as if it were a sunny day. Their strikes smote the ocean’s surface almost as often as they played in the clouds above, and through this light show, I could barely make out the rise of an island in the distance.

Hovering above that dark lump was the Accession Tear.

Stretching halfway to the clouds, its black smudge yawed open, eager to devour anything caught in its grip. The white light around its edge served as a beacon, warning sailors away.

Once again, the Tear’s size and raw power stole my breath, and as if nature wanted to emphasize this magnificence, a water spout shot from a distant spot on the sea, soon after we’d reached our current handhold. The Accession Tear made that whirling mass of wind and water look insignificant.

Turning to Raimie, I caught his eye and was rewarded with a smile to match my own.

On the other side of him, three splinters clung to the railing, leaning over it as far as they could. Bright and Creation paid no mind to the enemy at their side, just as Dim seemed oblivious to them. All three had eyes only for the Tear, an opening to the source of their power, and with glazed expressions and stupefied smiles, I’d think them drunk if I didn’t know better.

Not that I could blame them. Even without laying my eyes on the Tear, I could feel the alluring pull of what lay behind it. When I was near a tear, the temptation to shuck off every responsibility and tragedy, forever indulging in the sense of oneness that my body ever craved, always whispered sweet nothings in my ear, but it was infinitely stronger here.

Just like I remembered.

So, once Raimie had marveled for quite some time  at this one-of-a-kind wonder of the world, I tugged on his sleeve, pointing toward the hatch.

We’d almost reached it when the wave hit. With the ship sliding down a swell at an awkward angle, a wall of water crashed over the deck, slamming into me and Raimie. As that water sloughed away, dragging one poor sailor into a railing, Raimie lost his grip on a rope, right as the ship began its climb up the next wave.

When he started sliding across the deck, he clawed for a handhold, barely catching my outstretched hand as he passed me. Even still, his fingers almost slipped through my grip, and as I tightened it, my knuckles turned white with Raimie dangling from my hold.

We crested the wave, and the descent that followed had my friend heavily sandwiching me with a conveniently placed crate. As soon as I could breathe again, I dragged him to the hatch, hustling us below deck.

At the bottom of the ladder, I leaned on the wall opposite Raimie, carefully watching him. His shoulders were shaking, which sent a tendril of cold to my core. Had our brush with death been enough to send him over the edge?

Then, Raimie lifted a beaming face to me, and I chuckled at my worries. The kid had long since proven that he was tough enough to handle anything life threw at him.

My expression had Raimie doubling over with laughter, and as my chagrin faded away, I let what was bubbling inside of me out too. My friend and I howled along with the storm.

Soon enough, Raimie was wiping his eyes.

“Thank you, Rhy,” he gasped. “I needed that.”

He turned deadly serious, piercing me with solemn eyes.

“Let’s never do it again.”

I flashed a grin at him.

“Agreed,” I said. “Maybe once we’re through this storm, we can discuss how tears like that are related to your newly discovered ‘talent’.”

Snapping his eyes to slits, Raimie donned a pout.

“You can’t tease me like that!” he whined.

“Sure I can,” I said with a smirk. “Now, here’s a sleeping tincture for your nightmares tonight and another for how sick you’ve been feeling.”

Pulling the mentioned items from my pocket, I handed them off while Raimie made a face.

“I never thought I’d miss the baby storms that we found near the coastline,” he said. “Thanks for these.”

“No problem,” I said. “Try and get some sleep, all right?”

“I will,” Raimie said. “Good night!”

Watching him stumble down the passageway, I wondered if I’d follow my own advice. No matter how strongly I brewed them, my tinctures didn’t work on my nightmares. Sometimes, sleep loss seemed like a better option than enduring those horrors.

Heaving a sigh, I made my way to my hammock, crammed in a lower deck. Maybe the Accession Tear’s lure would rock me into untroubled sleep tonight.

TTS Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter 64: Life at Sea

Raimie

 

With shaking hands, I opened the hatch above my head before climbing the last few rungs of the ladder, and when sunlight splashed over me, I held perfectly still, turning my face up to it. After so long trapped in the ship’s hull, I hadn’t been sure if I’d ever see a clear sky again.

“At least one of us is enjoying himself,” Dim grumbled. “I can’t imagine why you’d want to leave that delightfully wonderful bedlam behind.”

Smiling, I said, I’m sure YOU don’t. Bright’s probably happy to get away from it.

“Actually…” Bright started.

“Uh… Your Maj- sir- Shit. What do I…?”

“It’s just Raimie,” I said as I lowered my head.

When I saw the sailor waiting on the ladder below me, though, I jumped before moving to the side.

“Sorry,” I said. “Being outside again just feels so good.”

“Can hardly blame ya. Bad passage, that was.”

Chuckling, the sailor scrambled to get out of the way, ambling toward fore after casting a cautious glance at me. I wasn’t sure why they did that. Since leaving Daira, I’d done my best to prove that I was perfectly normal to these new people, but still, they treated me with deference or like I was an unknown, dangerous entity.

As always, I shrugged the reaction off.

I wandered toward a railing at the ship’s aft, chewing on my lip while keeping an eye on the storms, still visible in the distance. The Accession Tear loomed above us, and even reduced in size as it was, I couldn’t help but shiver at the memory of it reaching so far above me that I’d thought it would swallow the sky.

“That’s why I don’t want to leave that place, so antithetical to what I am, behind,” Bright said. “Because we’re also leaving it behind.”

I thought you wouldn’t like such proximity to a tear, considering it makes you hostile to Dim here, I said.

“Please. Why would I care about keeping a piece of the enemy safe?” Bright said with a sniff.

At that, I rolled my eyes, smirking when Dim started chortling.

“As if- as if I need you to keep me safe,” they gasped.

As Bright opened their mouth to snap something, I growled, Can we focus? Are we going to have problems when leaving a tear now? I don’t want a repeat of what happened under the mountain.

“Yeah… no, that won’t happen. You’re moving away from the influence that a break in reality holds over us, which means we won’t revert to our natural states,” Dim said. “But we are leaving it behind, and it connects us to what we are. So, we might be grumpy for a while.”

Great…

They’d provided me with some interesting information, though. How did a tear connect Ele and Daevetch to their splinters? Was it a door between the planes as well as one between worlds? If that were true, how terrifying would it be?

“Kid, you have no idea,” Bright said.

I glared at them, sedately standing at my side, but at their raised eyebrow, I relented. Dim’s antics—pacing atop the railing while purposefully swaying, as if trying to lose their balance—only helped my decision to ignore my splinters for a while.

“Do you know the tale of the Tear?”

Without looking at who’d spoken, I nodded.

“In the long-forgotten past, only humans inhabited this world, caught in a centuries-long conflict against a foe that no one remembers,” I said. “On another world, the Esela fought to survive in a reality that was slowly dying until Alouin came along. He ushered the Esela to our world and at the point of their arrival, created the Accession Tear, thus ending one conflict for humanity and making a new one.”

“And what about Alouin? Most people revere him as a god, but you said you’ve met him. What do you think he is?”

Cocking my head, I sucked on my lip while watching the Tear.

“I don’t know what to think,” I eventually said. “I’ve never liked the idea of gods, although I couldn’t say why, but after everything I’ve seen, I don’t want to discount the possibility of their existence. Until I find definitive proof one way or the other, I’ll just have to keep an open mind.”

“Would that more people were like you.”

Rhylix stepped up beside me with a smile on his face.

“So, now that you’ve had a months-long break, are you ready to resume your training?” he asked.

Was I ready to once more learn about my magic? To once more enjoy sessions where I learned the ways of the sword with my friend?

“Oh, hell yes,” I said.

The smile on Rhylix’s face widened.

“Good,” he said. “Let’s start with why tears affect you and Bright so much.”

For a week, I did nothing but train with Rhylix, read the books that Eledis assigned me, and helped with various mundane tasks.
I didn’t learn anything new when it came to my primeancy. From what I could tell, Rhylix seemed satisfied with what I currently knew, so instead of teaching me more, he had me practicing my skills instead.

Long were the hours that I spent hidden from the world in an Ele bubble while jumping between the ship’s rigging, working on my precision. It was a word that Rhylix seemed obsessed with.

When it came to the martial side of my training, he had me practicing my sword forms, but most of our sessions revolved around learning to wield other weapons. Knives, unarmed combat, and daggers were all thrown into the mix. One afternoon, Rhylix even had my father join us, watching while he and I revisited long-forgotten lessons about the bow.

Today, we were sparring with staves. I liked this weapon over most of the others because it fit with my hope to avoid killing people. It also helped that I was quite good with it.

When I jabbed the end of my staff at Rhylix’s face, he batted the strike aside before swinging for my side. I blocked, shoving Rhylix away, but he just rebounded, punching his staff toward my stomach. I wasn’t quick enough to avoid that blow, and as a dull ache spread across my abdomen, I raised a hand in surrender, backing away.

“Don’t give up, you weak-willed, placid, useless human!” Dim snarled. “Fight him.”

I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that, I said.

Like I had for most of my splinters’ antics over the last week. They were making it difficult to focus on the real world.

“Can’t rely on natural talent alone, Raimie,” Rhylix was saying. “Got to have some practiced skill as well.”

“I… know. Working… on it,” I gasped, straightening from my hunch. “Again?”

I raised my staff, but Rhylix shook his head.

“That’s enough for today,” he said. “You have other responsibilities, you know.”

Making a face, I said, “Unfortunately.”

After stashing my staff, I gratefully retrieved water from a barrel while noting Eledis speaking with Rhylix. Casually, I hung the ladle over the barrel’s lip before inching toward the two.

“-teaching him how to fight with a staff?” Eledis growled. “It’s a poor man’s weapon, not one to be used by a future king.”

So, he’d joined the people intent on making me a king, huh? That was surprising. I’d thought he’d be the last person to do that.

“What if a staff is the only weapon available to him in a fight? Should he die because it isn’t worthy of a king?” Rhylix asked. “I appreciate your concern for my student, but I’m not changing his training. As you said, he’s a decent fighter now, but in Auden, decent isn’t good enough. I’m teaching your grandson how to survive, not how to play a part.”

Narrowing his eyes, Eledis said, “What do you know about Auden?”

Oo. That tone… I understood why Rhylix took a step closer to Eledis, gritting his teeth.

“I know enough,” he hissed.

Hurrying forward, I slid between the two, forcing them to retreat from one another.

“Let’s not have an argument while we’re in a confined space, please,” I said. “Eledis, I enjoy what I’ve been learning, and learning as many combat methods as possible can’t hurt me. Rhy, you might as well tell him where you’re from. He’ll find out sooner or later.”

Rhylix turned unreadable eyes on me, ones that had me shivering. I imagined this was his version of a glare.

Hissing, Dim stalked to a stop right in front of my friend, standing on their tiptoes to get in his face, and Bright scurried forward, hesitating for the briefest of moments before taking their arm to drag them away.

“LET ME GO, YOU PREDICTABLE-”

“Stop it!” Bright snapped. “Stop it, stop it, stop it! You cannot antagonize him. Hell, you’re making it difficult to maintain the peace right now.”

This confrontation had me glancing at them from the corner of my eye, if only because Bright never swore around me. That a curse had slipped through their lips now was telling, and I wondered if I’d have to send the two away. I’d been planning to do it for a few days now, but circumstances kept delaying it.

Meanwhile, Eledis had crossed his arms.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

For a moment, Rhylix looked like he wouldn’t answer, but when I pointedly stared at him, he sighed.

“I’m from Keld,” Rhylix said, “which is a small town in Auden, or rather, it was. It fell to Harvest ten or so years ago. I escaped and made my way to Ada’ir afterward.”

“You’re Audish,” Eledis blankly said. “We saw your memory in Raimie’s second trial.”

Wincing, Rhylix nodded.

“It was my price for bringing humans to Allanovian,” he said.

Resting his hand on his sword’s hilt, Eledis drummed his fingers on it.

“If you’re Audish, then why haven’t you sworn your fealty to your rightful ruler?” he said. “The rest of these people are of Audish descent, certainly, but there’s at least a generation between them and their forebears. You’re from Auden. You should have been on your knees the instant you recognized my family."

What?

Perhaps Rhylix bristled at Eledis’ insinuation. Perhaps he turned to me for help. I wouldn’t know, too consumed by my own indignation.

“Rhy doesn’t need to swear anything to me or anyone else in this family,” I snapped. “In the time we’ve known him, he’s proven his loyalty a hundred times over. He saved my damn life. What more could you possibly want?”

“I-”

Slowly closing his mouth, Eledis blinked at me for a moment with his jaw clenched.

“You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry, Rhylix. I shouldn’t have questioned you.”

“I don’t blame you for it,” my friend said. “Considering who your opponent is, I’d have been disappointed if you hadn’t called me out.”

“Still, you’ve done more for my family than most, so I hope you’ll accept my apology,” Eledis said. “I should find Marcuset or the captain of this blasted ship. Get an update from them. If you’ll excuse me.”

He took off aft, and watching him go, I shook my head. My grandfather’s tendency to create conflict popped up at the most random of times.

“That man will be a problem,” Rhylix said.

“Oh, I know. Sometimes, I wish he wasn’t family so I could have left him in Ada’ir, but unfortunately, that’s not the case,” I said. “Anyway, I should get some rest. Maybe dig into another book on economics. Gods know if I’ll understand this one. Same thing tomorrow?”

“Unless you have something better to do,” Rhylix said with a cheeky grin.

Rolling my eyes, I started for a hatch, but my friend’s voice chased me, giving me pause.

“You know I’d swear fealty if you wanted it, right?”

That had me snorting. I was already responsible for two people’s safety. Why would I add to that burden?

“I’ll never want that, Rhy. I’m just Raimie with you. Always,” I said before smirking. “Try not to cause a fight, though, will you? It’s been smooth sailing for a week. Hopefully, the peace will hold until we reach Auden.”

Chuckling, Rhylix said, “One can always hope.”

With nothing else to say, I ambled to bed.

I shouldn’t have wished for the peace to persist, it turned out, because as if to spite me, the wind died the next day.

Chapter 65: Battle at Sea

Raimie

 

After two days of drifting, I met with Commander Marcuset, Eledis, my father, and Captain Oswin to discuss our situation. So far, all we’d produced was frustration.

Eledis had been surly since Oswin had asserted his right as the ship’s captain to attend this meeting, and Marcuset had yet to shake off the hassle of transferring from the ship where he held command. Add to that how much my father had always hated being around Eledis, and one found oneself surrounded by grumpy men.

“How is it that the Queen’s navy is reliant on Alouin damned wind to get anywhere?” Eledis snapped. “Have none of you heard of rowing?”

Rubbing his temples, Marcuset said, “How many sailors have you known who are willing to man the oars? Given that and ‘desa’s reluctance to use slaves, we’ve never thought it prudent to equip our ships with them. Besides, we have other ways of discouraging combat than running away.”

“Will these other means get us across a still sea?” Eledis asked.

Sighing, Marcuset hugged his elbows with a headshake.

“I thought not,” Eledis hissed. “I guess we’ll just have to beseech Alouin for wind because otherwise, we’re STUCK HERE!”

Throwing his hands overhead, he stalked a few paces away, muttering to himself.

“I hate it when he gets like this,” Aramar said.

Glancing at him, Marcuset forcibly relaxed, lowering his arms.

“He’ll be fine soon enough,” he said, “but after the last few years, I’m sure you know that better than most, don’t you?”

Rolling his eyes, Aramar said, “Unfortunately.”

I coughed into a fist, grimacing when all eyes landed on me.

“Sorry,” I said. “I just thought that we should focus on our current problem. Can we do anything about it? And if we’re truly becalmed, should we prepare for the coming days?”

“Well, we can’t do much about the wind,” Aramar said, “and from what I’ve heard, our supplies are already running low, which I find surprising given how long this trip’s been planned for. We were just waiting for our instigator to begin it.”

When he inclined his head to me, I did my absolute best not to blush.

“What’s left?” I asked.

“A week or so of food,” Marcuset said, “but our problem’s with potable water. We have a couple of days before we run out of it.”

Yeah… that sounded bad.

“So, what do we do?” I asked. “The Esela can’t summon anything from the mainland, not when we’re this far from it. Right?”

With a short laugh, Aramar said, “Yes, that’s unlikely.”

But no one else spoke, and no ideas were shared. After a moment of silence, Oswin clicked his tongue.

“If we don’t have a fancy solution, we do the only thing we can,” he said. “Rationing. It’s not ideal, but it’ll buy us a day or two.”

“But that’s great!” I said.

The others looked at me like I was insane, and I shrunk on myself, if only a little.

Standing firm against a total collapse, I said, “What? In our current circumstances, time is everything. With time, we’ll overcome this problem without an issue.”

After a heartbeat more of silence, Oswin cracked up laughing, lifting a hand in placation when I opened my mouth.

“I’m sorry,” he coughed when he could. “It’s just… your optimism. It’s refreshing. I’ve missed it.”

Grinning, I said, “Kind of hard to be optimistic when nature herself is trying to kill you.”

The others turned to me, gracing me with expressions I couldn’t interpret. My father looked relieved while the other two seemed melancholy, but I couldn’t be sure. They were revealing little through the blank masks they were showing me, and I’d get no clues about it from Bright or Dim. I’d sent them away not long after we’d been becalmed.

Before I could figure them out, Rhylix flew up the final rungs of a ladder, racing across the forecastle to me.

“You need to sound the alarm,” he called.

Without question, I started for the nearest set of bells, left secured to the deck for just such a purpose.

Behind me, Marcuset warily asked, “Why?”

“Because someone’s about to attack. Why else?” Aramar grumbled. “Who’s the enemy?”

“I’m not sure,” Rhylix said. “They’re flying black and green colors and using oars to maneuver. Considering they’re using scoured skeletons in place of a figurehead, I thought I should mention them to someone in charge.”

“That sounds like the Serpent Pirates,” Oswin said. “Slavers, commander.”

After hissing out a breath, Marcuset clicked his tongue.

“Fine,” he said. “I can see the ships you’re talking about, so you’re not lying, but I can’t pick out their details. How did you?”

“He’s Eselan, Marcuset,” I shouted. “He can shape change, remember?”

Freeing the bell, I rang it, watching the deck burst into activity, and to my satisfaction, the alarm was quickly carried to other ships in the fleet. At least some of these people had good reaction times.

With little time to prepare, I sprinted for a hatch, sliding down its ladder before running to my cabin. Silverblade was already at my side, as it near constantly was these days, but I’d probably need more weapons for this confrontation. After adding a few knives to my arsenal, I slung a bow and quiver over my shoulders, adjusting everything to where I could easily reach it.

Before I could race back above deck, though, an understanding of what was happening crashed into me, and I leaned against the bulkhead to stay on my feet. Since Allanovian, I’d hovered in the uncertainty of what I’d do if caught in a choice between someone else’s life versus my own.

If required for my survival, could I kill a stranger? Because that was what this battle would demand.

Gods, this was senseless! One group of people doing its best to eliminate the other. What a waste of life and for what? So one group could profit off of the lives of others?

And thinking about that, I straightened from the wall.

Killing to save myself? I didn’t know if I could do that. Killing to save the people in this fleet, people who’d left their homes behind because of the hope my presence promised? Doing that sounded much more feasible.

Still, once I’d joined the others, I was quick to retrieve a staff from their crate. If I could avoid taking someone’s life, I would.

While I’d prepared, the enemy’s ships had advanced more quickly than I’d expected. Two of them were barreling down on the fleet.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a threat, considering my people had twice that number, but right now, the enemy had superior maneuverability. They could attack one of the fleet’s ships, kill and pillage on it as they wished, and get away, all without worrying about the others. Greater numbers didn’t count for much when the enemy had speed on their side.

When I stopped beside Marcuset, he was chewing the hell out of his lip, watching the enemy approach.

“Let’s hope they’ll see reason,” he said as he gave a signal.

“What-?” I started.

A bell loudly rang, one that was deafened by a cracking boom. As smoke plumed into the air, water splashed in an incongruous line halfway between the fleet and the enemy ships.

With my mouth gaping, I didn’t think to ask what that had been until I heard Marcuset’s growl through the buzzing in my ears.

“Stubborn bastards,” he said. “We’ll have to blow them out of the water.”

He raised his hand again, but I snatched his wrist before he could drop it.

“No,” I said. “Those are slavers, right? That means innocent people are aboard their ships. I won’t condemn them to a watery grave.”

When Marcuset rounded on me, I almost lost my hold on his wrist, such was the incredulousness he showed me.

“Even if saving them will cost our people’s lives?” he hissed.

Holding Marcuset’s gaze, I said, “Isn’t this what soldiers are made for?”

With gritted teeth, the commander closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and bowed.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said.

Then, he spun toward Oswin and the soldiers standing with him.

“Prepare for boarding,” he barked.

I’d already unslung my bow, nocking an arrow. The enemy’s ships were fast approaching, and on them, I could see my potential victims.

Slavers.

Their eyes were bright with a fear I recognized, one that sang through me too.

They’d chosen to embrace that fear and inflict it on others.

Lifting my bow, I sighted on a man who was swinging a grapple with practiced ease. He was wearing a cruel grin, and I would protect my people, my family, from men like this.

But what if that man had a family too?

The distinctive twang of my father’s bow sounded in the air, quickly followed by the release of other bowstrings, but I couldn’t do the same. I was stuck, frozen, petrified by the consequences of ending a stranger’s life. What connections in humanity’s vast web might be cut with a single person’s death?

With an exasperated groan, a sailor heaved me behind her. I stumbled a bit, lowering my bow, and as my soldiers drew their weapons, I watched with a clogged throat.

How useless was a king who couldn’t protect his people?

Someone pulled my staff from its place on my back before pressing it into my hands.

“You don’t have to kill to protect,” Rhylix said.

He shoved me, and careening toward the soldiers, I instinctively pulled on Ele and jumped. For the most glorious of moments, I was suspended in the air with chaos and death below me.

For a moment, I was free.

Then, I landed on the enemy ship’s deck with a muted crack, sweeping my staff around my body. As I rose, jabbing for a pirate’s chest, someone else thumped to the deck nearby, and I smiled.

Two Ele primeancers against a host of vicious norms? The enemy didn’t stand a chance.

Dodging a cutlass’s arch, I blocked another sword, coming from the side, before knocking a dagger out of a teenager’s hand. Sharp pain in my shoulder spun me in place, but I used that momentum to drive the air from a burly man’s gut.

In my peripheral vision, I noted people in a familiar uniform swinging across the gap, an addition of allies that lessened the pressure on me, but by that point, I was too far gone in Ele’s embrace to care.

Humming along with its rhythm, I danced among the pirates, serving my primary purpose. I knocked arrows out of the air and blocked killing blows in the moment before they’d have landed. I would protect the people who belonged to me, whether through love or faith, and damn anyone who tried to stop me.

Unfortunately, Ele wasn’t as willing to accommodate that desire as I’d thought. As I went up against a man wielding a mace, it fled from me, and its abrupt absence had me faltering in my strike. Snarling, the man shoved me, and when I fell back, my head smacked into something solid.

After dropping into my nightmare realm this time, I resisted everything that was muddling me, scrambling to get off of Nylion’s back.

“FUCK!” I shouted before turning to my friend. “Either wake me up, or switch places with me NOW.”

“Well, hello to you too,” Nylion said. “It’s been a while. Months, I believe?”

And I swore I could see his eyeroll under that all-encompassing hood.

“Mind telling me what’s happened before I decide?” he asked.

I related the story as quickly as I could, and once I’d finished, Nylion shivered.

“A battle?” he said. “PERFECT for me. Thank you, heart of-”

He fell silent, but I was too concerned with my real-world peril to analyze what that could mean.

“If you’re taking care of this, then get on my godsdamn back,” I snapped.

Chuckling, Nylion said, “Bossy.”

But he did as he was told, and I was left alone in my nightmare.

Nylion opened his eyes to a giant bringing a mace down on his head. With no time for anything fancy, he snapped his black-smothered hands in front of him, ready to push that energy forth, when a bang deafened him. The giant’s head exploded, and as the body fell forward, he rolled out of the way. While he took stock of his surroundings, his eyes landed on something that made his heart stop.

“Ohmygods, Oswin,” he breathed.

The captain still had his pistol raised, but at Nylion’s exhalation, he turned with a frown.

“What did you say-?” he asked.

Movement flashed behind Oswin, and Nylion arced what he was holding over the man’s shoulder, grimacing when he saw that his weapon was a puny staff.

Gods. That was so Raimie.

Dropping the staff, Nylion drew his sword so he could stab his enemy. Panting, he glanced at Oswin, who was eyeing him with wariness.

“Raimie?” Oswin cautiously said.

And for a heartbeat, Nylion squeezed his eyes closed. He let himself feel the hurt of this misidentification, masking it by snapping the fletching off of an arrow. How had Raimie gotten shot like this?

As he greeted the battle again, he snapped, “Where is the pirate captain?”

Because no matter how chaotic their surroundings were, Oswin would know the answer to everything Nylion wanted to know, tactically at least. He always knew.

“Aft. Captain’s quarters,” Oswin said.

He paused with such hope in him.

“Nyl-?”

It was too late. Nylion was already carving a path to his goal. It didn’t matter who stood in his way. He cut through them, although he avoided people in uniform as much as possible. Raimie wouldn’t like waking up to stories of having killed his own soldiers.

When he reached the captain’s quarters, he was disappointed. That had been far too easy, not even a warmup, but perhaps his target would be more of a challenge.

After opening the cabin’s door, Nylion waited for a moment, and as expected, a sword swept through the spot where he would have stepped. With shadows collected in his arm, he snaked it around the door, and snatching hold of cloth, he thrust the pirate away. He only entered the cabin after hearing the thunk of a body hitting the bulkhead.

This place was cluttered and filthy. Unhygienic.

Which was a direct contrast to the man groaning on the floor. The pirate captain was a pretty boy, which was an interesting concept for Nylion.

“Don’t- don’t kill me,” the bastard gasped. “I’ll give you whatever you want. Is it gold? Wine? Women?”

“I doubt that you can give me my heart’s desire,” Nylion said.

Crouching, he rifled through the other man’s pockets, which only had him squirming.

“Oh,” he purred. “If that’s what you’re into, I can happily oblige.”

Ignoring the implication, Nylion retrieved a keyring, bouncing it on his palm before rising. He was unsure what to do here. He knew what he should do but…

“Raimie would not approve,” he said to himself.

Still, this was the first chance he’d had to make a choice for himself in a while. After seeming centuries trapped in a make-believe place, resisting the urge to destroy evil had become… difficult.

Scowling, the pirate said, “Who’s Raimie?”

“He is the heart of my heart,” Nylion said, “and because of him, I will grant you a measure of mercy.”

Shadows coagulated around his hand before shooting through the pirate’s chest, and with a choked gasp, the light fled from his eyes.

Then, Nylion set to the slow work of separating a man’s head from his shoulders.

Outside, the battle was still raging, which was disappointing. Raimie would need to whip these people into shape.

Climbing a ladder with his burden was difficult, but Nylion needed the height that the quarterdeck would provide. When he was balanced on a railing up there, he surveyed the chaos below him, wondering if the nuisance, constantly hovering at his shoulder, was pleased. He was, if only because he could act out a fleeting fantasy that he’d once held.

Who didn’t want to be a pirate king?

“Crew of the Green Plague. Members of the Serpent Pirates,” he bellowed. “I have defeated your captain, which by all the codes written, makes me your new leader. Surrender, and I may yet let you live.”

Nylion tossed a severed head into the cacophony below, and that, along with their diminishing odds, had the pirates dropping their weapons. As they knelt, lacing their fingers behind their heads, Nylion observed them with a bemused smirk. When he returned, Raimie would have a mess to clean up.

Oh, well. He could handle something this small.

Dropping to the main deck, Nylion ambled to the pirate captain’s head and kicked it into the sea.

Chapter 66: The Aftermath-Large Scale

Rhylix

 

But you're the only one who can end me.

 

Something was wrong with Raimie. While sailors and pirates alike watched a bloodied head soar overboard, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the kid, too busy figuring out what was wrong with him to do otherwise. It was only as my friend made for an access point below deck that I noticed Dim alone was trailing him.

“Oswin! Line the prisoners up, and gather their weapons, please,” Raimie shouted. “I will return in a moment.”

As he slid down the ladder, Dim caught my eye. Surprisingly, the Daevetch splinter didn’t recoil from me or act as if it was disgusted. It stared at me, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think the splinter was silently begging me for help.

After a moment, it slumped, shaking its head, before jumping into the hole after its human.

“Has Raimie chosen a side?” I said under my breath.

“I’m not certain,” Creation said, “but he has vehemently rejected doing just that several times. Plus, such a significant change should have rippled through the whole to me.”

Humming, I chewed on my lip for a moment.

“Then, where’s Bright?” I asked.

“Hence, why I’m not certain,” Creation said.

Someone climbed over the railing beside me, and I stepped aside to give him room. Leaning on his knees, Eledis fought to catch his breath.

“Frustrating child,” he gasped. “What was he thinking, running into a fight alone like that?”

“I’m not sure he was thinking,” I said. “After I pushed him toward the enemy ship, he seemed to be running on instinct.”

Slowly, Eledis straightened, staring at me with cold eyes.

“You pushed him,” he said.

Nodding, I said, “Anyone who was watching could see that he wanted to help, but he needed someone to nudge him into it, which I did. He was never in any danger. I had my eye on him throughout the fight.”

That wasn’t strictly true. My heart still stuttered when I remembered watching Raimie lose his hold on his Ele source. It was a rookie mistake for a primeancer to make, one that wasn’t often repeated, and seeing it happen then, surrounded by people who’d been out for his blood, had almost had me fully revealing myself.

Fortunately, I hadn’t needed to intervene. Our ship’s captain had appeared from out of nowhere—most people couldn’t sneak up on me like that—to save Raimie.

Mentioning that near disaster to Eledis wouldn’t be a good idea, though.

“I won’t touch on why you thought that you alone could protect Raimie on a ship full of hostile pirates,” Eledis said. “Instead, you can tell me why you ‘encouraged’ him in the first place.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” I said. “I wanted to improve his standing with the soldiers.”

Giving me a blank look, Eledis said, “What?”

Huffing, I waved a hand over our surroundings. Around us, sailors and soldiers, those unoccupied with watching prisoners at least, were whispering and chattering with one another.

“What do you suppose they’re talking about?” I asked. “I’d guess it’s the royal who led the charge, distracting the pirates so they could safely board. The royal who danced with his enemies, using a simple length of wood. How much more do they respect him now, do you think?”

Eledis opened his mouth, probably to make a scathing comment, but thankfully, Raimie jumped above deck at that moment, interrupting him. Bending down, he extended a hand to help the people coming after him.

They emerged into the sunlight, squinting and furiously blinking, with scabs circling their wrists and ankles where shackles had once chaffed their skin. Although their arms and shoulders were well-defined, as one would expect of galley slaves, their gaunt faces and stomachs told the truth of their treatment. Where rags didn’t hide their skin, welts from the lash covered it, and it was so pasty that it made the tans of sailors and pirates look much darker than they were.

After the last of them was standing on deck, Raimie made his way to the confiscated weapons, picking through them, while the sailors shot questioning glances between themselves. Meanwhile, the former slaves held themselves perfectly still, as if unsure what to do.

After selecting a few blades from the pile, Raimie turned his attention on the people around him, although he solely addressed his new prisoners.

“You have been found guilty of piracy,” he said.

Drawing a dagger, he discarded its scabbard before offering the weapon to a former slave, a spindly man who hesitantly took it.

“But worse, I find you guilty of enslaving others, people who no doubt have friends and family back home.”

Raimie handed a sword to a woman with frazzled hair and tears streaming over her cheeks.

“By doing this, you have uprooted and destroyed their lives, but my hope is that having been freed of your clutches, they will take this chance at making new lives for themselves.”

As he gave a man another weapon, he smiled before gesturing to the weapons he’d left behind. Haltingly, the former slaves armed themselves, which banished a measure of their skittishness. While they made their choices, Raimie stood between them and their once masters, turning such a stern countenance on the latter that a chill crept into my core. What was he doing?

“By maritime law, I am within my rights to leave you in a rowboat until the closest authority retrieves you for sentencing,” Raimie said, raising his voice. “This will sure lead to a slow and lingering death as the closest authority at the moment is Doldimar, and I doubt he cares what happens to you. Fortunately for you, I will not be the one deciding your punishment, as I can assure you that death by dehydration is the kindest one I am inclined to give. No, I will leave choosing your fate to your victims.”

Deadly silence followed this declaration, one that I found appropriate. What had gotten into the kid?

As they shifted in place, the sailors seemed to be asking themselves the same question, but they’d face another conundrum as well. Would they let Raimie decide the proper punishment for their prisoners?

As for the pirates, they were, understandably, terrified.

“You said you’d let us live!” one shouted.

“No. I said that I might let you live,” Raimie said, lifting a finger, “and that is true. These people you have abused might show you the mercy that you never gave them. Then again, they might not. It is up to them.”

With a fierce grin, he strode to starboard, where the ships were aligned against one another. Every eye followed him, and once he was balanced on the ship’s railing, he paused as if a thought had just occurred to him.

“Now that I think of it, the closest authority is not Doldimar, is it?” he said. “That would be me.”

Slowly, he turned his smile on the sailors, Eledis, and finally, me. When our eyes met, that smile faltered, but Raimie quickly shook it off.

“See it done,” he shouted.

Then, he started the perilous crossing to our ship.

The soldiers standing guard exchanged glances before stepping to the side. Some of them stayed where they were, presumably to ensure that no harm came to the former slaves, but most sheathed their weapons, ignoring the pirates’ disbelieving cries.

“That was… well done,” Eledis said. “Extremely unlike Raimie but… well done.”

“You sound shocked,” I said.

Casting a sharp glance at me, Eledis said, “And you’re not?”

No, I very much was, but it wasn’t at the outcome of the afternoon’s proceedings. I’d watched scenes like this unfold too many times to count, but I’d never expected something like it to happen while in Raimie’s company.

Ignoring Eledis, I turned my back on the former slaves, who were still struck immobile by their change in fortune. Intimately aware as I was of what was about to happen, I’m didn’t want to witness the coming violence.

Instead, I focused on my internal conflict while transferring ships. Everything Raimie had done was perfectly legal by all of the known kingdoms’ laws. I’d even argue that my friend’s decision had been the right one.

Slavers on the Narrow Sea were the scum of the earth, subsisting on the pain and suffering of others. Raimie’s prisoners were lucky that he’d shown such restraint, as most crews would have executed them without question.

Even still, I didn’t know what to think about leaving the pirates’ fates in their victims’ hands. Those people had suffered enough, and while some of them would never question the chance for justice that they’d been given, a few would agonize over taking a life once their blood lust left them.

Then, of course, there was the fact that the behavior I’d seen in my friend didn’t fit the Raimie I knew.

After reaching the other side, I headed for the quarterdeck, pausing once there. Raimie was speaking with Commander Marcuset, and I didn’t want to interrupt them.

“-sure they are treated for malnutrition and dehydration,” my friend was saying. “They may choose to join us or go free, and any of them who decide to leave will be given what they need to start their new lives from their former masters’ property.”

Clearing his throat, Marcuset said, “That’s a noble gesture, Your Majesty, but what about us? We need the supplies that the pirates will leave behind, and their ships could save us from this becalming.”

“We will, of course, take what we need from the ships’ holds, leaving the rest for their new owners,” Raimie said before cocking his head. “As for the ships themselves, do you really want to cram our soldier onto our newly commandeered, small ships? You will have to explain your reasoning for this suggestion, as I find it impractical at best.”

Furrowing his brow, Marcuset said, “I-”

“I thought not,” Raimie interrupted. “What we will do instead is send a unit of your men with these ships when they depart. They will get help from anyone, and I do mean anyone, who would choose to assist us. Do you have any further questions or comments?”

As Raimie cocked his head to the other side, I shivered. Cold. He was so. cold.

Bowing, Marcuset said, “No, Your Majesty. By your leave, I will ensure that your orders are carried out.”

“See that you do,” Raimie said.

Finished with the commander, he strolled to the portside railing with his hands clasped behind his back.

Marcuset shook his head, rising from his bow, and when he spotted me on the sidelines, he made a beeline for me, which had me shifting. Since first seeing the commander outside of Sev, I hadn’t spoken to the commander, too uneasy to stay in his presence for long. Even weeks later, I wasn’t sure why he screamed wrong to me, but I’d avoided him precisely because of it. Now, though, I could no longer stay out of his way.

“You’re his friend, right?” Marcuset said when he’d come closer.

“To my continual surprise, yes, he claims me as such,” I said.

“Good. Maybe you can help.”

Marcuset glanced at Raimie with his face pinched.

“That battle hit him harder than I thought it would,” he said before meeting my eyes. “Have you seen much combat?”

A flood of unwanted memories rushed through me, making me wince.

“More than I’d like,” I said.

Nodding in understanding, Marcuset said, “Then, you know what it’s like. The aftermath of a fight, I mean. He needs a friend right now. Can I trust you to help him?”

I fully faced the commander, holding his gaze.

“I will always do everything in my power to help and protect him,” I said.

A deep anxiety in Marcuset relented, and he slowly breathed out.

“Good,” he said. “That’s good! Thank you, Rhylix.”

“Of course.”

“Now, I have to help my men give away supplies that are rightfully ours,” Marcuset said before shaking his head. “Alouin, that kid… that kid…”

With nothing else, he left to follow his orders, leaving me with Raimie. I approached my friend, wondering what I could do to help him.

Chapter 67: The Aftermath-Small Scale

Rhylix

 

I've placed myself in harm's way more times than I can count.

 

“Raimie?” I said as I approached my friend.

When the kid didn’t respond, I winced. This would be bad.

Stepping closer, I glanced at what was holding Raimie’s attention, and on seeing the blood-soaked deck opposite us, I wanted to smack myself.

How many times had the kid mentioned his wish to avoid killing people? I’d known the desire would be untenable, especially in Auden, but still, I’d been dreading the day when my friend would have to take another life, and here it was.

Gods. How many people had Raimie cut down before he’d stopped the fight? And even the way he’d done that had required someone’s death. What must he be feeling right now?

Remembering my friend’s reaction to the first time he’d ended a life, I cautiously reached out to him.

“Are you ok?” I asked. “I understand if you-”

When I rested my hand on his shoulder, Raimie spun, swinging a shadow-coated fist at my face. Without thought, I pulled Ele to my feet, but before I could dodge the incoming strike, Raimie froze. As he narrowed his eyes, black streaks fled from his fist, although he left it raised.

“Rhylix?” he asked, as if unsure of who I was.

“Raimie, your eyes!” I gasped.

Grabbing my friend’s head, I peeled back the lid of one eye, ignoring how much he’d tensed. I had more important things to worry about, like the fact that his pupils had dilated to the point that a delicate ring of blue was rimming them. What could have caused this?

“That explains why you’ve unnerved everyone you’ve spoken with,” I said to myself before asking. “How do you feel?”

I released my hold on the kid, and he slowly lowered his fist.

“I am fine,” he said.

Well, that was obviously false, but maybe he thought it was true. Maybe…

He had hit his head pretty hard during the battle.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Maybe your ears are ringing? Or perhaps you’re nauseous?”

I really shouldn’t suggest symptoms to my patient, but I was fairly confident about my diagnosis, and if I was right, I needed to get Raimie into a bed. Now.

“I…” he started, screwing up his face.

He stumbled a bit, catching himself on the railing.

With a short laugh, he said, “I am a little dizzy.”

“I knew it! You have a concussion,” I said. “We need to get you below deck so you can rest.”

Raimie shook his head, swaying in place.

“I cannot rest, not when so much needs to be done,” he said. “I will not dump my responsibilities on others.”

“Trust me, Raimie, these people will understand if you leave the rest to them, especially once they learn you have a concussion,” I said. “Most of them are familiar with that state. They’ll know that if you’re to heal quickly, you need rest now.”

“I do not…” Raimie started.

But then, his sway got violent enough that he slammed into the ship’s railing.

Grimacing, he said, “Ok. I will be in my cabin.”

“And I’ll let everyone know what’s happened,” I said.

“Thank… you,” Raimie said with his face twisting.

He started for a ladder to the main deck, and I moved as if to steady him. When I touched his elbow, however, he recoiled several steps away from me, panting with wide eyes. With my hand still raised, I cocked my head while focus returned to the kid, and he swallowed.

“I do not need help,” he said. “Please, let me do this on my own.”

Lowering my hand, I said, “O… k…?”

I watched Raimie retreat until he’d disappeared. What had that been about?

Really, I shouldn’t let my concussed patient wander about on his own, but considering how many allies were surrounding him here, I’d be shocked if lasting harm came to him on this ship.

Still.

“That was strange,” I said to myself.

“Excuse me?”

Jumping, I spun, reaching for my sword until I recognized the man in front of me. Captain Oswin watched me with a laugh in his amber eyes.

How had he snuck up on me? That hadn’t happened in… I couldn’t remember the last time it had happened.

“Yes?” I said, trying to slow down my racing heart.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Oswin said. “I just wanted to ask after… Raimie. Is he ok?”

Odd. Not even Aramar had checked on his son yet.

So, why was this random soldier concerned about him? Then again, he’d been the one who’d saved Raimie’s life. He’d probably seen how hard the kid had been shoved into the pirate ship’s mast.

“He’ll be fine eventually,” I said. “No need to worry. He just has a concussion.”

“I see,” Oswin said.

Frowning, he looked at his feet, and if I hadn’t known better, I’d think the conversation was over, but as I’d suspected, Oswin soon lifted his head.

“If I may… when you were examining him, his eyes…”

Licking his lips, he looked away, folding his arms behind his back.

“Were they more black than blue?” he asked.

“They… were extremely dilated, yes,” I said. “Why do you ask?”

Shaking his head, Oswin slowly took a breath.

“It’s not important,” he said. “I saw something during the battle… I just wanted to confirm. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Lost in his thoughts, Oswin wandered away, muttering under his breath, and if I weren’t so focused on him, I might have missed what he said.

As it was…

“Has he forgotten me too?” Oswin said to himself.

And once he was gone, I was left alone on the quarterdeck, once more plagued with far too many questions.

The next day, I accompanied a rowboat to another ship in the fleet. I was hoping one of the people quartered there could help me with my quandaries. At the least, she could consult with me on Raimie’s concussion.

When I was finished climbing to the main deck, however, Gistrick waylaid me before I could find Chela.

“Welcome aboard the Second Chance,” he called.

I raised an eyebrow. The Zrelnach had given their ship a name?

“It had a queen’s given name before,” Gistrick said in answer to the unspoken question, “but we thought a new one was in order, especially given who’s quartered here.”

That made sense. Since our departure, the Zrelnach had been separated from the soldiers who came from Daira. It seemed little trust had grown between the two groups, despite Raimie’s best efforts.

“It’s a good name,” I said. “You don’t know where Chela is, do you? I’d like to speak with her about a few of Raimie’s symptoms. Nothing bad! Just a little outside the norm.”

“From what I hear, outside the norm is normal for that kid,” Gistrick said, “but I was hoping to speak with you, actually. Do you have a minute, or do you need to see Chela now?”

I’d prefer to see her now. I didn’t like being this far from Raimie, given how much he attracted trouble, but staying on the Zrelnach commander’s good side was for the best.

When I nodded, Gistrick led me to the captain’s quarters. Inside, several bedrolls and jumbles of cloth had been jammed into corners, speaking to the close quarters found here. Fortunately, none of those spots were currently occupied.

Still, I was grateful the windows had been opened, otherwise the smell of so many people living together would have been overwhelming.

Gistrick stopped in front of those windows, biting his lip as he stared out over the sea. After a while, I decided to break the quiet first.

“How did your first battle in command go?” I asked.

Shaking himself, Gistrick turned toward me.

“It went well. We took minimal losses: three dead and a handful wounded,” he said. “You could take a look at them while you’re here, if you like.”

“Why would I do that?” I asked. “Chela should be more than enough for them.”

Shrugging, Gistrick said, “It was just a suggestion. How did your ship’s crew fare? Any casualties?”

“None,” I said.

When Gistrick’s eyebrows rose, I huffed before leaning out a window.

“Look. What can I tell you?” I said. “Raimie distracted them, long enough that our people boarded the enemy ship with minimal resistance, and when he refused to fall by their blade, the pirates lost their nerve. Many of them abandoned their own ship. Strategy-wise, what he did wouldn’t have worked in a real battle, but with how small-scale this conflict was, Raimie could have taken the ship by himself, if he wanted.”

“Does that mean the rumors are true?” Gistrick said. “He leapt across the gulf between the ships?”

Glancing at the Zrelnach commander, I frowned at his shocked state.

“Yes, he did,” I said, “but it wasn’t that wide of a gap. I jumped it right after him.”

“You’re an Eselan, though. You could have shape changed as needed,” Gistrick said. “Raimie is decidedly human.”

Something brushed the back of my neck, making me slap at it. A bug this far out at sea? How had that happened?

“Gistrick. Why does it matter?” I snapped. “Raimie is Raimie. What he is has no import. Who he is and how he acts are the qualities that you should consider.”

Gods, this was taking too long. I needed to speak with Chela so I could return to my friend. Knowing him, he’d probably stopped resting, insistent on helping his people in some way. I had to make sure that didn’t happen.

Slowly breathing out, Gistrick rubbed his face.

“You’re right, of course,” he said. “It’s just… I can’t help but think about the possibilities. Hell, if I’ve sworn my loyalty to a primeancer…”

With a short laugh, I said, “Then, Alouin help us all, yes?”

Again, fingers brushed the back of my neck, rifling through my hair, and I straightened.

“Are we done?” I said.

But Gistrick was paying me no mind, staring toward the Tear’s ever-present storms, and when I joined him in his inspection, a breath of fresh air smacked me in the face.

“A breeze…” I said.

Spinning, Gistrick marched toward the door with me hot on his heels.

“Release the sails, and raise the anchor!” he shouted once outside. “And someone raise that rowboat.”

As Zrelnach scrambled to follow orders, I grabbed Gistrick’s arm.

“I should return to my post,” I said.

With a sympathetic look, Gistrick said, “I’m sorry, but standing orders are to take advantage of the wind when it returns. You’re stuck with us.”

Shaking me off, he raced into the crew’s bustle, and I threw my head back with a groan. Of all the people to be trapped with for the rest of this journey, it had to be men and women who’d once despised me.

Even knowing this, I hurried to help them. The sooner we reached Auden, the sooner I could be with my friend again.

Chapter 68: Life at Sea Part Two

Raimie

 

When I woke up to darkness with the comforting noises of maritime life all around, I wondered if I’d dreamed about the battle. How else could I be alive? The last thing I remembered was a giant with a mace preparing to swing at me, but if that had been a dream…

Unsteadily, I made my way to my cabin’s door, wincing at a rush of light when I opened it, and stopped short when I saw the soldier leaning against the bulkhead opposite me. Snapping to attention, the man might have mumbled two hated words, but I’d heard them in such a jumbled manner that I chose to ignore them. Glancing down the passageway, I frowned at him.

“Do you need something from me?” I said.

With a confused expression in place, the soldier said, “You… said to give you a message when you woke up.”

Interesting. I didn’t remember doing that.

“What’s the message?” I asked.

Stiffening to attention, the soldier said, “Apologies. I had to improvise a bit.”

When he fell silent, I wrinkled my nose, replaying the words for something understandable, but I came up empty.

“What’s that supposed to mean, do you think?” I asked.

“I’m sure I don’t know, Your Majesty,” the soldier said. “You did say something about a concussion before you retired, though.”

A concussion? That could explain why I couldn’t remember the final part of the battle, which seemed to have actually happened. I should find out what had happened during the time I was missing, but first.

“Alouin, it’s spreading,” I groaned. “First, Marcuset and Oswin, and now, a random soldier. Oh. No offense meant.”

“None taken,” the soldier said. “I’d rather not have my name remembered. You important people tend to have miserable lives. Your Majesty.”

“The last few months have been… interesting,” I mused before shaking myself. “But there it is again! Why are you calling me that? I’ve made it clear that I don’t like it.”

Wordlessly, the soldier examined me, intently enough that I wondered what he was thinking. Frowning, he started and stopped speaking before cocking his head.

“May I be frank with you?” he asked.

“I thought that’s what you were doing,” I said with a smirk.

“Fair enough,” the soldier said. “When we soldiers call you ‘Your Majesty’, it’s our way of showing our support, both to you and to others. Doing this when at home is important for many reasons, of course. What’s essential right now, though, is that when we honor you, outsiders see that you have your army’s devotion, which honestly, is all the Audish royal family has to its name right now. Knowing you have our loyalty will give you a stronger place at the negotiation table, among other things, and you’ll need that if you want to advance your cause. Unless you think we should take Auden through violence alone?”

“No. I’d rather avoid violence if possible,” I said.

Much as I hated to admit it, I could see the logic behind this soldier’s words. I’d read similar arguments in books about how a leader could earn their legitimacy, but that made it no less palatable.

“Of course,” the soldier said with a nod. “Now, if I may, I’d make a suggestion, since that honorific obviously makes you uncomfortable.”

“Please,” I said, waving for him to continue.

“When you’re in public, people will call you ‘Your Majesty’ or any other title they believe you deserve. There’s no getting around it,” the soldier said, “but among those of us who participate in your daily life, you could ask that we drop the formal means of address. I doubt you could get us to abandon all forms of respect, but if you like, you could let it be known that unless something more formal is required, you’d rather have us refer to you with familiarity. Say, with something like ‘Your Honor’ or if you don’t mind how crude some people would see it, ‘sir’, like we do in the military.”

Smiling, I crossed my arms while leaning on the doorway.

“You know, random soldier, you’re very wise,” I said. “Are you sure you won’t give me your name? I could see that you’re promoted, and if you were, you’d get better rations, among other luxuries.”

As the soldier grew increasingly still and uncomfortable, I watched with my smile widening until he tried to speak, choking on his reply. Then, I laughed, waving for him to relax.

“I’m sorry. Oh, g- Alouin. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” I gasped. “Please, forgive me. I… hell. Here you are, being genuine with me and I’m…”

Biting my lip, I looked away. What had I been thinking?

“You’re coming down off of an extremely stressful few hours, and you’re injured to boot,” the soldier said. “It’s ok, Your Majesty. Trust me. Soldiers understand the need to laugh better than most.”

Slowly, I looked the other man up and down, noting his callouses and scars and the worn look of his sword.

“Yes, I suppose you would,” I said before straightening. “I’ll take your suggestion. If you would, please let it be known that if possible, I’d like all honorifics dropped among my soldiers. I’d rather have you call me by name, but if you must use a term of respect, you may address me as ‘sir’.”

With a salute, the soldier said, “Yes, sir! I can spread the news right away, if you like.”

“Please, do so,” I said.

After bowing, of all things, the soldier ran off to follow his ‘orders’, but before he could disappear, I pulled him up short.

“One more thing,” I called. “Since we left Daira, the soldiers from Ada’ir have acted aloof with me, and yet now, you call me ‘Your Majesty’. I know that you’re one among many, and your thoughts may differ from your compatriots, but I was hoping you could tell me what’s changed.”

Turning to face me, the soldier cocked his head.

“We’ve been distant because we were watching you, sir. We may be loyal to Auden, but we weren’t sure if you were the best solution for its troubles,” he said. “Then, the battle happened. You acted as a good king should today. Leading the charge, fighting with us instead of standing on the sidelines, making hard choices as the situation required. These are the markings of the leader that every common soldier dreams of following, and we will honor you for them.”

When he bowed again, I was struck speechless, left gaping as he rose. He must have found this amusing since he grinned at me.

“You should go back to bed, sir,” he said. “Concussions are no joke. You’ll need plenty of rest over the next few weeks.”

Snapping my mouth shut, I nodded before twirling into my cabin.

I was curious who’d decided I had a concussion, whether Rhylix or not, because I felt perfectly fine. Right now, the only thing that concerned me was my loss of memory. If the battle had concluded while I’d been ‘unconscious’, the time I’d lost must have been long.

And from several things the soldier had said, I’d been active during that span of time. Why couldn’t I remember it?

Shaking my head, I collapsed into my bunk. I should figure out what had happened and soon, but first, I’d take care of my body on the off chance that my diagnosis was right. After making myself comfortable, I drifted off.

No panic greeted me as I entered my nightmare realm today. Hanging from Nylion’s shoulders, I didn’t move, content to keep my face pressed into his back. With nothing life-threatening facing me in the real world, I could take the time to appreciate how wonderful my reunion with him had been. It might seem strange, but being with him had been…

It had been everything. I didn’t know how else to describe it. Gods, if death hadn’t been hovering over me when last I’d been here, I’d have stayed in this place. I’d have stayed with Nylion and his warmth that was just right, his smell that spread comfort with every breath, his body that begged me to fold myself around it. 

Or perhaps it was the other way around.

I’d missed this, the sense of safety and- and home that I’d always found with Nylion. I’d missed feeling…

Whole.

Here, with someone I’d made up as a child, the gaping void at my core, the one that had always plagued me, was filled. What. the. hell?

“Raimie? Are you awake?”

Jerking my head back, I sucked down air while skittering my eyes over my surroundings again. Well from the worst moment of my childhood. Unnerving black substance covering its surfaces. The well’s lip overhead, closer than when I’d last been here. Nylion.

Nylion.

What in the godsdamn void had I been doing, snuggling into the other man?

With a long sigh, Nylion said, “Yup. Awake.”

When he released the bond around my wrists, I scrambled to get free, gritting my teeth as a hook reached deep inside of me and yanked something out. I hadn’t felt that. It hadn’t happened!

“Is something wrong?” Nylion asked.

I jerked my head toward my friend to snap at him, but for some reason, seeing that hood dried my mouth out.

Clearing my throat, I said, “A concussion? Really? That was the best you could do?”

With a huff, Nylion faced the wall before resuming his climb.

“What would you rather I have said?” he asked. “‘Hello, Rhylix! My name is Nylion, not Raimie, and despite what you might think, you are not Raimie’s best friend. I am. Also, I am only an imagining in his head’?”

I would argue the best friend part, but mentioning that now didn’t seem wise.

“Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone over well,” I said. “Also, have you been rehearsing that?”

Ducking his hood, Nylion mumbled, “Maybe.”

And I laughed. I wasn’t sure why I’d had such a strange reaction to Nylion today, but exchanges like this were more what I expected from our relationship.

“Is my desire to make a good impression on your friend really so funny?” Nylion asked.

With my laughter petering out, I released one of my holds on the wall to wipe my eyes.

“No, it’s understandable,” I said. “I’m sorry. I’ve just missed…”

And there it was again. Excessive sentimentality for as Nylion had put it, an imagining in my head.

“I have missed you too.”

A choked sound was ripped from me as I nearly lost my grip on the wall. What…? WHAT?

Sighing, Nylion shook his hood.

“Never mind,” he says. “Come on, slowpoke. Get to climbing, or I will reach the top before you.”

For a moment, I considered rejecting this provided distraction. I should talk to Nylion about the host of strange things that occurred when we were around one another but...

Next time.

“Yeah, you wish,” I said, picking up the pace. “I’ve always been the better climber of us. How many times have you fallen when you had a perfect handhold waiting for you?”

As Nylion sputtered, I grinned. Just like old times and I supposed that when it came to things like this, I had missed my friend.

Two days after the battle, I was leaning against the main mast with an open book held in my lap. I’d been trying to read it for a while now, but no matter how hard I tried, that wasn’t happening. Every time I set my eyes on its pages, I got two paragraphs in before I was listening to Marcuset give his report about the battle again.

I wasn’t sure what to think about what I’d heard. Wantonly killing people and ordering the surviving enemies executed? That didn’t sound like me, but multiple people had confirmed it, even my father when I’d run to him on hearing the news.

Groaning, I set the book into the unread pile beside me before rubbing my face, and when I pulled away, I stared at my open palms. They looked the same. Shouldn’t the hands of a mass murderer look different in some way?

“May I join you, sir?”

Jumping, I dropped my hands in my lap, hiding them, before looking up.

“Captain Oswin,” I said.

It was amazing how much relief this man brought with him, considering how short of a time we’d known one another.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” I said, waving around me.

Nodding, Oswin folded to the ground, setting a cloth-wrapped bundle at his side.

Once he looked settled, I asked, “How can I help you, captain?”

With his lips twitching, Oswin clasped his hands in front of him.

“Forgive me, sir, but you look like you could use some help,” he said. “May I try my hand at it?”

Blinking, I blankly said, “At helping me?”

Was that… possible? Since leaving home, I’d gotten used to assisting others while maintaining an aura of strength, and in a way, it had helped me forget that others could provide me with support. Sure, Rhylix had gone out of his way to help me before, but Rhylix was... Rhylix. For some reason, the rules had never applied to him.

“Yes, sir,” Oswin said. “I’d like to help. If you’ll let me.”

“Be my guest,” I said, “although I’m not sure why you think I need it.”

“I’ll get to that.”

Transferring his bundle into his lap, Oswin started unwrapping it.

“When I was younger, I had a friend, a kid you remind me of. He was as bright-eyed as you, just as giving and unpredictable. I couldn’t tell you how many times he made an out-of-the-blue change in plans that left me reeling,” Oswin said with a soft laugh. “He was also devastated when forced to do something he considered wrong.”

Ah. That was what the captain wanted to help with.

“Sounds like my kind of guy,” I said.

Snorting, Oswin smiled at me.

“Yes, you’d have liked him,” he said. “In any case, when these moments of guilt happened to my friend, he’d ask if he could test my inventions for me. I like tinkering in my spare time, you see, and after he asked, we’d usually spend the day doing just that. I thought… I thought you might like to try it.”

Finished unwrapping the bundle, Oswin offered me its contents, and I frowned at the revealed hollow tube.

“I saw these in Daira. Powerful stuff,” I said, lifting the tube free. “What’s it called?”

“It’s a pistol,” Oswin said. “I based the design on something that came through the capital’s tear and- Don’t point that end at someone unless you mean to kill them.”

Blushing, I lowered the pistol.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wasn’t…”

“Don’t worry. I handed it to you unloaded for a reason,” Oswin said with a grin. “Shall I show you how to hold it properly?”

“Please.”

A lesson commenced where I learned how to safely handle this new weapon. Oswin showed me how to load it while explaining its deficiencies: how much it misfired as well as its uselessness when damp. It was a lot of safety talk and warm-up, more than I’d gotten with other weapons, but then, Oswin had me fire it over the sea’s open water, and I was glad for the instruction.

“Hell, this thing packs a punch,” I said, shaking out my arm.

“That it does,” Oswin said. “I understand if it’s not for you-”

“Are you kidding? That was amazing!” I said. “Let’s do it again.”

For a moment, Oswin just looked at me with something incredibly sad in his eyes, but then, he blinked, and it was gone.

“Of course, sir,” he said. “It would be my pleasure.”

Later, when I tried to give the pistol back, Oswin insisted that I keep it, and standing at the far aft railing, we looked out over the fleet.

“Thank you,” I said. “You were right. I needed that.”

“Happy to have helped,” Oswin said.

From the corner of my eye, I watched him, surprised at how happy I was to see him content. Why, for the love of Alouin, was he so familiar to me?

Why did it matter?

Leaning against the railing, I said, “May I ask you something?”

“Please,” Oswin said, “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

With a nod, I said, “The friend you mentioned before. What happened to him? The way you put it, I’d guess that he isn’t in your life anymore.”

Oswin’s face closed off, and although he moved not a muscle, I could have sworn he’d stiffened.

“He moved on to bigger and better things,” he said before bowing to me. “If you’ll excuse me, sir, I have duties to attend to.”

Hell. I’d upset him.

Internally wincing, I said, “Then, you should get to them. Thanks for this.”

I raised the pistol into view, and Oswin smiled, which loosened the air of tension around him.

“You’re quite welcome,” he said. “Come find me if you ever want to practice with your aim.”

With a chuckle, I said, “I will.”

Watching the captain trot off, I tucked the pistol into my belt beside Silverblade, fully aware that I should find a better spot for it later. I didn’t know what to think of Oswin or what had happened over the last few hours, but one thing was certain.

“That was interesting,” I said to myself.

Chapter 69: Arrival

Raimie, Rhylix

 

Raimie

No other noteworthy events occurred for several days, and during this period of calm, I caught up on my studies. Eledis had taken over as my tutor, working with me on his areas of expertise: negotiations and economics.

He wasn’t a good teacher.

When with him, I’d learned to only ask questions when they were needed. Otherwise, I looked for answers in my books, therefore avoiding Eledis’ frustration.

Once or twice, I tried to hold casual conversations with the ship’s crew, but the formality and deference that they maintained around me didn’t make that possible. Soon enough, I resigned myself to staying out of their way.

Even if they’d been friendly toward me, however, I might have avoided them. I quickly lost track of how many times they told me I should be resting, something that only increased in frequency when I resumed work on my weapon drills.

Normally, I’d heed these admonishments, strictly following my healer’s order, but…

I wasn’t sure if the concussion diagnosis was correct. If Rhylix were here, I’d consult with him about it, but he’d been stuck on another ship while the fleet had taken advantage of the wind. So far as I could tell, though, the only indication of my concussion was my memory loss.

And didn’t I just bless and curse the fact that I couldn’t remember the battle’s ending? On the one hand, if I did remember, the guilt I already felt would be worse.

On the other hand, I didn’t remember. Not only was that by itself worrying, but I’d had to rely on other people’s stories to know what had happened to me.

A week or so after we’d left the Accession Tear behind, I woke up to the bustle of increased activity above deck, which was annoying. I’d been sent here for enforced rest, and now, the ones who’d wanted that from me were making way too much noise.

There must be a reason for it.

Once I was under an open sky, I marveled at the hecticness found here. More was going on now than when we’d been sailing through the Tear’s storms, and I still had no idea of anything’s purpose. Maybe I’d once more resume my pastime of blindly following sailors’ shouted instructions, but first, I should figure out what was going on.

After wandering for a bit, avoiding harried sailors as I did, I found Marcuset on the ship’s forecastle. As I approached, he was staring into the distance with a distinctly not-Marcuset look on his face, but when he turned on me, that odd combination of nostalgia and dread was wiped away.

“Sorry to wake you, Your Majesty, but someone spotted land not long ago,” he said. “We thought it best to approach quickly, considering how easily we’d be spotted here.”

My step faltered until I’d come to a stop.

“Land?” I asked with a dry mouth.

Nodding, Marcuset threw a hand toward the horizon.

“Come and see.”

Gods, I’d rather not. I’d rather pretend I hadn’t heard Marcuset, returning to my cabin so I could hide, but instead, I let my somehow sure feet take me to the railing, accepting a spyglass when it was offered.

“There,” Marcuset said, pointing.

When looking where indicated, I saw a dark protrusion bulging out of the water, one that stretched to either side for quite a distance. Lowering the spyglass, I leaned on the railing, hoping I wasn’t putting too much pressure on it.

Licking my lips, I asked, “Auden?”

“So we believe,” Marcuset said. “Soon, we’ll be on land, and you’ll be in your rightful kingdom.”

Oh, hell. I’d be sick. We were here, at our appointed destination, and I wasn’t ready.

Since leaving home, in all of my ignorance, how had I changed? I had, what? A passing ability to fight? The barest of control on my primeancy? And I’d only scratched the surface of what I should know if I did end up ruling this damn kingdom.

“How… nice,” I said, fighting to keep my voice even.

“Once we weigh anchor, we’ll need to quickly survey the surrounding territory. We should establish a base of operations first thing,” Marcuset said. “Alouin help us if hostiles run across us before we’re prepared for them.”

That was right. The reason we’d come here was to liberate this place, and what would that be if not a war? How long would I live with only violence and the struggle to survive as companions?

Gone would be the lazy days of studying. Gone would be the carefree conversations with my father and the soldiers’ random gestures of kindness. My life would become one of misery and death and…

With my elbows on the railing, I tangled my fingers in my hair, creating a dull pulse behind my eyes.

“I’m not ready,” I said.

These people were relying on me for something I couldn’t give them. Since I’d accepted that most people would take the foretelling about me seriously, this had been a nagging worry at the back of my mind, but here, with Auden in the distance, I had to face it, and the fear that I’d fail them drove straight to the heart of me. It became a burn in my head, and I pressed harder on my skull, wanting to reach inside so I could pluck the horrid thing out.

“Hell,” Marcuset said. “Sometimes, I forget how young and sheltered you are.”

Why did this sensation feel so familiar? I could swear I’d experienced such gibbering panic and aching pain before, but when? Surely, I’d remember something like…

Sitting outside my family’s cottage, unable to move, while a horror had borne down on me.

Fuck.

Jerking upright, I spun to scan the ship. The figures who’d protected me back then weren’t here this time, so for the first time in a week, I called on them.

Bright. Dim. I need you right now.

The splinters popped into being nearby, looking disgruntled.

“Finally,” Dim said. “I wasn’t sure how much longer I could-OHSHIT!”

Bright had shrunk on themselves, and ignoring them, Dim glanced about with a panicked glaze in their eyes, sniffing at the air.

Is it him? I asked.

“What the hell do you think?” Dim snapped.

That both of you need to calm-

“Is something wrong?” Marcuset asked.

He was watching me with pinched eyes, probably because of my tense bearing, so slowly, I relaxed, pinning an easy grin into place.

“Just looking for Eledis,” I said. “I’m sure he’s eager to see this land, considering how much he’s obsessed over it for his whole life, and once he’s done gawking, we can discuss our plans.”

Before returning to my scan of the ship and its crew, I caught the furrow between Marcuset’s eyebrows deepening.

“That’s not a bad idea,” he said. “Your Majesty…”

But I was no longer listening.

Suggestions? I said.

“Besides running, obviously?” Bright said. “Much as I’d like to fight this enemy, you’re not ready for him. He’d tear you apart.”

Thanks for that. So helpful, I said. And I don’t exactly have somewhere to run so…

Gods, there were so many people here right now, all of whom would die if I stayed. I had to keep them safe and…

On the off chance we survived, I’d like to avoid getting strung up for my magic.

Is there anywhere isolated on this ship? I asked. Dim, can you check?

Without a word, the Daevetch splinter disappeared, leaving Bright watching me with approval.

“Good thinking,” they said.

As I inclined my head in acknowledgment, hands seized my arms, forcing me to face Marcuset.

“What’s the matter?” he said. “Are you feeling… or maybe seeing a threat that the rest of us can’t touch?”

For a moment, I just blinked at Marcuset, wondering exactly what he wanted to know. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that he’d been asking-

Getting in my face, the commander hissed, “Raimie. Is another primeancer nearby?”

Another… primeancer…

“You know?” I asked with my heart in my throat.

Growling, Marcuset shook me.

“Shock, later,” he snapped. “The answer to my damn question, now.”

Hell. He was right.

Swallowing hard, I nodded.

“Teron,” I said. “He’s here.”

With color draining from his face, Marcuset released me, taking a step back.

“Alouin. We’re dead,” he said.

As if to emphasize the point, a panicked shout rose from the main deck, followed by the typical noises of a commotion, and when I glanced toward it, my blood ran cold. A familiar figure was standing among the sailors, shadowed by an unknown.

Dim? I said.

I was surprised by how calm that had sounded in my head. The same jittering fear that Teron had twice imbued in me had my feet pinned to the deck while my heart was loudly beating in my ears, but a small, alien part of me was isolated, wrapped in the cold calm of logic and analytics.

Popping into being in front of me, Dim said, “The hold. It’s the only place I could find in such a short time span.”

It’ll work perfectly, thank you.

Step by slow step, Teron was making his way to the forecastle, picking his way around frozen people.

My people.

I needed to speak this truth to someone, even if it was just my splinters.

So, I said, They’re mine.

And Bright drew themselves upright while ribbons of light unspooled from them, wrapping around sailors and soldiers and family.

No one touches what’s mine, I growled, baring my teeth.

And with a manic giggle, Dim clapped their hands. At each of those impacts, a wave of darkness blasted from them.

Stopping short, Teron jerked his hood toward me, and slowly, I rested a fist over my heart before bowing, keeping my eyes on my enemy as I did.

“Marcuset,” I said. “Get us to land. Now.”

Then, Daevetch flurried down Teron’s arms, and I bolted.

Below deck, I was racing down a passageway when I spotted someone further along it, and my heart stopped in my chest. I put on a burst of speed right as my father noticed me.

“Raimie, what’s going on?” he asked. “I heard shout-”

Taking hold of his arm, I shoved him into the cabin at our side, slamming its door closed behind him. With a knife already in hand, I wedged it into the jam.

“Sorry, dad,” I shouted. “I love you.”

Then, I was off again. My father would be furious with me for this—how many times had he talked about getting his revenge on Teron?—but he wouldn’t stand a chance in this fight.

It didn’t matter that he was a better fighter than I’d have believed a few months ago. He didn’t have primeancy, and having used only a fraction of my own magic thus far, I was a little shocked that we’d survived our first encounter with Teron. Whether I’d survive this second one was debatable, but hell, if I wouldn’t save my father from it.

Once in the dimly lit hold, I glanced about my battleground, full of barrels and crates. There wasn’t a lot of space here, which could be advantageous.

Or a detriment. How in the void was I supposed to know?

“Ideas?” I said while listening for the sounds of pursuit.

Bright and Dim looked…

I wasn’t quite sure how they looked. Like they were more maybe, larger than they typically were, if not in size, but that was fading fast.

“Hide?” Dim said. “Surprise him?”

They’d sounded distracted with their eyes unfocused, and that was getting steadily worse.

“You want to surprise a battle mage who specializes in terror?” I asked, glancing askance at Dim.

But they didn’t respond, just slowly blinked at me.

“What about the trick you two pulled above deck? The ropes of light and dark waves?” I said. “It gave Teron pause. Could you do it again?”

For some reason, this snapped Dim out of their lethargy. With their eyes focused on me, they rocked in place, filling the hold with laughter, and I sighed.

“I’ll take that as a no,” I said.

“We did nothing,” Bright mumbled. “Was all you.”

Glancing at them, I said, “What?”

But Bright had sunken into a vacant state again, and examining my splinters—one of whom was dazed and the other’s status unknown—I shook my head.

“I am absolutely, totally dead,” I said.

Both splinters fixed their eyes on me with something panicked in them.

“Most likely,” they said.

Slapping my hands to my face, I rubbed it.

“Just great.”

Rhylix

I had a temper. I knew this, and because I did, I actively went out of my way to control it.

Right now, I was considering abandoning my control so I could throw Gistrick overboard.

“Look. You can stay on this ship. You don’t have to go near Teron,” I said. “I just need to get close enough to make my own crossing.”

For a moment, Gistrick considered my proposal, but then, he vigorously shook his head.

“Too risky,” he said. “Can’t you feel it, Rhylix? Who can stand against Teron? Everyone on that ship is dead.”

Glancing at said ship, I watched as Raimie ran—when had he overcome his terror?—among the petrified members of his crew toward a hatch. Slowly rotating in a circle, Teron strode for a shadowed portion of the main deck, and my heart leapt into my throat.

“It’s just battle magic,” I said. “Teron’s not as powerful as you think.”

“No. No, this is madness,” Gistrick said. “I need to get us away.”

He spun toward the ship’s wheel, and rolling my eyes, I took hold of his hair so I could slam his face into solid wood. When he went limp, I moved him out of the way before staring at the wheel.

“How the hell do I steer this thing?” I said.

Chapter 70: Crash Landing

Raimie, Rhylix

 

Raimie

Huddled between crates, I kept an eye on the hatch that led into the hold. Bright was standing below it, swaying in place, while Dim hovered beside me.

It wasn’t the best configuration. Not only was I unsure about whether I could use Ele or Daevetch to fight another primeancer, but with Bright in la-la land, I was reluctant to use them as more than a lookout.

At my side, Dim hissed, spinning toward a darkened portion of the hold, and tightening my grip on Silverblade, I turned that way much more slowly. Even squinting, though, I couldn’t see what had alarmed my splinter. Glancing over my shoulder, I checked on Bright, only to find them staring in the same direction as Dim.

Before I could ask them what they were doing, the ship lurched, setting the hull creaking and nearly toppling me.

The hell had that been? Had we hit something? If it happened again, would it breach the-?

“He’s coming. It’s too bad. I’d have liked granting you a few more minutes of life, Raimie from the line of Audish kings.”

With cold strangling my heart, I faced the darkened spot—where the voice had originated—but this time, I might see something in it.
Maybe.

“I’ve enjoyed having you around. Your living, breathing state aggravates my Volatility splinter beyond reason, which is something I’ve always liked. A tit-for-tat, if you will. They’ve made me do so many awful things over the centuries. Do you know what they call you, little king?”

Slowly, I eased along the crate I was crouched behind, moving toward the humanoid shape in the darkness. Maybe if I got close enough, I could…

What exactly would I do when I reached Teron?

“Volatility names you the Balancer, you poor child.”

Having run into an invisible wall, I almost squeaked aloud. The Balancer?

In the chaos of crossing the Narrow Sea, I’d forgotten about that mystery. With a dry mouth, I peeked at first Dim and then Bright to gauge their reactions, but my thoughts skittered to a stop on viewing the Ele splinter.

Bright was still swaying in place, but behind them was a man hidden by a cloak, holding a sword to the side. As if in slow motion, Teron swung this blade at Bright, and I wondered why I was so frantic to reach them. What could a physical sword do to a piece of a primal force?

Maybe this fear was Teron’s battle magic talk-

When connecting with Bright, the sword slowed down, as if it had met resistance, and in utter silence, I watched the splinter gasp with their eyes going wide. I watched tendrils of night blaze down the blade, watched Bright find me, and then, they exploded in a spray of light fragments.

Lurching forward, Dim howled, “NO!”

But the sound of it had come from the bedrock of reality, and the patches of dark found within the hold expanded as if inhaling. They grew and grew, and as they touched the hold’s torches, those flames went out, leaving me in pitch-black.

Dim’s howl fell to a shaking voice, one that was jabbering to nothing.

“I can’t do this alone. Can’t- can’t-”

Struggling through disconnected thoughts, I reached for my Ele source…

…and found nothing.

Bright? I shouted. Bright, where are you?

Had- had Teron just killed-?

“Let’s see you balance without Ele.”

Oh… I didn’t know how I kept myself from leaping at Teron and ripping his throat out. Instead, I went quiet, listening to the silence.

“You know, my master would reward me if I brought you to him. From my time spent chasing you, I know he’d find you entertaining.”

Fissid, Lancik, Paft, Drigel, Bright…

Bright. Gods.

“If that weren’t enough, you’ve already attracted a Daevetch splinter, making you a prime candidate for becoming an Enforcer.”

Somewhere nearby, Dim growled, low and feral.

“But in the end, it wouldn’t be wise to introduce you two, despite how much ending your life will pain me. You’re too much of a danger to my master.”

“He’s right in front of you,” Dim said with their voice made of ice.

Shooting to my feet, I lunged with Silverblade, pouring every ounce of my outrage into it, but Teron merely batted the blade aside, which lurched me sideways.

“To your left,” Dim said.

When I swung this time, Teron’s parry was forceful enough to rip Silverblade out of my grip. Backpedaling, I reached for a weapon, any weapon, but a hand around my neck stopped me, adding speed to my retreat. When I was slammed into the bulkhead, my head bounced off of its wood, making my ears ring.

“Tell your aberrant splinter to hush,” Teron growled. “They’re making Volatility angry, and not in a good way.”

Dim, don’t you dare… I started.

“The dagger at your back, Raimie,” Dim calmly said.

Gods, how had I forgotten about that? Ripping it from its sheath, I stabbed in the direction of Teron’s voice, but something caught my wrist, banging it into the hull once, twice, three times. With my fingers spasming, I dropped the dagger, and as I was jerked forward, it was kicked away.

“Stop. resisting!” Teron hissed, smashing me into the bulkhead with each word.

Even in the dark, the world was spinning, and dazedly, I reached out.

Dim? Dim? Dim?

“I’m sorry. I have nothing else,” they said. “Against him, my whole won’t help you, and you’re… I have nothing.”

Which meant I was going to die. Again.

Surprisingly, this thought spread a smile across my face, because look at me! Here I was again, fighting for my life, resisting as Teron had put it, but this time, I’d gotten a reaction. This time, I’d made him angry.

Starting in my belly, a laugh struggled around the bastard’s hand, brokenly bursting out of my mouth. The moment that glorious sound hit my ears, however, Teron bore down on my neck, cutting it off, and I clawed at the hand pinning me.

“What could you find so funny right now?” Teron spat.

When he eased up, I spent a good minute coughing, but when I could, I answered.

“Worth it,” I rasped. “Even if I die here, it will be worth it because I’ve been annoying enough to bother cool, implacable you, all of which tells me one thing. I’ve stuck around when others would run. Your battle magic’s not working.

“Which means I’m not afraid of you.”

In the hold’s utter stillness, my ragged gasps were loud, competing with only one sound.

Clapping, Dim said, “Well done, my human. Your strength overshadows his aura of fear. You’ve made me proud.”

Teron sucked in a gasp.

“Pathetic child,” he hissed. “What good will that strength do you now?”

Something cold slid across my neck, and behind it, warmth flowed between Teron’s fingers and my skin, leaking over my chest. As a sheet of ice crept over me, starting at my hands and feet, I struggled to stay awake. I didn’t want to slip away, didn’t-

The pressure on my neck was released, letting me crumple to the floor, and a dull pain in my side had me tumbling. Somewhere nearby, light flashed, and a brief glimpse of a familiar face chased me into the black.

 

Rhylix

 

Someone was screaming himself hoarse in this cabin, blocked by a knife, and recognizing the voice, I wiggled the blade holding the door closed out of wood. As soon as it was possible, the door was slammed open, and I had to spin in place, clutching Aramar’s arms, to keep from falling.

Once we’d regained our balance, I almost released him, but he moved to blindly barrel toward the hold. So, keeping hold of him, I snapped my fingers in his face. After a moment of blinking, he focused on me.

“Rhy! Thank Alouin,” he gasped. “We have to-”

“We have to do nothing,” I said. “I will save Raimie’s ass again because I have the tools needed for it, and you are going to evacuate this ship. Do you understand me?”

Aramar looked like he’d argue, but deflating, he nodded.

“Just please-”

“I’ll bring your son back,” I said.

Slowly breathing out, Aramar clapped my shoulder before taking off for the main deck. I headed in the opposite direction, ignoring the annoying nuisance beside me, and as if uninterrupted, they continued from where they’d left off.

“You must be careful with this,” Creation said. “Yes, Raimie is essential to our efforts, but so are you. So, please. Don’t be reckless like you sometimes are.”

Gazing through an open hatch, I absently said, “Creation?”

“…Yes?” the splinter said.

I looked up at them.

“Do shut up.”

And I dropped through the hatch, landing in a spray of light while Creation groaned above me. In the dark, I couldn’t see Teron, obviously, but I could feel Daevetch, pooling on one side of the hold, and as I turned toward it, something thudded to the floor.

“I believe this is yours.”

Raimie rolled to a stop at my feet, and when light revealed my friend’s sightlessly staring eyes, I stopped breathing. Dropping to my haunches, I pressed my fingers to his slippery neck, slumping with relief when I felt heat rising from his skin. I had something—no matter how slim it was—to work with.

After feeding Raimie enough Ele to keep him alive, I rose to my full height before calling to the Ele in the hold. Eagerly responding, it lit the space with a flash.

Where I’d felt Daevetch coiling, I found Teron, leaning against the bulkhead with a sword planted between his feet, and at the sight, air seemed sucked from the hold because… because…

“Where did you find Lighteater?” I asked, ignoring how anxious I'd sounded.

I was right to be worried, though. With dark veins crawling over it, the sword was wrapped in a shifting, black spiderweb, and in its vicinity, black motes coalesced from the hull, from the cargo, from Teron himself.

And the sword hungrily sucked them down, forcing Ele to retreat from it.

“My master has long anticipated the resistance that would come from across the water, and as such, he has given me leave to borrow this blade,” Teron said. “Did you think he’d never heard of the Audish royal family’s foretelling? Given that, why wouldn’t he have prepared for it?”

“Doldimar’s crazy, but he’s never been stupid,” I said.

Surveying the hold, I ran through my checklist.

Idiot, dying kid? Check. Specially forged sword that he’d somehow already lost—gods, we needed to have a talk about that? Check. Several heavy crates between me and Teron? Check.

Yep. That ought to do it.

“Speaking of Doldimar, could you bring him a message?” I asked. “Tell him that the Ele primeancer said, ‘Your time unchecked draws to a close. We’re coming for you’.”

Arcing an eyebrow, Teron said, “Just an Ele primeancer?”

That was interesting. Had Doldimar opened up to his underlings this time around?

“Phrase it how you like,” I said with a shrug. “He’ll know what the message means.”

“Why should I deliver it, though?”

Lifting Lighteater, Teron held it to the side.

“Once I destroy you, your message will be pointless,” he said.

…Maybe Doldimar wasn’t sharing. Although…

No. It was more likely that Teron actually thought he could kill me.

Idiot.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “What is it about Daevetch primeancers and their suicidal overconfidence?”

Teron’s eyebrows scrunched together, but I was done talking. As I attracted the Ele in several crates to what lay in the bulkhead, I hefted Raimie’s body over my shoulder, and said crates shot forward at impossible speed.

They crashed into wood, and it didn’t matter how well-crafted this ship’s hull was. Against that much force, it had no choice but to crack. Once it had, I bound my feet to the floor, raised my hand, and shot a massive amount of Ele from it.

Teron dodged, building up a Daevetch layer in front of him as he did so, but he wasn’t fast enough. Nothing was fast enough to outrun Ele.

He was blasted into the bulkhead, which was enough to tear a hole in it. As seawater rushed into the hold, Teron was sucked through, and I started taking deep breaths, forming another attraction between Silverblade and my hand. When it slapped into my palm, I closed my fingers around its hilt.

Waiting for water to fill the hold, I shook my head.

Seriously. What was it about Daevetch primeancers?

Interlude 3.1: Despair

Eriadren

 

I waited in my cell for the Council to decide my fate. It was taking them a while to do that, but I supposed I could understand. They were likely still dealing with the fallout of their public spectacle, considering it hadn’t gone as planned.

I didn’t know how much time had passed since then. Deep beneath the earth, I couldn’t use sunlight to keep track of time, and my meals had been sporadic at best. I didn’t much care about how long I’d been here, though.

Most of my time in this place, I’d spent curled on the cot that they’d so graciously provided. I kept waiting for this numb state to fall away from me, so badly did I want to feel everything that I rightfully should, but it had yet to do so.

Instead of weeping, I reviewed that awful night a million times, looking for how I could have changed it. Instead of cursing myself, I wondered how Lirilith was doing. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. Instead of focusing on what I’d lost, I thought about Arivor.

Oh, my friend. Would he ever be the same?

And so it went for however long it took for a guard to unlock my cell. She and a friend dragged me off of my cot, and I shuffled between them through the city’s dungeons. So many people were here, enough to ring a pang of surprise in me until I noticed their shabby clothing.

From them, I felt the utterly defeated air that only those from the slums knew. Alouin, it had been forever since it had raced its clammy fingers over my skin, but I knew it.

Oh, how I knew it.

And seeing these people, only here because of a bullshit class system, reminded me of who’d caused every woe in my life, who had pushed me down every time I’d achieved something noteworthy, who’d killed Rafe. Not Lirilith, although her knife had severed the boy’s final tie on this world.

Reive.

And my numb state receded, replaced by something I’d never expected. It gave me purpose, shoving lethargy to the side, and from the way the guards stiffened around me, I’d guess they’d noticed the change.

Eventually, we entered a room with a single chair in it. Not the setting that I’d imagined for when the Council condemned me to death—I’d thought they’d want the pomp and circumstance of a show—but I didn’t protest when I was told to sit. After a long time spent waiting, the door opened again, and Reive walked in front of me.

Snarling, I leapt for the bastard, but hands on my shoulders slammed me back into the chair before I could get far. Even still, I growled at him with my teeth exposed. Why was he here? Unless…

Unless the Council had already passed sentence on me.

“Are you here to do it?” I snapped. “Typical. I won’t even have the dignity of a nameless executioner. You have to do the deed.”

Raising an eyebrow, Reive said, “Journeyman Healer Eriadren, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

Nothing more came from him, and I gritted my teeth. He’d make me ask, wouldn’t he?

“Why are you here, then?” I hissed.

Folding his arms behind his back, Reive started pacing in front of me.

“I’ve been given leave to decide your fate,” he said, “a decision that was made because of the sacrifices my family has made in recent days… or some such nonsense.”

He dismissively waved a hand, and the guards holding me down grunted as I tried to tackle the bastard so I could scratch his eyes out.

“You murdered Rafe!” I shouted. “He was Arivor’s son, you asshole, and you’re using his death to get control of me?"

“Oh, you were a side benefit, don’t you worry. I’m the most powerful member on the Council again, thanks to what happened,” Reive said. “Also, if I’m remembering correctly, you killed my great nephew.”

…I had? Wincing, I reviewed the events of that horrible night again and…

No, my knife had definitely missed, but in the chaos, I could see how people might have mistaken Lirilith’s weapon for mine. No one else had seen her there.

Which meant I was getting blamed for Rafe’s death.

I was ok with this, though. Don’t get me wrong. It hurt like hell, but it would keep my wife out of the limelight. I could handle people thinking I was a murderer. Not so much her.

How to respond to Reive, though?

Letting my gaze slide off of the bastard, I said, “The hell do you want from me, Reive?”

“To offer you a job.”

As I snapped my eyes back to him, I scrunched my face up, both in confusion and at his pleased expression. Nothing good had ever come from that look.

“A job,” I blankly echoed.

Nodding, Reive said, “I want you to be my test subject.”

Before I could fully process that, he snapped his fingers, and again, the door opened. Another pair of guards dragged a man inside, dumping him at my feet.

In the grimiest of clothes, he was gaunt and dirt-streaked, and the sweat slicked over his skin only added to his filthiness. Considering the wound he was hunched around, though, I thought his state was perfectly understandable.

Pushing myself out of the chair, I dropped to my knees, prying the man’s hands away from his tunic.

“He’s been stabbed!” I said. “He needs a surgeon. Now.”

Crossing his arms, Reive said, “You’re the only help that he’s getting.”

…What?! Was he insane?

“And how, pray tell, am I supposed to treat a stab wound without any supplies?” I hissed.

Sighing, Reive threw his head back.

“Please, Eriadren,” he said. “Stop treating me like an idiot. I can string clues together, especially when someone leaves as many of them behind as you have.”

I just blinked at him for a moment, wondering if he was hinting at what I thought he was hinting at, and once more sighing, Reive raised a finger.

“One, the body parts found in your bolt hole. Tissue samples taken from Alouin’s stolen body, I’m guessing,” he said. “Two, the accident where you and Arivor got out of a blazing inferno with minimal burns. Three, Rafe’s miraculous recovery. Four, and the one that ties everything together, your barren wife suddenly being with child.”

He waggled that last finger, and I tried to remember how to breathe. How did he know about Lirilith? Had the healer that she’d seen told him? And- and…

Would he spread the news about her? Considering what had happened when I'd cured a Councilor’s family member of a disease, what would happen if Lirilith’s condition became known throughout the city? Insignificant as we were, the birth of our child would probably go unnoticed under normal circumstances, but if attention was drawn to it…

Oh, stars. This was what Reive would use to keep me in line, and it… would work. Hell.

A smile spread across Reive’s face when he saw realization hit me.

“That’s right. I do indeed have you by the balls,” he said before pointing at the man lying between us. “Now, heal him.”

But could I? What would this bastard do once I’d complied? After what had happened to Rafe…

My potential patient grabbed my hand, panting.

“Please,” he said. “If you can… the pain… make it stop.”

Oh, fuck me.

Biting my lip, I rested my hands on the wound and closed my eyes.

And nothing happened.

Humming to himself, Reive said, “Maybe this one’s too incompatible-”

“No!” I shouted, shooting my head up. “I’ve only done this twice, damnit. I don’t know how it works. I don’t…”

I might have no clue how to fix this man, but I wanted to. Based on his garb, he’d probably gotten this wound in a street duel. I didn’t care whether he’d been the one who’d started the fight or the thief who’d accepted. He was a slummer, just like I’d been, and I wouldn’t let him die because Reive had said so. I’d rather die myself-

A flash of heat dug into my side, and screaming, I fell flat on my face. Someone else’s body jabbed into my stomach, but that was nothing compared to the burn of my guts leaking into my abdomen or the disturbingly cool numbness on my skin…

White light flashed, and as suddenly as it had come, the pain in my side vanished. I lay in place, catching my breath, until someone pushed on me. When he shouted for me to get off, I slowly did so, expecting pain that never came.

The man I was supposed to heal scrambled away from me.

Pawing at his side, he gasped, “What did you do to me?”

“Healed you, apparently,” I said, waving a hand over his body. “You’re welcome.”

Licking his lips, my patient uncertainly eyed me.

“I-”

A string twanged, and as a crossbow bolt sprouted from his eye, the man slumped to the side. Springing to my feet, I identified the threat—a guard calmly winding his crossbow up—and spun on Reive.

“WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?” I shouted.

Reive was examining the corpse with fascination.

“He was tainted like Rafe. We can’t let an aberration like him live,” he said before turning to the guards. “Take the body to the slums. Make it look like a mugging gone wrong.”

I waited until they’d disappeared before exploding.

“According to you, I’m an aberration,” I growled. “Why am I alive?”

“You might be useful to me.”

Striding to the bloodstain on the wall, Reive touched it before rubbing his fingers together with a wrinkled nose.

“Sit down, Eriadren,” he said.

I wasn’t listening. The guards had gone, leaving me alone with Reive. I could kill him, this man who’d caused me nothing but misery. At times, he seemed intent only on destruction.

He glanced at me before rolling his eyes.

“Have you forgotten about Lirilith?” he asked. “I’m not stupid, Eriadren. I put my contingencies in place long before arriving here.”

Slumping, I shook my head, and he pointed at the chair.

“Sit down,” he said.

Once I was arranged to his liking, Reive started wandering around the room.

“You set my plans back by befriending Arivor, you know,” he said. “I had such influence over that boy, and then, you came along.”

With a grimace, he inspected his fingernails, and I fought to hold my tongue.

“Then, you married Lirilith and oh! That- that-”

Growling, Reive dug his fingernails into his palms before continuing his circuit of the room.

“I planned to have her and her father assassinated, like I did with her mother,” he said. “It would have been so very sad, and the chaos created by the scramble to choose a successor would have been the perfect time to put Arivor in position.”

By. the. stars, he’d murdered Lirilith’s mother too. He… he was a monster.

“Then, I’d make a few suggestions in the right ears, and Arivor would have been the new Voice of Alouin. With him as my puppet, I’d have controlled the empire,” he said, “but you ruined that. You, the by-blow of a lowly noble, who’s proper place is in the slums with the rest of the city’s trash.”

Was he done? Please, say he was done because I couldn’t take another second of his monologuing. I was just about ready to risk Reive’s contingencies if I could kill him.

As he moved behind me, Reive said, “At the same time, I have to thank you, Eriadren. You’ve given me a purpose, a greater dream than ruling an empire.”

After a pause, I frowned. Was I supposed to respond now?

“What’s that?” I stiffly asked.

Reive tangled a hand in my hair, pulling my head back, and when our eyes met, he smiled.

“You, most blessed of Alouin, will help me become a god,” he said.

Something flashed at the edge of my vision, and cold pressure drew a line across my throat, quickly followed by a wash of sticky warmth. Reive shoved me away, and toppling to the floor, I grabbed at my neck.

My heart rate jumped when I touched the gash in it. Frantically, I pressed my hand against the slash, but it was too long and deep, and everything was going black too quickly, and I couldn’t breathe. Oh, stars above, I couldn’t—

I blinked up at a familiar face: a man leaning over me with his hands on his hips.

“That didn’t take long,” Alouin said.

Alouin!

“Wha-?”

White light exploded around me, and as quickly as my shaking body would allow, I reached for my neck. Even gasping as I was, I ran my fingers over unbroken skin, not quite believing what my senses were telling me.

“Fascinating.”

Dazed, I jerked my head up, gaping at Reive and the guards beside him.

“You- you killed me,” I said.

Nodding, Reive said, “Indeed. And as I theorized, you have some of Alouin’s powers. We’ll have to determine which ones and how they work.”

Ugh. He'd sounded so… clinical. Was that how I sounded when I was indulging in an experiment?

Yes, focus on that rather than the fact that a man had slit my throat and I’d survived.

Sighing, Reive said, “You won’t be of much use now, though, will you? Not when you’re in shock’s grip.”

With a head shake, he flicked a hand, and the guards dragged me to my feet.

“Take him home. Our test subject’s mind can’t break yet, and Lirilith will stabilize him faster than anything else. One of you keep an eye on him, though. Let me know when he’s ready to return.”

Turning to me, Reive showed off a mocking half-smile, appearing the arrogant Councilor in every way.

“Next time, we’ll start with poisons,” he said.

My knees buckled, and as the guards struggled to keep me upright, Reive left the room, letting the ring of his laughter chase him.

Interlude 3.2: Despair

Eriadren

 

After the guards brought me home, I couldn’t do much besides lay in bed for who knew how long. I should have gotten up and found Lirilith or perhaps visited Arivor, but I couldn’t find the energy to do… anything.

I’d died. For a time, I’d left this world, had been gone, had crossed to the other side.

Murdered.

And from what I could tell, Reive meant to do that again. And again. As many times as it pleased him.

What was I going to do?

Eventually, a door slammed downstairs, and a frustrated screech filled the house.

Lirilith. She was home.

I tried so hard to get out of bed or at least raise my voice, but… I couldn’t. Not even when she started crying downstairs.

When that stopped, she stomped up the stairs, and something similar to panic seized me. I should sit up. I should make an effort to appear normal for her, to smile…

“Eri?!”

Or I could just keep laying here. That sounded good too.

When Lirilith sat behind me, releasing a quiet sigh, I bounced on the bed.

“Can I touch you?” she asked.

Shit. She was being so strong, and I couldn’t even roll over to look at her. I couldn’t even answer her question, not with my voice long gone.

Fingers brushed my arms, and I flinched, but this was fine. This was Lirilith, the woman I loved above all, giving me as much comfort as she thought I could take, and I appreciated it, thanking the stars for our past experience in dealing with traumatized people.

Then, she touched my hair.

Reive yanks on my hair, exposing my neck before laying it open.

The energy I’d been seeking surged through me, and I flung myself off the bed, stumbling to the washroom. Somehow, I made it to a chamber pot before nausea forced acid out of me. When my stomach stopped heaving, I curled into a ball on the floor.

“Not- not again, please,” I sobbed. “How many- how many-?”

Lirilith was wise enough to stay in the bedroom while I lost it, and when I could, I shuffled toward the doorway, stopping short when I saw her.

Something was bulging from her abdomen. How long had the Council held me prisoner if she was showing already?

Tearing my eyes off of the evidence of her condition—the shackle that bound me to Reive—took great effort, but I did it to drink in a face I’d longed to see. She was carefully blank when looking at me, which hurt more than it helped, but I wouldn’t tell her that.

I shuffled to sit beside Lirilith, hesitantly touching her abdomen before pulling her to me.

“You’re beautiful. I love you. I’m sorry,” I whispered, never paying attention to what I was saying.

I kept talking until Lirilith pushed on me. When she tucked her hair behind her ears, refusing to look my way, my throat closed on itself. Hell, how selfish had I been acting?

Taking her hand, I said, “How are you, love?”

Lirilith tensed, snatching her hand away from me, and I died inside until she faced me. By the stars, she had such determination in her.

“I would love to answer that question, just like I need to know what happened to you,” she said before biting her lip, “but Arivor needs you right now. Things have been bad, Eri. Clariss left him shortly after… after. And the Council has decided to send him far away for harboring an… abomination. They’re appeasing Reive by removing a source of embarrassment from the city but…”

Shaking her head, Lirilith rubbed her eyes.

“They’re sending him to negotiate with the human kingdoms,” she said. “He’s leaving within the next day.”

For a moment, I sat in silence, absorbing what she’d told me.

“Arivor destroyed them in the last war,” I said with my voice dead. “They’ll kill him.”

Nodding, Lirilith said, “I think he wants them to. You must see him, Eri. Alouin knows I’ve tried talking to him, but he won’t let me near him. He might let you in, though.”

“Shit.”

But there’d been no anger in that curse. I no longer had the energy for outrage.

“Ok. I’ll go,” I said, “but I’ll be back soon, and when I come home-”

“We’ll talk about everything. Of course we will,” Lirilith said, giving me a weak smile. “I love you, Eri.”

“Love you too.”

Hesitantly, I kissed her before putting my back to her and racing outside. I expected that the guards watching me wouldn’t let me reach Arivor’s estate, guiltily half-hoping that it would be so, but much sooner than I’d like, I was staring at his front door, working up the courage to knock. Before I could do that, it opened with my friend’s manservant behind it, and I watched with confusion as his face morphed through a variety of expressions.

Eventually, it settled on relief.

“Thank the stars you’re here,” he said. “Maybe you can snap him out of it.”

Well, that wasn’t a good sign.

Pushing into the house, I asked, “Where is he?”

The manservant cleared his throat, and when I glanced back at him, he looked distressed.

“In the young master’s room,” he said, staring at his feet.

Comprehending what he’d said took me a moment. My mind kept hiccupping on the sound of a child, shouting at me.

“Uncle Eri!”

Shaking myself, I muttered, “Fuck.”

Nervously giggling, the manservant nodded.

“That sounds about right,” he said. “I don’t need to show the way, yes? Shall I bring you and the master refreshments instead?”

“If you think it’ll help,” I said. “Give me a few minutes first, though.”

“Of course.”

Bowing, the manservant ducked out of the room, letting me make the trek to my friend alone.

On seeing this familiar home so darkened, my heart pinched, and when I was outside Rafe’s room, I rested my forehead on the door, preparing myself, before knocking.

“Arivor, can I come inside?” I asked.

And I waited, knowing how hard it was to resist the lethargy he must be feeling.

“Do what you like,” was what came back to me.

After hearing my best friend speak, I bit my lip, resisting the urge to punch the door. Instead, I straightened, got my appearance into order, and stepped inside.

With its curtains drawn over the windows, the room was shadowed, but unlike the rest of the house, this place looked the same. Nothing had been packed, and no concealing sheets were in sight.

Arivor was sitting on his son’s bed, pouring whisky into two mugs. He slid one toward me while running his eyes over my body.

With his voice raspy, he said, “You look like shit.”

Laughing, I took my drink, lifting it to my friend.

“So do you,” I said. “Hell, Arivor, I haven't seen your eyes so red-rimmed since… since never, actually.”

Grimacing, Arivor drained his drink in one go.

“Things haven’t been great for me lately,” he said.

Wincing, I crouched in front of him, dangling my mug between my legs.

“I got here as soon as I could,” I said. “Had to make a quick stop home after Reive let me go, but I came here straight afterward. Is there… can I do anything for you?”

Blankly staring at me, Arivor shook his head.

“You and Lirilith, with that damnably wonderful need to help,” he said before reaching for the decanter again. “Did my uncle hurt you?”

By some miracle, I retained my flinch. Donning my best grin, I took a sip of my drink.

“While under his care, no harm came to me,” I said. “I spent most of my time in the dungeons lying on my cot, just thinking.”

Technically true. I’d experienced no lasting harm at Reive’s hand.

Sighing, Arivor said, “Don’t dance around the truth like that. You’re bad at it.”

For a third time, he filled his mug, and I watched him, chewing on the inside of my lip. Lirilith had been right. My friend was badly hurting.

And part of it was my fault.

Rubbing my eyes, I said, “I’m so sorry, Arivor. If I’d been quicker that night… if I’d never touched Rafe with this unknown power-”

“He’d still be dead.”

Rocking back from Arivor, I almost fell from my crouch. By the stars, he looked so empty and yet furiously there.

“Don’t apologize for what happened, Eri,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault, not yours or- or Lirilith’s. I don’t know if I can forgive her for what she did, but I know it wasn’t her fault. It was Reive’s and the fucking, weak-willed cowards on his Council-”

Something shattered, and liquid splashed to the ground alongside glass’s tinkle. For a moment, I could only gape at this, stunned that Arivor had crushed his mug.

Without a sound, he opened his closed fist, and I whimpered at the sight of so many shards sticking out of his palm. When he started picking at them, I snatched his wrist.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “We have to treat this properly, get the wounds clean before-”

Arivor shook me off.

“Stop, Eri. It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” he said. “Although, speaking of this...”

With a small sigh, he used his good hand to dig in a pocket, withdrawing a creased and water-stained letter, sealed with wax. Refusing to look at me, he thrust it my way.

“This is for you,” he said. “It explains what I was telling you… that night. Before we got out of the carriage.”

Accepting the sheet of folded paper, I turned it between my fingers.

“Something to do with the accident?” I asked.

When he nodded, I slid my thumb under the paper’s edge to break its seal, and Arivor flew forward to stop me.

“Not here,” he said, breathless. “Read it after I’m gone or better yet, when I return. If I return. I can’t- I don’t want to see your face when you understand.”

“Ok…” I said, frowning at him.

But I stashed the letter, and relaxing, Arivor rubbed his face before pointing at my still full mug.

“Are you going to drink that?” he said.

While giving my drink to him, I kept my lips sealed, afraid of what I might say, and again, my friend knocked the whiskey back in one go. Setting the mug on a side table, he laid back on the bed, fiddling with the glass in his hand. I couldn’t move as he plucked a piece free, dropping it on his chest, and blood pattered around it.

“You should go to Lirilith. Stars know that you need her right now,” he absently said. “Tell her that she shouldn’t hate herself, will you? I’m afraid it’s the best comfort I can give her and… whatever happens, please remember that I love you like a brother. Meeting you was one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

I would argue that last point. It, however, wouldn’t do any good right now, and I wasn’t sure what else I could say.

Arivor was right. I needed to see Lirilith, but it was so we could figure out how to ease my friend’s grief before he left us, possibly for forever.

Standing, I squeezed Arivor’s shoulder and hurried out of the room, ignoring the discordant hum that started up behind me.

Interlude 3.3: Despair

Eriadren

 

With a tight jaw, I stood on the city wall, looking over the blanketed spread of angry humans that surrounded my home. I hadn’t seen anything like this since the first war.

In its last battle, we, the defenders, had been sure that reinforcements wouldn’t reach us in time, leaving our days numbered. I remembered how when interacting with the city’s citizens, my insides had felt torn apart. From past experience, I’d known what would happen to them if we failed.

It was worse this time. The humans were besieging my city, and the people they were threatening were mine too. Especially two, precious ones from among them.

“Lotta people,” Sepiala piped up.

I clutched my daughter more tightly to me, refusing to let her see how deeply afraid I was for her.

“Yes, it is,” I said, never taking my eyes off of a potential battlefield.

Taking handfuls of my tunic, Sepiala tugged to get my attention, and when I looked at her, she had the most serious expression in place.

“Uncle Ar-i-vor there?” she asked.

Despite the sudden burn in my eyes, I schooled my features into a pleased form of calm.

“Last I heard, he’s out there, yes,” I said.

He was the human’s top general now, and that was partially why I was standing here. The Arivor I knew would never have perpetrated the crimes attributed to his name in this war. He’d have found them appalling.

So, what had happened? Sure, since I’d last seen my friend, three years had passed, but was that long enough for someone to change as much as he had? I’d hoped that coming here might help me reconcile what I knew of Arivor with what I’d heard.

It hadn’t.

“Daddy, I want to see him,” Sepiala said.

I couldn’t help my frown this time.

“That’s not a good idea, Sepi,” I said. “Uncle Arivor…”

How did I put this in a way that a child might understand?

“Before he left home, bad things happened to Uncle Arivor. Mama and I have never told you about them because we only wanted you to know about the good in him,” I continued, “but those bad things, Sepi? They might have changed your uncle while he’s been gone.”

Plus, he was in the middle of the enemy’s damn army, but Sepiala didn’t need to know that or how much danger said army had put her in.

“He’s a bad man now?” she asked.

I hesitated. Should I tell my daughter the truth: that I didn’t know? If what I’d heard was more than rumors, then yes, he most definitely was, but- but-

Or should I preserve her innocence until we came out on the other side of the eminent battle?

“No,” I slowly said. “From what I remember of him, your Uncle Arivor isn’t a bad man.”

As if considering what I’d said, Sepiala tilted her head before nodding once, and her face took on a hint of her mother’s determined expression.

“I want to see him,” she repeated.

“That’s not-”

On hearing the edge in my voice, I fell silent, clicking my teeth together, while regarding my daughter.

I wished I was certain about Arivor right now. Years ago, it wouldn’t have mattered what rumors had been attached to him. I’d have believed in my friend regardless of the consequences to me, but I had more than myself to worry about now. No matter how much I wanted to indulge Sepiala, introducing her to a man who’d been like a brother to me, I wasn’t sure if I could allow it.

So, I gave her the most noncommittal answer possible.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Sepiala didn’t yet understand the subtleties of that phrase, so she bounced in my arms, clapping her hands.

“Thank you, daddy,” she said.

Stretching up, she kissed my cheek like she’d seen her mother do before, and sighing, I ruffled her hair.

Then, I returned my focus to what lay beyond the wall.

At least coming here had answered one question for me. No matter how much I’d rather avoid it, I should make a trip to the city’s center.

I only wished that Lirilith was free so she could watch Sepiala for a time, but this morning, my wife had been called to consult with the Council about the city’s defenses. I doubted they’d let her go yet.

As we started our trek into the city, my daughter was quiet, which concerned me. Sepiala trended more toward a chatterbox than reticent.

When I set her on the ground to walk for a time, she stopped me from straightening by clutching my cheeks with her small hands.

“Daddy, why are you shivering?” she asked. “It's not work time. You won’t go away today. Mama said.”

Oh… shit.

Taking a calming breath, I smiled at my daughter.

“You’re right. I don’t have work today,” I said. “I’m meeting someone I work with.”

Three years, I’d been Reive’s test subject. Three years, he’d done all manner of unspeakable things to me. I’d long ago lost track of how many times I’d died, but each instance where I’d temporarily left the world behind had left its mark on me.

Lirilith and I had done our best to hide the horror that my life had become from our daughter. When I came home, I snuck into the house, staying in our bedroom until I no longer needed to hide under as many blankets as I could. Some days, I never saw my daughter because of this, and still, she’d noticed that something was wrong.

“Are they a bad person?” Sepiala asked.

Focusing on my daughter, I said, “The man I’m meeting?”

When Sepiala solemnly nodded, I made a face. Should I tell her the truth?

In the end, I couldn’t stop myself.

“Yes, Sepi. He’s a very bad man,” I said, “but sometimes, we must work with bad people, at least until we can do something about them. Ok?”

In stark contrast to her serious demeanor, Sepiala’s grin was like a brilliant sunrise, reminding me of the rare times when I’d taken her and Lirilith out of the city for picnics.

Patting my cheeks, she said, “Ok, silly daddy. Sneaky, sneaky until you can stop the bad guy. Like the heroes in bedtime stories!”

My vision misted over as I pulled my daughter to me, kissing her forehead.

“Yes,” I said against her skin. “Exactly like that.”

Reive’s office was in the temple, which given his ambitions to become a god, I’d found hilarious in recent years.

What could I say? In a life like mine, one had to find humor where one could.

The location proved fortunate today as I found a fair number of my acquaintances from the first war—any who’d avoided the draft this go ‘round—here. After entrusting Sepiala to one of them, I made the trek to a most hated place.

When I arrived, I knocked. Much as I despised Reive now, more so than I had before, I’d learned that showing him some respect was better for me. He held not only my life but also my family’s in his hands.

After receiving permission, I entered the office, working to keep my hands from shaking, but when that bastard looked up from the parchment on his desk, I couldn’t stop my insides from shifting into acid. I refused to let it escape from my stomach and lungs, though.

After a surprised blink, Reive said, “Eriadren. I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t think we had an appointment today.”

“We don’t,” I rushed to say.

I wouldn’t put it past him to start another group of experiments because I’d reminded him that I existed.

“I’m here because of the army on our doorstep,” I said. “What’s the plan to keep them from attacking? Because if you need it, I’d like to volunteer my services.”

Folding his hands on the desk, Reive examined me, and I fought to stay still. My mind was shrieking so loudly.

“What do you mean?” he said.

“I mean…”

And now, I let myself fidget, looking away from my mortal enemy.

“I mean that I can’t die,” I said before forcing myself to meet Reive’s gaze, “and if that’s not enough to send me out there so I can start negotiations, I know their top general. I don’t understand why you’ve kept me behind the wall for so long.”

With an indulgent smile, Reive said, “I’ve kept you here because you’re too valuable of a resource to waste on-”

“I can’t help you with becoming a god if the Alouin damned humans wipe us out!” I snapped.

Oh, shit. Swallowing hard, I ignored how pointed Reive’s stare had become while struggling to control my respiration. Even still, I couldn’t make myself apologize.

“Look,” I said. “What’s the harm in letting me speak with Arivor? If the humans kill me, I’ll just start breathing again soon. I can do that for as many times as it takes to get home, and you have your hostages to make sure I don’t switch sides. Please, Councilman. Let me avert a pointless battle.”

I couldn’t tell if I’d gotten through to him. Reive was, as always, inscrutable.

Lifting his folded hands, he pressed them to his lips, leaning his elbows on the desk.

“All right,” he said. “You can try, but know that I’ll have people watching your family until you return in the morning.”

At his implied deadline, my eyebrows shot for my hairline.

“I should leave soon, then,” I said.

With the shortest bow I could manage, I left Reive’s office, hurrying to retrieve my daughter. I should leave her with her mother, no matter how busy Lirilith might be. If I was seeing my best friend tonight, I needed to prepare, and I couldn’t have a child around for most of that.

Sucking in a breath, I stopped short, leaning against a wall.

I’d be seeing Arivor soon. How had he been? Had he… recovered since I’d last seen him? I barely had.

Had he looked into the experiment that had changed us so long ago?

With shaking hands, I retrieved the letter Arivor had given me before he’d left. The wax that sealed it was still unbroken, which was pathetic considering how long I’d had the thing, but I couldn’t bring myself to open it.

What would I read there? Would Arivor blame me for Rafe’s death, even if he’d refused to do it in person?

Licking my lips, I stashed the letter. I couldn’t focus on tonight and a confrontation that I’d been dreading since I’d last seen my friend. I had to think about Sepiala and Lirilith and what I’d do to keep them safe.

With a long sigh, I breathed out my worries, marching forth to wage my own war in the midst of the greater one.

Interlude 3.4: Despair

Eriadren

 

Getting to Arivor was surprisingly easy, at least at first. My disguise got me through many a human checkpoint until I was closer to my friend’s tent, and then, his elite troops spotted me. He, however, had been expecting my presence.

I was taken straight to him, lifting a hand to guard my eyes from torchlight as I passed through a tent flap. When I lowered it, I was greeted by a sight that could have come straight from the first war.

Arivor was lying on his bedroll with one leg crossed over the other, holding a map over his face. With his propped-up foot bobbing, he was humming the same discordant tune that he’d been singing the last time I’d seen him.

When several heartbeats passed without him acknowledging us, one of the soldiers cleared her throat.

“Sir. We found the spy exactly where you said he’d be,” she said. “What would you like done with him?”

I was curious if Arivor intended to speak with me while three strangers were present. Given our circumstances, he’d probably have to. I doubted any human would leave my people’s greatest war hero alone with a compatriot.

Arivor stopped humming, stilling his foot’s bob, and the humans beside me shifted, glancing at one another.

“Thank you,” he said. “That will be all.”

And the humans bowed. And they left. And I was left gaping at my friend.

“How did you do that?” I asked. “They shouldn’t trust you…”

Unable to finish the thought, I glanced between him and the tent flap. Arivor ignored me, sitting up and setting his document aside. Resting his fingers on it, he looked up at me, and I bit my tongue to keep from gasping. Such hopeful resignation rested in him that it lit his eyes with a fanatical glow.

“Are you here to kill me?” he asked.

I hadn’t seen my friend for three years, and this was the first thing he said to me?

Recoiling, I hissed, “No! Why would you think that? Stars above, Arivor. You’re my friend.”

Arivor stared at me as if reading my essence before frowning.

“You haven’t read the letter I gave you,” he said.

It wasn’t a question, but I shook my head.

“Should I have?” I asked. “I can do that now if you like. I have it with me.”

Before I could pluck the blasted thing from its hiding spot against my chest, Arivor said, “No. Reading it won’t make a difference now. Will you sit with me?”

He gestured in front of him, and without a word, I folded to the ground where he’d indicated. Before he could speak again, I started rooting through my pockets, pulling out the supplies that I’d retrieved after leaving Sepiala with her mother.

Pointing at the horrid bandaging on Arivor’s cheek, I said, “Let me see it. I swear. If you haven’t been washing those open wounds to prevent infection, I’ll kick your ass.”

Rocking back, Arivor blinked at me for a moment before snorting and shaking his head.

“You haven’t changed,” he said.

Once he’d peeled the bandaging off, I seized his chin, turning his head so I could better see his burns.

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “Ok. These don’t look so bad. Palm.”

Wordlessly, Arivor rested his hand in the one I had outstretched, and I winced on seeing that the skin around its lacerations was red and puffy.

“You idiot,” I said. “You’ve been fighting with these exposed, haven’t you?”

“Maybe,” Arivor said.

Groaning, I rolled my eyes.

“Alouin, you’re lucky I decided to check on you,” I said. “Any other wounds I should know about before I get started?”

“Not any I’m showing you,” Arivor said.

And he smiled. Alouin, it was faint, but I took joy in it regardless.

Arivor was quiet as I prepared poultices and the like, watching me with an unreadable expression, so I stayed silent too. This? Treating my friend’s injuries and scolding him for neglecting them? It was a familiar role, one I loved, and I had the horrible feeling that tonight would be the last time we did this.

So, I savored it while it lasted, but eventually, Arivor broke the quiet.

“How’s Lirilith?” he asked.

That was not the question I’d expected from him.

“She’s quite well. In the last year, slummers have stopped targeting her shelter for thefts and scams, but even before then, her efforts were making a difference there.”

I paused for a brief, internal argument before plunging forward.

“She loves being a mother.”

I finished bandaging Arivor’s cheek, much more neatly than the monstrosity he’d been sporting before, while he decided what to say. Children were a sensitive subject for him, I knew.

Had Arivor ever considered how guilty I felt about having a child when he’d lost that joy? Stars, I hoped not.

“You have a daughter, yes?” Arivor asked. “For the first few months I was away, I kept up with current events back home, but communications broke down so quickly after I left…”

Biting his lip, he went distant, and I took hold of his injured hand, working while he collected himself.

When he eventually did, he asked, “What’s her name?”

“Sepiala,” I said, “but Lirilith and I call her Sepi.”

“It’s beautiful,” Arivor said with a half-smile. “Will you… tell me about her?”

“Of course. All you had to do was ask.”

I was cautious at first, worrying that my stories would poke knives into the hole of Rafe’s loss, but Arivor hung on my every word, laughing at Sepiala’s antics and cooing at every adorable moment.

I continued speaking long after I was done with my friend’s hand, but he didn’t stop me, letting me ramble until I ran out of steam.

“She asked if she could see you today,” I eventually said. “After all the stories we’ve told her about you, she loves her Uncle Arivor.”

“And what did you tell her?” Arivor asked.

I looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

“That I’d do what I could to make that happen,” I said.

“I see.”

The weight of so many unspoken words pressed down on me, and I couldn’t bear it. I’d buckle beneath it, sobbing my apologies for everything that had driven us apart.

Before I could fall to pieces, Arivor asked, “Why are you here, Eri?”

And I could no longer ignore the threat that my friend had become.

“I’m here to negotiate,” I said. “Can we prevent a battle here? From what I’ve heard, you haven’t given other cities much of a chance before your army overruns them.”

“And I make no apologies for that,” Arivor said. “Who sent you? Or are you here on your own?”

The change in his tone had me jerking to face him, and I flinched when presented with his piercingly dead eyes. I’d only seen my friend like this once before: when dispensing orders before our unit massacred a village.

“It was my idea,” I said, “but…”

No matter how much I wanted to speak that hated name, my body wouldn’t allow it. It got stuck in my throat, choking me every time I tried to dislodge it.

“My uncle,” Arivor said.

Slumping, I nodded while he watched me with clinical detachment.

“He’s hurt you,” he said with no question in his voice. “How bad has it been?”

When I thought back on the many experimental sessions I’d been forced to endure, my mind shied away from the memories, and I started visibly shaking. Rubbing my arms, I focused on how grateful I was that my stomach was behaving, not on how I needed to answer my friend’s question.

“Bad, then,” Arivor said before cocking his head. “Are you afraid of him?”

“No,” I snapped, showing my teeth. “Any fear I might have held for him has long since been driven away, leaving only a desire for his death. The only reason I haven’t slaughtered him in his sleep is because of Sepi and Lirilith.”

Nodding in understanding, Arivor said, “He’s using them to keep you in line. They’re your weakness.”

Ducking my head, I unfurled my fingers from the fists they’d made in my lap.

“Yes,” I said, “they are.”

“Hmm.”

Arivor drummed his fingers on his knees, and with my head still bowed, I glanced up to catch him sucking on his lip.

“You want to know how to limit the coming violence?” he said. “Send me my uncle and his cronies on the Council. I don’t care how it’s done, whether with the city’s approval or not, but I want them in my hands by day’s end tomorrow. Otherwise, I won’t lift a finger to stop the humans from indulging in their base nature.”

“Tomorrow?!” I squeaked. “I can’t…”

Even if I’d been inclined to hand people over for murder—which I wasn’t, no matter who they were—Arivor hadn’t given me enough time to extract the Council from the city. I could maybe do it if I included Lirilith and our friends, but we’d be cutting it close.

“If you can’t do as I’ve asked, then I’d advise you to leave the city,” Arivor said. “In the heat of battle, humans aren’t discriminate when it comes to their victims. If you’ve heard about the cities we’ve captured, I’m sure you’ve also heard what happens to their citizens.”

The rumors… Did that mean they were true?

One look at my friend and I knew they were.

“Arivor,” I said with wide eyes, “what’s happened to you?”

Shaking his head, my friend retrieved the piece of parchment that he’d set aside, glancing over it again.

“Arivor died three years ago. I resurrected him now so we could have a moment with things the way they should be,” he said before meeting my eyes, “but I have a new name now. I’m sure you’ve heard it by now. People do so love to whisper it with fear.”

And they were right to. From everything I’d heard… from everything…

“Doldimar,” I said with my heart fluttering in my mouth.

Please, say he’d deny it. Please. I didn’t want to learn that my friend had become a-

Arivor… Doldimar grinned at me, fluttering his fingers as he inclined his head.

“But Doldimar is a monster,” I said.

“So I’ve heard.”

Ari- Doldimar lifted his piece of parchment in front of his face.

“I hope you can perform as expected,” he said, “and if not, I hope you have a better bolt hole than the one from three years ago. I truly don’t want to see you hurt, Eriadren, but if I must, I’ll let it happen.”

For a long stretch of shocked silence, I couldn’t move. I’d come here to talk sense into my friend. Instead, I’d gotten an ultimatum from a man hellbent on revenge.

With a sigh, Doldimar lowered his piece of parchment.

“You should go,” he said. “You don’t have much time, remember?”

Swallowing hard, I got to my feet, making to exit, but Doldimar halted me at the tent flap.

“Once this is over, whichever way it goes, read the letter, Eri,” he said. “Please.”

Glancing at him, I nodded and stepped outside.

While another pair of humans escorted me toward the city, I considered what I’d do. I didn’t want to hand the Council over, but that option had a higher chance of keeping Lirilith and Sepiala safe. I couldn’t get my family out of the city, not with Reive watching us and an army on our doorstep.

Grimacing, I rubbed my temples.

I knew exactly what to do. As soon as I was home, I needed to tell Lirilith what had happened. Together, we could make a plan, and having reached this conclusion, I breathed out a wealth of tension.

When we worked as a team, Lirilith and I had not once met a challenge that we couldn’t overcome. Everything would be fine.

Interlude 3.5: Despair

Eriadren

 

I’d finished my recounting of everything that had happened in the last day, and Lirilith, already tired when I’d begun my tale, absently blinked at nothing. I was worried that I’d broken her, but then, she stirred, turning tear-filled eyes on me.

“Do you think he’s gone?” she asked. “Eri, has my cousin been lost to grief and revenge?”

With a dry mouth, I said, “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Nodding, Lirilith buried her face in her hands for a moment, letting me rub her back, before vigorously scrubbing it.

“Right,” she said. “So, you couldn’t reach him tonight. That’s fine. We’ll just have to try again.”

***

The west gate had fallen, and the slums that it had guarded, neighborhoods I’d once called home, were burning behind me. My heart cried for me to turn back, braving the human’s onslaught to find my mother, but I couldn’t abandon the chance to save Lirilith and Sepiala on the off chance she was alive.

Instead, I kept my chin tucked to my chest while urging my legs to carry me ever faster. I had to reach my girls.

***

“Can we do that?” I asked. “I love Arivor like a brother, but I won’t risk Sepi’s life to save him.”

Giving me a disgusted look, Lirilith rolled her eyes.

“Neither will I. Our daughter is the most important part of my life,” she said. “If I had to choose between her and you, she’d win hands down, every time. Sorry, love.”

“Don’t be. I’d be furious if you chose otherwise,” I said. “So, if we’re agreed that we should keep Sepi safe, why are we discussing reaching out to Arivor again?”

With a smirk, Lirilith said, “Because we can do that while also keeping Sepi safe, of course.”

***

Twice, I’d been cut off by humans while trying to reach home. Each time had seen the yowling voice of panic growing louder in me. I wouldn’t reach my girls in time and if I didn’t…

I wasn’t sure what I’d do with myself.

***

“How?” I asked.

“We do something that Arivor and the humans won’t expect,” Lirilith said. “In all honesty, it’s our only chance anyway. We can’t hand Reive to my cousin, no matter how convenient that might be for us. That would make you and me as much of a murderer as they are.”

“Plus, getting him out of the city before sundown would be difficult,” I added.

With her eyes twinkling, Lirilith said, “Not as much as you might think. Sneaking us out of the city would be more problematic, what with Reive’s people watching us.”

“Great. The way you’ve put it, it sounds like we don’t have any options,” I said. “So. What are you proposing?”

With a mischievous smile, Lirilith took my hands.

“We hide.”

***

After stumbling into a square, I stopped to catch my breath. I hated myself for needing this break, wanting to continue toward my girls, but I wouldn’t do them much good if I reached home and collapsed from exhaustion. I’d have to be able to fight.

A laugh filled the square, one that chilled me to the bone. Slowly, I turned toward its source, and such pain spiked through me on seeing him.

Arivor… Doldimar was standing where a street broke off from the square, drenched in blood, and that froze me in place. How had he found me?

He’d cocked his head, as if in anticipation of what I’d say, and as he must have expected, I couldn’t hold back.

“You used me, had your humans follow me inside the wall,” I growled. “Did I ever have a chance of averting this battle? If I’d brought you Reive, would you have stopped?”

As Doldimar tilted his head the other way, I shivered.

“Why would I have stopped?” he said. “Either way, I get what I want. This path just comes with extra benefits.”

“You remind me of Reive when you talk like that,” I spat. “What do you want, Doldimar? I have to reach my family if we’re to have a chance of surviving this. Unless you mean to keep me from them?”

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear his answer.

“Why would I do that?” Doldimar asked. “I’d gain no advantage there. No. Go to Lirilith. I’ll be interested to know whether the humans can find her before you get home.”

As I sucked in a gasp, I took a step back while a sick sense of knowing churned in my gut.

“What do you mean?”

***

“What do you mean?” I asked Lirilith.

With a fierce grin, she said, “Well despite what happened with Rafe, your bolt hole is still well hidden, and even if he did mention it in your meeting, I doubt Arivor would look in it when it so completely failed him back then.”

Slowly, I nodded.

“That makes sense,” I said.

“So, we’ll hide there while you speak with him once more,” Lirilith said. “We have to save him, Eri.”

“I’ll do my best,” I said.

I never got the chance. By the time I made it back to the wall, the humans had breached the gate, and I’d started running home.

***

When Doldimar smirked at me, I rested my hand on my sword’s hilt, striding for him, but he clicked his tongue.

“If you fight me, it’ll waste time, Eri,” he said. “You may be the better swordsman, but I can hold my own in a fight, for a while at least. Use that time to save your wife’s life.”

He was right. I knew it. I should already be at the end of the street, hauling ass home, but a question had driven stakes through my feet, pinning me in place. It burned me as it ripped through my mouth.

“Why are you doing this?” I said, hating how needy I sounded. “Is it because of Rafe? You never forgave me for my part in his death, did you?”

Chuckling, Doldimar shook his head.

“My son has nothing to do with this. I would never do something so horrific in his name,” he said. “No. This is because of something else. If you’d read my letter, you’d know that. You could have prevented this.”

That damn letter. As I rested my hand over where it sat against my chest, Doldimar’s chuckle became a full-on laughing fit.

“Get out of here, Eri,” he gasped between giggles. “I have places to be and Councilors to kill while you need to make it home before the humans get there. Stars know what they’ll do once they find Lirilith.”

I knew. I remembered the terrible things I’d seen in the first war. I’d heard rumors about what they’d done during this one.

With my throat closing, I backed away from Doldimar, keeping my eyes on him until I could turn tail and run, and as the city flashed past me, I ignored the fact that my best friend’s once loved visage had raised something ugly in my heart.

 

By the time I turned onto my home’s street, I hadn’t seen any humans for a while, and because of this, I let hope niggle into my heart. It was a mistake, I was sure, but I couldn’t help it. After every awful thing that had happened today, something good had to come out of it.

I barged into the house with the door banging behind me, noting its darkened state with dread and relief. It could mean that my girls were still hiding.

It could also mean other things.

“Lirilith! Sepi!” I called. “Where are you? We need to go!”

I made my way through the common room and the kitchen, grabbing things that might be useful for our escape, before stopping short.

The back door was cracked open.

I was outside before I’d registered moving. Beyond the door, the garden—Lirilith’s refuge from the world—was wrecked. A stack of pots had been knocked over with their broken bits scattered across the ground, and clumps of grass had been torn from the earth, all evidence of a concluded fight. I didn’t see my girls, which…

Stars, what was this pressure, squeezing my lungs flat?

Slowly, I made my way to the shed in the corner, scanning my surroundings as I went.

“Sepi?” I called. “If you’re here, it’s ok, honey. I’m here-”

A pained grunt cut me off, and for the briefest of moments, I squeezed my eyes shut, ignoring what I’d heard.

“Eri…”

Her voice tore me out of my body. From far away, I watched myself trudge toward a tree, watched myself stop beneath its canopy, watched myself examining her injuries like the healer I was.

And I knew that I could do nothing for the love of my life. Not conventionally.

I crashed into my body at the rate of my fall to the ground, and once I was on my knees, I reached for Lirilith’s cheeks, the only untouched part of her, while calling on a power I hated.

A voice screamed at the back of my mind, shouting of a worse death to come if I healed her, but I ignored it. Reive wasn’t here. He couldn’t cleanse the world of any ‘abominations’ I might create.

Trembling, Lirilith grabbed my wrist.

“N…no, Eri,” she gasped. “Don’t want…”

Her eyes started glazing over while her hand slipped away from mine, and I had every intention of ignoring her. Lirilith couldn’t stop me from saving her life, not when it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

When I touched her, however, she snapped back into place.

“You… can’t take… injuries. They’d slow you…” she fought to say, “and Sep…i needs… you.”

Sepiala? Was she-? Could she be alive? I’d thought…

Usually, the humans treated my people’s children much worse than our women.

“Choose her… over me,” Lirilith gasped.

I didn’t have to choose, though. Couldn’t she see that? I could save them both.

“Taking her… to Arivor,” Lirilith continued.

And I stopped breathing. I… I… I…

Huddling over Lirilith, I rested my forehead on hers.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I should have been-”

“Were doing what… needed,” Lirilith mumbled.

My eyes burned as I pressed my lips to hers, tasting her and the metallic tang of her blood. For as long as I could, I let myself stay there, breathing her in while tears drizzled over my face. As I pulled away, I started shaking, running my fingers through her hair.

“I love you,” I said. “I have always loved you, from the moment you first stepped into my shop.”

Lirilith’s grin looked wrong with how much red was staining it.

“I know,” she said. “Why do you think… invited you to dinner?”

A broken laugh filled the space between us, and as it faded, I reached for a knife. I wouldn’t leave her to suffer. When I brought it into view, however, Lirilith weakly shook her head.

“My choice,” she gasped. “Give.”

Her fingers twitched on the ground, and at her insistence, I couldn’t help the relief that swirled in me. It almost choked out my shame or the wrench of my heart as I pressed the blade into her hand.

With her smile twisting, Lirilith said, “Now… go.”

My body had become a wooden doll, and as I got to my feet, fuzz had cloaked the world. Once on them, I couldn’t move, swaying in place as I looked down at her. How had this happened?

Then, I turned away, hurrying to the door, and Lirilith called after me.

“I love you… too, my Eri.”

Slapping a hand to my mouth, I pushed against it—maybe if I pressed hard enough, I could swallow the sobs bursting free of me—and stumbled into a home that was no longer mine.

Chapter 71: Second Meeting

Raimie

 

Bored, I sprawled on neatly trimmed grass while waiting for Alouin. Humming to myself, I ignored the keening that was ever present here, no matter how difficult that was proving to be, because I didn’t need a reminder of what was hanging at the sky’s apex.

At least one good thing would come of dying. I could finally learn why Alouin had taken such an interest in me. I was pretty sure it had something to do with the gray mist that I’d made twice before: once at Allanovian’s tear and once my first time here. I still didn’t know what it was besides powerful and draining to create, but that mystery should be resolved any minute now.

Any minute…

Sighing, I shifted in place. Satisfying as solving one of the puzzles that had plagued my life would be, I was miffed that I’d be leaving so many others behind. I’d never know why certain people and places had been inexplicably familiar to me or understand the whole ‘Balancer’ business. That one had been particularly annoying because Dim and Bright, who’d obviously known what it meant, wouldn’t share that meaning with me.

Gods, Bright…

With a wince, I rubbed my eyes.

How had Teron killed a splinter? Given what I knew about them, that should be impossible, right?

I chose to focus on that rather than the throbbing ache inside of me, caused by a being I’d both feared and despised just a few months ago.

“Another essence here? Ships, I really need to look at the sequences that guard this place.”

Shooting my head up, I scrambled to my feet when I saw Alouin brushing himself off. His clothes had changed since the last time we’d met, which only made sense, but this was more than a simple change in outfit. A shiny tunic and trouser combination clung to his body while strips at the clothing’s seams had colored lights bouncing in them. I gaped at this impossibility while Alouin straightened.

“It’s not enough that I’m constantly fixing disasters in my chosen iterations, is it?” he said. “I have to deal with you essences too…”

When his eyes landed on me, the god froze, becoming a statue.

“Um. Hello?” I said with a wave. “I’m back.”

As motion embedded itself in Alouin again, he lifted his hands as if to strangle the air with a frustrated cry.

“You were supposed to find a tear so we could talk,” he shouted. “Not get yourself killed again!”

Rolling my eyes, I rested my hands on my hips.

“I tried that. You took your sweet time with answering me,” I said. “And I can’t help it that my enemies are… were so much more powerful than me. It was inevitable that one would catch up with me. Could you just explain-?”

“More… powerful?” Alouin sputtered. “Kid, are you not with Rhylix yet? He should be teaching you about the primal forces by now.”

Frowning, I said, “He was. How do you know about Rhy? He’s-”

How had Rhylix attracted Alouin’s attention?

“Is it because he’s an Ele primeancer, like me?”

“A primeancer. Like you,” Alouin said. “Ha!”

Striding forward, he snatched my wrist, and while his eyes unfocused, his fingers danced in the air. Biting my lip, I resisted the urge to shudder.

With a gasp, Alouin released his hold, turning wide eyes on me, and if I hadn’t known better, I’d say he looked rattled.

“Ah,” Alouin said, swallowing hard. “He’s made a friend. That’s unusual.”

Wait a minute.

“Do… do you and Rhy know one another?” I squeaked.

Shaking himself, Alouin chuckled.

“You could say that,” he said before focusing on me. “Next time you see him, tell him to get his ass moving with your training. He’s taking too long.”

With difficulty, I closed my flapping mouth, licking my lips.

“How do you know Rhylix?” I shakily asked.

And why hadn’t my friend said anything about this? I understood the need to keep things to oneself, but this was big.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Alouin said with a teasing grin. “Now, what are we going to do with you?”

While he stroked his chin, I struggled to remember what I’d been planning on asking him. I wasn’t sure why this secret of Rhylix’s had shaken me so badly. No matter how much it might pain me, my enigmatic friend didn’t matter anymore. How could he when I was dead?

So.

“You could tell me what you couldn’t the last time I was here,” I said. “We have plenty of time, right? I’m not going anywhere.”

With his eyes twinkling, Alouin asked, “Why would you think that?”

“Because I’m dead,” I said. “Where else would I go? Unless… is there another place where essences go?”

Lifting his eyes to the heavens, Alouin shook his head.

“Kid, if all essences ended up here, do you think this place would be so empty?” he asked.

That was a good question. If essences went elsewhere, though, why had I ended up here?

“You say you’re dead, huh?” Alouin said while circling me. “Well. We’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?”

He smirked at the look on my face.

“What-?” I started before a finger was smashed into my lips.

“Hush, kid. I’m thinking,” Alouin said while his other fingers started twitching. “Damn. You haven’t given me much to work with this time. Teron’s blade could have slipped when he slit your throat, but that scenario doesn’t fit with your Teron’s skill set. It could cause dissonance down the line, but the cost is low, and I have so little left to give.”

As he glanced up at the sky, his fingers stopped moving.

“The next time you see me, I may seem different. If the past is any indication, I’ll be more erratic, less patient, and most definitely irritable. You’ll probably think I’m insane. I assure you. I won’t be.”

With his face set into grim lines, he placed a finger on my forehead.

“Please, be patient with me. Remind me there’s hope.”

Realizing what was about to happen, I reached for Alouin.

“Wait! What about my explanat-?”

Alouin nudged me into the space between realities.

“Come on, Raimie. Tell me I didn’t sink a ship and swim all this way for you to die on me.”

Was- was that… Rhylix? He’d sounded…

Ugh. Why was it so hard to think?

Something jostled my shoulder, and groaning, I cracked open my gummed-together eyelids, only to raise a hand so I could shield them. Had the sun always been this bright?

“Ohthankthegods.”

With my eyes adjusted, I dropped my hand into… sand. And the sky wasn’t swaying above me.

Holy shit. Was I on dry land?

“Are you ok?”

Hovering above me, Rhylix’s face looked so pinched, and seeing the worry on him, I remembered what had happened.

“Hello to you too,” I croaked.

But then, I sluggishly sat up before brushing my fingers along my neck. Other than some stickiness, there was no evidence that my throat had been slit…

How long had it been since Teron had attacked the fleet? And where was everyone else?

“We need to get out of here,” Rhylix said.

Ignoring him, I glanced around, trying to figure out where I was. Not far from us, the sea lapped at the shore, and opposite that, the ground rose in a gradual incline until it met with the cliffs cradling it. These craggy heights, covered in vines, sat close enough to one another that the beach was cast in shadows, and along the top of them, a brilliantly green forest ran to the point where the cliffs and beach met.

Listening to the waves crashing against rock, I could do nothing more than blink at this place. It was… beautiful.

Clambering to his feet, Rhylix brushed sand off of himself, before offering me a hand, which I dumbly stared at. Even knowing what was afflicting me, I couldn’t shake the fog swimming through my mind.

“What happened?” I managed. “How did we end up here? I- I died…”

Scanning the forest around us, Rhylix hauled me to my feet.

“We’ll have time for explanations once we’re somewhere safe,” he said.

He started walking, but I refused to follow, still caught in the morning’s chaos.

“No! This is important!” I said. “I… I met with Alouin again, and he knew who you are, Rhy! He said you needed to hurry with training me. That you’re taking too long. How do you know a god?”

With a brittle smile, Rhylix said, “I thought you didn’t believe in gods.”

“Rhylix!”

Shifting his eyes to me, Rhylix sighed.

“In case you’ve missed it, we’re in Auden now, and this place is more dangerous than you can imagine, full of people who are as strong, if not stronger, than Teron,” he said. “Before we have this conversation, I’d like your army around us or at the very least, to be armed. Can you wait that long?”

He… was right, damnit.

“Ok,” I said, “but we will have it, yes?”

Shaking his head, Rhylix started his climb up the beach again.

“If you haven’t reconsidered by then,” he said. “Follow me. Quiet as you can, please.”

Reaching the forest was a punishing endeavor. For the first bit, sand made our footing unstable, and then, the beach’s incline became difficult to traverse. By the time we reached the forest’s eaves, I was sweating and out of breath. Rhylix, on the other hand, looked like he’d barely expended any effort to get here, which was frustrating.

As he led us along the cliff’s edge, I examined the forest beside us. It was different from the one I’d grown up in, more vibrantly colored and with far different plant life in it. Perhaps it was a jungle, like what clogged most of the Southern Kingdoms.

Whatever it was, if anything besides a forest, it was interesting. Something about it… I couldn’t say why, but something about it was off-putting. Hopefully, we wouldn’t venture into it. Actually…

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“I’m looking for a good vantage point. We won’t know which direction to take until we know where the fleet has weighed anchor. Hopefully, if we get high enough, we can spot it,” Rhylix said. “Try to keep quiet. We don’t want to attract anything.”

Attract what?

Even curious as I was, I kept my mouth shut until we reached the cliff’s edge. Below us, the sea sent sprays of water flying into the air, and as in Sev, a need to flee surged through me when I saw water for as far as the eye could see. Rhylix quelled this fear, pulling me down with him until we were flat on our bellies.

Cupping a hand over his eyes, he chewed on his lip while scanning the horizon. This took so long that eventually, I couldn’t keep my questions buried, even with Rhylix’s warning to stay silent.

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“Not long,” Rhylix said before clicking his tongue. “I don’t… damn. The current must have carried us further than I thought.”

“And… how did I get from a ship’s hold into the sea?”

Lowering his hand, Rhylix glared at me.

“Are you trying to draw a band of Kiraak to us?” he hissed.

Kiraak? What was that supposed to be?

“No…?” I drawled.

Huffing, Rhylix turned back to the sea, but after a few more heartbeats, he made a disgruntled noise.

“I don’t see it, even with eagle eyes,” he said. “We should keep moving. Hopefully, we’ll spy the fleet further along.”

Once we were on our feet, we moved away from the cliff’s edge and toward the safety of the forest.

“In answer to your question, I used some fancy magic to break a hole in the ship’s hull. Seemed the fastest way to get rid of Teron,” Rhylix said. “Once the sea sucked us into its embrace, I surfaced further from the fleet than I expected, so I swam us to the closest beach instead of making my way back to it.”

Glancing over his shoulder, he smirked, and I covered a snort with a raised hand. Of course he’d be proud of destroying a ship.

As we continued along, I sighed. This was nice. Alone with my friend, away from my responsibilities, and at our destination, I let myself relax. Sure, we should find the others, for safety if nothing else, but I’d enjoy this moment of peace while I could. Who knew when I’d get another of them?

Chapter 72: A Harsh Introduction

Raimie

 

Rhylix and I walked back toward the forest, all while I wondered if we’d have to move beneath its strange canopy. I’d rather not do that, if possible, but it would be smart, if we meant to stay unnoticed in this hostile-

Ahead of me, Rhylix grunted while throwing his arm behind him, and I gaped at the arrow shaft that had sprouted from his shoulder.

Where the hell had that come from?

Growling, Rhylix jerked me to the side, yanking me out of my shock—

“Run!”

—before shoving me toward the tree line. Dim was waiting there, just standing, which was weird. I’d have thought they’d be animatedly waving me forward, shouting insults as encouragement, but they weren’t. I barely had time to consider this, though, before what was happening smacked me in the face, sending my thoughts into overdrive.

At any minute, I expected an arrow to drive into me, puncturing my heart or brain or, gods forbid, my neck again, and this made me fast. How many times could I expect Alouin to rescue me from death?

When the trees had hidden me, I spun to check on my friend, meaning to bolt once I had. Instead, I careened to a halt.

Rhylix was headed for me, but it was in a limping run. Behind him, several broken arrows littered the ground, presumably snapped by the dagger he was holding, which… holy hell, that was impressive, but even still, he’d taken two in the side and one in his leg. And that…

No, No, no, no.

Without thinking, I sprinted for my friend, distantly hearing Rhylix’s shouted protest. Shrugging his arm over my shoulders, I reached for Ele to speed us to safety and found nothing waiting for me.

No source. How had I forgotten that Bright was gone?

Then, Rhylix pulled me to his chest while spinning. Something thunked into him, swaying us, and then, his weight was on me. I couldn’t support him, long and lean as he was!

Staggering, I sank to the ground, barely rolling out from under Rhylix before he hit the grass, face first.

When I went to help him up, though, my world became the arrow embedded in my friend’s back and the blood bubbling around its shaft. With part of me shrieking in my head, I pressed my hands around the wound, applying pressure, but blood just seeped between my fingers, staining them red.

No. This couldn’t be happening! This-!

Shooting a hand up, Rhylix shoved my head down, right before something whistled through the air where it had been. Leveraging himself off of the ground, he coughed into the grass, sending flecks of red flying everywhere.

“Still an enemy out there,” he gasped.

Oh, gods. He wasn’t dead. Yet.

“What do I-?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Rhylix snapped. “Get into the forest, and run. Find help once you lose them.”

Stubborn bastard. I wouldn’t leave him here. I wouldn’t!

But I didn’t know how to move Rhylix when I couldn’t even support his weight.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Dim stepped into view, snapping in my face.

“Use me,” they said.

Oh. Right.

Setting my jaw, I drew from Daevetch and shoved my arms under my friend.

“What are you-?” Rhylix started. “Raimie, no!”

“Shut UP!” I growled.

With Daevetch’s help, getting Rhylix into a stable position across my shoulders was easy, and as soon as that was done, I was sprinting into the forest, erratically moving while Dim kept pace at my side.

“How in the void have I helped you save him?” they said with their nose wrinkled.

I just grinned at them, relieved to see them somewhat returned to normal.

Once I’d lost myself in the trees, I lowered Rhylix to the forest floor before collapsing beside him.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Rhylix said.

And hell, if he hadn’t sounded cold.

Shivering, I said, “Done what?”

“Come back for me,” Rhylix said with each word bitten off. “I can handle myself.”

“What was I supposed to do? Leave you behind?” I said.

“Yes!” Rhylix snapped, collecting his strength before he could continue. “While in the Withriingalm, I told you that I couldn’t see you on death’s door for a second time, and it’s already happened again. I can’t do it a third time.”

Pausing in massaging my leg muscles, I straightened, eyeing my friend’s trembling body. How much of that was caused by anger, and how much was the arrows jutting out of him?

“Rhy,” I said, firm and with no room for question, “you need to understand something about me. I appreciate the need for self-preservation. Trust me, I get it, but to me, some things are more important than my safety, including my friendships. You cannot ask me to leave you when you’re hurt because I won’t do it. It will never happen.”

I stopped for a moment, making sure I’d been heard, before waving a hand over Rhylix’s body.

“Now, what are we doing about those things?”

Sighing, Rhylix said, “Pulling them out.”

Drawing back, I frowned at my friend.

“Isn’t that the opposite of what you’re supposed to do?” I asked. “Shouldn’t we leave them in place until a healer can remove them?”

Giving me an odd look, Rhylix said, “In most instances, yes, but it wouldn’t be wise now. How do you know about that?”

“You may not have noticed this yet, but I read a lot,” I said, “and I remember most of what I read.”

“…Interesting.”

Shaking his head, Rhylix grabbed the arrow shaft in his thigh, walking his fingers into his leg until he had hold of something deep in the muscle. Then, he ripped it free, hunching on himself with a hiss.

“You understand what I did there?” he said after a moment. “You’ll have to take care of the one in my back and quickly. We can’t know if or when our attacker might come looking for us.”

With a sigh, I said, “Fine.”

Shuffling across the forest floor, I got behind my friend as he started extracting the arrows in his shoulder and side.

While examining my current challenge, I said, “Why would you jump in front of me like that? At least I’m wearing armor, even if it’s just hardened leather. You only have your cloak.”

“And if the archer was using a long bow, who was wearing what wouldn’t have mattered,” Rhylix faintly said. “The arrow would have punched through your armor like it was cloth.”

Grunting, he yanked another arrow out of his body, dropping it on the first while clutching at his side.

After a moment, he continued, “It was a lucky shot anyway. From the arrows’ trajectory and how I was angled, I hoped that it would bounce off of Silverblade.”

He jerked his thumb to where a pommel was peeking above his thrown-back hood. Momentarily distracted by the sight, I gaped at it.

“You have my sword?”

“I paid well for it,” Rhylix said. “I certainly wasn't going to let it sink with the ship.”

“I thought you said we were unarmed,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

With an exasperated sigh, Rhylix pulled another arrow free before repeatedly slapping at the ground.

“A single dagger and a sword do not make one armed in Auden, merely… prepared,” he groaned. “Please, Raimie. Stop stalling. Get the arrow out of my back.”

Right. That. Rhylix had been acting so normally that even with him extracting arrows right in front of me, I’d forgotten he was injured. If our places had been reversed, I’d be incoherent with pain or flat-out dead to the world right now.

Given that, how was Rhylix so lucid?

Shaking my head, I got my hand around the arrow shaft before following Rhylix’s example to the letter, wincing all the while. When I touched metal, I tugged, grimly satisfied when the arrow popped free of my friend’s back.

Until blood started pulsing from the wound left behind.

As it splashed over my arms and legs, I bore down on my friend’s back, searching for something to stem the flow of his blood. My abruptly gained detached state, one I was well-practiced in, fell apart when Rhylix collapsed into the grass without a sound.

His bleeding had slowed to a trickle, but in the short time that it had gushed from him, it had soaked my arms to the elbow. Gods, it was so. much. blood. and Rhylix was lying so still in the grass and leaves.

Before I could panic, white light flashed in the encroaching dusk, and Rhylix gasped, shooting upright.

Awkwardly rubbing at his back, where a patch of Ele now covered the wound, he said under his breath, “Damnit, I get it, Alouin.”

And at my back, Dim growled, “That cheating bastard.”

I barely heard them, too caught in the abrupt switch of my friend’s state.

“Are you… ok?” I said.

With the barest tensing of his shoulders, Rhylix glanced back at me, grinning.

“For now,” he said. “I’ll need another healer soon, but Ele can sustain me until then. Thanks, Raimie. You did a good job.”

“Really?” I snapped. “Because from where I’m sitting, it looked like I killed you.”

“Well, obviously, you didn’t,” Rhylix said, rolling his eyes. “I told you about this Ele application, remember?”

Almost, I accepted this explanation, but when Dim started hissing at my back, I just crossed my arms, watching Rhylix. Curious if I’d get the truth.

Frowning, he said, “I also told you about how it only works for a short time period, so we should locate our friends as quickly as possible. Pretty sure that’s the only place we’ll find a healer.”

So… that was a no, then.

With many a wince, Rhylix got to his feet before looking down at me, and gritting my teeth, I decided to drop it for now. I could always bring it up again once we were safe.

“So far, I don’t like your homeland, Rhy,” I said.

Chuckling, Rhylix said, “It’s not so bad. I promise. The land itself is quite beautiful. It’s the people who aren’t so nice.”

Glancing around the darkening forest, I shivered. How could a place like this be so freakishly still?

“Wait to make your final judgment about it until you’ve seen it in the light of day,” Rhylix said, leaning forward to help me to my feet.

As he ducked, something flew over his head, and a throwing knife embedded itself in a tree behind him. For a moment, I lost track of time, but when I gained it again, I was plastered against a tree trunk with Rhylix copying me behind the tree at my side.

“Gods, I knew we were taking too long,” he gasped, banging his head on the trunk. “Of all the poor luck, running into a patrol now.”

He looked like he was about to try something stupid, so I preempted him.

“Uh-uh. You’re injured,” I said. “Give me Silverblade, and start running.”

“Raimie-” Rhylix started.

“I won’t do anything stupid! Just distract them for a bit before running myself,” I hissed. “I’ll be fine. Trust me, Rhy.”

He didn’t want to, I could tell, but something convinced him to do as he was told. Awkwardly, he unsheathed the sword hanging from his back before tossing it my way. I obviously didn’t catch it—I’d like to keep all of my limbs, thank you—but once it had thumped to the ground, I scooped it up.

“You want the scabbard? You’ll have to come get it,” Rhylix said. “Good luck.”

But then, he was off into the trees. Taking a calming breath, I found Dim and raised an eyebrow.

“Your enemy is to your left,” they said. “Twenty yards and closing.”

Back to subdued, huh? That was interesting. Given how antagonistic they’d been toward one another, I hadn’t thought Bright’s loss would affect Dim so much.

Gods, I could really use an Ele splinter right now. The forest had tipped over into night, but with no moon to provide illumination yet, I couldn’t see shit. If Bright had been here, this wouldn’t be a problem.

Yes, focus on that and not on how much it hurt that they were gone.

“Enemy in range,” Dim said. “Preparing to round the tree now.”

Chapter 73: Enemy or Ally?

Raimie

 

Raising Silverblade, I caught the first blow on it. My attacker, small and lithe, sprang away before diving in with a series of strikes, ones I desperately dodged or blocked.

Even still, glancing blows got through my defense. While Dim’s help was essential to staying alive, their whispered directions were nothing compared to seeing each jab as it came. Add to that the forest’s tricky flooring, and I was soon flat on my back, rolling away from a chop at my neck.

I couldn’t keep this up.

On my feet, I took off into the trees with my eyes closed. They weren’t doing me much good right now.

Gods, I could use Bright.

Something snagged my foot, and I went tumbling, but before I could get up, footsteps caught up with me. Weight slammed into my lower back, making me eat dirt as I coughed.

Shit.

Something instinctual, built into the base of me, swelled at the risk to my survival, and this primal urge lifted a cry in my mind.

BRIGHT, I NEED YOU!

As a glow bathed the forest, someone coughed.

“I… exist?” Bright gasped.

No time to wonder at their appearance. As soon as I felt my Ele source, I pulled a sip of it to my hands.

Before I could fling my enemy off of me, though, they grabbed my wrists, pinning my hands between their legs and my hips, and cold steel was pressed against my skin. With nothing else, I stopped fighting, becoming a rag doll beneath this person who… wasn’t killing me.

Huh.

“Who are you? How are you doing that?”

A woman?

…Why did that surprise me?

“Doing what?” I asked.

That had sounded muffled, even to my ears, and in response, the point, jabbing into my neck, dug deeper, drawing blood.

“Don’t play games with me, Kiraak. I’m not in the mood,” the woman snapped. “If you answer my questions without trouble, I’ll cleanly separate your head from your shoulders. If not, who knows? I can see little pieces of you scattered in the bushes and trees.”

What? Was she godsdamn serious?

Ok. Ok, ok. No panicking. I could do this.

“I’m not a Kiraak, whatever that is,” I said. “My friend and I have been separated from our companions. We were trying to find them when you… or I assume it was you, attacked us.”

“Right…” the woman drawled. “Because humans often wander through the Cerrin Forest alone.”

Uh…

“I don’t know what to tell you,” I said. “I’ve spoken the truth. Why would I lie, given my position?”

While the woman considered that, I reached out for my Ele source only to find it missing again, which was concerning. I had heard Bright just now, right?

Also, where was Dim, and why hadn’t I accessed Daevetch in that moment of panic? It would have worked just as well. I wasn’t sure about using it now, not when I might be getting somewhere with this woman. From what I could tell, Daevetch didn’t discriminate when it came to keeping people alive, and I wanted no more deaths on my hands.

“Say I was inclined to believe you, which I’m not,” the woman said. “How do you explain your friend’s living, breathing state? I shot him through the heart, yet he lives. Only Kiraak can do that.”

They could? That was interesting. And a little intimidating.

Could I tell this woman why Rhylix was alive? It could get him in serious trouble.

Then again, perhaps primeancy wasn’t as reviled here as it was back home, and who knew? Considering the Kiraak thing, maybe they had a different type of magic here.

The sharp edge on my neck pressed down again, and I stiffened.

“Ok, ok! Gods!” I shouted. “My friend and I have magic, all right? It can keep someone alive for a time, no matter the injury, but the effect is temporary. If I don’t find Rhylix a healer soon, his hold on his magic will slip, and he will die.”

On top of me, the woman turned to stone, loosening her hold, while her weapon fell away from my skin. I wasn’t sure why she was reacting like that, but I took advantage of it anyway, ripping an arm free so I could blast her with the Ele I was still holding. As soon as her weight was lifted off of me, I jumped to my feet, scrambling for Silverblade.

Whatever came next, I’d be ready for it. I hoped.

Without Bright to help, I had to rely on the moonlight to see, but it did somewhat reveal my surroundings and my foe. She was already on her feet with her head cocked at me, and when I didn’t attack her, she lifted her hands into view before hanging her strange-looking weapons from her belt.

I didn’t return the courtesy.

“Good reflexes and instincts,” she said. “Ok, possible Kiraak. Where’d your friend run off to?”

With a snort, I controlled my snickering until I realized she was serious.

“I’m sorry. Why on earth would I tell you that?” I snapped. “You attacked us, and I have no idea who you are. For all I know, you’re one of these Kiraak that keep getting mentioned.”

Softly laughing, the woman said, “Come on. If I were Kiraak, you’d already be dead. You know that. Although…”

She tilted her head the other way.

“If you are Kiraak, that begs the question of why you haven’t come howling for my head yet. The lack of visible Corruption could mean that you control the bloodlust, though,” she said before shaking her head. “In any case, if you need a reason to lead the way, would it help if I knew a healer who might look at your friend?”

It would certainly help me with listening to her. Sure, a civilian who’d accompanied us, Chela, was a decent enough healer, but I wasn’t sure if Rhylix and I could reach her in time, especially in the dark. When weighing his probable death against possible danger, which won out?

“How do I know you won’t attack us when we’re together?” I asked.

Shrugging, the woman said, “You don’t.”

Great…

Well, now that I had some sense of my opponent, I thought Rhylix and I could take her, even if he was injured, and since I’d have time to prepare, maybe I’d remember to use Daevetch this time.

Where the hell was Dim?

“I don’t know where Rhy was going. We didn’t get a chance to discuss it,” I said, “but I know which direction he took from the last place I saw him.”

“Better than nothing. I can take it from there,” the woman said. “Tracking you here was easy enough. You left quite the trail.”

At that, I tensed. I’d figured it was the case when she’d said she’d shot Rhylix but…

“You did attack us on the cliff,” I said.

“Mmhmm,” she said, “and I’ll apologize for it once I’m sure this isn’t another Enforcer trick. In the meantime…”

Stepping to the side, she beckoned for me to take the lead, which I did with my skin prickling. Having a potential enemy at my back was not a pleasant sensation.

Fortunately, after I found where the confrontation had started, our positions switched, but then, I ran into another problem. In the light of day, I’d have had no trouble with hiking through this forest, could even have helped the woman with tracking, but in the dark, I was struggling to stay on my feet.

“You’re very loud,” she said after a while.

“Forgive me for my lack of night vision,” I said.

I couldn’t give her more than that, concentrating on foot placement as I was.

“You made light appear before,” the woman said. “Why not do it now?”

“I can’t,” I said. “Something’s wrong with Bright.”

The woman gave me a momentary break from splitting my focus, but it didn’t last long.

“What’s Bright?” she asked.

Tripping over a root, I barely caught myself before making a face. Getting another mouthful of dirt around this quasi-hostile woman would be embarrassing.

“Who, not what,” I said. “Bright’s a splinter of… Order is what Rhy said. They’re my source to-”

Cutting off, I stopped short.

“Why am I telling you this?”

“How should I know?” the woman said. “Maybe you don’t find me threatening.”

She crouched to inspect the forest floor.

“Oh, you’re plenty threatening,” I mumbled before raising my voice again. “Do you have a name?”

Well, that had been a dumb question. Of course she had a name. Everyone had that.

Rising from the ground, the woman dusted off her hands before glancing at me.

“Do you?” she said.

She walked off, leaving me tripping over myself to keep up. Should I answer that question?

Why wouldn’t I, though? Nothing bad could come of it. Right?

“I’m Raimie,” I said.

Glancing over her shoulder, the woman shook her head.

But she said, “Ren.”

Why did that name sound familiar? I could have sworn I’d heard it before. Recently.

I chewed on this for a while, blindly following the woman. Giving her my trust was probably a bad idea, but what else was I supposed to do? I didn’t know this forest, which meant I couldn’t easily walk through it at night, and sitting around until daybreak didn’t seem wise.

Slowing to a stop, Ren turned in a circle while scanning the ground, and I carefully watched her.

“The tracks are muddled here,” she said. “I can’t tell which way he went unless…”

With a pop, Rhylix appeared beside Ren in a wash of light.

Chapter 74: That Was Unexpected

Raimie

Grabbing Ren’s tunic, Rhylix propelled her into a tree, hovering his dagger in front of her eye. Or where openings in cloth strips indicated her eye should be.

“You have one chance to explain yourself before I slit your throat,” he hissed.

When he fell quiet, though, the only thing that answered him was a shaky gasp.

At first.

Then, Ren was saying, “Rhy? Is it really you?”

Again, something knocked on the door to my mind, asking for permission to enter, but before I could allow it in, Ren started raining her fists on Rhylix’s shoulders.

“I thought you were dead, you asshole,” she sobbed.

Recognition clicked, and oh, how I wanted to burst into laughter or shout with joy. If this wasn’t providence, I didn’t know what was.

When Rhylix glanced at me with befuddlement painted across his face, I pointed at the woman, who was sobbing into his chest.

“Her name’s Ren,” I said.

At his sister’s name, Rhylix became a statue. After a slow blink, he backed away from the woman with his dagger raised, joining it with a hand full of Ele.

“Show me your face,” he stiffly said.

Obligingly, Ren unwrapped cloth from around her head, revealing jet back hair and gray eyes, followed by a button nose and full lips. The image would have been quite breathtaking if it weren’t for the tears, dribbling over her cheeks, and mucus, dripping from her nose.

Rhylix’s dagger hit the forest floor with a thud while his mouth worked, but nothing emerged from it. Meanwhile, Ren took a step toward him, which only had him retreating.

“No,” he managed to say. “No, you’re dead. That’s the way it works. My family never survives, and it’s always my fault.”

What was that supposed to mean?

But then, a tree stopped Rhylix’s backward march, and Ren caught up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He stiffened, but ever so slowly, panic receded, and he returned his sister’s embrace with his breath hitching. Burying his face in her hair, he took a deep breath before his shoulders started shaking.

As quietly as I could, I backed off, hoping to give the two space. Leaning against a tree trunk, I closed my eyes while tapping my finger on my thigh.

I understood why Rhylix needed a moment. Who wouldn’t after reuniting with a sibling you’d thought long dead, one who’s death you’d blamed yourself for? Even still, I’d like to get Rhylix to a healer, preferably before he needed one.

Sliding to the forest floor, I cast that thought aside. I’d put this time to good use, even if what I had in mind for filling it was something I’d rather not do.

Dim? I said. Wherever you’re hiding, you can come out now. We should talk.

On manifesting, the splinter sat cross-legged in front of me, playing with the cuff of their trousers’ leg.

Where were you? I said.

“You sent me away when you ran from her,” Dim grumbled. “And after that… I know what you want to talk about. I don’t want to do it.”

Sighing, I crossed my arms.

We’ll have to eventually, I said.

“I know,” Dim said.

After waiting a moment, I lifted an eyebrow.

So?

“So,” Dim said before rubbing their face. “So, your piece of Order doesn’t exist anymore, as I’m sure you’ve surmised. That asshole, Teron, destroyed Bright with Lighteater.”

Lighteater’s the sword that he had, yes? I asked and when Dim nodded. How can a sword destroy a splinter?

“That’s… complicated.”

Growling, Dim leaned back on their hands, looking up at the barely visible stars.

“Lighteater was forged eons ago,” they said. “When this happened, purified tendrils of my whole were folded into the blade. Now, other forms of the whole, like the energy that you can access, can de-summon enemy pieces, but what’s in Lighteater can utterly obliterate them. It and Shadowsteal are the only weapons in reality that can kill the enemy’s ‘splinters’, as you call us.”

Well, ok. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of the primeancy side of my life, something like this came along. There was one problem with what Dim had said, though.

Bright’s not completely gone, though, I said. They showed up when I was fighting Ren. Helped get her off of me, in fact.

Dim lowered their head so fast that if they'd been in the physical plane, their neck would have snapped.

“What?” they said, although they’d sounded creepily empty.

You didn’t see them? I said. No. I’d sent you away, like you said.

Shrugging, I spread my hands.

What can I say? They sounded just like Bright, felt like them when I accessed Ele. I don’t know what to think, though, because they won’t show themselves now. It’s like they’ve been wiped out again.

Between blinks, Dim went from sitting in front of me to standing as far from me as they could get.

“That shouldn’t be possible,” they said.

Making a face, I opened my mouth to comment on the many impossible things that had happened to me recently when someone stopped at my side, making me jump.

“Rhy, why does your friend have one of them hanging around?” Ren asked with a hand on her weapon’s hilt.

“Who, Dim?” Rhylix called from behind the tree. “Don’t worry about it. It’s harmless.”

Broken from what had held them captive, Dim bristled, which rocked Ren back a step.

Keeping her eyes on the splinter, she said, “I’ve never heard of a ‘Dim’ part of Daevetch.”

Glancing between her and the splinter, I frowned at Ren.

“You can see them?” I asked. “Are you a primeancer too?”

Seemed safe to say that taboo word if she could see Dim.

“Ha! No,” Ren said.

But she relaxed minutely.

“My sister can see splinters, but that probably has something to do with growing up around one,” Rhylix said. “And Ren? Dim is what Raimie calls his splinter. I find it an apt description of its affinity and its intelligence.”

Seething now, Dim muttered, “If you weren’t Raimie’s friend, oo…”

They took a calming breath.

“I take offense to that,” they shouted.

“I don’t care,” Rhylix sang.

“Ok. That’s it,” Dim growled, stalking toward Rhylix. “I swear to me, I’m doing what I can to meet you halfway, you prissy little-”

They disappeared, leaving me gaping at where they’d been standing. I’d been wishing that they’d go away, well aware that after getting so riled up, Dim would need time to cool off, but I hadn’t expected anything to come of it.

“Um.”

Glancing at me, Ren pointed at the spot I was fixated on.

“Did you just send it away?” she asked.

“Maybe? I’m not sure,” I said. “Hell, they’ll be pissed when they come back.”

“Then, don’t ask for it to come back,” Rhylix called.

Rolling my eyes, I walked my hands along the tree while getting to my feet.

“If you call it Dim, which aspect is it part of?” Ren asked.

“Raimie, no!”

“Dim’s a Chaos splinter,” I said.

As Rhylix groaned, slapping flesh against flesh, I scowled in his general direction. Why hadn’t he wanted me to share that fact?

I got my answer when Ren retreated from me with her weapons half-drawn.

“It’s what?” she squeaked. “Isn’t Chaos one of the more powerful-?”

“Yes! Yes, it is!” Rhylix growled. “Good gods, stop! Both of you, come help with the fire. Hell, Ren. He’s my friend, and besides, now that you know he’s not a Kiraak, don’t you have something to say?”

Gritting her teeth, Ren released her hold on her weapons before bowing with great exaggeration.

“I’m sorry for attacking you,” she said, “although with how you were acting, you were asking for it.”

“Did Rhy get a pathetic apology too, or does your relationship with him excuse you from ‘shooting him through the heart’?” I snapped.

Sneering at me, Ren turned on her heel to join her brother, and after trying to strangle the air, I joined them, finding Rhylix in the middle of building a fire.

Crossing my arms, I said, “I though you needed a healer.”

“Ren took a look at the wound. She said it’s not as serious as I thought,” Rhylix said while using flint to start a fire. “I’ll be fine.”

“I did what?” Ren said.

As Rhylix shot her a cautioning glare, a suspicion, buried beneath the drama of the last hour, raised its head again.

“Uh-huh,” I said. “Perhaps you remember a conversation where I said that I don’t care if you have secrets? All that bothers me if you try to hide them from me. Yeah, I’m getting the same feeling now that I did then.”

With a long sigh, Rhylix slumped.

“Please, just help me light the damn fire, Raimie,” he said.

Gods, he looked exhausted, but then, it had been a long day for him, one as hectic as mine. I could give my friend a break for tonight. In the morning, he had a lot of questions to answer but for tonight…

Crouching beside my friend, I extended a hand for the flint and within seconds, had sparked a fire. While I fed it a healthy diet of twigs, Ren settled opposite us.

“Is a fire such a good idea?” I asked. “Earlier, you were scolding me about keeping quiet, and now, we have a merrily crackling flame to announce our presence. Seems contradictory.”

Ren shifted her gaze to her brother before speaking.

“I find the risk minimal now,” she said. “With our numbers, we can fight off anyone who attacks us, and at night, camping beside the sea can get dangerously chilly.”

“Ok…”

Digging in her pockets, Ren said, “I’ll bet you two are hungry. I don’t have much but…”

She tossed us strips of dried meat, which like she’d said, wasn’t much, but I descended upon it like a starved animal anyway. Finished well before the others, I watched them eat for a while before shooting to my feet.

“I’ll keep watch,” I said, jerking a thumb over my shoulder.

I wasn’t sure why they were making me uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the easy, unspoken companionship I saw between them, even after their years apart. It spoke to the lack of anything similar in my life, and for some reason, that lack grated on me tonight, more so than normal.

Settling into a tree’s hollow, I stretched my senses into this shadowed forest, listening to its stillness.

So, this was the land I was meant to save, was it?

What an awful place. I missed home.

Chapter 75: Reuniting with Her

Rhylix

I've even attempted suicide as my desperation has increased.

She was alive. Even as I watched her finish her meal across from me, I couldn’t quite believe it. All these years, I’d thought her dead, another victim of the Kiraak and… me, but she wasn’t.

I was curious if Creation had known she’d survived, but summoning them didn’t seem like a good idea. Not only did they and Ren have a rocky relationship, but I’d rather not lose my temper with the nuisance right now.

Not when I was so light inside that I might float away. Gods, when was the last time I’d been so free of the guilt and self-loathing ever hovering over me? I looked at my sister and couldn’t quite believe she was here because…

“How are you alive?” I said.

Pausing in licking her fingers, Ren grinned.

“I made new friends,” she said. “What about you?”

With a small smile, I said, “I did as you told me. Ran far away.”

“Since when have you done as you’re told?” Ren said, crossing her arms.

“Since when have you been good at making friends?”

Ren raised a finger to object before blowing hair out of her eyes, which quickly had us dissolving into snickers.

Wiping my eyes, I said, “You’ve gotten pretty good at dodging questions.”

“Thank you!” Ren said. “I learned from the best.”

When she smirked at me, I rolled my eyes before falling into the grass, listening to the signature quiet of the Cerrin Forest. Nothing but trouble had dogged me since I’d dragged Raimie out of the sea, but even still, it was good to be home. I’d been away from this land for longer than usual this time, as evidenced by how many arrows had pin-cushioned me earlier, and in that time, I’d forgotten how much I missed it.

What could I say? Something about it just called to my essence.

“Your friend fell asleep,” Ren said. “He said he’d keep the watch and fell asleep instead!”

With a fond smile, I closed my own eyes, resting them for a moment.

I wasn’t sure what was going on between my sister and Raimie. In the past, I could judge how much she liked someone by how much hostility existed between them, but years had passed since then, and she’d grown up.

“I know,” I said. “I heard his breathing rate transition to a sleep rhythm a while ago.”

“Then, why aren’t you scolding him for failing in his watch?” Ren snapped.

Ah, yes. That oddity of this land’s people. Hell, Raimie and the others had quite the adjustment to look forward to.

“Raimie wasn’t volunteering to take the watch. He was probably uncomfortable, using it as an excuse to give us space,” I said. “Compared to us, he’s lived a sheltered life. He doesn’t yet understand how important the watch is.”

While Ren digested this, I let my arms fall to either side before cracking my eyes open. Even partially concealed by the forest’s canopy, a familiar configuration of stars shone down on me, and like I’d done in my youth, I marveled at their splendor, trying and failing to count them.

“Who is he, then?” Ren asked, breaking the spell. “Is he the friend? The one you were waiting for in the fairy tales you told when we were kids?”

Wincing, I said, “I should never have shared my story. It doesn’t end well for anyone who hears it.”

“Well, I’m fine. Maybe there are exceptions to your perpetual expectations of doom and gloom,” Ren said. “So, spill it. Who is he?”

Sitting up, I crossed my legs.

“He’s my ally, the one who’ll get me close enough to do my job, yes,” I said, “but he’s also my friend. Really, truly my friend.”

“But… you don’t have friends,” Ren said.

I shrugged in response. What else was I supposed to say?

When it became clear that she’d get nothing further without prompting me, Ren said, “So, where did you find your friend? Was it in the same place you’ve lived for this whole time?”

This conversation wasn’t going in a direction I was comfortable wandering into. Not yet.

“It wasn’t the same place,” I said, “but we lived near one another for a time.”

“And where was that?” Ren asked. “Was it far from here?”

Damnit, Ren.

“Yes, it was very far away,” I said.

For a moment, Ren stared at me, unmoving. It made my skin prickle.

“Brother, don’t forget that we grew up together. I know how to make you talk,” she eventually said. “We may have gotten older, but I’m sure I can once more find the spots that made you scream with laughter before. Don’t make me experiment until I do.”

When I said nothing, hoping she was bluffing, Ren got halfway off of the ground before I thrust my hand out.

“That… won’t be necessary,” I said.

With a smug smile, Ren dropped into the grass.

“Good,” she said. “Now, talk!”

Sighing, I said, “I’ve been to a lot of places since… that day, but I ended up in a city called Allanovian.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Ren said, cocking her head.

“That’s because…”

Groaning, I rubbed my face.

“Allanovian’s not in Auden.”

With her breath catching, Ren widened her eyes to an alarming degree.

“You mean…?”

“I crossed the sea to the land on the other side,” I said, “but trust me when I say that it’s not the paradise we always dreamed of. Not even close.”

Deflating, Ren stared at her hands for a moment before swinging her gaze toward where Raimie was sleeping.

“That’s why you said he’s had a sheltered life,” she said.

And this was another step in a direction I didn’t want to take.

“Yes,” I said, hoping that would be enough.

But Ren looked at me with bright eyes, and I knew it wouldn’t be.

“Tell me about him,” she said.

See?

“I don’t know much about Raimie from before we met,” I said. “Apparently, he and his family lived in the middle of nowhere for years, but during our journey to get here, I saw things that have led me to believe this may not have been the case, although I’m not sure how that could be. Raimie says he was born in a forest on the border of Ratchav and Ada’ir, two kingdoms across the sea, and I’ve never seen any reason to doubt that in him, but… I don’t know. Those are just speculations.”

Maybe said speculations would throw Ren off.

“Interesting,” she said. “How did you two come to meet, then?”

Well, that hadn’t worked.

“He was taken from his home. Nearly died during the incident,” I said. “Fortunately, I was there to save his life.”

Ren snapped her eyes to slits. Hell. She knew I was keeping something from her. It had taken her long enough to figure it out.

“And why were you there?” she growled.

Slumping, I said, “Because I was drawn there, both by him and- and another primeancer. Teron, to be exact.”

At that, Ren just blinked at me for a moment.

“Teron. The Enforcer for this region of Auden,” she said and when I nodded. “Why was Doldimar’s top Enforcer with your ally, Rhy?”

Pulling in on myself, I said, “He was trying to kill Raimie.”

“…Because?”

Godsdamnit, Ren.

“Because Raimie found Shadowsteal, all right?” I snapped. “Why the hell else would Teron leave Auden?”

After a beat, nervous giggling filled the space between us.

“You’re joking, right?” Ren said.

With a long sigh, I said, “It’s not a joke.”

Ren’s giggling cut off.

“You’re serious,” she said. “But… but that means he’s one of them! And you’re friends with him?”

Jumping to her feet, she took a step toward Raimie with her hand on the hilt of her eshvik, and if I hadn’t known my sister better—or thought I did, at least—I might have scrambled to my feet to stop her.

As it was, I folded my hands in my lap.

“I thought you’d be the last person to judge someone for their heritage,” I said. “When we were younger, you always hated how often people excluded you.”

“That’s different!” Ren hissed. “Because of mom and dad, another half-Eselan was born into the world.”

She jabbed at herself with a thumb before pointing toward Raimie.

“His family let countless people suffer and die!”

“And Raimie’s to blame for what they did?” I said. “As far as I’m aware, he’s never harmed a single person who didn’t deserve it. The night he first took someone’s life, he came to my clinic, drunk off his ass, and cried himself to sleep, it disturbed him so much.”

Ren had lowered her hand from her weapons, turning to face me, and certain I had her attention, I continued with something I’d been rehearsing for the last few weeks.

“Getting to know him as I have, I know that if Raimie had been king when Doldimar rose to power, that evil bastard would never have conquered Auden. He wouldn’t have let his allies fall, and he most certainly wouldn’t have let the Dark Lord into his domain. He can’t help it that the coward holding the throne at the time was his ancestor.”

Plopping beside the dying fire, Ren crossed her arms.

“I suppose I can judge him for myself before deciding whether to end him, then,” she said.

“That would be wise of you,” I said with a slight smile. “I’d hate to bring my own sister down.”

“What makes you think you could?” Ren said, smirking. “It’s been sixteen years, and I’ve been here while you’ve been relaxing on the other side of the sea. You may have always won our fights when we were kids, but do you really think you can take me after all these years?”

I’d stopped paying attention to her, though. With my eyes fixed on the darkness around us, I extended a hand to Ren.

“Can I borrow a blade?” I said.

Ren was already offering me the short sword strapped to her back.

“It’s the only extra weapon I have. Sorry,” she said. “You heard it too?”

“Mmhmm. A while ago,” I said. “I was hoping they’d be smart enough to find easier prey.”

Rocking to my feet, I swung Ren’s blade before making a face. Its weight and reach were wildly different from my typical sword and dagger combination, but I’d adjust accordingly. I was a child of Auden, after all. Adapting was what we did.

“How unlucky for them that they weren’t,” Ren said. “Does your friend know how to fight?”

“He’s getting there, but there’s no reason to wake him up,” I said. “I only count four. You?”

“The same.”

On her feet, Ren kicked dirt over the fire before pressing her back to mine, joining me in scanning the trees.

It didn’t take long for the enemy to emerge from cover, encircling Ren and I with many a sneer. In the limited moonlight, I could barely make out the black lines crisscrossing their bodies, which had me fiercely grinning.

Finally. I wouldn’t have to hold back.

“Where’s the fourth one?” Ren said. “I lost track of them a few minutes ago.”

“He’s watching us from between the trees,” I said.

At that, two of the enemy hissed while the woman among them beamed.

“Esela!” she shouted. “Maybe we’ll get to eat tonight, boys.”

As the fourth of them ambled toward his comrades, Ren nudged me.

“How many do you want?” she asked.

“I want all of them, but I also don’t want to leave you out of the fun,” I said. “So, let’s split. Fifty-fifty, yes?”

“Sounds good.”

“Aw, would you look at that?” the woman cooed. “They think they can take us.”

Lowering her weapon, she turned to the man beside her.

“We should end this quickly so-”

With a flash of light, the woman’s head tumbled from her shoulders.

Never let it be said that Kiraak had bad reaction times. As soon as I’d pulled from Ele, they’d rushed the ‘weakest’ of their prey.

What a mistake.

Ren met them with a laugh, dancing between their attacks. Landing blows on two of them, she let the third sprint into the woods, leaving him for me to handle.

I, however, delayed in doing that. Not only would that Kiraak be easy to track, but my sister was putting on quite the show.

Flinging a knife into one enemy’s eyes, Ren leaned away from the other one’s slash at her abdomen, following up with a swing that removed several of his fingers. Roaring, the first Kiraak yanked the knife out of his eye before throwing it back at its owner. As he charged after it, Ren snatched the knife out of the air, bending under the poor man’s sword before swinging at his ankles. He collapsed to his knees while she faced her second opponent.

Clutching at his fingers’ stumps, he spit at her feet, and glancing at this with distaste, Ren tossed her recently caught knife into his open mouth. Choking, he clawed at it, and this last display had me smiling despite myself. These Kiraak couldn’t help what they’d become but even still…

“Stop playing with them, Ren,” I said.

Rolling her eyes, Ren groaned, “Fiiine…”

Lifting the sword, she twice hacked it through the choking man’s neck before doing the same to the second one. Not once had she touched her favored weapons, her eshvik hanging at her hips.

“What happened to your second plaything?” she asked while cleaning her blades.

“He’s running back to his masters, which is what I wanted. Gods. Do you think I’m an amateur?” I said with a huff. “My allies have no idea what to expect here, what with the decades-long communications blockade. I plan to remedy that, and considering I’ll get a more complete picture from the enemy rather than your friends, I’ll track our escaped Kiraak to his handlers, where I can get answers.”

With a dubious look, Ren said, “Are you sure that you should follow him, given your injuries? You say that you’re fine, but I know what I saw. My arrow came close to piercing your heart.”

Came close. Ha.

“If that were true, I wouldn’t be breathing right now, would I?”

Kneeling beside the dead woman, I inspected her weapons, hoping to replenish my own.

“Besides, don’t you remember how little I was hurt while growing up? Did I ever need a healer then?”

Taking the Kiraak’s sword, I tested its edge against my thumb, wincing when it broke the skin.

“No,” Ren said.

Giving her a significant glance, I hung the sword from my belt before moving to the downed men.

“I’ll be fine,” I said while retrieving another dagger. “Can I borrow some throwing knives?”

After she handed me a few, I shrugged off my cloak, unstrapping Silverblade’s scabbard from where it had rested between my shoulder blades.

“Will you give this to Raimie when he wakes up?” I asked, extending it to her.

Snorting, Ren said, “I’m sorry. What makes you that I’m staying here? I’m coming with you. Someone has to watch your back.”

“I don’t need that,” I said. “I need you to escort Raimie to his people.”

Swallowing hard, I lifted my gaze to the stars above.

“I shouldn’t ask this or anything else of you. When I ran away, I failed you and our family. I left you to die.”

With great difficulty, I met my sister’s eyes.

“I’m asking this favor because I have no one else.”

Wrinkling her nose, Ren snatched the scabbard from me.

“What should I tell him when he wakes up?” she snapped.

“The truth.”

Which was more than I’d given Raimie today. As I stripped off my salt-crusted tunic, Ren turned her back to me, and I hastily scavenged armor pieces from the dead Kiraak.

“I don’t like this,” Ren said. “I just got you back. What if…? I was looking forward to introducing you to my family.”

“And I look forward to meeting them,” I said as I pulled my cloak back on.

After a brief pause, Ren clicked her tongue.

“I don’t know if I can keep a soft human safe,” she said.

“You’ll do fine,” I said, chuckling.

While passing her, I hugged her head to my chest, kissing the top of it.

“I’ll be back in a couple of days,” I said. “I’d appreciate it if you left me markers.”

“Of course I’ll do that, you dumbass,” Ren said, hugging herself.

Hell, she’d sounded stressed.

Tugging her hands into mine, I said, “Hey. I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. We survived sixteen years apart and with no one watching our backs. We can make it for another couple of days.”

Hooking my finger under her chin, I nudged her head up.

“And once I’m back, you can tell me about your new family and the many adventures you’ve had since we last saw each other. Maybe you can teach me any new combat forms you’ve learned while I’ve been gone.”

Smacking my hand away, Ren laughed.

“Like you don’t already know them,” she said. “Get out of here, Rhy. I’ll see you soon.”

With a salute, I drew from Ele before leaping in the direction that the last Kiraak had fled in.

Leaving Raimie with Ren made me cringe. I knew she could take care of him. That wasn’t the problem.

I’d lied about why I’d left this Kiraak alive. Gathering information for the war effort was a happy side benefit, but it hadn’t been my primary purpose.

I needed to get away from Raimie for a little while. In a single day, he’d come far too close to a truth that I must keep hidden, but now that he’d smelled a mystery in me like a shark would with blood, he’d circle and poke at it until it was solved. I wasn’t ready for my secrets to be laid bare.

So, I ran away, hoping that time and distance would cool off his curiosity. It was foolish, and I knew it, but what else was I to do?

Rather than thinking about it, I focused on tracking my prey, grateful for the distraction.

Chapter 76: Half of My Soul

Raimie

“We need to talk,” I said.

Nylion and I had nearly reached the top of the well with only a small stretch of wall left between us and freedom. Or whatever the next step in this quest would be, I supposed.

“It cannot wait until we are no longer hanging from this numbing stuff?” Nylion grunted, hauling himself up a little further.

“It could,” I said, “but who knows what’ll happen once we’re out? I’d like to get a few things off my chest before we head into that unknown.”

“Ah.”

Nylion was silent for a moment, hanging in place, before continuing with his climb.

“Go ahead, then.”

I wasn’t sure where to start, though. Could I outright say what I wanted to without Nylion reacting poorly? Instead, maybe I should see what he thought about it first.

“Um… this might be a weird question,” I said.

Glancing down at me, Nylion said, “Ok…?”

Swallowing hard, I focused on where my fingers had sunk into black gunk.

“When we touch in whatever way,” I said, “does it feel… different to you?”

Hell, why was I asking my imaginary friend how he felt? Nylion didn’t have real feelings.

Even still, I was desperate to know. When we were near one another, was an emptiness in him filled, the same as it was for me?

“A vacancy at my core is banished, and I am whole,” Nylion quietly said. “When you touch me, I am as close to who I am meant to be as I can get right now.”

With my mouth drying, I jerked my head to the shadows under my imaginary friend’s hood. How had he known the exact words to describe what was always eating at me?

“Why do you ask?” he said.

“Because… that’s how I feel,” I hoarsely said, “and I don’t know why.”

For some reason, this had Nylion pressing his forehead into the wall.

“I see,” he said.

But his voice had been so brittle. Before I could ask how I’d upset my friend, Nylion scrambled to get up the wall.

“Do you have other concerns you want to address, or is this the only one?” he said.

That one wasn’t enough?

“Nyl, you don’t understand,” I said. “That emptiness you were describing? I’ve had it for my whole life. Why is that ravenous ache only satisfied with you? And hell. Why are you at the center of my nightmares? Why has the truth about my nightmares and about you been revealed so slowly and in such a frustrating way? Why now?”

“Well…”

Grunting, Nylion slung his arm up to grip the well’s lip.

“I cannot answer most of those questions,” he said, “but for the one I can help you with…”

Flexing, he pulled himself over the edge before peeking down at me.

“Come up here, and learn the answer.”

He disappeared, leaving me muttering curses under my breath. When I eventually reached the top, though, Nylion was there to help me roll onto the surface, although he quickly retracted his hold on me. As soon as my foot passed through its apex, the hole in the ground contracted until no evidence that it had existed remained.

Rolling onto my back, I stared at a blank, gray sky while kneading my arms. After so long with it present, the lack of numbness, once jumping down my arms, felt weird.

I’d dragged myself to the top for a reason, though.

Sitting up, I looked for Nylion, but as I did, my head’s swivel was stopped by hands on either side of my face, holding me in place.

That was fine, though. The object of my search was sitting across from me.

Beneath the hood, my friend’s lips were tight with worry.

“Please, heart of my heart,” he said. “REMEMBER.”

That one word reverberated around me, and from the corner of my eye, I watched the oily blackness that had always filled my nightmares crumble away. I didn’t get to see what was revealed, however, because Nylion brushed his fingers against my temples, setting something shaking in me.

And I remembered.

I remembered playing in the forest with a little boy. That same boy listened as I spoke of my woes, but this wasn’t a stranger, a person whose features had been blurred.

This was someone as familiar to me as my own skin. This was home. This was a kindred soul who’d been with me for as long as I could remember. This was…

With a cry, I scurried backward while blinking away the feeling of having acid tossed in my eyes.

“Nooo…” I whined with my shoulders heaving. “How could I-? NO! You protected me and I…”

Slowly, Nylion cocked his head.

“I am… confused,” he said. “Why are you upset? I always protect you. It is… It is WHAT I DO.”

But I was only concerned with the cloth draped over Nylion’s head. That damn hood! Too long had it hidden the man beneath, and I was sick of it.

So, I got to my knees, shuffling forward until I was a breath from Nylion, and half-expecting that he’d stop me, I raised trembling hands, nudging the hood back. It fell away, and from beneath it, my own face stared back at me, although this one was horribly bruised and those eyes! There was such terror in them.

“Nyl,” I said, hovering my hands over his skin. “My other half. I’m so sorry that I forgot you.”

With a tremulous smile, Nylion said, “You are not to blame. A binding spell, one intended to lock us from one another, was cast on us. I am glad you had the strength of will to break it.”

“Still…”

Whatever hesitancy had existed in Nylion vanished at this sign of my regret, pulling his beaten face into determined lines. He nuzzled my hand, perhaps intending to comfort me, but instead, it brought along something unexpected.

Nylion touched me and…

A jagged shard slotted into place. An aching emptiness was filled. An ever-present sense of loss found what had been missing and oh. What that did to me… to Nylion… to us both.

“I-”

“I-”

“We… WE are whole.”

A beat of silence passed, and then, Nylion tackled me, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

“Heart of my heart,” he sobbed. “Oh… heart of my heart.”

He kept repeating this while I clung to him, gasping my own mantra.

“I’m sorry. Please, don’t leave. Gods, I missed you so much.”

Slowly, each of us fell into ourselves, and while Nylion seemed content with the arrangement we’d found ourselves in, I stiffened. Even though I needed to push Nylion off of me, I didn’t do it, unsure how he would receive that seeming rejection.

Fortunately, he quickly rolled to the ground beside me, joining me in staring at a sky that didn’t look like a sky. It was much too gray, even more so than what was seen on the cloudiest of days.

Hesitantly, I sat up, glancing around this next layer of my nightmare realm. On all sides, the only thing I saw was gray: gray ground and gray sky and gray clouds. The differentiation in their shade might determine where the horizon lay, but the only color I could find here was in Nylion and…

“Is that… a vampire?” I said.

“Hmm?”

Lazily, Nylion rocked his head from side to side as if searching for something, and when I pointed, his eyes landed on what marred the join of the sky to the ground.

“Looks like it,” he said. “Wonder how it got here. I never liked those stories growing…”

Falling silent, he squinted at the vampire before sitting upright with a gasp.

“What is it?” I asked.

Never removing his gaze from the vampire, Nylion said, “The chest beside that monster. Do you see it?”

Tearing my eyes off of his unnerving look of fixation, I checked and…

“Yes, I see it,” I drawled. “Why?”

Spinning to me, Nylion grabbed my shoulders, and I fought to listen instead of falling into the bliss of union that I’d once more found.

“Our memories are in there,” Nylion growled.

After blankly blinking for a moment, I said, “Memories?”

Hissing, Nylion looked away from me.

“Yes,” he said. “From what I can tell, everything about who did this to us is in that chest. Unless you think you forgot me by ordinary means?”

With the reminder of my natural state recurring at each of Nylion’s touches, I found his proposed scenario incredibly unlikely. How could I forget this?

“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why would anyone do this to us? It’s…”

Glancing at me, Nylion said, “Barbaric?”

Mutely, I nodded. Whoever had cast Nylion’s mentioned spell had torn our essence in two, violating us in the deepest of senses, and that…

Gods. I might be sick.

“Do not let your mind wander too far into the past, heart of my heart,” Nylion said, “otherwise, we might never recover our memories or get our vengeance for this wrong.”

He was right. Taking a deep breath, I shook myself.

“How do we do that, though?” I asked. “If we follow the same logic as the last two steps, I’d assume that reaching our goal will involve opening that chest.”

“Probably,” Nylion said, “although I am a little lost as to how we will do it.”

Cocking my head, I narrowed my eyes at the vampire.

“Maybe the monster has a key for us, although I don’t know how we’re supposed to fight it,” I say. “I’d be surprised if it’s friendly, though. Most of their stories don’t portray them as the kindest of creatures. I wonder why the spellcaster chose such a mythical creature to guard our memories.”

Barking a laugh, Nylion said, “I doubt they did. Have you not noticed that everything in this place is your creation? Being tied down in the well was your projection, although this latest stage is similar to our mindspace from when we were children.”

Huh. I hadn’t noticed it, but again, Nylion was right.

“Thanks ever so much, subconscious,” I said. “So? Are we meant to fight the vampire?”

“Even if that is the intended course of action, we should not follow it like blind sheep. We should be smart about this,” Nylion said. “I propose that we try something sneakier. One of us should distract the vampire, preferably you since you summoned it, while the other one picks the lock on the chest.”

Jerking toward Nylion, I leaned away.

“You know how to pick a lock?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, no. Not anymore. Many of my skills have withered while waiting for you,” Nylion said. “You will have to learn the skill in the waking world before we can move on.”

The waking world…

Petrified in heart and mind, I licked my lips while swimming through my scattered thoughts.

“But… that would mean leaving you,” I said. “I CAN’T-”

Sipping at the air, I rubbed at my burning eyes.

“I can’t forget you again, Nyl. I can’t lose this.”

Blindly, I reached out for my other half, and he obligingly twined our fingers together, making us gasp at another taste of what had been long lost.

“I do not think you will,” Nylion eventually said. “If I am right, you should remember me, even in the waking world. From what you have told me, knowledge of me has been hovering at the edge of your awareness for a while. This—”

He waved at the gray landscape.

“—should be the push needed to break me through this gods-awful part of the spell.”

“You’re not sure about that, though,” I said.

With his lips pulled thin, Nylion took my other hand, squeezing it.

“You will have to leave here eventually, as sleeping forever is not an option. You must keep our body alive,” Nylion said with a wry smile. “I know how terrifying you find the prospect of waking up. I feel that fear too, yours and mine. But you must do it. I will be right here, waiting for you, either way.”

Biting my lip, I leaned forward, resting my forehead on Nylion’s.

“I…”

Scared. I was so fucking scared. I didn’t want to be torn apart again.

“I know,” Nylion said, rubbing the top of my head, “but you must go, and we will hope that you remember. All we can do is hope.”

Chapter 77: Back to Real Life

Raimie

With a start, I woke to the forest’s quiet. Sitting up, I gradually recalled where I was and what had happened last night. In a bit, I should find Rhylix and Ren, but for now, I wanted to sit and enjoy this sense of peace, one that was complemented by my surroundings.

How could a forest be this still? Back home, even when Nylion and I had gone exploring, birdsong and leaves had stirred in the fitful breeze, breaking the quiet. This place had none of that, just an unnatural stillness that was unnerving and beautiful in its own way.

Leaning back on my hands, I heaved a sigh before freezing solid. Had I-?

Holy shit. I had! Fighting a closing throat, I circled burgeoning knowledge until I was close enough to touch it.

And for the first time in nine years, I remembered who I was.

One of two, a half of a whole, Nylion and I were the same person but different in personality. I was… well, me, and Nylion was our quiet protector, contentedly waiting behind our eyes to save us.

While this epiphany was as much of a relief here as it had been in my nightmare realm, now that I was awake, I also found it disconcerting. On the one hand, I’d lived alone in my head for nine years, and in that time, I’d learned to appreciate the solitude of a seemingly natural state.

On the other hand, remembering Nylion was like coming home to warm companionship after a long winter in the cold.

I chose to focus on that while reaching deep inside of myself.

Are you there? I asked.

And from within, wellbeing and joy flowed forth to fill every part of me. Shuddering, I turned boneless, thumping into the fallen leaves. I slapped my hands over my mouth, covering my ragged gasps as tears streamed from my eyes.

Nyl… this isn’t quite perfect, I know. I don’t remember what it was like before, but even still, I said. I- no. WE can communicate here now. That’s something.

Hell, if abandoning the singular, if only for a moment, hadn’t felt amazing. I’d never noticed how much ‘I’ and ‘me’ had bothered me until I’d learned that I didn’t have to use them.

As amusement echoed from Nylion, I wiped my face clean, sitting up. Much as fully reuniting with my other half was life-altering, blissful, the end of the conflict that had eaten away at everything for the last nine years, I could only sit here, reveling in it, for so long. As in all things, life moved on, and because of that, I should go looking for the similarly reunited siblings.

Huh. Interesting that both such circumstances had happened within the same day.

When I made my way to their encampment, however, neither of them was there. Frowning, I crouched, hovering my hands over an extinguished fire. A scuffle had recently taken place here.

As I followed a set of tracks away from it, I called, “Rhy? Ren?”

No one responded, not that I’d expected them to. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but it didn’t worry me. From what I knew of him, Rhylix had probably survived this attack.

Unless his injury, the one I was suspicious as hell of, had caused a problem.

“Anyone?” I called again.

I was about to ask for Dim, hoping they’d help me scout, when Ren appeared from nowhere, plastering her hands over my mouth.

“Why are you announcing our presence to the entire Cerrin Forest?” she hissed.

At her touch, something reached into my core, paralyzing me, and I could do nothing more than stare while she cocked her head as if listening. After a moment, she nodded, pulling her hands off of me, and I suppressed the trembling that had taken hold of my extremities.

“Well?” Ren snapped.

“I’m sorry. I saw there was a fight,” I said. “Why didn’t either of you wake me up for it?”

“We shouldn’t have had to,” Ren said. “Taking the watch includes a promise that you’ll stay awake long enough to keep it.”

Sneering, she shoved something into my chest before stalking off. I barely maintained my hold on this, keeping it off of the forest floor, and when I could examine what it was, I blanched. Hurrying after Ren, I extended Silverblade’s scabbard toward her.

“Why do you have this?” I asked. “Where’s Rhylix?”

“Gone,” Ren snapped. “Off gathering intel for your war effort.”

That sounded like Rhylix. Of course he’d run off for something like that. Could he have also been running away from me, avoiding the explanation he’d promised me?

Making a face, I shook my head. Months ago, I’d decided that I’d trust my friend. Why would I suspect anything malicious from him?

As Ren gathered things from the encampment, I asked, “So, what happened last night? I see evidence of a struggle but…”

“Four Kiraak attacked us,” Ren said. “Rhy and I took care of it.”

I glanced over the campsite, crossing my arms.

“Then, where are the bodies?” I asked. “Unless… are Kiraak incorporeal?”

It seemed like a legitimate question, considering I knew nothing about these mysterious enemies, but from Ren’s derisive snort, I gathered that it might have been more foolish than I’d thought.

“Incorporeal,” she said, shaking her head. “No. I moved the bodies. Wasn’t sure how you’d handle them.”

With an eye twitching, I said, Well. That was mildly insulting.

Something that might have been laughter burbled inside of me, which was enough to soothe my hurt feelings, but then, Ren turned on me.

“Rhy claimed you’re not from Auden,” she said. “Is that true?”

He’d told her that?

Of course he had. She was his sister. That didn’t mean, however, that I was ready to share my secrets.

Gods, I wished I could call on Dim right now. Their ability to detect ill will in others had been of enormous help recently, but if I asked for them now, Ren would see them, which she wouldn’t take well. I’d have to rely on my own judgment.

“That’s right. I’m from Ada’ir,” I said. “Why?”

“Just trying to decide which direction to head in,” Ren said, unsheathing a knife. “If you’re from across the sea, you and your people came here in boats. There’s only one cove nearby where they could have made landfall, so we’ll go that way.”

Approaching a tree, she scored a mark in it, all while I watched, before striding into the trees. I followed, keeping my mouth shut until she marked another tree. She was leaving signs for her brother.

“So. How long will reaching this cove take?” I asked.

“Several hours,” Ren said. “Will that be a problem?”

Hell, she had such scorn for me.

“No, of course not,” I said. “I just wanted to know.”

“And I want to travel in silence,” Ren said, pointing her knife at me.

Gulping, I lifted my hands. I’d faced down a queen who’d thought I was a rebel and a monster with battle magic, but something about this woman intimidated me, even as it stirred my curiosity. She was confident and poised, spurning masks, but at the same time, she’d shown competency with violence, which made me certain I didn’t want her as an enemy.

What do you think of her, Nyl? I asked.

Cautious intrigue welled up in me, nearly matching my assessment, and I smiled at the proof that our opinions still aligned.

As I followed Ren through the forest, I found that Rhylix’s claim from yesterday was true. In the light of day, I did like what I saw of Auden, even if it was only a sample of a forest on the kingdom’s shore. It was much too tropical to be my forest, but even still, it was nice. Having leaves overhead was comforting, something I’d missed over the months since leaving home.

When I paid attention, even the stillness that I’d found so unnerving was broken by the occasional noise. A rare breeze rustled the leaves, coming less often than I was used to. So far as I could tell, no birds had made this place their home, but if I listened hard enough, I could hear the buzz of insect wings.

Ren set a backbreaking pace through the woods, seemingly surprised when I kept up without a problem. She had no way to know this, but I’d grown up walking through terrain like this. Picking my way over roots was second nature to me, especially when compared to dragging my legs through the tall grass of the plains or pulling my feet free of a marsh’s mud.

From what surfaced from Nylion, I gathered that my other half didn’t find it nearly as natural as I did, although I wasn’t sure why. As kids, we’d spent so much time exploring the forest. Why would this one make him uneasy?

When Ren called for a halt, I wasn’t sure who she was doing it for. I was slightly out of breath while she didn’t look the least bit tired, but when she handed me a strip of dried meat, I understood. It was time for the midday meal.

Once we’d settled on the forest floor, I cleared my throat.

“Don’t suppose you have any water to go with this, do you?” I asked.

Rolling her eyes, Ren retrieved a waterskin from her belt, and after I was finished guzzling from it, we started on our meal.

Ren finished first, and after some fidgeting, she started pacing. Good gods, she was impatient to get rid of me. In a fit of spite, I savored each bite of my flavorless meat, taking my time with it.

My willingness to hurry wasn’t helped by the pleasing picture in front of me. Wearing a loose tunic, ankle boots, and leggings, Ren walked the line between concealing her body and revealing it, which was fascinating for me.

Fortunately, that sensation was negated by the weapons on her. A bow and its quiver hung from her shoulders while various knives were strapped to her arms, and a sword and dagger, as well as two strange weapons, sat at her waist. In the light of day, I could see these odd weapons more fully, and looking at them, I wondered why someone had modified iron knuckles so that a blade had replaced what covered the wielder’s fingers.

And that face! Gods, she couldn’t hide a thought to save her life, but in a way, I found that… cute, something Nylion agreed with. That was directly contrasted by the unease I felt with every disgruntled look she sent my way, of course. She’d pulled her hair out of her face, binding it into a ponytail, and that black mane bounced with every step she took.

All in all? A nice distraction

Wait. Only black in her hair.

“Forgive me for presuming, but you are Eselan, yes? You have to be if you’re Rhy’s sister,” I said. “I shouldn’t ask you that but…”

I shrugged as Ren stopped short, turning fiery eyes on me.

“If you must know, I’m a half on both counts,” she said. “Half-Eselan: my father was human and my mother Eselan. Half-sister: I only share a mother with Rhylix. When Mativon fell, Rhylix’s father died. Our mother met my father years later.”

“I see,” I said. “I’m sorry to hear of your troubles.”

Crossing her arms, Ren glanced to the side.

“Then, you shouldn’t have asked such a sensitive question,” she said.

“Perhaps not,” I said.

And perhaps I should feel worse about discomfiting her, but she hadn’t gone out of her way to act kindly toward me. Although…

Now that I looked at it, I typically didn’t antagonize people like this. Why did I have that urge with her?

The rest of the day went by much the same as the first. Blindly following Ren through the forest, I prattled far too much at Nylion, to the point that he might have wished I’d stayed ignorant of him. In response to that thought, he sent a swell of biting petulance through me, which only made me smile.

When considering today—how easy had it been, having Nylion in my life once more?—I found myself looking at the last nine years as if through a fog. That person, wandering through his life so utterly broken? That couldn’t be me. Could it? In a way, those years feel like a separate life, even if its events weren’t all sapped of vibrancy.

As the sky turned orange and purple, the trees started thinning, and when we stepped onto a field of grass, sloping down to a mass of tents ahead, I blew out a slow breath. I hadn’t thought Ren would hurt me, but leaving my life in an unknown’s hands hadn’t sat well with me.

“Aaaand I’ve completed the favor for my brother,” Ren said. “Unless you need an escort for the rest of the journey?”

Her mocking tone soured the good mood that I’d gained over the last few hours.

“I’m good,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Wonderful! Good luck with your… whatever this is.”

Throwing a hand toward my people’s camp, Ren stalked toward the forest’s embrace, and watching her go, I found myself opening my mouth.

“Wait!” I called.

…What in the void had that been? I’d almost been done with this frustrating woman.

Stopping, Ren glanced over her shoulder, and I cleared my throat.

“Come into camp with me,” I said. “Let me get you some supplies as way of thanks. You’re running low, aren’t you?”

I wasn’t sure where I was going with this. Had my subconscious recognized an advantage in helping Ren? Had Nylion nudged me into speaking up?

When I checked, though, only bewilderment rose from my other half.

Bewilderment that Ren matched.

“All right,” she cautiously said. “I’ll never turn down an offer of free food, not from a non-Kiraak at least.”

And there was another mention of Auden’s mysterious monsters. When would someone explain what they were to me?

“Follow me, then,” I said.

As I hurried down the slope, I mulled over why I’d asked Ren to stay with me, but by the time we’d passed into camp, I had yet to decipher an explanation for it.

Things were chaotic here. Around us, soldiers were scurrying from place to place, although a few had huddled around campfires. With pots strung over the flame, they picked at their food, occasionally chatting.

I knew none of them. Besides a brief morning outside of Sev, I’d only interacted with the people stationed on the same boat as me over the last few weeks, and that group had only been a fraction of the army.

Even still, some among them knew me. Pressing their fists to their chests, they bowed, and noting this, my cheeks burned. What must Ren be thinking after observing this?

Wait. Did she know who I was? Would that be a problem here? After all, the Audish people had been living in the nightmare of Doldimar’s reign while my family had sat in comparative luxury across the sea.

At the same time, I was supposed to herald their oppressor’s end. How would they receive me?

However that turned out, I was grateful that most of the soldiers ignored me or outright stared as we passed. I understood why they did that. Ren made an impressive picture, and I was…

Hmm. What words best described me? Maybe plain?

In any case, I hoped these people’s wariness would offset any shows of respect that Ren might see.

Since I had no idea where to find provisions, I wandered through camp until I spotted a well-known face ahead.

“Give me a minute,” I said in Ren’s direction.

I barely noticed her huff of irritation behind me as I raced toward the person I'd most wanted to find here.

Chapter 78: So... I'm Not Dead

Raimie

As I approached a familiar head of hair, I stayed behind him, and I must have done it well because no one had noticed me by the time I was in position.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Hey, dad. I’m back.”

My father faced me so quickly that I was afraid he’d fall from dizziness, but before I could steady him, I was engulfed in a hug. As I raised my hands to pat his back, a spike of heated dislike flared from the depths of me before receding.

Nylion? I asked. What was that?

But I didn’t receive an answer from him. To be fair, it was probably too complicated for emotions alone to convey. I couldn’t ponder this for long, though, because my father released me, and as he did, something walloped the back of my head.

Hissing, I rubbed the impact site. Had that been one of my father’s new tics? It didn’t look like it, considering he was glaring at me with his arms crossed. Why-?

“You do not lock me in a room before running into a life-or-death fight alone,” he said. “I am your father. My job is to protect you, and when I can’t do that, I’ll help you through your difficulties. Do. not. ever. think that you should protect me.”

Wow. I’d known he’d be pissed about that, but this was a little extreme. I thought. Was it?

“Now, who’s the girl?” my father said, jerking his chin over my shoulder.

He wasn’t giving me a chance to apologize? Fine by me.

Stepping to the side, I threw a hand toward the newest person in my life.

“This is Ren,” I said. “Ren, this is my father.”

Pursing her lips, Ren looked my father over before dismissing him.

Turning to me, she said, “You said we were getting provisions, not introducing me to your family.”

“We will. I just had to…” I started before clicking my tongue. “You can’t give me a moment to handle a personal matter?”

“I did, and now, it’s over,” Ren said, crossing her arms. “Get me what you promised, or I’m leaving. Now.”

Oh, my gods. She was impossible! Once again. Why the hell had I brought her with me?

“May I ask why my son has promised you anything?” my father asked.

When Ren stared at him instead of replying, I stepped in.

“She got me safely through the forest,” I said, jerking my thumb toward distant foliage.

“So, she is Audish?” my father asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“And Rhy’s sister.”

My father’s eyes popped as he shifted them to Ren, who was drumming her fingernails on a weapon’s hilts.

“Ah. I see. That’s unexpected. I thought…” he said before shaking his head. “Where is Rhylix anyway?”

“Off scouting,” I said. “He should be back soon.”

“Maybe even before you get me my food,” Ren said under her breath.

Huffing, I turned to escort her along when a familiar voice rose above the surrounding conversations.

“Your… Ma… jes…ty!”

Great… Well, if Ren hadn’t known who I was before, that was about to change.

Stumbling to a stop, Oswin leaned on his knees, panting so hard that his hair bounced on his head. After a pause, he gulped before straightening.

“Forgive me… sir,” he gasped, “but we’ve been… looking for you. Someone… came to tell us… that you’d arrived and…”

He shrugged, and when I glanced at my father for clarification, he followed the captain’s example.

“Who’s ‘we’?” I asked.

“Oh!”

Grimacing, Oswin fanned his face, which seemed warranted given the sweat dripping from his temples.

“That would be myself, the commander, and a few others, sir,” he said. “He wants to speak with you. The commander, that is. I gather it’ll be quick.”

…Shit. Marcuset. I’d forgotten about our last conversation. Given that, I badly needed to oblige the man but…

I glanced at Ren, who looked ready to explode. Why did I still feel the need to keep her close by?

“Oswin, can I ask a favor from you?” I said.

Crinkling his brow, Oswin said, “Technically, sir, if you need me to do something, you can order me to do it, but sure. I’ll do you a favor.”

When I rested a hand on Ren’s shoulder, she bristled, but I ignored that.

“This lovely woman helped me find my way here,” I said. “Can you make sure she’s properly rewarded for that?”

Stiffening, Oswin saluted.

“Certainly, sir,” he said. “What about the commander?”

“I’ll speak with him. Don’t you worry,” I said with a chuckle. “Where is he?”

“Um.”

Glancing about, Oswin pointed, and when I caught sight of Marcuset, much closer than I’d expected, I nodded.

“Thank you.”

I didn’t wait for a reply, taking off through the soldiers around me, but I needed that speed. Not only would my father, who must remain ignorant of my primeancy, be right behind me, but I didn’t know how long it would take Oswin to get Ren her ‘reward’. Before she left, she and I should speak once more. Best to end things on a good note between us.

As I stormed toward Marcuset, something shifted on his face, but I didn’t stop to read it, assaulting him with words instead.

“About what happened on the boat-” I started.

Lifting a hand, Marcuset shook his head.

“I don’t care,” he said. “Whatever special abilities you may have don’t matter to me, and I will never speak of them unless you allow it first.”

I slowed down with him having stolen my thunder. He was just ok with the fact that I was one of the reviled primeancers?

“Oh. Ok, then,” I said. “If I may, how long have you known?”

With an enigmatic smile, Marcuset said, “Long enough.”

“And you’ve said nothing for that entire time,” I said, frowning. “Why?”

Picking up on my skepticism, Marcuset rested his hands on his hips while staring at the ground.

“For many reasons,” he said before glancing up at me, “but the biggest of those is that I truly don’t care what you are. Not three hundred years ago, primeancers were revered, the only humans who could use magic. Given that, why wouldn’t people somewhere in our wide world be indifferent to them?”

…Should I believe him? His claim sounded reasonable, and considering I hadn’t been murdered when I’d stepped into camp, Marcuset might actually keep his mouth shut about this.

But now, he knew a secret that could see me dead, if he leaked it, and my subject or not, I hardly knew this man. Could I trust him?

What do you think, Nyl? I said.

I never caught his response as my father soon ambled to a stop beside me.

“That Ren girl is a piece of work, Raimie,” he said. “How did you come across her? And why bring her here when she clearly wants to be gone?”

Ah… the question I’d struggled to answer since leaving the forest. I opened my mouth, meaning to say that I had no clue what I’d been thinking, but different words spilled from me instead.

“I mean to accompany her home. Unless she’s living alone, I’ll find other Audish citizens there, people who could be our allies,” I said.

Of course, that was why I’d kept Ren with me! It was so logical, unlike some of the other, completely ridiculous reasons I could think of.

“We should learn if we have common ground. Plus, I’d like to know what they need from us, although our ability to help strangers would depend on our stores. A lot of our supplies must have gone down with the flagship. Do we have anything left?”

Humming to himself, Marcuset said, “For now, we have enough to share, depending on these allies’ needs. After Teron’s magic dissipated, the Zrelnach quickly came to our aid. We transferred most of the ship’s cargo before it sank.”

“That was good of them,” I said.

Maybe it would bridge the gap between the Zrelnach and the soldiers from Ada’ir. Alouin knew we couldn’t afford any division in the ranks right now. In fact…

“Commander, would your people let the Zrelnach train them?” I said. “They are the best warriors from back home, and we’ll need every advantage that we can get.”

With a smile, Marcuset said, “That’s a wonderful idea, Your Majesty. Now that we’re on solid ground, I meant to start the process, but if my orders had your weight behind them, the soldiers would more easily accept them.”

“Then, do that,” I said. “Anything to get us prepared for what’s coming.”

“Wait. Can we go back a few steps?” my father said. “You’ve just returned to us, and you’re already planning on leaving again? You haven’t even shared what happened with you and Teron!”

“He’s still alive,” I said, “but that’s all I’ll say on the matter.”

Hell if I was telling my father that I’d died this morning.

“I only lured Ren into camp so I could keep an eye on her while looking for you or Eledis,” I continued. “I figured you’d want to know I was ok.”

While Marcuset had turned contemplative, my father had started sputtering.

“Of course we wanted to know you were ok!” he managed.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

“Raimie. You need to stay. You can’t go gallivanting off on an adventure when there’s so much for you to do. We have to get settled, take stock of our surroundings, send out scouts-”

“All of which we can do without him,” Marcuset said, inclining his head to me. “We’ll need allies, Aramar, and there’s no better person to make contact with them than their rightful king.”

At that, I fought to keep my face blank. Even weeks after accepting what others expected of me, I hadn’t made a decision about the whole ‘king’ business, but other things, like getting established in enemy territory, had always seemed more important.

Groaning, my father passed a hand over his face.

“Fine,” he said, “but someone should go with him so they can watch his back.”

He gave Marcuset a significant look.

“Are you sure now’s the best time?” the commander asked.

When my father nodded, Marcuset set his jaw before facing me.

“You know Oswin, yes?” he said.

Raising an eyebrow, I said, “You just sent him searching for me.”

Where was this going?

“He wasn’t the captain of your ship by chance,” Marcuset said. “I placed him there to keep an eye on you… after he requested it.”

And I was lost. Why would Oswin have done that? Before the night we’d fled from Daira, he and I hadn’t known each other, and besides that, he didn’t seem important enough to request a position from the commander of Ada’ir’s armed forces.

Huffing, my father rolled his eyes.

“He was—big emphasis on the past tense—the Middle of Queen Kaedesa’s Hand,” he said. “He’s a spy, Raimie.”

For a split second, I forgot how to breathe.

But then, I was shouting, “What?!”

Queen Kaedesa’s Hand. The top five spies in Ada’ir, a kingdom renowned for its intelligence network. Other nations, namely the principalities of the Southern Kingdoms, had Hands, but none of them compared to what was found in Ada’ir. Having one of them defect to us was quite the acquisition.

Still.

“I can’t believe it,” I said.

“Which is the point,” my father said. “You want to run into the unknown? Bring him with you. It’s the only way you’re leaving this camp without a fight.”

Still reeling, I lifted my hands.

“Sure. No need to get hostile,” I said. “Bringing someone with me seems reasonable.”

“All right, then,” my father stiffly said. “Let me know when you get back.”

And he walked away. Had I upset him somehow?

“Nicely done, convincing him,” Marcuset said. “Now, you’ll have to do the same with her.”

When he nodded behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and winced.

Ren looked pissed. Oswin... the godsdamned spy—how had I not noticed it?—was chattering at her, skipping backward as he led her along, and at the sight of this, a confusing mix of nostalgia and irritation rushed from Nylion.

“Good luck, Your Majesty,” Marcuset said.

I whipped my head toward him in time to catch him merging with the soldiers around us.

Helpful. So helpful.

Making a face, I rushed after Oswin and Ren, and when I caught up, she watched me catch my breath.

“Did you get what you needed?” I asked.

“Yes. Your… friend—”

Hell, that had been disdainful.

“—was helpful in that regard,” Ren said. “I’m going home now. Over the next few days, I’ll check whether Rhy’s made it back, but when I do, I doubt we’ll see one another. This is goodbye.”

As she turned away, I said, “Actually, I was wondering if we might join you.”

Still facing away from me, Ren said, “We?”

“Sure. Me and Oswin,” I said. “I’d like to meet your people. See if I can help them.”

Ren held still as she considered this, and watching her, I ignored Oswin’s intensely pointed gaze, resting on me.

“Fine,” Ren eventually said, “but don’t expect me to slow down for you.”

She hurried in the direction of the forest, leaving me shaking my head. This would be such a pain in my ass, wouldn’t it?

“Sir…” Oswin said beside me.

Did he know that I’d learned what he was? If he somehow did, it wouldn’t surprise me, but right now, I didn’t have time to learn one way or the other.

“Later, Oswin,” I said.

And I took off, chasing after a woman I’d rather never see again.

Chapter 79: Da'kul

Rhylix

But still, I've found no release, only a continuation of life.

After three and a half days traveling through the Cerrin Forest, the Kiraak below me had finally succumbed to his paranoia. He was muttering under his breath, jerking his head as he scanned the trees, and I sighed, tapping the branch that I was perched on.

He was right to be paranoid, of course. Infected with Corruption as he was, he could feel me hovering, in a vague sense. The Ele that was ever near me wouldn’t be as potent to him as it would be for an Overseer or an Enforcer, but over the time I’d spent tracking him, that nagging sense would still have prickled his skin.

Halting, the Kiraak threw his arms to either side.

“I know you’re here, Eselan,” he shouted. “You should go home. Follow me all you want, but it won’t do you any good. Come back with me, and you’ll be captured. Tortured to death. So, walk away while you still can.”

Rolling my eyes, I waited for him to decide what he’d do next. For far too long, he continued scanning the forest for signs of me, which only made me shake my head.

They never looked up. It only made sense, given that Auden hadn’t seen Esela or Ele primeancers in centuries, and the Daevetch primeancers that Doldimar raised weren’t usually ones for finesse. There were exceptions, of course, but not enough for the average citizen to consider looking for their quarry in the tree above them.

Even if this Kiraak did look up, though, he wouldn’t see me, not when I had my Ele source wrapped around myself. After doing this for three days, it had started wearing on me, but exhausting myself in this small way was better than chancing the Kiraak spotting me. After spending so much time tracking him through the forest, killing him would be bothersome.

Growling, the Kiraak turned and ran, and I rose into a crouch. Racing over my current branch, I leapt to a new one, gripping it with toes that I’d shifted to resemble a monkey’s.

And so continued the pattern that my days had recently followed. The Kiraak took a zigzagging path, trying to lose me, and if I’d been on the ground, this might have worked. As it was, it was just another annoyance in this chase.

After another hour of this, the trees started thinning ahead of me, and I made a face. Unless our destination lay there, this pursuit was about to become a lot more interesting.

In gradual leaps, I made my way to the forest floor, rolling when I hit it, and at that noise, the Kiraak reversed course to investigate. Sweeping the area around me, he growled to himself, even stopping in front of me for a time. I watched him consider his next steps, all while fighting a bucking stomach at the black vines beneath his skin.

Poor man. He’d once been a human, and that humanity had been stripped away from him. No one chose to become Kiraak. No one.

Daevetch, however, was pulsing just beneath his skin and that energy…

It was my antithesis in many ways.

So, no matter how much I might pity this creature, I also badly wanted to strike him down.

Snarling, the Kiraak stormed toward the clearing ahead, and I silently followed.

When the trees could no longer conceal what they’d hidden, I stopped short. Before me, the ground sloped into a foothill of the nearby mountains, and at the top of this, a fort sat with a tower rising high above it.

Da’kul, the seat of power for this region’s Enforcer. Considering the direction that my Kiraak had been heading in, I’d expected we might run across this place, had even knew it was probably our final destination, but staying with someone who’d lead me to his masters had seemed better than continuing alone.

So, no. None of this surprised me.

The army massed outside the fort, however, did. Given what he was, I’d known Teron would be preparing for a battle, especially after his targets had left Ada’ir, but he was further along with that than I’d thought he’d be. Based on the shockingly organized sprawl of tents that I could see, Teron had gathered around nine thousand people here.

“That’s not good.”

As Creation stopped beside me, I glanced at them, wondering when they’d shown up.

“You think?” I said. “I need to go in there. Will you stop me?”

Creation stared at me for long enough that I was sure they’d overrule my decision, so when they shook their head, it was so unexpected that I took a step away, certain the other shoe was about to drop. With their face souring, they jerked their head toward the enemy.

“You’ll lose your guide,” they said.

Well. That…

Creation was usually much more cautious than this. What could have changed?

I couldn’t ponder it now, not when my Kiraak was pulling too far ahead of me. As quickly as possible, I hurried after him, catching up before he got lost in the camp.

As we walked through it, I couldn’t get over how disciplined everything was. Typically, when so many creatures beholden to Daevetch gathered, chaos reigned, but in this group, no one caused a fight. No one publicly participated in intimate behavior, although noises indicated it was being indulged in behind tent’s cloth, and although dice and cards were in use, the games were relatively civil.

Well. Civil for Kiraak.

All in all, striding through this place reminded me of my recent days on the road, if filthier and much, much more nauseating. Gods, so much Corruption was around me!

The Kiraak had been struck by the same gut-churning sensation. As I moved passed each one, they perked up, glancing around with narrowed eyes, but once I’d moved out of their vicinity, they returned to what they’d been doing. Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to sit still for long.

Soon enough, I followed my Kiraak to the other side of camp, and as we climbed the hill leading to the fort, I examined it. The wall was strong and tall with a single gate to breach it, and along its pinnacle, Kiraak patrolled in regular intervals. With arrow slits ringing its circumference, that wall was impressive in and of itself, and I had no doubt I’d find more forms of defense once I was behind it.

Two men, so heavily marked by Corruption’s vines that their skin could no longer be seen, stood guard at the gate. My Kiraak had bowed to them, probably explaining why he needed to enter the fort, and as I came into hearing range, one guard tossed his hand toward the gate.

“-forth and accept your punishment, worm,” he grumbled.

“Thank you, my better,” my Kiraak said.

Still bowed, he bobbed his body twice before rushing through the gate. I darted after him, relying on speed to get me through, but I didn’t stick around to see if the guards had detected my presence.

As expected, siege machines dotted the fort’s bailey, facing in all directions. Enough of them were here that, with the addition of the wall, thinking about the probable casualties required to take this place made me wince.

Several squat buildings sat at the tower’s base, and it was to one of these that my Kiraak scurried. I slipped in after him, right before the door closed.

Inside, it was dark with only one lantern to light it. After a scan of the building’s interior, I kept my focus on its occupants. Its décor called to mind too many painful events I’d rather forget.

A woman with beautifully delicate features was glaring at a portly man, shuffling in front of her desk, and even partially blocked by her hands, her eyes were so cold. Ignoring her newest guest, the woman stood, circling the desk to get in the man’s face.

As she came into the light, I raised an eyebrow. When shadows had partially hidden her, I’d thought it was so, but even still, the faded color of the Corruption under her skin took me by surprise.

An Overseer? That type of Kiraak, the ones who had enough control to receive positions in Auden’s shaky government, weren’t usually found in random forts in the middle of nowhere.

With her hand shooting out, the woman grabbed the man’s chin, forcing him to stop his shuffling.

Digging her fingers into his jaw, she calmly said, “You had one task, you insignificant peon. Bring me what I need to keep this army fed. My underlings may not need food to survive, but it keeps them strong and malleable. Given that, do you understand how much trouble your failure has caused me?”

The man was so firmly held that he could barely nod, and once he had, the woman hummed to herself while drawing a knife. As she rested it against his neck, he whimpered.

“My Enforcer will not be pleased,” she said. “I should make you bleed for that.”

When she tightened her hold, I winced. That man would have bruises, if he survived this.

He started pleading for his life, and rolling her eyes, the woman dropped her hold on him, slapping him hard enough that he stumbled away.

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” she said before pointing at the door. “Go. Do not fail me again.”

The man dipped into a quick bow before rushing for safety, leaving me and my Kiraak here. From what I could tell, he thought coming to his Overseer had probably been a mistake, not that I could blame him.

As she sheathed her knife, she mumbled under her breath, barely audible to my typically impeccable hearing.

“Why do they always think I’ll kill them? Sure, I like my fun, same as the rest, but killing? It serves no purpose, and it’s messy.”

Making a face, she shook her head while I cocked mine. An Overseer, unconsumed by blood lust? That was unusual, although considering who her Enforcer was, perhaps it wasn’t.

Even when I’d been a child, Teron had had a reputation for restraint. I wondered why that was.

“Oh, well,” the Overseer said. “On to the next. You! What the fuck are you doing here, uninvited?”

With a deep bow, my Kiraak said, “Please, forgive me, Overseer Nessaira. I bring news from my scout of South Cerrin Forest, news that will be of great worth to you.”

Rolling her eyes, Nessaira waved for him to get up.

“Yes, yes. What is it?” she said.

“While in the forest, I ran across a group of rebels, my better. From what I could see, they were Esela,” the Kiraak said, “but more importantly, one used white light to move far more quickly than he should have.”

Nessaira fell still.

“An Ele primeancer?” she said.

“That’s what it looked like, my better.”

The Kiraak looked so pleased with himself, but based on how Nessaira had shifted her posture, he shouldn’t be. I had no doubt she was about to punish him for bringing her this news.

With a smile, Nessaira said, “This was well done. Go to the quartermaster. I’ll let them know that you’ve earned a week’s worth of food. Also, I’ll ensure you’re kept off of the front line for any upcoming battles.”

…What?! This couldn’t be right. It wasn’t how someone like her usually responded to bad news. This lucky asshole.

Bowing again, the Kiraak said, “Thank you, my better.”

He scurried out the door, and Nessaira waited for ten heartbeats before erupting into a screaming rage, throwing items across the room. There was the reaction I’d expected.

Once she’d calmed down, though, she stormed out of the building, heading for the tower. Taking its steps two at a time, she made keeping up with her difficult, but I managed, and once we’d reached the top, I got a break.

As expected, I found nothing but opulence here. A pair of comfortable chairs sat in front of a fireplace with an intricately patterned rug beneath them, and on the bed at my side, far too many pillows rested. Several candelabra lit the room, touching every place that sunbeams couldn’t reach, and the glass in the room’s windows filtered this into a deep yellow color. A claw-foot desk had been shoved against the wall, and there, with his back to me, sat Teron.

Damn. He’d survived getting shoved into the sea.

“Nessa, dear, I’m working,” the bastard said. “I don’t have time to play.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Nessaira said, “although when you do have the time, it would be fun.”

Striding to the chairs, she spun one to face Teron, but he never looked up from what he was writing.

Speaking of which, I should take a peek at that. Restraining the Ele on me, I crept toward the desk.

“You’ve brought me something important, then?” Teron said. “But of course you have. You handle this region’s tedium so well.”

“Why, thank you, great one,” Nessaira said, bowing in her chair.

Looking down on Teron’s hair, I fought to keep my hands off my weapons. This man had not only hounded Raimie over the last few months, nearly killing him twice, but many, many years ago, he’d led the Harvest that had seen my parents dead.

The only reason he was still alive, so many months after our first meeting, was how badly my friend had needed me in the times we’d clashed, and unfortunately, I still couldn’t take his head now. If the army outside attacked the people from Ada’ir, having its leader as a known quantity would be nice.

So, instead of cutting the bastard’s throat, I leaned over his shoulder.

“One of the newly-turned just came to me. Interrupted my meeting with the mayor of Latchentak,” Nessaira said.

“I assume you punished this person accordingly,” Teron interrupted. “Our Lord Doldimar may allow the rank and file to run rampant near Elisk, but we can’t afford that here on the fringes, where the rebels have maintained a foothold.”

“I would have, great one, but the news he brought me was too important. Punishing a behavior that we should encourage didn’t seem wise,” Nessaira said. “In any case, he claims to have seen an Ele primeancer somewhere in South Cerrin Forest.”

Teron’s pen, scratching until now, stopped.

“I see why you’ve brought me this problem,” he said.

And he started writing again. I wouldn’t get anything from the scrawl, though. It was encoded, which given the constant power struggles among the Enforcers, only made sense.

Still, I stayed at Teron’s shoulder since he apparently hadn’t detected my presence.

“So, he survived. Of course he did. What am I thinking?” he said. “Does he mean to stay with his army now that his ally’s dead? Nessa. Your thoughts?”

“It doesn’t matter if he does or not,” Nessaira said. “From our scouts’ reports, we greatly outnumber them. We’ll wipe them out.”

Humming, Teron tilted his head from side to side.

“True, and while he’s often tipped the odds in the enemy’s favor, he alone can’t change things this time,” he said. “To be safe, we should send the army out at first light. Give the invaders little time to prepare.”

Damn… With that order, I’d have a few days head start on the enemy, if I pushed myself. Would that be enough time for my allies?

“Given this, it might be best to chase our spy away, although it was kind of you to bring him to me. He can sow the seeds of fear and discord for us,” Teron continued. “What do you think, Nessa?”

Oh… hell. Dropping my Ele bubble, I reached for a dagger, hoping to score a hit on the bastard who’d ruined my life here, but a sixth sense warned me to dodge sideways, right as a throwing knife sped through where my neck had been. While it embedded in the wall over Teron’s head, Creation popped into being beside me.

“You need to go!” they shouted. “Now!”

They gestured, and I no longer controlled my body. My legs sent me toward a window, even as I craned my neck to glare at Teron, wishing I could hurt him. That asshole hadn’t once looked up from the letter he’d been writing.

Then, I was crashing through glass with the wind soon whistling around me, giving me a potent reminder of the one fear I’d never conquered. Far more quickly than it should, the ground was rushing to smear me into paste, and with panic searing through my mind, I couldn’t find a viable attraction point for Ele, which meant…

“Godsdamnit,” I grumbled.

I struggled with it, but as the roofs of the buildings below pulled level with me, I shifted into a hawk. While I snatched my cloak from the air, the rest of my clothes flopped into the grass below, and flapping my wings, I barely avoided the same fate.

As I gained height, I dodged a few arrows, but soon, I was in the clear, banking back the way I’d come earlier today.

Soaring above the forest’s canopy, an elusive sense of freedom fell over me, letting temptation in. Abandoning the cause would be so simple. I could keep flying, never look back, and have a simple life.

What more did I need besides the hunt for prey, a home to roost in, and water to quench my thirst? I could be free, free, FREE like I hadn’t been in forever. Just me and the quest for survival and friends to help with it.

My friends…

Ramie.

He needed me.

Making a sharp dive, I pulled up near the ground, releasing my shape change. I rolled along the forest floor, and stopping, I coughed into the leaves, shaking my head to clear it of a hawk’s mindset. I’d almost gotten stuck in that form again, one of the reasons I hated Esela magic.

A breath later, the second reason, an energy drain, hit me hard. Barely keeping my eyes open, I crawled to my cloak, folding myself into it, and as I collapsed, Creation made another appearance.

“I’m sorry,” they said.

I didn’t have the energy to shout at them for overruling my decisions in the tower.

“Just keep watch,” I said.

Then, consciousness fled from me.

Chapter 80: Why Didn't You Tell Me?

Raimie

Ren was determined to lose me and Oswin in this strange forest. In the short time we’d been following her, I’d lost sight of her a handful of times already.

Considering night was quickly falling, this didn’t surprise me, even if it was concerning. If Ren shook us off her tail, I couldn’t find my way back to camp.

Perhaps I wouldn’t have to, though, given who was at my side. A spy from a Queen’s Hand could definitely backtrack along the progress we’d made, right?

Then again, I was skeptical that Oswin was what my father had claimed he was. Since shortly after we’d entered the forest, he’d been puffing and panting beside me, not that I could blame him. Ren was taking us through a different section of the forest, and while its terrain was similar to before, we’d been traveling at a swift, climbing rate, which given the mountains looming ahead of us, we should have expected.

Still.

“You’re out of shape for a spy, especially one from a Hand,” I said.

Licking his lips, Oswin shot a pointed glance at me before fixing his eyes ahead.

“So, they finally told you. I wasn’t sure,” he said. “I’m sorry to have kept it from you, sir. Before they’d let me help, I had to agree to that stipulation.”

Finally? Meaning Oswin had wanted me to know about this for a while? If that was the case, why hadn’t Marcuset or my father let him share?

“As for your question, I’ve been stuck in Daira, mired in paperwork, for the last year or so,” Oswin continued, “and that hasn’t been conducive to staying in shape.”

Snorting, I shook my head, letting a smile crawl across my face. I hadn’t expected an answer to my original question, using it to broach the subject instead. Still, I wasn’t upset to have one.

With the subject addressed, though, I wasn’t sure how to continue. On the journey to Auden, I’d grown fond of Oswin. He’d been the only member of the crew that I’d found approachable. Add to that the strong sense of familiarity I’d always felt around him, and I was left with an easy companionship forming between us.

Now, though, I knew he was a spy, and because of that, I had to wonder if he’d faked the friendliness between us. I’d even dismiss the nagging familiarity I'd felt around him as a manufactured emotion if I hadn’t run into it before meeting him.

And of course, there was the question of his loyalty.

Rubbing my face, I said, I don’t know what to do, Nyl. What do you think?

Nylion would have a plan for this. He always did.

If this was so, however, he couldn’t convey it with emotion alone. I got a sense of reassurance and a surge of warmth, but that was it, and I wasn’t sure what either feeling was supposed to mean.

“Sir? I didn’t mean to distress you,” Oswin said. “Do you need a minute? I can stop the girl if you like.”

When considering how Ren might react to that, I winced.

“No, I’ll be ok,” I said. “I’m just…”

Sucking on my lip, I scanned the trees ahead of us, wondering if we’d lost our guide. I didn’t see her nearby.

“It’s a lot, all right?” I eventually continued. “For one thing, how can I believe you’ve truly defected? No member of any Hand, especially not Kaedesa’s, has ever broken faith with the monarch they serve, and yet, here you are.”

I waved a hand over Oswin, frowning when I saw his rueful smirk.

“What?” I snapped.

Shaking his head, Oswin fixed his eyes on the ground.

“Sorry, sir. I’m not laughing at you. Your question is more than reasonable,” he said, “but technically, I haven’t broken faith with the person I serve. I inherited my position in the Hand, and at the time, Kaedesa didn’t take my oath of loyalty. In fact, she never has. So, while I served in her Hand, I may have advanced Ada’ir’s interests, but my loyalty has always remained with my king: you.”

Freezing up, I nearly tripped over myself before I could force my body forward again.

Him too? Good gods, how many people wanted something from me that I could never give?

Despite my quick recovery, Oswin must have seen my stumble, considering how hard he’d pressed his hand to his mouth. He was acting in an exceptionally callous manner toward the man he professed to serve.

After a moment, he got a hold of himself, clearing his throat.

“Forgive me. Did you have other concerns?” he said. “I’d rather address them now than when we’re surrounded by possible hostiles.”

Much as it galled me to admit, he was right. I would much rather ignore the spy, his flippancy, and the conundrums he represented, but like he’d said, I should address the issues between us while we had peace.

Even knowing that, I was reluctant to mention the chief of these. Could I tell Oswin about how I’d seen him in Daira and felt like I’d known him for my whole life?

He’d think I was crazy, wouldn’t he? I said.

Surprisingly, Nylion responded to this with another surge of reassurance. He wanted me to talk about it?

“I…” I said before sighing. “Back in Daira, do you remember how strangely I acted when we met?”

Glancing toward me, Oswin said, “Yes…?”

Oh, this was a bad idea. I opened my mouth anyway.

“I-”

From out of nowhere, Ren stepped in front of me.

“I agreed to take you to my home, not to lead you along at a leisurely pace while you yammer nonsense at each other,” she hissed. “The only reason I haven’t left you behind is because my brother would be pissed if I did.”

She distinctly ignored the blade that Oswin was holding a breath from her skin, although he lowered it when I glared at him. Gods, for a moment, I’d forgotten how frustrating this woman was.

“So… shut up and pick up the pace?” I said, lifting an eyebrow.

“No,” Ren said. “Shut up and don’t move while I prepare a few things.”

She stalked out of sight while I exchanged a glance with Oswin.

‘Where’d you find her?’ he mouthed, pointing after Ren.

Rolling my eyes, I turned aside.

Why did you want me to tell him about that weird sense of familiarity I keep having? I said before wincing. No, don’t answer that. I shouldn’t have asked it here. It can wait until I return to my nightmare realm, although… it’s not truly a nightmare anymore, is it? Not with you there.

What else could I call that strange place, though? As I shook my head, Nylion leaked affection to me, and I made a face, although it wasn’t directed at him.

As absolutely glorious as I found communicating with Nylion to be, it was quickly losing its charm in the face of its limitations. How I wished that I could hear his voice like I had when we were kids!

That wasn’t what we had now, though. No, we had weak swells of feeling, ones that could only convey vague meaning. It was better than nothing but…

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes.

Speaking of invisible companions, I should probably check on Dim while Ren was busy. When I called on them, however, they failed to appear, which had me frowning. Curious, I reached out for my source, found it, and pulled the tiniest sliver of Daevetch to me.

So, Dim was here, if hidden behind the physical plane. Were they avoiding me?

Our last conversation had ended on a weird note. By the time we’d finished speaking, they’d seemed… afraid of me, which was troubling, and I’d sent them away after that. I could see them acting petulant enough to ‘punish’ me by withdrawing.

Before I could again call on them to test this theory, Ren stepped into view with several strips of cloth in hand, and as she came closer, Oswin and I gave her our attention.

“My home’s not far from here, and because of that, I’ll need to blindfold you for the rest of the trip,” she said, raising a hand when Oswin started to speak. “You can keep your weapons. I’m not trying to defang you. It’s just that keeping my home safe requires secrecy. We do the same thing when escorting survivors from Harvested villages into town.”

Even with the explanation, Oswin looked unhappy with the idea, but while I didn’t like it either, I extended a hand for the blindfolds.

“Whatever makes you comfortable,” I said.

Nodding, Ren handed a cloth strip over, and I wrapped it around my face before tying it off. She checked my work before taking my hand.

Which meant she was touching me.

As soon as that registered, I was rooted in place, fighting off a vivid sense of petrification from myself and Nylion. How easily this woman could hurt us, slap us, use any of her weapons to end our life. What had we been thinking? We should rip this blindfold off and run…

Ren pressed my hand into Oswin’s, taking the pressure off of me, and while I was still doused in a cold sweat, I had enough clarity to wonder why I’d had such a visceral reaction to her touch.

Unfortunately, when she tugged on my other hand, I still wasn’t completely free of it. Reflexively, all of me tightened, including my grip on Oswin, and he cleared his throat.

“If I may, you should use me as the middle link while leading us along,” he said. “My king would prefer to keep one hand free, the better to help if we’re attacked.”

Was that why anxiety was making my skin crawl?

“…Smart,” Ren said.

She released me, erasing the ants skittering over my skin.

“You don’t have the same preference?”

“I don’t need free hands to help,” Oswin said.

Even blindfolded as I was, I could see his damn smirk. Somehow, I kept my resulting laugh contained.

“I… see,” Ren said.

She had nothing more, and after two heartbeats, the pull of Oswin’s hand propelled me forward. For this part, Ren was kind enough to take it slowly, calling out when we encountered obstacles. Those warnings, along with the noises that Oswin and I were making, had me wincing, partially in reaction to the expressions of displeasure that I could only imagine were crossing Ren’s face.

The incline we’d been climbing steepened until I was using my free hand to traverse it, although this didn’t last for long. Before I could ask for a break, the ground leveled off, and for a time, Ren led us through a place with much crisper air. There was more ambient noise here—leaves rustling and water trickling—than we’d found at a lower elevation as well.

Soon enough, though, she stopped.

“You can remove the blindfolds,” she said.

Oswin released my hand, and I joined him in pulling cloth off of my face, wincing when I rubbed it. I’d tied that too tightly.

When I lowered my hands, I sucked in a gasp. By an unknown magic, I’d been transported across the sea to the forest of my youth, even if this one was overshadowed by mountains.

Despite that, I couldn’t stop my vision from fuzzing while my throat worked. Gods, it felt like home.

I’d never have that again.

“Sir?” Oswin said. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” I said. “A piece of the past just caught up with me.”

“I see.”

Shaking myself, I glanced about the clearing with a critical eye. It seemed ordinary, outlined by trees that quickly thickened into a true forest. A cliff face, hidden by the branches and leaves to either side of it, rose into a promontory before swooping into a larger mountain. Ivy clung to portions of this cliff, nearly concealing the crevasse in its center.

With glinting eyes and a pleased smirk, Ren fluttered her hands while bowing.

“Welcome to Tiro,” she said.

Glancing at Oswin, I raised an eyebrow. Was I missing something? I saw no signs of civilization here.

Before I could ponder the question, a crack split the air, and the cliff face… moved.

With Nylion’s upsurge of glee making my eyes pop wide, my mouth dropped open. What on…?

As the crevasse in the cliff face gaped wider, lanterns and buildings and people peeked out from between it, and one of those people lowered their hands from their hips before striding toward us. I didn’t pay them much mind, too occupied by everything else I could see.

A village! The cliff face had been hiding a village.

Was this Ren’s home? Gods. I had more to learn about the Audish people than I’d thought.

“Did you pick up some strays again, Ren? That won’t make Dury happy.”

The person heading for us—a teenage boy, it turned out—stopped nearby while crossing his arms. As he cocked his head, his sandy hair tumbled to the side, and the mischievous grin that he showed us had Ren clicking her tongue.

“They’re guests, not refugees, Had-had,” she said. “Once they’ve spoken with Dury, they’ll keep to themselves until they can leave in the morning.”

Pouting, the kid said, “Aww… I was so looking forward to seeing you get chewed out! Although… you do have Dury wrapped around your little finger. You’d have to mess up much worse than this before he’d yell at you.”

“Brothers,” Ren said under her breath before gesturing to us. “Want to introduce yourself to our guests?”

The kid made a face before turning to us, but before he’d pivoted, I’d already had my hand out, ready to shake.

“Hello! My name’s Raimie,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Giving my hand an odd look, the kid said, “Likewise. I’m Hadrion.”

I got the most brilliant smile before Hadrion turned his attention to Oswin.

“Who’re you?”

Did they not shake hands here? From how furrowed Ren’s brow had become, I’d say that they didn’t. How odd.

Lowering my arm, I flexed my fingers while watching Oswin ooze charm at the teenager.

With a courtly bow, he said, “I am Oswin, good sir. If I may ask, how do you know our fair guide?”

Pulling back a bit, Hadrion glanced at Ren, who shrugged.

“She’s my sister,” he said. “Ren, where did you find these two?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Ren said.

Catching Hadrion in a side hug, she rubbed his arm while he wrinkled his nose.

“For now, where’s Dury?” she said. “I’d like to finish this chore so I can return to something useful.”

Despite myself, I bristled while my tongue ran away with itself.

“You know… you didn’t have to bring us with you. Sure, I asked for this favor, but you could have easily said no.”

Freezing, Ren glared at me with her grip on Hadrion tightening, but he didn’t notice, glancing between us instead.

“I like you,” he soon said. “Not many people have the balls to talk to my sister, the great Terror of Da’kul, that way.”

While speaking the title, he’d wiggled his fingers, and dropping his hands, he grinned at me until Ren lightly smacked the back of his head. Then, he rubbed the injured spot with one eye closed.

“Where’s Dury, you ass?” she snapped.

“I could tell you,” Hadrion said, “or I could make you follow me to him. I choose option two.”

At his wide grin, Ren glowered.

“I hate you,” she said.

Clasping his hands together, Hadrion said, “Aw, I love you too, Ren.”

Turning on his heel, he started toward the cliff face… gate… or maybe doors?

He started for the village with a whistle, and growling, Ren strangled the air while following him.

Seemingly forgotten, I said, “Have I made an enormous mistake, Oswin?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Oswin said with a laugh in his voice. “Have you?”

Rolling my eyes, I hurried to catch up with the Audish natives.

Chapter 81: The Heart of the Resistance

Raimie

As soon as we'd stepped through the widened crevasse into Ren’s home, I stopped short.

A veritable city was spread before me. Not a village. A city. From what I could see of it, the place was cramped and not especially clean, but it was bustling with life.

In front of me, waddle-and-daub houses lined a narrow street, illuminated by lanterns hanging from poles, but this street wasn’t the only one we faced. Many others branched into the city as well.

The city itself occupied a wide bowl, and every visible street converged on the sparse fields of grain growing in its center. High above, a rock shelf extended from the valley’s other side, and a carefully crafted lattice was spread from the doors behind me to that shelf. Ivy grew along the lattice, enough of it to provide cover while also allowing sunlight through.

“Are you two coming or not?” Ren called.

Jumping, I nearly fell into Oswin before frowning at Ren. She’d stopped to give us a moment? Why?

She did seem pleased by our gawking. Maybe she’d wanted to watch the foreigners marvel at her home. Not that it was unworthy of said marvel.

As I trotted to her with Oswin on my heel, I couldn’t keep my head from swiveling, taking in the new sights with a sense of wonder. How had humans contrived to create this?

“Not what you expected, is it?”

Ren’s voice kept me from running into her, and this close to her, I swallowed hard, wondering why my mouth had gone dry.

“I… no. It isn’t,” I said. “It’s wonderful.”

Smirking, Ren said, “Oh, good. You can have a proper reaction, given the right stimulus.”

As heat flashed through me, I drew myself up, but Hadrion cut off any reply that I might have made.

“You coming, Ren?”

“Right behind you,” Ren practically sang.

Tossing her head, she ambled toward the street Hadrion was standing in, and grumbling under my breath, I stalked after her, ignoring the frown that Oswin had fixed on me.

As we moved through Tiro, I noted with surprise how busy the city was. Granted, I hadn’t visited many cities, just Sev and Daira, and my time in Ada’ir’s capital had been spent entirely in the castle. Even still, this one seemed to be in an uproar.

With purpose, people ran down the street, and as we approached the city’s center, blank-eyed families and individuals began filling its empty space. Bawling children clutched at their parents’ hands while soot-streaked adults muttered to no one, stared into space, or rocked in place.

Hell. What had happened here?

Slumped on herself, Ren asked, “My intel about Lindow’s Harvest was good, then?”

Biting his lip, Hadrion clutched his elbows.

“Yes,” he said.

Nodding, Ren said, “Is Ky back yet?”

Like a spring, Hadrion bounced back from the mournful expression he’d assumed to an air of mischief once more.

“Why?” he asked. “You worried about lover boy?”

Lover boy? Someone in this world had been brave enough to romance her?

Huffing, Ren said, “He’s not-! We’re not lovers. Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Because you are,” Hadrion said. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Sticking out his tongue, he ducked Ren’s swipe at him.

“Kylorian’s a brother to me, the same as you,” she said. “I’ll never see him as more.”

“Whateeeever you say, big sis.”

Gritting her teeth, Ren growled, “Is. he. back. yet?”

Hadrion shrugged.

“I don’t think so? You know better than to worry about him, though,” Hadrion said. “This is Ky we’re talking about. He’s one with the impossible.”

“That’s true.”

So… she didn’t have a lover?

“How did your thing go?” Hadrion asked.

“Better than expected.”

Ren flicked her eyes over me and Oswin, and for some reason, this had my cheeks burning. Why the hell had I been speculating about her love life?

As the buildings around us switched from waddle-and-daub to stone, we skirted the fields at the city’s center before plunging beneath lanterns once more. Soon enough, the roar of conversations ahead distinguished itself from the city’s noise, and stopping, Hadrion swept a hand that way.

“What you seek, big sis,” he said.

Clicking her tongue, Ren said, “You couldn’t have just told me he was home?”

“No. Where would the fun have been in that?” Hadrion said. “Anyway, here’s where I leave you. Oswin. Raimie. If you have time once you’re done with Dury, you should find me. I’d love to chat.”

The teenager started back the way we’d come, but before he could escape, Ren landed a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you avoiding dad again?’ she asked.

“What do you think?” Hadrion snapped.

But then, he hugged himself.

“He’ll put me in charge of the refugees again, and I… I can’t. Their blank faces remind me of-”

With a gasp, he fell silent, and wincing, Ren patted his back.

“Then, maybe you should practice your sword forms more,” she said. “Dad will never send you out with Kylorian until you’ve mastered them.”

Hadrion sighed.

“Yeah, I know,” he said before brightening. “Thanks, sis!”

Spinning, he hugged Ren before taking off. Ren shook her head while watching him go, and summoning my courage, I cleared my throat.

“He’s your brother?” I asked. “How does that work with Rhy…?”

Unsure how to finish that, I wildly flailed, and Ren chuckled.

“He’s my adoptive brother, same as the Kylorian we mentioned,” she said, “and you’re about to meet the man who’s become my father.”

I waited until Ren was out of earshot before muttering the only response I could have given to that.

“Oh. Goodie. Just great.”

As Oswin snorted, I resigned myself to meeting the man who’d guided Ren into the woman she was.

We found him in a square, one that was packed full of people. Rather than push through them, Ren climbed on top of a merchant’s booth, offering me a hand once she was there. We surveyed the crowd, although it quickly became obvious which of these people was her father.

Standing on a building’s stoop, a kindly-looking man was addressing the crowd.

“-understand your discontent! We already have too little room to share and too little food to go around, and here comes another group of refugees, looking to take a chunk of both from us. Of course you want them gone!” he said. “But please. Remember your compassion, and have patience in this trying time.

“Each of you has been where the people from Lindow are now, running from a Harvest or the Birthing Grounds. Some of you found us after losing everything, and some were brought here, but all of you know what it’s like to need aid. You were lucky enough to receive it. Now, I hope you can give Lindow’s survivors that same kindness.

“As for the concerns you’ve raised, I assure you. I’m working toward a solution for our food problem, but it will take time before it comes to fruition. In the meantime, please. Once more open your doors to people who need it. Let’s refuse Teron and his ilk total victory in Lindow!”

As the crowd’s murmuring got louder, I glanced down at Oswin, wondering if he’d know the question I wanted to ask. They had a food problem. Could we help with that?

With his arms crossed, Oswin looked just as skeptical as the people in the square, but when he noticed me watching him, he shrugged.

‘Maybe,’ he mouthed. ‘Need more details.’

Yeah… that was what I’d thought. Still. I was glad to know that helping these people wasn’t off the table yet.

Patting at the air, the man on the stoop paused as his eyes caught on Ren. She flicked two fingers in a wave, which made him smile.

“You know how this works,” he shouted over the crowd’s grumbling. “Come to my home so Eliade and Hadrion can help you draw lots. If we do it quickly enough, we should have these people in homes before sunset. Spread the news, please! All of Tiro should join together for this.”

He stepped off of the stoop before another thought occurred to him.

“Oh! And town meeting in two days. We can more fully discuss the problem at that time.”

Then, he was pushing through the crowd, and Ren jumped to the ground, greeting him with her arms spread wide.

Before she could speak, he boomed, “Ren! You’re back! I was getting worried.”

As I hopped off of the merchant’s booth, he hugged Ren, squeezing far too tightly, and I lifted an eyebrow when she just laughed, patting his back.

“I was only gone for a day,” she said. “I’ve stalked Cerrin Forest alone for far longer than that before.”

“Maybe. Doesn’t make me worry any less.”

The stocky man released Ren, brushing her cheek, before turning on me and Oswin.

“Who are the bedraggled misfits that you’ve brought with you this time? I could swear I recognize one of them.”

As I opened my mouth to answer the question, Ren overrode me.

“Not people you should worry about. They’re here to discuss business with you.”

With his eyebrows raised, the stocky man said, “Something we’ll need privacy for?”

Ren nodded.

“I thought we could use Ky’s home, since he’s not here to protest it.”

“A good idea,” the stocky man said, snorting a laugh.

He ambled toward a smaller house while I struggled to contain my irritation. I knew this was Ren’s home, but that made her speaking for me no less annoying.

As I silently growled, amusement bubbled up from Nylion, and almost, this tipped me into petulance’s grip, but with a calming breath, I let it soothe me instead, entering the house when we reached it.

The building’s interior was surprisingly bare. Its only furniture was a chair and table combination on one side of its room and a pile of blankets on the other. A waist-high partition blocked one corner from sight, but besides that, everything lay out in the open.

“Every time I come here, I remember how badly Kylorian needs more furniture,” the stout man said. “He should at least have another chair. Where are his guests supposed to sit?”

Chuckling, Ren said, “When does he ever have those?”

She plopped into the chair while the stout man shook his head.

“I swear. That boy…” he breathed.

Then, he turned on me, and the concern he’d been showing disappeared beneath a mask of formality.

All right. It seemed I'd finally get the answers to the questions I'd come here to ask.

Chapter 82: Sudden Hostility

Raimie

“So?” Ren’s father said. “Who are you, and what do you want from me?”

I waited for a heartbeat before answering, certain that Ren would override me again, but when she didn’t, I smiled at the stranger.

“I’m Raimie, and my companion’s called Oswin,” I said. “My business is with Tiro’s leader. Is that you?”

Crossing his arms, the stout man said, “Leader’s such a strong word. I like to think of myself as Tiro’s father… or perhaps its guiding influence. You can call me Tanwadur.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” I said, dipping into a bow.

Relaxing, Tanwadur waved at me.

“No need for that, young one,” he said. “Just tell me why you’re here.”

Oh… shit. Gods damnit, why hadn’t I considered this conversation while on the way here? Instead, I’d stayed shocked by the revelation of Oswin as a spy, which had been a mistake.

How much could I reveal about myself or my purpose in this initial meeting with Tiro’s… guiding influence?

But Tanwadur was tapping a finger on his thigh. I’d have to start talking and hope that something wise came out of my mouth. For once.

“Primarily, I’m here to introduce myself. Considering who we both are, we’ll likely work together soon,” I said. “In addition, I hoped to learn how my people might help yours, but with that, I may have already found a way. You’re having trouble with food, yes? Since many of our supplies went down with our ship, I’m not sure how much my people can spare, but if we have anything extra, it’s yours, provided you want it.”

Beside me, Oswin tensed with his hands drifting to his weapons, and I wondered what had made him so nervous until Tanwadur spoke.

“Your ship?” he asked, having gone still.

Well. That had been a slip of the tongue. My mention of a boat had revealed that me and mine weren’t native to Auden, and given how rarely merchant vessels sailed here, it had also probably come off as something strange or potentially dangerous.

Still, I tried to play it off.

“Indeed. We were attacked… but you shouldn’t care about that,” I said. “Like I said, we have supplies to share, which you need.”

After a moment of staring, Tanwadur said, “The two of you aren’t from Auden.”

So, my diversion hadn’t worked. As if chagrined, I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Technically? No,” I said. “However, as far as I know, we’re all of Audish descent. Why does it matter? Do you care where a form of help might come from?”

Apparently, he did. Ren leaned forward to say something, perhaps trying to help, but Tanwadur lifted a finger toward her.

“You keep saying ‘we’ and ‘us’,” he said. “May I ask who these others are? I’d like to know what sort of people have landed on our shores.”

Sure… that was definitely the only reason he was asking.

Where was the harm in answering him, though?

“‘Us’ is my family and a bunch of crazy soldiers who followed us here,” I said.

Softly hissing, Oswin glanced away, which told me I’d made another mistake. What had it been?

Completely blank now, Tanwadur asked, “How many soldiers?”

I was much less comfortable with sharing this information, but since I’d already dug myself into this hole, I might as well dig deeper. I didn’t, however, know the specifics of what Tanwadur had requested, so I turned to the spy in our midst.

“Oswin?”

Stiffening, Oswin said, “Yes, sir?”

“Answer the man’s question,” I said. “I know you’ll have memorized those numbers.”

Oswin clicked his tongue, but he did as I’d asked.

“One hundred and thirty-two civilians and would-be soldiers joined us on the way,” he said through gritted teeth. “We also have five hundred and fifty-four Zrelnach, who if you didn’t know, are elite Esela fighters-”

“I’m familiar with the Zrelnach,” Tanwadur said. “We had them here before Doldimar wiped them out.”

Oswin paused, glancing at me. Apparently, that was news to him as well. Shaking himself, he continued.

“And then, there’s the rest of us: sailors, soldiers, and spies.”

Crossing his arms, Tanwadur grumbled, “How many?”

With a sigh, Oswin closed his eyes.

“Four thousand, five hundred and seventy-six.”

At that, my eyebrows soared into my hairline as high as Tanwadur’s had. Gods… so many people had come with me. What would I do when I eventually got them killed?

“Goodness, young one. You have a veritable army at your beck and call,” Tanwadur said. “Why is that?”

Frowning, I cocked my head at him. For a meeting between strangers, that question bordered on invasive. Given the caution that was welling from Nylion, I gathered it could be dangerous too, something that was only emphasized by the headshake that Ren gave me from behind her father’s back.

She was helping me? Why?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid answering this question, and if that wasn’t bad enough, I’d always been horrible at lying. I’d have to choose my words carefully.

“Honestly, good sir, I don’t know why,” I said. “I suspect they’ve followed me because they believe I can accomplish an impossible goal. I don’t know if I can realize that dream, and yet—”

Here, I slid my gaze to Oswin.

“—I intend to try.”

With a slight smile, the spy inclined his head to me, which warmed my heart.

When I’d only known him for a couple of months. Why?

“What do these people want from you?” Tanwadur asked.

Tensing, I jerked my head toward him, wiping incredulity off my face. If that last question had bordered on invasive, this one landed squarely in that territory. I’d offered to help him, and he seemed intent on prying into my life.

Clicking his tongue, Oswin stepped between me and Tanwadur, facing me.

“Your Majesty, he knows. He’s been fishing for it throughout this conversation, enough to become insulting,” he said. “Take my advice, and give him what he wants so we can return to camp. He has no intention of treating with you.”

What was he doing?

I must have stared at him for too long because he stepped aside—

“Oswin, no!”

—before gesturing toward me.

“May I present His Majesty, King Raimie, finder of Shadowsteal, destined destroyer of Doldimar, and rightful claimant to the Audish throne.”

Blinking at the back of Oswin’s head, I fought to keep my suddenly scattered thoughts in order, helped in part by Nylion’s emanated calm. I’d put this issue off for so long—too long—and now, Oswin had shoved it to the forefront. He’d proclaimed me as ruler to the first leader we’d met in this land, and so now, I must answer a personal question.

Did I refute Oswin’s claim, or did I make it my own?

As my fingers curled into my palms, I wasn’t sure what I’d say. I only knew that I had to fill this silence. So, I hissed my decision into it.

“I am not a damn king.”

When Oswin glanced at me, he radiated such pity and regret that it made me flinch.

“You’re the only one who believes that anymore, sir,” he said.

Sucking in a breath, I let my mouth fall open, wanting to deny what he’d said, but before I could do that, two words cracked through the house’s interior.

“Get out.”

From his face to the bit of ankle peeking out from beneath his trousers’ legs, Tanwadur had turned stark red.

“I knew you looked familiar, too similar to him, and that means you need to GET OUT!” he shouted, taking a step forward. “Get out of this house, out of this square, out of this city!”

With Oswin having pushed between me and Tanwadur, I laid a hand on his shoulder, moving him aside. All the while, I prayed that I’d been wrong about how the Audish people would respond to who I was.

“I’ve upset you,” I said. “Please, we can’t be hostile toward one another. Tell me how to fix my mistake, and I’ll remedy it as best I can.”

“You can’t fix who you are!” Tanwadur shouted.

I’d been right. Gods damnit.

With fire building inside, both my own and one from Nylion, I took a deep breath, stopping it from raging through me.

“You blame me for the crimes of my long-dead ancestor. So be it. If it makes your life easier, continue to hate me,” I said, “but don’t let my identity stop you from accepting the help that my people can give-”

Shoving past Oswin, Tanwadur slammed a finger into my chest, and something strange started burgeoning from Nylion. What-?

“We don’t need your help, Raimie from the line of kings,” Tanwadur said, poking me again.

And this aggression let something unpleasant slip another step free.

“You and your cursed family should have withered to nothing on the other side of the sea!”

As Tanwadur jabbed his finger into my chest again, rocking me, something burst, and I started moving, but I was hardly paying attention to that. All of my focus went to Nylion and what he was projecting.

Nyl, what-?

Suddenly, Ren was in front of me, resting her hand on Tanwadur’s chest while keeping a firm hold on my wrist.

“Enough! You two need to calm down so Oswin and I aren’t left with cleaning up your corpses,” she hissed. “Dury! You should leave. Go help mom with the refugees.”

“No.”

Tanwadur brushed Ren’s hand off of him.

“I want this… boy out of Tiro.”

“And I’ll make sure that happens. Tomorrow morning,” Ren said. “Don’t say a word. I’m not done. He and his friend are not from here. If we make them return to camp through a forest crawling with Kiraak at night and alone, they will die. Without question. What do you think his army of five thousand will do if they learn that he died because we refused him refuge for one night? No. He will sleep here, and when I can, I’ll take him to his people in the morning.”

Hissing, Tanwadur closed his eyes.

“Fine,” he said, “but you’re in charge of finding them a place to stay.”

He stormed out of the house, and I let tension leak from me. This was, of course, when Ren shoved me, sending me stumbling away.

Immediately, I found Oswin, waving for him to lower his weapons, but I also cocked my head on seeing Dim, flickering out of existence beside him. Why had the splinter come to the physical plane now when they’d been so clearly avoiding me earlier?

“And you!” Ren snarled. “I bring you to my home in good faith, trusting you’ll behave yourself, and you nearly attack my father because he insulted you?”

I struggled to swallow inexplicable fear, fluttering at the back of my mouth.

“I don’t know what came over me,” I started.

“Then, maybe you should learn to control yourself!”

Wincing, I nodded. She was right. Even if Nylion had started a physical confrontation, I had to accept the blame for it. In many ways, he was me. What he did was also my responsibility.

“I’m sorry-”

“That’s not enough! Not for this mistake.”

With a frown, I said, “I’m confused. Why do you care so much about this, out of everything I’ve done to irritate you? I get that he’s your father, but… come on, Ren. I was offering him help, and in response, he practically spat in my face.”

Spinning away from me, Ren hugged herself, and while she thought, I caught Oswin’s eye, wondering if he knew what was running through this frustrating woman’s head. He just lifted a hand to hide his smile.

“He saved me,” Ren said. “After Rhy left me so many years ago, I thought I was dead. During a Harvest, Kiraak don’t bother to spare children. They do unspeakable things to them.

“So, imagine my surprise when the first Kiraak to find me died on someone else’s blade. Tanwadur’s resistance fighters had come to evacuate my hometown, but they’d arrived too late, for the village at least. They took me with them to this city.

“For weeks, I waited for my brother. He never found me, so Dury gave me the next best thing: a new family. I had parents again. I even had an older brother, a boy they’d adopted years before, to fill the hole that Rhylix had left behind.

“Dury saved me in every way. Forgive me if the fact that you almost attacked him angers me.”

Stalking to the door, Ren paused before opening it, finding Oswin.

“You should stay here,” she said. “I’ll return with food and blankets, but if I were you, I wouldn’t leave this house.”

She slammed the door behind her, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it, rubbing my chest. Why did it feel like I’d been punched there, so hard that it had bruised my heart?

“Well, that was interesting.”

Wandering to the abandoned chair, Oswin threw himself into it.

“Was that your first fight with a woman, sir?” he asked.

Dumbly, I nodded. Gods, why couldn’t I move?

Humming, Oswin said, “Makes sense, given how you were acting. In the future, you’ll learn to avoid those because they only end one way.”

With effort, I faced the spy.

“How’s that?” I asked.

“The woman wins, of course,” Oswin said with a smirk. “Now, are we doing as we were told, sir?”

“No, we’re not. Of course we’re not,” I mumbled.

I wasn’t sure what else we could do here, though. Considering Tanwadur was dead set on opposing us, we couldn’t ally with Tiro.

Could we?

“Why are you sitting there?” I said, keeping my lips flat. “You were part of a Hand, Oswin. You should know what I want.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Oswin said, “As much useful information as I can gather?”

When I nodded, he performed an exaggerated salute before climbing out of the chair.

“And you, sir?” he asked.

I thought back on everything that had happened since arriving in Tiro, wondering what, if anything, I could do to help.

With a slow smile spreading across my face, I said, “I’ll think of something, I’m sure.”

Chapter 83: Maintaining Potential Allies

Raimie

When I stepped out of Tanwadur’s study, I slumped before crossing the three steps needed to reach the other side of the hall. Once there, I thunked my forehead on the wall. After a busy night, I’d come here in a last-ditch effort to reason with that stubborn man, but of course, I’d left with nothing but frustration as a reward.

“You’ve still got a head, I see.”

Jumping, I spun to find the speaker. Hadrion grinned at me with a shoulder propped on the wall.

“You’re lucky,” he said. “Dury tends to bite them off when he’s in A Mood.”

For some reason, this made me chuckle, which I’d needed.

“Hello, Hadrion,” I said. “You weren’t waiting for me, were you?”

Rolling his eyes, Hadrion said, “No, I’m just standing in a hallway that I rarely visit by chance.”

Oo… had I made this member of Ren’s family angry too? That would be unfortunate. Even if I couldn’t associate with Tiro, that woman would be a part of my life for a while. How could it be otherwise, given that she was Rhylix’s sister? It was one reason I’d braved the angry bear of Tanwadur.

“I’m sorry. I should have found you earlier,” I said. “You said you wanted to speak with me, and I just ignored that.”

Wrinkling his nose, Hadrion said, “Why are you apologizing? I heard you were pretty busy last night, and I’ve been asleep since then. I’d have been pretty pissed if you woke me up to talk.”

Or my personal insecurities might be raising their head again.

“Nah. I just wanted to catch you before you left,” Hadrion continued. “Ren’s looking for you, and she seemed ready to get you out of here.”

With my face souring, I said, “Oh, goodie…”

Facing Ren when I’d had no sleep didn’t sound fun.

“She’s been mean to you, I’m guessing?” Hadrion asked with a smirk.

“You could say that.”

Crossing my arms, I started for an exit from the house. Better to be looking for Ren when she ran into me than to be ‘idle’. Once we rendezvoused, we could find Oswin together, if he didn’t find us first.

Keeping pace with me, Hadrion said, “That’s good! If she’s mean to you, it means she likes you.”

I drew away from Hadrion, throwing an incredulous glance at him.

“Really.”

With a nod, Hadrion said, “Yeah. It’s a defense mechanism, I think. She’s half-Eselan, you know, so the people she likes don’t usually accept her.”

As I drifted to a stop, I cocked my head. How the Esela were perceived here hadn’t even occurred to me, which had been silly considering a large portion of my own people were part of that race, but even if I had thought of it, I wouldn’t have connected the concern with Ren. When thinking of her and everything she was capable of, her heritage never crossed my mind.

Wait.

“Your sister likes me?” I squeaked.

The amusement that crawled onto Hadrion’s face rose from Nylion as well, which I found interesting. My other half couldn’t have picked up on a social nicety like that, considering how awkward and oblivious he’d always been about such things, but maybe his reaction was in response to how surprised I was, not what I was surprised about.

“I’d be shocked if she didn’t. You seem straightforward, not conniving at all, which is her type of people,” Hadrion said. “Why?”

“It’s nothing,” I said. “I was almost certain she hated me.”

Shaking myself, I dragged my feet through something similar to mud, wondering why Hadrion’s revelation had relieved me as much as it had. Maybe it was because with it, she wouldn’t become a source of conflict between Rhylix and I?

Yeah. That must be it.

As he followed me into the square outside, Hadrion kept quiet. Sunlight had started fighting through the ivy and lattice above the city, and looking over the bowl that contained it, I found myself biting my lip.

My people and I would find allies elsewhere. We had to, but still, I wished it wasn’t necessary. Something about Tiro’s citizens called to me.

Their ingenuity in the struggle to survive. Their refusal to give up. I admired these things, and they made me want to help these people. Badly.

“Raimie?” Hadrion said. “I heard something last night, a rumor about who you are and why you’re here. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

I nodded. How could I not know? While wandering around the city last night, I’d heard the same rumor, and although I wasn’t sure how the news of my identity had gotten out, seeing how Audish citizens had reacted to it had been enlightening, if not in a pleasant way.

“Is it true?” Hadrion asked. “You’re not from Auden, and you… found Shadowsteal?”

Sighing, I hung my head.

“Yes, it’s true,” I said. “Unfortunately.”

Now, the teenager would spit at my feet and walk away. It had happened often enough last night.

When Hadrion rested his hand on my shoulder, I glanced up at him, furrowing my brow when I saw sympathy blazing from him.

“I’ll help how I can,” he said. “Most people won’t be happy you’re here, but give them time. With that and me doing what I can for you, they’ll come around.”

That was the opposite of what I’d expected, and it made my voice thick as I said.

“Thank you.”

“Sure!” Hadrion chirped. “Now, I believe that’s Ren, arguing with your friend on the other side of the square.”

When I looked where he was pointing, I winced.

“It is,” I said. “I should break them up before they get into a fight but first…”

I clapped the teenager’s arm, squeezing it.

“Seriously, Hadrion. Thank you,” I said. “I thought I’d never find a friendly face here.”

Grinning, Hadrion said, “Well, we exist! I promise. We’re just rare.”

He brushed my hand off of him.

“Would you go calm my sister down? She looks like she’s about to murder someone.”

Laughing, I hurried to do as the kid had asked, waving goodbye over my shoulder.

I hoped I’d get to see him again. He was a ray of sunshine in this otherwise dark place.

The trip back to camp took much less time than last night’s journey. Sure, I was having this feeling because I was familiar with the terrain now, but even still, I wondered if on our first foray, Ren had taken the long way out of spite.

Whether she had or not didn’t stop me from bowing to her when tents, the sea, and several ships come into view.

“Thank you for providing us with safe passage,” I said. “You didn’t have to go out of your way like that, but I’m grateful that you did it anyway.”

“It wasn’t as much trouble as you might think,” Ren said. “I need to finish the scouting run that you and Rhy interrupted yesterday, and this beach is in my assigned territory so…”

She shrugged, and as I straightened from my bow, I considered what I should say next. It would have to be short and sweet. I should report what I’d learned to Marcuset and Gistrick, so I didn’t have time for anything more, but with such constraints, how could I alleviate the tension between me and Ren?

“Listen,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck, “about what happened with your father-”

Ren shot a hand up, shaking her head.

“Let’s not go there. In fact, we should pretend it never happened,” she said. “Everyone’s tempers were raised, so we all did and said unwise things, including me. So…”

Turning her head aside, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You’re Rhy’s friend, and even when we were kids, my brother was a good judge of character. I should trust him when he says you’re a good man, especially after hearing that you went out of your way to ask my people how you could help last night,” she said. “I know I can be a little abrasive at times but…”

She kicked at the dirt before meeting my eyes.

“Can we put yesterday behind us? I’d like to start fresh. Try to get along, at least.”

My chest felt so warm and fuzzy that I had to smile, even as I wondered if the sensation was coming from me or Nylion.

“I’d like that,” I said before pressing a hand over my heart. “I’m Raimie, just a simple boy who once had a simple life, and now, I’m supremely lost in a complicated land.”

With a beaming smile, Ren said, “Well, I’m Ren, and I call this ‘complicated land’ home. Maybe I can help you adjust to it.”

“That would be nice.”

I glanced toward the beach before smirking at Ren.

“I’d invite you into camp again, but I don’t think you’d want to come.”

Snorting, Ren covered her mouth, although her eyes twinkled above her hand.

“No, I have things to do, and once I’m done with them, I should go home,” she said. “Someone has to talk Dury into working with your people, after all.”

“Ha! Good luck with that,” I said. “I understand how impossible that might be after apologizing to him this morning.”

Ren went still, even as she lowered her hand.

“You apologized to him?!” she said.

With a nervous laugh, I shrugged one shoulder.

“Sure. It seemed the right thing to do, and I thought it might make things easier between us,” I said. “Should I not have?”

“No! That was… good. Yeah. Good,” Ren stammered with her face turning pink. “You didn’t have to-”

Coughing, she pounded on her chest for a moment before jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

“I’m leaving now,” she said. “When I can over the next few days, I’ll return with updates.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “Good luck today, Ren.”

With a look of supreme confusion, Ren said, “Thank… you?”

Then, she ran into the forest, and cocking my head, I stared at where she’d disappeared.

What was that about? I asked. I’ve never had someone go so quickly from hostile to flustered around me before.

I couldn’t fully comprehend what Nylion sent back to me. The best I could do was translate it as a shrug, although that didn’t seem exactly right.

“From how horrible that woman was treating you last night, you forgave her quite easily,” Oswin said. “Can I ask why?”

That was a good question, one I wasn’t sure how to answer. This morning, Hadrion had primed me for easy forgiveness by revealing the reason behind his sister’s antagonistic behavior, but there had to be something more to it as well.

“She’s Rhy’s sister and the daughter of an important town’s leader,” I said. “Keeping our relationship amicable seemed like a good idea, even if I’ll never get anywhere with Tanwadur.”

That was a reasonable explanation, right?

“Makes sense,” Oswin said. “And there’s nothing else?”

Clicking my tongue, I broke off from staring at the forest, glaring at him instead.

“There’s nothing else,” I said. “You planning on telling me what you learned last night?”

I might have caught a flash of worry on the spy’s face before his expression returned to neutral, but if I had, it had been such a short glimpse that I immediately doubted what I’d seen.

“Certainly, sir,” Oswin said. “Would you prefer an oral report, or may I have time to compose a written one?”

If allowed to read the report, I could add it to my mental index, whereas something spoken would only stick with me for a few hours so…

“Write it up for me, please,” I said. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

Giving me an odd look, Oswin said, “It’s no trouble at all, sir. I’ll bring it to you later. I’m assuming that you mean to find your family now. Let them know you’re safe?”

Right… I should probably do that.

“First, I have to speak with the people in charge of those soldiers,” I said, waving toward camp, “but yes, that’ll be next. Why do you ask?”

Smirking, Oswin said, “I can’t watch your back if I don’t know where you are, can I?”

As he ambled toward camp, I frowned after him. Why would he think I needed an extra set of eyes when among my allies?

Did that really matter, though?

I hurried after the spy, soon entering camp. 

Chapter 84: Reporting In

Raimie

It took me longer than I’d like—my body was loudly crying for sleep and any delay in getting it couldn’t be healthy for me—but I eventually found Marcuset and Eledis on the beach.

The two were sparring with practice swords. I wasn’t sure why they’d chosen to fight here, where the footing would be loose and treacherous, but it was an impressive display.

With sand flying as high as their hips, they were showing an impressive mastery of the blade, which somehow didn’t surprise me. I’d expect it from the commander, of course, but for my grandfather, if I’d learned anything in the last few months, it was that my family was never what it seemed.

Watching the two, I stripped off my armor, leaving me in a loose tunic and pair of trousers, before piling it, Silverblade, and my pistol at the feet of a nearby audience member.

“Watch that for me, would you?” I said.

I waited to get a nod before trudging through the sand toward the older men.

Marcuset caught sight of me first. Hesitating with a block, he got jabbed as a reward, and I winced.

I probably should have announced myself earlier. Oh, well.

“Commander. Eledis,” I said, nodding to each as I stopped. “May I join you?”

I planted my staff in the sand with a smile. Sure, I was tired. Sure, I should tell these two what had happened last night before finding a bedroll, but how could I pass up the opportunity to test myself against the commander of Ada’ir’s armed forces?

Or former commander, I supposed.

“Your Majesty! You’re back,” Marcuset said. “How did your visit with the locals go?”

Making a face, I said, “I had mixed results. Can we discuss them in a minute? I’d like to work off some frustration.”

Lifting the staff, I got in a ready stance, but neither of the older men moved.

“You want to fight us?” Eledis said.

Although the way he’d put that made it seem more like a statement than a question.

“Yes. Is that a problem?” I asked.

After a moment of consideration, Eledis shrugged.

“Not for me,” he said. “Marcuset?”

As always, a hint of sarcasm had infected his voice when he’d spoken the commander’s name, but instead of ignoring it like he typically did, Marcuset winced this time.

“If it’s what you truly want, I won’t protest, Your Majesty,” he said.

“It is.”

Shaking his head, Marcuset raised his practice sword, followed by Eledis, and after a breathless pause, the other two blurred. Even having raised my staff to block, something walloped into my chest, and stumbling away from it, I tripped, scrambling backward until a shadow fell over me. Blinking to keep sand out of my eyes, I huffed when I saw that Marcuset had stopped Eledis from bringing his sword down on my head.

With a cocky grin, my grandfather said, “I think you might need a new weapons tutor. Taking you down was far too easy.”

Marcuset pushed him back while I got to my feet, brushing myself off.

“Not at all. Rhy’s doing very well, thanks,” I said, “but he can’t teach me in the same way that practical experience can, which is why I asked to join you. I’ve fought with two people at once, back when Dath was training with me, but I’ve never defended myself on such loose footing before. So, let’s go again. Get me the experience I might need to avoid death in a true fight.”

Drawing even with Marcuset, I lightly tapped the back of his head with my staff.

“And stop shielding me. I don’t need it.”

Scowling at me, Marcuset nodded while rubbing his head.

“All right, then,” Eledis said, lifting his sword. “Once more.”

I did better this time, but that wasn’t saying much, considering I’d near instantly landed on my back during the first clash. Still, while I took a few blows on my knuckles and arms, I managed to land some too.

For some reason, this frustrated Eledis, as evidenced by his eagerness to take advantage of any openings he saw. After Marcuset and I got a series of strikes through his defenses, he retreated for a moment, watching me attack my once ally, before leaping back in.

“What happened with the Audish natives?” he grunted. “You said you had mixed results?”

He wanted to get into that, did he? Was it meant as a distraction, something upsetting enough for me to make a mistake?

“I did. Some among them seemed neutral toward us, but others, most notably this group’s leader…”

Catching the cross guard of Marcuset’s sword on my staff, I grabbed his wrist before twirling my weapon, and the commander’s blade went flying. Disarmed.

As he backed off with his hands raised, quickly retreating to the line of people watching the fight, I snapped my eyes to slits. That had been far too easy.

A glancing swipe at my thigh drew me back to the fight and my grandfather’s question.

“They hate us here, Eledis,” I said.

With his face twisting, my grandfather jabbed at my face, a blow I barely avoided, and I couldn’t argue with Nylion when he sent anger surging through us. When sparring, one didn’t go for such a debilitating hit unless one knew their opponent well. What the hell, Eledis?

Backing off, my grandfather said, “Are you sure it wasn’t you they disliked? You can be off-putting at times.”

This, coming so soon after what he’d done, froze me solid, and with a fierce smile, Eledis lunged for me.

As he came at me in slow motion, I wasn’t sure what fell over me. Maybe Nylion took over. I could see that being the case, considering how often he’d done it in similar circumstances, but it didn’t feel like I’d handed him the reins. No, this felt more like a hand… or maybe instinct had moved me.

Much faster than I should have been able to, I swayed sideways, letting Eledis’ blade pass a breath from my arm, before slapping a hand to his chest. The barest puff of light aided me in shoving him backward, and as he stumbled away, I swept my staff behind his knees, pulling it free when he fell. I used it to hop over him before driving it toward his neck. It stopped a hairsbreadth from his skin.

Panting, I blinked at my grandfather’s popped-wide eyes for a moment, working through what had happened.

White light. Had I accessed Ele? But Bright-

Clearing his throat, Eledis lifted his hands above his head, and I jumped, removing my weapon from him before offering him a hand.  Once he was on his feet, though, I maintained my hold.

“It wasn’t my fault,” I said before letting go.

Rotating in a circle, I looked for Marcuset, wondering where he’d gone. Everything I’d told Eledis? He needed to know it too, and I didn’t trust my grandfather to share what I’d said without skewing it.

“Where did you learn that move? It was impressive!” Eledis said. “When I’ve had time, I’ve been watching Rhylix’s lessons, and he hasn’t taught you anything like that yet.”

Was he trying to make up for the shit he’d just pulled? Gods. He should know that sort of thing didn’t bother me anymore, not from him at least.

“I must have picked it up from a book at some point,” I said.

Facing camp, I noted a flurry of movement not far into the tents, and when it resolved into Oswin, sprinting free of them, I raised an eyebrow. What had him in such a panic?

“Mastering a skill takes more than reading about it,” Eledis said.

Clicking my tongue, I said, “What can I say? Maybe Nyl practiced it in our mind after I saw it in a book. He doesn’t have anything better to do right now.”

Stopping at the edge of the crowd, Oswin furiously waved at me, and I frowned. What-?

“…Nyl?” Eledis asked.

Panic jolted through me from my other half, and on reviewing what I’d said, I slammed my eyes closed, fighting to keep my breathing even.

With carefully feigned cheer, I said, “Mmhmm! You know, nil as in nothing? There’s nothing in my brain?”

I’m so sorry, Nyl.

“I… see,” Eledis said.

Why did he sound troubled? He didn’t know about Nylion…

Did he? Gods. What if he’d torn me and my other half apart?

Making a face, I shook my head. My relationship with my grandfather might be antagonistic at times, but he’d never hurt me like that.

I could feel him working up to ask another question, but not only did I not want to hear it, but Oswin’s frantic antics on the crowd’s edge had become troublesome.

“Excuse me, Eledis,” I said, “but I should see what has the spy in our midst so agitated.”

Chapter 85: Fixing What's Broken

Raimie

I didn’t head toward Oswin after trudging free of the sand. Instead, I retrieved my things, donning my armor while waiting for him to approach, and once he had, I turned my most mischievous smirk on him, one that wavered when I saw how tight his face was.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You should come with me,” he said. “Something requires your special brand of crazy to fix it.”

At that, my eyebrows shot for the sky. It had been significantly less formal than he typically was with me, almost sounding like something a friend would say.

“What exactly is this ‘something’?” I asked.

Shaking his head, Oswin said, “Not here. Please. Just trust me.”

As I chewed my lip, I glanced over the spy, but a question of trust wasn’t what prompted this. Surprisingly, I had no question when it came to that. I was more concerned with whether I could handle something that had rattled a former spy of a Hand.

“All right,” I said. “Lead on.”

With a sharp nod, Oswin started running, moving so fast that I had trouble keeping up. At least while maintaining this pace, I only caught brief glances of people when they bowed to me. At some point, I should address their deference, let it be known that I wouldn’t take the throne if we overthrew Doldimar, but that was a problem for later.

When people started diminishing in number, Oswin slowed down, which let me rattle off a question.

“Will you tell me where we’re headed?”

“Where you’ll be sleeping while here. Some of the soldiers took it upon themselves to prepare a place for you.”

When I clicked my tongue, Oswin smiled, a small one that seemed mostly directed at himself.

“Don’t worry. It isn’t fancy. After the journey here, everyone knows you don’t like preferential treatment,” he said. “When we went our separate ways, I headed there, meaning to check it before writing my report, but something happened while I was doing that. I had a different surprise in mind for you today, but this problem needs you to diffuse it.”

Hell, I had so many questions. What surprise had Oswin had in mind? Why had he felt the need to check my sleeping place for safety?

Those weren’t important right now, though.

“You won’t share what I’m about to walk into, will you?” I sourly said.

Oswin glanced my way before fixing his eyes in front of him.

“It’ll be better if you see it for yourself,” he said.

Well, that was just great.

Ahead of us, the line of tents on either side bent until our passageway curved out of view, and in front of this turn, a red-haired woman and a very small man… or maybe teenager were playing keep-away, dissuading soldiers from advancing past the point they were guarding. Conversely, neither of them looked at me or Oswin when we strode past them. Obviously, they knew the spy, but before I could ask him about it, we turned the corner, and with my heart leaping in my chest, I faltered in my step, forcing him to steady me.

We’d stopped in a cleared space, one formed by a circle of tents. The campsite wasn’t finished. Its fire pit was still in the midst of construction, and several weapons had been left lying in the grass, but even still, I loved it. It felt homier than the rigid discipline found elsewhere.

One problem with it, though.

Misty, white light was billowing over the ground, partially concealing the grass. Rising to mid-shin, it roiled like angry thunderclouds, and tendrils of it quested through openings in the circle, seeking escape.

In the middle of this, Bright was pacing back and forth with their hands in their hair and a chant on their lips.

“WhatamIWhatamIWhatamI?”

Oh, my heart hurt to see this. They were in such distress, and no matter how exuberant I was to see them—I’d been starting to doubt their earlier appearance—I had to fix them.

Forget Oswin, watching me with his arms crossed, and what him bringing me here must mean. Forget what might soon happen if he hadn’t secured this scene quickly enough.

A being I cared for was in pain. Until I did what I could for them, everything else could go straight to the void.

Taking a step into the mist, I said, Dim, I know you’re avoiding me, and yes, they’re your enemy, but…

“I’m already here, ya idiot.”

So, they were. I didn’t know when they’d appeared at my side, but they were tracking Bright with singular fascination, even if their nose was also wrinkled.

“How is Order…?” they said. “How?”

I don’t know, but if you have any suggestions for how to proceed, I’ll take them now, I said.

“Suggestions? Really?” Dim said. “Raimie, Bright shouldn’t exist. I’ve never seen one of us come back after one of those swords has destroyed us, and I’ve been around for-fucking-ever.”

Greeeeeaaaaat…

When I reached Bright, they didn’t acknowledge me, just continued to pace. Unlike with me, their passage through the mist sent it flurrying behind them, and if that hadn’t been enough, every time they tugged on their hair, more white light spurted from them.

Hell… my poor heart…

How in the void did I fix this? I didn’t fully understand my splinters in the first place, and now, I had to tackle something about them that had never happened before. It was overwhelming, and I was halfway tempted to abandon this endeavor but Bright…

Fuck it. I had to start somewhere.

Bright, I said, can you hear me, buddy?

For a breath, the Ele splinter faltered before picking up their pace and volume.

“WhatamIWhatamIWhatamI?”

“You think talking to them will change something?” Dim asked, warily eyeing me.

Shooting a glare at them, I said, “How about this? Any better?”

Mid-step, Bright stopped before shooting toward me. They seized my arms, a hold I could actually feel, and I’d have marveled more at this if the fight against madness in their eyes hadn’t stolen my breath.

“I need you to tell me what I am!” they shrieked.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

No! I couldn’t indulge in panic or fear, even if that was what Nylion was shouting at me right now. It wasn’t what Bright needed.

Hovering my hand over their shoulder, I said, “You’re Bright, a splinter of Ele, although you’d probably snap at me for calling you that. You give me access to your whole, and on more than one occasion, you’ve saved my life. You’re a regular pain in the ass sometimes, but I need that. We need that.”

With their brow furrowing, Bright mouthed the word ‘we’, and I motioned Dim forward.

“This is Dim, a splinter of Daevetch,” I said. “I don’t know why yet, but you two have set aside your differences. Considering how they’ve been acting since you left us, I’d say that you might even be friends now-”

“Yeah… no,” Dim said. “Friends is a strong word for what’s between us…”

They trailed off at the look on my face.

Please, Dim. I know you want them back too, and they’ll need the truth for that.

Slumping, Dim rubbed their eyes.

“By me, I won’t be me by the time this is over,” they said to themselves before pushing me aside.

Not that I minded. While they rested their hands on their hips, meeting Bright’s placid gaze, I rubbed my chest. Not only had the pain in my heart spread, but it had become physical in nature, an ache that my fingers couldn’t relieve.

With an exasperated sigh, Dim threw their head back.

“Our human’s right. I need you back, weakling,” they said. “We had a plan, remember? Something our wholes don’t agree with-”

“Raimie in the balance point,” Bright blurted.

As they started murmuring to themselves again, repeating the conversation from the beginning, Dim shot a sidelong glance at me, but I just stared back, digging into my skin. If I was supposed to catch a hidden meaning from that, it had gotten lost in the vice tightening around my chest.

“That’s right,” Dim said with a frown forming. “I can’t do this alone. Our human pulled you back from whatever happens to us when we’re destroyed. Don’t ask me how. Over our time together, I’ve stopped trying to figure him out, but you need to take the final step in fixing yourself, and… and you should do it fast.”

Why did they look so concerned?

I quickly gave up on answering that. This pain, threatening to buckle my knees? It was coming from Bright, had to be with how much worse it had gotten while standing in their presence. They were defying nature’s laws, a dissonance marring the world’s music. Something that a simple key change would fix.

With their face scrunched, Bright cocked their head.

“I… am Bright,” they said. “I exist to help Raimie, fixing the imbalance in the Eternal War. I am Bright.”

With a decisive nod, they stepped back, there to wait.

“Now what?” I wheezed.

“Hell if I know,” Dim said, still watching me with concern. “I was taking a wild guess when I told them they should accept their existence. It’s your turn to contribute. Raimie, are you…?”

Holding up a finger, I scanned my surroundings. Besides Bright, the only thing out of place here was the white light—so like Ele—all around us. Visible to even a norm like Oswin, that primal energy must have penetrated the barrier between it and the physical plane.

Maybe that could explain why Bright was looking at me so expectantly.

Closing one eye, I reached for my Ele source, half-expecting that it wouldn’t exist, and instead, I found it all around me, not in Bright. No wonder my heart was hurting so badly. My access to Ele’s well, what I’d come to associate with wellbeing, had shattered into pieces around the campsite.

“I don’t know how this is possible since it’s supposed to be them,” I said, pointing at Bright, “but my Ele source is broken.”

With their eyes popping, Dim recoiled.

“Into pieces? I wonder how that happened,” they said before glancing around. “Has it moved?”

Oo… this might end poorly.

“Um… no,” I said. “You’re standing in it, actually.”

Sucking in a gasp, Dim became a statue before zipping out of the mist. They fell to their hands and knees with wretched coughs filling the air, and with each heave of their stomach, their form shivered, letting slivers of black peek through it.

Yup. Bad. I’d have more sympathy for Dim if I hadn’t felt like I was dying myself.

Fortunately, the splinter quickly got to their feet, wiping their mouth.

“Can you put them back together?” they said.

Doubtful. I was having a hard enough time with simply thinking right now but even still…

“I’ll try,” I said.

Reaching for the shards around me, I drew them close, releasing a relieved wheeze when the touch of them eased the pressure on my chest, and once I held a few, I embedded them into position within Bright.

For close to an hour, this continued. I cobbled the pieces together as best I could, but some refused to fit. These, I had to mold into shape, which wasn’t pleasant to do.

Eventually, though, the last of the shards passed through my hands, returning the campsite to a scene of normalcy, and I stumbled. Nothing was crushing my chest anymore, but I was exhausted, trembling at the effort to stay on my feet.

Meeting Dim’s eyes, I took a deep breath, reaching for my newly reconstructed source. Would it work? Considering it was of human make, I was half-convinced it would shatter when I pulled Ele to me, but the energy came as called, and nothing in my source so much as shifted.

Biting my lip, I fought to keep from crying as I released the Ele coating my hands.

Had that-? Was Bright-?

Gods, please say they were ok.

“What… happened? Where-?”

With a cough, Bright started violently shivering, hugging themselves. Meanwhile, Dim edged toward them.

“Raimie resonated with the wholes, which was unexpected. So few humans can do that,” the Ele splinter said to themselves. “I was distracted. Teron got behind me. Lighteater…”

Moaning, they clenched their eyes for a breath before opening them again, searching for something. Skipping over me, Bright focused on Dim, and I was worried that in their disorientation, they might start a fight, but stumbling forward, they fell into the enemy splinter, taking fistfuls of their clothes.

“Chaos! Oh, my old foe,” they gasped into Dim’s chest. “I don’t know what to- fuck! It was awful…”

They lifted their head with tears in their eyes.

“You have to help me!”

I’d never seen a person so clenched tight before. Dim found me over Bright’s head with such panic written on them, and I crossed my arms.

Help them, I said. Unless you want them to stay this wrecked, probably for longer than we can afford?

“Damnit,” Dim murmured.

Grimacing, they lifted their arms, wrapping them around Bright with the most potent expression of repulsion on their face.

Patting the Ele splinter’s back, they said, “There, there, you useless brat. Can’t believe you’re making me do this.”

For some reason, this made Bright laugh before they buried their face in Dim’s chest once more.

“Make yourself useful, Raimie,” Dim growled. “You can’t have missed that several norms are staring at you. After we went to all this trouble, I’d prefer it if you didn’t get strung up today. I know you’re ecstatic to have the milksop back, but…”

They had no idea. I hadn’t felt this light in ages. Bright would need time to recover, but they were ok.

I’d done it! I’d dragged someone precious to me back from the brink.

Somehow. At some point, I’d have to ponder how I’d managed the impossible, but for now, I let myself watch my reunited splinters for a breath before spinning toward the norms at my back.

Chapter 86: More Spies

Raimie

 

Dim had been right to direct my attention away from Bright. The people at my back must know that I was a primeancer by now, and I was afraid that I’d have to soon run into the dangerous unknowns of Auden because of that.

When he’d retrieved me earlier, Oswin might not have seemed hostile, but with the crisis over, that neutrality might disappear. If that weren’t enough, several other soldiers had joined the spy while I’d been working.

Two of them, I recognized: the red-head and the small man or teenager from before, but the other two were strangers. One of them was the definition of plain, although he was taller than the others, and the second was more thickset. Despite the glow emanating from Nylion at the sight of him, he was also the one I was most worried about, given how much his throat was working.

“You’re… you’re…” he said.

How should I play this? I couldn’t be too cocky, or it might push them into summoning a mob, but maybe with some projected confidence, I could calm them down, enough so they’d listen to reason.

“I’m what?” I asked. “Average looking? A competent fighter? A fast learner?”

When the stocky man started shaking his head, the tall one rubbed his back, although he quickly removed his touch.

Clearing his throat, Oswin said, “Forgive us, sir. We’ve had our suspicions for quite some time, but seeing them confirmed… it gives us hope.”

Wait, what?

“Hope?” I asked.

That wasn’t usually a word associated with what I was.

Elbowing Oswin, the small man said, “Sure! You’re a primeancer, right? When it comes to the war effort, that’ll be a huge advantage.”

“…War …effort?” I squeaked.

What the hell was happening here?

With a frown, the small man turned to Oswin, who was still rubbing his side.

“Is he ok?” he said. “He sounds like a parrot.”

Rolling his eyes, Oswin said, “Little, that’s no way to talk about your king.”

When the small man huffed, crossing his arms, the red-head smacked him upside the head.

“Listen to him, ya brat,” she said.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I started rubbing my temples.

“Would someone please explain who you are and why you aren’t trying to murder me?” I said.

When someone snorted a laugh, I cracked an eye open to find a range of amused expressions facing me.

“Why would we kill you?” the small man asked. “You’re an… Ele primeancer, right? At least, the stuff you were playing with looked like Ele.”

Oh… this was too much. My poor head… Gods, why couldn’t I just go to sleep like my body was begging me to do?

“I primarily use Ele, yes,” I said, dragging the words out of my mouth, “but at times, Daevetch comes in handy too.”

“Are you kidding me?” the small man said. “You mean these four were telling the truth about-?”

He cut off as Oswin returned his earlier elbow ribbing, but soon enough, he continued.

“That’s impossible, though. Primeancers belong to one side or the other, never both.”

He was right. I’d never considered it more deeply than surface level, but the old primeancer legends had never talked about someone wielding both energies.

With my head cocked, I reached for my sources, pulling Ele to one hand and Daevetch to the other. As always when using both, a miniature war threatened to rip me in half, but I ignored it to stare at what I was holding.

Why could I do this? Was I really so different?

When one of the strangers coughed, I winced, casting both energies aside. That had been stupid… or maybe not. This group did know what I was, at least in part.

I should clear that up.

“So far as I’m aware, I’m the first of my kind,” I said. “A dual primeancer.”

And here was where the lot of them ran, screaming, from me.

Shifting in place, the tall man rasped, “You were right, Middle. Alouin help Doldimar. We have a secret weapon again.”

Again?

“You know how I said I’d never swear vows, spymaster?” the small man said. “Yeah, you can forget that. I’ll swear whatever I must if I get to work for him.”

As the others nodded agreement, I took a step back, fighting to ignore my pounding head.

“Hang on a minute. Why haven’t you ‘ended the threat’?” I said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you haven’t, but isn’t that what usually happens to primeancers?”

With a grim smile, Oswin said, “Oh, it is.”

“But we don’t care what you are or what power you might have,” the stocky one added. “What matters is who you are.”

“And you seem like a decent enough kid,” the red-head said before smirking. “Definitely not the ‘end the world’ type.”

“And if you do ever trend that way, we’re more than capable of ending the threat you’d become,” the tall man rasped.

With a cheeky grin, the small man said, “I just think primeancers are cool.”

I glanced between these strangers, opening and closing my mouth a few times before I could push free of shock.

“Ok. Who are you people?”

“Who they are doesn’t matter right now. When you’re established in Auden, I’ll introduce them more fully,” Oswin said. “For now, suffice it to say that they’re my subordinates, no matter how much they might like to forget that fact.”

He scowled at the others while details clicked into place.

“So, they’re spies too?” I said, sweeping a finger over the unknowns.

“Ha! You could say that,” the red-head said.

With a pointed glare at her, Oswin said, “As I mentioned, what they are doesn’t matter. What does is that if they do their job, you’ll never see them.”

So… spies. Hmm. Where had Oswin found these people?

“All right. Good to know,” I said. “What now?”

Could I trust these people to keep their mouths shut about my magic? Too many among the soldiers had learned about it. If we weren’t careful, knowledge of it would spread among the rest, and I knew what would happen after that. I wasn’t sure how to date, I’d been so lucky with who’d uncovered my secret, but that good fortune couldn’t last forever.

“Now comes something that should have happened a while ago,” Oswin said.

He drew his sword, getting down on one knee, and I internally groaned while Nylion sent a spike of queasy dislike from the depths.

“I, Oswin, humble spy of the King’s Hand, do swear fealty and unwavering support to Raimie, the rightful claimant of the Audish throne,” he said. “Ever will I be your knife in the dark, ever to safeguard you and keep blood off of your hands. May my heart and mind always belong to you.”

Looking down on this man, I wasn’t sure why I wanted to rage against what he was offering, leaving my fingers twitching, but I did know that I couldn’t accept this gift.

“I don’t want this,” I said. “I’m not a king, Oswin.”

He said nothing, and I knew he wouldn’t move until this exchange was completed. Sighing, I nicked my thumb on his blade instead of drawing my own before pressing it into his forehead.

Struggling to speak each word with gravity instead of rattling them off, I said, “I, Raimie, last in the line of Audish kings, do accept Oswin as my faithful servant. I swear to honor and protect you as best I’m able to. Ever will I work toward your benefit, ever to provide opportunity for you. May I always serve you as a leader should.”

Pausing, I nearly removed my touch, but Nylion—as well as something unknown inside—had me pushing my thumb into Oswin’s skin, hard enough that he had to look up at me.

“I also swear to be your friend, no matter how much of a snarky, stubborn jackass you can be.”

Maybe Oswin gasped. I wouldn’t know, too busy jabbing my finger at the others.

“Don’t. you. even. think. about getting down on one knee right now,” I said. “You want to swear fealty? You can do it after you’ve properly introduced yourselves.”

Grinning, the stocky man said, “You present an interesting pattern, young one. Should be fun to follow.”

He and the other three bowed before scurrying off, all while Oswin got to his feet.

With his hand to his forehead, he mumbled, “My friend?”

I didn’t bother replying, checking on my splinters. They too had vanished, removing the last trace of abnormality from the campsite, but I didn’t try calling them back to the physical plane. I could do that after I got some much-needed rest, time that would let Bright heal too.

“So. Which of these is mine?” I asked.

I’d rather not dwell on what had just happened or the fact that I had another subject. I wanted to collapse onto a bedroll and lose myself to a dream state. Maybe I could talk with Nylion while I was there.

“Forgive me, sir, but your father would probably appreciate an update from you,” Oswin said. “Don’t you agree?”

Or that could wait for another hour or two.

“You’re right. Of course you’re right,” I groaned. “I don’t suppose you know where he is, do you?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I caught Oswin sweeping a hand back the way we’d come before.

“Right this way, sir,” he said.

Chapter 87: Accept Your Role, Stubborn One

Raimie

We found my father in front of a tent, one that was slightly larger than the common soldier’s. He was lying in the grass with sunshine blazing down on him, a stack of papers held in front of his nose, and his tunic off. At the sight of the metal dots and wires climbing over the outline of his spine, I winced, and perhaps that alerted him to our presences because he lowered his papers before scrambling to his feet.

“Raimie! When did you get back?” he asked, reaching for his tunic.

“Not long ago. Oswin mentioned that I should check on you before getting some sleep,” I said. “What were you doing?”

“Reviewing Auden’s history,” my father said while pulling on his clothes. “Oh and catching some sun. Nothing interesting.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Bullshit. Since when had he enjoyed lying out in the sun?

“You mentioned needing sleep,” he continued. “Is that urgent, or can I borrow you for a moment first?”

Must I attend to him? Really? Any second now, I’d collapse, having lost consciousness. I was a little concerned about whether I could get to my own bedroll before that happened, but sure, I could indulge my father.

When I nodded, he ducked into his tent, sitting on its cot, and gestured for me to join him. A stack of clothes covered the cot’s end, and while I pulled that into my lap, I hummed, watching Oswin make himself comfortable nearby.

“Hey, you don’t have to stick around,” I said. “Thanks for helping me find my father and the other thing, but don’t you have better things to do?”

When the spy exchanged a glance with my father, I started humming louder. I didn’t like it when I was missing something obvious.

“Oswin’s just doing his job,” my father said. “He wouldn’t be a good bodyguard if he didn’t keep an eye on you.”

“A what?” I snapped with my eye twitching.

They thought I needed a bodyguard? Why?

Crossing his arms, Oswin scanned our surroundings.

“I told you he wouldn’t know what last night meant, Aramar,” he said. “Subtlety doesn’t cut it with him.”

No. No, no, no.

“I don’t want someone constantly watching me,” I said. “What makes you think I’d need something like that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe how many times you’ve almost died in the last few months?” Oswin said.

“But I didn’t-!”

My father took hold of my shoulders, turning me to him.

“Maybe you don’t need someone to watch your back. Maybe you do,” he said. “I’m asking you to let Oswin do this because I trust him and it’ll ease my mind. Please?”

Gods. damn. it.

“Fine,” I hissed, jerking free of my father.

I did my best to ignore the awkward silence that followed, picking at the pile of clothes I was holding. After a moment, I unfolded the top piece, holding it in front of me.

“I don’t understand why everyone’s still wearing these,” I said. “Queen Kaedesa won’t be happy to learn so many deserters have the uniform of Ada’ir’s army. She’ll come after us for it.”

“Oh, she won’t care about that,” my father said. “She might for the soldiers she lost but what they wear? Not so much.”

“And that’s not Ada’ir’s uniform, sir, although I can see how you might mistake the two,” Oswin said. “Three hundred years ago, Ada’ir’s monarchy stole its styling from the hemorrhaging corpse of Auden’s standing army. They’re very similar, as you can see.”

Facing me, he gestured toward his body, and he was right. There were many similarities between his outfit and what I was holding.

Both sets of uniforms claimed loose pants and matching boots as well as identical weapons belts, although a jacket hid the one hanging from Oswin’s hips. It closed at the body’s midline with a line of buttons running to a clasp at the jacket’s collar. Embroidered symbols on this collar designated each soldier’s rank—a horizontal pair of bars in Oswin’s case—with their silver color accenting the uniform’s navy-blue fabric.

“You’re not just a captain of a boat, I see,” I said. “Captain Oswin of the army as well, huh?”

Shrugging, Oswin said, “It’s a common enough rank, one that’s often overlooked, and that makes it perfect for me.”

With a nod, I returned my attention to the uniforms I was holding.

“That begs the question of who these are for, though,” I said.

Said uniforms boasted several differences from what Oswin was wearing. For one thing, the jacket’s sleeves cut off halfway down the upper arm, allowing the wearer greater maneuverability. Its shoulder caps were hard enough to stop a sword’s glancing blow, and its buttons were not only positioned off-center but they were flush with the fabric they kept closed. It was shorter than Ada’ir’s jackets, allowing easy access to the uniform’s weapons belt, and several loops and pockets on the trousers provided storage for knives, gunpowder, and other such items.

When it came to combat, this uniform was much more practical, although some things remained the same, such as the collar.

What I was inspecting, however, had no insignia there, which I found strange. Even an army’s recruits had an emblem to designate their rank. Maybe these uniform had yet to be finished, leaving their embroidery incomplete.

“Those are for you,” my father said. “Some of the soldiers have noticed how deplorable your wardrobe has become. They asked me if they could fix it.”

“One of our ships had a crate of Ada’ir’s uniforms in its hold,” Oswin continued for him. “On the journey here, we’ve been modifying them when we found the time, intending to properly outfit your people, but those two are for you. As for the lack of insignia-”

“You’re not part of the military’s structure,” my father interrupted.

“And yet, you are.”

Crossing his arms, Oswin glared at my father, and I shivered at the chill in the air. When had those two found the time to form a rift over such a silly subject?

“We didn’t know what insignia to give you,” Oswin continued, although he held my father’s gaze. “At first, we thought a gold star, like what Commander Marcuset claims, would be best, but technically, you’re even higher rank than him.”

Good gods, why did people keep placing such importance on me? Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I still said I was nothing special.

As I raised my eyes to the heavens, seeking patience, Oswin smiled.

“As we got to know you, however, we figured out the best insignia for you,” he said. “None. With nothing on your collar, you’ll have a degree of anonymity without sacrificing the need for the average soldier to know who’s in charge, and you are in charge here, sir, whether you like it or not.”

With stinging eyes, I folded the uniforms into my lap, focusing on how much care and attention had gone into them instead of what Oswin had said.

“They’re perfect. Thank you,” I said. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this, but I’m grateful for it. After I’ve gotten some sleep, we can see how they fit, and speaking of sleep, did you need anything else, dad, or may I go?”

Ruffling my hair, my father said, “There’s nothing else. Get some rest-”

“Aramar.”

Stepping into the tent, Oswin towered over me and my father, although his heated gaze seemed reserved for the older man.

“Stop sparing him. In the long run, it’ll do more harm than good,” he said. “Please. Burst the bubble he’s been living in.”

With my father having shrunk on himself, I glanced between him and Oswin.

“What’s he talking about?” I asked.

Screwing his face up, my father took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. When he opened his eyes again, all emotion had bled from him.

“Raimie. Much as we might wish otherwise, you found Shadowsteal,” he said. “Do you know what’s expected of you because of that?”

Several things I’d much rather never think about?

“Defeat an all-powerful overlord,” I said. “Free this land.”

“Yes, that’s true,” my father said with a nod. “And after you’ve done these things, what will happen to Auden? How will it recover?”

Cocking my head, I said, “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it, not with current concerns taking my full attention.”

“That’s understandable. I want you to think about it now, though.”

So, I did, and after only a heartbeat, I knew where my father was going with this.

Nervously laughing, I said, “I’d rather not.”

With a click of his tongue, Oswin abruptly left the tent, all while I burned the back of his skull with my gaze. He’d started this. The least he could do was stick around until it was over.

“With their overlord dead, the Audish people will need someone to lead them,” my father said, “and they’ll turn toward the one who saved them for that.”

“Go- Alouin. So, you’ve joined the people trying to make me a king?” I said. “I already made my decision about this, dad. I won’t do it.”

“What makes you think you have a choice?”

Rolling my eyes, I pulled one leg onto the cot so I could face my father.

“Everyone has a choice in what they do, but sure. Let’s assume I don’t,” I said. “Tell me. What qualifications do I have to rule a kingdom? I’m an eighteen-year-old kid, barely figuring out my own life. How am I supposed to guide a nation’s worth of people too?

“My only source of legitimacy comes from Shadowsteal, which I’ve lost in case you’ve forgotten. Even the foretellings that might, might, be about me say nothing about ruling Auden. Destroying evil? Suffering some unknown, awful fate? Sure. Leading? Not a word.

“Even if they did, however, and our family retook a throne that we lost generations ago, I wouldn’t be the one to sit on it, not by every established rule of succession. That honor would go to Eledis-”

“Shut your mouth, Raimie.”

Obligingly, my teeth clicked together while I swayed away from my father. I’d never heard him so angry before, not even when long ago, I’d mentioned the emptiness that only Nylion could fill.

“In all of the crap you’ve spewed, you were right about one thing,” he growled. “You are acting like a child.”

Gods, his face was red. The sight of it made my fingers itch to hold steel, to protect, while cautious wariness rose from Nylion, but I couldn’t move. I could only listen.

“Tell me, son. In your lessons with Ferin, may she rest in peace,” my father said, flinching at the former Zrelnach commander’s name, “did she get around to explaining what a monarch’s role is?”

Held fast by fear, one I didn’t want to explore, I flicked through my mental index, desperate to find an answer for my father.

“Ternidian said that a monarch was the head of a state, which doesn’t explain much…

“Oh! But in his autobiography, page 178, King Sephicus of ancient Lyzencroft said that ‘-a monarch represents and protects their subjects, whether within the kingdom or abroad. They negotiate with other nations on behalf of their people for resources that are scarce within the kingdom’s borders, and if negotiations break down, they lead the army in defense of their people. They maintain law and order within the kingdom so that their subjects have every chance to advance in station…’ and then, there’s something about establishing laws in the first place as well as building infrastructure.”

That was everything on the subject, right?

“Was that a word-for-word recitation of Sephicus’ dry ramblings? Hell. Sometimes, I forget…”

Jerking my head up, I was… relieved, actually, to see that Oswin had rejoined us. I didn’t know how he’d snuck up on me, but considering I no longer felt so unstable—we’d put it—I didn’t care.

“That’s an excellent explanation, but it’s missing one crucial element,” my father said. “Whoever accepts the burden of the throne must understand that it’s a job, not a right or a privilege. Keeping a kingdom of diverse people safe and happy is rigorous work, and anyone who’s eager to step into such a position should be viewed with suspicion.”

As Oswin nodded, I refocused on my father. Where was he going with this?

“So, now that we know a monarch’s role, we get to a supremely important question. What makes a monarch, or in your case, a king, a king? I’d argue that it involves three things.

“First: a claim to the throne. Trust me, Raimie. You absolutely have that. After your mother died, Eledis and I made a terrible mistake when we rejected our family’s history. True, this granted you a happy childhood, a blessing in every way, but at the same time, you weren’t prepared to find Shadowsteal. If you’d been trained for that like I was, things might have been different.”

He looked away, and again, I was struck by how little I knew about my own father. Had finding Shadowsteal been his dream, and if so, had I taken that away from him? Or had he been relieved that the sword’s foretellings weren’t about him?

Clearing his throat, my father continued, “Second: consent of the people. Oswin?”

“The exiled Audish nation supports Raimie as sovereign, sir,” the spy said.

But the declaration just made me wince. It was well and good, of course. We’d have a problem if the people who’d joined us didn’t support me, but what of the actual Audish people, the ones who’d been hostile to me since we’d arrived?

As if aware of what I was thinking, my father said, “Perhaps those who live under Doldimar’s boot will disagree with us. Perhaps not. We can’t ask for their opinion right now. The people we can ask, however, have given you consent to rule them, and that has to count for something.

“Third and last: the power to keep the throne. That’s what we’re here to test. Can we take Auden from Doldimar?

“In all honesty, though, does a king need a throne to be a king? What about a crown? According to Sephicus, a king represents and protects his subjects, and you have subjects, Raimie, whether they were pushed on you or not. They may form a small kingdom, but still, they’re yours.

“Oswin, what has my son done since first accepting Commander Marcuset’s oath of fealty?”

“Represented and protected us to the best of his ability, sir.”

At Oswin’s ‘us’, my father paused, flicking his eyes to the spy, before forging onward.

“That’s right,” he said. “If we accept Sephicus’ definition of a monarch, then you already are one, Raimie.

“As for lines of succession, I promise you that we don’t want Eledis in charge of anyone’s life. Nothing good drives that man. If you value my opinion at all, you’ll never suggest that he becomes king again.”

After he fell silent, I wondered if he was done, half hoping he wasn’t.

For my whole life, I’d valued logic. There was something to be said for following one’s heart, but to me, logic should almost always reign supreme.

Right now, I hated it with every fiber of my being.

Turning away from my father, I let my foot fall off of the cot, leaning on my knees to hide my face.

“All right. I concede,” I said into my hands. “I’m a go- Alouin damned monarch of an Alouin damned kingdom.”

Someone brushed my back, removing his hand when I bristled.

“I’m sorry.”

Laughing, I shook my head, flinging my hands to either side.

“There’s no changing it, so why be sorry?” I said. “May I go to bed now, though? I’m assuming you’re done with me, yes?”

Nodding, my father patted my leg, and I stood.

“Once I wake up, we should talk about what happened last night,” I said. “Lots to discuss there.”

Then, I stepped into the sunlight, wandering toward a recently abandoned campsite.

How did my life keep changing so drastically? A king? Me?

Making a face, I banged on my head, hoping it would knock the idea loose from me, until Oswin snatched my wrist. When I opened my mouth to snap at him, he just pointed at where a knife, strapped to my forearm, had started slipping free, so instead of getting in his face, I wrenched my limb away.

While securing the blade, I said, “You’re following me back. Does that mean you’ll be watching me when I sleep now?”

“And when you’re in the privy. And if you’re ever intimate with a woman. Or a man. I don’t know your preferences,” Oswin said. “That’s what a bodyguard does, sir. Are you regretting your vow to be my friend yet?”

For a few steps, I glared at him, trusting other people to get out of my way.

“No,” I eventually said.

But oh… if I didn’t want to punch him in the face right now.

Chapter 88: Found You

Rhylix

We share a unique bond, Eriadren.

The signs had stopped. For three hours now, I’d followed the ones Ren had left for me, but I couldn’t find any more. I’d already retraced my steps between the last few, making sure I hadn’t missed anything, and that effort had once more led me here, to this innocuous clearing with nothing in it.

Gods, I knew I’d told my sister that everything would be fine but… had she been ambushed? Had she been hurt?

No. I’d seen how she’d handled herself before. She’d learned everything Auden had to teach her, which meant…

Again, I glanced over my surroundings, and again, I saw nothing to indicate that even the most basic of human civilization lay nearby.

Even still.

“Ren!” I called into the gathering dusk. “If you’re somewhere nearby, can we please not play seek and find? I have time-sensitive information for my ally.”

I waited for a while after this, perfectly aware that it might take a minute to neutralize any safeguards my sister had placed around her home. In the meantime, I picked at my crudely tied together cloak, wishing I could have retrieved more than this flimsy piece of clothing from my things when fleeing Da’kul. I’d love to have even a basic weapon on me right now, something besides primeancy at least.

Speaking of that…

“Creation, can I get an update on Raimie, please?” I asked.

Stepping into view, my constant nuisance crossed their arms.

“It’s the same as it’s been the last dozen times you’ve asked: unknown,” they said. “What else would you expect? Your ally’s piece of Order is gone.”

And wasn’t that a terrifying thought? What would happen to Raimie now? He was solely a Daevetch primeancer. Given how strong of a reaction I had to that dark energy, how would this affect our relationship? How quick would his descent into insanity be, and once he reached an inevitable point of no return, would I be able to put him down?

Many of these questions were concerns I’d had when Raimie could still access Ele, but they hadn’t been as urgent because I’d believed his use of both energies would slow the process of his fall. Now, I must truly consider them, which I didn’t like.

And that wasn’t even touching everything that accompanied the destruction of an Ele splinter.

“I know it’s silly to ask, but would you please return to the whole and see if you can find any news about him there?” I asked. “It would ease my mind.”

“In that case, of course I’ll go,” Creation said.

As they popped out of view, I shook my head. Ever since overriding me while in Da’kul, they’d been exceedingly polite to me, which I didn’t understand.

How many times had they forcibly pulled me out of situations that they’d deemed too dangerous in the past? They’d never changed their behavior after those past performances, but then, they’d been doing a lot of things I’d never have thought them capable of lately.

What had changed?

The sound of a crack, splitting the night, drew me out of my thoughts, and I stared as a cliff face I’d previously passed over… opened. As it gaped wider, it revealed evidence of civilization behind it, and I started laughing. Sometimes, I forgot how ingenious my people could be when it came to the art of survival.

Since what I was seeing was obviously Ren’s home, I started toward it, noting the figure standing in the center of the presented opening. While I took everything in, my sister watched me with a shit-eating grin. Hell, she must be proud of this place, and she should be. No enemy would find it without the greatest of luck.

Doldimar was known to be pretty damn lucky, though.

“So?” Ren said. “What do you think?”

“I think…”

As I trailed off, I looked over a host of people going about their day, much like those from Ada’ir did. They comported themselves as if the threat of violence—should they be discovered—couldn’t touch them.

So resilient.

“I think I missed my home,” I said before facing my sister. “Thank you for the reminder of what Auden’s like at its best.”

“Of course,” Ren said with a toothy grin before waving me into the city. “Shall we?”

Gods, how I’d like to enter this sanctuary. After the last few days, filled with running, I'd welcome a short respite but…

“I can’t stay,” I said. “Unless Raimie’s here? I have urgent news for him.”

“I’m sure you do,” Ren said, patting my shoulder. “I’m also sure that it can wait for you to catch your breath. Maybe I can find you something better to wear while we’re at it.”

She bemusedly eyed my cloak, making me wince.

“I wish I could, but there’s no time,” I said. “You didn’t see the army coming for my allies, Ren. I have to get my news to them as quickly as possible.”

The mention of an army made Ren pause, but soon enough, she was smirking at me again.

“How hard have you pushed yourself to get here, Rhy?” she asked. “You must have used a lot of Eselan magic, among other things, too.”

“Of course I did,” I said. “I had to reach my ally as soon as I could.”

With her smirk widening, Ren said, “And you don’t think you’ve gained enough of a head start to take a break?”

She… had a point.

“Fine,” I said. “Better clothes and some weapons would be welcome.”

“Good to see that my big brother can still show sense,” Ren said.

Had that been sarcasm? I didn’t get long to ponder this question as Ren swiftly moved into the city.

Under other circumstances, I might take the time to marvel at this place, a genuine font of human creativity, but I had to know.

“Is Raimie safe? Did you get him back to his people?”

With a side-eyed glance, Ren said, “Don’t you mean your people?”

Right. That was what they should be, wasn’t it?

But as usual, I had a hard time with connecting, with seeing them as anything more than a means to an end.

Except for when it came to Raimie.

“Ren…” I said with a sigh.

Snorting, my sister did a poor job of hiding her smile.

“Raimie’s fine. He and his people have been establishing a base camp for days now,” she said before frowning. “He’s made quite the impression here too.”

Oh, no.

“Does that mean he’s visited?” I asked, trying to keep the question light.

I’d wanted to be here for that. With me as a facilitator, I’d been hoping to ease an inevitably tense introduction, but based on Ren’s short nod, I’d guess that hope had been for naught.

“Most of Tiro hasn’t been receptive to him, given who he is and what it means for them,” she said. “Had-had and I have been doing our best to change their opinions but…”

Grimacing, she raised a hand to wobble it from side to side.

“That hasn’t been going so great.”

Of course it hadn’t. Who wanted a reminder of the reason, no matter how long distant, that one’s life was a disaster? I’d known Raimie’s identity would be a problem for future endeavors, both his and mine, but the only way to alleviate those tensions would be nothing short of a miracle.

So, maybe I should focus my attention elsewhere.

“Had-had?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh! He’s my brother in all but blood,” she said. “After you left, Tanwadur and Eliade took me in. They already had an adopted son, Kylorian, but you won’t meet him for a while. He’s almost always in greater Auden, helping where he can. Hadrion, or Had-had as I call him, came after me.”

She had a family here. Of course she did. She’d mentioned them when we’d parted, but I hadn’t yet taken the time to consider what that would mean for me.

Would they hate me, the brother who’d left her behind? How much had Ren told them about me? Did they know about my connection to primeancy?

As if summoned by the thought, Creation popped into being not far ahead, and at the sight of them, Ren clicked her tongue. She knew better than to say anything else, though, not with so many people around us. Instead, she diverted us toward an abandoned alley, all while I stared at the splinter.

Something was off about them, more than it had been for the last few months. Their face was pale with their vacant eyes skittering over the roadside, which I didn’t understand. The guise that a splinter wore was meant to reassure people that there was nothing to fear, and right now, what Creation was projecting inspired nothing but disquiet in me.

Had something gone wrong with them, and if so, what could it be?

Chapter 89: A Proper Reunion

Rhylix

One that might let me slip free of my prison.

At my side, Creation numbly followed us into an alley. Their strange appearance might have ruffled me, but Ren just looked irritated, both about it and them. Once we were out of sight, she spun on Creation while planting her hands on her hips.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

I expected that to rouse Creation from whatever this funk was, but they merely blinked at my sister for a moment before turning my way.

“Your ally is alive and well,” they dispassionately said.

Raising an eyebrow, I drawled, “Yes… Ren told me. How do you know that?”

Creation slowly shook their head as if unable to believe what they were contemplating.

“I learned his status while checking with the whole,” they said. “His Order piece had recently returned to share it.”

That shot my eyes wide open.

“His Order piece?” I said. “Meaning Bright?”

When Creation nodded, I frowned.

“I thought you said it was destroyed.”

Licking their lips, Creation tried to speak but ended up clearing their throat instead.

“They were. Destroyed, I mean,” they eventually said. “Lighteater wiped them out of existence.”

“Then how…?”

I didn’t know what else to say. So far as I’d been aware, no Ele splinter could recover from a brush with Lighteater, the same as Daevetch splinters couldn’t with Shadowsteal. I’d thought those swords were the only check on otherwise all-powerful beings, but here Creation was, saying my long-held belief was wrong.

“It was your ally,” they said.

With their brow furrowed, they vaguely gestured, struggling with their words.

“He did… something. We’re not sure what yet,” they continued, “but it pulled his Order piece back into being. Unfortunately, they’re still addled, so we haven’t gotten a full report on what happened but…”

With a shiver, Creation shrugged helplessly before chewing on their lip, which was an interesting look on them. I’d never seen them so uncertain before.

Still. According to them, Raimie had done the impossible again. Somehow, this didn’t surprise me. Why didn’t it?

Not that it mattered. To me, this was simply further proof that I’d been right to place my faith in my friend.

“Right! How did I forget that he’s a… one of you?”

Jumping, I snapped my attention to Ren. Somehow, her presence had temporarily slipped from my mind, not that I could blame myself for that. Creation had just shared shocking news.

Even still, that had been sloppy of me and with what I’d been saying, potentially dangerous. If she were anyone else…

Crossing her arms, Ren frowned.

“We’ll have to hope the idiot doesn’t let that piece of information slip as easily as he did with his identity,” she said. “With how much trouble I’m already having getting people on his side, I can only imagine how much more impossible the task would be if that secret got out.”

Hmm. Ren had mentioned it earlier, but still, I had to clarify.

“You’re helping Raimie?” I asked. “From what I saw before, I thought you disdained him.”

To my great surprise, my sister flushed, hugging herself as she looked away.

“He’s not so bad once you get to know him,” she said. “Still unbelievably stupid at times, mind you—”

She gave me a pointed glance before shifting in place.

“—but… not so bad.”

Oh.

“You like him,” I blankly said.

Which had been a mistake. Jerking her head up, Ren started scoffing denials, all while I quashed a smile. That relationship would certainly be interesting to watch.

Apparently unable to handle me, Ren stalked forward to once more join the busy thoroughfare, and chuckling, I glanced at Creation, noting their continued, disconnected state with a sigh.

“Bright’s recovery is a good thing, yes?” I said before giving Creation a moment to acknowledge me. “Then, let’s not question it. You and I both know Raimie’s extraordinary. What’s another example of that?”

Slumping, Creation said, “I know. It’s just concerning as well.”

But then, they glanced toward where Ren had disappeared around a corner, making a face.

“You should hurry and catch up,” they said. “I’m glad you’ve reunited with her. Please, don’t let me disturb that.”

At this, I narrowed my eyes at the splinter. Did that mean they’d known Ren was alive the whole time I’d thought her dead?

I couldn’t get into that issue right now, though, not when my sister was pulling away from me. Taking off in a trot, I hurried after her.

Ren had been right about taking a break. Clean and with a fresh set of clothing donned, the problem of an overwhelming army, bearing down on my ally, didn’t seem as daunting.

I wasn’t discounting the danger of it! We were most likely still doomed, but now, I could acknowledge that sharing this information when I was rested and calm would be better for everyone.

When I left my borrowed room, my sister looked up from where she was waiting at the table, glancing me over with a grin.

“You look better,” she said.

“I feel better,” I said with a nod. “Thank you for making me take a break.”

“Of course! I did the same thing often enough when we were kids, right?”

Standing, Ren clasped her hands in front of her with a gleam in her eyes.

“Now, before we head to my family’s place for dinner—and don’t you dare argue with me about that—I have something for you.”

Crossing my arms, I did my best to keep from looking down my nose at her, but when she laughed, I knew I hadn’t done a good job with that. She retreated into the room beside my borrowed one, quickly returning with a wrapped bundle. When she offered it to me, I hesitantly accepted, picking at the cloth’s edge while holding her gaze.

Nodding, she flapped a hand at me.

“Go on! Open it!”

So, I tugged the cloth away, and when I saw what had been in the package, my mouth dropped open.

“This is…” I whispered.

Reverently, I lifted a sword and dagger into the light. I’d know these blades anywhere. The chorded, blue tassels hanging from their pommels. The insignia engraved in the center of the dagger’s guard. These were historical masterpieces.

They were also mine. I’d lost them shortly before leaving Auden and upon arriving here, had meant to go looking for them when I had the time. They were possibly the only items that held enough sentimental value for me to undertake such a difficult search.

It seemed I wouldn’t need to make the effort.

Partially withdrawing the sword from its sheath, I examined it for a moment before glancing up at Ren.

“How…?”

She’d know what I meant.

Clasping her elbows, Ren said, “I went home a few days after it was Harvested. Wasn’t sure why I was doing it, but I needed to make the visit, and Dury was kind enough to accommodate it. I found our mother…”

Trailing off, she bit her lip, suddenly finding the fire in the hearth beyond interesting, and I squeezed my eyes closed.

What must that have been like? I remembered what the Kiraak had done to our mother with crystal clarity, but I hadn’t stuck around long enough to view the end result. Reaching my younger sister had seemed more important.

But she’d seen our mother’s remains… gods.

“I buried her,” Ren eventually said. “Couldn’t do the same for the rest of the dead, but I gave them the respect they deserved. I didn’t find our… my father.”

Oh, no.

Cracking my eyes open, I hesitantly said, “Do you think he…?”

With a sigh, Ren shrugged.

“They probably took him, yeah, but there’s no way to confirm it.”

“Damnit,” I breathed.

Why, why, why were these horrible things possible?

After a moment, Ren said, “Anyway, I found those weapons with your things and took them home with me, along with a few other items. Figured you’d want them if you ever found me.”

“Ren, I’m sorry it took so long-”

My sister lifted a hand to stop me.

“You did your best,” she said. “I don’t blame you.”

I could accept that, even if I wasn’t ready to forgive myself for it.

“Well, then,” I said. “Thank you for this.”

After bobbing the sword and dagger in the air, I finished unwrapping them before getting them settled on my hip, and once that was done, a ridiculous amount of tension fled from me. It was amazing how terrifying I found an unarmed state, especially when I was in Auden.

Perhaps seeing my relief, my sister snorted, gathering me in a hug.

“I’ve missed you,” she said into my chest.

And I clutched her to me, this wonderfully impossible survivor of everything I was.

“I’ve missed you too.”

Soon after this, we made our way to the home of Ren’s adoptive family, only to find it bustling when we arrived. We stepped into a kitchen filled with activity, and after a moment, one of the women glanced at us, lighting up when she saw my sister.

“Little bird! Thank Alouin you’re here!” she shouted over clanging pots and pans. “I’m almost finished here. Just need to wrap some rolls for Jariah and Morthasi’s kids. Could you bring a few dishes to the dining room?”

“Sure, Eliade!” Ren called before nudging me. “Come on.”

After balancing two plates in my arms, I followed my sister out of the kitchen, casting a glance over its many inhabitants as I did.

“That was your mother?” I asked as I caught up with Ren.

Smiling, she said, “Yes. You’ll have to forgive how harried she is right now. Tiro’s still struggling with a recent influx of refugees. Lindow was Harvested just last week.”

Making a face, she adjusted her burden so she could open a door.

“Eliade does what she can to help with these things, sometimes taking on more than she can handle,” she continued, “but that’s just her! Never content to let others suffer.”

Unsure how else to respond, I said, “She sounds very kind.”

Ren laughed at that.

“She is! And given what I know of you, the two of you should get along famously,” she said. “Dury, on the other hand…”

“That’s your father?” I asked.

With a nod, Ren said, “Dury’s exceptionally kind to the people he trusts, but earning that trust… it might be difficult for you.”

Fantastic. As if I didn’t have enough trouble with that skill when it came to normal people.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I said, partially to myself.

My sister gave me a doubtful look, but then, she pushed through another set of doors, and I had no more time to prepare.

Chapter 90: Meeting Her Family

Rhylix

I beg you, for the friendship we once shared, to do what must be done.

The dining room was laid out in typical fashion. On the room’s periphery, a few other seats surrounded a table and chairs, and the candelabra on top of this arrangement aided the fireplace in lighting the space. A man sat at the head of the table with his back to us, but when Ren and I entered, he swiveled to his feet, offering us a congenial smile.

“Ren! I wasn’t sure if you’d join us,” he said. “Who’s your friend?”

He looked me over appraisingly while I tried not to squirm from any assumptions he might have made.

“It’s not like that, Dury,” Ren huffed, rolling her eyes. “Please.”

But then, she turned awkward, biting her lip, and I stared at her. Had she not considered how she’d introduce me?

Jerkily stepping aside, Ren waved my way.

“This is… Rhylix,” she said. “My brother.”

Already moving to greet me, the other man paused to give Ren an odd glance.

“Your brother?” he asked.

When Ren nodded, he shrugged before dropping into a short bow.

“Greetings, Rhylix. It’s good to meet you,” he said. “My name is Tanwadur. Please. Join me.”

Gesturing to the table, he took a seat, waiting for me and Ren to deposit our plates on the table and find our own chairs. I was surprised by how easily Tanwadur was taking the revelation of my identity, but for now, I wouldn’t question it.

Once we were settled, he rested his folded hands in front of him.

“I should probably stick with social niceties until my wife joins us,” he said, “but there are certain items that we should discuss sooner rather than later. You are a full-blood Eselan?”

At the tail end of those words, he brushed his eyes over me, and I suppressed a sigh. Prejudice against the Esela was prevalent everywhere in our world, but given the special circumstances, I’d thought it might be longer before I ran into it here.

“I am,” I said, dipping my head in acknowledgment.

Reaching over, Ren patted my thigh.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “He’s not like the rest, only asking for your safety.”

Tanwadur’s eyebrows flew into his hairline.

“Indeed. My apologies if I indicated anything else,” he said. “I wanted to confirm because if it is so, then you should make yourself scarce until Tiro’s residents have gotten used to you, which I’m sure they’ll quickly do. Free Esela are so rare nowadays, what with Doldimar killing them when he finds stragglers. I’m sure you can understand.”

Oh, how well I did. Even still, I had to wonder if Tanwadur had brought up the question of my race merely with the intention of keeping me safe or if he was suspicious of whether I was affiliated with that evil overlord. After all, Doldimar also liked making Esela into Kiraak.

“I appreciate your concern,” I said, “but I don’t mean to stay in Tiro long enough for that to be a problem. As soon as I’ve gotten some rest, I’ll depart your city, and what a fair city it is! I never thought to find somewhere so untroubled in Auden.”

That probably hadn’t helped with soothing Tanwadur’s suspicions, but honestly? I didn’t much care. I’d spoken the truth, and while I wasn’t trying to make a bad impression on this man, I refused to put a full façade on with him. I’d done that long enough in Allanovian.

He, however, appeared unruffled.

“I’m glad you like it. Making Tiro safe has been a worthwhile endeavor,” he said, “But given your appreciation, I’m surprised you want to leave us so soon. As Ren’s brother, you have an open invitation to stay with us, and I’d think that after so long apart, you’d want to spend more time with your sister.”

That made me wince. Yes, I’d love to catch up with Ren, and if circumstances had been any different, I’d do just that. As it was, I was uncomfortable with how long I’d already stayed here.

How did I relay that without sharing too much information, though?

Before I could answer the question, the door behind Tanwadur sprang open, and the woman from the kitchen hustled inside, burdened with more dishes.

“You’d better not be interrogating our guest already, Dury,” she said. “Come help me with these.”

Tanwadur and Ren leapt to their feet so they could assist, and I followed their example, if more slowly. When it was my turn to take something from this woman, though, she shook her head at me with a huff.

“You sit back down, darling, although I thank you for your kindness,” she said. “You’re our guest tonight, and that means we treat you as one, no matter how much my husband may like to forget it at times.”

Rolling his eyes, Tanwadur said, “I was only warning him to stay wary while he’s here, Eliade.”

“Which I am sure he already knows to do, as any proper Audish citizen should,” Eliade said.

But then, she lightly pecked Tanwadur’s cheek.

“Sit down, love,” she said. “It’s time to eat.”

Grumbling under his breath, Tanwadur did as he’d been told with the rest of us joining him, although Eliade stayed on her feet with her hands on her hips.

“Where’s Hadrion?” she said. “I swear. That boy’s sense of time…”

As if summoned, a plain-looking teenager burst into the room, hurrying for a chair and chattering all the while.

“I’m here! I’m here! No need to get upset!”

Sighing, Eliade shook her head, moving to a seat while Hadrion started serving himself from the food in front of him, never minding the stranger in his midst.

Meanwhile, I took this in with a bemused smile. It had been a while since such normalcy surrounded me, and I must admit. I’d missed it.

Lightly slapping her son’s hand, Eliade said, “Hadrion! Mind your manners! We have a guest tonight. Perhaps you should introduce yourself?”

Hadrion never stopped shoveling peas onto his plate, although he honored me with a gap-toothed grin.

“Hullo. I’m Hadrion,” he said. “Sorry for being so rude, but I’ve been busy today. I’m starving.”

“You’re always hungry, Had-had,” Ren sighed.

When she snatched the serving spoon from him, he made a face, and I did my best not to laugh.

“No apology necessary. I know what being hungry is like,” I said. “My name’s Rhylix.”

While Hadrion screwed his face up, the rest of his family started serving themselves, but I waited my turn. The food in front of me smelled to die for, especially after weeks of nothing but hardtack, but I was perfectly aware of the impression I should make on these people. Even if I refused to fully hide myself, I could still exercise my manners.

“Rhylix,” Hadrion said, tapping on his chin. “Where have I heard that name before?”

“He’s my brother,” Ren said. “Yes, the one from my stories.”

While Hadrion’s eyes went wide, Eliade softly chuckled. Tanwadur stayed notably silent with no expression on his face. What was he thinking?

“But… aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Hadrion blurted out. “It’s been so long-”

Cuffing the back of his head, Eliade snapped, “Hadrion!”

Squinting, the teenager rubbed his scalp while I grimaced.

“No, please. He’s right to ask that,” I said. “It has been a long time since I last saw my sister, and because of that, I must thank you all. You’ve provided Ren with a loving home, something I could only dream of doing, and I’m grateful to you for it.”

“Oh, aren’t you sweet?” Eliade said. “But really, Ren’s been a blessing to us, and I thank Alouin for every day she’s stayed in our lives.”

Ren blushed at that, and keeping my lips flat, I nodded to Eliade before tucking into my meal and gods…

Groaning, I let my eyes flutter closed while leaning back in my chair.

“You like it?” Hadrion asked.

“This meal is the most delicious one to pass over my tongue in a long while,” I said before meeting Eliade’s eye. “My compliments to the chef.”

With her lips twitching, Eliade said, “Thank you, but it wasn’t just me in the kitchen, you know.”

“Don’t let her modesty fool you. My wife is an excellent cook,” Tanwadur said before turning to said woman. “I’m lucky to have her.”

“Aww…” Eliade murmured.

She laid a hand over his while Hadrion gagged and Ren snorted, and I took the opportunity to fully indulge in my fare. Once conversation resumed, who knew when there would be another break in it?

So far, this had been going better than I’d expected. I’d thought for sure that these people would express hostility toward me, but perhaps that was perceptions from my past coloring my view. Perhaps I should learn that not everyone would automatically hate me. Raimie had certainly proven that point over the last year.

I should get back to him.

Not quite yet, though. How many times must I remind myself that he could wait until morning?

After quite a while of companionable silence, Tanwadur cleared his throat.

“So. Rhylix. Why don’t you tell us about yourself?” he said. “I must admit. I was quite shocked when our little bird told me she’d run into you last week. Such good fortune didn’t seem possible, and yet, here you are.”

And we’d moved back into a tricky topic. How did I explain myself without alienating these people?

“Trust me. I know how unbelievable my reunion with Ren must seem. I still find myself questioning it,” I said. “You must understand. For over a decade, I thought Ren was dead. I was doing my best, trying to live with… what I did to her.”

Abruptly, Eliade reached for me.

“You did the only thing you could,” she said. “If you’d stayed with our little bird, you’d likely have died, and no one here would have wanted that.”

The others at the table nodded or mumbled their agreement, although Tanwadur seemed more hesitant about it, and Eliade continued on.

“Besides, you gave us the opportunity to raise a wonderful young woman, a task that I’ve not once regretted doing. She’s a good daughter and an amazing sister.”

“Maybe to Ky,” Hadrion grumbled. “She can be an absolute pest with me.”

Ren stuck her tongue out at him while her adoptive parents laughed, and I rapidly blinked, trying to clear my misty vision.

“I wish I could have been here,” I said.

Clicking her tongue, Ren grabbed my arm, hugging it to her.

“From what you’ve shared, that would have been quite impossible,” she said, “so stop beating yourself up for it.”

Like that would ever happen.

“Yes, what was it you’ve shared with her, or have you forgotten my original question?” Tanwadur said. “Please. Tell us about yourself. I’d like to know which of my daughter’s incredible stories about you are true.”

I quirked an eyebrow at Ren—how much had she shared?—but she shook her head. I took that to mean that any secrets she knew were safe.

That was good. I wouldn’t have to explain my way out of possible tales of primeancy.

“What would you like to know?” I asked.

“Oo! Ren says you’re a master with the sword,” Hadrion said. “Could you teach me?”

That wasn’t a question I’d been expecting, which had me shifting in my seat.

“Perhaps. As I’ve said, I plan to leave Tiro in the morning, and my situation may delay any return I might make,” I said. “Besides, I’m sure Ren’s exaggerated my skill. I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”

All true. Ren had likely embellished what she believed my skill level to be, and given that, those exaggerations might be uncomfortably close to the truth.

Making a face, Hadrion nodded acceptance of my words while his father drew breath to speak, but Eliade stepped in before he could.

“You’re gracious with him, considering that his question was quite rude. You barely know one another, Hadrion!” she said. “Perhaps something a bit more polite should come next. So, tell us, Rhylix. What is it that you do to survive in our kingdom?”

While that was indeed a polite question, it made me no less uncomfortable. The question would require me to tell a half-truth.

“I’m a healer,” I said. “Some find my skills useful enough to provide me with what I need to live.”

My confession had Ren snorting into a glass of water while Eliade raised an eyebrow, but I couldn’t blame my sister for the reaction. Healing hadn’t been my focus when she’d known me.

“That’s wonderful! Healing’s such a rare trade to claim!” Eliade exclaimed. “You’re lucky to have those skills!”

“Yes, indeed,” Tanwadur said. “I’m curious where you could have learned them, though, or learned them well enough to make a living at least. As my wife said, that knowledge is rare.”

Eliade swiped at his arm, but I waved away the apologetic glance she directed my way.

“It’s a fair question,” I said. “In answer, good sir, I’d tell you that I didn’t learn my healing skills in Auden. In fact, since shortly after losing Ren, I’ve been living… elsewhere.”

I wasn’t sure if my sister had told them about my affiliation with Raimie, although I’d be surprised if she hadn’t. Still, it was why I’d hedged, even knowing such an effort would likely gain me nothing.

As I’d thought, Ren’s adoptive family had paused in their meal while she’d buried her face in her hands, and in the resulting silence, I took another bite, keeping my chewing quiet.

“I take that to mean you’re one of the rabble who’s poisoned our land,” Tanwadur eventually said, “which also means you’ve allied with him. Have you no sense of decency or pride in your homeland?”

As I cocked my head at him, Eliade gained a white-knuckled grip on her husband’s arm, and both Hadrion and Ren tried to disappear into their chairs.

After taking another bite, I said, “I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, but yes. I’ve returned home with a group of soldiers from across the sea, people whose only intention is to help Auden.”

Please, say that Tanwadur would keep his cool. I’d like to finish this lovely meal without interruption, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if he continued with this hostility.

Unfortunately, he was visibly seething at me now, and seeing this, Eliade faced him.

“Dury, love-” she started.

“No!”

Throwing her hand off of him, Tanwadur banged a fist on the table.

“I won’t hear of this! How can you think of protecting someone who’d support him?” he spat. “That boy doesn’t deserve to breathe Audish air, much less help us. Fat lot of good it’ll do, I’m sure. I’m having a hard enough time with my family singing his praises. I won’t have one of his supporters at my table. How weak of a mind must you have, sir, to be taken in by someone so duplicitous, so cowardly, so evil-”

“ENOUGH!”

As that roar echoed in the room, I realized I was on my feet with my chair on the floor behind me. The insults hurled at me had raised nothing from inside, but when this ignorant idiot had started in on Raimie…

I didn’t know what had come over me. White-hot heat had flashed through me, melting each of the masks I typically wore, and I didn’t know why.

Perhaps it was because of who Raimie had become to me. Months ago, when I’d shared how important I found friendship, I might have underplayed my convictions about it. If my past had taught me anything, it was that the people who called you friend were the most precious in the world, only overshadowed by whoever became your family.

So, if Tanwadur wanted to throw insults at me? Let him. I’d endured far worse. But Raimie…?

Leaning forward, I rested my fingertips on the table, letting Tanwadur catch a rare glimpse of everything that lay behind my masks, and he flinched.

“Raimie is a good man, one of the best I’ve ever known. He possesses something near unheard of in this day: an innate sense of decency and the drive to see his end goals done. Do not let your fear of him blind you to everything he truly is,” I said. "I am Audish, and despite my absence from this kingdom, I have endured the suffering that’s inherent for one such as us. I have just as much of a right to disdain Raimie, but having come to know him, I can say without hesitation that I will never hate or judge him. He is the only one who might free this land from the true evil it faces. Perhaps you should do the same before you reject him or defame his character as much as you have with me.”

Pausing, I watched Tanwadur, making sure he’d heard me, but when he took a breath to speak, I turned to Eliade, dismissing him.

“I must thank you for the superb meal, Mistress Eliade. You have been a gracious hostess,” I said. “Unfortunately, my fatigue has caught up with me. With your permission, I’ll take my leave to address that problem.”

Hesitantly, Eliade nodded at me, and even with the ice that had me in its grip, I internally winced. I hadn’t meant to scare this family.

“My thanks,” I said.

With a final sip of water, I left the table, storming out of the dining room, and behind me, a chair scraped across the floor while someone mumbled probable excuses.

When she caught up, my sister said, “Rhy…”

“Not now, Ren,” I said. “I’m sorry, but not now.”

Thankfully, she gave me space. In silence, she followed me to her home, speaking not a word when I entered my room and shut the door behind me.

Chapter 91: Delivering Bad News

Rhylix

End my life.

Hours had passed, and I was still awake, struggling to paste my mask back together.

That needed to happen before I left Tiro. If I failed to hide everything I was, I wasn’t sure what the revelation would do to the people around me, especially those I cared for. Bad enough that it had shattered in front of other people tonight, if only for a time.

“I haven’t seen you this upset in a while,” Creation said from the foot of my bed.

They’d joined me quite some time ago, but I’d been ignoring them, too busy with my task to acknowledge their presence. Apparently, they wouldn’t let me keep that up.

“It’s been a while since someone’s said something so upsetting to me,” I said.

Snorting, Creation leaned back on their hands.

“Really?” they said. “In your life, you’ve endured so much torture and pain without complaint, but you fly into a rage about this? You must truly care about your ally this time.”

Giving them a warning glance, I said, “I won’t get into that with you.”

“Yes, yes.”

With an explosive sigh, Creation fell onto the bed, and as they bounced in place, a creak outside my window had me tensing. Could Tanwadur have sent someone to answer my earlier display?

“You’re being paranoid,” Creation said.

When my window started sliding open, though, they sat bolt upright.

“Hide!” they hissed.

At that, I rolled my eyes. Did they really think I wouldn’t have drawn my source around me at the first sign of trouble?

When a figure clambered through the open window, though, I released my hold on it.

“Hadrion,” I said.

Jumping to his feet, the teenager scuttled away from me for a moment before freezing. Chuckling, he patted himself down while heading for my bed.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you before coming in- Alouin, you’re scary.”

Stopping at the end of my bed, Hadrion drew back, which made me raise an eyebrow, but with a short laugh, he climbed onto the mattress.

“By the void, that look is good! You’ll have to teach me how to do it,” he said. “I’d love to cow Dury like you did-”

“Why are you here?” I interrupted.

After my performance at dinner, I doubted I could repair this boy’s perception of me, not so soon at least, and I didn’t have time to indulge anything else.

Giving me an odd look, Hadrion said, “I’m checking on you, of course. When you left the house, you seemed upset.”

Having settled on the bed, he was sitting in the middle of Creation’s projected body, which forced the splinter to move. As they went, they made many a disgruntled noise, and this drew an unintentional smile to my lips. It certainly wasn’t because of the concern Hadrion was showing me.

“That’s kind of you but wholly unnecessary,” I said. “I’m fine.”

“Uh-huh,” Hadrion said. “Is that why you look like an animated corpse right now? Don’t get me started on what the look in your eyes is telling me.”

Sighing, I returned my attention to reassembling my mask. What Hadrion had commented on? It was one reason why I needed the damn thing.

“This is how I am,” I said. “When I’m around other people, I hide it, but tonight, your father ripped that disguise away from me, unfortunately.”

I fell silent, hoping the teenager would get the hint and leave me alone, but he never moved, studying me while chewing on a lip.

“Well, that’s just dumb,” he eventually said.

Jerking my eyes to him, I said, “What?”

If Hadrion had noticed how empty my voice had become, he didn’t comment on it.

“You heard me,” he said instead. “Hiding who you are is stupid. You shouldn’t do it.”

Oo, if hearing that didn’t burn me, not least because he didn’t know how much I was hiding.

Turning aside, I hissed, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Hadrion said. “Sure, some secrets are best kept to yourself, but I doubt you have anything like that in your repertoire.”

Mirthlessly, I chuckled.

“Really, kid,” I said. “You have no idea.”

“All right, then. Show me.”

As I turned my head to Hadrion, it felt like someone had fused my spinal column together.

Again, I said, “What?”

“Show me these supposedly awful secrets,” Hadrion said with an encouraging nod. “Bet ya I can take it.”

As I considered this kid, my patience ran out. I had something to finish before I could get some sleep, and resting had been the point of staying here overnight. If I’d wasted time in getting disastrous news to Raimie with no benefit to me, I’d never forgive myself.

So, I turned to Creation, coming as close as I could to asking them for permission. The secret I shared with them would most likely send Hadrion away, but it was also the least damaging to me. He seemed too naïve and kind to spread a rumor that would get me killed.

I half-expected Creation to refuse me, so when they shrugged, it loosened my jaw.

“Do what you will,” they said. “From what I can read of this boy’s essence, I agree with your assessment.”

Well, ok. That was different.

I wouldn’t argue with it, though.

Fully facing Hadrion, I drew Ele to my hands.

“How about this?” I asked as it illuminated the room. “Sordid enough for you?’

As I curled my fingers into my palms, Ele’s light dissipated, revealing Hadrion’s bulging eyes and gaping mouth.

Licking his lips, he said, “You’re a primeancer?”

I just looked at him, waiting for his inevitable reaction, but instead of running away or screaming bloody murder, he lunged my way. He was attacking-?

“That’s so cool!” Hadrion nearly squealed. “I’ve heard the rumors and stories but…”

Grabbing my hands, he flipped them back and forth before meeting my eyes.

“Do it again.”

More than a little stunned, I obliged the demand, and releasing me, Hadrion pattered his hands in front of his face.

“Oh, this is amazing,” he breathed. “I never thought I’d meet one of the legendary-”

“Why?”

My voice had been so faint that I was surprised it had cut through Hadrion’s chatter. When he looked at me questioningly, I cleared my throat.

“You should be afraid. You should be running for help, and I should be making my escape from Tiro,” I said. “Why are you…?”

For some reason, this plunged Hadrion into somberness, and he hung his head.

“Don’t you get sick of it?” he said before peering up at me. “All the hatred, I mean. I know I do.”

Pausing, he clasped his hands together while holding my gaze.

“Look. I know the legends. Everyone does,” he said, “but I refuse to believe that the past defines the future. Just because primeancers wrecked the world centuries ago doesn’t mean they will now. I mean look at me! I’m a prime example of defying the expectations one should make from history. You know about the Birthing Grounds, right?”

Thrown by the change in subject, I could only blink for a moment before forcing myself to reply.

“Where the Kiraak are made.”

Nodding, Hadrion said, “It’s also inescapable. Well, guess what? I grew up there.”

For that last part, he’d dropped his voice to a whisper, but on viewing my incredulous expression, Hadrion started giggling.

“How are you sane?” I said. “No. Better question. How are you alive?”

Hadrion flapped a hand at me.

“A few years ago, Kylorian and Dury saved me from there, but that’s not the point,” he said. “Only Kiraak come out of the Birthing Grounds, and yet, here I am!”

Spreading his arms, he twisted back and forth.

“What’s happened in the past does not define the future.”

In the silence that followed, I could only gape at this teenager, and beside me, Creation shook their head.

“He reminds me of your ally,” they said, “if only in some ways.”

I had no response for that either, and after an interminable wait, Hadrion leaned toward me.

“So, promise me that you’ll work on dropping the mask, at least when it’s safe,” he said, “and show me what you did again!”

Laughing, I drew Ele to my hands once more, and while the teenager lifted them to nose level, I examined him.

“Hadrion?” I eventually said.

Pausing in his unceasing string of questions, the kid glanced at me, and I smiled.

“You can call me Rhy.”

In the morning, Ren led me to Raimie’s encampment. It was a quiet journey, all told, but soon enough, tents came into view. We walked through them for a bit, wandering until we heard a group of people up ahead, and knowing we’d soon be occupied, I slowed down, pulling Ren to a stop.

“About what happened last night-” I started.

“I’m so sorry, Rhy!” Ren said, clasping my hands. “You have to forgive me. Dury overstepped, and I should have warned you about the animosity between him and Raimie.”

Snorting, I covered my mouth for a moment, shaking my head to reassure Ren that I was all right.

“I was about to apologize to you,” I said.

With her face going blank, Ren said, “Oh.”

Then, she doubled over, snickering, and I joined in with her laughter.

When I could, I asked, “Does that mean we’re good?”

With a final burst of giggling, Ren nodded, but she sobered when she saw how serious I’d turned.

“Of course we are, Rhy,” she said. “What happened last night didn’t even come close to upsetting me.”

“Then, will you come with me?” I said, waving toward where we might find Raimie.

I could use her support.

“I don’t know. If I’m to help you and Raimie in Tiro, I have things to tackle there.”

Looking out over the camp, Ren bit her lip, but soon enough, a soft smile pulled it out of her teeth.

“But yeah,” she said. “I’d like that.”

With my shoulders loosening, I said, “Thank you.”

Perhaps hearing the relief in my voice, Ren squeezed me in a hug before strolling toward the group, and I followed her, off to deliver news of deadly peril to my only friend.

We found him in the middle of soldiers. Zrelnach were scattered around the warriors from Ada’ir with one of them leading the group in a set of exercises. As we approached, I was surprised by what they were teaching. I’d thought the Zrelnach had considered that form a secret technique.

Raimie was participating as a student, of course. I was gratified to see him doing well, if not to the point that he stood out, and as we watched, I noted that Ren had seen him too. With an odd smile, she cocked her head.

“Is he wearing…?” she started.

I nodded, a little shocked myself. Where had Raimie found one of those uniforms?

Shaking it off, Ren continued, “Have you started teaching him this form? He shouldn’t be doing so well with it already. They’ve only been at this for a couple of days.”

“No, I haven’t shown him how to do this,” I said, “but that’s just Raimie. He’s full of surprises, sister mine.”

She turned contemplative while the instructors led the group through the form’s last few moves. Halfway through this, Raimie noticed us, and his natural proficiency increased tenfold. He flawlessly performed the exercises last few moments, which made me wonder if he’d been trying to show off.

Before I could think too hard about that, though, the group broke apart, and Raimie headed toward us.

Shit. Time to break the bad news.

Chapter 92: Mild Panic

Raimie

As Rhylix and Ren again explained what was coming for us, I absently tapped Silverblade’s hilt, keeping my eyes fixed above their heads.  If I met their gazes or stopped this nervous tic, everything would catch up with me, and I needed it to wait in the wings for a moment more.

Sometimes, detaching from oneself and one’s surroundings could be useful.

With a look of concern, my friend said my name, and I shook myself.

“Oswin, if I asked you to gather my family, Marcuset, and Gistrick, would you do it?” I asked. “Or will that interfere with your bodyguard duties too much?”

The spy, who’d faded into the background for this whole conversation, shifted in place.

“I could get someone else to do it,” he slowly suggested.

For the love of…

“I can watch my own back for a little while, you know,” I snapped. “Especially with Rhy here.”

Ok. That outburst had been uncalled for, but of all the changes I’d endured in the last week, having someone constantly hovering around me, watching, had been the worst. It had made accomplishing some of my more sensitive tasks close to impossible. I didn’t think Oswin and the various people he represented would appreciate me learning how to lockpick, like I needed to do for Nylion.

When he just stared at me, I sighed, unsure of how to continue. I should apologize, but how-?

“I could do it.”

Turning to Ren, I raised an eyebrow, which made her grin.

“What? I know what they look like, so I can wrangle them into one place, which would make everyone happy,” she said, “but why would you want to do that?”

Wasn’t the answer to that question obvious?

“First, they need to know what’s happening, just as much as I do, and please don’t argue with me about that, Oswin,” I said. “I may have accepted the whole ‘being king’ business, but that doesn’t mean I should stop consulting with the knowledgeable people around me.”

Saying not a word, Oswin grinned, but what I’d said had Rhylix furrowing his brow.

“Becoming king business?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you later,” I said. “Also, if what you’re saying is true, then we’ll need to discuss battle plans, and given our timeline, we won’t have much time to do it. We should start soon.”

I already had some ideas about how to defend my people from the coming threat, but hearing from others, especially an experienced commander like Marcuset, would be helpful.

“You mean to fight them?” Ren asked.

With her nose wrinkled, she was looking at me like I was crazy, but I couldn’t blame her for that. I’d heard every word that she and Rhylix had relayed about the odds we’d face.

“Perhaps we will. At the moment, it’s our most likely course of action,” I said, “but I haven’t decided yet, not fully. Hence, why I want to speak with the others.”

With an uncertain nod, Ren said, “All right. I’ll grab them. Shall we meet in the same place as usual?”

Where she and I had been meeting to discuss her efforts in Tiro?

“It’ll have to do,” I said. “With so many people inside, the tent may get cramped, but so far as I know, we won’t find privacy anywhere else.”

“Yes, unfortunate as that is,” Ren said. “Give me a quarter mark, and I’ll have them there.”

“Thank you.”

Flashing a grin at me, Ren took off while Rhylix speculatively watched me.

“You two are working well together,” he said.

And he found this unusual, why?

“She apologized. I apologized,” I said. “Everything’s good between us now.”

For some reason, this made Rhylix smirk, and I might have asked him about it if Oswin hadn’t cleared his throat then.

“Are you… well, sir?” he asked. “Considering what we just learned, you’re acting very…”

Flippant? Yes, I was well aware. This was what always happened when I detached. As I’d said, it could be a useful skill at times.

Sighing, I rested my hands on my hips.

“Would you rather if I were panicking?” I asked.

Shaking his head, Oswin drawled, “No, I’m just…”

He appeared to have nothing else, so I patted his shoulder, hoping it would reassure him.

“Don’t worry. I’m ok,” I said. “I do need to grab a few things before this meeting, though, so Rhy? Will you accompany us?”

“Will it help?” my friend asked.

Was he serious?

“Yes, it’ll help. Having you around always helps,” I said, “and don’t think I’ve forgotten that we still need to talk. You may have brought me another distraction to delay that conversation, but it does need to happen.”

Wincing, Rhylix shrugged.

“Whatever you say, Raimie,” he said. “Let’s focus on survival for now, though, yes?”

One of these days, that man would run out of excuses for hiding things from me, and I couldn’t wait for it to come. But in the meantime…

With Oswin and Rhylix following, I headed for my tent, ignoring the salutes that the surrounding soldiers directed at me, but then, I’d gotten pretty good at that in the last week. I wasn’t sure why those forms of respect had been happening more frequently, whether it was because Oswin has shared the burden I’d accepted or not, but to my great relief, no one else had sworn their fealty me since the spy had done it. I couldn’t handle another exchange of vows, not so soon after the last one.

When we reached my tent, I spun on my companions.

“Wait here,” I said. “I won’t be long, and Oswin? You can keep a good enough watch on me from this spot. Please, stay put?”

I didn’t want them to see what might happen behind those canvas walls.

With an explosive sigh, Oswin indicated his approval.

“We can wait,” Rhylix said.

So, I ducked into my tent, reaching for the few texts I might need in the coming hour, but they weren’t my goal in coming here.

No. For that, I collapsed onto my bedroll, and as I’d learned long ago, I quickly fell to dreams.

I only let detachment fall away from me when I was in my nightmare realm.

“Fuck!” I howled at a never-ending horizon.

With my fingers tangling in my hair, I started frantically pacing, barely noticing as Nylion approached me with a hand extended.

“Heart of my heart, please,” he said.

I wasn’t sure how I made myself stop, but when I fell still, I hesitantly took Nylion’s offered hand, gasping to calm my racing heart. As always, a long-lost sense of connection soothed me, and after gulping several times, I managed to focus, if only nominally.

Nylion squeezed his hold on me, offering a hesitant smile, and seeing it, I slid into panic again.

“Oh gods, Nyl,” I said. “You heard what they said. What will we do?”

“What we always do,” he said. “Survive. Together.”

But that only highlighted something I hadn’t let myself consider yet, and at the thought, I snatched my hand to me.

“That’s right. You and I are one,” I said. “If I fail… if my decisions get me killed…”

“I die too, yes,” Nylion said, “but how is that any different from the soldiers whose lives depend on you?”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned away. I hadn’t needed that reminder.

“It just is,” I said. “I don’t know how to define it, but my responsibility for them and the idea that I could get you killed… it’s different, ok?”

After a pause, Nylion circled in front of me, squatting so I had to look at him.

“Heart of my heart, I trust you,” he said. “I have always trusted you to keep us safe in the real world, and when you cannot do that, through no fault of your own, I am here to help.”

He truly meant that. I looked at him, seeing his absolute faith in me, and it broke my heart. I didn’t deserve it.

“But you do.”

I didn’t acknowledge that, snorting as I hauled Nylion upright.

“You feel like helping now?” I asked.

Dubiously eyeing me, Nylion said, “Do you want my help?”

As I considered what I knew about my other half, applying that knowledge to the coming meeting, I winced.

“Probably not a good idea.”

“No,” Nylion said with a laugh. “Social interactions are not my specialty.”

“I’m not that much better with them,” I said.

Nudging me, Nylion said, “Are you sure about that? I certainly find you inspiring.”

For unknown reasons, that made my cheeks heat, and as usual when this happened, I ducked my head, hiding it. Fortunately, Nylion chose to ignore my reaction, although he leaned into me after a moment.

“Will you be ok out there, handling them?” he asked. “I will do what I can to help, but... it is not the same as it was.”

Throwing my arm around him, I convinced myself I was doing it for reassurance’s sake and not to take a brief taste of completion.

“I’m grateful for what we have, although…”

I pulled away, enough to meet Nylion’s eyes.

“What’s with the contradictory emotions that you give off when we’re around certain people? Don’t know how I keep forgetting to ask about that.”

Shrugging, Nylion said, “I am not sure. What you are feeling is my instinctual reaction to them. I do my best to keep it private, but that does not always work.”

“Well, that’s not concerning at all, considering how hostile you’ve been toward some of them,” I said.

Shrinking on himself, Nylion stepped away from me.

“I am sorry,” he said. “Making life more difficult for you is never my intention.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “It’s a good thing you’re not doing that, then.”

I pulled Nylion in front of me, holding him in place once that was done.

“You help me, Nyl,” I said. “Look at what’s happening now. If I didn’t have you, I’d probably have lost it in an embarrassing way earlier. Instead, I held it together and fell apart here, where it was safe and healthy to do so. That’s all thanks to you.”

“Ha!” Nylion scoffed.

Then, he grinned at me.

“I am glad that you find me somewhat useful.”

Releasing him, I clicked my tongue.

“Fine. Be stubborn if you want,” I said before grimacing. “I should probably go back. Who knows how long I’ve been asleep?”

Smirking, Nylion said, “Not long, I assure you. Time works differently here. Still, I wish you luck in the coming conversation and please. Remember that I am here if you need me.”

“Thanks, Nyl.”

I shook myself, flinging tension out of my arms, before resting my hands on my hips.

“Speed me along?” I said. “It’s time to get this over with.”

“Of course,” Nylion said.

He touched my temples, and my nightmare realm dissolved into nothing.

Chapter 93: Let's Start This Thing

Raimie

When the first of my summoned guests arrived, I was as ready as I’d ever be. Tugging on the hem of my new uniform, I scanned a recently drawn map of the surrounding area again, making sure I hadn’t missed anything. I was grateful to have clothing that both fit my trimmed physique and wasn’t falling apart, but because it wasn’t worn in yet, my uniform’s fabric was still stiff. I found myself picking at it or otherwise adjusting at the oddest of times.

“It’ll be fine,” Rhylix said behind me.

He was sitting on one of the crates in this tent, and glancing at him, I made a face.

“Maybe this conversation will go well, but the rest? I doubt it,” I said. “Don’t worry, though. I can hold it together for a little while longer. I’ve dealt with worse than a bunch of cranky elders before.”

Snorting a laugh, Rhylix leaned back while pulling his legs under him.

“That’s for sure.”

We shared a smile as the tent flap, hidden behind other crates and barrels, lifted, and someone quietly cursed as he maneuvered his way into the cramped space I’d cleared. Glancing over me and Rhylix, Marcuset placed himself on the other side of my table with a nod, quickly followed by Eledis.

“What’s all this about?” my grandfather snapped when he spotted me.

Turning to Rhylix, I said, “See? Cranky elders.”

As my friend choked on a laugh, I smiled at the men who’d joined us.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” I said. “Let’s wait until everyone’s here before I explain, though, shall we? I’d rather not repeat myself.”

Eledis started grumbling to himself, but he didn’t have long to wait. Within a few minutes, Ren led Gistrick and my father into the tent, coming to a stop at my shoulder.

“Unless you object, I mean to switch places with Oswin. I’ll play sentry instead,” she said. “Much as I might wish otherwise, this is more his fight than mine. He should be in here, listening.”

She’d made a good point. Why hadn’t I thought of it?

“All right,” I said.

When she turned away with a nod, though, I grabbed her wrist, drawing her gaze back to me.

“Thank you, Ren,” I said. “For everything.”

For a breath, she wordlessly stared at me, but then, one corner of her mouth lifted in a grin.

“No need to thank me,” she said. “Like you said before, you’re the one who’s lost here. What sort of woman would I be if I let you drown?”

Reversing my hold on her, she squeezed my hand before leaving, and I stared after her, rubbing where she’d touched me. Why did it feel so pleasantly warm?

Someone cleared his throat, and with a small start, I turned to the gathered men, some of whom were watching me with interest.

“My apologies for the delay,” I said. “Ren was just telling me that she’d send Captain Oswin in here, and once he’s joined us, we can begin.”

Crossing his arms, Gistrick said, “Are you sure you want him here? He is a spy, after all.”

Someone must have gotten around to telling him that piece of information. I wondered if he’d raised this protest due to disgruntled feelings over the delay or the typical distrust that common soldiers had for spies.

“While he may be a spy, Oswin has also been appointed as my bodyguard,” I said. “Considering the proximity to me that this position requires of him, he’ll find out what I mean to tell you sooner rather than later. Why not include him?”

No need to mention that he’d already heard the news I meant to share. As if to emphasize my point, the spy effortlessly strolled through the maze of crates as I finished speaking.

“Find out what exactly?” he asked.

Somehow, I kept from laughing at his display of ignorance, gesturing to Rhylix instead.

“As many of you already know, Rhy left to scout the surrounding terrain after we arrived here,” I said. “He’s recently returned, and given the news he brought with him, I thought it best for us to gather so that he could share.”

And I stepped aside. Rhylix and I had agreed that he should repeat his initial report to these people, letting his in-person perspective add to the urgency of our situation. He, however, refused to come down from his crate, instead making himself more comfortable on top of it.

“First of all, a small matter of business,” he said. “Everyone here knows I hail from Auden now, yes?”

Everyone nodded, of course. That was one of the few secrets I’d pulled out of him long enough ago for it to have filtered to the rest.

“Good. Then, I expect no one to question how I know about these things.”

Hopping to the ground, Rhylix started rearranging things on the table.

“For the most part, we have nothing to worry about right now,” he continued. “By a stroke of luck, we’ve landed in the middle of the Cerrin Forest, the only uninhabited portion of Auden’s west coast. At least, it’s uninhabited besides the occasional rebel or solitary survivor.”

And Tiro, of course, but considering the town was hidden on the eastern fringe of the forest, I couldn’t fault Rhylix’s omission of it.

“Unfortunately, we do have one, massive problem.”

Having placed a map of Auden so that it faced the others, Rhylix rested a finger on a point to the south of us, although still barely within the forest’s reach.

“A fort lies here, name of Da’kul,” he said. “The Enforcer of this region makes this place his home, and before you ask, all of you know who he is. You’ve each met him at least once.”

At that, the others stiffened while my father rested his hand on the ring around his waist.

Licking his lips, he said, “Teron?”

With a nod, Rhylix said, “And that’s not the worst of it. Because of our activities in Ada’ir, he’s been aware of our impending arrival for quite some time and has prepared accordingly. He’s gathered a significant force, one that he sent to meet us on the morning after I escaped the fort. Given that this was a little over a week ago and considering the average march time of such a large army, I’d say that it’s within three days of getting here.”

Finished, my friend made way for me, and as I approached the table, I leaned on it. Resting my fingers on the map’s edge, I did my best to ignore how badly my guts had coiled on themselves.

“This is what we know,” I said. “The enemy’s numbers are around nine thousand strong. Their ranks are made up of mostly Kiraak, which I’ll have Rhy explain in a moment, but so far as we know, they’re not bringing siege engines with them, just troops. We’ll have to send out scouts to verify this and check if they claim a cavalry division, but that’s for later. Given this, here is what I propose we-”

“Nine thousand?” Gistrick interrupted with a strangled voice. “How the hell are we to stand against that? Our numbers stand at…”

When he paused to consider, Oswin helpfully stepped into the silence.

“Five thousand, two hundred, and thirty-five,” he said. “That’s counting everyone with a passing ability to fight, though. The number of our competent soldiers is probably lower.”

Gistrick wildly gestured at Oswin as if the spy had proven a point.

“They outnumber us nearly two to one!” he said. “Alouin above, I hate to suggest it, but we should consider splitting up. We can regroup later.”

“And where, exactly, would we do that?” Eledis calmly rebutted. “Save for Rhylix, none of us know about this land. If we split up, we’re liable to end up indefinitely scattered in the wind instead.”

“So, what do you think we should do?” Gistrick snapped.

Shrugging, Eledis clasped his elbows.

“We run, yes, but as a cohesive unit,” he said. “That will gain us time-”

“Not enough of it, though. You know that, Eledis,” Marcuset interrupted. “Running will only tire the troops out.”

As Eledis glared at his friend, my father lifted a finger from his crossed arms.

“Probably not the best idea, but could we cross the Narrow Sea again?” he said. “We could garner support from the Southern Kingdoms before trying this once more.”

This idea had Eledis scoffing while Gistrick laid a hand on my father’s shoulder.

“My friend, you spent a lot of time in the Southern Kingdoms back in the day,” he said. “Do you really think that any of them will help us?”

“Not to mention how much time we’d waste by doing that!” Eledis said.

Bristling, my father started defending his point, and I wondered if I could bring this meeting back under my control. As I’d watched them arguing, I hadn’t been able to move, frozen in place first by their strong reactions and then, by uncertainty. How could I get them to listen?

When Oswin nudged me, I glanced at him, hoping he didn’t see how wild my eyes must look.

“You can do this,” he said. “Go on.”

He inclined his head toward the map, and I took a deep breath.

“I wasn’t finished,” I said.

But they paid me no heed, getting increasingly upset.

“Louder, sir,” Oswin said. “Like their opinions don’t matter.”

Because in this instance, those opinions weren’t supposed to matter. So, straightening, I squared my shoulders and bellowed.

“I’M NOT FINISHED!”

Chapter 94: Battle Plans

Raimie

On the tail end of my shout, a knife sailed between me and Oswin, impaling itself in the middle of the table, and this display, along with my ringing voice, effectively shut everyone up. As Rhylix retrieved his knife, returning to a seat on his crate, I made sure to catch each gaze of the men here.

“We’re not crossing the Narrow Sea. We’re not splitting up, and we are most certainly not running.”

Even I was surprised by how firm I’d sounded there. Damn, that statement had brooked no argument. Hopefully, I could keep it up.

“What we will do is stand and fight,” I continued. “Now, as I was saying, if we position-”

“Forgive me, sir, but are you serious?” Gistrick interrupted. “We’d have to be insane to face such an overwhelming army when we have other options.”

“And what are those other options?” Marcuset said.

“Run! Live to fight another day!” Gistrick said. “You said it yourself months ago, Raimie. Sometimes, that’s all you can-”

Unable to hold myself back any longer, I slammed my hands on the table, making the others jump. I kept my eyes fixed on the map, carefully enunciating each syllable as I spoke.

“I would appreciate it if I could finish a single thought without interruption.”

Lifting my gaze, I fixed Marcuset and Gistrick with it.

“For having sworn your fealty to me, you two have shown me little respect. I’ve come to expect such treatment from my family but from two successful military commanders? You surprise me. You should know the concept of a chain of command better than this.”

With a laugh, Gistrick said, “You’re pulling rank now? After all this time?’

As he continued to chuckle, I waited for his mirth to run out, unceasing in my stare until he fell silent.

“No. I’m not pulling rank,” I said. “The lack of insignia on my collar should make it obvious that I don’t have one. I am your king. I am above rank.”

Blanching, Gistrick gave a slight nod, and when I turned to the other three, they watched me with unreadable expressions in place.

“Can I expect any further interruptions from you, or may I continue unimpeded?”

None of them moved, seemingly locked in place, until Oswin cleared his throat.

“You appear to have their attention, sir,” he said, “which they really should have given to you from the beginning.”

Ok. Maybe it was time to let up a little. Even as I did so, though, I was afraid my legs would buckle without anything to support them. I’d never been so assertive before. I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“Yes, well,” I said. “I suppose I’ll forgive them for it this once since I haven’t been acting the way I should until now. That will have to change. For now, though, it can wait.”

Ignoring the others’ stares, I pulled another map from beneath the one Rhylix had been using.

“As you may have noticed, I’ve been working with a mediator from a nearby city. Her name is Ren,” I said. “She’s working to secure us a place of refuge, somewhere we might hide until this enemy army loses interest in us, but given her people’s disposition toward us, I find it unlikely that her efforts will succeed. Due to this scenario, I’ve been forming several battle plans over the last week, all while hoping we wouldn’t need them, and based off of Rhy’s provided intelligence, I’ve chosen the one that we’re most likely to live through.”

Pausing, I pointed at the edge of my new map, one that displayed a close-up view of our current position.

“We’re situated here, on the beach, with a dense forest to one side of it and cliffs on the other. This beach rises at a nice incline for a couple of miles before leveling off.

“Rhylix has assured me that the enemy is unlikely to approach us from the forest. He says that the Kiraak, which make up a majority of their army, do everything possible to avoid such wealthy examples of life, and given how empty the forest has been in the week I’ve explored it, I’m inclined to believe him. In addition, Ren has confirmed that rebel fighters from Tiro have been keeping the woods cleared of Kiraak for years, leading to a fear of it among them.

“Given this, Teron will likely have his army advance from the east, having had them pass along the other side of the nearby mountains to get here. They’ll approach through the deforested land between the forest and cliffs. I’ve already sent several scouts to confirm this.

“So, what I’m proposing.”

Retrieving a green token, I rested it on the map.

“We send a unit of our best archers into the cliffs, there to hide until the enemy army has passed them. Once it has, they will rain hell on our foe while they approach the beach. Hopefully, these archers will draw their stragglers away as well.”

I placed a larger token on the marked beach.

“Meanwhile, we leave a nominal force here to lure the enemy in. It will need to be large enough to allay Teron’s suspicions of a trap while not dragging too many soldiers away from our main host. Say, fifteen hundred or so. Having some Esela among them would be helpful as well, as their illusions can swell this token force’s ranks.

“Eventually, the enemy will charge, and when that happens, this unit will break rank, retreating along the coastline toward the forest. Once they’re clear, sailors on our remaining ships will use our cannons to decimate the Kiraak.”

After scattering a few red tokens across the beach, I rested my hands on it, hanging over the map.

“Now, to this point, the rest of us will have been waiting, hiding in the forest’s eaves, but with the enemy drawn in, we’ll charge, flanking them. If we continue pressing them between our blades and our cannons, we may have a chance.”

Pushing off of the table, I folded my arms behind my back.

“Questions? Comments? You’re welcome to voice your thoughts now.”

The others, however, refused to say a word. Some of them scanned the map while at least one just looked at me, and I fought to keep still.

“How in the void did you come up with this?” Marcuset eventually asked, breaking an uncomfortable silence.

With his question, one discomfort got traded for another, but I couldn’t display how unsure I was of this plan. Gods, why would I, an ignorant teenager, think that I could devise a working battle plan?

Forcing calm into my voice, I said, “Over the last few months, my lessons with Ferin and Eledis have covered many topics, to be sure, but strategy and military history were among them. In addition, while I stayed in Daira at Queen Kaedesa’s behest, I devoured the books in her library, getting through a good portion of them before we left the capital.

“All of you know that my memory is… unique, we’ll call it. I find it difficult to forget anything I’ve read, and while that doesn’t always mean that I’ve absorbed a finished book’s contents, I can retrieve it in exacting detail after I’m done. For the last week, I’ve spent far too long reviewing these resources to create what I’ve presented to you, not that I should have to explain myself. My question was on my plan’s merits, not my methods of concocting it.”

After an awkward pause, Marcuset nodded.

“I can accept that. Please forgive me if I caused offense,” he said. “As for what you’ve asked, this plan…”

Falling silent, he again examined the map while the rest of us waited. After all, Marcuset was the most successful commander among us.

“It could work,” he finally pronounced with only the barest hint of surprise in his voice. “If you’re willing, I’d like to modify it a little. For instance, I’m not sure that we can use the ships’ cannons if we leave them in place. We couldn’t get those boats in range of the shore, but I can easily fix that problem.”

Waving a hand over the table, I said, “Have at it. What about the rest of you? Any thoughts?”

Clearing his throat, Oswin waited for acknowledgment before speaking.

“Could you tell us about the Kiraak, sir? You said you’d explain.”

“Right.”

I rubbed my eyes while shaking my head.

“Can’t believe I forgot,” I said before dropping my hand. “Rhy, would you mind?”

As I stepped aside, I was more than happy to fade into my friend’s shadow, but again, he didn’t move from his crate. Having begun playing with a knife while I’d been speaking, he continued flipping it through his fingers as he explained.

“Before I begin, you need to understand something. In this land, Doldimar is the embodiment of evil incarnate,” he said with his eyes fixed on the knife. “With me having said that, perhaps you can fully grasp what I mean when I share that the Kiraak are Doldimar’s children.”

My father shivered at that, but the others seemed unaffected. Knowing what I did now, I found their stoicism foolish.

“Several times a year, Auden’s overlord Harvests the many towns and villages in his domain. In doing so, he rips lovers apart, tearing children from parents, and… well. Suffice it to say that this is where Kiraak come from. Where before they were human and Esela, after coming under his ministrations, they become…”

As Rhylix glanced up, searching for words, he stopped spinning his knife.

“…corrupted,” was what he decided on.

With a sharp nod, he sheathed his knife, dropping from the crate to approach the table.

“This is mostly irrelevant for you, though,” he said. “What you need to know is that the Kiraak are nearly invincible. If you stab one in the heart, it’ll just keep coming. To kill one, you must behead it or hack it to pieces, but in combat, that second option is virtually impossible.”

Rhylix paused, presumably to allow questions, and frowning, my father took the given opportunity.

Slowly, he asked, “If this is true, then what’s the point of the cannons and archers during the proposed battle?”

This was where I stepped in again.

“The archers will aim for the eyes, when possible. A blind Kiraak won’t do the enemy much good before we eliminate it. Besides, their job will be to goad, not kill,” I said. “As for the cannons, do you really think that a shot from one would do anything less than dismember their targets? Even if they can’t cause such damage, the same concept would apply. We cripple the enemy as much as possible before facing them in combat.”

Giving me an approving look, my father said, “You’ve thought this through.”

I tried not to let that praise go to my head. He didn’t know how much I’d been obsessing over this plan recently.

“I’m glad you think so,” I said, “and I know that the added difficulty of killing Kiraak might make my plan even more unfeasible, but still, this is our best chance. We should fight. We should show Teron and everyone else in Auden that we’ll do what we must to accomplish our goals here.”

For some reason, this had everyone but Eledis smiling at me. My grandfather kept his scowl, but I’d expect nothing else from him.

“Again, I’m reminded of why I swore my fealty to you,” Marcuset said. “Not only are your convictions admirable, but you’re motivated and extraordinarily talented too.”

“Did you expect anything less that brilliance from him, Commander?” Oswin said. “Always, Raimie has astounded and amazed, or don’t you remember?”

Marcuset made a face at him while Gistrick laughed, and all the while, I kept my unease off of my face. I had no clue why these men had such confidence in me, and I wasn’t looking forward to the day when I failed them.

“Well!” Marcuset soon exclaimed. “Now that we have a workable plan, we should discuss its details. If my king approves, of course.”

Waving at him, I said, “Please. Go ahead.”

Which was enough for them. They crowded around the table, and satisfied that I was no longer needed, I tried to relax. Given everything that was coming, I knew that accomplishing this task would be a struggle, one that would be almost as intense as what had happened over the last quarter hour.

Still. At the moment, it was all I could do.

Chapter 95: Questions for a Friend

Rhylix

Stop the misery that I may, in my insanity, wreak upon the world.

As the older gentlemen happily set upon Raimie’s plan, intent on improving it, I touched the kid’s elbow.

“May I borrow you for a moment?” I asked.

After checking that Aramar had heard the question, Raimie nodded, soon leading the way out of the tent.

“How did it go?” Ren asked once we were outside.

“About as well as I expected.”

Stretching his arms overhead, Raimie yawned.

“All right, Rhy, let’s chat. Oswin, you can follow at a distance,” he said before glancing at Ren. “Will you stick around? Once your brother’s done with me, I’d like to rehash a few details of our plan.”

“I’ll be here,” Ren said with a smile.

Again, I noted the easy companionship that had grown between my sister and my friend. I wasn’t sure what to think of it.

Of course, I was glad they were getting along. When I’d left Raimie in Ren’s hands, I’d been concerned about how I’d manage their relationship dynamic, and it was good that they were enjoying one another’s company now.

Still, I couldn’t help but be wary of it. Perhaps this caution was only due to my belief, engrained by past experience, that no good thing could last for long. I hoped that was it. In this, I’d love for my beliefs to be wrong.

Raimie led the way out of camp, somehow knowing that we’d need privacy for this chat, but I supposed that wasn’t so surprising. He probably wanted to tear into me about the many things I’d been hiding from him, which was concerning. I wasn’t sure how I’d once more avoid making those revelations while also insisting on the thorough interrogation that I needed to make of him.

When we reached the edge of the forest, my friend motioned for me to continue without him, staying behind to have a word with Oswin. Whatever he said to the man left him in place while Raimie joined me where I was standing, deeper beneath the trees’ canopy, which was good. Considering how attached Oswin had become to my friend, I hadn’t known how to approach the topic we needed to discuss without endangering him.

“What do you think?” Raimie asked as he came closer. “Could we begin our ambush from here, or should it be further up the hill?”

“A little further up,” I said. “The trees are more densely packed there, which will make it easier to conceal so many people.”

With his hands on his hips, Raimie surveyed our surroundings.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he breathed. “Hell, getting everything into place will be a pain.”

After turning full circle, he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Well?”

Sighing, I said, “I know what you want to ask me about. I can’t talk about it, Raimie.”

“So, I was right,” he said. “You’re hiding something from me.”

Gods, he’d sounded so detached while saying that, and hearing it, I winced.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have avoided this,” I said, “but I’ve kept this secret close to heart for so long and talking about it has been so dangerous in the past that even acknowledging it exists is…”

Blowing out a breath, I hugged myself.

“It’s hard. I look at it, and it’s like an unscalable wall that you might order me to climb. I… I don’t know if I can, whether now or at any point in the future.”

Drawing his eyebrows together, Raimie frowned.

“All right…” he drawled before cocking his head.

Shit. I’d been right, if not about the topic that I'd been considering at the time. All good things ended, including this friendship. Raimie wouldn’t be able to handle me keeping secrets from him, as had happened with so many other people, and he’d reject me because of it. Knowing him, he’d be polite with this, but I’d know what it was. I couldn’t hear those words.

“You don’t have to say anything,” I blurted out. “I know how uncomfortable I make people. It’s fine if you want me to leave you alone for a while.”

To my great surprise, this made Raimie snort before he burst into laughter. It was so loud and intense that he stumbled sideways to support himself, and in the distance, Oswin glanced at us, as if to ensure that everything was all right.

I could only stare as this fit ran its course. Had I said something funny?

Eventually, Raimie collected himself, wiping his eyes as he gasped.

“You were right before when you commented on how similar we are, months ago,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve parroted something nearly identical to what you just said in the past.”

What was that supposed to mean?

Glancing at me, Raimie snorted once more.

“What I’m saying is that I understand where you’re coming from, and it’s ok,” he said. “I don’t have to know everything about you, Rhy, but you can’t expect me to read your mind. You want me to stop poking at one of your secrets? You have to tell me that. Otherwise, I won’t know to quit it.”

…Oh. Um…

“Please, stop poking at this secret, then,” I said. “When I’m ready to share, if that time ever comes, I’ll tell you.”

I couldn’t stop myself from voicing that as a question. After all, I couldn’t believe that Raimie meant what he’d said, but he just nodded at me with only seriousness on his face.

“In that case, it’s settled. I won’t bring it up again,” he said, “but that’s not why we’re out here, is it? What did you want to talk about?”

He was serious. Hell. Raimie actually meant to give me space with this. That was…

“Gods, you trust me too much,” I said under my breath.

With a frown, Raimie said, “Sorry. What was that?”

And I had to wave off the inquiry. I had to get control again, not that I blamed myself for losing it. With the way my life had been, it didn’t come as a surprise that other people’s kindness could shock me so badly.

Given Raimie’s reaction, though, maybe I could tell him this secret, if not now. He was already in mortal danger from the consequences of my past actions, taken to save his life. What was one more drop added to that vast lake?

Like I’d said, though. Not now.

“I wanted to ask about your splinter, actually,” I said. “You may already know this, but we primeancers can keep tabs on each other through reports, relayed by our splinters, and while I was away, that’s how I kept track of you. I apologize if that overstepped your boundaries, but with us being in Auden now, I was worried.”

Having pulled away, Raimie had his nose wrinkled.

“That is disconcerting, yes, but I can understand it,” he said. “Just… next time, let me know you’re doing it beforehand. Ok?”

“I can do that,” I said with a smile, “but the reason I’m bringing it up now is because in the last week, my updates on you went through a brief hiccup. I was hoping to talk about that, either with you or Bright, if they’re willing.”

“Ah.”

Raimie turned inward, which made me wonder. Did he already know what I’d been referencing? I’d thought he might be in the dark about it.

He chewed on his lip for a while before vaguely gesturing at me.

“We can talk about… that, if you want, but I’m not sure how much good it will do,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. Neither does Bright, I don’t think, but we should ask them about it instead of speculating.”

So, he did know what I’d meant! Interesting.

At Raimie’s wave, a new figure joined us, someone so nondescript that I had trouble focusing on them, and I quirked an eyebrow. Was this change in appearance because of their temporary destruction or because Raimie had gotten sick of looking at a copy of his face?

Clutching at the hem of their tunic, the Ele splinter uncertainly said, “Hello.”

Which threw me off. A being so connected to Ele should act haughty and full of themselves, not like this.

So, I turned to Raimie.

“Why don’t you start by telling me what happened?” I said. “Your splinter can chime in when they deem it appropriate.”

“Ok. That makes sense,” Raimie said.

Blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes, he stalked to a tree so he could lean against it with his arms crossed.

“You remember how Teron attacked the fleet’s flagship and slit my throat, yes?” he said.

“Unfortunately,” I said. “Keeping you alive was a near thing.”

For a moment, Raimie eyed me with an unreadable expression in place, making me wonder what he was thinking, but soon enough, he moved on.

“Well, the bastard had a massive sword with him at the time. Dim said it’s called Lighteater? I don’t know what to think of having so many named swords in my life, but that’s a subject for another time,” he said. “Teron stabbed Bright, which shattered them. I know how unbelievable that sounds-”

“How in the void did that happen?” I muttered.

When Raimie frowned at me, I grimaced.

“Sorry. What you’re saying makes perfect sense, mechanically. I know what Lighteater can do to an Ele splinter,” I said, “but I find it hard to believe that Bright let themselves get hit like that. Just touching an Ele splinter can be close to impossible at times.”

When Raimie and I turned our gazes on Bright, they shuffled in place.

“I was distracted, if you must know,” they said, “which is perfectly understandable, given that Raimie had just…”

Trailing off, they licked their lips before holding my gaze with a fierce intensity.

“Rhylix. He resonated with the whole.”

My mouth dropped open. I knew this had happened, but I couldn’t reverse it as I processed what I’d heard.

“What?” I eventually said. “I thought that was…”

“An exceptionally rare ability?” Bright finished for me. “It is. Even still, Raimie can do it. That’s not the most unbelievable part of this story, though.”

Before I could respond, Raimie lifted a hand.

“Wait. What's ‘resonating with the whole’?”

Right. We had a relatively uneducated primeancer with us.

“That’s a difficult concept to explain,” I said. “Resonating with the whole is when a person… aligns, is the best way to put it, with the essences of Ele and Daevetch, respectively. When someone does that strongly enough, it can have unpredictable consequences in the physical world.”

Instead of looking confused as I’d expected, comprehension dawned on Raimie’s face.

“And that’s what caused those strange things on the ship?” he asked Bright.

The Ele splinter hesitantly nodded, which had Raimie tapping on his lips.

“Interesting. I wonder if I could do it again.”

Clicking their tongue, Bright said, “How about we return our focus to the story instead of considering such an unlikely possibility?”

There was a glimpse of what I’d expected from a splinter like them. For some reason, this example of normalcy relieved me.

“Fine,” Raimie said with tight lips. “Where was I?”

“Teron destroyed Bright,” I said.

Which begged the question of how they were standing in front of us right now, but I supposed we’d get to that soon.

“So, after that, you saved my ass again, Ren attacked us, and I sent you running because you’d been injured,” Raimie said.

When he glanced at me, I was certain he’d break his word and ask how I’d so quickly recovered from a debilitating wound, but instead, he moved on without comment.

“Once you’d gone, Ren and I fought, although it quickly became apparent that I was outclassed,” he said. “Hell, she’s fierce in combat.”

“That she is,” I said, chuckling at the faraway look in my friend’s eye.

With a pointed glare, Raimie said, “Anyway. I ran away from her or tried to. She caught up with me, and in my desperation to escape, I called out for Bright. Perhaps I instinctively reached for them as a source to Ele. I’m not sure, but whatever the case, they came when I called, briefly flashing into being.”

When I moved to ask Bright for confirmation of this impossibility, they were scowling at Raimie.

“I don’t remember that,” they said.

Shrugging, Raimie said, “And yet, that’s what happened. It’s what got Ren to back off, and I saw neither hide nor hair of you for about a day. It was like you died again.”

Bright wrinkled their nose.

“I am a piece of Order, a splinter of an all-powerful whole,” they said. “I don’t just up and… die.”

“Whatever you say,” Raimie said with an eyeroll. “What matters is that after about a day, Oswin came looking for me, hoping I’d fix a problem for him. He led me to where I’ve been sleeping recently, and there, we found Bright, pacing and acting quite unlike themselves.”

“Hang on,” I interrupted. “How did Oswin know to find you for this problem?”

“That’s right! I didn’t tell you.”

Shifting against the tree, Raimie shot a cautious grin at me.

“Oswin knows I’m a primeancer, him and a few other soldiers.”

Instantly, I jerked toward the mentioned man, reaching for Ele. I wasn’t sure how I’d fix this breach in my ally’s security, but it needed to happen.

“How does he know this?” I growled.

And… why hadn’t he tried to kill Raimie yet?

“That’s the other thing I forgot to mention,” Raimie said. “Oswin’s a spy. Until recently, he was the Middle of Queen Kaedesa’s Hand.”

That…

“Makes a lot of sense, actually,” I said. “It would explain how often he’s snuck up on me. I’ll need to watch out for him in the future.”

And if he was an accomplished enough spy that he’d been a part of Hand, he could have assassinated Raimie a thousand times over by now. Why hadn’t he?

At my pointed glance, my friend shrugged.

“I truly have no idea,” he said. “He and the others seem to consider my primeancy as an asset, oddly enough.”

Ah.

“That fits for one such as him,” I said.

Slowly, I relaxed before raising an eyebrow at Raimie.

“Well? Will you continue with your tale or not?”

Best not to consider how quickly this secret was leaking. I wasn’t looking forward to what would happen once it was common knowledge, something that was soon to come if history was anything to go by.

Snorting, Raimie shook his head.

“There’s not much more to the story,” he said. “When we got to Bright, they were shattered into pieces, and I put them back together. I’m not sure how to describe what I did, though.”

“Try anyway?” I suggested.

So, Raimie did, and by the end of his explanation, I was more confused than I had been before. When I looked to Bright for clarification, they lost their newly regained self-assuredness, fixing their eyes on the forest floor.

“I don’t have much to add,” they said. “For me, I went from an excruciating moment of destruction to addled existence. I was again where I was supposed to be—with my human—but then, something unknown overcame me. I’m still struggling with it.”

I had my own ideas about what that might be. What happened to any being when a firm sense of security was ripped away from them?

“If you like, I could ask Dim for their perspective on this,” Raimie said. “They were there too, you know.”

After exchanging a glance, Bright and I both drawled, “No…”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” the splinter continued.

Why did they look embarrassed by the idea?

“All right, then. There you have it, Rhy. A long-winded answer to your question,” Raimie said. “Was there anything else, or can I get back to battle preparations?”

Excuse me? This kid had just described a phenomenon that had, as far as I was aware, never happened in all of existence, and he wanted to leave it at that? How could he be so unconcerned about this gigantic abnormality?

Then again, he and his army were currently facing certain death right now. It was only fair that that would take precedence.

“No, that’s all,” I said. “Good luck with the ‘cranky elders’, as you put it. Unless you still want me with you, I’ll get started with my own preparations.”

“Sounds good. We’ll talk later, Rhy.”

With a winning smile, Raimie started his return trek.

I let him go with nothing further. We could reexamine how much he’d broken reality later.

Chapter 96: The Night Before

Rhylix

You're the only one I've ever known with the strength to do what's right.

Evening had settled around me and her and our various guests, but despite the glorious sunset painted above us, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, this woman I loved. She was beautiful and kind and witty, everything I’d ever wanted, and Joining with her would be the greatest privilege of my life.

When we breathed each other in, we became one in mind and soul, a glory I’d ever be eager to repeat, but soon enough, the Join broke, returning me to a singular existence. Despite this loss, I smiled. I still had her, after all.

That smile quickly flattened when I opened my eyes. Her body was utterly broken, leaving me unsure of how she was still standing, and as if prompted by the thought, she collapsed into a pool of blood, one that expanded until it had risen over my head.

I swam in this viscous liquid, recoiling from its awful warmth, and around me, the shadows of familiar forms flickered in and out of view. It was a host of my dead: my family and every loved one, and on recognizing them, a question howled through me.

WHY COULDN’T I SAVE THEM?

My sister floated into view with her black hair drifting around her drained-white face, and as she opened her mouth, I cringed in anticipation of the accusation that she’d surely hurl at me.

“Rhylix,” she said before pausing. “Healer! Wake up! You’re—”

“—needed.”

Gasping, I shot upright, clutching at my chest. A dream. It had only been a dream.

Why did my nightmares still affect me like this?

“Are you all right? You were thrashing something fierce.”

Rapidly blinking, I looked up into the concerned face of Chela. The Eselan healer was leaning on her knees with her head cocked, and in answer to her question, I wearily nodded.

“Just a bad dream,” I croaked. “You said I was needed?”

Damn, speaking hurt. Had I been screaming during this one?

Straightening, Chela doubtfully eyed me, but she didn’t pry further.

“Um. Raimie… the king… he asked for you,” she said.

“I see.”

That Raimie had given in to his rightful place still caught me off guard at times. If Chela’s fumbling with words was any example to go off of, uncertainty about his status seemed fairly common among the others as well.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“I’ll take you to him,” Chela said.

We found him much deeper in the woods than the rest of the army. Nestled among the roots of a massive tree, Raimie had several pieces of parchment spread in front of him, hovering over them with his fingers spread and Silverblade in his lap. Not an unusual sight when coming upon a commander on the night before his first battle.

The young woman lounging at his side, casually chatting, was different, though.

Chela made her farewell of me, and I slowly approached the two, watching them. Raimie muttered something, glancing at Ren with a smile tugging on his lips, and throwing her head back, she laughed, such a contrast to the silently restless slumber of the soldiers behind me.

Damn. She liked him. Well and truly liked him.

That could end in disaster if not handled carefully.

As I came closer, Raimie tiredly smiled at me.

“Rhy. I’m glad Chela found you.”

He leaned over his spread of parchment, quickly getting absorbed in it once more.

“Figured you’d want to know that your sister’s here,” he said. “She has news.”

He’d sounded exhausted, not that I could blame him. In the last two days, none of us, least of all him, had gotten much sleep, too busy getting ready to indulge in rest.

In contrast, my sister looked vibrant, even with an ugly look spread across her face. She was in a bad mood. That wasn’t my fault, was it?

“I was just telling Raimie about my efforts with Dury,” she said. “There was no way in hell that he’d provide more troops or supplies to aid your cause, but Raimie and I both hoped he’d at least offer refuge to people in need.”

“I’m guessing from your presence that he gave you an answer about that?” I said.

In the dim light of a nearby lantern, I watched Ren’s face darken with a sigh. In this case, expecting compassion from Tanwadur had been too much to ask for.

“His exact words were, ‘You can tell them to go to hell’,” Ren said.

Apparently having already heard this, Raimie barely reacted, only tightening his lips, but I knew how much this rejection had crushed him. He’d always desperately wanted to protect his people, seeming to need nothing more at times, and knowing this, I couldn’t help myself.

“I’m sorry, Ren,” I said. “I know Tanwadur’s your father, but he’s a selfish, judgmental, small-minded asshole.”

He’d condemn thousands of people to death, just because he hated their leader!

Biting her lip, Ren nodded acceptance of what I’d said while beside her, Raimie rearranged his pieces of parchment, content to ignore my outburst.

“Thank you for delivering the news, no matter how bad it was,” he said.

Ren and I stared at him for long enough that he shook himself. With a tremulous smile, he joined me on my feet.

“And of course, thank you for everything else you’ve done. Perhaps if my people and I survive tomorrow, we can further build on that effort. I’d love to see an alliance form between us,” he said.

Then, he performed the most graceful bow, which dropped Ren’s mouth open.

Holding the uncomfortable position, Raimie continued, “If there’s nothing else, you should head home. I have many tasks to finish tonight, and you need to be safe behind Tiro’s walls. On the off chance that I get some sleep tonight, I wouldn’t rest easy if you placed yourself in danger for something that’s not your fight.”

Snapping her mouth closed, Ren leapt to her feet before shoving a finger in my friend’s face.

“I’ll decide what is and isn’t my fight, thank you very much,” she snapped.

Sighing, Raimie folded to the ground again.

“You’re right,” he said, “and I’d never think to stand in the way of any decision you might make.”

Wait a minute.

“Raimie…” I muttered.

He’d better not be encouraging my sister to participate in something that was tantamount to suicide. Ren was wonderfully capable, and like Raimie, I’d never tell her what to do, but joining forces with us made no sense for her. She had no stake in this fight.

When she turned her ire on me, however, I found myself reassessing that belief.

“You were saying?” she hissed.

I raised my hands to calm her down while below us, Raimie clicked his tongue.

“If Ren were to join our fight tomorrow, it would mostly be in a last-ditch attempt to gain us Tiro’s aid,” he said. “She may love you, Rhy, but from what I’ve seen, she’s also entirely Audish. She won’t throw her life away for nothing.”

With a yawn, Raimie rubbed his eyes, missing how red Ren’s face had gone. I wasn’t sure if that was due to irritation or something else.

“If you want to help, you can stick to the fringes of the fight and cast illusions among the enemy to confuse them,” he continued before frowning. “But there I go again, being rude and assuming you can use magic. I’m sorry, Ren.”

He looked up at her so pleadingly, and for a moment, my sister choked on herself. Soon enough, though, she cleared her throat.

“There’s no need to apologize,” she said, “and I can play distraction. It’s a good idea.”

“Thanks,” Raimie said with a smile. “Let’s hope my other plans are just as good.”

He returned his attention to his work, and when Ren didn’t move, I nudged her.

“Why don’t you find somewhere to bed down?” I said. “I’ll catch up with you before you fall asleep, and you can ask whatever questions you might have.”

“Sounds… good.”

Hell, she’d sounded dazed.

“Good night, you two.”

With nothing else, my sister trudged away, leaving me alone with Raimie, and resting my hands on my hips, I watched him work for a good minute.

“You know you can’t think of everything, right?” I eventually said.

“I have to try.”

Another thirty seconds passed with nothing to fill it but the wind, rustling the leaves.

“Are you planning on sleeping tonight?” I asked.

When Raimie didn’t deign to reply, I breathed out through my nose, crouching opposite my friend. I looked at this contradictory mess of a man—too noble toward those in his care, too understanding toward those he called friend, too absolutely thick-headed to think about his own needs—and a decision I’d never been aware of pondering was made.

Damn the possible consequences. Lifting a hand, I placed a finger on Raimie’s forehead, and as I had with his hands so long ago, I Let Go. As a wave of exhaustion washed through me, Raimie reared back, crashing into the tree’s trunk with a hand slapped to his head.

“The fuck was that?” he asked. “I’m…”

Pausing, he lowered his hand to examine it.

“I’m not tired anymore.”

“No. You’re not,” I sighed, “and before you ask, I won’t explain now.”

Keeping his promise to give me space strained Raimie this time, clearly biting his tongue as he was, and oh, if his restraint didn’t warm me.

“But,” I said, lifting a finger, “I will tell you everything, every secret I’ve hidden and every mystery you’ve wondered about, once the battle’s over tomorrow.”

Pursing his lips, Raimie narrowed his eyes.

“If we survive it,” he said.

With a laugh, I said, “Yes. We’ll have to do that first.”

Slapping my knees, I rose to my full height.

“Good night, Raimie. Please, get some rest.”

But then, I left him to his worry, hoping the promise of resolution that I’d provided might help him in some way.

Chapter 97: Unexpected Complications

Rhylix

Ever your friend,

Arivor

The next day dawned clear and beautiful. Any other day, I might have run through weapons drills, anticipating a pleasant morning once I was finished. Today, I watched enemy soldiers march down a slope toward my allies.

Behind me, someone crashed through the forest, which made me wince. The enemy wouldn’t hear their minimal noise over the sound of their advance, and my new companion was trying to be stealthy, but still. Their efforts pained me.

When Raimie lowered himself to the forest floor beside me, it only made me cringe harder. Apparently, I should add stealth lessons to everything else I was teaching him.

That was provided we survived today, of course.

Then, Oswin stepped into view on my other side, again having managed to sneak up on me, and I chuckled to myself. Maybe he could take that slew of lessons off my plate.

“How’s it going?” Raimie whispered.

Wrinkling my nose at the unnecessary noise, I glanced at my friend.

“As expected,” I said. “You’re not wearing armor?”

Flashing a smile, Raimie said, “What? You don’t like the uniform?”

He picked at its sleeve before turning serious.

“From what I understand about a certain ability, I thought armor would only slow me down, and I’ll need speed today,” he said. “Plus, I don’t see you wearing any.”

“I don’t need it,” I absently said. “Are you sure using… that ability is a good idea?”

When I glanced at Oswin, curious if he was listening, I found him coldly smiling at me, which was odd. Had I angered him in some way?

“Rhy, we’re likely to die today,” Raimie said. “By the time this is done, no one will care what I am.”

“Fair point,” I said.

Like he’d said, his identity as a primeancer wouldn’t matter if he was dead, and on the off-chance that we achieved victory today, his efforts to guide us toward it would negate anyone’s murderous desires toward him, at least for a time.

Toward me, on the other hand…

“You’ll have to be careful, as usual,” Creation said above me.

I shot a glare at them, but that was all the attention that I could spare for them now. Something about the advancing enemy had caught my eye.

A while ago, I’d noticed that their size was smaller than projected, which had seemed fortuitous at first. As they’d approached the cliffs, though, our people’s archers had started raining arrows on them, and this had raised some concern.

Getting to my knees, I shifted my eyes to resemble an eagle’s, scanning the enemy soldiers, and failed to see lines of black painted under their skin. When an arrow took a soldier in the neck, bringing her down, she failed to rise, which had me cursing under my breath.

“Something wrong?” Oswin drawled.

I didn’t have time to address the hostility found in his voice. Focusing on Raimie, I pointed at the enemy.

“They’re not Kiraak,” I said. “They’re Conscripted, normal people who were forced into service for this fight.”

Rapidly blinking, Raimie said, “All right. That’s unexpected, but it works in our favor, right?”

“Except for that unit is much smaller than one with nine thousand in it. Shit,” Oswin said. “I was just wondering about that.”

Huh. I didn’t know why Oswin’s insight had surprised me. He was a spy for a godsdamn reason.

“Exactly right,” I said. “Teron’s probably using this Conscripted unit to test your ruse. Once the people on the beach retreat, forcing us into a charge, he’ll send in the Kiraak that he’s held in reserve.”

Raimie went pale and still.

“Fuck,” he said with his lips barely moving.

I caught the briefest glimpse of a pained look spreading across his face before he vigorously rubbed his face, and this told me exactly what he’d say next.

Not that he’d have much choice with it. If this plan was to maintain the slightest chance of success, we only had one course of action available to us.

He looked up at me, almost as if to beg for my forgiveness, but all I could do was nod, encouraging him to continue.

“If this is so, then our plan must change,” he said. “Those volunteers on the beach will have to stand their ground, holding until Teron believes that no one is coming to their rescue. The rest of us can only relieve them once he orders the Kiraak forward.”

“Yes,” I softly said.

Beside us, Oswin had gone stiff, looking between us, but fortunately, he chose not to interrupt.

“I need someone to carry the order,” Raimie said.

“You know I’ll do it,” I replied.

“You don’t have to stay with them once it’s done.”

“You know I will.”

As Raimie stared at me, I itched to get going—gods, we were approaching a point of no return—but he had to ask me to do this. He had to truly understand everything that was coming for him if we continued down this path.

Squeezing his eyes closed, Raimie turned away for a moment, taking a few shallow breaths, and when he turned that blue gaze on me again, my friend was gone. Before me, I saw a king, one I’d follow to my dying breath.

“You’re to hold the line until the Kiraak join the fray, after which you’re to retreat,” he said. “None of you is to needlessly waste your lives. Once the trap closes, you’ll fall back along the coast, and after you reach the forest, lose yourselves in it. We’ll regroup once the last enemy has fallen.”

And now, he knew.

With the Conscripted unit halfway to our volunteers, there was no more time to waste, so despite how many witnesses were nearby, I pulled an Ele bubble around myself while drawing more of that energy to my feet.

“Thank you, my friend,” Raimie whispered.

And I was gone. With Ele at my disposal, outpacing the Conscripted unit was easy. Even still, I arrived at the volunteer’s camp with hardly any time to spare. Having already ‘roused’ from slumber, they’d formed into ranks, and as I hurried the last stretch to them via mundane means, someone raised a shout.

“New orders from the king!” I bellowed before they could get too agitated.

While on the way here, I’d modified my vocal cords, so my voice carried far, quickly garnering the volunteers’ attention. Stopping in front of them, I stood at parade rest with my arms folded behind my back.

“I have been tasked with helping you hold a nearby position as retreat is no longer an option,” I shouted. “While I’d love to explain the reasoning for this, we simply don’t have the time. Anyone who can’t obey orders should leave. Now. Otherwise, follow me to the cliffs. If we hurry, we can form up before the battle’s joined.”

It wasn’t an inspiring speech, but as I’d said, there was no time. If we were lucky, they’d get one after we’d moved.

Turning on my heel, I flat-out sprinted for the cliffs. Putting our backs to them would undeniably get us surrounded, but it would also limit the fronts we’d have to handle. Plus, if this didn’t end up being a suicide maneuver, I had other means of getting us out of a trap.

“Do you think this is wise?” Creation asked from ahead. “What if no one follows you? You may be powerful, but you can’t hold off that many, not for long enough anyway.”

Eyeing them, I said, “I’m not changing my mind. Will you overrule my decision?”

For a moment, Creation looked torn before sighing.

“Not this time,” they said. “Will you expose yourself? If you do, your companions will string you up after the battle.”

“If I don’t, I’ll die now,” I said. “I’d rather delay death for as long as possible, if you don’t mind.”

Creation had nothing else, and when I reached the cliffs, I spun around, assessing what I had to work with.

Shockingly, most of the volunteers had trailed behind me, leaving me with thirteen hundred at a rough guess. In a strange mix of haste and discipline, they formed up in a semi-circle with the ends touching the cliffs. It was done so quickly that I ended up having time for that speech.

Pacing in front of the volunteers, I shouted, “You have one job: to survive. If you can’t avoid death in the coming quarter-mark, I expect you to take at least one of those bastards with you. Fight dirty. Use everything at your disposal, and forget about honor. In this way, you serve your king. The longer we fight here, the more we defang the trap that he will eventually lead our comrades into.”

Pausing, I took a deep breath, noting how tightly Creation had drawn their shoulders together. Was this really a good idea?

Did I have another choice?

“I will distract them as best I can,” I shouted, “and I can already hear what you now want to ask. ‘How will he do that?’ It’s a valid question. In answer, I’d ask you another one. Do you know what this is?”

Lifting a hand, I pulled Ele to it, and the reaction to its flash was immediate. People drew away from me with their lips pulled always from their teeth.

“That’s right. I’m an Ele primeancer,” I shouted, “but before you run me through, I’d ask you to consider everything you’ve heard about my kind. With that in mind, remember that I am on your side, and I will do my utmost to keep you alive. Do you want me dead now or after the battle’s over?”

I gave them a moment to think about that before continuing.

“That’s the plan. I’ll distract them as much as I can, and you’ll kill any that get past me. If we last for long enough, we’ll have a chance to retreat, and when that happens, you follow me. I’ll make us a hole.”

I held as many of their gazes as I could before facing the enemy, and as I did, I half-expected someone from my side to end my life. Instead, I continued breathing, watching the Conscripted close on us until they could see me.

Then, I again lifted my hand overhead, shooting a stream of Ele into the sky. With a shiver running through the enemy line, it shifted to converge on my position, and I drew my weapons.

“You and your fool plans will be the death of me someday,” Creation said.

With a swing of my sword, I settled into a ready stance.

“Is that possible without Lighteater around?” I asked.

Clicking their tongue, Creation said, “You know what I mean.”

I just chuckled at that. With the enemy nearly in range, Creation joined my position.

“Here we go again.”

Spraying Ele in front of me, I charged into the Conscripted with a howl.

Chapter 98: Battle on the Beach, Part One

Raimie, Rhylix

Raimie

Why had I ordered my friend to do something that would almost certainly get him killed?

In the moments before my portion of the battle was joined, this question rattled around in my head, and I couldn’t shake it loose. Did I not care about Rhylix? Why would I be so callous with his life? He was my friend, right?

Into this whirl, a thought, one that felt foreign to me, swirled.

You did the right thing.

Scowling, I tried to figure out where that had come from. What-?

“Well, that’s surprising,” Oswin said.

He had his eyes fixed on the beach, and with his words’ help, I muddled my way back to clarity. The Conscripted and my people had commenced their fight, and in the middle of this, Rhylix was putting on a brilliant display.

I couldn’t see much of it—the fight was too far distant and he kept getting buried by the enemy—but what I could see made my jaw drop.

Because he was using primeancy. Blatantly.

“The hell is he doing?” I said, mostly to myself.

I already knew the answer to that question, of course. Rhylix was doing what he must to survive, something that would likely be required from me in the coming hour.

How horrible was I, feeling relieved that I hadn’t been the first to reveal my magic?

“With how much time you two have spent together, his primeancy makes sense,” Oswin said. “Still, I’m surprised he kept it from me.”

That was right. He hadn’t known this secret, although I found that strange. When it came to his primeancy, Rhylix hadn’t been any more secretive with it than me, but then, Oswin hadn’t been paying nearly as much attention to him as he had to me.

Since he hadn’t known, though, I was curious. How would he respond to this revelation?

When I glanced at Oswin, he raised an eyebrow.

“What? You expect me to be frothing at the mouth or something?” he said. “I’ve been around one particular primeancer long enough to know that you’re not like the ones in the old tales. I won’t make a fuss.”

Hmm. That was a decent reaction. Hopefully, it would be the baseline for when my turn came.

I couldn’t help my warm smile as I said.

“Will you be as understanding when I inevitably follow Rhy’s example?”

With his face souring, Oswin said, “Yes, even if it’ll make protecting you all the more difficult.”

I had to laugh at that, even if I kept it quiet. We were trying to stay hidden, after all.

Turning to the battle, I chewed on my lip, watching my people fall. They were doing better than I’d expected, but even still, the odds they were up against would lead only to a gradual slaughter. I abhorred every moment I sat here, delaying their rescue.

When would Teron order the rest of his army to attack? Damn his rightful suspicion of my trap.

“Did you know?”

Wincing at that restrained shout, I twisted toward Marcuset, who was advancing on me with his hands curled into fists at his sides. Oswin rested his hand on his sword, making to step in front of me, but I waved him back.

“Know what?” I said. “Also, if you mean to accuse me of something primeancy related, you’d better hurry it up. Eledis and the others are coming.”

Drawing even with me, Marcuset acted as if he hadn’t heard me.

“Did you know what he is?” he said.

Raising my eyebrows, I said, “What do you think? You know, for how accepting you’ve been of me, you’re acting rather out of proportion when it comes to Rhy.”

Marcuset didn’t get a chance to respond because at that moment, Gistrick stopped beside us, leaning on his knees to catch his breath.

Pointing toward the distant battle, he gasped, “You need to… order the charge. I don’t know what that traitor is doing… but if we’re to salvage this-”

“Rhy’s acting on my orders,” I interrupted.

By this point, Eledis and my father had joined us, and as one, they stared at me, although Marcuset took a step back with color draining from his cheeks.

“What did you say?” he breathed.

“You heard me,” I say. “Circumstances changed. I had to adjust the plan, and Rhy volunteered to face certain death so he could deliver my orders. He’s not a traitor.”

With his eyes as wide as saucers, Marcuset whispered, “Why would you condemn all of those people…?”

It seemed someone’s faith in me wasn’t as unshakable as he’d believed. Gistrick didn’t have that problem.

Turning to the others, he said, “We should take charge of this situation now. We can still win this if we order the charge-”

“You will do no such thing,” I said, barreling over him. “We will not waste those peoples’ sacrifice. We will wait.”

Snarling, Gistrick rounded on me, getting in my face.

“For what?” he snarled.

In the most impeccably lucky timing I’d ever experienced, the roar of many voices washed over us in that moment, and my companions jerked toward the rise of the distant hill. Within a few heartbeats, the rest of the enemy army started pouring over it, although a space at the top had been cleared for a solitary figure.

Teron, the man who’d chased me across a kingdom and the murderer of countless innocents, stood at the apex of that rise. How I wished I could reach across the distance and cut him down.

He wasn’t the priority right now, though.

“Gentlemen! What we were waiting for,” I said, gesturing toward the enemy. “Oswin?”

With his sword already drawn, the spy said, “Ready, sir.”

Ignoring the others around me, I pulled my pistol out of its holster, tapping its muzzle against my leg while I watched the enemy charge. As soon as I’d deemed them committed enough, I raised the weapon overhead before once more turning my attention on a group of shocked people.

“In answer to your question, Marcuset, yes. Rhy is my friend. Of course I knew that he’s a primeancer. I’ve known since Paft.”

Interestingly, of the four who’d been unaware of this, Gistrick was the only one to react.

Pulling back, he said, “What? Why didn’t you tell someone?”

At that, I struggled to keep from looking down my nose at him.

“Besides the fact that Rhy’s my friend, you mean?” I said. “That’s simple, really.”

Gods, what was I doing? I should give the signal to charge. I shouldn’t delay like this, and I most certainly shouldn’t reveal any deadly secrets to the people who would be directing the battle right before it was joined.

Even knowing this, I’d speak anyway. Perhaps anger at their reaction to Rhylix was guiding me. Perhaps it was something else. It didn’t matter.

With a fierce grin, I plunged into one of the most dangerous things I’d done in my life.

“I didn’t tell anyone that Rhy’s a primeancer because I’m one too.”

Hell… those shocked expressions.

With an uproarious laugh, I squeezed my pistol’s trigger, and its bang was soon echoed by several more from the cannons in the trees. Destruction carved through the enemy army, sending a hiccup through their pell-mell sprint, and spinning to Oswin, I cut off a manic giggle.

“Keep up as best you can,” I shouted.

Pulling Ele to me, I joined my people in our race to finish what the cannons had started, leaving a host of new problems behind me.

Rhylix

Something hot sliced through the meat of my knee, and without thought, I snapped off the fletching of the arrow in it. If not treated soon, that could be problematic, leaving me crippled, but I didn’t have time for that now, catching the axe falling on my face with my dagger instead.

Fortunately, the woman behind the strike hadn’t thought to defend her legs. When she’d seen me bending for the arrow, she’d probably also seen it as an opening, which was unlucky for her. I hacked at her thigh, and while she collapsed, I scrambled away from her.

As I did, Ele jetted over my head, sending a teenager soaring over his comrades’ heads, but I didn’t stop to thank Creation, as each of these violent engagements had fallen beneath my awareness. I was enmeshed in a song hidden beneath the world’s veil, one that almost no one else could hear.

The Conscripted danced to Destruction’s beat. Every intercepted strike was a chord in the song with every ignored feint an added tone in their melody’s dissonance.

Meanwhile, I clung to Preservation’s harmony, both for myself and the volunteers behind me. Adhering to that strain of music, I disabled my enemy, bruised and disoriented them, and when possible, bodily flung them away. To end an opponent’s life wouldn’t fit with my portion of the song, and so, I never attempted it.

At some point, I caught sight of a volunteer falling without her head, and Preservation’s harmony hitched, which I couldn’t allow. Gritting my teeth, I forced it to resume.

And this was how it went.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before a cracking boom disrupted the song’s beat. Disoriented, I barely dodged the sword heading for my stomach, lopping off its owner’s hand once the danger had passed.

Had that been what I thought it was?

Pulling Ele to me, I jumped into the air while shooting that energy through my feet, and thus, I rose high above my enemies’ heads. What I saw there confirmed my suspicions. A swarm of allied soldiers was spilling out of the forest to flank an advancing Kiraak horde.

Time to get out of here.

“Are you sure about this?” Creation panted beside me. “It’ll be a huge expenditure. Will cost you dearly.”

“These people are worth it.”

When Creation nodded at me, I could swear a smile was twisting their lips, which… what? Had I done something to please them for once?

I couldn’t ponder this for long, though.

“Retreat!” I shouted.

The order got carried through the volunteers’ ranks, and as it spread, I made a running leap, aided by Ele, into the enemy’s midst. Landing with a crack, I tore the floodgate over my source open…

…and Ele pulsed from me in a series of tidal waves. The force of it flung the Conscripted away from me as if they were driftwood, clearing a path through them, but for the volunteers to take advantage of it, I had to stop this outpouring of a primal force through the gateway that was me.

Unfortunately, I was having trouble with that at the moment. Any time I tried to close my source, Ele batted my efforts aside, as if I were a fly, and for a terrifying instant… or perhaps an eternity, I was afraid that the primal force would flow through me until it had drained itself, leaving only Daevetch at the bedrock of reality.

Then, I heard a much-loved voice.

“Rhy!”

Opposite me, my sister pushed into the gale of Ele.

“Rhy, come on!” she shouted. “You’re stronger than it. Isn’t that what you’ve always said?”

What was she doing here?

With a frown, I slammed the floodgate closed. What the hell had that been? I couldn’t lose control like that, not in such a devastating way.

As the volunteers sprinted past me, trampling the fallen Conscripted in their haste, Creation dropped to the ground. Painting, they craned their head up to me.

“That was a close one,” they said.

“Mm.”

I had no other comment, too preoccupied with scanning my surroundings. While most of the volunteers had turned tail for the safety of the forest, as they’d been ordered to do, some had split off to enter a newly joined battle.

The main force of both armies had clashed further up the beach. For the moment, my allies had the upper hand, due in large part to the surprise of their ambush, but I knew how quickly that would change. I should lend them my aid.

I’d taken a step to do that when Ren slipped in front of me.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “Leading this suicide mission. Revealing your secret. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Raising an eyebrow, I said, “No. I was about to go help Raimie.”

I brushed past her, calling over my shoulder as I did.

“What are you doing? You were supposed to stick to the sidelines, on the off chance that Tanwadur changed his mind about helping us. That hasn’t happened, obviously, so why are you still here? You should get somewhere safe, preferably before these Conscripted recover.”

Most of them seemed to have lost consciousness from the blast, but a few were stumbling to their feet. Ren paid them no mind, snatching my hand to stop me instead.

“I’m not leaving you here,” she said. “Come with me. Let’s survive this together.”

Sighing, I glanced at my sister from the corner of my eye.

“I won’t abandon Raimie,” I said.

“But-”

I lifted a hand to stop her.

“I can’t. Not only is he my ally, but he’s also my friend, and I… I have always been devoted to my friends,” I said. “Go home. Years ago, I left you on a battlefield, certain you would die. Now, it’s your turn. Please, Ren. Help the people I’ve saved. Keep them safe, but don’t stay here.”

After a moment, Ren swallowed, slowly nodding.

“All right,” she said, “but don’t you dare actually die. If you do, I will never, ever forgive you.”

With a smile, I said, “I can accept that.”

Biting her lip, Ren retreated a few steps before turning on her heel, and as she hurried after the volunteers, I let myself slump.

My sister was safe. Now for my friend.

Eyeing Creation, I said, “Feel like helping me find him?”

Chuckling, the splinter struggled to their feet.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter 99: Battle on the Beach, Part Two

Raimie, Rhylix

Raimie

If I’d learned anything from the battle, it was that Daevetch was incredibly helpful when it came to beheading Kiraak. As I dragged my blade through another neck, Dim cackled beside me, drunk on power, but I couldn’t match their energy level. Already tired, I nearly burst into tears when Bright popped in front of me, sending my next opponent stumbling with a burst of white light.

I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up. What I was doing was physically exhausting.

And there was that. I was trying very hard not to think about what I was doing.

If you did not cut them down, they would kill us, came floating through my head.

This stray thought made me hesitate for the briefest moment—sure, I was far distant from the world right now but enough to lose control of my own thoughts?—and this almost got me killed. Something deafening burst on my ears, emphasizing the ringing already in them, and the Kiraak who’d been about to run me through dropped to the ground with a messy hole in his head.

Jerking me behind him, Oswin snapped, “Focus! Sir.”

I was focused enough to realize that if I was to survive this, I’d need respite soon, and so, I scanned the battlefield for an opening into a more cleared space, disarming and dispatching a Kiraak as I did it.

As soon as I found what I sought, I started for it, trusting Oswin to follow me.

“Why are you retreating?” Dim snarled, getting in my face. “Don’t be weak!”

How is surviving weak? I snapped back.

Even as I burst into a patch of relative peace, I stayed on my guard, perfectly aware of the violence all around me. Hell, how could this be real?

“You could draw from me,” Bright said. “My whole could ease your fatigue.”

That would have been handy to know a quarter-hour ago.

Even as I drew Ele to me, though, I stayed in place. Beside me, Oswin took a potshot at a Kiraak who’d been advancing on us, dropping her, but I was more interested in taking advantage of this quiet, identifying where I could best be put to use.

Drawing my own pistol, I shouted, “How are we doing, Oswin?”

During our limited breaks in the fighting, I’d noticed the runners coming and going, so I knew that Gistrick and Marcuset had been delivering reports, despite our disagreement before the battle had started. I hadn’t deigned to ask about them yet, knowing Oswin would inform me of any significant changes.

Really, given my newly accepted position, I should be with the commanders, observing the fight so I could make changes as needed, but despite having first outlined this plan, I only had a few months of book-learning under my belt when it came to military tactics. I’d thought it best to leave managing this battle to more experienced people.

With his eyes roving over the strife around us, Oswin made a face.

“As well as can be expected, sir,” he shouted. “We’re holding our own but…”

But we were severely outnumbered on an open field, and our enemy was composed of nigh invincible soldiers, yes. Clever tactics only went so far in leveling such an uneven playing field. Unless something changed soon, we were probably fucked, but then, I’d known that since Rhylix had returned from Da’kul, bringing news of how prepared Teron had been for us.

I didn’t know what drew my eye to the tree line, but when I saw a distinctive figure dumbly standing in the sparsest patch of cover around him, my stomach dropped through my feet. I ran toward him, hoping the whole time that the soldiers around me wouldn’t think I was abandoning them.

As we worked our way through the melee, Oswin and my splinters kept me alive. I defended myself too, of course, but this was my first time in true combat. The other three were better at seeing the threats I’d never have noticed.

When we reached the figure, I dragged him deeper into the trees.

“The hell are you doing here, Hadrion?” I growled.

With his mouth left gaping, the teenager had eyes only for the battlefield, and I didn’t have the time to indulge his shock. Grabbing his face, I forced him to look at me while lightly slapping his cheeks.

“Hadrion!”

Blinking, Hadrion focused on me.

“Raimie…” he said before shaking himself. “I’m sorry. I came with news, hoping to reach you before the enemy army, but it looks like I was too late.”

His eyes started drifting back toward the battle, so I gently smacked him again.

“Hey!” I said. “What’s the news?”

“Um…” Hadrion dumbly said, licking his lips. “Dury changed his mind. He offers your people refuge in their time of need.”

A way out, one where the killing could stop! Gods, how I wanted it.

I wasn’t sure how to take advantage of it now, though. How did one make an organized retreat when chaos had captured both sides of a fight? I was sure Oswin could help with that.

Still, while Tanwadur’s change of heart was beyond welcome, it had come a little late, although better late than…

Wait.

“My people?” I asked. “He said specifically that?”

Grimacing, Hadrion said, “Unfortunately. From what I understand, if you or your family come near Tiro right now, you’d be shot full of arrows. Dury can only accept helping ‘the people that bastard’s duped’. His words, not mine.

Oh. Oh, if that didn’t hurt, setting me even more adrift than I already had been. Who liked having a breath of hope ripped away from them?

“Ok. Thank you for the news,” I said before addressing Oswin. “We need to get our people into the woods, where they can lose the Kiraak before reconvening at our rendezvous point. After they’ve gathered, Marcuset can lead them in Tiro’s direction, and once they’re close to the city, we’ll have to trust that Tanwadur’s people can get them the rest of the way. Even shaky as that is, though, taking this offer will give our people the greatest chance at survival. It’s best if they accept it.”

“Certainly, sir. I’ll send a few runners to see it done,” Oswin said before hesitating. “And you? Are you…?”

What? Ok?

With a significant glance at the bedlam we’d just left, I said, “You’re really asking that now?”

Turning to Hadrion, I dropped into a shallow bow.

“Again, thank you for bringing me this news,” I said. “You should get home. If you don’t, Ren will kill me. Meanwhile, I have to…”

Trailing off, I frowned. What the hell was I going to do? Find my family and run, obviously, but how would I do that?

Those were questions for the future. For now…

“I have to fight,” I said.

“I’m so sorry, Raimie,” Hadrion said.

Biting his lip, he looked like he’d say something more but only ended up nodding before taking off. Oswin had moved to the side, signaling to a nearby runner. I should probably be more curious about how he was staying in contact with people across the battlefield but… but…

You can do this, came from the depths of me.

I knew I could.

Glancing at Dim, I said, “Not going to protest this retreat?”

Snarling, the splinter snapped their teeth at me.

“Just get back to the fight,” they growled.

Which only made me smile. They would like the utter Chaos we’d found ourselves in.

Once Oswin had returned, we hurried into a struggle for survival once more, and for a while, it was enough to drive the plight of my situation away from me, not to mention the question of how my people would extract from this. Soon enough, though, these concerns were crowding my mind again, making me careless. Thank Alouin for Oswin, my splinters, and Rhylix’s extensive training over the las few months. I couldn’t say how often a sequence of moves, practiced until it was instinct, saved my life.

But this, my inability to keep my mind on my present danger, drew my attention. Ever in the past when facing peril like this—great enough to throw me into such a strong state of detachment—I’d been keenly attuned to keeping myself alive, shoving all fear aside. It was why I detached at times like this. So, why was I still afraid?

Hang on a minute. Fear.

“Oh, no,” I whispered. “Bright? Dim?”

The Daevetch splinter was too distracted to answer my unspoken question, but Bright acknowledged it, cocking their head. When their breathing hitched and their face drained of color, I knew how they’d respond.

“Oh no, no, no,” they hoarsely whispered. “Not again.”

So, this is battle magic? I said.

When they nodded, I glanced at the soldiers around me, wondering how they hadn’t been reduced to gibbering messes yet, but despite that question, I was strangely relieved.

I knew what the future held. I knew how to help my people.

“Sorry, Oswin,” I called at the spy’s turned back. “Please, don’t hate me.”

Spinning away from his current opponent, my… friend looked at me with something like horror spreading across his face.

“What are you-?” he shouted.

Then, the Kiraak who’d been attacking him swung her sword at his face again, and he had to answer her threat. I left him like this, darting to the battle’s fringes in bursts of white light.

Where is he? I asked.

“Are you sure-?” Bright hesitantly started.

“Yes!” Dim and I both shouted.

But only the Daevetch splinter continued.

“Think beyond yourself, you sniveling coward,” they snapped. “If we’re to have a chance at crushing the enemy, we must draw him away. I know he destroyed you once, but come on! Show some strength for once, and take this chance to get even.”

That probably hadn’t been the best way to convince an Ele splinter of what I must do, but as Dim turned their wild energy on me, I said not a word.

“Follow me,” they snapped, leaving me no chance to argue.

So, I didn’t. As they led me around the battle, I kept an eye on it and Bright. The Ele splinter seemed caught in turmoil, something I’d normally try to alleviate, but I was a bit preoccupied with watching for any stray Kiraak who might to attack me.

Surprisingly, they didn’t make a move my way. Perhaps they were drawn to the nearby source of violence, but I still found their avoidance of me ominous. For some reason, it screamed of a trap, although I had no clue how Teron would have spread an order like that through the ranks.

Dim took me up the rise of the hill, but by this point, I no longer needed their help with locating my quarry. I saw the figure ahead, striding toward me with a cloak fluttering behind him. We came to a halt, several feet from one another, with an unspoken truce floating between us.

“Greetings,” I uncertainly started.

How was one supposed to interact with a monster like this? Attacking him without warning seemed wrong but-

“How are you alive?” Teron said. “I laid open your throat.”

Ok. We were starting there, were we?

“Guess I’m just lucky,” I said with a grin.

Teron didn’t like that, setting loose a growl from beneath his hood, and with sudden clarity, I knew how to continue.

Flapping a hand at him, I said, “Yes, yes. We both know you’re very intimidating. Can we move on from that? How’s your Volatility splinter? Do they still hate me?”

After a moment of tense silence, Teron said, “You’re unusually calm for a man who’s about to die.”

At that, I snorted, crossing my arms.

“What? You think because you killed me once, you can do it again?” I said. “I swear! The arrogance in you! Given how little people can resist your paltry magic trick, though, I suppose it’s only fair.”

“If you’re trying to provoke me, it won’t work,” Teron said. “I’ve struggled for decades to undermine Daevetch’s influence on me. My control on it is absolute. What makes you think that you can shake me?”

Cocking my head, I squinted at him.

“Is it absolute, though? I seem to remember an outburst you had not long ago in the hold of a-”

“This is pointless,” Teron said, sweeping a hand in front of him. “Whatever your plan is, enact it. Once I get rid of you, I have to finish cleaning this pestilence from my master’s shores. He won’t accept anything less, and I’d rather be done with it.”

He was right about us getting on with this, if not for the reasons he’d stated. This posturing was getting pointless.

“So, let’s move on,” I said. “Your next step is to kill me, yes? Try it. I doubt you’ll be able to touch me, so I’m curious how you mean to accomplish my death.”

Bursting into laughter, Teron slapped a hand to his mouth.

“Oh, you’re amusing. I’ll give you that,” he soon said, “but you’re forgetting that I destroyed your Ele source, would-be king. You’ve had far too little time practicing with your primeancy to stand against me with Daevetch alone.”

With a smirk, I said, “Who said I could only use Daevetch right now?”

And drawing Ele to my feet, I took off, heading away from the battlefield. Maybe Teron voiced the confusion that he must surely be feeling, but if he did, I wouldn’t know. I was far too focused on Bright.

“Can you get a message to Rhy?” I asked. “Let him know where I’m going and what I’m doing?”

Bright, who’d been cowering to this point, suddenly… brightened. I didn’t know how else to describe their change in demeanor.

“Oh. Oh! That’s your plan,” they said. “Smart of you. I’ll leave at once.”

When they disappeared, I made a face.

“Smart? We’ll see about that.”

As I raced into the trees, Dim barked a laugh.

“I knew you attracted me for a reason, you ridiculous human.”

Given the context, I’d take that as a compliment.

Rhylix

For too long, I’d been locating Raimie through his Ele usage. Every time a primal force emerged into the world, I could feel it, although usually, I had to be near its entry point for that, but this method of pinpointing my friend was giving me trouble, if only because he kept moving all over the place.

Really, though, I should have expected that.

I was finally getting close to him when Creation gasped beside me.

“Oh… that’s not good,” they moaned.

After dispatching yet another Kiraak, I glanced at them, frowning at the distress I saw.

“What’s not good?” I asked.

Meeting my eyes, Creation said, “For the last five minutes, your ally’s been confronting Teron. He means to draw the enemy and his battle magic away from this fight.”

Oh.

FUCK.

Chapter 100: Final Confrontation

Raimie

After who knew how long spent running, I had to stop and catch my breath, if I didn’t want to keel over, that is. Gasping, I leaned on my knees while glancing at Dim.

“Did we lose him?” I asked.

“Doubtful,” Dim said. “Even if we did, he could catch up with us via a shade meld.”

Rolling my eyes, I rubbed my calves, hoping to relieve sore muscles.

“And what’s that?” I asked.

“How the enemy keeps popping up wherever you happen to be. It’s one of their people’s most annoying abilities.”

Already tensed to hell, I jumped at Bright’s sudden reappearance, at which they sheepishly smiled.

“Sorry,” they said, “but your friend knows the plan now.”

“Great. Thanks,” I said before scowling at Dim. “Why haven’t you mentioned ‘shade melds’ before now?”

Looking down their nose at me, Dim said, “You’ve been a bit busy. Also, why would I share something so advanced with you when you’re still struggling with the basics?’

With a wince, I said, “Fair enough.”

Straightening, I took stock of my surroundings, noting the clearing around me with satisfaction.

“This’ll be a good place to make a stand,” I said. “Little to no tripping hazards here, and the sun hasn’t fallen far enough to impede sight. Not that the coming dark should be a problem this time.”

When Bright flushed, I stuck my tongue out at them, well aware of how uncomfortable they’d be at the reminder of their ‘death’.

“Truly, you’ve gotten to know us too well,” Dim muttered, as if hoping it would go unheard.

Before I could ask them about that, though, both of my splinters stiffened, which could only mean one thing. He was here!

Which patch of shadows was he hiding in, though?

“You, Raimie from the line of Audish kings, are a roach,” Teron’s disembodied voice said. “You just refuse to die.”

With Silverblade held at the ready, I spun in place, prepared for anything.

“Thank you,” I said before frowning. “I think?”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“To your right!” Bright and Dim said as one.

Ignoring their resulting looks of distaste, I faced where they’d indicated. White light flashed in the clearing as I snapped my blade up, catching the sword coming for my head. Teron quickly followed it from the shadows, although he soon leapt away with a hiss.

“So, I was right,” he said. “You do have an Ele splinter again. How?”

Why would he think I’d answer that question?

“No,” Teron breathed. “No, I must be mistaken.”

Stepping into the shadows, he vanished, and with an eyeroll, I looked to my splinters for direction.

“Behind you and to the left,” Dim said.

With that prompting, I took a few steps forward, smiling when I heard Teron’s frustrated growl.

“To your right. Again,” Bright said.

Twisting, I caught and parried Teron’s blade before swinging my fist at his hood-shrouded face. To my great surprise, the blow connected, but as he stumbled away, I didn’t let the unexpected flare of pain in my knuckles phase me. In one stride, I was within his guard again, able to end this and him, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Teron had done many awful things, things for which a clean death would be a merciful punishment, but… but…

There had been enough killing today.

So, instead, I slapped my hand to Teron’s chest and shoved Ele through it.

I had a moment to enjoy him soaring away before Dim was screeching at me.

“You weak idiot!”

Slamming into a tree, Teron tumbled to the ground, but before I could check whether that had knocked him out, his body dissolved into the shadows, disappearing again.

“You should have killed him,” Bright said.

Even as I shot an incredulous glance at the Ele splinter, a stray thought once more rose to the surface.

Mercy. That is so utterly YOU.

Wha-?

“You can access Ele, impossible as that should be,” someone new said. “Unacceptable. The Balancer cannot have both. Make sure you kill him this time.”

Spinning toward the voice, I caught sight of a vaguely outlined person, someone who reminded me of Dim—Volatility perhaps?—but consideration of them fell away at the sight of Teron. With his hood fallen back, his blue and blonde hair was revealed, which meant I’d been right all those months ago. Teron was Eselan.

That wasn’t what had stopped me in my tracks, though. Above his sneer, he glared at me with black eyes. In them, I found no irises or sclerae. Just solid black, as if the dark vines, so rampant throughout a Kiraak’s body, had centralized there. Did that mean Corruption controlled him as much as it did with those monsters?

“No more holding back,” he said.

Then, he attacked.

I didn’t know how I survived the first five seconds of his barrage. Barely ducking beneath a Daevetch bolt, I dodged his thrust at my chest by the barest of hairsbreadths, and at the end of this single exchange, panic was already screaming in my mind. How badly did he outclass me?

Rhylix’s training gave me another ten seconds of life, but by then, I was fully occupied by a need to escape. How did I get away from this?

-me help!

Another stray thought burst through the haze engulfing me.

Heart of my heart!

Nylion. My greatest sense of safety, in all things.

Even as I gave him control, I didn’t know why I was doing it. My other half might be many things, but he wasn’t experienced in combat.

Or so I thought.

Unlike other times when we’d switched like this, I clung to the real world today. If I was about to die, I didn’t want to do it unaware. I wanted to know what had killed me.

So, I was perfectly cognizant as Nylion held his own against Teron, laughing as he did it. He was a wonder, almost playing with Teron over the course of several minutes, and gods.

If I didn’t love him for it.

I spilled over with this, and for some reason, the rush of it made Nylion falter. Teron took advantage of the opening, surging forward to disarm him, but instead of taking my head as he should, he flicked his sword’s point through my uniform’s cloth, leaving a cut in my chest.

Fear shot through Nylion, rooting him in place, and flinging his arms over his head, he dropped into a crouch, despite our imminent peril.

“No, please!” he shouted. “Not again!”

Then, he was gone, and I was left in control. Falling back on my hands, I scrambled away from Teron, all while reaching for my other half.

Nyl? I called. Are you ok? What was that?

I am so sorry, Raimie, he sobbed. I- Watch out!

I had a split second to register the needle of Daevetch hurtling for me before it impacted my chest, and I thought I was dead. It was to my shock, then, that I continued breathing, only amplified when I noticed that something was worming into my body through the cut in my chest.

“A Vice?” Bright spat. “That’s barbaric!”

Interspersed with this, Dim shouted, “You have to fight it, Raimie!”

Clambering to my feet, I brushed against what was climbing through my body, but addled by what Nylion had left swirling in my mind, I couldn’t get a grip on it.

“Raimie. You are strong,” Dim shouted. “Come on. You can beat-”

“Hush, aberrant splinter.”

Teron’s command preceded a wipe of sensible thought from my mind. Pain sent arcs of fire to my extremities, lighting up even the tips of my fingernails—was I supposed to feel pain there?—and I could do nothing except scream.

As abruptly as it had come, the storm passed, and left gasping at too thin air, I found I couldn’t slump, as my body required. Held up by invisible strings, I couldn’t move, and seeing the smug look on Teron’s face, I had a good idea of why that was. I didn’t know how he had control of my body, but I couldn’t argue that he didn’t own me right now.

“I should just kill you. Really, I should,” he said. “It’s the smartest course of action, but Volatility has gotten so loud lately. What better way to silence them than with the torment of someone they loathe?”

“Raimie, take from me,” Bright said.

Facing Teron, they were utterly tense with their hands balled into fists. It was an interesting look on them but… where was Dim?

“Raimie! Do as I say for fucking once!”

More than anything else, Bright’s cursing helped me understand the urgency of my situation, so reaching for my source, I pulled a sip of Ele to me. I got no further than this, though, as agony scoured it from me, scraping my body clean.

“No, that won’t do. No Ele for you.”

Again, I was freed to a bright world of clarity, only to find Teron wagging a finger in my face.

Lowering it, he said, “As I was saying, if I’m to have any peace in the coming days, it’s time to give Volatility their due, and so, I will be using a Vice on you, little king. Given the circumstances, my master shouldn’t begrudge me its use, just this once. The only reason I’m telling you this is because I want you to fight it. I need every ounce of suffering that I can milk from you, and having come to know you, I believe the best way to provoke your, frankly, excessive stubbornness is to tell you how hopeless your situation is. Please, do try to escape it anyway, though. You may have control of your mouth now, if you have any last words you wish to say.”

He flicked his fingers at me, and when my jaw loosened, I worked it for a moment, looking for Dim in my limited field of view. Had Teron done something to them?

“I’m here, you absolutely, horribly compassionate human,” they said behind me. “I can’t do anything to help you, though, not when he has my whole in your brain. If it were only down to me, he’d have won.”

It wasn’t up to only them, though. I had Bright, all of which meant I needed to figure out how to slip Ele usage past Teron.

“I’d be more inclined to fight you if I understood what you’ve done, but I have no idea what a Vice is,” I said. “Care to enlighten me?”

Maybe that would give me time…

With a smirk, Teron said, “You’re stalling. How cute.”

And again, pain wiped me clean.

Or I thought it was me who was feeling this. As I screamed myself hoarse over what might have been minutes or years, Nylion and I slipped and slid between one another. Under this onslaught, neither of us was able to maintain control for long.

That was what it seemed like, at least. Who could tell when all you knew was fire burning in your lungs, lightning singing in your veins, glass coursing through your lungs?

Would it ever end, or was I trapped like this?

Again. It’s happening again.

I couldn’t take this. I couldn’t!

No escape AGAIN. We’re stuck, and it’s too much. Gods, please! I can’t do this again. It’s TOO MUCH!

“Let him go.”

Rhylix’s voice dove to the heart of us. Of… me. I was me. Right?

“Why would I do that? I have him where I want him, and so long as he’s mine, you won’t attack me. If you do, I’ll only hurt him more."

What was… he talking about? How could there be more than… this?

“Raimie’s strong. He can take far more than you can give. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be free of that Vice before I’m done killing you.”

Wait. What? Rhylix had finally gotten here and-

Somewhere, an enemy snarled, and what I’d already considered overwhelming doubled in intensity. I was swimming in it, unaware of anything but this, and- and-

“If you could stop screaming and help me, that’d be great, Raimie!”

THERE WAS NO ESCAPING THIS! Couldn’t he see that? I was helpless!

“He’s the distraction that you needed, human mine.”

Why should I listen to them? They were a part of what was ripping my sanity apart, slowly killing me. Gods, where was relief when I most needed it?

“Right here, Raimie.”

That was… right. I had a source of peace in my life, hidden behind a being I cared for, but unlike before—

Unlike when we were so utterly helpless in the past…

—I could use that peace to free myself. I could fight back.

So, I stroked hard for the surface of this pain, breaking one hand through it to reach for the weapon that might bring me victory…

…and Ele rushed through me, tearing Daevetch out by the roots.

Freed from the Vice, I collapsed to the forest floor, unable to do much more than twitch. My thready scream cut off, only to be taken up by Teron.

“No! Not this time!”

At the edge of my vision, I watched him break off from his fight with Rhylix, diving into shadows once he was clear. He reappeared not ten feet in front of me with his sword prepared to strike, and with twitches controlling my body, I could do nothing more than watch as it descended. It figured that even after I’d saved myself, I’d die anyway.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I reached for the one who’d been by my side from the beginning.

Nyl! I’m sorry!

There was the thunk of metal into flesh and bone. There was the sickening squelch of a sword pulled free, but I was alive. I was breathing. How?

When my eyes flew open, I was greeted by the worst possible answer to that question, a sight that would be seared into me for the brief moments I had left. Tottering in place, Rhylix held his chest together from where Teron had nearly cleaved it in two before collapsing into the grass, and as my world hiccupped, I could only stare at his still form.

This wasn’t real, right? So many times, Rhylix had been badly hurt, only to recover as if nothing had happened. It couldn’t end like this. Could it?

When Teron stepped over Rhylix’s body, I couldn’t deny reality any longer, though. My friend had died trying to save me, and based on how much I was struggling to move, that sacrifice looked to have been in vain.

Crouching, Teron placed a finger under my chin, tilting my head up, and wiped a tear off of my cheek.

“I’m sorry you saw that,” he said. “I only meant to feed Volatility your physical pain, not a loss like this.”

Gods, I wanted to scream at him or spit in his face, but my voice was long gone, and after my who-knew-how-long howling fest, my mouth was a dry desert. Teron must see the sentiment on my face, though, because he grimaced as he rested his sword on the ground beside us.

Reaching for a knife, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll end it now.”

This image was what got highlighted when light illuminated the clearing a breath later. As it faded, it emphasized how much color was draining from Teron’s face, and when it died, he was on his feet, facing away from me.

“My master’s stories were true?” he said. “You… you can’t-”

“Stay dead? No. At least, not when someone like you imparts the killing blow.”

With a grunt, my friend… my completely whole, hadn’t been breathing a moment ago friend got to his feet.

Quirking an eyebrow at Teron, Rhylix said, “Aren’t you going to run now?

After a beat, Teron sprinted for a patch of shadows, diving into it, but Rhylix was right there after him. Making a face, he stuck a hand into those same shadows, where it vanished like Teron had, and hauled the bastard out. Throwing him to the ground, Rhylix stomped on his chest, and with an ugly look on his face, he chopped his sword into the Enforcer’s neck. With some repositioning and two swings more, the man who’d hunted me for months was dead with another, impossible man standing over him.

“Hell, I’m glad that I’ve kept from pissing him off,” Dim said from… somewhere.

I wasn’t too concerned with finding them, though, preoccupied with watching Rhylix wipe his blade clean. Stalking my way, he knelt in front of me.

“Are you ok? I know Vices aren’t fun, so maybe that’s a silly question,” he said. “Still. Do you need help standing?”

Uh…

Say something, silly, came an aberrant thought…

No. That had been Nylion.

“What-?” I started.

But then, I doubled over with the worst coughing fit wracking my body, and rubbing my neck, I tried to soothe a sore as hell throat.

Wincing, Rhylix said, “Right. You probably shredded your vocal cords. Here.”

He touched my neck, and with another burst of light, my coughing fit ceased with my throat suddenly… fine. This gave me the energy needed to shoot upright, swaying away from my friend.

“What the fuck, Rhy?” I said.

“Yes. You-”

As if to mirror me, Rhylix started hacking into his hand, and I stared while this fit shook his body. When it was finished, he glanced at his palm with a grimace before wiping it on his pants. With a deep breath and a shaky smile, he met my eyes.

“You probably want an explanation, don’t you?”

Interlude 4.1: The Ending

Eriadren

 

For what seemed like forever, I aimlessly wandered down the city’s streets, half-hoping I’d run into humans that might end me. I vaguely recalled passing through the wealthier neighborhoods at some point, observing the same violence there as I’d seen in the slums. It seemed I’d discovered the one way that the different classes might be found equal.

As something burbling and manic filled the air, other people on the street paused long enough to cast uneasy glances my way.

I wondered where they were headed. Did they have a vain hope of escaping this battle? Did they have any sort of plan at all?

If so, I envied them. I didn’t know where to go or what to do with myself. How did I keep going without…?

“Sepi,” Lirilith whispered in my mind.

My daughter. She needed me.

Slapping my cheeks, I focused. Lirilith—I flinched at a summoned image—had said they were taking Sepiala to Arivor.

No. Doldimar.

So, I needed to think. Where would my… was he still my friend?

I shook my head. Where would he be right now?

That was an easy enough question to answer. After checking my weapons, I started trotting toward the temple.

When I arrived, something impossible was happening. I’d read about it in reports but always discounted it as overexaggerated versions of what had really occurred. It appeared that I’d been wrong.

While plastered on a roof opposite the temple, I watched Doldimar fling a web of pulsing strings over it. I wasn’t sure what that dark substance was, but it reminded me of what Arivor had summoned when Rafe had died.

The city’s Councilors were cowering behind him, surrounded by unmoving soldiers. As I ran my eyes over them, I was surprised to find that Reive was missing. Did Doldimar have something special planned for him-?

My heart, long abused today, stuttered before resuming its rhythm. There. In the middle of the Councilors, a little girl with my daughter’s distinctive red and green hair was standing. Why was Sepiala there?

Cursing in my head, I made my way to the street. I’d reached it, getting halfway to the Councilors when a rumble sent me skittering into shadows. As it grew louder, I glanced toward its source, and my eyes widened.

The web surrounding Alouin’s temple flexed, and slowly, the building crumbled, jetting dust and debris into the air.

“Shit,” I said.

Was this the power Doldimar had gained from my disastrous experiment? Stars… how would I…?

No. I couldn’t think about that. Instead, I considered the fact that a temple had been destroyed.

“He must hate Alouin now,” I said.

Shaking awe and fear off, I resumed my approach, moving as fast as I could. By the time the Councilors had come into view, Doldimar was standing in front of them with his feet shoulder-width apart, inspecting them like he would have with his troops during the first war. Something passed over his face, and he cocked his head, gazing at the sky.

“I know you’re here. I can feel you,” he said. “Did you save Lirilith, Eriadren?”

Restraining a hiss, I kept myself from leaping forward, clutching my sword’s hilt instead.

“My subordinates tell me they left her mangled,” Doldimar continued, “and I must confess. I was curious about whether you’d use your annoying power on her, but from your presence here, I’d guess you didn’t. I’m told that healing from the wounds you assume takes a while. It’s too bad really. I always liked my cousin, even after she murdered Rafe.”

He paused, as if expecting me to attack him, and I almost did. The only thing that stopped me was the knowledge that it was probably what he wanted. I couldn’t save Sepiala if I was dead, no matter how guaranteed my return to the living world would be.

Sighing, Doldimar slumped.

“Still not enough of an impetus for you, huh?” he said. “You have to hate me, Eri. We’re writing a beautiful story here, one that needs a hero and an antagonist, but we can’t have that if you refuse to see me as your enemy.”

The hell was he talking about? Was he killing people, killing Lirilith, because he thought we were in the middle of a damn book? Was he insane?

“I will make you hate me, Eri. By the time we’re done, you will despise me to the core of your essence,” Doldimar said. “I don’t care what I have to do to make that happen.”

That was enough. I was almost close enough to the Councilors. A few more steps and I could dart for Sepiala before escaping. With my immortal body as a shield, doing that shouldn’t be too difficult.

Before I could try, Doldimar snapped his attention to the Councilors.

“I find you unworthy of sharing my strength,” he said.

Dozens of black spikes sprouted from him. Each one arched through the air to skewer a Councilor, and as I watched this, the world hiccupped for me. Blinking images told me of how the spikes quickly dissolved into the air, of how bodies fell on top of one another, of how Doldimar laughed.

And really. Seeing all of this? I should be rage incarnate. I should charge the bastard who’d murdered…

I should be raining hell on him, screaming all the while, but I couldn’t move. My eyes wouldn’t shift away from a pile of the dead.

“Well?” Doldimar shouted. “Is this enough for you?”

He needed to die.

I couldn’t do it now, though. I needed an opportunity where I was guaranteed success, and if he truly could ‘feel’ me, like he’d said, then I’d need allies who could distract him.

He started another goading monologue, but I didn’t hear it. Backing away, I made it somewhere safe before running. I needed to escape this city, my home, but once I had, I could regroup.

And once that was done, maybe I could figure out why I couldn’t bring myself to grieve the death of my family.

Finding a decent source of resistance took a few weeks. As I’d always known he would, Doldimar ran an efficient military campaign, making sure every city and town he acquired was fully his before moving on. Not many enemies were left alive in his wake, or at least, not many with the power to see him dead.

By the time I stumbled across the right camp, most of the empire had fallen, something that should probably have bothered me, but I only cared about it because it had made my goal more difficult. Fortunately, this group appeared both well-organized and decently equipped, which should negate that raised difficulty level.

Strangers took me to their leader, deep within their camp, and when we stepped into his tent, I stopped dead. I’d expected to find any number of people here: town mayors, city councilors, and the like.

Not Alouin’s Voice, the leader of our empire. Or former empire, I supposed.

He didn’t see me when we stepped inside, intently talking with a woman instead, and restrained by my escort, I just watched him for a time. Eventually, however, he glanced my way, and when he did, he blanched before sending everyone else out of the tent.

“You’re alive,” he said once they’d gone. “Does that mean…?”

I didn’t know what he saw that shut him up, but it also had his body shaking. Since I’d seen him, my expression hadn’t once changed… I didn’t think.

As for what he’d asked about, I hadn’t touched on that subject for days. The method of compartmentalization that I’d learned during the war had become useful once more.

I was curious, however, as to why Alouin’s Voice had started crying. Considering everything he’d done, I wasn’t sure if he had a right to grieve.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “When I saw you, I hoped… I hoped I’d have a chance to redeem myself for-”

“Forgive me, Your Eminence,” I interrupted, “but might I inquire as to your resistance’s status? I’d like to offer you aid, but until I know where I might best serve, I can’t do that.”

I didn’t have the patience to wait while he collected himself. Now that I’d found my distraction for Doldimar, I wanted to start preparing the pieces.

“I… I don’t know,” Alouin’s Voice said before scrubbing his face. “I’m only here to give this group legitimacy. I’m certainly not the one calling the shots.”

…Interesting. If he wasn’t in charge, it could be beneficial. An unknown leader wouldn’t have old biases that I’d struggle with.

At the same time, I’d have to prove my worth to them, and I wasn’t sure I could do that without using my special little curse. I’d rather not die today.

“If you’re not running things, who is?” I asked. “I need to see them. I have some information that they might find useful.”

Nodding, Alouin’s Voice said, “I see. I’ll show you to him, then.”

As we walked through camp, people bobbed their heads or bowed to their leader, which might once have irritated me. Now, I just wondered why people were genuflecting to someone whose position didn’t exist anymore.

Alouin’s Voice took me into the woods, muttering something about their leader liking his privacy. I wasn’t paying him much mind, lost in planning how I’d introduce myself to this group’s leader, but all of that flew out the window when we strode into a clearing and I saw the man waiting there.

Within a breath, I’d drawn my sword while racing after the knife I’d already thrown. It missed—how did I keep missing?—but nothing could stop me from swinging my weapon down on my foe’s head.

As if a solid surface had intercepted it, my blade stopped just shy of Reive, sending strands of his hair floating to the ground, and frowning, I tried to press forward.

My body didn’t respond to me, though.

What the hell was going on?

Heat stabbed through my shoulder, which had me turning to Alouin’s Voice. Panting, he lifted his bloodied dagger as if to defend himself, but I ignored him, stalking away.

Several paces out, I flipped backward, facing two, soft men. They were staring at me with wide eyes and their mouths open, which had me shaking my head. They should have attacked me while my back had been turned, but while I knew why Reive hadn’t hurt me, I wasn’t sure what had stopped Alouin’s Voice.

Oh, well. Retrieving my last knife, I tossed it at Reive, and again, it missed. As it thumped into the grass, I clicked my tongue.

“Hell,” I said. “I can’t kill you.”

As if I hadn’t just tried to end him, Reive brushed himself off.

“I was wondering when you’d find us, Eriadren,” he said. “It took you long enough.”

Whipping his head to the former Councilor, Alouin’s Voice said, “You said he died when Doldimar took your home.”

“Yes. I’m almost certain that he did,” Reive said.

“Then… why have you been expecting him?”

Still glaring at Reive, I said, “I can’t die.”

With a quick, almost friendly smile, Reive dismissed me.

“Not by any means I’ve discovered, at least,” he said.

This bastard.

“What?!” Alouin’s Voice shouted.

Never looking at him, I pointed to where he’d stabbed my shoulder, and he scurried to inspect my unmarked flesh.

“I want to give Doldimar the harshest possible fate I can devise,” I told Reive. “I want to break him so thoroughly that he becomes as nothing. Will you stop me?”

I’d like to know whether I should look for another resistance cell to serve as my distraction.

“Hardly,” Reive said. “For once, your goals align with mine.”

“…You want to destroy your nephew,” I said.

I didn’t know why this surprised me. For years, Reive had tortured me without a problem. He’d killed Rafe, starting our descent into these shitty circumstances. Why wouldn’t he get rid of a once-favored piece on his game board after it had misbehaved?

“You already know the answer to that,” Reive said before glancing at me. “Well?”

Could I work with this evil man, someone who’d been a thorn in my side for my whole life?

As if he could feel my reluctance, Reive rolled his eyes.

“I’m your best shot at getting what you want,” he said.

And despite myself, I fiercely smiled.

“Let’s get started, then.”

Interlude 4.2: The Ending

Eriadren

 

My efforts to murder Doldimar weren’t going as planned. In fact, nearly a year into them, I had yet to step out of camp.

Reive said that my inability to kill made me a liability. I could endanger any team I might go on a mission with, and no matter how much I argued that my other ability outweighed that disadvantage, he wouldn’t change his mind.

So, I’d been stuck here, wondering if I shouldn’t try my luck elsewhere, for an entire year. To date, the effort of leaving hadn’t seemed worth it, although that could change at any moment.

On top of everything else, Reive probably wanted to continue with his experimentation on me once this war was over. He still wanted to become a god, but if he thought I’d let that happen, he had another thing coming. Any leverage he’d once held over me had been lost.

All this meant, though, was that over the last year, I’d lingered at the edge of camp often, wishing I could go further. When people asked what I did out here, I answered that I was keeping watch, but my true reason for coming out here was far worse and perhaps a tad worrisome.

“I don’t know what to do, love,” I said. “If you were here, what would you tell me?”

In the moonlight, Lirilith blankly stared at me. I’d long ago grown numb to the evidence of abuse scattered over her body, just like I no longer flinched at her eyes on me. The nights when my mind conjured her were the good ones. When Sepiala appeared instead…

Those were the nights I’d have gnawed through my palm, containing my screams, if not for my unnatural healing.

“How long can I sit around, waiting for Reive to make a move?” I said. “I want this over, although what I’ll do once it’s done still mystifies me. Everyone I loved will be dead…”

With a gasp, I slapped a hand to my mouth. Apparently, this would be a bad night, even without my daughter to haunt me.

“I want him dead. I do!” I said into my palm. “He murdered you. He’s not Arivor, my brother, anymore. He’s Doldimar. A monster. A- a-”

Taking a shaky breath, I hugged my legs, burying my face in my raised knees.

“How did this happen?”

Lirilith didn’t reply, but then, she never did. A noise did, however, jerk me upright.

Getting to my feet, I moved toward the sound of rustling leaves. Was someone taking a midnight stroll? Or perhaps a group of hopefuls had come looking for this resistance’s base.

When I found the source of the disturbance, I froze with my stomach roiling. It was definitely nothing like what I’d been considering.

Ahead of me, a woman in shoddy armor was failing miserably at pushing through the underbrush, but this was no ordinary person. Black lines flickered and writhed beneath her skin, and as always, something about them made me sick. I’d never identified why this happened, but considering how many strange things I’d seen in my life, another mystery didn’t bother me as much as it used to.

She was one of Doldimar’s new soldiers: a Kiraak. Exceptionally bloodthirsty, they were almost impossible to kill. Even something as debilitating as a sword through the heart couldn’t stop them.

I needed to warn my allies that one had gotten so close to camp.

Before I could back away, though, the woman lifted her face toward the sky, sniffing at the air, before spinning toward me with a hiss.

What the hell? How had she known-?

She rushed me, barely giving me time to draw my sword. I batted her initial strike aside, and all the while, I was scrambling for a plan.

I’d fight this woman, of course. What else was I supposed to do?

I couldn’t end her, though, and since she might share the news of this encounter with the enemy if she escaped, letting her kill me didn’t seem wise. So, what should I-?

When I swung for her, the woman didn’t duck as she should, and I had a split second to wince. I’d barely gotten used to my body stopping me from landing killing blows.

It didn’t happen this time, though. My sword sliced into her neck, carving through it to the other side, and my enemy’s head fell from her shoulders.

Stunned, I could only blink as the body crumpled, working through what had happened. Then, I took off toward camp, running as if a flash flood was chasing me.

When I plunged between tents, people didn’t pay me any mind, used to my eccentricities by now. I ignored them too, racing for the place where I would most likely find Reive.

Barging through a tent flap, I dismissed the others gathered here, zeroing my focus on the bastard who’d ruined my life. Storming to him, I drove my sword point at his chest—

—and was brought up short.

Glancing at the blade, Reive said, “Really, Eriadren. I thought we were past this nonsense.”

With a growl, I sheathed my sword while Reive waved off the people, poised to attack, around us. Only Alouin’s Voice was watching us with anything approaching calm.

“I need to speak with you,” I snapped. “In private.”

Nodding, Reive said, “Everyone out.”

Without protest, they went. Hell, he had such control over them. After this horror show, any remnant of the empire that remained would be fucked because he would almost certainly be in charge of it.

After the others had filtered outside, Reive crossed his arms.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“I ran into an enemy soldier in the forest, one of Doldimar’s new monstrosities,” I said. “I killed her.”

Humming, Reive stroked his chin for a moment.

“You’re sure?” he said.

“If you doubt me, send someone to check,” I said, throwing a hand toward the tent flap, “but you know what this means, right?”

“That your inability to kill isn’t as absolute as we thought?”

Well, yes. That had seemed obvious. But…

“No. It means that you can’t keep me here anymore. Your reason for it is gone.”

Stepping to where my toes brushed Reive’s shins, I crouched, jabbing a finger at his face.

“Send me out there. Use me like you should have done from the beginning,” I said, “or this tenuous partnership is over.”

And damn the consequences for that choice. I was done sitting idly by.

“You can’t keep doing this, Eriadren,” Alouin said.

***

As white light flashed around me, I gasped, sitting upright while slapping at my chest. It didn’t matter how many times I died. Coming back still surprised me.

While checking for enemies, I said under my breath, “You want me to stop, Alouin? You’ll have to force it from me.”

No one was in sight. Delicately, I slipped off of the stone slab I’d been lying on, ignoring the pool of dried blood that I’d left behind. If that did nothing to me, maybe the bodies on all sides should, but after eleven years of wading through similar scenes, such houses of horror no longer affected me.

This was what Doldimar had made of me and the others living in his chaotic kingdom: someone who walked through mangled corpses as if it were nothing. I had become immune to horror.

Hope, on the other hand…

Twelve years had passed since the empire had fallen. Ten years ago, Doldimar had slaughtered the leaders of the human kingdoms, taking over from them, and even still, my allies and I toiled to bring our enemy down. It had been a long, frustrating decade, filled with many promising opportunities, and all had proven infeasible in the end.

That would never stop me from seeking new ones, though.

Tonight, I’d infiltrated the fortress of Doldimar’s top lieutenant, letting myself get captured. I’d let an absolutely sick man plunge his dagger into my heart, all so I could stand here, completely undetected.

After clothing myself in an illusion, I stepped into the hall, hurrying to find the lieutenant’s bedchamber. This didn’t take long. The man was known for his paranoia, so all I had to do was look for the thickest clump of soldiers, guarding a hall or door.

From there, it was a simple matter of finding an isolated corner, shucking my illusory clothes, and assuming an insect’s mindset.

Stars, but once it came, the energy drain for using so much magic today might knock me out. It would be worth it, though, for the time it would save.

By the time I’d flown into the lieutenant’s bedchamber, I’d fallen so far into a fight against the mindset I’d assumed that I almost shape changed in the middle of the room. Considering it was occupied, this would have been disastrous. Fortunately, at the last second, I remembered where I was, flitting beneath the bed before becoming human again.

Holding still, I listened as the lieutenant bowed and scraped to his guest, someone I hadn’t expected when planning this mission. I wondered who it could be.

“-done as commanded, great one,” he said. “How else may I serve?”

“Hmm.”

A pair of feet moved into view.

“You’ve done ‘as commanded’. I suppose you think that you deserve praise for your competence.”

A woman? And not only that but she’d sounded so young…

Oh, no. It couldn’t be. Could it?

“My dear guardian doesn’t reward mere adequacy,” the woman said. “In fact, he’d probably praise me if I punished you for failing to go above and beyond expectations.”

As the lieutenant thumped to the ground, presumably knocked there by the woman, I absently hooked my fingers into the bed’s slats, pulling myself off of the ground so he wouldn’t see me, if he was still alive.

Doldimar’s ward, a she-demon responsible for several atrocities that matched her patron’s, stood not a dozen paces from me. What an opportunity I’d stumbled upon. If I eliminated my old friend’s heir, it would set his plans back, at least a little.

Was it worth abandoning a chance at killing the man himself, though?

“Please, great one. You’ve seen my performance over the years,” the lieutenant said. “You know that mere adequacy isn’t typical for me. Give me another month to prove I can continue with that excellence.”

The problem with this opportunity was that if I chose to take it, I didn’t know if I could kill the woman. Given that she rarely left people alive, reports on Doldimar’s heir had been sparse on details, so I didn’t know if black lines crawled under her skin. I didn’t know if my body would let me make a killing blow.

“Get up,” the woman snapped. “You have a month. Do not disappoint me, or I’ll tell my guardian that he should visit you personally.”

“Ye- yes, great one.”

Something scraped along the floor, letting me lower myself back to it, but I didn’t roll out from under the bed. In this case, I’d rather be cautious than attack these two. Another opportunity to kill my enemy’s heir would come along, and besides, what could happen until then? I died?

Ha!

“Until next time.”

A set of small feet strode into a patch of darkness before… vanishing. What-?

“Bitch,” the lieutenant muttered.

A few heartbeats later, a door slammed, and I got out from under the bed. Casting aside thoughts on what I’d heard, I searched the bedchamber as swiftly as possible. When I found a piece of parchment that described the realm’s troop distribution for the next month, I let a rare smile cross my face. This was perfect.

After memorizing it, I began the process of shifting to an insect but paused when I spotted the lieutenant’s specialized insignia lying nearby. That could be useful, and it was small enough that a larger bug, like a beetle, could carry it.

Snatching it up, I softly hummed to myself. This had been a ridiculously successful mission, even if I’d died to accomplish it. Hopefully, something in what I’d gained would get me to my end goal.

Somewhere in the valley below, Reive was addressing our hastily cobbled together army, trying to inspire them for the coming battle. I was on a cliff on the outskirts of our camp, overlooking the small patch of woods between us and the giant fortress on the other side. The sprawling building had been partially built into the mountain at its back, an attribute that the humans who’d once ruled this land had favored, and the fact that one of its towers nearly rivaled said mountain in height made the place rather imposing.

As I finished with my preparations for my end of this morning’s plan, someone came to join me on my perch, but I ignored them, fairly certain of who it was. Alouin’s Voice had recently finished with his portion of today’s speech making, and I’d grown familiar with the sound of his footfalls over the years.

He joined me without comment, although when his gaze fell on the gathered soldiers below us, he let out a soft laugh.

“He’s planning on having me killed soon, isn’t he?”

I knew exactly who he meant, even without the mention of a name. Barely visible from up here, I could see Reive pacing back and forth in front of the first line of soldiers, shaking his fists overhead with his voice bouncing to us.

“Are you going to let him try?” I said.

No need to reply to the other man’s question. I was pretty sure he already knew what my answer would be. Still, I was glad that Alouin’s Voice had finally picked up on Reive’s ambitions, although he might have noticed them long before now. I avoided the man whenever possible and so, wouldn’t have noticed when that revelation had happened.

With a long sigh, Alouin’s Voice leaned back on his hands, lifting his face to the stars.

“Maybe I should,” he said. “I’d deserve it after how terribly I’ve handled every responsibility I’ve had in my life.”

That made me freeze in place. The few times Alouin’s Voice had caught me out like this, he’d tried expressing his regrets for certain… things, things I did my best not to think about. I didn’t want or need him to do something like that now, in the hour before I’d be infiltrating Doldimar’s citadel.

Fortunately, he shook his head, softly laughing, and moved on.

“But no, I don’t think I will. Reive can have whatever wreck of a kingdom is left once all of this is over. I’ve already proven I’m not fit to lead.”

I didn’t reply. He probably knew my opinion about that.

“No matter how today’s battle goes, I’ll be leaving after it,” Alouin’s Voice continued after a moment. “But before I do…”

He turned to watch me strapping a weapon into place, and stiffly, I forced myself to meet his gaze.

“I’ll be backing you up on your mission today, Eriadren,” he said.

He held up a hand when I opened my mouth to deny him.

“I know you don’t need or want help. I’m not offering to do anything silly like that,” he said, “but you’re bringing something quite valuable with you to your confrontation with Doldimar.”

Alouin’s Voice nodded toward the sword lying on the stone beside me. It had taken me years to locate this god-forged blade, a quest that no one but this man and Reive had known about. If I was going to confront a man who wouldn’t fucking die, I’d wanted every advantage I could get, and a blade crafted by our old empire’s god had seemed like the perfect weapon to satisfy that goal.

“I’ll be waiting in the wings while you fight him,” Alouin’s Voice said. “I know what this fight means to you. I won’t interfere in it, no matter how much I’d like to satisfy my own grievances with that bastard.”

Looking away, he clenched his fists in his lap.

“But you deserve it more,” he soon continued. “So, I’ll watch, and win or lose, I’ll be there to make sure that sword doesn’t fall into Reive’s hands.”

That made me blink. Out of all the fears I had about this morning’s battle, Alouin’s Voice had named the one that had most often kept me awake over the last week. I found myself… grateful, strangely, to this man for alleviating that worry for me.

Alouin’s Voice seemed to see my acceptance of his offer in my eyes. He nodded once before getting to his feet.

Patting my shoulder, he said, “Good luck over the next few hours, Eriadren.”

As he walked away, I tucked the insignia of Doldimar’s top lieutenant—the one I’d retrieved during my recent infiltration mission—into a pocket. It and a shape change would be the first part of today’s plan, getting me through the gate into Doldimar’s citadel. With it, I’d be closer to my old friend than I’d been able to get for the last ten years. I was trying not to think about how nervous I was to see him again. How much I looked forward to…

Actually, I wasn’t sure what I was looking forward to with this. Ending him, maybe? Figuring out why…?

Shaking my head, I got to my feet and slid Shadowsteal into the scabbard on my back. The visit from Alouin’s Voice had brought emotions up to the surface again, which wasn’t conducive to what I’d soon need to do. I pushed them all away, falling into a cold and compartmentalized version of myself, and turned away from the army at my back. I should get started with trying to kill my best friend.

Interlude 4.3: The Ending

Eriadren

 

Finally, I was here.

As the last of Doldimar’s soldiers slid off of my blade, I kept my eyes fixed on the doors in front of me. Behind them was my goal. Behind them, I’d find him.

Hopefully, I’d get to enjoy killing him before Reive and the others caught up.

When I banged into the next room, I found it empty save for several patches of shadows and Doldimar, lounging in one of the humans' former throne.

“Finally, you’re here. I’ve been waiting for ages, Eri.”

Doldimar’s sing-song voice filled the room, setting my teeth grinding, and as he straightened in his chair, I settled into a ready stance, diminishing my profile. Back in the day, I might have been the superior swordsman between the two of us, but who knew if that had changed in the decade since?

Seeing me shift, Doldimar leapt to his feet with clapping hands, manically giggling all the while.

“Do you like it?” he asked. “We’ve told a fine story together, you and I, but now, it’s time for the finale! Who will prevail? The hero or the villain?”

Gritting my teeth, I hissed, “This isn’t a storybook, you bastard. You took my family from me! You ended their lives.”

With a sob, I broke off, and Doldimar cocked his head as I collected myself.

“You, my best friend, destroyed my life and brought the world to ruin. How could you?”

I didn’t know why I’d asked that. Over the years, I’d learned that any remorse this man might’ve had had died along with his son, long ago.

It was with surprise then that I watched Doldimar’s manic energy fade. With a heavy sigh, he squeezed his eyes closed, glancing away, and for a moment, he looked like my friend again.

Then, he said, “You’d know why I’ve done these things if you’d read my letter. You could have prevented this.”

And acid burned away my vision of a ghost.

That. damn. letter. I still carried it on my person, tucked into my jacket’s pocket, but that was because it was part of my revenge, not because of an unspoken promise I might have made.

“I’m going to kill you,” I snapped. “You will suffer, just like them.”

Like Lirilith, watching me from the sidelines with a broken body. Like Sepiala with black energy riddling every part of her. Like every other unnamed person he’d killed.

Meeting my eyes, Doldimar said, “Good.”

And he smiled. And that was it for me.

I charged him with a roar, unthinking in my advance, and he calmly waited for me. For some reason, I didn’t find this odd until I caught a flash of movement from the corner of my eye.

That one glimpse and my quick reflexes saved me. Nearly tripping over myself, I barely dodged the sword plunging for my chest, spinning around the body that followed it. I was quick to recover, changing targets in a breath, but so was my new opponent. As our blades met, Doldimar’s cackle rose above that clash.

“I’m sorry, Eri. I should have introduced you before now,” he said. “This is the final, major character in our tale: my ward and heir.”

How fortunate for me. I’d get to end his tyranny in one fell swoop.

Snarling, I pushed my new opponent away, hardly seeing her before I sprinted for Doldimar once more, but something in that one glimpse tickled at the back of my mind.

I cast consideration of it to the side, at least for the moment. Why waste time on that when my goal was so close?

Again, the woman appeared from nowhere, and on pushing her away this time, her hair slapped me in the face. Red and green. That was an unusual combo.

Shaking the thought off, I advanced two more steps toward Doldimar, and his heir rose from a patch of shadows on the ground in front of me.

How had she done that? What magic had allowed it?

Raising her blade, she snarled, “Leave him alone, degenerate.”

And I stumbled to a stop, blankly staring. It couldn’t be.

“Lirilith?” I breathed.

No, that couldn’t be right. The faces might match, but my wife had had blonde hair…

In a blur, Doldimar’s heir moved, and several feet of steel plunged into my chest and through my heart.

***

When I saw him this time, Alouin was watching me with pity.

“Brace yourself, Eriadren,” he said. “This next one will be bad.”

***

White light ushered me into my body, and surprised to find myself unbound, I stumbled to my feet, coughing. Even as I snagged a hidden knife from its sheathe, the blurry figures in front of me clarified.

One: Doldimar with a disappointed frown in place.

“Well, that didn’t work.”

Two: A ghost from the past, staring at me in horror.

Why was she looking at me like that? Why was she so familiar?

Licking her lips, Doldimar’s heir hesitantly said, “Daddy?”

And I locked up, in body and mind. Not Lirilith. This was much worse.

“Sepi?” I breathed.

My daughter.

It couldn’t be, though. I’d seen her body, hadn’t I? Hadn't I?

No, this wasn’t right. She was…

What had Doldimar made of her? What had she done?

All because I couldn’t keep her safe.

With tears in her eyes, Sepiala dropped her sword.

“Daddy!” she gasped over its clang. “You’re… no, you’re dead! He told me… I… Oh, Alouin. What-?”

Despite my horror, I found myself speaking.

“It’s ok, sweetie. We’ll fix this. You’re all right.”

Maybe she heard what I was really saying. Maybe she knew from those meager words how much I still loved her. I hoped so because in the next moment, Doldimar was at her side, cleanly separating her head from her shoulders.

As my daughter collapsed in pieces at his feet, he clicked his tongue.

“Looks like that still needs work too,” he said.

I didn’t know what happened next. Something unreasoning and powerful took over, and when I was next aware of the world, Doldimar was kneeling in front of me with one leg gone and a sword through his gut.

“Finally, we’re here,” he coughed.

Shakily reaching for me, he laid a hand where I was gripping the blade.

“Thank… you, Eri.”

Snarling, I ripped the sword free and brought it down on his head. I wasn’t sure how long I spent hacking at his body, but eventually, I grew tired, throwing the weapon aside. Fixing my gaze on the remains of that hated face, I withdrew a letter, yet unopened, from my jacket.

Everything else—Sepiala!—could wait, just for a moment. I needed this. Now.

Breaking the wax on the letter’s seal, I unfolded it.

“Let’s see what you thought would excuse all of this,” I growled before clearing my throat. “My dearest friend. If you’re reading this, please know that I never hated you. You weren’t to blame for what led to our conflict. In fact, if anyone should take responsibility for it, it’s… me.”

Scowling, I scanned the rest of the letter, and once I was finished, my legs failed me. Limply hitting the ground, I rested loose fingers on my thighs, letting parchment flutter free of them.

No.

I wanted to howl this, but the breath had been knocked out of me, and I wasn’t sure if it was in response to what I’d read or what had started rising in my core. I didn’t get long to ponder this as that rapidly escalating heat stole all thought. Pain flashed through me—

—and my ashes floated to the ground between my loved ones’ corpses.

When I woke up, I was surrounded by white. White formed the sky. White covered the ground. White was the world.

Except for in a thin strip of gray, one that separated me from a black landscape. Why did this place seem so familiar?

“Hello, Eriadren. Congratulations are in order. You appear to have won this time.”

Shooting upright, I barely stopped myself from screaming. My friend… my daughter… myself… we’d all died!

Still, that voice cut through thoughts that had been scattered in the wind.

“Alouin.”

How many times had I caught a glimpse of that man in the brief seconds after my many deaths? Unlike before, however, I wasn’t going anywhere this time.

“I’m sorry that the backlash caught you before you’d processed what you read.”

Dazed, I lifted my head, staring at Alouin. The hell was he talking about?

Shifting in place, he cleared his throat.

“Here. I’ll recite it for you.”

He pulled himself upright, folding his hands in front of him.

“Eri,

If you’re reading this, please know that I never hated you. You weren’t to blame for our conflict. In fact, if anyone should take responsibility for it, it’s me. I’m the one who pushed you toward our lives’ destruction, and others, in their hate, took advantage of our weakness. Please, Eriadren, forgive yourself for something you had no control over.

“Before I lose myself again, I must set this into writing, for when I next see you, I may not have control. Since our disastrous experiment, I’ve been trapped in Corruption’s sway. Every day, its madness overtakes more of my mind. I don’t know how much longer I can resist its influence, but in the end, how can I do that? I’m fighting a god.

“Instead, I marshal the remnants of my sanity to delay Corruption, one last fight to convey my wishes before I no longer can. I would make a final request of you, my friend. When next we meet, please kill me. I cannot live under the control of a god whose sole aim is to destroy creation.

“I know what I’m asking of you. I do not ask it lightly, but you’re the only one who can end me. I’ve placed myself in harm’s way more times than I can count, even attempting suicide as my desperation has increased, but still, I’ve found no release, only a continuation of life.

“We share a unique bond, Eriadren, one that I hope will let me slip free of this prison. I beg you, for the friendship we once shared, to do what must be done. End my life. Stop the misery that I may, in my insanity, wreak upon the world. You’re the only one I’ve ever known with the strength to do what’s right.

Ever your friend,

Arivor.”

As when I’d first read the letter, I was cast adrift, and in agonizingly slow movements, I craned my head toward the man that many of my people considered a god.

“He wasn’t in control?” I numbly asked.

“By the time he joined the humans, Arivor had lost his fight with Corruption, yes,” Alouin said.

With a growl, I shot to my feet, tugging at my hair.

“Why didn’t he just say something?” I hissed. “Why leave such an important message in a letter I might not read?”

Alouin let me pace for a moment before saying.

“You’ve done your research since our first meeting. You understand what Ele and Daevetch are now, meaning you probably have a glimpse of the predicament you’ve landed yourself in.”

Halting, I mutely nodded. Stupid. I’d been so stupid to experiment with the unknown.

“Given that, do you think that Arivor had any choice about how he gave you this information? Frankly, I’m amazed he snuck that letter past Corruption. Daevetch’s avatar indeed,” Alouin said with a headshake. “Also, can you blame him for wanting to be nowhere near you when you learned the truth?”

As if to emphasize his point, a pained cry ripped through this strange place, eventually morphing into intelligible words.

“No! What… what did I do?”

I jerked my head toward the noise. On the other side of the gray line, a familiar form was hunched on himself, sobbing with shaking shoulders, while Alouin’s twin stood over him.

And I took off. I didn’t care how impossible my current circumstances were. I had to reach my friend.

Alouin stopped me before I could.

Interposing himself between me and the gray line, he said, “Stop. If you enter the balance point, it will tear you apart. If you must speak with him, do it from here, but be quick about it. Your time here is running out.”

In this moment, I didn’t care who this man was or how powerful he might be. Stepping toe-to-toe with him, I bared my teeth.

“Get the fuck out of my way,” I snarled.

Alouin slapped me. It was a bitch move, to be sure, but in this case, it was effective. With fury dampened, I clutched at my cheek, glaring at him. He’d better have an explanation for me.

“You cannot go to Arivor, not in this place,” he said. “When you experimented with my body so many years ago, it ended with the formation of yet another rip in reality, one that reached though those layers until it touched the bedrock. This is where Arivor went when his essence slipped out of his body. Later, it’s where I sent you.

“You were lucky, landing in the balance point as you did. Arivor was less so, and Daevetch eagerly latched onto him, making him an easy conduit into your layer of reality.

“So, I did my job. I pushed you into Ele’s sway as a way to counter him. If I hadn’t, it would have thrown every iteration into disbalance.

“What this means? You’re bound to one of the primal forces, Champion of Ele, just as Arivor is to Daevetch!”

Oh. Was that all?

“I figured as much. I had ten years to do research, when I wasn’t focused on other goals. Did you think I wouldn’t put that together? The only thing I didn’t know was how little control my friend had over the last decade,” I said. “It doesn’t matter now, though. Arivor and I are dead, the same as everyone we ever loved. The threat that we posed has been neutralized, so as I was saying, would you kindly get out of my way? I don’t know what sort of afterlife this is, but I’d like to use it to reconcile with my friend.”

…Why was Alouin looking at me with such pity?

“You’re not dead, Eriadren,” he said.

After a beat, I snorted, bursting into laughter.

“What are you talking about? My body is ash,” I said. “Over the years he controlled me, Reive may have killed me in many ways, but he never tried immolation. Reconstructing a body from that is impossible.”

“Which is why another one will be provided.”

My laughter cut off as my eyes widened.

"What?" I shouted.

Crossing his arms, Alouin said, “Did you think that the loss of your bodies would stop Daevetch and Ele from using you? That will never happen, not when they have their claws so thoroughly embedded in your essences. Once they’ve reasserted their control, you and Arivor will be returned to the physical plane, where he will once more go mad, and together, you’ll repeat the tragedy of your lives in a representation of the Eternal War. I’m sorry, Eriadren.”

Silence fell while I absorbed everything he’d said with my fingers twitching. Eventually, I cleared my throat.

“How long?” I gruffly asked.

How long would my friend and I be trapped like this? How long would this torture last?

“For as long as the primal forces’ War persists,” Alouin said, “which if I have any say in it, will be for eternity.”

At those words, I didn’t know how I stayed on my feet.

After a moment, Alouin stepped aside, letting me approach the gray line where my friend was already waiting, and I sank to my knees opposite him.

Tear tracks were streaked across his face, and I badly wanted to wipe it clean, but… I couldn’t. Instead, I listened to him blubber at me, offering so many apologies, which I didn’t understand. We both had things to be sorry for, both had wronged the other in unforgivable ways.

All the while, a sheet of black rolled over his body, the same as one of light was doing for mine. Somehow, I found my voice before either sheet could complete their journey.

“I’ll fix this, Arivor,” I said. “I promise. One day, we’ll be free.”

The white sheet from the bedrock of reality finished enveloping my body, and when I opened my eyes, light blinded me. I squinted to let them adjust.

“What’s wrong? Why isn’t he crying?”

Who had that been?

“Don’t worry, my dear. He’s perfectly fine. Just quiet.”

Having given my eyes time to adjust, I cracked them open more fully, wondering where Ele had dropped me, and gazed upon a woman, looking down at me with a radiant smile.

O… k… this was awkward. How did I-?

“He’s beautiful!” the woman said. “Look at those eyes! He has an old soul.”

She brushed my cheek with her knuckles, and I froze. What the hell was going on?

Glancing around, I found another woman nearby, but this only escalated my already pounding heart because her hands were covered in blood. I had to help!

“She’s fine, Eriadren. Please, calm down. No one’s in danger here.”

Who’d said that?

When I located the speaker, I tried to jerk away, tried to warn the women about the anomaly in their midst, but this only ended with me squirming in place, screaming my head off.

“There it is,” one of the women crooned.

What…? No. This madness needed to stop. I needed to get control now, needed to get up…

“Welcome to your new body, Eriadren.”

That was the second time the anomaly had said my name. Gradually, I slowed down my breathing rate so I could take them in.

Roughly humanoid in shape, they were made of white light, standing with their arms folded behind their back, and at my stare, they cocked their head.

“You have questions, I’m sure,” they said.

Of fucking course I had questions!

Clicking their tongue, the anomaly said, “There’s no need to curse.”

And again, I could only stare.

Leaning over, the woman with bloodied hands lifted me single-handedly out of the other woman’s lap.

“I’ll get him waddled for you, my dear. Shall I send your husband in?"

“He’ll want to see his son…”

“And he will! Let me clean him up first.”

Realization hit me.

A baby? Ele, primal force of creation, needed to give me a body so I could carry out its purpose, and I got stuck as a baby again?

“Is that not how new Esela are created?” the anomaly asked. “A male and female come together to exchange genetic matter. The resulting zygote gestates for nine months, forming a body that can survive outside the womb, and once that’s finished, it’s expelled into the world. That’s correct, yes?”

Technically, yes, that was where babies came from, although I was unfamiliar with some of the terms the anomaly had spoken. What did that have to do with-?

“We inserted you into this body as late as possible,” the anomaly continued. “Keeping one alive without a sustaining essence is extraordinarily difficult. Given that, you should be grateful. You could just as easily have spent months inside the mother.”

Ugh. That was a disgusting concept to consider.

But wait. Did this mean I’d have to learn how to walk and talk again? By the stars, I’d be treated like a child. I’d go through puberty again. Hell.

“You’re assuming this cycle will last long enough for you to grow up,” the anomaly said. “If we find the enemy whole’s avatar quickly enough, then the backlash will destroy this body long before then.”

So, this being had been responding to me.

Who are you? I snapped, intent on getting answers.

Shifting in place, the anomaly said, “My name is Creation.”

… How informative.

WHAT are you? I asked, wishing I could roll my eyes.

“I am a piece of my whole, splintered off to ensure you keep to our purpose,” Creation said. “I’m here to make sure you destroy your friend.”

So… you’re basically my babysitter, I said.

“In essence, yes.”

Well, that wouldn’t be annoying at all.

I was still fuming about this when I was returned to the other woman’s arms, although… given the context, perhaps I should start thinking of her as ‘mother’. I’d have to do that if I was to blend in here.

I refused to think of my true mother, massacred with my hometown years ago.

Soon enough, a man stepped into view, and when his face lit up on looking at me, I assumed he was ‘father’. That would be interesting. I’d never had a real father, just a man who’d abandoned me to a life in the slums.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” ‘mother’ said, glancing at the man.

As he gazed at me, ‘father’s’ eyes held nothing but wonder.

“Yes, he is,” he said.

Maybe… maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

“Have you decided what we’ll call him?” ‘mother’ asked.

After a moment’s consideration, ‘father’ said, “His name is Gaelen.”

Gaelen. I liked it. A new life with a new name and a new family. When thinking about it like that, I realized what I had here.

If I kept my tragedies buried, I could become a different person now. Managed properly, I might even lead a happy life.

“Don’t forget why you’re here, Eriadren,” Creation said.

Except for that. Given enough time, that nuisance might become a problem.

Chapter 101: You're WHAT Now?

Rhylix, Raimie

Rhylix

“…might become a problem,” I finished with nary a flourish.

When Raimie stared at me without comprehension, I sighed.

“I’m stuck in a cycle, one that follows the same routine every time,” I said. “In each of them, I’m born into a new family, one that’s inevitably murdered. I find Arivor, kill him, and return to the bedrock of reality, the front for Ele and Daevetch’s Eternal War. Sometimes, I can find Arivor before he falls to Doldimar, and sometimes, as in this cycle, I arrive to find out that bastard has held sway for a while instead.”

With my words stolen from me, I clenched and unclenched my hands a few times before clearing my throat.

“He and I have done this… I don’t know how many times. I’ve lost count,” I said. “After a while, the years started blurring together, and frankly? For the last dozen cycles or so, I’d given up hope of fulfilling my promise to Arivor. I thought we’d never see an end to it, but then, you came along.”

I didn’t know what else to add, so settling into the leaves, I waited for Raimie’s reaction. I’d hoped to never have this Conversation with him… or at least, to be a lot vaguer with it, but Teron had started bearing down on him, and I couldn’t see a way to save his life without revealing myself.

“And here we are,” Creation said.

Yes, here we were again, although the circumstances were different this time. Usually, Creation was much more resistant to me having The Conversation with my ally, and I wasn’t sure why that had changed with Raimie.

Usually, my ally and I weren’t sitting near a cooling corpse either, but given our states of relative exhaustion, I hadn’t thought we could do much better than this.

“That explains what happened in the forest, when you were shot full of arrows,” Raimie said. “It means I killed you.”

“Technically? Ren killed me,” I said, “but yes, pulling the arrow out of my back did hasten that death along. Remember, though, that I asked you to do it.”

“Uh-huh.”

With nothing else, Raimie returned to contemplative, and I was left wondering when he’d express his outrage. Always, always my allies found offense in how much I’d hidden from them, not that I could blame them for it. They had a right to their anger.

Tapping his fingers on his lip, Raimie drawled, “So… have I been using the wrong name for you this whole time? Should I call you Eriadren instead?”

He was thinking of my comfort?

With a cough, I said, “No, Rhylix is fine. My name isn’t as important to me as it is to most people, although I appreciate you asking.”

And again, with the silence! I tried to fight through it, to give my friend the time he’d need, but eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Please, say something,” I whispered.

Glancing at me, Raimie shook his head.

“Honestly, Rhy, I have a lot of questions for you, but I don’t know where to start,” he said. “For instance. Is this what you meant when months ago, you said you wished Ele’s version of healing worked differently? That’s close to what you said, at least.”

I… barely remembered that conversation. It had taken place so long ago, and when I’d said what Raimie was referencing, I’d been in a highly emotional state, but that didn’t matter. I knew what he meant.

“You want me to explain Letting Go?” I asked, just to be clear.

When Raimie nodded, I looked away with a sigh.

“It’s an extension of the healing application you already know,” I said. “At times, an Ele primeancer can assume someone else’s wounds, but unlike with me, it takes a great deal of concentration and will for them. Also, if they do it, the transferred injury won’t heal like it would for me. That’s the singular benefit of my cursed existence.”

“I see,” Raimie said.

After a pause, he gestured at me.

“And I’d guess it’s still painful. The assumed injuries, I mean.”

With a smile at his awkwardness, I said, “Unfortunately, although that doesn’t bother me anymore. I’ve developed a high pain tolerance.”

Clicking his tongue, Raimie waved my reassurance away.

“Yeah, sure. I get that. Sometimes, I can ignore pain too, not that I’m trying to compare us,” he said. “That doesn’t make the pain just vanish, though. It has to go somewhere. All of which is to say that I can see why you wouldn’t want to use this power.”

Blinking, I tried to understand everything Raimie had said but… no. It wasn’t processing. Ignore pain? Not many people knew how to do that.

Perhaps it was best if I replied generally.

“Yes, that’s one reason for it,” I said, “but over the years, I’ve also learned that if I take someone’s injury from them, it inevitably leads to consequences for them. Save for rare exceptions, my patients die shortly afterward, usually due to something far worse than the malady I assumed from them.”

“That makes sense,” Raimie said. “Such powerful magic would have to come with a cost.”

Then, he swallowed hard, visibly summoning his courage.

“That’s why you haven’t fixed my dad’s paralysis, though, right?’ he asked.

Oh. Of course he was asking about the healing side of my story first.

“That’s right,” I gently said. “I’m sorry.”

Nodding to himself, Raimie abruptly stood. He cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at me.

“You’ve given me much to think about, and a lot of it makes me question if I even know you,” he said. “It’s a lot, as I said, so… I’m going to take a walk. Clear my head. While I’m doing that, though, you should get some rest. We’ll sleep here tonight, considering how little we could help the others right now. Taking some time to recover would be better for us, and we can figure out what happened with the battle in the morning.”

He paused, and with a heavy heart, I gave my friend the answer he was expecting.

“Sounds good.”

Slowly breathing out, Raimie jerked his head in a nod.

“Good night, then.”

He wandered into the trees as if in a daze, and while I’d like to follow so I could keep an eye on him, I stayed where I was.

“Give him time,” Creation said. “You know him. With time and space, he’ll understand.”

“I certainly hope so,” I said.

Because I didn’t know if I could bear to lose the only friend I’d made in millennia.

Raimie

“Do you get why I hate him now?” Dim asked. “By me, he’s such a cheater.”

With a frustrated growl, they reached out as if to strangle the air, and I sighed.

“Dim, please keep your opinions to yourself, just for a little while,” I absently said.

I couldn’t have them influencing me right now. To my great surprise, they didn’t protest my request, even if they made an ugly face at me.

That was one splinter taken care of.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Bright?” I asked, half-expecting they wouldn’t reply.

Boy, if they didn’t surprise me.

“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” they said. “Given what my whole…”

They paused to take a deep breath.

“Given… everything, letting him choose when and how to tell you seemed the least that I could do.”

An acceptable answer.

I didn’t know why I felt so cast adrift right now. I hadn’t been this detached in ages, and reaching a clear state was giving me much more trouble than usual.

Some small things were helping. The rustle of leaves in the breeze. The clean smell in the air. The colors that the sunset was painting across the sky.

When I’d woken up this morning, I hadn’t thought I’d see another of those. By now, I thought I’d be long dead, and a huge reason I wasn’t was because of Rhylix.

Why was I having such trouble with his revelation? This didn’t feel like a betrayal. I’d asked him to explain himself when he was good and ready, and once he’d given up the illusion that I was still in the dark about his secrets, he’d been nothing but honest with me about why he hadn’t wanted to share.

So, when he’d told me his truth, why had it felt like the ground had fallen out from beneath my feet? Was it the enormity of what he’d shared? Champion of Ele? How could I relate to a man who’d been fighting an unseen war for millennia?

Why did part of his situation resonate so highly with me? I wasn’t sure what that part could be. Maybe his despair at feeling trapped? That could relate to my situation with having the responsibility of ruling a kingdom forced on me, but… it didn’t feel quite right.

When Rhylix had shared about the pain that Reive had perpetrated through his sadistic experimentation, a part of me had cried kinship, which only confused me. I’d never been hurt like that. Never. Before finding Shadowsteal, my life had had the typical ups and downs, but besides those, it had been perfect.

So, maybe I related to fighting an invisible war, although that also didn’t fit. When it came to the Eternal War, I’d refused to choose a side.

Like I’d said, I didn’t know what the problem was. I looked at this dissonance in me, all raised when Rhylix had shared his secret, and had to wonder if he’d been right all those months ago. Maybe I did have a secret of my own, one I’d hidden from myself-

Does it matter? came from the depths of me.

And I stopped short, kicking up the leaves around me.

“…Nyl?” I said. “Is that you?”

As soon as the questions had left my mouth, I wanted to take them back because as I’d feared, my splinters turned toward me with concerned expressions in place. I waved for them to relax, all while cringing inside. It seemed a little strange that I’d care whether my invisible sources to Ele and Daevetch thought I was crazy, but… I did.

Once they'd returned to aggressively ignoring one another, I turned inward.

If that is you, Nyl, are you ok? I asked. Back with Teron, you seemed… upset.

I was aware of how much of an understatement that was, but I didn’t know how else to put it.

Can you blame me? came a grumble from inside.

It was him!

Suppressing a chuckle, I resumed my hike through the forest.

You didn’t answer the question, I said. Are you ok?

For the most part, Nylion said. Given time, I will stabilize again.

I bit off my questions about how I might help with that. Nylion had never liked me noticing when he was in pain.

How did communication between us open up again? I said instead. I thought getting to this point would require more internal work. Not that I’m complaining! Hearing directly from you again is wonderful.

I am enjoying it as well.

A wash of relief followed that statement, and we took a moment to revel in it before Nylion moved on.

In answer to your question, I am not sure. You are quite detached right now, so maybe that allowed me to break through the barrier. Is the cause important, though? Much as I understand your hesitancy about your friend, I would prefer it if you returned to him soon. In this place, he is the greatest source of safety that we will find.

That was a good point. Frowning, I made myself turn around so I could head back.

What do you think about all of this? I asked. Am I overreacting?

Nylion was quiet for a while, leaving me wondering whether our ability to communicate had suddenly failed. I was also curious why I’d asked for his opinion on this. He was my other half, yes, but even still, this problem didn’t seem like something I should bother him with.

I think…

When Nylion broke off, it brought to mind an image of him sucking on his lip, which had me softly laughing. He was always so hesitant and cautious when answering my questions, especially those that were sensitive in nature.

I think that long ago, you chose to be Rhylix’s friend, and that is not a decision you would have made lightly, he eventually said. So, while your discomfort about this is understandable, it is not what you should focus on. Instead, ask yourself. Do you still want to be his friend?

As Nylion had finished speaking, I’d stepped into the clearing that Rhylix had earlier led us to, and glancing over it, I approached him on silent feet. He’d fallen asleep, as I’d suggested, softly snoring with the tension that he normally carried wiped away.

“No nightmares tonight,” Bright said beside me. “That’s a relief.”

Eyeing them, I asked, “Why’s that?”

“He used a large piece of the whole today, and you heard what he told you. I’m sure you’ve surmised how highly connected he is to the state of the whole,” they said. “Spending as much of it as he did today… he’ll need to recover, which he couldn’t do with his typical nightmares interrupting his sleep.”

And he’d done all of that to keep those volunteers alive.

Would you look at that, Nyl? I said. As usual, you’re right.

He didn’t reply, but that was ok. As I sank to the ground beside a man I could never hope to understand, I smiled.

“I am honored to call Rhylix my friend.”

Rhylix

When next I woke up, it was because someone was jostling me, and with a decidedly inelegant snort, I shot upright with my hand on my sword’s hilt, scanning for danger. A glance around me revealed no threats, although it was bright beneath the forest’s canopy.

It was morning, which meant I’d gone an entire night without nightmares. How was that possible?

The wonder of this impossibility was pushed aside, however, in the face of the soon-to-come consequences of last night’s choices.

Standing over me, Raimie had his hands on his hips with his foot rapidly tapping.

“Finally,” he said. “Gods, you sleep like the dead, Rhy.”

I laughed at that, although I disguised it as a cough, and Raimie rolled his eyes.

“If you’re awake now, we should get going,” he said. “We have a lot to do today.”

Hell. He’d chosen rejection.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I breathed through my nose, releasing the pain that I felt on the exhale. I’d gotten well-practiced with this routine, although it was only used for the most extreme of things.

When I opened my eyes, Raimie had turned away, pacing across the clearing, and I watched him for a moment.

Then, I said, “I’m sorry to have distressed you. I will endeavor to remain in the shadows going forward, but unfortunately, I can’t remove myself from your presence. I-”

“Why would I want that?” Raimie asked.

Never having stopped pacing, he looked at me with a wrinkled nose, which was… odd.

“Because…”

Must I spell it out?

“Because you consider our friendship over, which is understandable,” I said. “I wouldn’t want to be friends with me-”

Raimie interrupted me again, but it was with a laugh this time. Slapping a hand to his mouth, he struggled to control himself, all while I tried to figure out what this was.

“Oh, Rhy… you think I hate you?” he said. “No! I could never do that. Last night, I just needed a moment to clear my head, and I took it. That’s all. You and me? We’re good.”

With a sharply indrawn breath, I just blinked at this unbelievable kid, and while I considered what he’d said, Creation leaned into view.

“I told you he’d understand,” they said.

And then, to my utter embarrassment, my shoulders started shaking, and I collapsed on myself, sobbing into my hands.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Crashing through the leaves, Raimie rested a hand on my knee.

“It’s ok!” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

“No!”

My face might already be coated in tears and mucus, but still, I lifted it to him.

“You don’t understand,” I said. “Countless times, I’ve told my story, and nobody, fucking nobody has-”

I cut off with a gasp, and with a lopsided smile, Raimie applied slight pressure to my knee.

“Accepted you or your reality?” he said. “Yeah. I gathered that, and it’s awful. I’m so sorry about that and every other horrific thing you’ve endured.”

This, something I’d always longed to hear, only made me break down further, and I didn’t know how long I lost it like this, but through it all, Raimie stayed with me, occasionally patting my knee.

When I eventually calmed down, scrubbing my face, Raimie rose to his full height, offering me a hand.

“Are you ready to go now?” he said. “I’d like to know how yesterday’s gloriously delightful events ended for everyone else.”

Thank the gods that he wouldn’t dwell on what had just happened.

With a manic giggle, I accepted Raimie’s help up.

“Yes. Let’s find out what sort of mess we need to clean up.”

With nothing further, I followed my real, honest to gods friend into a new day.

Chapter 102: Finding the Others

Raimie

When returning to the battlefield, I hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it certainly hadn’t been this. Save for notable exceptions, the scene was tranquil. Quiet. The only movement found here was in the sway of the nearby branches, the ruffle of tent cloth, and the bob of seemingly abandoned ships on the sea. I’d find it quite lovely if it weren’t for the bodies littering every bit of the ground between.

This sickening addition, combined with the rank smell twining through the air, made me glad that I had yet to fight free of yesterday’s detached state.

Beside me, Rhylix and my splinters were watching me with pinched eyes. Were they worried by my lack of a reaction to this?

What had they expected me to do? Lose what little of my last meal remained? Turn into a jittery mess and sink into the grass? Scream at humanity’s callous cruelty?

How I’d like to do any and all of these things, but I couldn’t let myself feel it now. I couldn’t feel anything until I knew what had happened.

So, I picked my way through bodies to the pitiful remnants of my people’s camp. What little tents had been left standing yesterday morning were half upright now, and so many firepits had been kicked into disrepair. I chose to focus on that instead of the familiar faces, screwed up from their final moments, that I passed.

On entering the camp, I turned in a circle before shaking my head.

“This doesn’t look good,” I said. “I’d hoped to find an indication of whether our people retreated but…”

There was nothing here. No clues to follow.

And I couldn’t ask my splinters for ideas. I’d been avoiding acknowledging them since last night. If I thought about them, I also had to consider the threat that they’d placed on my life by proxy.

“Maybe if we visit Tiro, we’ll find friendly faces there,” Rhylix said.

Grimacing, I said, “If we do that, you’ll have to leave me far away from the city. Pretty sure its residents are still primed to kill me on sight.”

Which would be wonderful to deal with going forward.

“Our people won’t be pleased to see me either, what with the revelation of my primeancy,” Rhylix said. “Do they know about yours?”

“My family, Gistrick, and Marcuset do. Not sure about the rest,” I said, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if the secret’s out for me too. I wasn’t exactly subtle yesterday.”

“Great,” Rhylix sighed, “and the complications abound.”

With a smirk, I nudged him.

“Like that’s new to you,” I said.

Rhylix just blinked at me, which I could understand. Since his first life, had anyone been close enough to tease him like that?

Still.

“What do we do?” I asked.

As if you have a choice, Nylion whispered with a laugh.

Somehow, I kept from flinching. Grateful as I was for the recent change with my other half, his random comments did catch me off guard at times.

“First, we return to cover. This display of death will surely draw rogue Kiraak to it soon,” Rhylix said, “but then, we’ll start toward Tiro. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find signs of the others before then, but if we don’t, the city will be our best shot at locating them.”

That was about what I’d thought.

“Today will be lovely, won’t it?” I sighed.

Rhylix laughed at that, and as we returned to the tree line, I let that noise lighten my mood. As we got closer to it, though, my friend caught my shoulder, pulling me to a stop.

Drawing his sword, he said, “There’s movement.”

Just fabulous. We’d have to fight before getting anywhere close to our goal.

When I sought out the disturbance Rhylix had mentioned, however, I relaxed.

“It’s fine, Rhy. Just some fabric hanging from a branch,” I said. “In fact…”

Pursing my lips, I squinted at that distant, flapping motion before grinning.

“I know exactly what that is.”

In the last week, I’d seen it used often enough.

Not long after this, we were heading toward yet another strip of cloth, hanging from a branch, when someone stepped out from behind a tree.

“Oswin!” I shouted with my arms spread wide. “There you are. Knew you’d be around here somewhere.”

“Here I am.”

Striding to me, Oswin took hold of my uniform’s collar, pulling me so close that our noses almost touched.

“You are the most difficult charge I’ve ever had to protect,” he said before releasing me.

It was so sudden that I stumbled backward, only stopped when he dragged me into a brief, bone-crushing hug.

“I’m glad you’re ok,” he whispered in my ear.

When I was freed from this, he’d returned to his usual self.

“What’s the plan, sir?”

Still a little caught out, I coughed, giving myself time to gather my thoughts.

“That will depend on what happened here,” I said, inclining my head toward an abandoned battlefield. “How many of us got away?”

With a bright grin, Oswin said, “The majority, actually. It was strange. Not long after you left me, we started retreating, and soon after that, it was like the life drained out of the Kiraak. They stopped pursuing us, going dead in their tracks—”

“—and that’s where my people came in.”

Coming from the opposite direction as Oswin, Ren advanced on the three of us, almost in a swagger.

“I see you found him,” she said.

Nodding to her brother, she turned to me, and I wondered why I exhaled with relief at seeing her safe.

“I joined up with my neighbors shortly after Rhy and your volunteers finished their heroic stand. Apparently, Dury had sent them out shortly after changing his mind,” she said. “Some of us guided the volunteers to Tiro while the rest helped your army with clean up. Listless as they were, leaving no Kiraak standing was easy, and given their addled state, I have to ask. Is Teron…?”

When she lifted her eyebrows suggestively, I knew I was supposed to respond to her, but for some reason, I could do nothing more than stare.

Why was I so happy to see her? Sure, I’d been worried about her during the battle. Who wouldn’t feel like that about an ally? This reaction to her presence—my inability to tear my eyes off of her face—seemed excessive, though.

After an awkward pause, Rhylix cleared his throat.

“The Enforcer’s dead. Raimie killed him.”

That drew my gaze away. I most certainly hadn’t done that.

Rhylix, however, refused to recognize my incredulous stare, instead turning to Oswin.

“Let me fill you in on our side of the story while Ren finishes with yours,” he said.

Oswin did not like this idea—I could tell—but even still, he smiled.

“An efficient use of our time, I suppose,” he said. “Sir. Can I trust you to stay here and not get yourself in trouble?”

Here, he flicked his eyes to Ren, and I frowned. What sort of trouble could she cause?

“I’ll do my best,” I said.

With an explosive sigh, Oswin said, “All right.”

He followed Rhylix out of sight, leaving me alone with Ren. Meanwhile, she was looking at me with saucers for eyes, and I wasn’t sure why.

“You killed an Enforcer?” she nearly screeched.

Oh. That was why.

Did I dare refute Rhylix’s claim? What if he’d intentionally given me credit for the kill? I didn’t know why he’d have done that, but he must have had a reason.

To be safe, I shrugged one shoulder at Ren, sheepishly smiling, but I said not a word.

“That’s amazing!” she exclaimed. “Once news of this spreads, Dury can’t keep you out of the city.”

And now, I felt awful, although I was glad to hear that one of my future problems had already been fixed.

“It just happened. No big deal, and honestly, I’d rather not talk about it,” I said. “So, tell me what happened after you… cleaned out the forest.”

I knew the massacre had been necessary, both to maintain Tiro’s secrecy and to ensure my people’s safety, but that didn’t mean I was happy about the loss of life.

“Are my people safe?” I asked.

“Oh!”

Ren seemed confused about why I wouldn’t want the accolades for something she considered unbelievable, but fortunately, she left that alone.

“Yes, everyone who survived the battle is ok,” she said. “I led them to Tiro and- whoa!”

At the confirmation of their safety, I’d started swaying, and when my legs gave out, Ren rushed to catch me, which was strange. I welcomed her help, but hell, if my chest didn’t unpleasantly tighten at the contact of her skin on mine.

Also, why was I having such a strong reaction to the news she’d shared?

The soldiers… are like family, Nylion said. The one… we wanted.

Why did he sound so distracted?

Didn’t matter.

Hastily extracting myself from Ren, I cleared my throat a few times, brushing down everywhere she’d touched, and gradually, my heart rate slowed back down.

“Thank you for telling me,” I gruffly said. “I’m glad they’re ok.”

Ren was watching me with an odd look in her eye, one I didn’t know how to interpret.

“You truly care for them. I thought so before but this…”

As she trailed off, I cocked my head.

“Of course I do,” I said. “They are like- like family.”

Hell. Nylion had been right.

Now, I could read Ren’s expression. Her features had hardened into the most determined of lines, and before I could figure out why, she muttered.

“Fuck it.”

Then, she grabbed my shoulders while rising to my height, all while pressing her lips to mine.

If I’d had a strange reaction to her previous touch, this one was brutal. A hysterical shriek started in my mind, building until it was all I could hear, and my skin went cold and clammy while my stomach started bucking and-

As abruptly as these sensations had appeared, they vanished, leaving me… bereft, for some reason, and confused. What the hell had that-?

Wait. Ren was kissing me.

This thought permeated my mind as thoroughly as that strange shriek, and for a time, I could only look at it, turning it so I could see it from every angle. What… did this mean?

Before I could move beyond that question, Ren pulled away with a wince.

“Sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t help-”

Reaching out, I tangled my fingers in her hair—gods, it felt as amazing as I’d been imagining—and leaned down. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, watching myself move as if someone else was controlling my body, until my lips met hers, and after that, so much heat blasted through me that I couldn’t give the conundrum conscious thought.

Not right now.

Gods, it wasn’t enough. Releasing one hold on her hair, I laid my hand on the small of her back, tugging her close, and when she gasped, I took advantage, and hell.

It still wasn’t enough.

Then, Ren’s hands were on me while she kissed me back, which only made this hunger worse. Damn, it was strong, and I didn’t know how to satisfy it. I didn’t-

Raimie, please! came a wail from deep inside.

Nylion’s voice froze me solid, which Ren noticed. With her face entirely red, she backed off while I touched my lips. What had that been?

“Damnit. You do like her.”

Spinning fast enough to make myself dizzy, I found Oswin at my back, looking at me like I was a disobedient puppy. When had he snuck up on me?

Crossing his arms, he said, “I told you not to cause trouble.”

“I… I don’t-”

I didn’t know what to say. What had just happened? Why had it felt amazingly, wonderfully right and yet, oh so wrong?

“Oh, give him a break. He didn’t start it.”

Flinching, I said, “Rhy. Hell. I’m…”

I’d just repaired my relationship with him, and here I went, messing it up again by kissing his sister. That was considered a violation of our friendship in this context, right?

Laughing under his breath, Rhylix raised a hand.

“It’s fine. You and Ren are adults, perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves,” he said. “Besides, she seemed to like it. Isn’t that right, Ren?”

The three of us turned to her, although I was cringing while doing so, and at the attention on her, Ren drew her parted mouth into a thin line while the distraction in her eyes relented to a glare.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but… yes.”

For that last bit, she glanced at me, which had heat rising in my face, and I couldn’t stop it. Why couldn’t I stop it?

“There we go. A delightful outcome all around,” Rhylix said. “Ren? Don’t you have something you should be doing? Maybe let Tiro know why the army of Kiraak at their doorstep fell to pieces? That might make our welcome there a bit… warmer, so to speak. I can lead these two to the city, taking the long way around.”

With a cough, Ren said, “Right. Yes. I- I’ll see you all later?”

But the question seemed mostly directed at me. I mutely nodded, freeing her to melt into the trees, and I only found my voice again once she’d left.

“What the hell was that?” I harshly whispered.

That question had been meant for myself, but Rhylix lifted an eyebrow at me anyway.

“You… kissed her,” he said. “Pretty self-explanatory.”

“Yes. Of course. That part is,” I said, rolling my eyes, “but why would I do that? I don’t understand what came over me. Why…?”

Now, Rhylix was frowning at me with his eyebrows drawn together.

“Have you never…?” he said as if to himself.

Never what?

Fortunately, Oswin didn’t find this confusing, although he still looked upset.

Sighing, he said, “Sir, you like her. Really, truly like her. As men sometimes do with women and occasionally, other men, Alouin, this’ll make things so much more complicated.”

I still didn’t understand. Of course I liked Ren. She was smart, could defend herself, and kind, once you got past her abrasive outside. How did liking her lead to kissing?

A loud, internal groan rattled through my head.

Please, do not fret too highly over this, heart of my heart. I will explain everything later, Nylion said. For now, let us focus on getting somewhere safe. Yes?

That was right. I needed to get back to my family, both the old and the new.

“I’ll have to take your word on that, Oswin,” I said. “In the meantime, we should head for Tiro. I still need to take stock of everything. So?”

When neither of my friends moved, I scowled at them.

“Rhy…?” I drawled. “You need to lead the way?”

Shaking himself, Rhylix glanced at Oswin.

“I need to ask you some questions later,” he said.

Fortunately, though, he didn’t delay further, setting off into the forest. I should follow him, but before I could, a temporarily forgotten worry came to mind, and I wanted to smack myself for letting it go for so long.

As Oswin passed me, I grabbed his wrist with my throat working.

“Oswin,” I said, “about the primeancy that Rhy and I displayed…”

I glanced toward my rapidly disappearing friend while the spy removed my hand on him.

“Not to worry, sir. While you were gone, me and my people worked our own kind of magic,” he said, “although those efforts were greatly helped by everything you two did during the battle. Not many people are willing to rip their saviors apart, no matter what they might be. For now, the soldiers will give you the benefit of the doubt, although you’ll need to keep an eye on Tiro’s citizens. So, please. Until this situation dies down, no more running off on your own, and… no more trouble. Understand?”

That I was walking on precariously thin ice right now? That I needed to avoid Ren like crazy for a while?

“Yes,” I said.

As Oswin released a held breath, Nylion laughed inside.

So… life will continue as normal, with its constant peril and all, he said. How gratifying to see that nothing changes.

Much as I wanted to click my tongue at him, I ignored him instead, hurrying after Rhylix. Together, he and I had far too much work to do, but I wasn’t worried about it. For once, I had the resources and abilities to face life’s challenges with confidence.

Chapter 103: Finishing Touches

Nylion, Rhylix

Nylion

In the dark of night, I waited for my target to come home. Raimie had fallen asleep not long ago, which had let me take control with relative ease. I hated doing this, limiting its recurrences as much as possible, but I had a final threat to address.

Earlier today, we’d arrived in Tiro. Our reception here had been lukewarm at best, but to me, this had been preferable. With it, we hadn’t attracted attention, even as our soldiers had readily acknowledged every sacrifice we’d made for them.

If only they knew how much we’d suffered… but considering Raimie was still in the dark about that, I couldn’t blame everyone else for their ignorance.

I’d kept a careful watch while Raimie had greeted the commanders. Thankfully, things with Marcuset had resolved well. Other than a few gruff comments about us keeping too many secrets, he’d seemed quite proud of Raimie, which had been a relief. I hadn’t looked forward to having that man as an enemy.

Gistrick had been a different story. While he hadn’t been hostile toward us, he had acted in a distant manner, which concerned me. I’d have to keep an eye on him.

But then, it had come time to reunite with Eledis and Aramar, our ‘family’, and I… I was ashamed to admit that I’d fled. I’d tried to pay attention while Raimie had said hello, but it had been too much for me, especially after everything that had happened over the last few days.

Soon enough, though, that unpleasant task had been concluded, and Raimie had finally gone to sleep, leaving me free to complete my business.

“This is a bad idea, Nylion,” Chaos said beside me. “You shouldn’t keep secrets from him.”

Sighing through my nose, I settled deeper into my seat, never ceasing my fingers’ tap on the desk in front of me.

You surprise me, Chaos, I said. Is not Deception and all other types of concealment a part of Daevetch?

“Of course they are, but this? Not talking to him? It’s not wise.”

I knew that. Trust me, I knew, but Chaos didn’t understand. I didn’t think they ever could understand.

So, instead of explaining how much I was protecting Raimie right now, I said, I will eventually tell him, just not now. He is not ready for this. He is nearly there, but… not entirely. Not yet.

And that was the truth. At the moment, Raimie was too blithely innocent to know about the underhanded and sordid things I did for us. Over the last year, he’d come to recognize that his high ethical standards prevented him from doing everything that we must for survival, but even now, he clung to them. Maybe soon, he’d loosen those standards, enough for me to share.

Not yet, though.

He was definitely nowhere close to ready when it came to knowing the full truth of our lives.

Across the room, the door opened—it had taken the bastard long enough to come home—and I waited for Tanwadur to notice me. He was halfway across the room before he did, and when it happened, he went for a drawer in a sideboard.

Clicking my tongue, I wagged a finger at him.

“Do not waste the effort,” I said. “I have already disposed of all weapons in this place.”

Tensing, Tanwadur faced me.

“What do you want?” he snapped. “Come to rub your victory in my face?”

“Not at all.”

When I straightened in my seat, Tanwadur flinched, which only made me sigh.

“Please, relax, “I said. “Despite your preconceived notions, I am not here to hurt you. Doing that would gain me nothing.”

It took a moment, but eventually Tanwadur accepted what I’d said, coming to sit opposite me.

“Why are you here, then?” he said.

“Simply put, to ensure that you cause… me no further problems.”

Gods, speaking in the singular was still uncomfortable.

“I know you will be tempted to undermine me now. Perhaps in the coming days, you will want to try a coup or something equally as damaging. I am here to present you with a better option.”

Tanwadur’s lips tightened—not a good sign—while he drew himself up.

“Which is?” he growled.

Leaning forward, I folded my hands on the man’s desk.

“Tiro has a food problem,” I said, “and during my soon to come activities, I am certain to liberate such food from the current people in power. I thought we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. You provide my people with a base of operations in Tiro, and I will feed its residents.”

It was a good deal, to my mind at least, but Tanwadur only sneered at it.

“You’re as horrible and manipulative as I thought,” he spat. “Who’d hold a source of sustenance over so many people’s heads? Not to mention how impossible refusing you would be with your army already inside Tiro’s walls.”

“Which is why I came to you tonight. Alone,” I snapped.

I took a deep breath, letting it calm me down. I didn’t know why Tanwadur was being so unreasonable, but it was irritating.

“I am not holding anything over your head. If you refuse my people sanctuary, I will do what I can to see that Tiro is fed, and I will lead my army away without a fuss.”

True, because no matter my opinion on these matters, Raimie would see that these things were done.

“I am trying to make things easier for everyone. With this arrangement, perhaps the people of Tiro would be more willing to accept me and mine. I am merely trying to avoid further violence, unintentional as it may be on both sides.”

For a moment, Tanwadur considered what I’d said before shaking his head.

“No, I can’t believe you’d be so reasonable,” he said. “Considering who you and your family are-”

Wincing, I snapped, “If anyone knows how despicable my family is, it is me.”

I had to bite my tongue to keep a sob from emerging, but when I could, I continued.

“I am trying to change that. I do not want to be like them.”

As those words boomed around us, tears filled my eyes, and I swiped at them. I couldn’t show such weakness now.

“You are right, though. I know how unbelievable this sounds,” I said. “You should not answer me now. Take some time to consider my proposal.”

When I got to my feet, Tanwadur hastily joined me.

“This concludes my business with you,” I said, “although…”

I wasn’t sure if I should add anything more, but if certain things continued in the same manner, I should clear the way for Raimie.

“I would remind you that your daughter is a wise and capable woman,” I said. “She can make her own decisions, especially when it comes to who she allies with.”

I wasn’t looking forward to having that conversation with Raimie. When it came to certain matters of the heart, there was a very good reason that he was clueless, and I was apprehensive of what might happen if he continued down his current path with Ren.

With his face darkening, Tanwadur said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I spread my arms wide, grinning.

“Exactly what it sounded like.”

Then, I fell out of the open window behind me. I’d planned to leave this way, so I landed in a controlled manner, even if when I rose, I found Chaos shaking their head at me.

“Always so dramatic,” they said.

Only because drama worked best in most situations when I was in control.

Pulling from Chaos, I formed a Daevetch bubble around myself, ignoring the influx of inaudible dialogue that popped into being around me as a result, but that was easy. I was used to that sort of thing. Even still, I hated using this ability, mostly because Chaos showered me with disapproval when I did.

I swore that, especially in recent day, they’d been acting more like an Ele splinter than one belonging to Daevetch, all to protect their precious ‘Balancer’. Not that I’d ever tell them that. I could only imagine the absolute mess that would come from that comment.

Still. Why couldn’t they see that everything I did was to protect Raimie as well? He was my everything. I would do what I must to keep him safe.

Including slinking, invisible, to where my people had set up camp. Hopefully, Oswin wouldn’t have noticed my absence from Raimie’s tent, but… I couldn’t bring myself to face him again. I couldn’t bear to hear him call me ‘Raimie’. Not tonight.

So. If he’d noticed my absence, I’d let Raimie handle it. It was something small that he could shoulder for me.

Rhylix

Several days after the battle, I found myself alone and unnoticed enough to use Ele. Finally, I’d have time to tie up the threads left dangling from my last conversation with Raimie.

Making a final leap, I balanced on one of the beams that made up the lattice hiding Tiro. Why in the void had Raimie decided to come up here, so far from the ground?

At least it would ensure that we had privacy.

Slowly, I made my way across the beam, refusing to look down, and when I reached my friend, he craned his neck to look up at me from where he was lying.

“Hey, Rhy! I was wondering when you’d find me,” he said. “Care to join me?”

As he gestured to the beam in front of him, he sat up, and I made a face.

“Can we go somewhere else?” I said. “Maybe somewhere a little closer to the ground?”

With shock painted across his face, Raimie held a hand in front of his mouth.

“Why, Rhy! Are you afraid of heights?”

Huffing, I rested my hands on my hips.

“If you must know, yes,” I said. “Neither of us would survive a fall from this height, and I don’t want to die like that. Not again.”

Gods, talking like this with him felt strange.

With a frown, Raimie said, “I’d think it would be quick.”

“Yeah, you keep thinking that.”

When I glanced through a hole in the ivy between us, I shifted in place, and Raimie winced.

“Sorry. Of course we can move,” he said. “I just find this height freeing. No one besides you is likely to look for me so far in the air, not even Oswin.”

As he stood, he made a face, which I could only laugh at.

“Getting sick of having a bodyguard already?” I said.

Brushing his hands off, Raimie peered at me through his hair’s fringe.

“You know I am,” he said. “Alouin love Oswin for everything he’s doing, but hell, if it isn’t suffocating at times.”

He led the way toward a rock shelf, jutting out from the mountain, and when we stepped onto this solid patch of ground, perhaps he noted how much my shoulders had lowered from my ears because he flopped onto it.

Spreading his hands, he said, “So?”

With a chuckle, I got comfortable before pressing my fingers together.

“How are you holding up?” I said. “Things have been stressful lately.”

“Yes. Who’d have thought I’d be more afraid for my life after the battle than during it?” Raimie said with a snort. “That’s getting better, though. People are starting to discount the tales of me using primeancy during the battle. It’s amazing how willing they’ve been to ignore it. Not sure how comfortable I am with that.”

“At least you have their ignorance.”

I shook my head to stop Raimie from apologizing.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I am exceptionally good at surviving when people are hunting me, even when living among them.”

I chose to keep quiet about the harassment I’d already received. Thankfully, it hadn’t gotten violent yet, but that would come soon enough.

“I heard Tanwadur’s letting us stay in Tiro,” I said. “Your doing?”

For some reason, this made Raimie scowl.

“No. I don’t know why he’s allowing it, and given that he seems more unhappy with me than before, it makes me uneasy.”

Hmm. How curious. Add that to my long list of Raimie-related items that I should investigate.

“But…” he continued in a drawl, “right now, that doesn’t matter. I have somewhere to start this mission of freeing Auden from. Hell if I know how to actually do that, though.”

I gave him time to think, watching him stare at his hands in his lap.

“They look at me with such trust, Rhy,” he said. “Sure, I helped get them through their first week in this land, but that’s nothing when compared to everything that’s left. How will I keep them safe?”

Oh… well did I know this look. Only the best of my allies had worn it, and somehow, seeing it on Raimie didn’t surprise me. When I rested my hand on the stone in front of my friend’s knee, he focused on me.

“First of all, we take it a step at a time,” I said. “So, think with me. When it comes to planning our next move, what do we most need?”

Without hesitation, Raimie said, “Better intel. We can’t know where or how to start our resistance if we don’t learn how Doldimar is controlling Auden.”

That answer had come much more quickly than I’d expected, but really. By now, surprises like this from Raimie should be normal for me.

“Exactly,” I said. “And how do we get it?”

This question gave Raimie pause.

“Ask for details from Tiro’s citizens first,” he said. “I’ve already been doing that, but they’re cut off from the rest of Auden. They glean enough information to help refugees escape from Harvested towns, but that’s all. No one knows which Enforcer controls which region, something that shifts quite often I’m told, and that’s just the first piece we’ll need.”

He’d been thinking about this. Good.

“In my experience, the best way to remedy our lack of knowledge is to establish a spy network throughout the kingdom,” I said. “Oswin could help with that. Yes?”

When Raimie nodded, I could practically see the wheels turning in his mind.

“And while that’s happening, we can spread our influence in small ways,” he said. “We’ll start slow. Maybe by taking that nearby fort for ourselves?”

“Not a bad place to begin,” I said, “but remember. In this, you need only focus on one thing: getting me close to Doldimar. If you can mask my presence long enough to accomplish that goal, I can do my thing, thereby handing Auden to you on a silver platter. Trust me. Without their leader, the rest of his government will fall to pieces.”

I’d expected this to relieve Raimie. After all, I’d simplified a seemingly impossible task for him, but instead, he leaned away, frowning at me.

“What about what you were saying before?” he asked. “Ending the cycle that you’re caught in, yeah? How will a repeat of previous cycles end with anything but the eventual beginning of another?”

With a sharp inhale, I blinked at Raimie. I hadn’t thought he’d comprehended everything I’d told him on the night I’d shared my story. I’d thought it might have gotten lost in his shock, and I’d been grateful for that.

Because if he didn’t know how much hope he gave me, I didn’t have to acknowledge it either.

Here we were, though, with him refusing to let me trudge on in misery. Again.

Licking my lips, I carefully said, “I believe that in the process of reaching Doldimar, something new will come along to change things, something concerning you. I’ve never seen a dual primeancer like you before, Raimie, and I’ve certainly never considered that combining the primal forces, as you have, would be possible. You give me hope, my friend.”

With wide eyes, Raimie nervously chuckled.

“No pressure,” he said.

“It shouldn’t be, though,” I said. “It’s not something you should think about, honestly. Instead, you can help me with something else that’s related, and in so doing, you’ll help with my predicament.”

Thank the gods, that idea helped Raimie relax.

“Sure. I’ll always help you,” he said with a sloppy smile. “What do you need?”

Now, I was curious whether I could say this next part out loud. I’d tried in the past—once, shortly before I’d surrendered to a mindless obedience of my role—but at the time, Creation had stopped me, overriding my decision to express a need I’d always had. At the time, it had been the last thing required for my breaking.

This time, they were looking away from me, almost in deliberate ignorance, so I decided to try again.

“My experiment, completed so long ago, was done to save the life of a boy I loved like a son,” I said. “Instead, it caused my world’s end, both personally and globally: the start of the first primeancy calamity, and all of the ones since then? Also my fault, even if I ended them too.”

I was nowhere close to finished, but leaning forward, Raimie cut in.

“Wait. You’re the Eselan Preserver from the tales?” he said before shaking his head. “Given everything else, I shouldn’t be surprised. You know he was my hero growing up, right?”

And that pained me, more than he could know. Sooner or later, he’d understand all of the awful things his ‘hero’ had done.

Still, I smiled.

“At least I brought someone joy,” I said.

Raimie must have heard something in my voice because he settled back on his hand with a grimace.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said. “You were saying?”

What had I been saying?

“You were telling him your end goal,” Creation said.

Right. Given how often they’d stopped me from sharing this before, why had they reminded me of it now?

Did that matter?

Leaning back until I could see the stars, I stared at them for a while, enjoying the quiet.

Eventually, though, I said, “I’m so tired, Raimie. So much pain and death… it’s destroyed who I was and anything good I could have been. So many of my loved ones have died that when it happens now, I feel nothing but resignation.”

Lowering my head, I met Raimie’s eyes.

“Don’t let my moroseness worry you, though. I don’t want to die. I just want the cycle to end, both for myself and the world. When the primal forces gained a link to the physical world, it threw reality’s balance into chaos. Their Eternal War has spilled into our realm, and the suffering it’s caused…”

It could never be properly explained or described. Best to move on.

So, I forged forward, and for the first time in millennia, I spoke my heart’s desire.

“I want to right this disbalance, Raimie, and I need your help to do it.”

Chapter 104: Hello, I'm the Villain

Doldimar

The woman in front of me was making a noise I refused to acknowledge. I’d gotten used to their screams so long ago that I couldn’t remember when it had happened. If I was to cling to a modicum of sanity, I'd had to.

Instead, I’d learned to hear that awful noise as music.

So, when I once more sent a sliver of Daevetch through a split in her skin, I only heard her sing a note of Pain. As I guided it toward her head, that note changed pitch, heading toward a tone I hated, but no matter how much I fought against this, the slide tipped over into the silence of Death.

Growling, I fed her more Daevetch, hoping to resume the song, but it did nothing, nothing, NOTHING.

“Stop, silly man,” said a despised voice. “She was too weak. Unfortunate but unchangeable.”

Spinning, I roared in Corruption’s face, but this didn’t faze them.

With a slow blink, they said, “I don’t know why you’re so upset. Lindow’s Harvest yielded many of your ‘Kiraak’. Was that not your goal?”

Maybe. I found it difficult to remember what that was at times.

“I don’t care about that,” I said. “I want the nightmare to stop, and this task helps with that, unlike you. You said you’d make it stop.”

“That’s not true,” Corruption said. “I only promised you’d forget your nightmares, not that they’d stop or that your life would change.”

While I might sometimes forget my purpose, I’d never forget how much I wanted to destroy this asshole.

Sighing, they inspected their fingernails.

“As always, I’ve kept my promise,” they said. “For your sake, I hope you keep yours.”

The black heat building inside of me transformed into something bright and bubbly, and throwing my head back, I attuned myself to it, howling with laughter.

“Two beings of… Daevetch… quibbling about… promises.”

Within heartbeats, my laughing fit grew fierce enough that I fell to the floor, beating a fist against it, and after a while, Corruption clicked their tongue.

“Get up,” they said. “You have a visitor.”

As if a gate had slammed into place, I cut off my laughter, leaping to my feet with shadows coating my hands, but the invader to my sanctum was just a kid, shivering in his boots.

He was right to do that, of course. I was the villain in this story.

When he refused to say anything for several moments, I growled, “The fuck do you want?”

To my great amusement, this snapped the kid to attention.

“Forgive me, great one,” he said. “I bring news from the Outskirts.”

The Outskirts? Who was managing that pointless place right now?

When I remember, I said, “What is Teron doing, bothering me again? I swear! That idiot gets startled over the smallest things.”

The kid said nothing, and rolling my eyes, I beckoned at him.

“Well? The report?’

“For-forgive me, great one, but…”

Licking his lips, the kid had to gather his courage before he could continue, all while I impatiently waited. He’d better hurry it up. I needed something new to amuse myself with.

“Enforcer Teron is dead,” he eventually said.

Now, that was a surprise. Much as I might complain about that man’s constant vigilance for danger, it had served him well. He’d been one of the first Enforcers that I’d created after conquering this silly kingdom, and with him dead, only one of them remained.

“All right,” I said. “Who’s the Outskirt’s new Enforcer, then?”

I couldn’t wait to hear this bit of news.

No really. Didn’t every villain enjoy hearing about how his minions fought amongst themselves?

In case it hadn’t been obvious, I was being sarcastic.

“Forgive me again, great one, but… no one has taken over.”

For a moment, my heart skipped a beat while I circled this anomaly. Could it be…?

“Interesting,” I said, suddenly serious. “Continue.”

Nervously, the kid swallowed.

“There was a battle. We were defending against invaders from across the sea,” he said. “Our victory was assured, but the enemy leader… he drew Enforcer Teron away from the battle. I noticed this and followed them, hoping to help if I could. I watched the fight, watched my Enforcer snare the enemy leader in a Vice-”

Here, the kid hiccupped to a stop, as well he should. The Vice was mine and mine alone, an important part of creating Kiraak, and I couldn’t have any of my ambitious Enforcers making their own soldiers.

In this case, Teron’s ability to wield a Vice was immaterial. He was dead, so I flicked my fingers for the kid to continue.

“Some time after Enforcer Teron captured the enemy leader, one of his allies came to the rescue. They fought, and while my Enforcer was distracted, the enemy leader… broke his Vice.”

“Broke it?” I interrupted. “You’re sure?”

When the kid nodded, I frowned, ignoring the kid’s resulting cringe. This kept getting more fascinating.

“Understandably, Enforcer Teron refocused on the enemy leader,” the kid continued. “He tried to kill the leader, but that man’s ally moved in front of the blow, which I don’t understand. Why would anyone do that?”

His confusion didn’t matter, not with cold certainty settling in my gut.

“Stepping over the body, Enforcer Teron meant to finish the job when-”

“White light flashed from out of nowhere, the leader’s ally got up, and with seeming ease, he killed Teron,” I softly said.

After a pause, the kid said, “Yes.”

Silence reigned in my sanctum, but this one didn’t belong to Death. It could be accredited to something else entirely.

“Finally,” I whispered.

Spinning away from the kid, I meant to start making new plans when the kid cleared his throat, making me shoot a glare his way.

“The ally…” he said, “he gave me something for you.”

…He had? That was unusual.

With a huff, I said, “Well, why didn’t you say so? Give it here.”

Extending a hand, I tapped my foot while the kid retrieved an envelope from his breast pocket, giving it to me with a shaking hand, but his insignificant presence dropped from my awareness as I unfolded the letter.

With eager eyes, I read:

A,

I may have found a way out.

-E

And in a hastily scribbled postscript.

Don’t hurt the kid. He was smart enough to stick with Teron, follow me after the bastard’s death, and attack me once my guard was down. When knocking him unconscious, I almost had to try. Kid’s got potential.

My breath trembled as it rushed from me, the real me, and I lowered the letter. A way out? Could my old friend have actually done it? If he had…

Corruption could never know what I’d read.

Storming to a nearby fire, I stuck the letter into it, never minding how it was also licking at my flesh. Once the paper was ash, I withdrew a blackened husk with a giggle, and as I pattered my hands together, char dusted the air around me.

“Oooo! This’ll be so exciting!” I shouted. “We have our hero once more! I wonder what his first move will be.”

With a sigh, Corruption said, “Don’t get distracted yet. You still have a visitor to deal with.”

That was right!

Turning on the kid, I said, “Seems I have an opening among my Enforcers. How’d you like to have the position?”

And as terror took root in the boy, I could only cackle, long and loud and perfectly in tune with Madness’ pitch.