After relentless whispered banter, the crew made it to shore, trudging along the mud and marshes of the humid area. Birds chirped among themselves and geckos sped out of the path as the seven Dominion Special Forces members made their way out of the swamp and into arid desert. Night fell upon them as they raced against time to rush into the city to rescue the captive Resarian.
“Quttel, do you sense anyone?” Etyne asked to the healer of their group.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Quttel inhaled sharply, scanning their vicinity of Pahl’Kiar for any hint of a Resarian spirit. “There are two about a half a mile northeast,” he quietly replied.
“Sounds like our captive and a suppressor,” Cullin whispered.
Etyne nodded. “Head in, I’ll go clear the way,” he ordered.
In less than a minute, Etyne was in a dilapidated building of a bandit crew, led by none other than a Resarian man with suppressing mystics. Seventeen bandits jumped to their feet when Etyne appeared behind the suppressor, throwing him face first into the ground. He held both wrists of the man under his knees while his dagger was firmly pressed against the side of his neck.
“I thought I felt another spirit, but you were too quick for me to suppress,” the leader calmly spoke.
“Release the girl and I may consider sparing your life,” Etyne stated.
“Your Dominion words mean nothing to me. Kill me, and my men will end you and still have the girl,” the suppressor replied, struggling to breath under Etyne’s weight.
Etyne only needed to stall three more minutes for the rest of his task group to show up. Killing the suppressor would endanger the girl’s life. Etyne glanced at the young girl, locked in a cage meant for animals. She was younger than he expected; a girl of not yet ten winters. Her poofy, black hair, dark brown skin, and angled features bore a striking resemblance to to Captain Holt. Her round, chestnut eyes stared at Etyne, a mixture of hope and fear.
“Killing you will allow the girl and me to release our mystics on your crew,” Etyne calmly replied, certain the young girl hadn’t yet learned to summon mystics.
The suppressor laughed, “Do you even know what her mystic is?”
“Do you know what I can do without mystics?” Etyne retorted and, at hearing the rapid footsteps of someone in the alleyway, he cut the man’s throat and quickly vanished.
Etyne appeared in front of the girl’s cage and summoned his shield mystic around them both just before the remaining men opened fire on them.
Holt was the first to enter the building, releasing her precision mystic as she rapidly pulled several sharp metal arrowheads from a satchel, aiming them at the center of the group of men. Each arrowhead, under her guidance, found its target in the eyes of each adversary, crippling and bringing them to the ground in shock and pain. Etyne took on the other five men, distracting them until the rest of his crew arrived to finish everyone that was willing to fight.
Etyne wiped blood off of his face and walked toward the two women tending to their recovered Resarian. He watched as Holt held the little girl closely, kissing her forehead.
“I thought I’d never see you again, baby,” she choked out the words, stroking the girl’s hair to comfort her.
“She’s your daughter?” Etyne asked, crouching down next to the reunion.
She wiped the joyful tears from her face and nodded. “She was taken away from her home four weeks ago by her own damn cousin.”
The rest of the task group stood in triumphant silence, awaiting Etyne’s order. “Let’s head out before the Kiaran guards decide to pay a visit to investigate the commotion we just caused,” he ordered.
-:- -:- -:-
The morning sun broke through the scattered clouds, shining upon the weary Dominion Task Group. Gerad took hold of the oars and summoned his energy rejuvination mystic to power them all back to the ship. Captain Holt sat with her daughter, praying once again to the spirits for their successful mission. She could feel the members of the crew glancing at her, wondering how and why her daughter ended up in the Pahl’Kiar.
“You don’t have to tell us all, not now, anyway” Gerad broke the silence first. “Wot’s her name?”
“This here is Ulara,” Holt replied. “And like very few of our kind, she discovered her use of mystics just last year, sparking a lucrative opportunity for my greedy good-for-nothing nephew. According to my husband’s letter, my nephew abducted her and sold her to the Kiarans.”
The crew remained oddly silent. Etyne walked from the bow of the watercraft to the aft where they sat. He knelt down in front of them. “May I ask what her mystic is? The leader of the group we vanquished led me to believe she wasn’t a destructive spirit.”
Ulara looked up at her mother when the Major spoke. “Go on, honey, show my boss what you can do. We’re a little curious of his mind,” she chuckled.
“What?” Etyne arched a brow at her last sentence. He looked down when Ulara held her hand out to him. With skepticism, he took her hand in his, waiting for something to happen.
The girl’s slight frame swayed slightly. “You’re sad,” Ulara stated with total innocence. “You broke each other’s hearts before even giving them to one another. You have never been sure of anyone in your past but you were so certain of her-”
Etyne withdrew his hand from hers. “You’re a confessor,” he smiled, trying to stay polite to the little girl despite his unnerved spirit.
Ulara nodded.
“Major Vorsen is heartbroken,” laughed Lieutenant Brannod Cullin as the others joined in on the laughter. “Was that really the only thing going on that little head of his?”
“No, but it’s the strongest emotion in him - that’s how confessors work. They read what someone is trying to hide from everyone else,” Ulara’s mother replied. “Kiarans pay well for suppressors and confessors; any spirit that isn’t destructive, really.”
“Thanks for the trap, Holt,” Etyne said snidely to Deseria and made his way back to the bow of the boat.
“And thank you, Sir, for leading us,” she winked to him.
The DSV Rogue returned to Res’Baveth for only three days for replenishment and the safe return of Ulara Holt to her father. At the break’s conclusion, they returned to the vessel for their next mission.
Rear Admiral Taussek ended his dismal lecture of what his crew of twenty-nine sailors and soldiers would expect for the next two years. They would not return to port, or any other port, until their two-year mission was complete.
“So did you tell her?” Lieutenant Cullin nudged Etyne as the crew was leaving the briefing.
“She wasn’t home,” he replied shortly, not wanting to discuss his life at the moment.
“You leave her a message at least?” Cullin prodded again.
“No, I didn’t have one written out for her. Some things are just better left to die out so new things can thrive - like plants that break through igneous rock and flourish,” Etyne retorted.
“Igneous is bliss, eh? Maybe these next two years will break you and the rest of us. We’ll all come back as new men!” Cullin exclaimed.
“Speak fa’ ya’self” Teer added. “I plan t’ remain a woman.”
“Are you sure you were a woman to begin with?” Cullin teased.
“Are ya tryin’ to get me to show ya my knocka’s? Is that the only way ya can get a woman to let ya look at her? Or are ya trying to see if I have bigger balls than ya?” she crudely replied.
“Shut up, all of you,” Holt calmly told them. “We’re here.”
The crew of the DSV Rogue rushed onto the top deck to have a look at their home for the next two years. Most of Falajen dismissed the idea that the continent even existed. Legends told of men and women stepping foot into the Gray and never returning. And now, Etyne, along with his task group, would have to survive the next two years without the comfort of resources and home.
-:- -:- -:-
Ambassador Milia Kon sat at the small table for two outside the cafe, waiting for his trainee. He f
ound it odd that for the first time, Captain Brisethi Sen Asel was running late. Her favorite pastry he had ordered for her was cooling off as he frowned upon his pocket watch once more.
“Milia, sorry I’m late,” Brisethi announced, taking her seat across from him.
“Is everything going well for you, ‘Sethi? I was growing worried when you weren’t here fifteen minutes before the hour as you usually are,” he chuckled at her incessant military-trained punctuality.
“I had the strangest encounter. I was well on my way here thirty minutes ago. I took out my compass watch to see if I had time to stop by the harbor - something I do every now and then - and my clumsy hands dropped my precious compass watch when I missed my pocket!,” she dramatically explained.
“No! How could you! That device means the world to you!” Milia added, conceding to Brisethi’s flair for drama.
“It gets worse - it rolled off the bridge and into the river!” she winced, placing her hands on her head in dismay.
“‘Sethi, noooo!” Milia shared her sadness.
“I ripped my uniform coat off, getting ready to dive into the river when out of nowhere, this little girl comes up to me and says, ‘I’ll get it for you, Ma’am.’ She was the sweetest little thing, two poofs of black hair on the top of her head,” Brisethi explained, taking a bite of her pastry before it went stale. She quickly ordered her favorite hot beverage of choice to the server then continued her story. “She was already playing with her friends in the river so it didn’t bother her to dive back in and retrieve my compass watch. Upon handing it to me, however, she held my hand for a moment and said, ‘I’ve seen you before.’ I smiled and told her she mostly likely has because I’m usually running around the market looking for specific ingredients every time I make dinner for you and Sycris.
“Anyway, she then says to me, ‘No, Ma’am, I’ve seen you in someone else’s mind. You’re ‘Sethi.’ Upon hearing her say such spine-chilling words, I ask her, ‘Who are you? What do you mean?’” Brisethi took a break to sip at the sweetened spiced tea the server had delivered.
“‘Sethi hurry, tell me, I’m very intrigued!” Milia excitedly replied, genuinely interested.
“The girl then says, ‘I am Ulara Holt. The man who helped my mama to rescue me in Pahl’Kiar let me read his mind. And you were in it.’ And of course, I am standing there still holding both of her hands in both of my hands, stunned, taken aback, all of those synonyms, Milia, my spine shivered!” Brisethi took another sip of her tea.
“You met a confessor!” Milia added. “They’re about as rare as suppressors. Whose mind did she read?”
“She wouldn’t tell me the name, because of her promise to her mother that she wouldn’t use her mystics for such gossip but I know who it was, who else rescues Resarians from Pahl’Kiar that knows me? She then said something along the lines of, ‘His heart aches for you, and I can see that yours does for him. Please stop torturing one another and try not to lose your compass watch again. It’s a physical embodiment of his spirit within you and that’s why you love it almost as much as you love him.’ And then I hugged her and I gave her about twenty frakshins for saving something priceless. She wants me to tell him she said ‘hey’ the next time I see him,” Brisethi concluded.
“My spirits, ‘Sethi, you haven’t talked about him in a while. The only man you ever talk about lately is Edewat, and I can only pretend to care so much about how long he meows at you when you sing to him,” Milia retorted. “We need to find you a nice man or lady, ‘Sethi. I worry about you sometimes.”
Brisethi mockingly scowled to him before taking another sip of tea. “You know I haven’t had a craving of desire since the Lantheuns defiled me four years ago.”
Milia gave her a concerned look. “I’m sorry, I sometimes forget that’s the reason you shun affection.”
“Oh, look who I’ve stumbled upon, the Dominion’s finest doing what they’re best at - nothing,” Milia’s husband said from behind him.
“Sycris, nice to see you, too,” Brisethi said warmly. She stood to gently hug the civilian merchant.
“I just came by to wish you spirit’s grace upon your second meeting with Emperor what’s-his-name, Admiral someone and General whoever this evening. You look as stunning as usual, let’s hope they’re more distracted by your burgundy locks than your stammering voice,” Sycris teased.
“I won’t be stammering today,” Brisethi replied more confidently than she felt.
Chapter XVI
The day of the extraction mission dawned bright and clear. The air was crisp with the promise of snow. Ekani analyzed the conditions and made some adjustments in the plan to account for snow, in case it did come that evening. So much depended on the success of the mission and ensuring that it was never revealed that the Emperor had sanctioned a rescue for Resarians.
When he was done, Ekani took a deep breath, momentarily enjoying the wintery sun on his face. He stared out across the cityscape, marveling at the sight before him. Light sparkled through the air breaking through the clouds that were trying to block it. The balcony outside his room was useful for getting a few private moments in before facing the day. Since the discovery of his mystics, the sun in particular seemed to help rejuvenate him. He resisted the urge to test the power that he could feel flowing through him, not wanting to accidentally become incapacitated for the mission that night.
Ekani relocated to the lanai for his morning routine of scanning reports from the diplomatic staff. From the corner of his eye, he could see shapes moving nearby. He tensed momentarily before realizing it was Sulica’s team getting some early morning training in. After a while, he couldn’t focus on the reports in front of him and moved closer to the training field.
Sulica was standing off to the side, watching. He joined her silently. Azoda was at one side of the field with her back facing the others. Intermittently, she would turn around quickly, trying to catch the rest moving closer to her.
“Really?” Ekani said incredulously, “You’re having them play Tocal?”
Sulica smiled without looking at him. “It’s good for practicing the sneaking skills.”
They continued to watch as Potin tried to tap Azoda on the shoulder right as she was twisting around, causing Potin to jump back in surprise. The rest of the group began laughing as Azoda squealed and shouted “You’re out! You’re all out!”
“Why aren’t you out there?” Ekani asked, grinning at the antics.
Sulica shook her head vehemently. “I am so awful at Tocal,” she said. “Besides, it’s good for them to get the sillies out before a mission.”
Ekani looked at her long and hard for a moment before suddenly laughing harder than he had in months.
“What?” she asked, wondering if he’d gone insane.
“You,” he said, gasping for air. When he recovered, he continued, “These are Kiaran government trained special operatives, and you’re talking about them having the sillies.”
“Oh.” She gave him a brilliant smile. “Do you disagree?”
He glanced out at the team running the length of the field chasing after Azoda. “Not at all.”
-:- -:- -:-
That afternoon, Ekani gathered everyone in the conference room once more to complete the final preparations. Sulica stood in the corner again, surveying everyone. Nervous energy emanated from Simtel’s team as a couple of them paced and chatted with each other. Her own team, dressed completely in black so as to blend in with the shadows, was calm and collected. Sulica gave Ekani a pointed look.
He shook his head then called for attention. The room quieted. “We’re going to be leaving soon. Does everyone understand their part?”
Dereso, a large-built Kiaran man with a lisp raised his hand. “Why I got to be the driver? I wanna kick rebel ass.”
Simtel clapped a hand on his shoulder while glaring at the rest of the team to stifle their snickers. “Come on, brother, you’re responsible for making sure we get out of there in one piece. You got
the most important part. Just don’t mess it up.”
Dereso seemed mollified. “I won’t.” He puffed his chest out. “You be proud when we done.”
They assembled by the gates and departed in groups of two or three. Ekani had told them to take different routes and transports to the target building on the outskirts of the city. Sulica’s team had exchanged their black clothes for the bright-colored ones that were in high fashion, but, like her, they still wore the skintight clothes on underneath their garb.
“This is ridiculous,” Sulica muttered to Simtel and Ekani as they left, the last of the group to depart. She was wearing a long dress with a large ruffled black skirt and a bright blue bodice tied tightly. The sleeves were also long and puffed to hide the long sleeves of her black shirt. With the setting sun, she would be grateful for the extra warmth. On her head she wore a black velvet top hat with a veil. Ekani believed it would help prevent people from staring at her eyes. With her bright hair, she could not have passed for Kiaran.
“You look fine,” Ekani said shortly, focusing on finding the others in front of them.
“Just ‘fine’? Come on now, Ekani, that’s no way to compliment a lady!” Simtel hurried in front of Sulica and bowed to her. “My lady, you look prettier than a glob of butter melting on a stack of wheat cakes.”
Sulica laughed as he offered his arm to her, reminded of their journey through Vipurg. “Don’t push me in any snow piles this time,” she joked.
“Only to save your life,” he replied as though it were the simplest thing in the world. He had chosen to wear his normal civilian attire - a white collared shirt with a necktie and a crimson double-breasted vest with black trousers. Over it, he sported a long, black wool coat.
Ekani was similarly dressed, only with a dark blue vest and a tan overcoat. “What a way to help her blend in,” he remarked, still on the lookout.
They continued walking for quite some time, passing other people on their way to do the shopping or running errands. “Everyone seems so normal,” Sulica said under her breath.
Spirits of Falajen Page 50
