by Jeff Kish
Fire spits in Galen’s direction and extends a hand to Era. “Let me help you up.”
Era weakly slaps Fire’s hand away. “You… You really sold us out?”
“No, I saved your life,” she argues.
“They took Di!” Era screams as loudly as he can muster, his voice trembling as he summons what strength he has left. “You… You betrayed her! How could you do something like that?”
“I did what I had to do. What you could never have done for yourself.”
Era glares at her with scorn. “You’re the most cold-blooded person I’ve ever met! You have no honor, no sense of loyalty, and not a single shred of decency. Are you even human!?”
He tries to stand, but the pain is too much to bear. Jem forces him back and says, “H-Hey, Era… I think Fire just saved us. Let’s calm down and-”
“She didn’t save us. She led them right to us! And now they have Di!”
Fire clenches her fists to the point of shaking. “The brat was fated to end up in their hands. Sacrificing her was necessary for you to survive.”
“Di’s life isn’t something you can-”
“This is the military, Era!” Fire screams. “Were you going to protect her forever? They would have gotten her eventually, and you two as well!”
Through sheer will, Era forces himself to stand and look Fire in the eye. “You’re despicable. Get out of my sight.”
“You weak-willed, arrogant…!” Fire shouts out as she turns around with a huff. Without looking back, she yells, “Fine! We’re even now. I owe you nothing.” She charges into the woods, disappearing into the darkness.
As Era watches her run off, he suddenly finds himself dizzy, and he collapses into Jem as she does her best to help him to the ground.
“Era!” she exclaims as she sets him down and shakes him, but she finds him passed out. The silence of the forest brings a peace to the long day, and tears stream down her cheeks as a strange relief settles in. “It’s over,” she whispers. “It’s finally over.”
* * *
Galen marches briskly into the encampment. Like the other camps around Canterin, this military presence was established in order to recover the missing asset. Now that she’s back in custody, it will be torn down and its soldiers relocated to their original deployments.
“Commander Galen,” a quiet voice calls from the shadows. “It seems your mission is a success.”
“Yes, thanks in part to your efforts here, Commander Talkem,” Galen says, not particularly pleased to be interacting with his peer.
Talkem approaches Galen, his expression difficult to make out due to a scarf pulled tightly over his mouth and nose. The middle-aged commander has his black hair cut short, and his bright blue eyes sparkle with golden flakes. “I’m pleased to see the Raging Flame making full use of Merc Market resources.”
“Please do not call me that,” Galen utters with a hint of disdain. “Yes, I used your resources. They didn’t come cheap.”
“But they worked,” Talkem says as he leans close and lowers his voice. “There is no shame in what you did, Commander. They are resources to be used. That is all.”
Galen turns and watches Talkem leave the camp. Originally a renowned assassin, the Merc Market leader was drafted as the war dragged on, and he benefited from the leadership vacuum existing after the treaty was signed. Galen has often wondered just how deep his loyalty truly runs.
Resuming his march, the commander flings a tent flap aside and finds exactly what he had wanted: the girl is on the ground, bound by ropes and surrounded by soldiers. Her small body trembles as he approaches, though she summons the courage to speak. “What did you do to my friends?”
“You need not worry about them anymore,” he coldly replies. “You won’t see them again.”
Di’s heart sinks at the answer, despite preparing herself for those words. Her head hangs even lower as all the hope she had mustered comes crashing down on her. She squeezes her eyes shut, refusing to mourn before her captor.
“Needless to say, I will not be letting you out of my sight,” Galen says. “Now, if you please, we must complete our original journey.”
The privates force Di to her feet, leading her from the tent as Galen follows. He barks an order, and two platoons of soldiers accompany the entourage out of camp.
Chapter 18
Era opens his eyes to find himself lying on the hard forest floor, staring up at a cloudy noonday sky. He cringes as severe burns provide a painful reminder of the previous evening’s events. “Jem!” he calls out, frantic for his partner to show herself. “Jem, where are you!?”
“Right behind you,” the Allerian answers with a yawn. Era twists his head to find his partner reclined against a tree, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“Where’s Fire?”
Jem scoots next to her partner. “Gone. You made it pretty clear that’s what you wanted.”
Era recalls the tail end of their exchange. “And then?”
“Then you collapsed from your injuries, and I set myself up as a sentry.” Sheepishly, she admits, “Guess I dozed off, myself. We were both in pretty bad shape last night, though I can’t hold a candle to what you experienced.”
He squeezes his eyes shut as horrible images flood his mind. Dozens of soldiers. Jem captured and beaten. Di dragged away. The commander’s flames. “I never stood a chance against that guy,” Era realizes.
“No, you didn’t,” Jem bluntly states. “Frankly, I don’t think we could have won if we had double-teamed him. He fought like one of the four commanders, all right. In the end, he got what he set out to get.”
“Only because of Fire,” Era laments. “You were right about her, Jem. I can’t believe I trusted her.”
Jem leans back on her hands. “Era, I spent a lot of time thinking about it last night. I don’t think Fire cashed in on the reward money. It’s pretty clear she asked for her payment to be… well, for that commander guy to leave us alone.”
Era pauses at the thought. “E-Even if that’s true, she sacrificed Di to do it! How cold-hearted do you have to be to sell out a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl?”
“She decided Di would never be able to escape the military,” Jem surmises. “Even if her calculations were cold-hearted, that doesn’t mean she was wrong.” Reluctantly, she adds, “I think maybe… she made the right decision.”
Era’s jaw drops. “Jem, you can’t be serious! She sacrificed a person… a child to-”
“What is Di to us, Era?” his partner demands. “We just met her a week ago. She was a client who hired our services, and without a down payment! Protecting her was never worth throwing away our lives.”
“But on the ship you said-”
“I was wrong, okay!?” Jem bursts out. “I mean, I’m not saying we should have turned her in, but… the military would have captured her eventually, right? And we’d be dead for our troubles!”
Era squeezes his eyes shut. “Even if they would have captured her eventually… Even if there was a chance I’d be killed for it, I can’t accept the decision to abandon her just so I can live.” He grimaces and says, “You were right about me, Jem. I was never able to separate myself emotionally from her. I’ll never be like Fire. She doesn’t have an emotional bone in her body.”
“You think Fire wasn’t emotional?” Jem asks. “Era, the only reason she saved us was because… well, I think she was starting to have feelings for you.”
Era blinks in surprise. “I think that’s impossible.”
“Got a better theory?” Jem asks. “You changed her somehow. I know she didn’t give up millions of venni for me.”
Though he tries to formulate an alternative explanation, he simply cannot. He squeaks, “Could that really happen to her?”
“She’s human, Era. She was probably planning a betrayal all along, but at some point she decided she didn’t want to see you dead. She traded the money for our lives.” His partner leans back and looks at the sky. “She gave us a second chance
. We should be grateful.”
“Grateful!?” Era forces himself to his knees, powering through the pain. “Jem, she sacrificed Di. Sacrificed her! Like her life had no value!” He meets Jem’s eyes sternly. “I know what Fire did made sense. I know it kept us alive. But my father once gave me some good advice-”
“Era, look,” she says impatiently, “your father was a great man and all, but his advice was-”
“He said to value all life, Jem,” he continues. “He said that I… that nobody has the right to take a life, to decide who lives and who dies. Fire chose our lives over Di, and I can’t accept that.”
Jem blinks in surprise, stunned that such words could come from the same bastion of misguidance. “E-Even then, what’s done is done. We have to move on.”
“No, I can’t move on, Jem. I can’t just abandon Di,” he grunts as he manages to stand. “I need to report this to her father, or the Canterin police, or somebody.”
“That entire army of soldiers from last night could still be in town!” she argues. “Remember what the commander said to us last night? We need them to forget about us, Era. We had a plan, so let’s stick to it.”
“That would be smart,” he agrees with a nod, “but I’m going to Canterin. And from there I’ll go to Satari if I must. I have to get her back.”
He starts walking, but Jem stays behind, watching her partner painstakingly force his legs to move. “Era,” she says softly, her voice trembling, “Era, I can’t do it. I can’t…”
Era offers an empathetic smile. “This is my choice, Jem. I’m not going to ask you to risk your life for me.”
Now angry, Jem shouts, “You might die, Era! Last night, you really almost died! If you go to Satari, you won’t come back in one piece. I just know it.”
He pauses to reflect on her words. “Sure, that’s a possibility.”
Jem plants her hands on her hips. “So that’s it? After two years of my superior tutelage, you’re just going to leave me for that girl? After Fire gives up the world to let you keep your life, you’re going to throw it away!? For crying out loud, Era! What about your dream to become a world-renowned thief? Are you going to throw that away, too?”
He responds with a sad smile. “What kind of thief would I be if I can’t steal Di back?”
The simple reply shatters Jem’s resolve. She knows in her heart she can’t dissuade him, and she turns away to hide her crimson face. “Fine, go then. Go steal her back.”
“Jem, I-”
“Just go!” she yells.
Era nods his understanding. “Thanks Jem. For everything. You’re the best teacher I’ve ever had.” With that, he limps gingerly toward Canterin, and, as his footsteps fade into the quiet of the forest, Jem finds herself truly alone for the first time since meeting Era.
* * *
As the train rattles beneath her, Di thinks back to the previous night, when they escorted her into Canterin. To think she had finally returned home after such an ordeal, only to be back in the custody of her kidnappers. She desperately wanted to scream out for help, but the commander had wisely gagged her before entering the city. She searched desperately for someone… anyone who might recognize her, but the hour was so late that few people were in the streets. They departed before sunrise, allowing them to leave under cover of darkness.
The train grinds to a halt at its destination, and Galen prompts Di to stand and exit. She reluctantly complies, terrified about what’s in store for her. After descending from the train onto the old, wooden platform, she’s surprised to find their destination is a tiny town consisting of little more than a dozen or so homes and buildings. The houses are made of caked mud, and there is little foliage as far as she can see. A weathered sign next to the platform says, “Welcome to Grasis”.
Di is led off the train platform and into town, where she’s guided toward a run-down building with the word “PUB” painted in large, black letters above the door. She steps into the poorly-lit tavern, which sports only a single patron.
Commander Galen prods Di toward the individual enjoying his drink in the back of the bar. Resting his glass on the table, he studies her with a dubious glare.
Galen salutes. “General Graff, sir! I’ve retrieved the asset per your request.”
The general stands from his chair and plants his hand on his shoulder. “Excellent work, Commander.” Towering over the girl, he offers his hand and says, “My name is Worren Graff, general over the entire Valvoran military. Pleased to meet you, Miss…?”
Di looks back at Galen, who nudges her to prompt a response. Reluctantly, she takes the general’s hand. His grip is firm and his skin rough, weathered by decades of callouses from handling a sword. Slowly, she replies, “My name is Di.”
“Di, huh? There’s a name I’ve not heard.” He orders her hands to be untied, and a soldier obliges. “And just who are you, Di?”
Confused, Di wonders if he really doesn’t know. “I’m a student of the Three Pillars Academy, and I’m from Canterin. My father is the mayor.”
Graff beckons for her to take a seat, and she dares not disobey. The general’s presence is a heavy one, instilled with an authority felt even by a civilian such as Di, and she finds an intense purpose in his gaze. His arms, his legs, his posture are all strong, in a way contradicting the wrinkled face that reflects decades of experience. He watches her, studies her, and waits for her to understand that he is someone to fear. It is not a long wait.
The general ultimately folds his hands on the table and says, “Di, I apologize tremendously for the way you have been treated. Please know that we would not be so desperate to bring you here, except that there are reports of Allerian mobilization.” Taking another drink from his mug, he slams it down loudly. “War is coming, Di. And you’re purportedly a means to our victory.”
Di’s confusion doesn’t escape the notice of the general, who leans back in his chair with concern. “You don’t know what I’m talking about.” It isn’t a question, yet she musters the strength to shake her head, and he says, “Frankly, I haven’t placed stock in the reports being true. But if our informant is to be believed,” he says, disdainfully, “you are the key to powerful technology located deep in this desert country of Berev. A Third Kingdom weapon, if you can believe it.”
“A what?” She glances at Galen, but he remains stoically focused.
“So here we are, in this remote blemish on the map of our great country, with a child who grasps nothing.” Finishing his drink, he stands and motions for Di to do the same. “Rest assured, little lady, you will be returned home when all this is done. Weapon or not, I can only assume you’ll be of little use to us once we’re through.”
The general adjusts his cap and shields his eyes as they step into the sun. “Accursed cloudless sky.” Turning back to Di, he says, “I’m afraid the location is a two hour hike from here.”
As they begin their march into the desert, the general’s words haunt Di. Tears stream down her cheeks as she thinks back to her guardians. ‘Is it possible they risked… they lost everything to protect me, and yet I’ll be returned home anyway?’
* * *
“What do you mean I can’t see him?” Era challenges, his voice raised in anger. “He’s a public official, which means that-”
“You can’t see him because he isn’t here,” the receptionist interrupts, annoyed by the commotion. “He’s at the beachside festival today. You can find him over there.”
“Oh,” Era says sheepishly. “Thanks then.” He retreats from City Hall, still limping as he maps out his new destination. Planted on a hill sloping to the shore, Canterin is larger than he’d imagined, and the oceanfront stretches as far as the eye can see. The buildings are made from stone, and the size of the crowds milling about in the midday atmosphere is enough to overwhelm a visitor like himself.
As he walks briskly down the street, watching all the passers-by and merchants selling their wares, he sees countless rune shops open for business. Just as Di described
, runecrafting is clearly a major part of the local economy. One shop in particular is displaying a pyramidal figurine that could be made of glass, but the base is a water rune programmed to shape the element. His mind wanders back to the catacombs under Ugorzi, and the frightening water creature that was programmed to be a killing machine. Such a rune must be thousands of times more advanced than the pyramid rune.
The beachside festival is easy to spot. Kids dart around with toy runes that spray water while dozens of young adults are engaged in a runecrafting competition, frantically etching symbols into their otherwise dormant rocks. Nearby, Era finds a judges table with a placard that reads “Mayor Venelli”, where a crowd surrounds an elderly official bearing a red judge’s ribbon. He is much older than expected, and Era wonders at what age the man must have fathered Di. Still, the guardian marches forward, fighting back the dread of telling the father about his kidnapped child. Squeezing himself to the front of the crowd, he cries, “Mister Mayor, I have urgent business to discuss!”
The town leader is surprised by the declaration. “Young man, I appreciate your desire to speak, but if you could just wait your-”
“It’s regarding your daughter, sir. Err… Mister Mayor.” Era suddenly wonders about the proper way to address a mayor.
“My daughter?” he asks, perplexed. “Young man, I have no daughter.”
Era’s jaw drops. “You have no…? I-I’m talking about Di! Short girl, long blond hair. Excellent air shaper? You sent her to the Three Pillars Academy!”
He eyes Era’s torn and burned clothes, clearly wondering about this disrupter’s mental health. “I’ve never had a daughter, lad. You must have me confused with someone else.”
“A-Aren’t you the mayor?” he stammers.
“Well, yes, I am Canterin’s mayor.”
Era’s mind spins as he searches desperately for an explanation. “How long have you been mayor?”
