《Like Staring at the Sun》


 1: Mira

    <h2>Chapter 1: Mira August 27, 878 </h2>


    The man grabbed Mira¡¯s left wrist and twisted it behind her back. Somehow, they always thought because her right arm stopped just past the elbow it was useless. Luckily, there was nothing Mira loved more than to prove people wrong.


    Gritting her teeth, Mira slammed her head back into the man¡¯s nose. It gave her a headache when she did that, but breaking his nose was worth it. When his grip on her arm slipped, she used her stubbed right elbow to finish him off with a blow to the temple. He stumbled back and crashed into the alley wall before falling to the dusty ground.


    With the first man out of commission, Mira looked around. Imi seemed to be at an impasse with her opponent. Her saber was on the ground and their arms were in a tangle of wrist locks, but Mira couldn¡¯t tell who had the upper hand. When Mira took a step forward to help, Imi just shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got this Mira, take care of the princess.¡± The man she faced smirked at her confidence. Since he was much taller than the petite girl, he probably thought it would be an easy victory. Unfortunately for him, he failed to notice the band tattooed on Imi¡¯s wrist, as most attackers did. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, sailor? Give it a minute and you will.¡± Even though Imi was directing her words at the Sendian man she was facing, Mira could still feel the power infused in the Heart Jinura¡¯s voice. The man¡¯s eyelids drooped in the slightest and his arms faltered, giving Imi the narrow opening she needed. Quick as a whip, she wrenched free of his grasp and swiped a leg at his knees, sending him tumbling to the ground.


    ¡°I said take care of the princess,¡± Imi reminded her in an angry sing-song voice. Before Mira could insist that the princess was just behind her, she turned back around to find the last two men closing in on Princess Adelyn who had drifted away from Mira¡¯s side. She had been waiting patiently for Mira and Imi to take care of the would-be thieves, but the last of the men had come closer than Mira had realized. She jumped in, fending off the broader of the two, but the last one had drawn a dagger and now leered over the princess of Sendium, eyeing her glittering necklace.


    ¡°Just hand over the purse and we¡¯ll be on our way,¡± the man said to the princess as Mira dispatched her opponent.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure ¡®we¡¯ is in your cards,¡± Princess Adelyn replied tartly, still not reacting to the knife that hovered a few inches from her throat. The last man looked around at his three felled companions. Panicked, he brought the knife closer to the princess, the blade brushing up against her neck.


    ¡°Hand over the purse, or pay with your life,¡± he threatened. The princess sighed and put a hand on her hip. ¡°I mean it. I just want¡ª¡± Before he finished his sentence, Princess Adelyn threw her hand up and turned his wrist so far he was forced to drop the dagger. With expert precision, she jabbed his throat. While he choked for air, she swept her foot under his ankles and thrust her palm at his chest. With the grace of a limp noodle, he fell onto his tailbone and cracked his head against the wall of the building the scuffle had been near. He thought he could take on the princess herself? Who did he think trained all the guards?


    After the initial shock of hitting his head, the last man tried to get up again. With a soft nudge of her foot, Mira pushed him back into the wall.


    ¡°You two are slipping,¡± the princess commented as she started back down the street, stepping over one man¡¯s unconscious form. ¡°I hired guards so I didn¡¯t have to get my own hands dirty.¡±


    ¡°Most people who don¡¯t want to get their hands dirty would stay closer to her guards. You stayed wide open, practically begging for those last two men to sneak up from behind,¡± Mira pointed out.


    ¡°Not to mention it was your idea to come to the outskirts of town wearing your flashiest necklace.¡± Imi gestured to the diamond masterpiece the princess wore around her neck. ¡°Admit it. You were tired of feeling cooped up.¡±


    ¡°And you knew we were the only ones who wouldn¡¯t go tattling off to the queen.¡± Princess Adelyn had done this before, and Mira and Imi were always her first choice of guards for these kinds of expeditions.


    They¡¯d walked far enough to reach the center of the port town where there were people again. People that didn¡¯t watch the princess like she was their next paycheck. Some of them recognized their local leader and gave a small bow as she passed, but most just went about their day.


    ¡°There you are, Your Highness.¡± Kamala ducked underneath an armload of timber carried by a hairy man with forearms the size of Mira¡¯s thighs. Princess Adelyn stopped to talk to Kamala, though Mira had hoped she would ignore the other guard and continue on her way. ¡°Misha told us we would find you here.¡± As Kamala finished speaking, Aruna appeared at her side like the loyal, silent partner she was. For a Tongue Jinura, she was awfully quiet.


    ¡°Just out for a stroll,¡± the princess lied. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Imi, Mira, you two take a break. I need you both rested for a shift later this afternoon.¡± She lowered her voice when she added, ¡°Please meet me at the twelfth pier in Port Caesit at four.¡± What was at the port that the princess needed to be there herself? Usually, she had servants to run those kinds of errands.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there, Your Highness,¡± Imi promised with a grin. Princess Adelyn nodded like a proper royal and left them in the middle of the busy street, Aruna and Kamala dutifully at her side.


    ¡°Have you ever noticed that the minute Kamala shows up, our day always gets a little more disappointing?¡± Mira asked as they watched the princess leave with the other two guards.


    ¡°What do you mean? We get half the day off.¡± Imi started walking, cautious of the timber-carrying man.


    ¡°But today was proving to be a good one.¡± What could be better than a good alley fight first thing in the morning? ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Lunch?¡± Imi suggested. Mira shrugged and Imi took it as a yes. ¡°How about Hama¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Why should you get to pick? I took out two men. You only had one.¡±


    ¡°You took them on one at a time. And you only got the second man because you were closer,¡± Imi argued, already heading toward the pier where Hama¡¯s caf¨¦ was.


    ¡°Well at least I didn¡¯t cheat.¡±


    ¡°Cheat?¡±


    ¡°Heart Jinura power counts as cheating,¡± Mira told her, but Imi was already vehemently shaking her head.


    ¡°You were the one who always says use what you have. And how is using my power more of an advantage than the way people underestimate you?¡± Imi pointed to the stump at the end of Mira¡¯s right arm. Somehow, Imi had deluded herself into believing that having the ability to put people to sleep with just her voice gave her the same advantage as missing a limb. Mira held up the stub.


    ¡°Any advantage this gives me is evened out by people underestimating you because of your size.¡± Imi was short with wide hips, a build that didn¡¯t tend to strike fear into the eyes of man.


    ¡°Please,¡± Imi scoffed. She continued to argue her point until they arrived at Hama¡¯s and Mira was too hungry to insist they go somewhere else.


    For some reason, Imi adored Hama¡¯s strange, semi-edible creations. As an Earth Jinura, the chef appreciated odd vegetables, and since the Corignis Province in Sendium was the hub of trading in the Four Kingdoms, Hama had her pick of every freak of nature vegetable Earth Jinura had thought up. And thanks to their pay as royal guards¡ªnot to mention Imi¡¯s wealthy family¡ªthey had enough coin to splurge on the ridiculous inventions. Imi loved the sweet kale with brocclery bits, but even hours after eating it, the peppered squashparagus left a bitter taste in Mira¡¯s mouth.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯m picking where we go,¡± Mira whined.


    ¡°There they are.¡± Imi pointed across the port to where Kamala and Aruna stood with another guard they didn¡¯t recognize. All three of them wore sand scarves, though the wind today wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough to warrant the extra layer of protection.


    ¡°Is that Helen?¡± Mira strained her eyes at the unfamiliar guard. It had to be Helen. None of the other guards were taller than Kamala.


    Imi squinted as well, but paused in her step once they were close enough to see that the olive wrist poking out of the extra guard¡¯s sleeve was unmarked. Helen was a Water Jinura, so she had the black band tattooed on her right wrist like every other Jinura.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re here,¡± the extra guard held out two more sand scarves.


    ¡°Princess Adelyn?¡± Imi peered at the princess¡¯s eyes, the rest of her face obscured by swaths of the sand scarf. She had switched out her diamond necklace and fancy dress for simple trousers and a shirt.


    ¡°What are the scarves for?¡± Mira held up the material like it was a dead chicken. Sand scarves were less common in Port Caesit, but plenty of traders from mainland Sendium wore them around here this time of year. For Mira, the scarves tended to get in the way more than they helped, and having only one hand made them especially difficult to put on. Mira pushed her short bangs away from her forehead before wrapping the sand scarf around her hair. It was cut short in the back¡ªeasy to maintain and impossible to grab onto in a fight¡ªso she didn¡¯t have to worry about tucking every inch in place like the others.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your place to ask questions,¡± Kamala snapped. Kamala may have been the head of the princess¡¯s guard, but Mira was the best, and she made it a point to ask questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kamala,¡± the princess interrupted, a note of anxiety in her usually calm voice, ¡°I should have explained earlier. This meeting isn¡¯t official. In fact, it would probably be very bad if anyone knew I was meeting with these men. My sister would kill me if she knew.¡± Mira had never met Queen Alani, but rumor had it she was very strict and always by the book.


    ¡°The point is, no one can see our faces, especially the princess¡¯s,¡± Kamala finished unhelpfully, reaching to brusquely help Mira hurry up with the knots she was struggling to tie. Stepping into fighting stance, Mira struck Kamala¡¯s hand to the side, startling the other guard.


    ¡°Touch me again, and we¡¯ll have the same number of hands.¡± Mira gestured at Kamala with the calloused stump that rounded off her arm just below her right elbow. For some reason, poking people with her stump set them on edge, and it was very satisfying when Kamala stepped away, an expression like a grimace forming on her lips.


    ¡°Relax, Kamala, we have a few minutes before our guests arrive,¡± Princess Adelyn said, ¡°And Mira, stop goading her.¡±


    Once Mira¡¯s scarf was in place¡ªcovering her mouth, nose, forehead, and most of her hair¡ªassignments were made. Kamala was a Water Jinura, so she was posted closer to the docks, and Aruna was a Tongue Jinura, so she was posted at the mouth of the main street where she could keep an eye out for suspicious newcomers. Kamala was a Water Jinura, so she was posted closer to the docks, and Aruna was a Tongue Jinura, so she was posted at the mouth of the main street where she could keep an eye out for suspicious newcomers. It was no secret that Mira and Imi worked best together, so they were assigned to be at Princess Adelyn¡¯s side. Imi was given a dark brown sash with a red stripe to tie around her waist. It was subtle enough that it wouldn¡¯t look odd, but it was specific enough that the men they were meeting would be able to recognize it from far away.


    Mira, Imi, and the princess waited in the shadow of a trading ship. They watched the bustle of traders and merchants for about ten minutes before Aruna¡¯s message arrived.


    Over the last few years, Mira had grown accustomed to Imi¡¯s Heart Jinura power and what it felt like. A Heart Jinura influenced your emotions, amplifying them or altering them. If you were practiced, you could identify when you were being manipulated, but otherwise, the emotions felt like they were your own. A Tongue Jinura, though, planted something new inside your head. It wasn¡¯t words¡ªthat kind of power in a Tongue Jinura was unheard of. It was more like a feeling. A sense that the ones they expected were approaching.


    As Mira let out a shudder at the invasive feeling of a Tongue Jinura¡¯s method of communication, she spotted two hooded figures coming their way. The gray hoods were a little conspicuous, so Mira had to assume they didn¡¯t want to be recognized either.


    The two figures stopped in front of them, sparing a moment to glance at Mira¡¯s missing forearm and hand as all strangers did.


    ¡°Princess Adelyn.¡± The tall one bowed his head and held out his right wrist, palm facing up. He clearly thought Imi was the princess because of the identifying sash, but Adelyn simply stepped in front of Imi to greet the man.


    Beside the princess¡¯s dainty hand, the man¡¯s looked especially thick and rough, which wasn¡¯t surprising given the two tattoos he wore on his wrist. The first was a thin black band that was broken only by the word fire. Below that was a smaller marking: three chain links. Mira¡¯s hand went to the saber at her side. Not only was this man a Fire Jinura, but he had been convicted of a crime. The princess, however, seemed unfazed by the tattoos and shook his hand anyway. When she came away without a scorched hand, Mira relaxed.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the second man did the same as the first, baring his wrist and shaking the princess¡¯s hand. This one was Bone Jinura, and he¡¯d also been convicted.


    ¡°In your message you said you had valuable information,¡± the princess began. One of Mira¡¯s favorite parts about working for Princess Adelyn was that she didn¡¯t have time to dawdle. ¡°What can you tell me about the man they call Silas of Kavrille?¡± Mira stiffened and her knuckles ached as she clenched her fist around the saber¡¯s hilt. Silas was a name she knew all too well.


    ¡°We do have information,¡± the Fire Jinura answered. ¡°We used to work with him.¡± Impatience itched all over Mira¡¯s skin. Suddenly, he was talking too slowly. These men could have the answers she¡¯d been seeking for four years. ¡°Two years ago, Silas took up a project we all thought was impossible. Around that time, Cedric and I left. It wasn¡¯t exactly a friendly parting of ways, and we haven¡¯t been able to keep track of Silas¡¯s actions since then. But we have reason to believe that he is trying to finish that project.¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s impossible¡ª¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t impossible,¡± the Bone Jinura, Cedric, interrupted. The Fire Jinura elbowed his comrade while Imi and Mira all glared at Cedric for cutting off the princess midsentence, but he apparently didn¡¯t notice. ¡°I know for a fact that it can be done. The unlikely part is the piece he is missing. But if he can find it, countless lives will be in danger.¡±


    Before the princess could ask what kind of danger they were talking about, a foreign sense of warning popped into Mira¡¯s head. It was a message from Aruna. Simultaneously, the princess, Mira, and Imi all drew their sabers. Cedric and the Fire Jinura drew blades as well, turning around to see several Linian guards headed for the docks. Port Caesit wasn¡¯t far from Linia, so it wasn¡¯t unusual to see Linian guards around, but this group of guards was pointing at the two hooded men.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t leave prison on friendly terms either,¡± Imi said, standing at the ready.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± the Fire Jinura replied. Another pulse of information came from Aruna. More danger. Mira peered around the approaching Linians to see more men in cloaks headed their way, swords at the ready. Some of their cloaks shifted away from their wrists, revealing a series of black band tattoos. They were all Jinura.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Mira balked. These men were like magnets for trouble. She would have complained, but her heart was hammering excitedly.


    ¡°Silas¡¯s men,¡± the Fire Jinura growled.


    ¡°Did you send out invitations?¡± Imi snapped. Not waiting for an answer, Mira rushed out to meet the Linians first, her saber clanging loudly against the guard¡¯s blade. Before Imi and the Fire Jinura reached the next two guards, Kamala appeared from nowhere, raising the tides until an inch of water swept over the dock¡¯s surface. The next two guards slipped and didn¡¯t stand a chance when Kamala tossed one of them into the Baladev Sea and Imi kicked the other into a ship. As he, too, slid into the water, Imi and Kamala charged after the incoming Linians.


    Soon, the entire group was engaged in some form of combat. The Linian guards and Silas¡¯s Jinura didn¡¯t come together, but they seemed to have some sort of unspoken agreement that they would both attack together and figure out custody of the wanted men later. Mira tore through the Linians and found herself fighting Silas¡¯s men with the Fire Jinura at her side. A Water Jinura swept the sea onto the docks and Mira lost her footing, but the Fire Jinura quickly balanced her and continued attacking Silas¡¯s men. More than once she paid him back by blocking a sword he hadn¡¯t seen coming. It was strange. She didn¡¯t usually fight this well with others unless it was Imi by her side.


    When most of the Linians were either dead or in the Baladev, Silas¡¯s men seemed to realize they were losing. Two retreated, but four more refused to quit. Amid the chaos, one of Silas¡¯s men grabbed onto the Fire Jinura¡¯s hood, tearing it away to reveal the face underneath. When Mira saw the features the hood was hiding, she froze. His coloring¡ªthe olive skin, light brown hair, and pale green eyes¡ªmatched the colors of many in the crowds around them, making it obvious he was from Sendium. But it wasn¡¯t his home country that sent fire raging through her blood. It was him. Torrin. The one she¡¯d been looking for all these years. Mira thought she let him slip through her fingers, but Shali had dropped him right in her lap.


    With a shriek of fury, Mira turned on him. He desperately fought her and the Jinura Silas had sent, suddenly outnumbered.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He struggled against his two opponents. Blinded by rage, Mira kicked the last Jinura¡¯s knee in and he crumbled to the ground, taken by surprise since he thought Mira had been on his side. Little did he know, he was just in the way. An obstacle that was easily removed.


    Suddenly, the sand scarf felt like it was smothering her and Mira used her stump to rip the fabric away. Torrin¡¯s confusion evaporated.


    ¡°Mira,¡± he realized in horror.


    ¡°Good,¡± Mira said coldly, ¡°you remember me.¡±


    When she swung her saber at his chest, he didn¡¯t even try to block.

 2: Torrin

    <h2>Chapter 2: Torrin                 August 27, 878                   </h2>


    Mira¡¯s sword was redirected with a fantastic crash.


    ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± Mira began, but the princess cut her off.


    ¡°Mira stop,¡± Princess Adelyn commanded, standing between Torrin and Mira. The rest of the fighting had ceased. Silas¡¯s men and the Linian guards were either incapacitated, or still trying to swim back to shore.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± Mira¡¯s eyes glinted auburn, almost red, in the sunlight.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care!¡± the princess snapped. ¡°Put your saber down and step away from this man.¡±


    For a moment, it looked like Mira might strike the princess down where she stood. Her Highness didn¡¯t even flinch when Mira raised her blade and flung it down so it was embedded in the wooden dock. She stalked away, moving like a tornado on a mission.


    ¡°Imi,¡± Princess Adelyn said to the cluster of female guards she¡¯d brought with her. A Sendian girl with curly brown hair bobbed in a brief bow before pulling out the saber and chasing after Mira. Torrin stared after the two girls as they grew smaller in the distance. Mira had changed so much. She was so much older. After all, she¡¯d only been fourteen when he¡¯d seen her last. And he¡¯d been sixteen, so he¡¯d probably changed a lot, too. Her hair was shorter, as short as a man¡¯s, and she wasn¡¯t scrawny like she¡¯d been before. And her arm . . . what had happened? Four years ago, she¡¯d had two hands. It didn¡¯t surprise him that the loss of the arm below her elbow hadn¡¯t slowed her down in the least.


    ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡± Torrin stopped when the princess held up her hand.


    ¡°We will worry about her later. First we need to get you two somewhere else so we can talk. We are beyond secrecy now. We need safety.¡± The princess and her two remaining guards led the way to the small palace of Corignis.


    ¡°What was all that?¡± Cedric muttered as they wandered through the halls of the palace. Torrin had dreamt of wandering these halls when he was a boy. Every child in Corignis wished they could live here with the young princess.


    ¡°This is fine, thank you. Kamala, Aruna, you are excused.¡± With a reluctant bow, the two guards left. Since there were no footsteps after the door closed, Torrin assumed they had remained just outside in the hall. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±


    The room was small and a tiny round table sat in the center of it. Torrin had expected some kind of great meeting hall, but he was almost relieved to be in the smaller area. It made it feel like he was talking with a friend, not petitioning a princess. He sat down on the nearest chair, only to stand back up and turn to look at the seat. A stuffed doll rested on the cushion. He picked it up to find it was a mermaid with tanned skin and eyes the same blue as her fish tail.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I apologize. My daughter¡¯s toys seem to find their way all around this castle.¡± The princess took the plush mermaid from Torrin¡¯s hand and set it on the table as she sat down across from Cedric and Torrin.


    Torrin sat down. ¡°You have a daughter?¡± He had heard that the princess of Corignis had married the heir to the largest merchant business in Sendium, but never anything about a child.


    ¡°Camilla. She is turning three this year,¡± the princess answered. It was moments like this that Torrin truly realized how long he¡¯d been in that Linian prison. Princess Adelyn pushed the mermaid to the side of the table and twined her fingers together. ¡°Now tell me: what exactly is this project Silas was working on?¡±


    ¡°Cedric is the best Bone Jinura you¡¯ll ever meet, so he was privy to all the information. Go ahead, Cedric,¡± Torrin encouraged.


    Cedric cleared his throat nervously. ¡°When we were still working for him, Silas was trying to create a poison that could specifically target Corridians, leaving Jinura unharmed and completely unaffected.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t possible,¡± the princess argued. Cedric heaved a sigh but said nothing to remind her that he¡¯d already told her it was indeed possible.


    ¡°He had me working with an Earth Jinura to try to manufacture such a poison. The only thing he needed was something all Jinura were immune to that we could bond with the poison so it wouldn¡¯t affect them.¡±


    ¡°Does such a thing exist?¡±


    With a nod, Cedric continued. ¡°Centuries ago, the god Hathos had pity on the humans. He had them drink his blood from the Cup of Hathos, and from that Cup the first Earth Jinura were born.¡±


    ¡°I may not worship your gods, Cedric, but I know the stories. Shortly after Hathos blessed mankind, the other gods followed suit until there were Earth, Water, Fire, Bone, Heart, Mind, and Tongue Jinura.¡± She recited this like it was a list she had to memorize in school. In fact, it probably was. Even though the Sendian Royalty traditionally worshipped the dual gods Shali and Shama, they must have studied the Jinura gods as well. ¡°But that is all just legend. Surely the Cup isn¡¯t real.¡± Cedric looked over to Torrin.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have come all this way if we didn¡¯t think it was real,¡± Torrin insisted. ¡°And we also believe that Silas may know where to find it.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where to find this Cup?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Your Highness,¡± Torrin dipped his head down, wishing he had more information.


    ¡°What were you expecting from me then? I don¡¯t know where it is.¡±


    ¡°We were hoping you could ask the queen to form a team to challenge Silas, or to at least find the Cup before he does,¡± Torrin suggested. In all honesty, they had come to her because this was Torrin¡¯s province. Princess Adelyn was the ruler he grew up with since she took control of the region at the age of sixteen. They were being chased by Linian soldiers and Silas¡¯s men and there was nowhere else they could turn.


    The princess scoffed at the suggestion of formal military action and Torrin¡¯s face heated. He was foolish to have come. He should have hidden away in Kern when he had the chance.


    ¡°My sister would never agree to such an idea. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Silas of Kavrille is holed up in Linia at the moment. If King Roderick found out we sent military to his kingdom, he¡¯d start petitioning for war, even if it was to rid him of a rodent he¡¯s been housing for over a decade.¡±


    The princess was quiet for a moment and Torrin¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Well, thank you for your time, Your Highness.¡± He stood up.


    ¡°But I can spare a few guards.¡± Torrin let a smile spill onto his lips.


    ¡°That would be wonderful. More than we could have hoped.¡±


    ¡°It will have to be the best I have if you¡¯re to succeed. Preferably one familiar with Linia . . .¡± she trailed off in thought. ¡°I take it you are familiar enough with Silas that you¡¯ll be able to track him? You¡¯ll need to figure out how to find that Cup.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m plenty familiar with Silas. We¡¯ll find him.¡±

 3: Torrin

    <h2>Chapter 3: Torrin      June 6, 873                          </h2>


    ¡°You almost finished with that hide? You¡¯ve been working on it all day.¡± Marius always gave Torrin a hard time, but he knew well enough that Torrin was the most devoted apprentice he¡¯d ever had.


    ¡°Just cleaning up the edges.¡± Torrin was inspecting the last bit of the hide¡¯s edging when Marius snatched it up.


    ¡°For Brem¡¯s sake, boy, I thought I gave you deer hide, not silk.¡± Marius scrubbed Torrin¡¯s hair, which was odd now that Torrin had a good four inches on the man. As Marius continued to check his apprentice¡¯s work, Torrin began cleaning up his tools. He carefully placed the thick needle and coarse thread on the shelf beside the trail of tools he¡¯d been using earlier. When he picked up the stain and brush, he noticed a smudge of that same brownish color splashed onto his wrist. Curiously, he eyed the colored skin. It was on his right wrist, where his Jinura mark would have gone.


    At the age of thirteen, Jinura children were tattooed with a black band and a label, specifying which type of Jinura they were. Growing up, Torrin¡¯s mother always insisted she knew he was a Fire Jinura because when she was pregnant with him, he was only settled when she was working at the forges, surrounded by heat. But Torrin¡¯s birthdays came and went. When he turned thirteen and his skin still burned at the touch of a flame, he was dubbed Corridian and left unmarked. The plan had always been for Torrin to work in the forges one day, trained by his mother. But he couldn¡¯t do that if he was Corridian. Working in the forges was servants¡¯ work. Jinura¡¯s work.


    ¡°You¡¯re beginning to upstage me, Torrin.¡± Marius chuckled, laying the finished leather on the table. ¡°We¡¯ll fetch a pretty penny for this. You¡¯ve learned more in two years than I learn in my first six.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve got such a great teacher.¡± Marius chuckled again and started helping Torrin clean up. Living with Marius wasn¡¯t as good as living back home with his mother, but it was far better than staying at the orphanage he¡¯d originally been sent to on his thirteenth birthday when he¡¯d first become Marius¡¯s apprentice. No, his new life wasn¡¯t as horrible as he¡¯d first thought. The work was long and difficult and he¡¯d seen more animal brains than he cared to count, but maybe one day he¡¯d become successful enough to buy his mother¡¯s indenture. She would be free and Torrin could see her whenever he wanted, instead of just twice a year when he was allowed to tag along on Marius¡¯s trading trips.


    As Marius and Torrin were wiping off the countertop, someone outside screamed like death itself was walking into town. Without so much as a curious glance at his master, Torrin rushed outside to find the town councilman¡¯s office sending dark smoke into the air. Flames ate the thatched roof quickly and the sparks began leaping to the neighboring building. Anyone would have assumed it was an accident if a man in the street hadn¡¯t been taking credit for it.


    ¡°You have all been treating your fellow man like the dirt you walk on for too long. Jinura are not Corridian slaves, to be bought and sold like livestock.¡± The man was lean and he stood like he was trying to see over everyone else, which shouldn¡¯t be difficult since he stood on top of a wagon. Corridian townspeople approached the wagon as if to shake the Linian man down, but a handful of Jinura that Torrin didn¡¯t recognize stopped them. The man pointed to the building that was now completely engulfed in flames. ¡°This structure housed the indenture contracts for this town and three nearby villages.¡± Jinura who worked in town began flocking around him, listening. ¡°You are free now! Free to do as you wish. Stay, leave, join me. Do whatever you¡¯d like. It is your choice.¡± A few of the gathered Jinura cheered at that.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°My son!¡± a woman screeched as she stumbled towards the inferno. ¡°My son is in there!¡± Torrin finally recognized the woman; she was the councilman¡¯s mother. Torrin started toward her, speeding up when he realized she was about to start tearing through the collapsed, burning doorframe.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he shouted, but she ignored him, still calling for her son. The heat of the fire was strong enough to make Torrin sweat just standing near it. The structure crackled and creaked as flaming pieces of it began raining down on Torrin and the councilman¡¯s mother. She screamed when a beam broke free of the frame with a loud snap, and she was still screaming when Torrin pushed her out of the way.


    When the beam fell, Torrin slipped backwards into the burning building. The heat was unbearable. At first, Torrin tried to fight it, but the pain and the stiflingly hot air became too much. Finally, he let go. He let the fire in. Instead of the pain intensifying like he¡¯d expected, it was like taking a breath of air after you thought you were about to drown. The heat on his skin died down until it was a softer warmth, contained inside him. When he opened his eyes, the flames were gone. The smoke was dissipating. And the councilman was crawling out of the charcoaled building, his arms full of ashen papers. The contracts. That was why he hadn¡¯t saved himself? To salvage an armful of papers?


    A hush of manic whispers took up in the crowd on the street, everyone watching Torrin instead of the smaller fires still spreading on the rooftops.


    ¡°But he¡¯s not Jinura. That¡¯s the tanner¡¯s apprentice,¡± the butcher said over the whispers.


    ¡°That is a Fire Jinura. I¡¯d bet my life on it,¡± someone else said.


    ¡°He¡¯s not registered.¡± Suddenly, the crowd began closing in on Torrin, who still sat in the rubble, trying to understand how the heat of the fire became trapped inside him like a living thing. They all looked at him like he¡¯d intentionally hidden his Jinura power for two years. Nevermind that they were his friends this morning. Even Marius was looking at Torrin like he was a stranger.


    ¡°Leave him be!¡± a Jinura woman shouted. She¡¯d always looked at him with disdain before. Now, she was the only one on his side.


    ¡°Let him alone!¡± another Jinura yelled at the crowd.


    Soon, everyone was shouting and Corridians and Jinura were pitted against each other. In the chaos, a man came to Torrin and pulled him from the charred bones of the councilman¡¯s office.


    ¡°How about we let this town sort itself out,¡± he suggested, brushing off a bit of ash from Torrin¡¯s jacket, though he knew he had to be blackened from head to toe.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Torrin asked, still confused by all that had happened. ¡°This is my home.¡± As he said it, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was true anymore.


    ¡°They¡¯ll have your head if they think you¡¯ve been pretending to be Corridian.¡± At first, Torrin thought the man¡¯s hair was covered in ash, but then he realized it was just a muted blonde color.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been pretending anything.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, but I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll care.¡± The townspeople still screamed and brawled, but they were farther away now. ¡°You know how they hate unregistered Jinura.¡±


    Little by little, Jinura joined the man as he left the village. He¡¯d only been surrounded by ten or so men earlier, but now there were at least thirty men and women walking beside him.


    ¡°Can you take me back to Corignis?¡± Now that he was Jinura, maybe he could go back to the way things were supposed to be. He¡¯d live with his mother and train to work in the forges.


    ¡°We were planning on heading back that way in about three weeks. Can you wait that long?¡± Torrin nodded. Now that he was an unmarked Jinura, they¡¯d probably be looking for him. Maybe in three weeks, things will have died down. He could get marked and everything would be right again.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡±


    ¡°Torrin.¡±


    The man smiled like he knew a secret. ¡°My name is Silas.¡±

 4: Mira

    <h2>Chapter 4: Mira                    August 27, 878                   </h2>


    When Princess Adelyn finally found Mira, she¡¯d almost pushed the thick sandbag past the breaking point. If this sack of dirt was sentient, Mira would¡¯ve had it crying for its mother by now. Nevermind that both her elbows were sore and rubbed raw from the coarse material keeping the sand in one piece. Nevermind that her knuckles were chafed and her fist was exhausted from gripping the baton so hard. Or that her knees, shins, and feet ached from hitting the bag again and again.


    ¡°I have a favor to ask you,¡± the princess began.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I only give out one favor a day, and you used yours when you let him take another breath.¡± Mira had a bad habit of forgetting she was speaking with a princess. Her Highness hadn¡¯t fired her for it yet, though.


    ¡°You have heard of Silas of Kavrille?¡± the princess went on, as if Mira hadn¡¯t said a word.


    ¡°The Jinura supremacist whose rampages have injured hundreds and killed who knows how many. He frees Jinura indentures, only to have them pledge loyalty to him. Isn¡¯t he Linia¡¯s problem?¡± Mira jabbed the sandbag. She may have been born and raised in Linia, but she hadn¡¯t called it home in a long time. Silas of Kavrille wasn¡¯t her responsibility.


    ¡°Five years ago he was. Now, he is the world¡¯s problem. His chaos has started leaking into Sendium and Goura. Seven towns on the borders of the Corignis Province have been raided by Silas¡¯s men in the last six months. Even Kern has not remain untouched by his influence. You know this.¡±


    Mira did know this. Most of Silas¡¯s effect was direct, but Jinura all over the Four Kingdoms had started to rebel against their Corridian superiors. Most people thought of the radicals as little more than a pest, but apparently Princess Adelyn thought he could cause some real damage.


    ¡°I am but a lowly guard, Your Highness.¡± The princess scoffed at Mira¡¯s falsely modest words, but Mira continued. ¡°What favor could I possibly grant you that would make a difference?¡±


    ¡°My sister would never agree to do anything that could validate the threat Kavrille poses, but the Linian King might. Most of his trade is in Jinura indentures. He has reason to fight against Silas. I believe that left alone, Silas could grow powerful enough to seriously damage the Four Kingdoms. The Linian King has the power to stop this.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡± Mira finally stopped hitting the bag, leaning against it instead.


    ¡°I need a messenger to relay this information to the King of Linia. Someone must act. You and Imi are my best girls, and I know I can trust you with this.¡±


    Mira let out a heavy sigh. A three-day trip to the Linian Castle wouldn¡¯t be too bad. It might even be like a vacation. Dealing with the king was no treat, but she would just deliver the message and be on her way.


    ¡°Alright, fine.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Torrin and Cedric will be ready to leave in the morning.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mira¡¯s teeth gritted together and the skin on her hand strained over her knuckles as her grip on the baton tightened.


    ¡°If the king agrees to take Silas seriously, he will need someone who knows Silas better than anyone, which is why you¡¯ll have to negotiate a pardon so Torrin and Cedric can work with the Linian King to stop Silas before he does something terrible.¡±


    ¡°Princess, do you have any idea¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do,¡± she responded quietly. ¡°Imi told me several months ago. I know what happened and I know what a challenge this will be for you, but I believe that hundreds if not thousands of lives are dependent on this mission succeeding.¡± The princess took a step back and her posture relaxed. ¡°If you are not willing to help, then I¡¯m sure Kamala would be more than willing to take your place.¡±


    ¡°Kamala!¡± There was no way. Not only would Kamala have Imi wanting to hurl herself off a cliff before they reached Nessic, but if Kamala did succeed, Torrin would be back in the Linian Kingdom, protected by the king¡¯s military. If Kamala failed, Torrin would probably be arrested and sent back to Linian prison where he would be, once again, untouchable.


    ¡°If Torrin has not already paid for his crimes, Shali and Shama will ensure that there is justice,¡± the princess said. Mira set her jaw. She had believed that once, too. But if Shali and Shama had any sense of mortal justice, Torrin would have died four years ago. No, this was one balance in the world Mira would have to set herself. ¡°I need you to do this. To protect Torrin and Cedric until they can defeat Silas of Kavrille.¡± Mira¡¯s ears perked at the condition. Until. She waited four years to find him again. She could wait another week.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Was it bribery?¡± Imi guessed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You lost a bet,¡± she tried again. Mira sighed.


    ¡°All this coming from the girl who has left Sendium a grand total of once in her life. I¡¯m surprised your father allowed such a trip.¡± The last time Imi had a whim to leave Sendium on a royal mission for the princess, both of Imi¡¯s parents intervened. She was only fifteen at the time, but that had been less than two years ago.


    ¡°Luckily, his sister-in-law can be very persuasive.¡± Imi put a skip in her step as she walked along the dusty trail. Instead of reminding her of her parents, Mira had only made her more excited about the trip.


    ¡°It helps that she can stamp that persuasion with a royal seal,¡± Mira added. Imi rarely told anyone about her relation to the princess, despising when anyone believed her position as a guard was unearned.


    Finally, this seemed to quiet Imi. They walked in silence until Imi looked back at Mira. ¡°Blackmail?¡± Mira let out a groan.


    ¡°Imi, would you give it a rest?¡±


    ¡°It was probably blackmail,¡± Cedric muttered to Torrin several feet behind Mira. Mira stopped in her tracks and whirled around.


    ¡°I can hear you,¡± she snapped. Cedric blushed in what was probably a mix of fear and surprise. He lagged back to trail behind with Torrin, a sense of unease all around him.


    For the few hours it had taken to walk all the way around the port, Torrin hadn¡¯t spoken a word. He just watched, wary. And he should be wary. Every time Mira looked at him, her blood boiled.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just get a ferry at the port to take us up the river?¡± Imi complained. It was still the first day and Imi was already complaining. Mira sighed.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, we are traveling with a couple of convicts,¡± Mira retorted. Thanks to Torrin and Cedric, their three-day trip had doubled in length.


    ¡°But we know a few ferry captains. I¡¯m sure Gerard would do us a favor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too risky. The Linian guards know we¡¯re here. They¡¯d expect us to get a ferry at the port,¡± Torrin replied before Mira could. It unsettled her that they had the same response.


    ¡°Gerard would pay for our drinks any day of the week, but he¡¯d get in trouble if the Linians ever found out he was harboring these two,¡± Mira added, appealing to Imi¡¯s more compassionate side. As expected, Imi nodded in understanding.


    Hours passed. As the day grew long, the sun grew hotter. Mira¡¯s long linen sleeves and her sand scarf were good at protecting her arms, neck, and ears from frying to a crisp, but they did do much to cool her down. The group paused whenever they came across an outcropping of trees amidst the hills of stone and amber grass, relishing the temporary shade.


    Eventually, the silence became too much for Imi. When she realized Mira was in no mood to talk, she tried to goad Cedric into a conversation. It took a while, but Imi eventually got him to loosen up and speak.


    ¡°It will be getting dark soon. We should stop for the night. We can catch a ferry in the morning,¡± Mira suggested. They found a flat area and started spreading out their things.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find something for dinner,¡± Imi offered.


    ¡°Do you need some help?¡± Torrin got back to his feet.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be much use,¡± Mira said.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Mira . . .¡± Imi frowned at her, but had to agree. ¡°Sorry, Torrin, but she¡¯s right. I can handle it on my own. Thanks, though.¡±


    Torrin sat back down on his rock, fiddling with his hands like he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally,¡± Mira said. ¡°Imi is a Heart Jinura. She can sing anything to sleep. Wandering rabbits, men. They don¡¯t even wake up when she slits their throat.¡± Mira paused with a smirk. ¡°The rabbits, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Torrin scowled. He had only been sitting down for a few minutes when he stood back up. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some firewood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll clear a space,¡± Mira added, watching him go like a hungry lioness.


    Before long, Torrin had started a fire and Cedric was skinning a rabbit more easily with his bare hands than anyone else could have with a knife. Mira normally thought of Bone Jinura as healers because they usually were. It was easy to forget that their power over flesh and bone wasn¡¯t limited to healing. Like everything Shali and Shama ruled, there were equal opposites. Light and dark, love and hate, healing and skinning rabbits.


    ¡°Someone should keep watch in case the Linian soldiers decide to search the area around the river,¡± Torrin announced when everyone had finished with their dinner. The whole reason Mira had chosen this trail was because it was only used by locals. It was so narrow and winding that it was practically a game trail.


    ¡°I can watch first,¡± Mira offered. She wasn¡¯t tired at all, despite the long day of walking.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to let you take a watch,¡± Imi balked at her.


    ¡°You already tried to kill Torrin,¡± Cedric reminded her, as if the memory of her revenge just barely slipping through her fingers wasn¡¯t already fresh on her mind.


    ¡°And I gave my word to Princess Adelyn that I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Mira said. When Torrin glared at her she added with a shrug, ¡°Until Silas is taken care of.¡±


    ¡°There are three of us. I think we¡¯ll manage,¡± Torrin finally said.


    ¡°My word isn¡¯t enough?¡±


    Imi gave a weak, apologetic smile. ¡°Sorry, Mira.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She hadn¡¯t slept in since she caught a cold in January. It might be a nice break to sleep past dawn for once.


    The next morning, Mira was awake long before Imi and Torrin were, so she and Cedric cleaned up the campsite while the others finished resting.


    ¡°Can I ask about the chains? When were you two in prison? And what for?¡± Mira kept her voice down so she didn¡¯t wake the others.


    ¡°Two years ago. We were arrested because we were affiliated with Silas. And because Torrin was an unregistered Jinura,¡± Cedric answered.


    ¡°Two years ago . . . that makes a lot of sense,¡± Mira mused.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That was about the time I lost track of Torrin for good.¡±


    Cedric froze, his hands pausing on the flap of his backpack. ¡°You were tracking us? Maybe it was a good thing we were arrested, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I would have made it quick.¡± Mira grinned, but Cedric paled.


    ¡°Mira, you¡¯re scaring him,¡± Imi said sleepily, sitting up on her blanket.


    Mira laughed loudly enough to wake up Torrin. ¡°It isn¡¯t my fault he doesn¡¯t get my jokes,.¡±


    ¡°That was a joke?¡± Cedric asked uneasily.


    ¡°No.¡± Gleeful at Cedric¡¯s confused fear, Mira finished tying off her backpack.


    Torrin squinted at the rising sun. ¡°There should be ferries running now. We should pack up¡ª¡± he stopped when he saw that Cedric and Mira were ready to go and Imi was already halfway there. ¡°I¡¯ll pack up, then.¡±


    Once Torrin was finally ready to go, they headed for the river. The Eldon River ran up all the way to the Linian Castle. As long as they kept their heads down, they should be able to make good time.


    ¡°Imi!¡± an older man with wild hair called out from a skiff on the river, and Mira nearly jumped out of her skin. Imi rushed over to the edge of the Eldon River and waved the man over. He was seated in the tiny boat with his arm propped up against a polished stick that served as a flag pole holding a flag no larger than a handkerchief depicting the outline of a dolphin. The small skiff looked more like a fishing vessel meant for the Baladev than a mode of transportation along the rivers.


    ¡°Quentin!¡± Imi whispered harshly, making it clear to the man that he needed to keep his voice down. With his hand in the water, the man steered the skiff to the bank until its bow rested on the silty edge.


    ¡°Imi, I told you we need to keep a low profile,¡± Mira hissed at her, looking around in case any soldiers lurked nearby.


    ¡°I had already reached out to him when you told me that,¡± Imi replied. ¡°Besides, we can trust him.¡±


    ¡°Flipper isn¡¯t as big as The Blue Dolphin,¡± Quentin said as he patted the edge of the skiff fondly, ¡°but she¡¯ll fit everyone she needs to.¡±


    ¡°Imi, we can¡¯t use anyone we know. The Linians already know Princess Adelyn is involved somehow, so the first place they¡¯ll look is going to be employees of the Caesit Company,¡± Mira told her. Imi had never had to be sneaky before, and underhandedness wasn¡¯t exactly her first instinct, so Mira couldn¡¯t blame her for wanting to trust her friends.


    ¡°Machias is my only employer,¡± Quentin retorted.


    ¡°Machias? Does he pay you in goldfish?¡± Mira scoffed.


    ¡°Have you ever been out on the Baladev on a calm day, with nothing but the breeze and the waves whispering sweet songs of the sea in your ear? If you took a moment to listen, you might hear the gods, too.¡± Quentin spoke like a lovestruck fool. If the gods cared about Mira at all, she wouldn¡¯t be protecting Torrin right now. If the gods cared, she¡¯d still be with her family. If the gods cared . . .


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Quentin,¡± Imi said. ¡°Thanks for coming, though. You should get back to the Dolphin.¡±


    ¡°I know came here for a reason,¡± Quentin argued. ¡°It¡¯s spawning season up the eastern branch of the Eldon, so I think I¡¯ll head up there for a few days while you¡¯re off west. If anyone thinks I might be transporting passengers,¡± Quentin tossed a tarp across the rest of his skiff, letting it settle in lumps like there were a few people hiding underneath, ¡°then so be it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Quentin,¡± Imi said. If the man wasn¡¯t already drifting back to the center of the river, she probably would have hugged him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Machias you all said hello,¡± Quentin called back as he used the currents to push the skiff upstream. Shaking her head at his last comment, Mira led the others back along the edge of the river.


    ¡°Are you sure we can trust him?¡± Torrin asked.


    ¡°If Imi trusts him, then he¡¯s good,¡± Mira told him, not a doubt in her mind.


    They continued walking. It wasn¡¯t long before they found a short dock hiding in the scrubby grass.


    ¡°Are you going north?¡± Torrin asked the first ferryman they saw.


    ¡°Sure am. What¡¯s a lot like you going north for?¡± The man scratched his balding scalp, brushing the dandruff onto his trousers. As he did so, he eyed the tattoos on everyone¡¯s wrist. Like all ferrymen, this one was a Water Jinura, so the Jinura in the group wasn¡¯t what worried him. It was the chains tattooed on Cedric and Torrin that he watched closely.


    ¡°Forgive my servant,¡± Mira interrupted, stepping in front of Torrin, ¡°he¡¯s a half-wit. We are going north to visit my family.¡± He nodded like this made more sense. After all, she looked Linian and her one and only wrist was free of Jinura marks.


    ¡°Passage for four, then?¡± Mira nodded and the ferryman stepped aside to reveal his rickety boat. ¡°My name¡¯s Kipling and this here is the Eldon Wench. What do you think?¡± What did she think of the man or the sad excuse for a ferry? Either way, there was just so much Mira could have said. She could have told him that his breath stank like rotting fish, that a nauseating strip of flesh on his lower belly remained uncovered by his ragged tunic, or that the pimples on his chin were disgustingly distracting. As for the Wench, not only was it a gods-awful name, but it looked like it might spring a leak at any moment. And the paint on its wide frame needed a nice touch up.


    Mira was about to start the list when Imi nudged her from behind, reminding her that not everyone was looking for an honest answer to that kind of question.


    ¡°I think Torrin would love to sit with you and hear all about your boat. He loves all things on the river,¡± Mira jumped onto the ferry, relieved when it didn¡¯t sink under her weight. ¡°I¡¯ll sit in the front.¡±


    Grumbling, Torrin sat in the back with Kipling, leaving Imi and Cedric to sit in the middle. It served him right for choosing the worst possible ferry. Until Silas was arrested and out of the way, little victories like this would have to suffice.


    ¡°Hang on, everyone.¡± Everyone braced themselves as Kipling put a hand into the water, and they were thoroughly disappointed when the ferry began inching along the river as Kipling manipulated the currents to take them upstream. The ferry eventually sped up, but it never went fast enough to require any captain to urge his passengers to ¡®hang on.¡¯ Maybe Mira should have risked letting Quentin take them upstream, even if the Linians were keeping an eye on him.


    ¡°So, why did you call your ferry the Eldon Wench?¡± Cedric asked. Mira almost smacked her forehead in disbelief. Of all the questions he could have asked, this was the one she least wanted the answer to.


    ¡°When I came across her, she¡¯d passed through the hands of many ferrymen. She was right damaged, she was. But I fixed her up and made her beautiful again,¡± Kipley told them dreamily. Mira hadn¡¯t expected a story like that. It was kind of sweet. ¡°That, and the first ferry ride I ever gave was to a strumpet on this very river.¡± Mira shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. If she had to listen to stories like this all day, she¡¯d throw herself into the river and swim to Linia.


    ¡°So, Cedric, where are you from?¡± Mira asked. He may have mentioned it yesterday when Imi dragged him into a day-long conversation, but Mira had been mostly ignoring them.


    ¡°I thought he was your servant,¡± Kipling cut in.


    ¡°He¡¯s relatively new,¡± Mira responded impatiently. ¡°Cedric?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from Kern. A small town up north called Bain,¡± Cedric replied timidly. He still seemed to be a bit on edge from her dark jokes earlier that morning.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of Bain. They say the best Bone Jinura come from there. The most skilled healers in the Four Kingdoms train there,¡± Mira quoted. Bain was all they talked about in Kern. Any healer worth his salt had trained there. The best ones were born and raised there.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to Kern?¡± Cedric sat up a little straighter at the thought of home.


    ¡°Of course. Torrin didn¡¯t tell you? I was on my way there when we met.¡± Mira gave Torrin a grim look and he stared unflinchingly back. She couldn¡¯t tell if under the numb expression he had even an ounce of guilt. Maybe a tiny bit of remorse. ¡°Where else could you get such a spectacular job done on getting an arm cut off?¡± Mira held up her stump for all to see. Finally, Torrin¡¯s expression changed. His eyebrows twitched downward in confusion. Meanwhile, Cedric was turning green. Kipling looked mildly worried that his passengers might be insane, but he said nothing.


    ¡°Mira,¡± Imi scolded. She patted Cedric on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Kern. I grew up in Sendium. There is an island in the middle of the Baladev Sea called Lorin. That¡¯s where I was born.¡±


    ¡°Hathos¡¯ Footprints,¡± Torrin said, using the local name for the set of islands that trailed from the southern beach to the northern beach of the Baladev Sea. If his stories from when Mira had first met him were to be believed, he had grown up in the Corignis Province in Sendium, so it made sense that he was familiar with the area.


    ¡°Yes. Everyone in my family is in the merchant business. I spent most of my life on Lorin or traveling the Baladev.¡± Imi¡¯s voice was enchanting, and everyone on the boat watched her, ready for the next part. Mira was the only one who knew that life on Lorin was not nearly as magical as Imi liked to make it sound. Most of her loved growing up on the island, but a part of Imi had always wanted to leave. When her uncle married the princess, the itch to travel only grew worse. Fortunately, she seemed satisfied with the way things were now.


    Imi went on and for nearly an hour everyone was listening to her childhood saga. Heart Jinura were amazing at calming a crowd and keeping their attention. Every word she spoke was engaging and relaxing at the same time. For a while, Mira wasn¡¯t even angry anymore.

 5: Torrin

    <h2>Chapter 5: Torrin                 August 29, 878                   </h2>


    ¡°Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this fork is the farthest I go,¡± Kipling said as he steered the ferry toward the docks. Trees surrounded the river, the truest sign that they had reached Linia. It wasn¡¯t exactly the dense northern forests of Linia, but it was full enough to provide plenty of cover should they need it. More cover than the grassy plains of Sendium at least. ¡°There¡¯s an inn just up here where you¡¯ll find a hot meal and a warm place to rest your heads.¡± Mira paid the ferryman and climbed onto the docks, not waiting to see if the others followed.


    ¡°Thank you, Kipling. It was a lovely ride,¡± Imi told the ferryman before running after Mira.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Cedric repeated.


    The docks bobbed as Torrin walked along them, following the various signs that directed travelers towards the inn. When the building came into view, a gust of wind picked up the chilly air from the river and drove it across the docks to ruffle through Torrin¡¯s hair. Now that the sun had set and they had traveled north for two days straight, the air was growing cooler. Linia and Sendium were neighbors, but Linia had always felt colder to Torrin, even in the summer months. At least they would have a warm place to sleep tonight.


    A pleasant warmth washed over him when he opened the door, but it was chased away when Mira threw something at his head. Barely snatching the key in time, Torrin glared at her. The iron key was small and speckled with rust, but it was solid enough that it would have bruised if he hadn¡¯t caught it. Apparently now that she was forced to let him live, she had decided to make his life miserable until she could end it. Or until she could try.


    ¡°Room twenty-three. We¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± Mira tucked her own key into her pocket and turned on her heel, walking towards the dining room. Imi looked like she might disagree for a moment, but with a shrug she ended up following Mira. Torrin couldn¡¯t blame her. Arguing with Mira would probably get her nowhere.


    ¡°Come on, then. Dinner¡¯s on me,¡± Cedric offered, knowing full well that the only money they had was a shared fund provided by Princess Adelyn.


    ¡°How very generous,¡± Torrin grinned and followed Cedric to the corner of the dining room, as far from Mira as was physically possible.


    The food came quickly, which was surprising given the number of patrons at the inn. Perhaps they were used to such busyness though. Rivers were the fastest way to travel in the eastern kingdoms, and this particular inn was placed at a fork, gathering business from three directions instead of just two.


    ¡°Do you think that this will really work? That the king will stop Silas?¡± Cedric asked, mopping up the last bits of his stew with a piece of crusty bread.


    ¡°It has to. If he doesn¡¯t, his own men will pay the price. I have no doubt that the Linian Castle will be Silas¡¯s first target. After all, half of the king¡¯s servants are Jinura, and killing the Linian Court would not only free them all, but it would create chaos in all of Linia,¡± Torrin answered, lowering his voice so the patrons at neighboring tables weren¡¯t tempted to eavesdrop.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll pardon us?¡± Cedric tugged his sleeve farther over the chain tattoo on his wrist. Prison had been especially difficult for Cedric. At heart, he was a healer, and prison is no place for a healer.


    Torrin considered lying for a moment, but Cedric could handle the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    After a long, heavy sigh, Cedric dropped his spoon into his empty bowl. ¡°Something about sitting in a boat all day has made me exhausted,¡± he announced, scooting his chair away from the table. ¡°I¡¯m ready to turn in.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue there,¡± Torrin replied, stacking his bowl with Cedric¡¯s. They picked up their packs and found their way to room twenty-three.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the room is nice. I thought Mira would have found the worst one for us,¡± Cedric observed as he set his pack down at the foot of one of the beds. The room was decent. The beds were neatly made with clean blankets and there was even a set of ornamental curtains framing the window.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she tried, but what inn-keeper in their right mind would tell someone which room was their worst?¡±


    ¡°Valid point,¡± Cedric admitted, collapsing onto the bed.


    ¡°No more talking about Mira,¡± Torrin said as he kicked his shoes off and climbed into his own bed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have nightmares tonight.¡± When Torrin put his head on the pillow, he realized Cedric was right. They hardly walked at all that day, but somehow he was still completely drained.


    Thunder shaking the room startled Torrin awake. When the pounding resumed, he realized it wasn¡¯t thunder at all, but a person at the door. Dragging his feet, Torrin got out of bed, lit the candle on the nightstand with his fingertips, and unlocked the door. The moment the bolt was out of the way, Mira stormed into the room with Imi close behind.


    ¡°Linian soldiers are searching the inn,¡± Imi announced while Mira blew out the candle and used the nightstand as a stepping stool to get a better angle on the window. Wind burst through the room when she unlocked the clasp and pushed the window open.


    ¡°You told them where to find us, didn¡¯t you,¡± Torrin accused, directing his words at Mira. She paused in her efforts to get the curtains out of the way. Slowly, she turned around on the nightstand. In one swift movement, she leapt back onto the floor and whipped out a knife, holding it against Torrin¡¯s ribcage. At the same time, Torrin reached out a hand and placed it around her throat. It was no blade, but his hands could give her a third-degree burn so quickly she¡¯d asphyxiate in minutes.


    ¡°Listen closely, Torrin, because I¡¯ll only say this once,¡± Mira whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t play games. When I kill you, you¡¯ll know my intentions, and it won¡¯t be at the hand of some Linian soldier.¡± Mira sheathed her knife and Torrin put his hands back down at his side, but Imi and Cedric still looked ready to intervene at any moment. ¡°Anyone could have told the Linians about you. The ferryman, the innkeeper, the waitress at your table. It doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is that we get out of here. Now.¡±


    Without waiting for Cedric and Torrin to get their shoes on, Mira climbed out the window, Imi right on her heels. In no time, they were all hurrying along the docks that ran the perimeter of the inn. Mira was clearly headed for the woods.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Torrin whispered loudly enough to be heard.


    ¡°What now?¡± Mira snapped, but she stopped.


    ¡°The forest is the first place they¡¯ll expect us to go. And they probably have horses, which means they¡¯d catch us by tomorrow afternoon. Hiding on one of the river boats is a better bet. We can pick one that looks like it will continue north up the Eldon River and we can stowaway on it.¡±


    Mira thought about it for a moment. ¡°It would cut several days off the trip,¡± she weighed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Slightly stunned that Mira had been able to listen to reason despite the source, Torrin led the way back down the docks towards the boats. He picked a reasonably-sized barge with a large tarp-covered container on the stern. Mira beat Torrin to the tarp and flipped it up.


    ¡°It looks like threshed wheat. Probably from Goura. There is a mill up in Fullmin, which is right by the castle.¡± Without further dispute, she climbed in with a grace Torrin hadn¡¯t expected from the one-armed girl. When everyone else took an extra moment of deliberation, she poked her head back out, drawing attention to her chopped, messy hair, now littered with bits of threshed wheat. ¡°Are you coming or not?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Cedric helped Imi up and started up himself. Torrin was about to join them when he spotted a small ferry bobbing at the pier next to the one Torrin was on now. If they had a Water Jinura, it would have been the perfect vessel to commandeer. He quickly untied the ferry from the docks and gave it a good push, watching as it slowly floated towards the river¡¯s central current. At worst, people would think the knots came undone in the night. At best, the Linian soldiers would believe Torrin and Cedric had stolen it to escape.


    ¡°Torrin!¡± Cedric hissed in a harsh whisper.


    Keeping his steps quiet, he went back onto the Gouran barge and climbed underneath the tarp to find the other three already mostly burrowed into the threshed wheat.


    ¡°Cold?¡± he asked, curious as to why Cedric was currently scooping the grains of wheat onto his stomach.


    ¡°The minute anyone lifts that tarp, we are cornered,¡± Cedric pointed out. ¡°We might as well make it more difficult for them to spot us.¡±


    Torrin felt ridiculous doing it, but Cedric was right. Their best chance was to stay hidden as well as possible. He started scooping a pit into the wheat until it was big enough for his body. Soon, his pack and body were entirely covered with wheat grains. It would take a few extra seconds to pull his hood on and burrow his head into the wheat as well, but he preferred breathing so he decided to risk keeping his head uncovered until they heard someone coming.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Imi whispered finally, breaking the silence. Like Mira, she had her sand scarf wrapped around her face. ¡°It¡¯s kind of warm.¡± She was trying to be optimistic, but her voice betrayed her.


    ¡°The beds were better,¡± Torrin reminded her.


    ¡°Shh, I think I hear someone.¡± Mira pulled her sand scarf so it covered her mouth and nose and wiggled her head until it was buried. The others did the same, and just when Torrin felt the last bit of wheat settle over his hood, he heard the tarp whip off the container.


    ¡°It¡¯s just seeds,¡± the soldier investigating the barge called out. Torrin focused on breathing as shallowly as possible so he didn¡¯t move any of the wheat, but it was difficult to control your breathing when the only air you had access to was under a hood. It was a good thing he wasn¡¯t claustrophobic.


    ¡°Hold on, I think I see a ferry on the other side of the river,¡± another soldier shouted. Torrin had intended for the ferry to make it a little farther downstream, but it seemed to do the trick. In minutes, the soldiers were commandeering ferries and crossing the river to chase a ghost.


    After another few minutes, the four travelers finally resurfaced.


    ¡°We should stay here for now. Tomorrow, we can stay hidden and let the Gourans carry us all the way to Fullmin,¡± Torrin suggested. Now that the danger had passed, everyone was too tired to argue or come up with another solution.


    The next morning, Torrin woke up to two Water Jinura arguing.


    ¡°You drank too much last night. I told you to watch yourself. Now we¡¯re moving slower than a turtle,¡± one said to the other. Water burbled somewhere below them. It was a good thing the Jinura hadn¡¯t checked the back before leaving, or they would have seen four sleeping heads poking out of their wheat stores.


    ¡°I did not! You are pulling half this load too, might I add. Maybe you drank too much last night.¡± The boat wobbled in the water as one of the Jinura pushed the other. Torrin felt bad for their group adding so much extra weight to the innocent Jinura¡¯s shipment, but they had few options. As quietly as he could, he shifted so he could see who else was awake. As soon as he was turned around, he jolted, sending a small pile of threshed wheat tumbling away. Mira was the only other one awake and she was staring at him like he was breakfast. He stared back for a minute until Mira bored of the contest and turned her head to stare up at the tarp. In the darkness last night, this bin of wheat had seemed much larger. Now, Mira was only a few feet away. Luckily, both Imi and Cedric lay between them.


    Eventually, the other two woke up. Cedric just sighed, disappointed to be on the run yet again, but Imi had to take a moment before she realized where they were. As the day moved along, Torrin found himself wishing for even Kipling¡¯s strange stories. It would have been better than this stifling silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot.¡± Imi practically mouthed the words with how quietly she was talking.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you suck the heat out of the air or something?¡± Mira looked to Torrin, challenging him. He would have explained that pulling heat from air was very difficult, but that took too many words and they couldn¡¯t risk being heard by the Jinura at the bow of the boat.


    Instead of trying to pull the heat from the air, Torrin lifted a hand from under the wheat grains and put his fingers to the tarp above them. The tarp was trapping the hot August air inside with them, but if he removed the heat the sunshine gave the tarp, it should cool the air temperature underneath it. Soon enough, the air under the tarp cooled down, but in less than an hour, the sun had undone all of Torrin¡¯s work.


    For the rest of the morning, Torrin kept their small space from heating up like an oven. Little by little he stole the heat from the tarp, storing it inside himself instead. By the time the two Water Jinura stopped at a tavern on the water¡¯s edge for lunch, Torrin had started to sweat from the extra heat he was holding onto. As soon as the boat was quiet, Torrin clambered out of the wheat bin, seedlings sticking to every inch of exposed skin.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Mira hissed, but a wonderful breeze blocked out her whisper. Soon, the other three were joining him on the docks. Torrin tugged off his shoes, letting a small pile of wheat grains fall into the river, and stuck his feet in the water. He transferred all the heat he had bottled up into the water until goosebumps prickled at his skin.


    ¡°If anyone needs to answer mother nature¡¯s call, now is the time,¡± Torrin told the others as they climbed out, gesturing to an outhouse up the hill.


    Fortunately, the two Water Jinura took plenty of time to eat their lunch before getting back to the boat. Before long, they were slowly making their way up the river again. Since they were on a schedule, the Jinura didn¡¯t stop again until after the sun had gone down. It wasn¡¯t a perfect system, but after one more day of stowing away, Torrin had to admit that it was the best they could do under the circumstances. At least the Linian soldiers had lost track of them by now.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± a gruff voice criticized from beside the barge. ¡°You were supposed to be here this morning.¡±


    ¡°We came as fast as we could,¡± one of the Water Jinura replied helplessly.


    ¡°Boys! Start unloading the shipment,¡± the gruff voice ordered. Torrin exchanged a look with the others, and they each tightened their grip on their packs. The moment the workers pulled the tarp aside, all four of them leaped out of the barge¡¯s bin, spraying the mill workers with wheat grains and landing hard on the docks. Taking advantage of everyone¡¯s surprise, they made a run for the forest that surrounded the huge mill.


    ¡°Stowaways!¡± the man with the gruff voice shouted. ¡°Catch them!¡± The last thing Torrin heard before they made it into the forest was the pleas of the two Water Jinura, blaming their lateness on the four extra bodies they were transporting.


    It was a close call for a minute, but the mill workers didn¡¯t seem to be very motivated to catch the stowaways. When it seemed clear, they slowed their pace to a brisk walk.


    ¡°Where is the castle from here?¡± Imi asked, looking to Mira for the answer.


    ¡°There is a road that meets up with the river north of here. Once we find Phenstif Road, it will take us straight to the castle.¡±


    ¡°It will be getting dark soon, so we should probably stop before reaching the road,¡± Cedric suggested, stretching out his cramped limbs.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a road to follow, traveling it at night might be better. If we run into bandits, we can just let Mira loose on them.¡± Torrin had intended to insult her, but Mira just smiled like she was happy to oblige.


    They were halfway to the castle when Torrin was seriously wondering if he preferred sitting quietly in a cramped bin full of threshed wheat or walking all night. At the moment, he preferred the wheat bin. At least then he could sleep.


    ¡°Can we stop for a rest?¡± Cedric finally asked. He didn¡¯t complain too often, but Torrin suspected everyone else was too tired to complain.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mira steered the group off the road until they were out of sight. Torrin made a half-hearted fire pit and curled up beside it with his blanket.


    ¡°Silas, the poison, the palace. Am I missing anything?¡± Mira counted the points on her fingers. Torrin had told Mira everything she needed to relay the message to the Linian King, including the poison specifically targeting Corridians, the likelihood of Silas using it on the Linian Court first, and Torrin and Cedric¡¯s value as informants.


    ¡°Yes, the pardon,¡± Torrin reminded her, though he knew she only omitted it to annoy him.


    ¡°Of course. Silas, the poison, the palace,¡± she paused, ¡°and the pardon. Alright, Imi, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Imi pulled her pack onto her shoulders and joined Mira on her way to the road. ¡°We should be back this afternoon,¡± Imi called back to them. Torrin and Cedric watched until the girls were out of sight. It was not a great feeling to have his fate in the hands of someone who was trying to kill him, but the princess had assured him that Mira would relay the message.


    ¡°How about some breakfast?¡± Cedric opened his pack and pulled out what little food was left, letting the stores of threshed wheat trickle out of the pack¡¯s crevices. A corner of a loaf of bread and a bit of dried fish meat. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t bought any more food in the last few days, afraid to risk being recognized as two escaped convicts and their female accomplices.


    ¡°We¡¯d better save the fish for lunch,¡± Torrin said, taking the bread and breaking it in half.


    After four or so hours of lounging around the small campsite, Torrin began to worry. What would they do if Mira and Imi never returned? The princess couldn¡¯t send reinforcements. And Torrin and Cedric couldn¡¯t risk getting caught. They were the only ones that could stop Silas if the king refused to help. As his imagination began to run wild, a twig snapped.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± Torrin muttered to himself as he stood to meet the girls. When he saw who was walking towards the camp, though, he froze. It was two Linian guards. They hadn¡¯t seen him yet, but it was only a matter of time.


    ¡°Cedric!¡± Torrin whispered as he ran back to the campsite. When he arrived, Cedric was already on his knees, a sword at his back and his hands up in the air. Apparently, the two Linian soldiers hadn¡¯t been alone. Another three were waiting at the camp.

 6: Torrin

    <h2>Chapter 6: Torrin      November 8, 873</h2>


    If Torrin had died in the fire that day in June, he would have been a hero. Everyone would have remembered how the tanner¡¯s apprentice saved that old woman.


    But Torrin hadn¡¯t died that day. He¡¯d run away with Silas and his men with the full intent to go back to Corignis to live with his mother. Silas made him wait three weeks before he went back home. It had taken less than one to convince Torrin to stay for good.


    For the most part, Torrin liked being in Silas¡¯s camp. Silas had taken a liking to him right away, inviting him on trips he took to show Torrin what kind of work he was doing. Just last week, Torrin saw Silas¡¯s best healers fixing up a woman who¡¯d been beaten nearly to death by her Corridian master. A woman Silas himself had saved. Back home in Sendium, Jinura were treated as inferior, but rarely were they abused in such a way. Apparently, it was different in Linia.


    ¡°New kid!¡± Torrin cursed himself for turning. They¡¯d never stop calling him that if he continued to respond to it. He¡¯d been here for months, though. Surely they had to stop eventually. ¡°Have you ever played the burn game?¡± Torrin approached the group of young Jinura. He recognized the one calling him over as the boy they called Rune. He¡¯d been with Silas for several months when Torrin joined.


    ¡°He¡¯s Corridian, he can¡¯t play,¡± another boy said, pointing at Torrin¡¯s bare wrist. Everyone in the circle was a Fire Jinura.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Corridian,¡± Torrin insisted. Before coming here, he never minded when he and the rest of the world thought he was Corridian. But in Silas¡¯s camp, he definitely preferred being Jinura.


    ¡°Well you¡¯re not marked. Do you even know how to play?¡± the same boy goaded.


    ¡°Of course I do.¡± When he was younger, Torrin¡¯s mother had explained the game he¡¯d seen two Fire Jinura brothers in town playing. She told him it was barbaric and shallow, but he didn¡¯t want to be left out. He hadn¡¯t made many friends in Silas¡¯s camp, despite being here for several months. It didn¡¯t help that most of them were older than he was. Even these boys had to be at least eighteen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go,¡± Rune challenged, grabbing Torrin¡¯s forearm. The older boy loomed over him, making him seem even bigger than he already was. As soon as Torrin wrapped his finger¡¯s around Rune¡¯s arm as well, he felt the heat start to build. Torrin sent his own heat, creating a barrier between the boys. Rune added to the fire, and Torrin struggled to pull more to add as well. The trouble with this game was that once enough heat was built up, you didn¡¯t have enough energy or speed to stop it from burning you once the dam broke. The trick was to force your opponent to break first.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Rune said, adding to the fire so the skin on their hands began to faintly glow pink. Torrin matched his heat and pushed even more. Not pleased with Torrin attempting to take the lead, Rune added a sudden wave of sweltering energy and Torrin couldn¡¯t take it. The barrier burst and all the heat they¡¯d built up forced its way into Torrin¡¯s arm. With a cry, he jumped back, releasing Rune¡¯s arm.


    As Torrin held his burned arm to his chest, Rune and the others started laughing and walking away. With a scowl, Torrin headed for the healing tent. He never should have agreed to play. He¡¯d had his Jinura power for less than six months and Rune had his for at least five years. What did he expect?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Torrin inched into the tent, looking for one of Silas¡¯s Bone Jinura to help him.


    ¡°Torrin?¡± Torrin couldn¡¯t help jumping at the voice that had come up beside him, but it was just Silas. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Humiliated, Torrin slid his arm so it was behind his back. ¡°Just looking around.¡±


    ¡°Torrin.¡± Silas raised an eyebrow, looking at the arm Torrin had attempted to hide. With a sigh, Torrin held up the injured arm. A clear, red handprint was visible on the underside of his forearm. In the center of Rune¡¯s palm, where the worst of the pain radiated from, a blister was forming. ¡°Your first burn game I¡¯m guessing.¡± Torrin nodded guiltily.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t even hurt that much,¡± Torrin lied, ¡°I just don¡¯t want a scar shaped like Rune¡¯s hand stuck on my arm forever.¡±


    ¡°So it was Rune. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± Silas led Torrin deeper into the tent and sat him down on a cot. ¡°He likes to make himself feel important, even if it means beating an inexperienced Jinura at a silly game.¡±


    ¡°I knew he would win, I guess. I just hoped I would last a little longer.¡± Though in retrospect, Torrin realized lasting longer would have just meant a worse burn.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only just started to learn how to use your power. Besides, the rest of the world is impressed when a Jinura starts showing skill as young children, but the most powerful Jinura in history were late-bloomers. Like you.¡± Silas put a hand up, gesturing for a Bone Jinura to help him. In a few seconds, a tall woman was at his side. ¡°Torrin, you know Bianca.¡± Torrin nodded at the middle-aged Bone Jinura. He may have known her, but that didn¡¯t mean he liked her. She was always curt and brash.


    ¡°Another burn. Fire Jinura are so childish,¡± Bianca droned. ¡°Nothing we can¡¯t fix in a few minutes.¡± Her long, bony fingers reached out for Torrin¡¯s arm, but Silas stopped her.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like the new boy to come help Torrin.¡±


    ¡°Silas, I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, Bianca. You said he needs practice.¡± Bianca pursed her lips, but turned on her heel to fetch this new boy.


    ¡°You have a new Bone Jinura?¡± In the last few months, Silas had been sending smaller groups to Kern. There was a consortium near the Kernish-Linian border that specialized in the export of Bone Jinura as indentured servants. Many of the indentures had been snatched from their homes to be sold to the highest Linian bidder.


    ¡°Yes. He arrived yesterday with the men I sent to Kern. He¡¯s been a little . . . skittish,¡± Silas explained. ¡°Last week, my men were liberating a shipment of Bone Jinura. One of the imprisoned Jinura was a man named Vaughn. He assisted in freeing the remainder of the Jinura, but he was killed in the fray. Unfortunately, his son was left alone, so they brought him here.¡±


    Torrin had never met his father, but if his mother was killed in a battle like that, he couldn¡¯t imagine how he would be feeling only days after. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is he alright?¡±


    ¡°As you can imagine, he is having trouble talking to us. I was hoping you could show him how things worked here in camp. This is his home now, and I want him to feel welcome. Can you do this job for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Silas.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve healed burns before?¡± Bianca asked the boy she was leading over to Torrin¡¯s cot. The boy¡¯s eyes never left the ground as he nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Torrin,¡± Silas said. ¡°Now, Bianca, I would like to speak with you about something.¡± Casually, Silas stood up and led Bianca away from the two boys. Torrin sat very still as the other boy put a hand to the burned arm. An itching sensation swept over the handprint and within a few minutes, Torrin¡¯s forearm was as good as new.


    ¡°That was very fast. You must be a skilled healer.¡±


    ¡°My father taught me,¡± the boy replied sadly.


    ¡°My name is Torrin.¡± Using his newly repaired arm, he bared his wrist to the boy in greeting. The other boy hesitantly did the same, showing Torrin his Jinura-marked wrist before shaking his hand.


    ¡°Cedric.¡± For a moment, Torrin thought Cedric would leave it at that and just walk away, but he hesitated. ¡°I thought you were hurt in a burn game, but only Fire Jinura play that.¡±


    ¡°I am a Fire Jinura,¡± Torrin replied.


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Cedric pointed at Torrin¡¯s unmarked wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a story, but I¡¯ll tell you if you have the time,¡± Torrin said. ¡°I can show you around camp, too. I heard you¡¯re new.¡±


    Again, Cedric hesitated. Then, he brought his eyes up to Torrin¡¯s and said, ¡°Alright.¡±

 7: Mira

    <h2>Chapter 7: Mira                               September 1, 878</h2>


    ¡°We are messengers from Princess Adelyn of Corignis here to see the King,¡± Imi announced, holding up the sealed envelope with the princess¡¯s mark imprinted into the yellow wax for the guards to see. With an almost tired concession, the guards called someone over to escort them into the castle.


    The Linian Court was welcoming enough, even if they did have to wait over an hour just to have an audience with the king. Mira and Imi were given refreshments and comfortable cushioned chairs, which were both heaven after traveling around Linia like a fugitive for the last few days.


    ¡°The King will see you now,¡± a short man told them with an unnecessary bow before leading them down a long stone hallway and through a set of overly large doors trimmed with gold.


    ¡°What news does Her Highness of Corignis bring?¡± the king asked genially. He sat on a large throne, munching on tiny pastries while he waited for their response. Beside him was the Crown Prince Julian, the heir to the throne and the eldest of the king¡¯s three children. Posted around the room were Linian guards, much like the ones that had been chasing them all week. They stood stoically, as if they had no idea their powder blue sashes and squared hats made them look ridiculous.


    ¡°Your Majesty, thank you for taking time out of your day to see us,¡± Imi began with an obligatory bow. ¡°We regret to inform you of this, but the Princess Adelyn of Corignis has reason to believe that Silas of Kavrille has turned his eye on the Linian Court. She believes he has a plan to create a poison targeting Corridians. As your neighbor and trading partner, Her Highness is informing you of this threat so that you may prevent such a tragedy on Linian soil.¡± Mira almost had to roll her eyes at her best friend¡¯s gilded words. She hated pompous royal speeches, but she hated them even more when they came from Imi, a girl that was usually straightforward. It was so much easier to just say what you meant. Mira could never conjure such a speech, but that was exactly why Imi was her partner.


    ¡°A targetable poison? Such a thing is not possible,¡± he scoffed. Mira had seen the king in a parade once when she was a child. Back then, he had been young and strong. While he sat in his throne, it was easy to see how his years as king had softened his gut, made him lazy.


    ¡°There is rumor of a cup¡ªthe Cup of Hathos¡ªthat will allow Silas to accomplish such a feat,¡± Mira assured him.


    ¡°I have heard of this cup, milord,¡± the crown prince added, ¡°If the stories are true, then perhaps Silas of Kavrille really could manufacture such a weapon.¡± The king tapped his chin, but the action seemed contrived.


    ¡°Where exactly does this information come from?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The source is very reliable,¡± Imi replied ambiguously. The King didn¡¯t seem very worried about Silas, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be willing to pardon Cedric and Torrin until after he started taking it seriously.


    ¡°Very well. The advice will be considered. When you return to your princess, tell her we appreciate the information. For now, you must join us for supper.¡± The king stood and snapped his fingers. The servants, trained from birth to understand such rude commands, scurried away to prepare the meal.


    ¡°Your offer is very kind, Your Majesty, but¡ª¡± Mira started to excuse herself, but the king put a hand up to stop her.


    ¡°Nonsense. I will not have you two returning to Sendium to report to your princess that you were not well taken care of. I will not take no for an answer.¡± Imi and Mira were ushered into a dining room and soon it was lined with meats and vegetables¡ªthe natural kind¡ªand breads. The king, the queen, the crown prince, and numerous members of the Linian Court took their places at the table.


    ¡°Do you think we should tell him about Torrin and Cedric?¡± Imi whispered while the royals made small talk.


    Still not sure if the king would even be willing to pardon the two men, Mira waited for a pause in conversation. ¡°Your Majesty, if you were willing to pursue Silas of Kavrille, our informants could be of use to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know they would. They should be on their way now.¡± The king put his fork and knife down and looked Mira straight in the eyes. He may have gotten fat, but he still had the predatory gaze all royals seemed to be able to muster up on a whim. ¡°But they won¡¯t be helping me pursue a self-proclaimed revolutionary who has been nothing but a thorn in my side. Silas of Kavrille will be taken care of soon enough¡ªwithout the help of a child princess, her even younger emissaries, and her escaped convict informants.¡±


    ¡°Father, you didn¡¯t,¡± Prince Julian frowned, but made no substantial argument.


    ¡°So you invited us to lunch to keep us out of the way?¡± Mira got to her feet, not caring that it wasn¡¯t good manners.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said simply. ¡°I won¡¯t arrest you, since you are technically messengers for Sendium royalty, but your delinquent friends are property of my kingdom.¡±


    Mira gritted her teeth together. She would love nothing more than to give this arrogant moron a piece of her mind. If there wasn¡¯t a crown on his head and a royal seal around his finger, she would have.


    Imi cut in before Mira did something rash. ¡°We thank you for your hospitality, but we have other responsibilities and we must return to our princess as soon as possible.¡± Without giving him a chance to hold them even longer, Mira and Imi started to leave. The king didn¡¯t argue, having already gotten his way. Torrin and Cedric were probably already in his custody.


    Together, Mira and Imi briskly walked through the stone halls, passing tapestries, sconces, and guards without so much as a second glance. ¡°Mira we have to get Torrin and Cedric back,¡± Imi said under her breath so the guards lining the hallways couldn¡¯t hear her.


    ¡°Oh, I know. And that pompous nitwit is going to regret not taking us seriously.¡± Mira veered into a side hallway where there were fewer guards.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Imi asked, her hand reflexively going to the saber at her side. She generally avoided confrontation, but Mira could tell she was itching for action.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°To the dungeons.¡± Mira didn¡¯t stop as she explained. ¡°The Northern Prison is closer to the mountains. Torrin and Cedric probably won¡¯t be taken there for a few days. Until then, they will be here, in the dungeons.¡±


    ¡°But if we don¡¯t make a show of leaving, the king will blame Princess Adelyn.¡±


    ¡°If we are caught, we will claim we forged the letter and stole the seal. But we won¡¯t get caught.¡± Mira tugged her cloak over her stump. Her short hair was unusual for a girl, but not unforgettable. Unfortunately, not many people forget a one-armed girl. Usually, she liked it that way, but in matters of subtlety, it was better to blend in. And with hundreds of Linian servants and many indentured Jinura from all over the Four Kingdoms, no one would remember Mira and Imi wandering the halls of the castle.


    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡± Imi finally asked after Mira took about three wrong turns. Jails were generally in one of two places: a tower, or underground. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Goura kept their prisoners in the tallest tower, but the patron god of Linian royalty was Brem, god of the sky. Linian logic would say that a tall tower is a place for a king, not a prisoner, which left underground as their only option. She¡¯d never been in the Linian Castle before, but after a few minutes of speedily walking the halls, she was sure to find a set of stairs going down.


    ¡°I do now,¡± Mira replied when she found the stairwell.


    ¡°Do you even have a plan?¡±


    ¡°I always have a plan.¡± It may not always be a fully-fledged plan, but she always had something.


    ¡°Yes, but your definition of plan is very different from mine,¡± Imi reminded her.


    ¡°Do you have something better in mind?¡± Mira asked, and Imi said nothing. If they left now, it would be ten times more difficult to get back into the castle. She took a deep breath and willed her pulse to calm down. ¡°Wait here. In about a minute, start singing. Put the guards to sleep.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably realize what¡¯s happening before it works,¡± Imi pointed out.


    ¡°Probably.¡± Without explaining anything more, Mira continued down the stairs, slowing her pace so her footsteps didn¡¯t sound rushed. The narrow passageway eventually opened up to reveal a long hallway, at the end of which were barred doors to the dungeon¡¯s cells. The only thing between Mira and the hall were two guards wearing the same blue sashes and square caps as their throne room counterparts.


    ¡°Can we help you?¡± the guard closest to Mira asked, his grip on the ceremonial spear tightening. Luckily for Mira, the king didn¡¯t think Torrin and Cedric were threats, just criminals who¡¯d embarrassed him by escaping from his prison, which meant the dungeon guards were nothing special. They might even be the bottom of the barrel¡ªnot good enough for real guard work on the castle¡¯s perimeter.


    ¡°Deborah sent me to see if you needed anything,¡± Mira replied dully. Deborah was a common enough Linian name; surely there was some servant they could assume she was talking about.


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°Fiona. I¡¯m new. According to Deborah, all the new serving girls have to make the runs to the dungeon guards. All the stairs, you know?¡± A soft melody began drifting down the stairwell, the words obscured by the stone¡¯s echo.


    ¡°Lora brings food for the prisoners at mealtimes,¡± the second guard said, still suspicious of her. Their posture relaxed a little as Imi¡¯s words began taking effect. Mira had to bite her tongue to stay alert.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me Deborah was playing some kind of trick on me?¡± She sighed like this wasn¡¯t the first time a fictional servant girl played her for a fool. The first guard was focusing on Mira¡¯s words, trying to form a response, but the second guard straightened his back and whipped his head toward the hall.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Heart Jinura,¡± he told the other, ¡°stay here and don¡¯t let her out of your sight.¡± The guard bolted up the stairs to investigate the music.


    ¡°Is that why I¡¯m so tired?¡± Mira stumbled toward the only guard left. Still drowsy from Imi¡¯s song, he struggled to move fast enough to stop her from falling into him. As he was caught off balance, Mira sidestepped him, drew her weapon, and bashed the saber¡¯s hilt into the guard¡¯s temple. Just as she started running up the stairs to help Imi with the other guard, a man in white and blue came tumbling down the staircase. When he landed in a heap at the bottom, Imi came running down after him. Breathlessly, she looked at Mira.


    ¡°You need to explain your plans better,¡± she said with exasperation.


    ¡°The plan required speed. There wasn¡¯t time to explain. Besides, you played your part perfectly.¡± Mira inspected the fallen guard. He appeared to be breathing, but he wasn¡¯t going to be getting up anytime soon.


    ¡°Well, before these two wake up, let¡¯s get the keys, get the boys, and get out of here.¡± Imi stepped over the guard Mira had knocked out. As she reached for the keys he had latched onto his belt, the guard jerked up and slashed out at her with his hand. Mira lunged, driving her blade into the man¡¯s chest, but Imi was already staggering away, clutching at her side. A dagger fell from the dead guard¡¯s hand, dripping blood onto the stone floor.


    ¡°Imi!¡± Mira knelt down beside her friend. She knew she should do something, but she was paralyzed. Blood was seeping through Imi¡¯s shirt, creating a sticky red blotch. Lifting up the bottom of the shirt, Mira inspected the wound. How could she let this happen again?


    ¡°Mira,¡± Imi groaned, ¡°go get Cedric.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± With shaking fingers, Mira moved Imi¡¯s hand so it covered the wound before taking the keys from Imi and getting to her feet.


    ¡°Cedric!¡± she called out in a loud whisper, looking into each of the cells as she hurried through the hallway, her mind clearing with every cell she passed.


    ¡°Mira?¡± Cedric¡¯s voice came back not much farther down the hall. She found the cell and unlocked it.


    ¡°Cedric, Imi is hurt. You need to heal her. She¡¯s down the hall.¡± Mira looked around the cell Cedric had been occupying. ¡°Where is Torrin?¡±


    ¡°The guards took him through that door at the end of the hall. They were asking about Silas.¡±


    So the king had planned on using Torrin and Cedric. He just wanted to torture the answers out of them. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Torrin. You help Imi.¡± Cedric hesitated, but not for long.


    A few other prisoners clamored to be freed, but Mira ignored them and sprinted down the hall until she found a heavy oak door hanging open just a crack.


    ¡°Where is his camp?¡± A flash of blue and white passed through Mira¡¯s narrow line of sight.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t just one camp. He is always moving,¡± Torrin replied tiredly. ¡°That is why I wanted to help. I know how Silas thinks. If we can pick up his trail, I could figure out where he is hiding.¡±


    ¡°He was last spotted near Brysbury. Where would he go from there?¡± Mira leaned as close to the door as she dared without touching it, peering at the rack of weapons mounted just by the doorframe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Torrin said, as if he¡¯d said those words a thousand times already and hated each syllable. Mira slipped her hand through the crack in the door and grabbed the handle of the nearest weapon: a large club, made for crushing. It was on the heavy side, but she was fairly certain she could lift it with one hand.


    The unique ring of a dagger being pulled from a sheath sounded and the guard took a few steps, probably towards Torrin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been chasing you all over Linia for weeks now. For your own sake, I suggest giving it your best guess.¡± Mira kicked the door open and swung the club at the guard¡¯s head before he even had a chance to turn around all the way. As soon as the guard was down, she took in the whole room. It was empty except for the weapons rack and a single chair bolted to the floor. Torrin occupied that chair, his hands tied behind his back and more rope strapping his ankles to the chair¡¯s legs. He was completely vulnerable. They were in a rush, but Mira methodically returned the club to its place on the wall and retrieved the guard¡¯s dagger from where it had fallen to the floor.


    The dagger was cold but comfortable against her palm. It had been polished recently, the gleam somehow making it more menacing, though its sparkle had little to do with sharpness.


    Torrin never looked away, watching her the whole way as she stepped closer and closer. He was brave, she¡¯d give him that. But he wasn¡¯t always brave. Four years ago, when he ruined her life, he wasn¡¯t brave. She¡¯d been chasing her justice, her revenge, all this time, and here was her chance. Surely she could conjure some story about how the guard killed him; how she was too late. This time, there was no princess to save him.

 8: Mira

    <h2>Chapter 8: Mira                    March 2, 874</h2>


    The walk was bitter, but the promise of a better future lay at the end of it. Father died last week after a month of a lung sickness. Rylan and Mira had no choice but to move on. Luckily, Rylan was seventeen¡ªold enough to get a job of his own. Since the snow all over northern Linia was beginning to melt, all the passes were clear and the traders were starting on their routes again. The business of trading indentured Jinura and other valuables always required a bit of muscle, and Rylan was young and willing, which meant he was perfect for the job.


    ¡°Are we going to make camp soon? My feet are sore.¡± Having grown up in a small village, Mira had never had to walk very far all at once. Not like this.


    ¡°You need to toughen up, then. We¡¯re crossing into Kern tonight, but we still have a long way to go,¡± Rylan said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. Ever since he got the job as a guard, he tried to be so serious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to toughen up,¡± Mira told him as she charged into his side, nearly knocking him over.


    ¡°Mira!¡± Rylan stumbled and barely caught his balance. He wrenched her away, but he was smiling.


    ¡°You need to toughen up.¡± She leaped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He stumbled again, but she didn¡¯t weigh enough to do much damage. Once he regained his footing, he just continued onward, Mira clinging to his back. She bounced, trying to make him fall, but he just kept walking. A few of the other guards chuckled. They had made an exception when they let Rylan bring his fourteen-year-old sister along, but most of them liked Mira enough that having her in the caravan wasn¡¯t much of a sacrifice.


    Giving up on interrupting Rylan¡¯s relentless march, Mira jumped down and walked on her own again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Milos told her from his position in the march. ¡°He just wants to make a good impression. He¡¯ll be back to normal in no time at all.¡± Of all the men employed by the traders, Milos was the easiest to talk to. He had a son and a daughter close to Mira¡¯s age, which helped.


    ¡°I know. If he was like this forever, he¡¯d bore himself to death,¡± Mira replied. She had hoped Rylan heard her, but he didn¡¯t acknowledge that he had. With a sigh, Mira turned back to Milos. ¡°Are you excited to be going home?¡±


    ¡°Very excited. I haven¡¯t seen my family in almost six weeks. I¡¯m sure Audric is taller than his mother by now.¡± The wagon slowed to a stop and the men flanking it slowed down as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a little behind schedule, and we aren¡¯t going to make it to the bridge before nightfall,¡± Barden, the trader in charge of the caravan, announced. ¡°We¡¯ll make camp here and cross into Kern tomorrow morning.¡±


    Even though the march was halted, there was still plenty of walking to be done. Each member of the caravan started unloading supplies. Many of the men tended to get annoyed at Mira if she helped with the bigger supplies¡ªclaiming she just got in the way¡ªso she followed Rylan around and helped with his responsibilities. Soon enough, the camp was set up and dinner was roasting over a large fire.


    After collecting a dinner-sized portion onto her plate, she circled the perimeter of guards, each of them distracted with their meal and rowdy conversation. Rylan was wedged between the two brothers from Goura and Milos was already seated on the ground closer to the fire than Mira cared to sit. Every other space in the circle was taken. There wasn¡¯t even room for her to poke her head into the conversation. Pressing her lips together, she turned away from the circle. If they didn¡¯t want the pleasure of her company, it was their loss. She was about to make a new fire for herself when she spotted a smaller firepit toward the rear of the caravan, with only one boy using its heat. With a spring in her step, Mira crossed the space between the fires and seated herself on a log by the warm flames.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said. She recognized the boy from the last few days. He¡¯d been passing through Vilta, Mira¡¯s hometown, on his way home to Sendium. When he heard of the caravan headed that way, he paid to join the group in their travels. He mostly kept to himself.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the boy replied reluctantly. When he said nothing more, Mira went on.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mira. Your name was Torrin right? From Corignis Province in Sendium?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m visiting family in the Tatu Province.¡± That explained why he was following them so far west. Torrin held out his right hand, palm up. It was a little formal, but Mira appreciated the gesture. Everyone else in the caravan saw her as a child. Mira held up her right hand, letting her own bare wrist hover beside his for a moment before shaking his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re obviously Sendian,¡± Mira looked over the olive complexion and pale green eyes that gave him away, ¡°so what brought you to Linia?¡±


    ¡°My father lives up north. I apprenticed for a Tanner in Sendium, and I left for a while to go visit him.¡± He used his bread to sweep up the last bits of food from his plate. ¡°You are obviously Linian, so what brings you to Kern?¡± He gestured to her almond shaped eyes and long blonde hair.


    ¡°My father died last week and my brother got work with the traders.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about your father,¡± Torrin said quietly, setting his now empty plate down on his lap.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she answered, burying a hitch in her throat. ¡°I still have Rylan.¡± Mira looked over at the men across the camp. Rylan blended in with the raucous group so well, it was difficult to spot him at first.


    ¡°Hello, friends.¡± Mira looked to the side to find Sherman hovering there. ¡°It¡¯s a mighty fine evening we¡¯re having here, isn¡¯t it? A little chilly, but the fires are nice and warm. Perfect for lounging after such a long day on the road. Do you mind if I take this boulder here?¡± He pointed to the boulder right next to Mira.


    Other than Mira, Sherman was the youngest one here. He was someone¡¯s son, not yet old enough to work and they had no family that could take him. Mira suspected no family members wanted him around. Talking wasn¡¯t a problem. Mira liked talking. But Sherman could go on for hours and never actually say anything worth opening your mouth for.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine, but I think Milos was looking for you earlier. He said he had a question for something you were talking about before.¡± Mira normally didn¡¯t lie, because normally it wasn¡¯t necessary. Sherman, however, was an exception.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably about that breed of sheep I was telling him about. Their wool grows twice as fast as other sheep¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°That sounds right,¡± Mira agreed. ¡°I bet Milos has been waiting for you.¡± Eagerly, Sherman left for the larger fire to squeeze in somewhere he didn¡¯t fit and try to talk over the boisterous men.


    ¡°Sometimes you just have to pray for patience,¡± Torrin said, watching the scrawny boy go as he picked up his canteen and put it to his lips.


    ¡°Or a good gag,¡± Mira added. Torrin choked on the water he had been drinking, surprised by the comment. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been told I have a hostile sense of humor.¡± ¡®Borderline inappropriate¡¯ her father had called it, but he had always laughed.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°No, it was funny,¡± Torrin promised, a smile forming. ¡°And very true.¡±


    The rest of the night, Torrin¡¯s rigidity slowly slipped away. He listened very closely as she told him about growing up in Vilta and about Rylan. In exchange, he told her all about tanning.


    ¡°Using mushed up brain? I suppose that¡¯s one way to be economical.¡± It was disgustingly fascinating. At least perfectly good brains weren¡¯t going to waste. Anyway, it could have been worse. Mira had heard of the lands to the east of Linia, beyond the mountains, eating animal brains. And not because they were starving, but because it was a delicacy.


    ¡°Each animal has . . .¡± Torrin trailed off, and his head was turned toward the wagons. Mira followed his gaze. The guards were pulling out the indentured Jinura, taking them to relieve themselves before everyone went to sleep.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Torrin watched the trail of Jinura distastefully. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why they need to be shackled. It¡¯s inhumane.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Jinura indentures,¡± Mira said. ¡°Besides, they aren¡¯t shackled all the time. Just on the trip. Once their contracts are sold they¡¯ll be in a new home and they won¡¯t need the chains.¡± Her father always said everyone was born with a role to play. It was just the way things worked. Torrin was worrying about nothing.


    ¡°Right,¡± he answered quietly. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to sleep.¡± Mira stood as Torrin started walking away from the fire pit.


    ¡°You should probably stay close to the fire. It¡¯ll get cold tonight,¡± Mira reminded him. The days were warm enough, but once the sun was gone, the air became wet and cool.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he called back over his shoulder. With a frown, Mira headed back toward the main cluster of men where Rylan was already setting up his blanket. Torrin had seemed like he was having a good time, but he had to wreck it all by acting so strange.


    ¡°Why the frown?¡± Rylan asked as Mira started unrolling her blanket beside him.


    ¡°Torrin was acting strange, that¡¯s all.¡± She burrowed into the blanket.


    Rylan propped his head up onto his palm. ¡°That new boy? Isn¡¯t he a little old for you?¡±


    Mira threw a fist out at his chest, catching him off guard. ¡°He¡¯s just a friend, you bonehead.¡± Besides, he is only sixteen.


    ¡°Good.¡± Rylan settled his head in the nook of his elbow.


    Mira woke up early the next morning. It was no surprise that Rylan was already up ahead of the rest of the caravan. He always woke up early and he always woke up hungry, so the first place Mira looked was over by the food.


    ¡°You¡¯re an unregistered Jinura!¡± Rylan shouted from the other side of the wagon. Confused, Mira followed the sound of his voice. When Rylan screamed in pain, Mira sped up, rounding the corner of the wagon in time to see Torrin with a dagger in his hand. Rylan¡¯s dagger. Rylan pulled out a sword he¡¯d been borrowing from one of the other guards until he could afford his own. Not waiting for Torrin to move first, Rylan swung out the sword. Still disoriented from just waking up, Mira could only watch as the scene unfolded. It seemed surreal as her brother and Torrin struggled against each other. Rylan was ruthless in his attack, but he stepped in too close. At the end of the melee, Torrin and Rylan were both on the ground. Rylan had nicked Torrin¡¯s arm with the sword, but blood coated the dagger in Torrin¡¯s hand.


    Rylan was hurt. Panic sped up Mira¡¯s thoughts, leaving them all in a jumble. She needed to get help. To get a Bone Jinura to heal Rylan. She needed to sound the alarm. Still shivering with fear, Torrin met her eyes just as Mira let loose a shrill scream. The entire camp was awake in seconds. Mira ran to Rylan, trying to ignore the chaos that seemed to erupt all over the camp. One of the wagons was on fire and Jinura indentures were being freed, some fighting with the traders, but most fleeing into the woods.


    ¡°Rylan.¡± As she surveyed the wound in his side, he tried to stand. ¡°Rylan! You need to sit down.¡±


    ¡°I need to help. That kid is an unregistered Jinura. He¡¯s attacking the camp.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been stabbed. The knife looks like it went in between your ribs. It could have punctured a lung.¡± At that, Rylan sat down. ¡°The others will take care of Torrin.¡± As she spoke, the camp seemed to quiet. The few minutes of chaos were over. Several of the Jinura indentures had been rounded up and Torrin was detained. Black smoke still rose from the burning wagon, but the men were putting the fire out as best they could.


    ¡°Milos!¡± Mira called to her friend. He heard his name and turned to her. ¡°Milos! We need a Bone Jinura over here!¡± He was about to come over, but every man in the camp stilled and looked down the road. At least thirty men were sprinting towards them, each one of them with a black band marking their wrists. Jinura.


    Before, with Torrin, might have been chaos. But this was a battle. The Jinura brandished swords and began attacking the camp. Luckily, most of them left her and Rylan alone. Mira held Rylan¡¯s head with one hand and his sword with the other, jumping every time a Jinura came close to them. Eventually, it became clear that the attacking Jinura were not her main concern.


    Someone had set the wagon nearest to them on fire, starting with the wheels. It creaked and groaned as the fire ate away at the wood. The Jinura housed inside had been freed and now ran amuck, but its own weight was enough to make it sway. Careful not to injure Rylan any further, she dragged him away from the fragile wagon. Once he was safely away from its shadow, she clutched the sword in her right hand and began searching for one of the Bone Jinura indentures. Rylan might not be able to wait until the battle was over to be healed. Mira had to do something now. As she scoured the turbulent mass of men, one of the Jinura came at her with a sword. She tried to defend herself, but in seconds the Jinura had knocked her weapon away and shoved her aside.


    Mira tumbled to the ground. She must have hit a rock on impact, because her head was spinning and she took a moment to just lay there. When Rylan shouted her name, she could hear the fear in his voice. It wasn¡¯t until the wagon buckled and tipped that she realized why. The scream that tore out of Mira¡¯s body was almost muted to her own ears by the pain shooting up her right arm. When the reality of what was happening set it, the screaming subsided and Mira tried to focus. She was still trying to figure out if her arm was even still there when Rylan crawled up beside her.


    Using his legs, Rylan pressed up against the wagon until it was high enough from the ground that Mira could pull what was left of her hand free.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright,¡± Rylan told her, again and again. As he spoke, the pain slipped away. It wasn¡¯t gone; it was just far away. Her mind was foggy and unfocused as she looked at her hand. The pinky was completely gone. The ring finger was mostly attached. Or was that the middle finger? The rest was a bloody mess. Bone and meat had been crushed beyond recognition. Bright red blood gushed between sporadic patches of intact flesh.


    ¡°You need to tie a tourniquet. To stop the bleeding.¡± Rylan¡¯s words came out between grunts and groans. With too much effort, he undid the belt around his waist and started looping it around her arm, just below the elbow. Pain flared up in her arm, but she didn¡¯t voice it.


    For the first time that day, tears began welling in her eyes. She wrapped her left arm around Rylan and held him tightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright,¡± he said again, his breaths shallow against her ear.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be alright,¡± she whispered to him, but he didn¡¯t return the embrace. When she pulled away, his eyes were glassy. She said his name again, but knew he was already gone.


    Finally, she looked up at the camp. Bodies were strewn everywhere. Those that weren¡¯t killed had fled. All the Jinura indentures were gone. The wagons were still burning, but the fires were barely singeing the edges now. Mira looked down the road toward Kern and saw the last few Jinura attackers running away. Even from the distance she could make out Torrin¡¯s figure looking back at the destruction. She couldn¡¯t tell if his expression held fear, anger, or nothing at all. Once he disappeared down the road with his Jinura friends, Mira was alone.


    There were no Bone Jinura nearby, and Mira wouldn¡¯t survive long without one. She could go back to Linia or continue forward to Kern. From what she¡¯d heard, Kern was riddled with healers so she gathered a handful of supplies, used her teeth and her good hand to tie her arm in a splint, and started walking.


    After a few hours, the shock wore off and Mira was forced to walk through the pain. The world was a haze of road, trees, and sky, but the path was clear so she was able to stumble onward. Several hours after that, parts of her fingers on her right hand started to lose sensation. She knew that was a bad sign, but there was nothing more to do. As she walked, she tried to eat something and drink water, but anything she ingested just came back up within the hour, so she eventually dropped the food on the road, unwilling to carry the useless load any longer.


    As night fell, she was tempted to sit down to rest her feet, maybe sleep for a spell. But anytime her pace slowed, she was all too aware of the pain pulsing from her right arm. Sleep never would have been possible. And if it were, she would probably never wake up again.


    Mira walked for a day and a half straight before she fell to her knees. She hadn¡¯t seen a single soul on the road so far. Tears burned in her eyes and she let out a savage scream, sending a flock of birds flying out of a nearby bush. She was tired and her arm was in more pain than she ever could have imagined before yesterday. Her mother died when she was a child. Her father died only eight days ago. And yesterday, Rylan was murdered. By that Jinura, Torrin. Her chest was heaving with ragged breaths, but Mira forced her legs to push her back up. One day, the gods would take her beyond this life, but not today. Today, she was going to live. She was going to find a Bone Jinura to heal her.


    And if it was the last thing she did, she was going to hunt Torrin down and kill him.