《A Tale of Two Suns》 Chapter 1 - The Exile Hail cascaded from the night sky, while the roars of distant lightning strikes drowned out the sound of the burly man¡¯s footsteps crushing the snow beneath his feet. The exile carried a child, no older than six. He had wrapped the young boy in a blanket and hunched over it, trying to protect him from the icy onslaught lashing their faces. From underneath the woolen wrap, two piercing blue eyes studied the man¡¯s weathered face. The child was quiet, unusually so. The exile had done many wrongs in his life, but he¡¯d be damned if he¡¯d let this child come to harm under his watch. His small lantern swayed in the rhythm of his large strides, save for when the harsh winter winds interrupted its steady rocking. He¡¯d found the boy in the woods, sitting against a pine tree. Untouched, and seemingly as indifferent to his predicament as nature would surely be to a lone child in a freezing forest. The man shivered, and clutched his cloak and the child closer. In the distance, ominous clouds were getting ever closer. He knew he had to find shelter soon, the true storm would soon be upon them. Just as he was starting to give up hope of finding any safe haven, he saw a glimmer in the distance, heavily obscured by the weather. He paused for a moment, turning his gaze to the bundle of warmth he held in his muscular arms, and continued with renewed vigour towards his new destination. A small log cabin came into view, and the man sighed a breath of relief. Fuck, he thought, What are the odds of finding a god damned house in this godforsaken frozen wasteland. He grinned at the child. You must bring good luck, boy. He set down his lantern, and knocked the heavy wooden door three times. After waiting a while, he knocked once more. The door opened, but stopped after a few inches. He was met by the barrel of a rifle sliding through the narrow opening. The blinding light of the fireplace inside prevented him from seeing the owner¡¯s face. ¡°What brings you here, exile?¡± A gravelly voice asked. ¡°Why do you assume I am one?¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t, then you¡¯re here to hunt them. Now speak, what brings you here?¡± The exile pondered the question. ¡°I¡¯m an exile as you say, I had to flee to these lands for the wrongs I¡¯ve done.¡± He looked where he thought the other man¡¯s eyes would be. ¡°You¡¯d be right, sending me away. But the boy... The boy¡¯s done no harm.¡± The exile kept the man''s gaze. ¡°Please, take him in at least.¡± The door shut, and the exile sighed and pulled the child closer. He heard the muffled sounds of a discussion from inside, until the door finally opened again. ¡°Come in, wipe your feet.¡± The man growled. The exile sighed with relief. As he entered the house, the man who had greeted him with the rifle shuffled backwards, keeping the barrel firmly pointed at his head. The interior proved to be as spartan as he¡¯d expected. An unwieldy oaken table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by four simple chairs. Beneath it, they¡¯d placed a moth-eaten rug as some sort of crude decoration. Surprisingly, they¡¯d hung a very nice painting of a sailing ship above the fireplace. It would have looked nice in any other home, but here it just seemed to mock the rest of the house with its obvious superiority. The smell of two people living in too small a space came over him, and the warmth of the fire felt like the embrace of a long lost friend. The man gestured the rifle towards the exile. ¡°Take off your-¡± he coughed. ¡°-take off your coat.¡± The exile slowly set the child down in front of the fire, and began taking off his fur coat. ¡°Katya, hold this.¡± The man said. A young woman with silvery hair adorned with a single stroke of red, strode out of the shadows and towards the man. She took the weapon and kept it aimed at the exile. The man stepped towards him. ¡°Face the wall, hands where I can see them.¡± Well, I can¡¯t blame them for being careful. The man coughed again. ¡°I¡¯m a man of few words, so I¡¯m going to ask you this only once. Am I going to find anything on you that might harm us?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find a dagger hidden behind my belt, and another in my right boot.¡± The threat of the rifle turned an honest man out of him. The man patted him down and found the two daggers. The flickering light of the fireplace reflected off the well-kept metal as the man admired the delicate craftsmanship that went into these twin blades. ¡°Well maintained.¡± A clattering sound filled the room as the two daggers were thrown in front of the young woman¡¯s feet. The man grabbed two chairs and set them down in front of the comfortable warmth of the hearth. ¡°Sit by the fire and introduce yourself.¡± He gestured to one of the chairs, and turned his head towards the woman. ¡°Katya, get the child a new blanket. This one¡¯s soaked.¡± Katya obeyed and gently, but confidently unwrapped the boy. ¡°Now, my name is Aleksei.¡± The man sat, not letting the exile out of his sight. He waved his hand in Katya¡¯s direction. ¡°You know her name. What¡¯s¡ª¡± He coughed again. ¡°¡ªwhat¡¯s yours?¡± The exile sat on the other chair and warmed his hands. They were too cold to immediately feel the heat, and it would take a little while still for the chill to seep out of his bones. ¡°My name is Mikhail.¡± He paused, and rubbed his hands together. ¡°Thank you for taking us in, we would¡¯ve died out there if we stayed much longer.¡± Aleksei squinted his eyes at him. ¡°Mikhail, huh? He who is like god. Though a man who¡¯s been banished to these lands is most likely the farthest thing from the image of god as one can get.¡± The corners of Aleksei''s mouth curled up. This was the first time Mikhail got a good look at him. He seemed younger than he initially thought. Probably not much older than thirty-five. His eyes betrayed the experience of a man who¡¯d lived through more hardships than you would expect of someone his age. They weren¡¯t cold, though. There seemed to be a shimmer of kindness and humour behind his inquisitive gaze. Wariness too. Mostly wariness, for now. Mikhail smiled. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right in saying that I haven¡¯t exactly lived up to my god fearing name. Though I suspect you¡¯re not a beacon of proper conduct yourself, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± A flash of lightning lit up the room, and the deafening roar of thunder followed shortly after. It seems Mikhail came inside just in time, the storm had intensified significantly. The man shrugged. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m not a man of many words, so I won¡¯t be going into detail. But yes, you would be right. We¡¯re both exiles, just like you.¡± Aleksei rubbed his chin and continued. ¡°The church wasn¡¯t very fond of us, although the christian God hasn¡¯t seen fit to write us a letter of admonishment as of yet.¡± Katya smiled at her man¡¯s jesting while humming a tune to the boy in her lap. It was a kind smile and a comforting tune. Aleksei turned around and looked at her, his face softening. Then he turned back to Mikhail. ¡°Listen,¡± He said, in a serious tone. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯ve done. If you¡¯d told me you were an exile-hunter I would¡¯ve shot you where you stood before you could¡¯ve gotten the words out of your mouth. That doesn¡¯t mean I automatically trust a fellow exile though.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Having said that, you can-¡± He coughed again. ¡°You can stay this one night to shelter from the storm, but tomorrow when the weather clears, you¡¯ll have to leave. Do you understand?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Mikhail wasn¡¯t sure if the cough was a sign of a disease or if he just did it as a nervous habit. He nodded. ¡°Of course. As soon as the storm passes, I¡¯ll take the boy and be on my way.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Aleksei clapped. ¡°I¡¯m glad we understand each other. Now with that out of the way, let¡¯s have some vodka to warm our bones.¡± He rubbed his hands excitedly. Aleksei walked over to a cabinet in the corner of the room, and took out a bottle covered in dust. ¡°I won''t have it said that I¡¯m a lousy host.¡± He grabbed two cups, and sat next to Mikhail in front of the fire again. ¡°So,¡± he said while pouring the drinks. ¡°What¡¯s the little runt¡¯s name?¡± Mikhail thought for a moment. There wasn¡¯t any note with the child when he¡¯d found him, so he¡¯d just called him boy for now. ¡°His name, huh?¡± The boy¡¯s piercing blue eyes sprang to mind, and he came up with a name that he thought would fit him just fine, if a little strange. ¡°His name is Nebo.¡± They toasted, and the two men drank the night away in relative silence. The following morning Mikhail woke up with a tongue like leather and a splitting headache. Must have been cheap vodka. He saw Katya sleeping in the rickety chair holding Nebo closely in her arms. Aleksei was sprawled out in front of the still smoldering fireplace, covered by a woolen blanket that Katya most likely draped over him sometime during the night. Mikhail smiled. I guess all the caution they showed last night has been thrown out the window for now. He chuckled. Listening for signs of a storm outside, he started towards the door and opened it. Sunlight reflecting off the pure white snow blinded him, and intensified his headache substantially. The storm had subsided. "My damned head.¡± He grumbled. His eyes adjusted to the bright morning sunlight, and for the first time he saw the snowy environment of Aleksei and Katya¡¯s house clearly. A small well was situated a short distance from the house, most likely frozen solid. Tall pine trees surrounded the house, and if there normally were scrubs and shrubbery they weren¡¯t visible right now. There was nearly no sound, save for the creaking of frozen branches swaying gently in the wind. Some would call it eerie, but Mikhail found it peaceful. His near trance was broken by the grunts of Aleksei waking up. Mikhail caught himself feeling slightly annoyed, but quickly recovered and turned around to greet Aleksei. ¡°¡®Morning friend, I hope the vodka treated your head better than mine.¡± He grinned at Aleksei. He got a one-eyed look and a painful groan in return. ¡°I guess not, then.¡± Aleksei stumbled towards him, and pushed him aside. He took off his shirt, took a deep breath, and dove head first into the snow. Mikhail stood there, dumbfounded. For a moment Aleksei just laid there, but suddenly jumped up and shouted at the sky. ¡°HAAAH!¡± He slapped his own head twice. ¡°Nothing like a face full of fresh snow to wake a man up.¡± He shook his head from side to side like a dog drying its fur. ¡°Get out of my way, it''s freezing out here.¡± Aleksei pushed past Mikhail with relative ease. Mikhail shrugged, and followed him back inside where Aleksei began relighting the fire. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Aleksei asked without turning to Mikhail. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a bad night''s rest ever since I came here with her.¡± He nodded towards Katya. ¡°Which is strange, since before I came here I¡¯d only ever known nightmares.¡± He stopped handling the fireplace, and turned to Mikhail. ¡°So, did you sleep well?¡± Mikhail sat on one of the chairs and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve had worse nights. Though the vodka might have helped with that a little too.¡± He scratched his scruffy beard, and looked at the fledgeling fire. ¡°Thank you again for offering me and the little one a place to shelter.¡± Another grunt. ¡°You do remember our deal?¡± Mikhail nodded. He knew he would have to go out into the wilderness again soon. A rustling in the corner caught Mikhail''s attention. She held little Nebo¡¯s hand and sauntered over to the fireplace. ¡°What a special little boy this is.¡± Her silky voice surprised Mikhail, who hadn''t heard her speak up until now. Her gaze was firmly fixed on the boy''s eyes. ¡°You don''t talk much, do you?¡± Mikhail asked. ¡°Words have more power for some than others, I tend to be careful with them.¡± She almost whispered. Her slender fingers gently caressed Nebo''s hair, as if she were afraid of damaging him. A glimpse of calculative curiosity seemed to shine through her affectionate gaze, but it disappeared almost as soon as Mikhail noticed it. His brow furrowed a little. Katya turned her eyes to him, and he noticed they were a bright, almost golden hazel. His shoulders tightened. He¡¯d have found them beautiful if they didn''t make him feel slightly uncomfortable. ¡°He¡¯s not yours, is he Mikhail? How did you find him?¡± her voice flowed like a gentle stream, yet somehow felt dark and commanding. Mikhail¡¯s eyes turned foggy, and a low thrum seemed to enter his brain. He spoke before he even processed the question. ¡°No, I found him in the woods by chance. He hasn''t made a sound since, and I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s ever made one before.¡± Her mesmerizing eyes were still fixed on Mikhail¡¯s despite his best attempts at pulling away. After what felt like forever, a warm smile appeared on Katya''s face and she turned to little Nebo once more. ¡°By chance, you say? I believe nothing happens by chance.¡± As soon as she broke eye contact, Mikhail''s shoulders relaxed and his sight came back into focus. What the hell was that? ¡°Dear, we should let them stay for one more night to make sure the storm doesn''t return.¡± Her voice sounded like a normal young woman''s again. Aleksei shrugged, apparently unperturbed by whatever it was that just took place between Mikhail and Katya. ¡°Fine, one more night won''t hurt.¡± He turned to Mikhail. ¡°But I¡¯ll have you help me hunt today, hangover or no. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll find a snow sheep.¡± Mikhail nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± He felt a little uncomfortable leaving Nebo alone with Katya, but she''d shown no clear signs of hostility to the boy. He decided Nebo would be safer with her for now than coming with him into the cold. After they¡¯d eaten a modest breakfast of pickled vegetables and dried meat, the two men had gone out to hunt. Mikhail¡¯s face burned from the punishing cold assaulting his senses. The storm might have subsided, but staying out in the forest was still a challenge even without a storm. Aleksei squatted in front of him, rifle in hand. For the past hour they had ventured into the pine forest together to look for any signs of prey they could hunt, but so far all they found was snow and trees, and trees and snow. There was no sign of tracks anywhere. Mikhail had learned how to hunt when he was younger, but never in such extreme conditions. He tried to keep his eyes and ears open as best he could, but he had trouble concentrating on anything save keeping himself warm. ¡°Mikhail,¡± Aleksei whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve found something.¡± He beckoned for Mikhail to take a look. Mikhail crouched beside him and saw what he meant. A tuft of fur got stuck to one of the lower branches of a tree, and there was a very vague outline of hoofprints in the snow leading away from them. Aleksei punched him in the shoulder and smiled. ¡°It seems Devana blessed us today!¡± They continued following the vague hoofprints, looking for signs of fur, droppings, and broken twigs for what seemed like an eternity,until they finally saw the majestic beast standing in a clearing. They were hiding downwind from it, so luckily it couldn''t smell them. Mikhail admired the grand animal. It reminded him of the tales of old, of fae and giants and magical woodland beasts. He felt it would be a sin to kill such an animal, but the need for food soon overturned those notions. He grinned and lightly patted Aleksei¡¯s back. They¡¯d found a moose. ¡°Hell of a catch.¡± Aleksei shouldered his rifle and steadied his breathing, waiting for the perfect time to take the shot. The moose lifted its head. Mikhail heard Aleksei take a deep breath, and saw his finger tighten on the trigger before slowly exhaling. Mikhail saw a flock of birds fly up from the pine trees on the far side of the clearing. A second after, he heard a sickening crunch and felt something warm cover his face. Fresh blood. A loud bang resounded throughout the forest, and Aleksei slumped to the ground, curling up a little and then remaining still. ¡°FUCK!¡± Mikhail dropped to the ground and looked at Aleksei''s face to see where the bullet entered his skull to decide its trajectory. ¡°From over there. Those sons of whores!¡± He spat. He snatched Aleksei''s rifle and hid behind a tree. The blood kept spreading in the snow below his feet, like a glass of wine on a white carpet. ¡°God damn it Aleksei they got you. The bastards got you.¡± Mikhail closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. It was no use panicking right now. One breath... two breaths¡­ three breaths¡­ He started counting his breaths to clear his head and refocus his mind. Alright, how the hell am I getting out of this one? He managed to calm himself a little, but he was in no less danger now than he was before. He had been in lots of hairy situations in his time, but this one was particularly messy. He knew the shooter''s general direction, but his hands shook from the cold and the blood on his face was frozen solid already. He wouldn''t be able to pinpoint the shooter''s location, nor would he be able to return fire accurately. His shoulders slumped. He¡¯d have a bigger chance of survival if he threw himself off a cliff. He laughed coldly and shook his head. Was this how he would die? Well, might as well make a mad dash between the trees and hope for the best, it''s not like I''ve got much of a choice. He slowly stood up, taking care not to lean out of cover. He took one last look at Aleksei and solemnly nodded, as if doing so might convince Aleksei''s ghost to grant him some protection. One breath¡­ two breaths¡­ three breaths¡­ He ran from cover and almost instantly he felt as if someone punched him hard on the back of his shoulder. Another loud bang shook the pine trees. Wet warmth spread all over his upper arm and chest, along with searing pain. He instinctively ignored it for now and kept sprinting further into the forest. The bullets whizzed past his ears, narrowly missing time after time. Keep running, screw the wound. Keep running, screw the wound. He kept repeating it in his head like a mantra. The forest around him became a blur as he ran, and a murky darkness crept up on him. The cold lessened with every step he took, and he couldn''t hear the bullets whizzing past his head or the gunshots anymore. I guess this is it, I¡¯m hallucinating. Probably lost too much blood. But that would be strange, why would he still be able to run this fast if he¡¯d lost too much blood? And why did the forest go completely quiet? The rustling of branches was gone, and he couldn''t hear the wind anymore either. The atmosphere felt oppressive. As he ran, even the sounds of his feet hitting the ground grew almost silent. An ominous low and rumbling whisper that he couldn''t understand penetrated his mind. It kept going until he could finally understand what it said. Mikhail. A soft but firm voice startled him. Katya. Follow my voice, don''t be scared, I¡¯ll keep you safe. The entire forest around him seemed covered in a veil, and he slowed his pace. Was he truly hallucinating? He pulled himself together and continued his path. It didn''t matter right now if he was seeing things, he just needed to get to the house. Keep running, screw the wound. Keep running, screw the wound. He renewed his mantra and put one foot in front of the other, over and over. Chapter 2 Mikhail¡¯s feet dragged with every step he took. It shouldn''t have cost him this much energy getting back to the house, but his eyes grew ever heavier and every breath he took drove needles into his lungs and throat. After what felt like a day, he finally arrived. The sun had already set. As soon as he opened the door, the strange veil was lifted and he stumbled inside. Katya sat in front of the fireplace cradling Nebo. Mikhail averted his eyes and put pressure on his wound. After a few moments of catching his breath, he started; ¡°Katya¡­ Aleksei, he¨C¡± ¡°I know.¡± She cut him off. ¡°I¡¯ve known for a while this would happen, though I didn''t know how.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes, but her lips remained still. He furrowed his brow. What the hell is that supposed to mean? ¡°I can sense things like this sometimes.¡± She said softly. Great, cryptic as ever. He sighed and narrowly avoided rolling his eyes at her. Come now Mikhail, show some tact. Katya¡¯s mouth curled up a bit, but her eyes looked sad all the same. A silence fell. Rain descended on the wooden cabin, and the gentle crackling of the hearth almost made him feel comfortable. Mikhail slid himself into the other chair and looked into the dancing flames. He was never one for superstitions and old wives tales, but the things that happened today seriously made him rethink this notion. Had he really hallucinated? Couldn''t be, when he got to the house he was fine again. And did he really hear Katya''s voice back in the forest? A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts. He grabbed the wound again. ¡°You¡¯re wounded. Sit here, please.¡± Katya carefully put Nebo down and motioned to the bed. She put a kettle over the fire to boil some water, and grabbed a few clean strips of cloth out of the closet. Mikhail groaned while climbing out of the chair and trudged over to the bed. He took off his coat and shirt, then sat down and squeezed his eyes shut, catching his breath. Katya dragged a chair in front of him and sat down to inspect his wound. ¡°It went straight through, it seems.¡± She said, gently moving his skin to see if she saw a bullet. ¡°You¡¯ll live, but treating it will take some time.¡± She looked him in the eye. Those unsettling, almost golden eyes glued to his. ¡°I want to ask¨C¡± Mikhail started. She cut him off and shook her head. ¡°No questions today. You should rest after I patch you up, tomorrow we can talk.¡± That annoyed him a little, but he didn''t have the energy to protest too much. ¡°Fine, just one thing though.¡± She stared at him, and slowly raised a finger in front of his eyes. ¡°Tomorrow, Mikhail. Now sleep.¡± She lightly tapped his forehead, and the whole world went dark. The sun had already passed its zenith when Mikhail stirred awake. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he stretched and immediately winced because of the pain in his shoulder. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± he muttered. Images, smells and sounds from yesterday came flooding back. Aleksei had died. He hadn''t known the man for long, but he seemed a decent sort and he did save his life by offering him shelter for the night. He stroked his beard and shook his head. A damn shame. It took a moment to catch his bearings, Katya was nowhere to be found, and neither was Nebo. Guess they went out for a bit. An acrid smell wafted into his nose, and he realized it came from his wound. Katya bandaged it, but apparently she¡¯d applied a salve to thoroughly disinfect it, leaving him to deal with the awful smell. He pulled away the bandage a bit, and inspected her handywork. She¡¯d stitched him up quite well with some guts, it¡¯d most likely heal up quite well. It still smelled and hurt like hell, though. He put on his clothes, careful not to burden his shoulder too much and stepped outside. Crisp forest air filled his lungs, and the sounds of creaking trees whispered in his ear. Though he still found it peaceful, the events of yesterday had put quite a damper on his growing affection towards the wintery woodland. There were still threats lurking other than the cold. "Good morning." Katya''s voice startled him. ¡°How does the wound feel?¡± He looked around and noticed her sitting atop the frozen well with Nebo sitting next to her. Her silver hair almost blended in with the environment if not for the single fiery red streak. He touched his shoulder. ¡°Better than yesterday, but I probably still shouldn''t move it around too much.¡± He rubbed it gently. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± She closed her eyes and nodded, but remained quiet otherwise. Mikhail approached her and ruffled Nebo¡¯s hair. Nebo looked up at him, but still didn''t talk. Mikhail sighed, and asked; ¡°What happened yesterday?¡± Katya looked up at him, one eyebrow arched. ¡°Aleksei passed away, was your head hurt as well?¡± ¡°That''s not what I¡¯m talking about, though I am very sorry about that.¡± He averted his eyes and shifted from one foot to the other. ¡°I should have paid more attention, he didn''t deserve it.¡± Katya rubbed her hand against her heart. ¡°No, he didn''t. But all of us have to go at some point, some earlier than others.¡± She put one hand on Mikhail''s shoulder. ¡°But thank you for your words. You couldn''t have done anything, it was just his time.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Anyway, what I meant was what happened after¡­ you know.¡± He looked at her again, scratching his head. ¡°Oh never mind, I probably imagined the whole thing.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. She cocked her head slightly. ¡°No, you didn''t imagine it.¡± She was lost in thought for a moment, then turned around and walked back towards the house. Nebo followed her. When they reached the front door, she waved for Mikhail to follow her inside. ¡°Come.¡± He wanted to say something, but then decided against it and resigned himself to following her. He kicked his feet against the outside wall before stepping into the house. When he came inside his eyes scanned the room, but Katya and Nebo were nowhere to be seen. Perplexed, he stood still for a while until a vague shimmering in the corner caught his attention. His eyes widened. He turned his gaze toward it, but as soon as he tried to focus on what was there, his sight turned blurry and he couldn''t make out what it was he saw. He pulled his eyes away, dropped into a cautious stance and tried to grab one of his daggers. He forgot to take them back. ¡°Calm down Mikhail, it''s just us.¡± Katya said, undoing the hex. It was as if she appeared out of a whisp of quicksilvery smoke. She stepped towards one of the chairs in front of the fireplace and perched down. ¡°Sit next to me, I¡¯ll explain.¡± A cold sweat trickled down Mikhail''s back. The trembling that ran all over his body had nothing to do with the cold this time. He¡¯d seen many tricks and sleight of hand in his fourty-one years of living back at the Crowery, as well as enough murder, thievery and swindling to last a lifetime. Things no person should have to see, or do to survive. None of those things had ever truly frightened him as much as this. He took a shaky step back, covering his body a little with his good arm as if to protect himself from whatever this was. ¡°I¡¯ll stay right here.¡± He said, much less certain than he intended it to sound. Katya met his frightened gaze. ¡°No, you won''t. Come here, sit down, and listen.¡± The words reverberated through his bones, and before he knew it he was fixed in the chair, trembling like a whipped dog. ¡°Listen to me, Mikhail.¡± She said, still staring at him, unblinking. ¡°I mean you no harm. I understand you''re scared, but let me explain.¡± Mikhail thought he saw her eyes slightly tremble, but he wasn''t sure if he was imagining it. Calm yourself. He breathed deeply and slowly, over and over, until he felt the shakiness subside a little and the fog of fear in his mind clear bit by bit. If she meant to harm him, she could have slit his throat last night, or the night before. She wouldn''t have treated his wound either, or gone through the trouble of mixing a salve. She wouldn''t have hummed tunes, or looked after Nebo every moment of the day either. She squinted her eyes slightly. ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± He nodded, but it cost him a lot of willpower to even manage that. Katya sighed. She blinked once, and one of her hands shot up to her eyes, shielding them from the light. Behind the cover of her hand she clenched her teeth together and hissed painfully. Mikhail felt his muscles relax, as if he had been a mere puppet and his strings were just cut by an invisible knife. It seemed her hold of him vanished as soon as the eye contact was cut. He looked at the silvery haired woman cautiously, but made no further moves. Katya removed her hand and steadied her breathing. ¡°Give me a moment, please.¡± She said, her voice slightly raspy. ¡°It puts an enormous strain on my eyes when I do this if someone is particularly unwilling to do something.¡± After a few minutes, Katya seemed somewhat back to her normal self, though she still made a weary impression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doing that,¡± she said, turning her eyes to Nebo. ¡°but-¡± ¡°Don''t look at the boy.¡± He growled. ¡°Keep your eyes locked on anything but his or mine. I¡¯m warning you, from this distance I could snap your neck before you even uttered a single letter.¡± His entire body tensed. He saw a flicker of hurt cross her face and somehow a pang of regret rose in his chest, but he couldn''t take the risk right now. ¡°I understand your mistrust.¡± Katya almost whispered. ¡°If you want, you can blindfold me, but please let me explain myself.¡± He looked around and saw the cloth strips on the table. Next to them were a knife and a bloodied handkerchief. His blood. She most likely cleaned his wound with that before bandaging it. Guilt washed over him again, but he decided he had to be sure of Nebo''s and his own safety for now, as her eyes were too much of a risk. He yanked one of the cloth strips off the table and motioned for Katya to come closer. She bowed his head towards him, shutting her eyes. Carefully, he bound the cloth strip twice around and fastened it at the back of her head. His heart sank. Looking at her like this reminded him of certain things he didn''t like remembering. He sighed, and buried his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. ¡°Speak.¡± He said. She thought a bit before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m what you would call a witch,¡± She said. ¡°though where I¡¯m from they call my kind Arcaneborne.¡± Mikhail tensed. Normally, he would''ve burst out laughing at the absurdity of what he just heard, but he had experienced the things she could do for himself. He¡¯d seen the shroud cover the forest and heard her voice enter his head. He had seen her appear out of thin air and he had felt the hold she had on him. So she was a witch. An Arcaneborne, whatever the hell that was. He composed himself and asked: ¡°What exactly do you mean by ¡®Where I come from¡¯?¡± ¡°It means I¡¯m not from this world. I came here from my own, because I had to flee.¡± She said. He squinted his eyes. ¡°Why did you have to flee?¡± Katya stroked Nebo''s hair, comforting herself as much as him. She turned her face away from Mikhail. ¡°My eyes.¡± She said. ¡°Even among the Arcaneborne, an Ocularus is a rare and sometimes hated sight.¡± Mikhail nodded and ran his fingers through his black hair. The silence was deafening. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The Ocularii are known for having the ability to command people when they lock eyes with them, which makes them mistrusted. People generally don''t like having their free will taken from them, as you-¡± she made a gesture to Mikhail. ¡°-have just experienced yourself.¡± Mikhail glared at her. ¡°It¡¯s a disgusting feeling. Don''t do it again.¡± ¡°I promise, I won''t. I¡¯ve expended too much energy anyway, so I couldn''t do it even if I wanted to.¡± She said, a wry half smile forming beneath the blindfold. ¡°That''s the thing, because we''re so rare, nobody knows much about us. Others think we could command a man to take his own life, and he''d do it without question.¡± ¡°You can''t?¡± Mikhail cocked an eyebrow. Her half smile widened. ¡°Do you think I could? I just made you sit down, shut up and listen and you saw how much pain it caused me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, ordering a man to end his own life would either blind me, kill me or drive me insane. Or all of the above.¡± She paused. ¡°Some could do it, but those are far stronger than I am.¡± Mikhail wasn''t fully convinced. He knew there was a good chance she was telling the truth, but he knew too little of what she spoke of to trust her just yet. She and Aleksei had been kind to him up until now, but trust is built in a matter of years, not days. He slouched in his chair, Katya wasn''t the only one with a headache. What was he supposed to do? If he wanted to make sure he and Nebo would be safe, he could just cut her throat right now and be done with it. It''s what he would''ve done in the past, no life is worth more than your own, after all. He wrung his hands. His heart pounded in his chest, and with every heartbeat the headache became worse. He scanned the room that''d been his home for the last two days to clear his thoughts. The hearth, the strangely well-made painting, the terrible carpet, Nebo in Katya''s arms. The old worn-out table, the strips of cloth, the bloodied handkerchief, the knife. His eyes lingered on the knife before looking at Nebo, unbothered and comfortably snuggling up to her. He closed his eyes, and with a sigh he reached out his hand to remove Katya''s blindfold. No life was worth more than your own, but looking at Nebo made him realize that that might not be true anymore. Maybe Katya¡¯s was also a life worth sparing. He looked up at her eyes. They were bloodshot, and the golden glow he''d seen earlier had faded to a more subdued amber shade. She hadn''t lied, somehow he felt it. She was completely exhausted. ¡°Don''t make me regret this.¡± He said, looking away. ¡°My head is killing me. Let''s get some rest and tomorrow you can tell me all about where you come from, I don''t think my brain could handle it right now.¡± He got up and grabbed his daggers, then walked back to the bed. ¡°Mikhail?¡± He sighed and turned around. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡± She said, bowing her head slightly. ¡°I won''t let you down.¡± He lay down and shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Chapter 3 The hearth had ceased it''s crackling, and the steady breathing of two people and a child sleeping filled the room with its peaceful timbre. It was a sound of uneasy trust and genuine care, even though one of the three would never readily admit as such. A sliver of a sound disturbed the peace of the small house. It wasn''t loud or sudden, not at all. It started as a whisper and turned into a rumour. Something not quite proven to be real but growing in volume nonetheless, until the rumour reached the large, wounded, bear of a man trying to hear the truth of it ever since it touched his ears.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. And then the truth reached him. They had been surrounded. Chapter 4 Mikhail strained his hearing. He¡¯d heard the silence of the house and the forest shift, and it had woken him up. He couldn''t make out exactly how many there were outside, but he gathered from the directions of the sounds that they were all around them. As silent as he could, he got out of bed and lay face-down on the ground. The fireplace had gone completely out, only moonlight shining through cracks in the walls helped him see. He crawled towards Katya and Nebo, being careful not to make a sound. He was sure if the people outside heard or saw anything betraying the fact that the people inside weren''t asleep anymore, they''d take action. Katya still slept soundly, and Nebo was quiet as always. Mikhail thanked the gods for that. He carefully raised to a kneel next to them, and put a hand over Katya''s mouth. Her eyes sprang open and she tried to yank it away, but he grabbed her hand before she could. He shook his head, not sure if Katya could see it. ¡°Calm down and be very still,¡± he whispered. ¡°The house is surrounded.¡± He removed his hands. ¡°How did you even notice?¡± She said. He grinned. ¡°In my old line of work, if you didn''t keep your ears open at all times it could very quickly mean the death of you.¡± He thought of his old pal Jotka the Cat, and how he''d been stabbed in the neck after failing to hear a guard coming during one of his burglaries. As it turned out, he didn''t have nine lives after all. Katya sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°Damn it all, I didn''t sense the wards I put up around the house because I was exhausted.¡± She thumped her own head. ¡°How could I¡¯ve been so stupid?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Is that a rhetorical question or-?¡± Mikhail asked. Katya stayed silent. ¡°Sorry,¡± Mikhail whispered. ¡°I tend to make bad jokes in worse situations. You wouldn''t have a secret hatch somewhere we could use to get away from here, would you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Katya said. ¡°I put too much trust in the wards.¡± A bang on the door broke the silence. ¡°Either you open this door, or we¡¯ll blow it to pieces. Your choice!¡± Mikhail whispered to Katya. ¡°Can''t you cast that magic you showed me before, the one that can hide us?¡± ¡°I can, but it won''t last long enough, and they could bump into us in such a small space.¡± Mikhail sighed. ¡°Then I guess it''s going to happen the old-fashioned way, with a pair of daggers and a rifle.¡± Another bang on the door thundered through the cabin. ¡°This is your last chance, don''t make this harder than it needs to be!¡± ¡°No,¡± Katya said. ¡°there¡¯s one other way.¡± Mikhail squinted. Why didn¡¯t she bring this up earlier? ¡°I can open a gate through which we can escape to my world.¡± She hesitated. ¡°I saved this magic for emergencies.¡± ¡°But aren''t you exhausted?¡± ¡°I am, but I¡¯ve always kept some of my magic hidden away in case I needed to use this.¡± She handed Nebo to Mikhail, waking the boy in the process. ¡°Hold him close, I need to use my hands.¡± Katya closed her eyes and started chanting. The room submerged into a thick pressure, drowning out the sounds from the person on the other side of the door. Streaks of deep red lightning flashed everywhere in the cabin, and Mikhail swore he could hear the person outside shouting something. Bullets and splinters of wood came crashing inside, but slowed to a standstill before reaching them. Mikhail saw Katya trembling in the flashes of red light, but still her hands confidently weaved an unfamiliar pattern in the air. A streak of bright light formed in front of the fireplace. At first it was the size of a needle, then it grew larger and larger until it was Mikhail''s height and width. The pressure and deep thrum of magic hurt his ears, and he pressed Nebo''s head against his chest, covering the boy¡¯s ears. He looked back just in time to see Katya open her eyes. A blinding white light shone from them, and she¡¯d stopped moving her arms. ¡°Go.¡± She mouthed, and a weak smile formed on her lips. She tried pushing Mikhail through the portal, but as she did he caught her arm and pulled her in with him and Nebo. They fell through the portal together, and Mikhail held them both close as they did. Chapter 5 - part 1 A warmth enveloped them. As soon as they fell through the gate, Mikhail saw the house being destroyed by a hail of bullets before the gate closed. They tumbled through stars and cosmic clouds, an infinite blackness stretching out around them. Nebo¡¯s eyes darted around, as if to take in as much of what was happening as possible. Katya hung limply in Mikhail''s other arm, she¡¯d passed out as soon as they fell into the portal, and he held on to her with all his strength. It felt as if they were accelerating faster and faster, the universe around them turning into a blur, until a bright light appeared into view. They stormed towards it, and when they fell through they crashed into a body of crystal clear, warm water. Mikhail came up for breath as soon as he could, but he¡¯d lost Katya in the process. Nebo was still firmly held in his free arm, gasping for breath and clenching Mikhail''s neck. The shore wasn''t too far, so he paddled there and left Nebo on the sand, before jumping back in to look for Katya. He saw a vague, dark shape in the water, and dived down to retrieve it. He grabbed at the fabric of her dress and tried to reach the surface, but the weight of two grown people proved to be more of a challenge than he thought with one wounded shoulder. He swam underwater in the general direction of the shore, pulling Katya along by her arm, and eventually touched solid ground with his toes. A bit further and he could stand up. He reached a point where he could pull her to shore, and climbed out backwards holding her beneath her armpits. When they reached the shore, he almost immediately dropped her. Tears formed in his eyes. All the searing pain in his shoulder that adrenaline had helped him ignore, suddenly overtook him with a vengeance. He rolled around on the ground holding his arm, groaning and cursing. A small hand touched his shoulder, Nebo had crawled towards him. He felt a prickling, hot sensation spread through his shoulder, and as he turned to look at Nebo he saw the boy¡¯s eyes faintly glowing with the same golden light that Katya''s emitted. The pain subsided a little, just enough to get his bearings back. Then it hit him. Katya. He had to go see if she was alright. He took one last quizzical look at Nebo, and hurried to where he put Katya down. He knelt down beside her and put his head on her chest. At first, he thought he heard nothing, but as the water left his ears, he could hear the faint sound of her heartbeat. It was almost noiseless, but it was there, she was still alive. Her chest seemed to move ever so slightly too, so luckily no water probably entered her lungs. To make sure, he moved his fingers close to her nose and felt for breathing. The warm air of her breath rolled over his fingers. She was alright. The exhaustion caught up with him. He leaned backwards, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing. As he calmed down, the sounds of a thousand different kinds of birds and the rustling of a million leaves enveloped him, a cacophony of life. The smell of moist ground, like the air after heavy rainfall entered his nose. He opened his eyes and looked around. He¡¯d never seen such an environment. Two suns warmed his wet body from a beautiful clear blue sky, and a dense, leafy forest stretched out in every direction. The water they''d fallen into was a lake, not very large but incredibly deep as far as he could tell. To his right, he saw an immense valley surrounded by tree-covered mountains, holding a somewhat circular city in the middle of it. A single spire stood in the middle, reaching above the clouds and dwarfing the mountains surrounding the city. Giant birds with four wings, and feathers of every conceivable colour flew around the spire. He wasn''t sure, but he thought he saw men riding on their backs. ¡°So it finally happened,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve gone insane at last.¡± He stared into nothingness. Where the hell did they end up? ¡°Mika?¡± The tiny voice startled Mikhail. He looked around for the source, and his eyes rested on little Nebo. Did he just speak? ¡°Mika? Okay?¡± The boy stared at Mikhail, a worried expression on his face. He stretched out his little hand and touched Mikhail''s cheek. ¡°Nebo? You can talk?¡± Mikhail said, his mouth agape. Nebo nodded. ¡°Not good. Little. Kata, teach.¡± He squeaked, as he pointed to Katya. ¡°Kata okay?¡± Mikhail gently took Nebo''s hand, rubbed it with his thumb and smiled softly at him. ¡°Katya¡¯s okay lad, she''s just sleeping. She¡¯ll wake up soon, don''t worry.¡± Nebo¡¯s eyes lit up, worry leaving his face. ¡°Kata okay!¡± He envied how unbothered children could be after just a bit of reassurance. ¡°How did Katya teach you to talk? I''ve never seen her speak to you in the last few days.¡± Nebo touched his cheek with his finger, let it linger there for a moment and then moved it to his eyes. ¡°She teach, here,¡± He touched his temple. ¡°And here!¡± Mikhail frowned. Did she do the same thing to Nebo as she did to him when he ran through the forest, speaking directly into his head? He decided he''d ask her when she woke up. For now, he had to find shelter for the three of them and some food. He could go into the city in the valley, but he had too little information to confidently walk in there. He couldn''t waltz into a city carrying an unconscious woman over his shoulder either, they''d attract too much attention, and attracting attention was never good in unknown lands. Usually, he¡¯d have snuck in there by himself and stolen some food, but he couldn''t leave Katya and Nebo to fend for themselves here in the wilderness. A splash distracted him from his musings. Nebo was playing at the lakefront, unbothered by the uncertain situation they found themselves in. I¡¯m glad he seems to act like a normal kid. Mikhail got up, brushed off his pants and walked towards Katya. He knelt beside her to check her breathing again. It was steady, it seemed like she was just completely exhausted for now. At least, he hoped so. He called Nebo over, the boy came running as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. Mikhail put his hands on Nebo''s shoulders, knelt to his height and looked him over. ¡°Listen, lad. I need you to stay as close to me as possible from now on, and don''t go wandering off. I don''t know where we are yet, and I can''t worry about you when I¡¯m trying to keep us safe. Do you understand?¡± Nebo nodded, a determined expression on his face. ¡°Close to Mika, yes.¡± ¡°Good. We have to keep Katya safe too, so pay attention, and tell me if anything seems strange to you.¡± He ruffled Nebo¡¯s hair. Nebo smiled and nodded again. ¡°Kata, keep safe, yes!¡± Mikhail wondered why Nebo seemed so normal now compared to the last few days in the cabin. Must have been the shock of being left all alone in a dark forest. He decided against asking Nebo what happened, lest he caused him to go silent again. ¡°Well then, will you carry Katya or should I? Should we flip a coin?¡± He grinned at Nebo. Nebo looked up at him, puzzled. ¡°Pick up? Kata too big.¡± Mikhail snorted, and placed Katya over his good shoulder. ¡°You might not want to let her hear you say that, lad.¡± He smacked Nebo''s shoulder, causing the boy to stumble. ¡°Now let''s go, we¡¯ve got a new home to find.¡± He ventured into the forest, and he heard Nebo''s rapid little steps trying to keep up with him as they disappeared into the wilderness. Hours passed as they treaded through the thick underbrush looking for shelter. Mikhail had to rest every so often to catch his breath. Katya wasn''t very heavy, but the pain from his wound combined with the effort needed for carrying her and keeping his balance on the uncertain forest ground exhausted him more than he''d like to admit. At least it wasn''t freezing here, but the twin suns were going down, and the wind penetrating their wet clothes didn''t make for a comfortable feeling either.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Nebo often fell behind. He was just too small to keep up with Mikhail''s pace, though he tried his best. Not a word of complaint was heard from the boy though, which surprised Mikhail. Just as he was ready to give up and build a shelter of leaves and branches, he spotted a dark hole in the distance. Oh gods, I pray that''s what I think it is. Mikhail looked back at Nebo, and saw the poor boy standing there panting, twigs and leaves in his hair, but still with a determined, though weary look in his eyes. He smiled at him. ¡°You did great, lad. Come on, just a bit further, I think we found shelter.¡± Nebo didn''t say anything, but he nodded that he understood. They resumed their walk, and soon reached the place Mikhail had spotted. He sighed a breath of relief, and noticed the muscles in his neck relaxing. He¡¯d been high-strung the entire time they traversed the forest, keeping an eye out for unknown wild animals and other dangers. When they approached Mikhail noticed that it wasn''t a very deep cave, and the light of the setting suns revealed enough to see that there weren''t any animals occupying it. The entrance was somewhat low, so Mikhail had to bend over a bit to get in there. He laid Katya down, and sat against the hard rock wall of the cave. Nebo came walking in, and quickly scooched close to Mikhail. He felt the boy shivering. ¡°Are you okay, Nebo?¡± ¡°Yes, close to Mika.¡± ¡°Good lad.¡± He rubbed the boy''s shoulders to warm him up a little. Mikhail allowed himself to catch his breath, but soon set out to gather some branches for a fire after telling Nebo to stay in the cave with Katya. It was too late to go look for food now, so he had to at least make sure they could dry their clothes and stay warm throughout the night. The forest was a damp place, which made finding dry wood and decent kindling a bit of a challenge. He managed to scrounge up a decent amount eventually, but the venture had cost him more energy than he''d like to admit. When he returned to the cave, Nebo had crawled close to Katya and lay there shivering. Mikhail shook his shoulder gently to wake him up. ¡°Wake up, lad.¡± He said. ¡°I''m sorry, but we need to get you out of those wet clothes.¡± Nebo sheepishly opened his bright blue eyes, and actually seemed slightly annoyed. With a short huff he sat up and took off his shirt. Mikhail felt a twinge of amusement as he saw the boy struggling to undress in a half sleeping state. He¡¯d built a makeshift rack for their clothes, and thanked the heavens when he found some flint and steel in his pockets. They managed to stay dry due to being wrapped in an airtight leather pouch. He struck the steel and flint together, and managed to start a small fire. He blew gently on the smoldering wood to fan the flames, and soon a decent campfire lit up the cave. Mikhail took his clothes off as well and hung them to dry together with Nebo''s clothes. Next was Katya. Mikhail mumbled an apology before taking her dress off, and carried her a bit closer to the fire, trying to look away from her as he did. ¡°You can go back to sleep now, Nebo.¡± He nodded in Katya''s direction. ¡°Lie down close to her, so you keep eachother warm.¡± ¡°Mika not tired?¡± Mikhail laughed dryly. ¡°I¡¯m very tired, lad. But I¡¯ll stay up for a bit longer to make sure nothing happens.¡± He held his knees close to his chest. ¡°Goodnight now, close those big blues and we¡¯ll meet again in the morning.¡± ¡°Okay. Night, Mika.¡± Nebo smiled at him, and laid down close to Katya. Soon, Mikhail heard the steady breathing of the two being fast asleep. It comforted him. Thoughts of how things would pan out from now on consumed him as he stared into the now dark forest. Here you are, in a strange land, with an unconscious woman and a child. He rocked back and forth lightly, eventually closing his eyes. How did you end up like this, you fool? Don¡¯t you know that your own survival is the highest priority? You¡¯ve forgotten the lessons life has taught you. If you hadn''t, you wouldn''t be in this situation. Mikhail shook his head. No. I''ve lived life that way, and all it brought was suffering and numbness. There''s more to life than looking out for yourself, I won''t do it anymore. The doubts scratched at his conviction, he couldn''t shake the feeling of uncertainty in his mind. Then what? Suddenly you''re going to be a good man? Do you think you can erase the things you''ve done just because you''re trying to keep these two safe? Don''t make me laugh. You''re not even sure if you''re helping them to save your own soul, or if you genuinely care about them. Mikhail sighed. You''re right, it might be that I''m doing this out of selfishness. But if something good is born from that selfishness, then is it bad to do so? He ran his fingers through his damp hair and tried to stop his thoughts in vain. You¡¯ll see. It won''t take much for you to abandon these two when things get too dangerous. Self preservation has always been your only goal. He shook his head again. That was true in the past, I¡¯ve changed. A man can change if he wants to. Yes, you''re right, Mikhail. Men can change, but can beasts as well? His thoughts raced for several more hours before exhaustion finally overtook him, and he fell into an uneasy sleep. Mikhail traipsed through the forest, checking the snares he¡¯d set. It had been three days since they''d found the cave, and in those three days he managed to scrounge up some food and water after hours of exploring. The water came from a stream he stumbled upon by chance as he explored the area around the cave. Sadly, he hadn''t seen any fish in there, so he was forced to set traps. He wanted to take Nebo with him to teach the boy how to scour for food and survive, but he couldn''t leave Katya all alone in case she woke up. The first two snares had been untouched, and the third was triggered but the animal had apparently gotten away. At the fourth snare he finally got lucky. An animal the size of a large rabbit got caught, and dangled helplessly from a wire attached to a sapling tree. It resembled a weasel, except it was significantly fatter and its eyes bulged, almost like a frog. He''d caught a few of these critters yesterday as well, and had come to call them Botos, after a boy by that name he had known in his hometown. That kid had bulging eyes as well. He snickered as he remembered how Boto had looked after he¡¯d given him two black eyes for stealing his bread. He checked the rest of the traps, but had to return to the cave with just the one animal. Before he entered the cave, he whistled a tune to let Nebo know it was him that was coming. He waited for a response, but none came. He whistled again. Nothing. His heart rate shot up, and his stomach churned. Please, let them be alright. He unsheathed his daggers, and carefully snuck towards the cave. When he came in, he saw Katya was still asleep near the place where he''d built the campfires. The smell of an extinguished fire hung in the cave. He threw the dead Boto on the floor, and raced outside. He glimpsed a track leading away from the cave. Tiny footsteps. Heat flushed through his body and he grit his teeth. He followed the tracks, and eventually saw Nebo kneeling in the grass between a few trees. He whistled. ¡°Mika!¡± Nebo squealed, and stumbled as he got up. Mikhail flared his nostrils. ¡°Didn''t I tell you to keep watch over Katya? And why is the fire out?¡± Nebo looked away shyly. ¡°Look at me, and answer me!¡± Nebo stared at his feet and plucked at his clothes. ¡°Sorry Mika¡­¡± ¡°Sorry won''t cut it.¡± He stepped towards Nebo and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°Look at me, Nebo.¡± Nebo looked up at him, tears welled up in the boy''s eyes. ¡°I need you to do what I say, do you understand?¡± He shook him. ¡°If you don''t keep watch over her, someone or something might take her, do you understand, boy?¡± Nebo sniffled, and tears rolled down his cheeks. ¡°Oh, gods damn- stop crying!¡± Mikhail squeezed Nebo''s shoulders. Nebo''s voice quivered. ¡°Mika stop, please! Sorry!¡± Mikhail startled himself. He let go of Nebo, and backed away. He looked at his hands, images of his father''s furious face as he beat him came flooding into his mind. He looked at Nebo again. The boy stood turned away from him, clutching his arms. His bottom lip was trembling, and his eyes were wide with fear. Fear of him. It hurt Mikhail, he didn''t want to see that look in Nebo''s eyes. He didn''t want to see his father¡¯s reflection when Nebo looked at him. But shouldn''t I do this to make clear how serious the situation is? He has to grow up, right? Yes, but not like this. This is weakness on my part. ¡°Nebo, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said, taking a step towards him. ¡°I shouldn''t have done that, I¡¯m¨C¡± Nebo took a step back. Guilt cut like hot iron through him. He looked down. ¡°Lad, listen. I just want you, no, I need you to understand how important it is that you stay in the cave for now.¡± He wrung his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you, and I didn''t mean to shout.¡± Nebo warily looked him up and down, and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. ¡°Please. I really am sorry, come on, let''s go back to the cave.¡± Mikhail stretched out his hand, and managed a half smile. Nebo hesitated, but eventually took Mikhail''s hand. ¡°Is okay Mika. Am sorry, too.¡± Relief washed over Mikhail, and they made their way back to the cave again. On the way, Mikhail pointed out a few strange looking plants and birds, hoping to take the boy''s mind off what just happened. ¡°Oh! I caught another Boto today.¡± Mikhail said, grinning at Nebo. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Nebo nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, very.¡± Mikhail chuckled. ¡°Well, then you''re in luck, this might be the fattest one I¡¯ve caught yet. I¡¯m surprised the string didn''t snap.¡± Nebo squeezed his hand and beamed a smile at him. ¡°Very fat boto?¡± ¡°Incredibly fat.¡± Mikhail puffed up his cheeks. Nebo giggled. ¡°Do you know why I call them Botos Nebo?¡± Nebo shook his head. ¡°Why, Mika?¡± ¡°Well, you see, back when I was a young lad like you, there was this kid¨C¡± An ear-shattering screech interrupted him from continuing the story. It came from the direction of the cave. ¡°Mika! What that?¡± Nebo asked, a fearful expression on his face. Mikhail picked up Nebo and ran towards the sound, shielding his face from twigs and branches with his free arm. When he was nearly there, he slowed to a halt, pulled Nebo down and motioned for him not to make a sound. He went prone, and crawled towards the low overhang overlooking the cave. In the small clearing in front of the cave, he saw what had made the sound. It was one of the strange birds that circled the spire in the valley. It was trying to get into the cave, but its wings were too large for it to get in. He looked back at Nebo, and saw his own worry reflected in the boy''s face. What was he going to do? The beast was huge, he couldn''t possibly fight it with just his two daggers. But then what, was he going to leave Katya there to die? He didn''t know how far the beast''s beak reached, he couldn''t be sure if she would be safe. ¡°Damn it all!¡± He mumbled. First, he had to calm down and collect his thoughts. One breath, two br- Another shriek interrupted his mental mantra. He looked down, and saw the beast dragging Katya out of the cave by her dress. No more thinking, he had no time. He winked and grinned at Nebo in a vain effort to appear confident, and grabbed his daggers. He went to the edge of the overhang, took a deep breath, and jumped down towards the beast without making a sound. His daggers ripped into the back of its neck, but slipped out on the way down making him smash into the ground. He fell on his wounded shoulder, and black spots formed in his vision as the pain shot like lightning through his body. The beast howled in pain as it dropped Katya and thrashed wildly around. The huge bird retched, and accidentally slammed its massive head against the rock wall. Good, at least you''re not doing great either, you overgrown chicken. Chapter 5 - part 2 His legs were shaking, though he wasn''t sure if it was because of fear or because of the pain. He knew he had to stay calm, it would be no use to anyone if he panicked right now. The gigantic bird had calmed down as well, and now glared sideways at Mikhail, trying to assess if it was worth continuing the fight. It crouched, ready to pounce on him, and the feathers on its neck hackled. The beast blew some air out of its nose, raising a cloud of sand. Mikhail could hear the sound of bubbles of blood flooding the animal¡¯s throat, and he knew he''d hit an artery. The musty smell of the animal filled his nostrils, and his entire body tensed to jump out of the way if it charged at him. An animal was always most dangerous when wounded, after all. They slowly went in circles around each other, never breaking eye contact. Like a flash of lightning it was upon Mikhail. He tried to dodge, but the hooked beak of the beast slammed into his shoulder. He tumbled through the air, and landed flat on his back, slamming the air out of his lungs. The beast immediately pounced, but he narrowly rolled away from the huge claws drilling into the ground, still gasping for air. It would have gutted him if he hadn''t dodged. Once more it tried to claw at him, but Mikhail rolled away again and managed to leave a shallow gash on the back of its front leg. The beast screamed and took a few steps back, inspecting the cut. Then it let out a mixture of a howl and a screech, and jumped around wildly, kicking up another dust cloud. The sand stung Mikhail''s eyes, and he had trouble opening them. He covered his mouth and nose with his shirt, and tried to catch his breath. Ignore the pain, focus on this. Ignore the pain, focus on this. Mind over matter. He tried, but failed to completely ignore the pain in his shoulder. It distracted him, and distractions were fatal. He knew the beast would soon charge again, and he knew it would probably be his end.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Fuck, well I tried, didn''t I? I just hope the boy will be safe. If it was going to be his end anyway, he''d make sure to take the beast with him though. He assumed a stance and stood completely still, waiting for the creature''s attack. He ignored the world around him, and focused solely on the enemy. Every feather on its body, every twitch of its tight muscles, every movement of its eyes. He jutted his jaw and forgot to breathe for a moment. When it charged, it seemed as if time slowed down. He knew he couldn''t dodge the charge, and decided he''d run towards it. A shout snapped him out of his tunnel vision. ¡°STOP!¡± A tiny voice screeched at the top of his lungs. The creature fell to its knees in front of Mikhail, and he knew this was his chance. He leapt towards the beast, and brutalized its neck with his daggers. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a golden light coming from Nebo''s direction. He kept stabbing until he was covered in its warm blood and gore. It couldn''t even move. He could see the fear in the poor beast''s eyes, and pity filled him for a moment. He stabbed it through the eyes, piercing its brain to finish it off. The creature let out a long heavy sigh, and he knew it was dead. After catching his breath, he looked over his shoulder just in time to see Nebo''s legs begin to buckle. He rushed over to stop the boy from falling, and held him in his arms. ¡°Nebo, lad, are you alright?¡± He said, lightly slapping the boy''s cheek. ¡°Come on, now!¡± Nebo didn''t respond. ¡°Come now, say something lad!¡± Mikhail''s eyes were wide with worry, and he shook him to wake him up. Nebo opened his eyes slightly, and Mikhail saw his irises were blue as always, but surrounded by a golden ring. He''d used magic, just like Katya. ¡°Mika, safe?¡± Nebo managed to squeeze out. ¡°Yes, lad! I¡¯m safe.¡± His voice was shaky with concern as he stroked Nebo''s hair. Nebo smiled at him, and closed his eyes again. ¡°Happy. Tired, too. Night, Mika.¡± ¡°Goodnight, lad. I¡¯ll be here when you wake up.¡± He gently lay Nebo down in the grass, and took off his own shirt to check his shoulder. The wound had opened again, and the pain seared through his body. Sighing and cringing, he grabbed his shirt to put it on when a voice interrupted him. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to redo that again, won''t I?¡± Katya said, leaning against the mouth of the cave with bags under her eyes. Mikhail sighed. ¡°Good morning, yes, I suppose you will.¡± Chapter 6 The suns had already set when Katya cleaned his wound and restitched it as well as she could given the circumstances. After that, she redressed it using a ripped piece of cloth from her dress. The pain was still there, yet getting less severe with every passing minute. ¡°Sorry, Mikhail.¡± Katya said. ¡°I¡¯d help reduce the pain if I could, but it''s taking almost everything I have not to fall over.¡± ¡°No, it''s alright, I can live with this for now.¡± He gave her a pat on the shoulder and looked at her. ¡°So what happened, you''ve been out for a long while.¡± ¡°I used too much of my powers, my body shut down by itself to conserve the little strength I had left.¡± She shifted. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me.¡± A silence fell, and Mikhail shook his head. ¡°It''s nothing, I didn''t know where I''d end up and I figured I''d need you. I didn''t do it out of friendship.¡± Katya smiled at him. ¡°But the fact remains that you didn''t leave me behind, so just accept my gratitude for now.¡± Her smile faded. ¡°If you knew where I''d sent us, you might not have saved me after all.¡± Mikhail frowned. "You''ve sent us out of the clutches of certain death, and that''s good enough for me.¡± He put his fingertips together and looked at her. ¡°I would, however, like to know where we are.¡± Katya looked at Nebo, a shadow of pity covering her face. She intertwined her shaking fingers, and looked at Mikhail again. ¡°We''re in my home world, Yoradia.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°The Dunmori Empire, to be precise.¡± Mikhail raised an eyebrow. ¡°The what now?¡± Katya''s eyes closed as she searched for words. ¡°If I¡¯m correct we''re in the Kelthas Forest right now, judging by the Arulian you somehow managed to kill outside.¡± So that''s what that thing is called. Her shaking got worse. ¡°We should leave this place as soon as we can, if the Wingriders know you killed an Arulian, there''s no telling what they''ll do. At best, we''d be pressed into lifelong slavery.¡± Mikhail felt a chill creep up his spine. ¡°Wingriders? Slavery? What the hell are you talking about Katya, what kind of world is this?¡± ¡°It''s my home, and the world I ran away from.¡± ¡°Well couldn''t you have sent us anywhere else?¡± Mikhail said. ¡°No, I couldn''t.¡± She looked at her feet. ¡°To open a gate, I need to have sufficient information about the world I want to go to. I managed to flee to your world because my Master had me study several artifacts from your world, including an encyclopedia.¡± He sighed and pinched his nose. ¡°Well, that''s not really important right now anyway. We need to evade those¡­ what did you call them?¡± ¡°Wingriders, they''re elite soldiers from the Spirehold who fly Arulians into battle. They consider the beasts sacred, so you just committed a capital offense.¡± ¡°But it attacked us!¡± Mikhail said. ¡°They don''t care, in their eyes we should have felt honored to become sustenance for the beast.¡± He sighed and rubbed his temples. ¡°What the hell kind of world is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikhail. I had no choice.¡± He relaxed his shoulders. ¡°I know, Katya, I understand. Look, I''m sorry, it''s just a lot to take in.¡± He looked at Nebo. ¡°I just hope we''ll be okay. Could you send us back to our world when you regain your strength?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately I can''t. Gates to other worlds can only be opened twice every 180 years, and I opened it the second time to get us here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikhail said. ¡°Then I''d best adapt quickly. Are you okay to travel soon?¡± Katya thought for a while. ¡°I can walk reasonably in an hour or so.¡± ¡°Good, let''s hope that''s fast enough.¡± He stood up and grabbed one of his daggers, flipping it in the air before catching it again. ¡°I''m going to try and cut some meat from the overgrown piece of poultry outside, get some rest until then. We leave as soon as we can.¡± After managing with great effort to slice off a few sizable pieces of flesh from the Arulian, Mikhail walked back into the cave where he saw Katya lying close to Nebo. Both were fast asleep. I hope they''ll be able to move soon. If they can''t, I''m not sure what to do. He thought about hiding the beast somewhere, but it would take far too much time to chop it up so it became easier to move. It was far too large and heavy for him to move it by himself, and the cave entrance was too small to pull the Arulian into anyway. Well, it''s no use thinking about what I can''t do, I''d best wake them up soon. He cleared his throat and walked towards the duo. When he got closer, he saw dancing threads of light connecting their foreheads together. He just raised an eyebrow, he was too exhausted to be surprised at the moment. He knelt down and gently shook Katya''s shoulder. ¡°Hey, wake up, it''s time to leave.¡± The threads dissolved, and Katya opened her eyes. A faint golden glow started fading from her eyes as she did. She stretched and yawned, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. ¡°Alright, let''s go before anyone finds the carcass.¡± ¡°What about Nebo, any change in his condition?¡± Mikhail asked. ¡°Not yet, but I''ve shared some of my energy with him when we slept, so he should wake up soon enough.¡± She stroked Nebo''s hair. ¡°For now we''ll have to carry him, though.¡± ¡°But didn''t you need that energy yourself?¡± She waved away the question and chuckled. ¡°He''s still a child, he doesn''t need much to walk around, but he won¡¯t be able to use his powers for a very long time.¡± ¡°Still a child, huh? I''m not sure if you saw what happened outside, but he stopped that beast with a single shout.¡± He scoffed. ¡°You''re telling me that''s normal for a child?¡± ¡°Yes, and no.¡± She said. ¡°He¡¯s like me, but with more potential. I¡¯ll tell you more when we get to safety.¡± ¡°I¡¯d gathered that he was like you, but yes, priorities first.¡± He said. ¡°Are you well enough to carry him for now, then? I''ll take him when you get tired, but I''d like to burden my shoulder as little as possible.¡± She nodded. ¡°That should be alright.¡± Mikhail checked outside the cave one last time while Katya gathered the little belongings they had. When he was certain it was safe, they left the shelter. The moonlight was obscured by grey clouds, and rain drizzled as they slowly made their way through the forest. Sounds of nocturnal birds were drowned out by the rustling of leaves. Their clothes started sticking to their bodies again, and the cold of night sent shivers through their spines. Mikhail didn''t like moving after dark through an unknown wilderness, but they had little choice for now. Sometimes they stopped when he thought he''d heard a sound that didn''t belong, but kept a slow and steady pace overall.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. After several hours of traipsing through the darkness, he noticed Katya''s pace slowing down. He knew she wouldn''t be able to keep this up for long. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He whispered. ¡°I''m sorry Mikhail, I don''t think I can keep moving for much longer.¡± She answered through chattering teeth. ¡°My legs feel like they''ll give way any second now.¡± He clenched his jaw. They couldn''t stay out in the open like this. ¡°Hand Nebo to me, I¡¯ll hold him for now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, her voice quivering. It was a far cry from how strong it sounded back in the cabin. He took Nebo into his good arm, and tried to continue their path when suddenly an ear-piercing screech thundered through the sky. His heart sank. He looked at Katya, and saw the despair in her eyes as she fell to her knees, he knew she was too exhausted to do anything. The flapping of giant wings came closer as three Arulians descended upon them. Mikhail shielded his eyes from the mud and leaves flying everywhere. As they came closer, Mikhail saw there were men riding them wielding spears and wearing dark leather armour. Their faces were completely covered by a black, goggled metal helmet, from which a tube ran to the iron contraptions on their backs. One of the Wingriders was accompanied by a boy seated behind him, no older than fourteen who was alwo wielding a spear. The ground shook when they finally landed. The Arulians lowered their heads to let their masters safely step down, and remained like this, waiting for their commands. The three Wingriders and the boy surrounded them. One of them wore a gold embroidered red band on his shoulder, and he started shouting at them in a strange language. The commander, no doubt. After nobody said anything, he beckoned the boy to him and asked something while pointing at Mikhail. The boy looked him over, and nodded. The leader shouted something, and before Mikhail could react he was pinned down by one of the others. ¡°Katya! What''s happening?¡± He shouted. She just stared into nothingness when they threw her to the ground and bound her. Nebo got dragged next to Katya like a ragdoll by the fourteen year old boy, and was tied up as well. Mikhail struggled and raged to escape the hold one of the Wingriders had on him, but got kicked by a heavy boot of one of his colleagues in the face as a result. ¡°Don''t you dare hurt them!¡± He spat. The leader walked calmly towards Mikhail, knelt down and grabbed him by his hair. A fist clad in metal smashed into his nose, and the leader shouted in his face. Mikhail felt warmth spreading over his lips and the metallic taste of blood entered his mouth. He sneered at the armor-clad man, and spat on the ground. ¡°Fucking coward, feels good doesn''t it, hitting a helpless man?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Son of a whore.¡± The Wingrider couldn''t understand exactly what he said, but he got his general meaning judging by the three devastating punches that followed. Mikhail was starting to lose consciousness. ¡°Don''t hurt them¡­¡± He sputtered. The leader stood up and barked a command. Mikhail saw one of the others hit Katya in the neck, and she fell unconscious. ¡°No!¡± Mikhail shouted, but before he could say anything else he felt a heavy blow to his temple, and the world went black. When he woke up again he was flying above the clouds through a magnificent night sky. He''d have cherished the view if it wasn''t for the utter despair he felt right now. Freezing wind deafened him and chilled his body to the bone, and he noticed he couldn''t move. His face felt swollen and sticky with blood. He was hanging in the hind claws of the Arulian like a helpless mouse caught by an owl. He could see Katya and Nebo hanging under the other Wingriders, both still unconscious. In the distance, he saw the gargantuan spire rise up above the clouds, and he knew they were most likely headed there so the people there could decide their fates. Trouble had always followed Mikhail, and he''d been in a lot of dire situations before his exile, but none were as hopeless as this one felt. He wouldn''t be able to talk his way out of this either, he didn''t even know their language, how could he defend himself? From experience, Mikhail also knew that in most places strangers weren''t looked kindly upon, least of all if they broke a sacred law. His heart was beating wildly. The one time he wants to keep people other than himself safe, it goes wrong beyond comparison. Was this his punishment? If so, it was a cruel fate indeed. The spire doomed closer and closer into view. If he wasn''t in awe the first time he saw it, he was now. Only a small part of the tip could be seen from above the clouds, but just that part was already bigger than any building he¡¯d ever seen. The spire was made up of multiple sections, growing slightly wider the lower you went. It was built of what he thought looked like huge, black metal bricks interlocking with each other in an intricate pattern. Numerous platforms circled the humongous tower for the Wingriders to land on, and thousands of windows from which different kinds of light shone out of were built into the black walls. While impressed, Mikhail didn''t like the feeling the tower gave off, it looked far too ominous for his taste and he was sure that whatever fate would be waiting for them inside, wouldn''t be a fortunate one. Eventually, after a longer time than he¡¯d thought it would take, they landed on one of the platforms beneath the clouds. The three of them were unceremoniously thrown onto the cold, wet floor. Several masked attendants came rushing towards the Arulians and brushed the proud beasts off with a large brush. They removed their saddles and led them inside to what Mikhail assumed must be their stables. Mikhail got pulled to his feet by two of the attendants waiting on the platform for the Wingriders to arrive. The cold, thin air and the rain lashed his face mercilessly. His face still stung from the wounds he received when the commander had beaten him. Once he got his bearings a little, he looked around at the city far below. A thick wall made up of the same dark material as the spire surrounded it. In the area within the walls, the grounds were split into three sections, each separated by another wall. The buildings seemed built somewhat leaning against the tower, descending the farther they were built from it. Around the outside of the inner walls, the city sprawled out in a circular, yet far less carefully built fashion. There was no descending order to these buildings, and several districts were spread around the area in a chaotic fashion. From some parts, he saw thick, black clouds of smoke rise into the sky. He closed his eyes, and faintly heard the sounds coming from beneath him. The ringing of metal hitting metal, a market vendor shouting his wares and prices to the public, the chaos of thousands of people living in the same place. One of the attendants slapped him across the back of his head, motioning for him to get a move on. Mikhail narrowed his eyes at him, but decided to keep his mouth shut instead of making things worse. Katya and Nebo were both blindfolded, and hoisted on a cart since they were still unconscious. One of the attendants grabbed something out of his pocket, and blew on it. A sharp whistle sounded, and Mikhail saw a huge, impossibly muscular man stumble out of one of the stables. Mikhail was flabbergasted, was that even a man? It had tiny, beady eyes and a foggy look on its brutish face. Thin strands of hair covered some parts of its scalp, and scars marred the huge arms of the creature. Its mouth hung open, revealing the few remaining teeth it still had. It passed by one of the Arulians, and stuck its huge hand out to pet it. Mikhail thought he almost saw something resembling a smile on its face. After the masked attendant blew a different tune, it immediately stopped petting the Arulian, and hurried towards the cart. The platform shook with each of the creature''s steps. It kneeled and picked up the handles with ease, then started lumbering towards the entrance. The attendant behind Mikhail struck him against the back of his head again, and barked something in a strange language while pushing him forward. A blindfold was placed over his eyes as well, and they went inside. They were led up several stairs, and down a long, winding corridor until they finally reached their destination. The people of the spire removed their blindfolds and chained them each separately to one of the three walls by their ankles. Nebo''s shackle was too big to fit him, so they''d used a rope instead. Singular drops of water fell periodically onto the stone floor, and the rancid smell of a half-filled bucket of excrement permeated Mikhail''s nose. It was surprisingly warm in their prison, which was a welcome change from the cold, wet weather outside. Strange how a person can still appreciate a thing like that, even in a situation like this. A guard had thrown some rags and three bowls of something unrecognizable into their cell. Both things smelled almost as bad as the bucket. Mikhail sighed and closed his eyes to go asleep, but Katya''s voice stopped him. ¡°Where are we?¡± She said. Mikhail chuckled. ¡°I''d think you¡¯d know that better than me.¡± His face turned grim. ¡°We''re inside a massive black tower, we were brought here by those flying knights.¡± ¡°Oh gods,¡± she whimpered. ¡°Please tell me you saw a city outside and not an ocean.¡± ¡°No, there was a city surrounding the spire, why?¡± ¡°Oh, thank the gods.¡± She buried her head in her knees, and took a moment to collect her thoughts. ¡°Then we still have a chance at survival.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°We''re inside the Spirehold of Satharia. The rulers here have at least a semblance of a justice system owing to the Gilded Council.¡± She said, looking up at him. ¡°If we¡¯d been taken to the Obelisk, there''s no telling what horrors the weavers there would have inflicted upon us.¡± ¡°Tell me about that another time please, thanks. What can we expect here?¡± Mikhail asked, not wanting to think about the other possibilities. ¡°We¡¯ll most likely be led in front of the Council since we¡¯ve committed a capital offense. Since you and Nebo are outworlders though, they might grant you a shred of leniency.¡± He frowned. ¡°And what am I to imagine when you say leniency?¡± ¡°Well, they-¡± but she was cut off by the sound of the massive stone cell door opening. A guard entered the cell, and motioned for Katya to get up. He walked towards her, and she wobbled to her feet. The guard bent down, and unshackled her ankle, then he grabbed her by her arm and dragged her towards the exit. ¡°Katya!¡± Mikhail said, scrounging to his feet. ¡°Where¡¯s he taking you?¡± She smiled at Mikhail, but he saw no comfort behind her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright, watch over Nebo.¡± Chapter 7 Several days had passed since Katya was taken from the holding cell, and every day Mikhail worried they¡¯d killed her. Nebo had woken up two days ago, and after the initial shock of being in an entirely unfamiliar place, the boy had been inconsolable about Katya not being there. He had fallen silent again. It also didn¡¯t help that they couldn¡¯t communicate as well as Mikhail would¡¯ve wanted, so he couldn¡¯t explain the details of the situation since he wouldn¡¯t know if the boy would understand what he meant. Then again, maybe that was for the best, he didn¡¯t know how Nebo would react if he knew they were most likely awaiting their deaths. He¡¯d gotten the boy to eat the slop they were given after many failed attempts. It was far worse dying of hunger than by an executioner''s axe, after all. Before Nebo took a bite, he smelled it, narrowed his eyes at Mikhail and made a disgusted face. After Mikhail granted him a look that could turn blood into ice, the boy decided it would probably be best to suffer through eating it. Mikhail had had time to think about what they could do to get out of this predicament, but came to the conclusion that he just had far too little information to hatch a plan. All he¡¯d seen were the platforms, the city hundreds of meters below them and the holding cell. He couldn¡¯t see any possibility of escape, and even if he did, he doubted Nebo would come willingly without Katya. Hours went by in which the two didn¡¯t hear a sound, apart from the eerie howling of the wind in the dark corridors outside their cell. Nebo had buried his face in his knees in a failed attempt at sleeping, and Mikhail waited patiently for a sign of life other than Nebo¡¯s. The uncertainty of it all was getting to him, and a man with nobody to speak to but his thoughts can turn them dark easily. The shadows of certain thoughts were creeping up on him; Wasn¡¯t this all Katya¡¯s fault in the first place? What if he¡¯d just left Nebo in the woods that day? They were the thoughts of a man he didn¡¯t want to be anymore, but nevertheless they still gnawed at his brain. He tried to push them away, and as he tried, he heard footsteps approaching the cell rapidly. The guard wasn¡¯t coming for food, they¡¯d recently been fed. His heart rate shot up. The cell door opened again, and four guards entered. Two of them went to grab Nebo, and the other two unshackled Mikhail. They were blindfolded again, and after the guards unshackled them they were led through the corridors. He heard the rapid little steps of Nebo right behind him interspersed with the heavy thumps of the guards¡¯ leather boots. The guards didn¡¯t say a word the whole way they winded and weaved through the Spire¡¯s many corridors and stairways. They went up, always up. As they reached new floors and areas, Mikhail noticed different smells and sounds every time they passed through them. Once, he could¡¯ve sworn he smelled cinnamon, and in a different hallway he¡¯d heard moans and cries from people most likely in the same situation as him. They¡¯d stopped. The guards said something to each other in their strange language, and Mikhail guessed they must have reached the destination where their fates awaited them. Fate. He hated the word. It implied a man couldn¡¯t do anything about his lot in life. His current situation only reinforced that belief. He heard two doors in front of him being opened. He and Nebo were led towards what he guessed was a sort of stage, as he¡¯d heard whispers around him when they led him up a few steps. Their blindfolds were removed, and Mikhail had to shield his eyes against the light shining through the glass ceiling. When he got used to the brightness, he scanned the room. Ten men and women were seated around the podium, divided into three sections of three people each, with one young man with white hair sitting in between two of the sections. They were all seated on opulent thrones, though the one where the white haired man sat was particularly elaborate. The room was very large, and there were embroidered banners hanging from the wall on each of the three sides, representing each faction. One of the banners was black and emblazoned with a golden Arulian, the second was red and sported a coiling silver snake, and the last banner was purple with a kind of black owl on it, though the owl seemed to have two big horns sprouting from its head. He also saw Katya. They¡¯d kept her blindfolded, and he saw streaks of dried blood below her eyes. He felt his anger rise, they¡¯d probably blinded her as a precaution. ¡°Katya, we¡¯re here!¡± He shouted. She looked around in vain, but he could see an uneasy smile form on her face. She nodded. He looked at Nebo, and saw the boy¡¯s sadness at seeing Katya like this. ¡°Kata! Okay?¡± ¡°Are you a-¡± Before he could finish the sentence, one of the guards struck him across the face with an armoured fist again. His legs buckled, but he managed to resist falling to his knees. The other guard struck Nebo¡¯s face as well, and he screamed out in shock and pain. Katya bit her lip. Fuming, Mikhail decided to keep quiet for now to prevent more punishment. The white haired man slightly raised an eyebrow at him, but then spread his arms and said a few words in a commanding tone. Following this, he sat back down and slammed his ringed fist hard on the wooden armrest of his throne. All the others did the same, and the synchronized sound of nine fists slamming into wood echoed through the room.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Katya got shoved forward, and the white haired man started speaking. He had a voice that oozed authority, so even though Mikhail couldn¡¯t understand a word he said he felt he should be careful in how he would act. When the man stopped speaking, one of the guards shoved Katya. She took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re in front of the Golden Council of the Spirehold of Satharia, Mikhail. I am to translate what they say for you. The man who just spoke was the Steward of the Spire. Please don¡¯t talk unless I tell you to. I¡¯ll translate his words now.¡± She turned to the Steward and spoke a few words. The man nodded, and she bowed quickly before turning to face Mikhail again. ¡°Outworlder, you are in the presence of the noble houses Celdos, Wrethyn and Bathavria. As such, you will conduct yourself humbly in this room. Though we know you are ignorant of our laws, you¡¯ve still decided to slay one of our holy beasts, and this is something we cannot ignore. Your woman here has informed us that you have no knowledge of our customs, and as such we have decided to put the three of you on trial. Keep in mind that your crime is normally punished immediately by execution.¡± Mikhail felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The three of you, he said. As he thought, Nebo was in danger as well. He calmed himself and turned to Nebo. The boy¡¯s face had grown swollen and red, and tears welled up in his eyes. Mikhail winked at him and smiled, trying to calm him down. He looked at the Steward, and silently nodded to show that he understood. The man studied Mikhail and began speaking again at length. Mikhail found the language to sound somewhat melodic and lilting. It would have been pleasant to hear if not for the content he knew the words held. When the Steward stopped speaking, he gestured for Katya to translate again. The guard tapped her shoulder. Katya nodded. ¡°I see you understand. We¡¯ve heard what happened from this woman and the trainee who witnessed what you did, but we¡¯d like to hear your version as well to ascertain if she¡¯s telling the truth. Though we have decided to consider leniency in your case, keep in mind that if we notice any lies, this leniency will be discarded and all three of you will be executed immediately. Now, tell us everything. We will decide your fate after we¡¯ve heard what you have to say.¡± Mikhail¡¯s mind raced. Should he tell the entire truth, or not? What if there was something he¡¯d say that he¡¯d regret? Or something he didn¡¯t say? What did Katya tell them? After a while, the steward slammed his hand on the armrest again and shouted a command. Mikhail didn¡¯t need a translator to understand that he¡¯d best start talking now. After considering it, he decided they probably knew about Katya¡¯s powers since they¡¯d wounded her eyes. He¡¯d leave out that Nebo could do magic because Katya had to run away to his world to be safe. They hadn¡¯t left the boy blindfolded or mutilated either, so he could reasonably assume they didn¡¯t know about Nebo stopping the Arulian, furiously hoping the so-called trainee hadn''t stuck around to see the end of the fight. So he began. He told them about how they¡¯d ended up here, how they survived in the cave, how they¡¯d heard the shriek coming from the cave, and how he¡¯d jumped down and sliced open the neck of the Arulian. He could hear audible gasps at that part, and it amused him a little that he¡¯d made them uncomfortable. Then he told them about how they got captured, and ended the tale at being thrown into the holding cell. The council members whispered to each other fervently, some even raising their voices. After an appropriate amount of time, the Steward raised his hands, and the bickering died down. He looked at Mikhail intensely, and spoke again. After he was done, he asked each of the noble houses for their opinions, and motioned for Katya to speak again. Katya¡¯s lip trembled, and Mikhail heard her voice crack as she began translating. ¡°The houses have heard your explanation. Though unwittingly, you''ve still broken one of our most important laws. As such, the houses of Bathavria and Celdos have decided upon your execution. The child will be made to work as a slave in the Balthun Mines for the Empire until his death. The woman will be transferred to the Elysian Tower, where her eyes will be healed. She will be examined and re-evaluated as a Weaver and an Ocularus since she was unconscious at the time of the crime. The house of Wrethyn have withheld their verdict. Do you or the child wish to say anything more in your defense?¡± Mikhail¡¯s eyes widened. So this was to be the end for him after all. He thought he¡¯d probably have been better off telling them about Nebo¡¯s powers if he would be sent to work as a slave his entire life. After considering all possible angles, he started speaking. ¡°The child, he-¡± But Katya cut him off. She dropped to her knees and wailed in the Empire¡¯s language. He saw her bowing her head to the floor multiple times as she begged for something. The Steward shouted, and Katya fell silent. He looked around the council at the sections one by one, and each nodded in turn. Then he stood up and spoke again. As he spoke, Mikhail could see a sad smile forming on Katya¡¯s face. This didn¡¯t calm Mikhail. It wasn¡¯t a smile you¡¯d see on the face of someone who¡¯d won. After the Steward finished, he slammed his fist on the throne once more, and all nine of the council followed suit. He said something to Katya in a noticeably softer tone, and she nodded. Her voice was still shaky. ¡°Outworlder, this woman had the chance to be trained and educated at the Elysian Tower in service of the Emperor. She has turned this down in favor of giving her life to protect you, however.¡± Her shoulders slumped. ¡°In accordance with our laws, she is entitled to give her life for another, as we see this as one of the highest virtues one can possess. Our ancestor and hero, Bathael, has sacrificed his life to defeat the Unraveled One in this very room, saving countless lives in the process. She, too, will sacrifice her life in this room to save yours. In honor of her sacrifice, we will send you along with the child to the mines so you may watch over him. This is as much as we can do.¡± She paused, and took a deep breath. ¡°Keep him safe, I know you will. Don¡¯t let them take him away from you.¡± One of the guards unsheathed his longsword, and walked up to Katya. ¡°Mikhail, remember, a life spent protecting is a life worth living, even as a slave.¡± She turned her head to Nebo. ¡°And you, child, take care of him, he might need it even more than you do.¡± She smiled and gazed up at the glass ceiling. ¡°Time to rest.¡± The guard stepped behind her and turned the tip of his sword towards her neck. The Steward said something, and in a flash the sword pierced her throat. She fell to the floor, a puddle of blood forming beneath her body. Nebo cried out. ¡°Kata! Kata! No!¡± He turned to Mikhail. ¡°You, keep Kata safe! Help Kata!¡± It killed a piece of Mikhail. He knew he couldn¡¯t do anything to help her, but he still broke a promise to the boy. He¡¯d said he¡¯d keep them safe, and he failed. ¡°Mika, help!¡± But Mikhail could only look at Katya¡¯s lifeless body on the floor. He closed his eyes and felt a tear roll down his scarred cheek. Their fates were sealed. Chapter 8 - Part 1 Mikhail Five years to the dot had passed since that day in the council chambers. Mikhail sat on his bed, waiting for Nebo to come back so they could start their tradition of remembering Katya. He should be done soon with his tasks in the mess hall. Mikhail¡¯s soul had grown tired from the constant misery he had to endure within the mines. The shiftmasters made the miners work twelve hours a day without pause, and many collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. He kept mostly to himself. Any friends he¡¯d make would sooner or later keel over anyway, and others were only friends for as long as they could take advantage of him in some way. He¡¯d killed a man here. The man had tried to steal Nebo''s food, so that same night Mikhail had gone out to find him. When he did, he made sure nobody had seen him and pierced his skull with a pickaxe. Nobody saw, or nobody cared enough to report it. Nobody saw, except for Nebo. He had taken the boy along to teach him how to survive in dire circumstances. The look on the poor boy¡¯s face had broken his heart, but he knew he had to show him what to do when a man tries to take your life, and stealing food was tantamount to taking a life in the mines. Nebo was still a bit too young to work as one of the miners, so they''d put him to work in the kitchens and as one of the cart haulers. The boy had learnt to speak well these last years, and Mikhail knew how to speak the language of the empire. Dunmorian, they called it. The boy had been heartbroken after Katya''s death, and it had taken three months before he¡¯d spoken a word to Mikhail. The words he said, in Dunmorian, was ¡®forgive you¡¯. After that, Mikhail set out to teach the boy how to speak well. He was an incredibly fast learner, and soon formed complex sentences in Mikhail''s language. Nebo easily picked up Dunmorian from the other children, and taught Mikhail how to speak it in turn. As soon as they could converse properly, Mikhail explained to Nebo that he should never use his powers in front of others, lest he''d be taken away to the Elysian Tower. They''d wanted to drag Katya there, and she''d preferred death. When they needed to discuss things in private, they''d use Mikhail''s native language, otherwise they stuck to Dunmorian. Nebo entered the quarters, he¡¯d grown tall, taller than most boys his age. He¡¯d told Mikhail that he sometimes stole food while working in the kitchen, and he brought back some occasionally as well. Today, he did. ¡°Mika!¡± Nebo smiled and waved at him as he approached. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching, and handed him a dried piece of sausage. ¡°I managed to swipe some of the food that was headed for the shiftmasters.¡± He said, sporting a devious grin. Mikhail frowned, but Nebo cut him off before he could say anything. ¡°Don''t worry, I made sure I took it after they''d checked the ledgers.¡± Mikhail sighed. ¡°Be careful, damn you. If they notice you stealing from the masters, it won''t end with a few lashes of the whip.¡± ¡°I know, Mika. Sorry, but it''s a special day today.¡± ¡°Yes, lad.¡± He said. ¡°I suppose it is.¡± Nebo sat next to Mikhail, folded his hands and closed his eyes. ¡°Dear Katya, if you hear this-¡± ¡°She will, lad.¡± Mikhail patted Nebo''s shoulder. ¡°If you hear this, thank you for making sure Mika and I could stay together. As bad as it is here, it''s nice seeing his grumpy, ugly face every evening.¡± Mikhail slapped the back of Nebo''s head and chuckled. Nebo grinned. ¡°I preferred your face to his, but thank you anyway.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see if your face stays handsome when you''re as old as me, brat.¡± Mikhail ruffled his hair. ¡°Now let''s eat.¡± Nebo pushed Mikhail''s hand away. ¡°I hate it when you do that, I''m not a little kid anymore.¡± ¡°You''ll always be a kid to me.¡± Nebo snorted. The two split the sausage between them, and Nebo pulled out two tomatoes and a piece of hard cheese hidden underneath his rags. "Oh?" Mikhail said. ¡°Tomatoes without any mold? That''s a surprise.¡± Nebo shrugged. ¡°Like I said, it was meant for the shiftmasters. You know they get the best, Mika.¡± ¡°Aye, that they do. Let''s eat everything quickly before anyone sees.¡± They stuffed their faces as fast as they safely could without choking, and it fell silent for a while. ¡°I''m sorry I couldn''t give you a better life, lad.¡± Mikhail said. ¡°If I could, I¡¯d break us out of here, but I haven''t seen any possible way we could.¡± Nebo shrugged and smiled at him. ¡°S¡¯okay, if I hear or see anything strange I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Mikhail was surprised by the positivity the boy possessed, it seemed like nothing could get him down. Even after witnessing all the misery of the mines, he hadn''t lost that spark in his eyes. Maybe it was naivety, but he was content to know Nebo had it. Mikhail''s hope had long gone. He didn''t tell the boy, but he knew there was no way to get out of here except in a coffin. The horns blew. Slaves scrambled into the quarters and hurried to their beds. Mikhail shooed Nebo away and he quickly lay down, staring at the candle on his cabinet. ¡°Candles out, you filthy dogs!¡± One of the shiftmasters commanded. ¡°If I see or hear anything when I come back, I¡¯ll have you whipped ¡®till dawn.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. At least they cared about a good night''s sleep. Nebo The lights had gone out. All the slaves were forced to go to sleep when the shiftmasters told them to, so they wouldn''t lose efficiency the following day. The slaves were divided into two shifts working for twelve hours each. They never switched these shifts and they never met, so as to stop too much contact between the groups from happening. They did this to prevent them from becoming too organized. Nebo knew this, he¡¯d heard the masters whisper about the Unity Rebellion at night when they thought slaves weren''t around. They were a rebellion made up of former slaves, both Dunmorii and Acuamorii, who fought to end the oppression of the empire. It sounded like a tale of heroes in his mind. But heroes were often fools. He knew a hero without real power wouldn''t amount to much, and so he was skeptical of the rebellion. He¡¯d heard tales of the empire¡¯s military might from the other children. The Satharian Wingriders raining death from above, the imperial knights who were trained from childhood, the Paladins of Sahrion with their flaming greatswords and the Weavers of the Elysian Tower. He''d heard of the Elysian Tower on the day of the trial. Katya had chosen to save Mikhail instead of going there, and had given the impression that it was a place to be avoided. After hearing the stories, he couldn''t imagine a ragtag group of former slaves overthrow an empire as formidable as that. Nebo covered his face with his moldy, thin blanket, and concentrated on the shimmering strands in front of him that faded in and out of existence. Mikhail had told him not to use his powers after he got them back, but it was as much a part of him as his hands or feet or heart were. He couldn''t resist. Besides, it helped him remain unseen when he went out at night. He imagined grasping some of the strands in his mind, and weaved them together in roughly the same pattern as he had seen Katya make when he was little. He felt the air around him grow heavy, and as he progressed in weaving the improvised spell he felt the world around him grow quiet. It wasn''t nearly as effective as Katya''s magic had been, but it was enough to let him blend into his surroundings if he kept to the shadows. The drawback, however, was that his hearing would be muffled as well as his steps, but he¡¯d learnt to train his vision well enough for this not to pose that much of a problem. Nebo snuck out of his bed. The darkness in the sleeping quarters and the snoring of dozens of slaves helped him remain practically invisible. When he reached the entrance, he peeked through the crack in the door to see if the shiftmaster was coming, but didn''t see him nearby. Good, let''s get some more food. He opened the door, and silently dashed around the corner, back into the safety of the shadows. He knew getting caught stealing would cost him an arm and a leg, literally, but he couldn''t stand seeing Mikhail grow skinnier and weaker each passing day. The dark haired bear of a man was but a shadow of what he once was, and it pained Nebo. He knew the safest route to the food storage by now, and after scanning his surroundings he quickly set out to rob the masters blind again. Moving from shadow to shadow, he darted between rocks and crates, all the while scanning his surroundings for guards and shiftmasters. When someone passed by him, he remained in place, and as soon as they were gone he was on the move again. He had to be quick, the spell wore him out after a time and he had to prevent passing out from overuse. A shiver crawled up his back as he imagined what would happen to him if they found him passed out in the storage, surrounded by dried meat and vegetables. Two of the masters came around the corner, and he dove into the shadow of a boulder beside him. One of the men laughed and slapped the other on the back. When they passed by, he could hear what they were talking about. ¡°By Sahrion, did you hear that filthy greenling squeal?¡± The master laughed again, nearly choking on his own mucus. ¡°Thought the little whoreson¡¯d turn me deaf, I tell yous.¡± ¡°Aye, I know it was necessary, but I can''t quite get used to the screams.¡± The other one said. ¡°Acuamori or no, it''s still a child.¡± ¡°Acua my arse. They¡¯re sniveling, long-eared greenlings, filthy forest dwellers.¡± The master spat on the ground. ¡°Better to cull them young, when they grow tall they tend to be mighty quick with a pair of daggers.¡± Nebo had met a few Acuamori slaves. They kept quiet most of the time and stuck to their own kind. The Dunmori called them greenlings because they usually lived in forests and tended to have green markings on their sallow faces. Apparently the forest kingdoms to the east had united to form the Acuamorii Federation. It seemed the masters had tortured or killed one of their children. When they moved on, Nebo ran for the storage again. A few more corners and he''d be at the entrance. This would be the hardest part, since there was a gate in front of the storage that was always guarded by two men. He''d have to sneak through the fence, but the area he had to pass was well lit so he had to be careful. If by chance they looked directly at Nebo when he crossed, they¡¯d see him. Vaguely, but they''d know there was someone there. Once he made sure nobody would see him, except for the guards if he was unlucky, he decided to take the risk. He crept from the shadows into the light and quickly crossed the well lit area, all while keeping an eye on the two men at the gate. The guards hadn''t looked his way yet, and he kept moving. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw one of the guards move his head. His heart jumped, but he quickly realized that the guard was looking in the opposite direction. After a nerve-wracking few seconds, he finally arrived at the fence. He squeezed his lanky body through the bars, and finally arrived at his destination. Around the corner of the storage, there were cellar doors leading below ground. They kept the cured meats there, and that''s what he was after. He could hide them somewhere and they wouldn''t rot easily. Nebo crept along the walls until he reached the cellar doors. He carefully opened them, making sure not to make a sound, and climbed down the stairs. Immediately the smell of food wafted into his nose, and his mouth began to water. No, I have to hurry, no time to eat now. He couldn''t see very well. The cellar was dark, but he''d been here enough times to have remembered a rough outline of the room. Making sure not to knock over anything, he made his way to the stocks of sausages and cured hams. Unfortunately the hams were too big to hide or carry, so he''d have to do with the sausages. He grabbed five of them, one each from different sticks so it wouldn''t be immediately noticeable that something disappeared. When he was done, he decided to leave. A shadow moved near the entrance. Nebo froze in shock, he''d forgotten to close the doors behind him. You idiot! How could I have been so stupid? He chastised himself and dove into a dark corner of the cellar. Dust particles floated in the light of the entrance, and were suddenly obscured by the shadow moving closer. ¡°Durzo? You there, you fool?¡± A nasal voice pierced the silence. ¡°You know the masters told us not to go into the cellar without permission.¡± Nebo tried to steady his breathing. The spell he cast was tiring him out, and the panic wasn''t helping his concentration. ¡°Fool must have left the doors open. Well, it''s not my fault if he ends up like the greenling brat.¡± The man clicked his tongue. ¡°Still can''t believe the little bugger had been stealing food from here. Ah well, no skin off my back.¡± The man walked back up the stairs and left the doors open, most likely not wanting anything more to do with the cellar than he needed to. Nebo''s stomach turned at what he just heard. Someone else had paid the price for his crimes, dearly. He considered the possibility that the child might have been stealing as well, but from what he had heard of the Acuamori, that seemed highly unlikely. Stealing was apparently frowned upon immensely in their communities, even when it was done to an enemy. He apologized in his mind to the murdered Acuamori child, but tried to set it aside for now to make his way back to the quarters. He snuck up the stairs after making sure there wasn''t anyone around waiting for him to show up, squeezed through the fence and made his way back safely. After hiding his loot he crawled into bed, undid the spell and thought about what he''d caused. Another person died because of him today. He''d seen Mikhail beat a man to death once, but that had felt different somehow. This wasn''t retribution, this was an innocent life that was snuffed out because of his actions. He wanted to ask Mikhail for advice, but he knew he couldn''t do that because he''d find out about his skulking around. With a heavy heart, he closed his eyes. The cold seemed worse than usual, and he wouldn''t fall asleep before dawn. Chapter 8 - Part 2 Mikhail The master¡¯s whip snapped him back to reality. He''d been staring into nothingness, letting the monotone clanking of pickaxes breaking rock drift him away into his own world, and the shiftmaster took offense to that. He didn''t even process what the man shouted, but quickly resumed hacking away at the rocks again robotically. It wasn''t as if the master would have anything else to say to a slave but insults and commands. They''d killed another child last night. When he heard, he raced to Nebo''s bed to check on him, and saw to his relief that the boy was sleeping soundly. He appreciated the food he brought sometimes, but it worried him to no end that he''d end up getting caught. Mikhail had resigned himself to slaving away in the mines, but he still held hope for Nebo to somehow find a way out. If the empire killed the boy, he would slaughter a few masters before jumping into the depths to his doom. Nebo was the only thing keeping him alive, and he knew that. Mikhail noticed an Acuamori working next to him. The man had long, straight auburn hair. There weren''t many men whose physiques were larger than Mikhail¡¯s, but this man stood taller than him by at least half a head and was surprisingly burly. Mikhail found the Acuamorii a strange people, they tended to huddle around a fire before going to their quarters and spoke to each other in their own language. Sometimes, it felt like they sang their words. Mikhail was curious about them, as all he''d ever known were other humans. The horns blew their guttural sound. All the slaves dropped their pickaxes, and lined up for a headcount. The ¡°greenling¡± ¨Cthat¡¯s what the Dunmori often called them¨C stood proud next to Mikhail, not bothering to clear the hair from his eyes. ¡°Hey,¡± Mikhail whispered, his eyes fixed forwards. ¡°What''s your name, Acuamori?¡± The Acuamori remained silent, but shook his head in a way that was barely noticeable as if to say ¡®not now.¡¯ Mikhail huffed, but decided not to push him for now. Two masters walked past the line of slaves, one counting heads and the other scribbling down how many his colleague counted. They did this twice every day, once at the beginning of the shift and once at the end. This was to keep track of the casualties and potential escapees, though Mikhail hadn''t yet seen or heard of anyone ever escaping. After the count was done, another horn blew, and the slaves were guided to the mess hall to get their fill of daily slop. The Acuamori hurried past Mikhail. Must be hungry. Mikhail caught up with him and tapped his shoulder. The Acuamori stopped and turned around. ¡°I''m Mikhail, what''s your name, big guy?¡± The Acuamori rolled his eyes and held up two fingers in front of Mikhail''s face. "Two?¡± Mikhail cocked his head. ¡°What do you mean? Speak up man.¡± The big man sighed and shook his head. He opened his mouth and pointed at it. ¡°I know you''re hungry but i¡¯m ask-¡± Mikhail cut himself off. He didn''t have a tongue. ¡°Oh, my apologies.¡± The Acuamori shrugged and smirked. He pointed at himself, held up two fingers again, and changed them to ten fingers. ¡°Two, ten, twenty?¡± The tall, pointy eared greenling nodded, and Mikhail thought he saw a twinkle of mischief in the man''s eyes. ¡°Your name is Twenty? Why?¡± Twenty shrugged again and grinned at Mikhail before turning around and resuming his mission to get food. I wonder what eating¡¯s like without a tongue? He followed Twenty inside and wondered where this sudden interest in another came from, hadn''t he decided to keep to himself? Maybe he was just bored of the daily routine and wanted a change. When Mikhail got his food --indistinguishable brown goo with a side of disgusting¨C he sat next to Twenty. Nebo''s shift would take a bit longer still, he had to help do the dishes after the slaves were fed. ¡°So, uh¡­¡± Mikhail began. ¡°Sorry for losing my patience a bit, I didn''t realize, you know-¡± Mikhail pointed at his tongue while looking at his bowl. ¡°That.¡± Twenty waved his hand lazily as if to dismiss it, and eagerly slurped his goo. ¡°I¡¯ve picked the best person to have a conversation with in this whole damned mine haven''t I?¡± Mikhail leaned back in his chair, sighed and stared up at the rocky ceiling. Another slave sat down on Mikhail''s other side. ¡°You sure have!" The man had a jolly, round face, and looked suspiciously healthy for a slave. ¡°Twenty here isn''t the talkative sort, at least, he isn''t now.¡± ¡°Do I know you?¡± Mikhail said, as he kept his gaze pointed upwards. His interest in the Acuamori didn''t extend to other slaves, and he wasn''t sure if he wanted this man as an acquaintance. The man feigned shock. ¡°Well you''re a regular ray of sunshine aren''t you?¡± The man waited for a response, but when he didn''t get any he just continued talking. ¡°Frehar¡¯s my name, and I''ll have you know that I was known far and wide as one of the best damned Skloras in all the four realms of Yoradia.¡± He bowed dramatically. ¡°The hell¡¯s a Sklora?¡± Frehar squinted. ¡°I didn''t quite catch your name?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Mikhail heard Twenty snort. ¡°You''re quite rude, aren''t you? And how do you not know what a Sklora is?¡± ¡°Fine, you pest." He turned to Frehar. ¡°I¡¯m Mikhail, happy?¡± ¡°Not very, I¡¯m a slave.¡± ¡°I thought you were a Sklora?¡± Frehar smirked. ¡°So you''re capable of some wit after all.¡± The talkative man was getting on Mikhail''s nerves. ¡°Are you going to tell me what a Sklora is or not?¡± He looked Frehar in the eyes. ¡°If not, fuck off.¡± Frehar didn''t show any sign of being intimidated. He looked amused, if anything. ¡°Alright, alright, keep your tunic on.¡± He took a bite of his food, and his face turned sour. ¡°Gods, the filth they feed us.¡± ¡°Will you get to the damned point.¡± Frehar swallowed his food with a pained look on his face. ¡°So,¡± he said. ¡°A Sklora is essentially a poet, and-¡± ¡°Should''ve guessed.¡± Frehar raised an eyebrow. ¡°And we¡¯re trained since birth in the way of words and-¡± he made a slashing motion with both arms. ¡°Swords. We go around the world spreading tales of the things that are happening wherever we pass by, it''s been a tradition of our people to have one Sklora per tribe.¡± ¡°Your people?¡± Mikhail asked. Frehar nodded. ¡°I¡¯m from the mountains to the far north, my kind are called the S¨¦ohal. Though we''re technically part of the Empire, our customs are more alike to the Northern Barbarian Union.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Are all your people as talkative as you, then?¡± ¡°No, we''re generally quite reclusive to outsiders. The Sklora are trained because of that reason actually, we go home once in a while to tell our people about what''s going on outside the mountains.¡± Mikhail chuckled. ¡°So you''re a glorified town crier?¡± Frehar sighed. ¡°You''re impossible to talk to, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Not if I like you.¡± Frehar shrugged and took another bite. ¡°So anyway, I ended up here a few weeks ago because I spread some news somewhere that I shouldn''t have. Before I knew it, soldiers had surrounded the inn I was staying in and well, the rest is history.¡± ¡°I don''t remember asking.¡± ¡°I don''t remember caring if you ask.¡± Mikhail closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Could I eat my food now without worrying about you chattering in my ear?¡± ¡°Worry is for uncertainty my good man, but you can be certain I¡¯ll keep talking so it''s best to just accept it.¡± He slapped Mikhail''s shoulder, causing him to spill his food. Twenty chuckled again. Frehar chattered away for the rest of the meal, and Mikhail practiced his breathing for the first time in a long while. Nebo He¡¯d been distracted a lot these past few days. After finding out that his nighttime bouts of thievery had cost an innocent child''s life, he hadn''t gone out to steal anymore. Not sure of what to do to alleviate his guilt, he''d tried to get through the days without thinking about it too much, but sadly failed most of the time. One of his friends from the kitchen, Elka, had asked him if he was alright and he''d lied that he had a persistent stomach ache. Apparently, he wasn''t as good at masking his feelings as Mikhail was. He tried not to think about his problem while washing the dishes, and visibly jumped when Elka nudged his ribs as she passed him. ¡°Damn it, Elka!¡± He said. ¡°You still awake, friend?¡± Elka said, grinning. She was a few years older than him, a skinny girl with raven black hair. She''d shown him the ropes when he was forced to work in the kitchen, and had kept him out of trouble more times than he could count. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He said, trying to hide his annoyance. ¡°You don''t seem like it, you''ve been scrubbing that bowl for around half an hour now.¡± ¡°Wha- half an hour?¡± His eyes widened. She looked at him concerned. ¡°I''m joking, you fool, but the fact that you believed me says a lot. You want to go mess with the silk bats together after we''re done?¡± ¡°I don''t know, Elka, I''m not feeling too great and-¡± ¡°I know, that''s why I''m asking you to come with me so you can get your mind off things. And don''t give me that stomach ache nonsense, I know you''re lying.¡± She punched him in the arm. Nebo smiled apologetically. ¡°Okay, fine. Let me finish this and we can go, just please don''t make me talk about it too much, I¡¯d like a distraction more than a heart to heart right now.¡± ¡°Sure thing, shorty.¡± She ruffled his hair. ¡°I''m taller than you, and please stop doing that.¡± He moved her hand. ¡°You might be taller now, but you''ll always be a shorty to me. See you in a bit.¡± She shot him a sly grin as she walked off, but she didn''t look where she was going and tripped over a pan, nearly falling flat on her face. Nebo snorted as she stormed off with a face like a tomato. Grinning and shaking his head, he continued washing the last of the dishes. When he was done, he scarfed down his food and hurried to the silk bat habitat. They were funny little critters and surprisingly intelligent, but harmless. Elka and he liked going there to see them play fighting, and sometimes joined in. When they did, the silk bats squealed and flew around their heads, nibbling their ears and sometimes hitting them with their wings. One of them had taken a particular liking to Elka, and she''d named it Pelas. He saw Elka sitting on one of the boulders overlooking the cave where the bats resided, and Pelas was already resting on her shoulder as she scratched the creature behind its big ears. Pelas heard Nebo approach first and quickly flew towards him, stopping just in time so he didn''t crash into his chest. ¡°Hello Pelas, how are you?¡± He said. The bat squeaked a curt, but affectionate response and flew back to Elka¡¯s shoulder. Elka waved at him and smiled. She patted the flat surface next to her, and Nebo sat down to look at the silk bats. There were hundreds of them fluttering around the cave, darting from here to there in their excitement. Nebo grinned. ¡°Quite an exit you made, just now, very graceful.¡± She glared at him and blushed. ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± ¡°So, have you and Pelas found a way out of here yet?¡± ¡°I''m sure Pelas has, but I''m afraid I don''t speak silk bat.¡± ¡°You could have fooled me, the way he hangs around you.¡± ¡°Oh please, he''s just stricken by my dashing good looks.¡± She said, flipping her hair. ¡°If it weren''t for the fact that he''s a bat and I''m a Dunmori, he would have proposed already.¡± Nebo laughed. Somehow, Elka had a talent for making him forget about his problems when they talked. He hadn''t laughed in days. Pelas nestled his head in Elka''s neck, and she scratched his head. ¡°Listen Nebo, I know you don''t want to talk about it, and I won''t force you, but you know I''ll always be here if you need it, right?¡± She put her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it with her thumb. It felt nice. Nebo sighed and patted her hand. ¡°I know, Ellie.¡± He looked at two silk bats rolling around in the dirt, when one of them smacked the other in the head surprisingly hard and made his friend shriek dramatically as if he''d been dealt a mortal blow. ¡°I promise I''ll be fine in a few days, just let me work it out by myself for now. Thank you for this, though, I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Alright, dummy.¡± She patted his shoulder, and rested her hand on her leg. ¡°So, you want to bet on which one of those winged warriors will win in the end or do you want to join in the fight?¡± Nebo considered it for a moment. ¡°How about joining in, one of the fighters seems to be in trouble, and I bet if we get involved that the rest will attack.¡± Elka faked a bow. ¡°As always, your eternal wisdom baffles me, m¡¯lord.¡± She looked at Pelas. ¡°I''ll be sending the cavalry ahead, if it so pleases thee.¡± Nebo nodded haughtily. ¡°It pleases me.¡± Elka whistled, and pointed at the two fighting silk bats. Pelas didn''t hesitate and swooped in to smash into the one that was gloating over its victory. ¡°Huzzah, m''lord." She raised her fist in celebration. ¡°The charge was successful, shall we join?¡± Nebo nodded again. ¡°Let us charge!¡± The two got up and ran towards the fighting animals, shouting a war cry for eternal glory. Mikhail He¡¯d noticed the boy growing sullen these last few weeks. The spark he''d always seen in his eyes was growing dim, and it worried him. He had no idea, however, how he was going to get him to tell what was going on. He never learned how. His father had beaten it out of him ¨Cthat is, if he showed interest at all¨C and he somehow felt that might not be the way to go about this. Still, he felt he should try something, anything. After finishing his shift and dinner, he decided he''d wait for Nebo to come out of the kitchen so they could talk. Before that, Frehar and Twenty came to talk. Well, one of them did. ¡°Hullo there my second largest friend!¡± Frehar said. Twenty just nodded. Mikhail rolled his eyes at him. The three men had often eaten together after they''d finished their shifts, and Mikhail had come to begrudgingly accept Frehar''s company. ¡°Bad time Frehar, I''m not in the mood.¡± Frehar slapped him on the shoulder and laughed. ¡°When are you ever?¡± ¡°No, today I''m really not.¡± He turned away from them. ¡°I''m waiting for someone, please leave me alone.¡± Frehar rubbed his chin and squinted at Mikhail. ¡°A woman? You?¡± Frehar quickly reconsidered after Mikhail shot him a glare that could kill. ¡°Alright, I won''t pester you today, anything either of us could help with?¡± Mikhail shook his head. ¡°No, this isn''t-¡± ¡°Oh hey Mika, what are you still doing here?¡± Nebo had already arrived. ¡°Who are these guys?¡± Mikhail sighed. ¡°Hello, lad. Introduce yourself, this is Twenty,¡± he said, gesturing to the huge Acuamori. ¡°And this is-¡± ¡°Frehar Solengard the magnificent, young sir.¡± He bowed dramatically and grinned at Nebo. ¡°At your service.¡± Nebo smiled and imitated the bow. ¡°Nebo the illustrious, I¡¯m sure you''ve heard of me.¡± He turned to Twenty and shook his hand. ¡°Hello, I''m Nebo.¡± Frehar¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement. ¡°This fellow¡¯s a lot more courteous than you are, my large, sullen friend.¡± He said, glancing at Mikhail. Mikhail groaned. ¡°Now that introductions have been made, could you leave us alone for a while?¡± Frehar tried to protest, but Twenty pulled him away and nodded at Mikhail. He waved a goodbye to Nebo. Mikhail nodded back, grateful for the giant Acuamori¡¯s tact. He turned to Nebo. ¡°Can I speak to you for a minute, lad?¡± Nebo looked at him, puzzled. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°No, no, nothing like that. Come, walk with me.¡± He gently put a hand on Nebo''s upper back and started walking. ¡°Are you okay, lad?¡± ¡°Sure, why do you ask?¡± Nebo looked up at him. ¡°I''ve noticed you haven''t really been your cheery self lately. Now, I might be a bit of a fool sometimes, but I''ve known you long enough to sense when something''s wrong.¡± Nebo stayed silent. ¡°I uh¡­¡± Mikhail hesitated and cleared his throat, not sure how to proceed. ¡°Could you tell me? I''m worried.¡± Nebo fidgeted with his tunic. He''d always done this if he was nervous. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ There''s something I''ve done, or rather, something happened because of something I''ve done.¡± Mikhail frowned. ¡°I see, go on.¡± Nebo swallowed, then said nothing and looked at his feet. ¡°Come on lad, I won''t be angry, I can''t stand seeing you like this.¡± He sat down and motioned for Nebo to do the same. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I want to say it but it''s like the words are stuck in my throat, and I can''t get them out.¡± Tears welled up in Nebo''s eyes. He may have grown a lot, but he was still a child after all. Mikhail nodded. ¡°I understand, but I can''t help you if you don''t tell me. All we have here is each other, you know that right?¡± Nebo nodded and wiped his tears. ¡°I know, but I can handle it Mika, don''t worry.¡± He forced a smile. ¡°I can be strong too, I''m not a little boy anymore.¡± Mikhail''s expression softened. ¡°Alright, lad.¡± He gently thumped his huge fist on Nebo''s chest. ¡°I won¡¯t force you, but if it becomes too much to bear, I want you to tell me.¡± Nebo nodded. ¡°I will, Promise.¡± Mikhail ruffled his hair and began walking off, but got startled when Nebo hugged him. ¡°Thank you, Mika, I feel a little better.¡± Mikhail stood frozen for a second, but then hugged the boy awkwardly, patting his back. ¡°That''s alright, you run off and play now with that lady friend of yours.¡± He turned around and quickly walked towards the sleeping quarters, careful to hide the smile on his face. He didn''t know what was wrong yet, but knowing he lifted the boy''s spirits at least a little had made his day infinitely better. Chapter 9 - Part 1 Nebo He¡¯d started feeling better the last couple weeks, and he was almost back to his old self again. He had decided not to go out at night anymore and steal food lest he''d get someone else killed again for something that he did. Mikhail had asked him what was wrong a while ago, but he couldn''t tell him the whole story. It wasn''t out of fear of Mikhail being angry, but because he just didn''t have the heart to tell him what the extra food had cost. Still, he''d thought about telling him soon, anyway. The burden on his conscience was pressuring him to do so. He''d gone out exploring with Elka a lot lately, and there were things they picked up here and there by listening in on the shiftmasters conversations, such as rumours from the outside world. The rebellion had conducted minor raids on several labor camps, and they had freed slaves who were then given the choice to join them or to flee the empire. There were also talks of an important Weaver from the Elysian Tower that would be visiting the mines soon. Though Nebo hated the empire, he was intrigued by the visit of someone who had the same talents as him. Mikhail seemed to have made new friends in Twenty and Frehar, which Nebo liked. He was still grumpy most of the time, but whether Mikhail would admit it or not, Nebo caught him smiling more than once when he''d been together with the unlikely duo. ¡°So, is he your father or something?¡± Elka said, nodding at Mikhail who was eating with the two other men. He shrugged. ¡°I guess you could say that, he saved my life when I was little and we''ve been together ever since.¡± ¡°I see, he''s handsome isn''t he?¡± Nebo looked at her, puzzled. Mikhail was a large, broad shouldered man and always had a look on his pale, scarred face like he had a rock stuck in his shoe. ¡°You''re kidding, right?¡± She cocked her head. ¡°No, I''m not. I thought he was your real dad, you kind of look alike, and your attitudes feel the same sometimes, except your eyes are blue and his are black.¡± He hadn''t seen a mirror for as long as he could remember, so he couldn''t compare, but it seemed unlikely to him that he looked like Mikhail. ¡°Is your mom still alive?¡± Elka said. ¡°I don''t know, we¡¯ve never met. There was someone who felt like a mother, but she''s been gone for a long time.¡± He tensed his fists. ¡°I don''t really want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn''t mean to pry, it''s just that I actually don''t know a lot about you considering how much time we spend together.¡± She touched her cheek. ¡°It''s weird, right?¡± He shook his head. ¡°It''s okay, I don''t remember much from before I came here anyway, so I wouldn''t know what to tell you.¡± A low rumbling sounded through the mines, it seemed it was storming outside. He hadn''t seen the sky in years. ¡°What were your people like, Elka?¡± He said. ¡°Do you remember much?¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°Of course! I grew up in a mountain village to the far north, in what the empire calls the Barbarian Union.¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°My people tend to do a lot of fishing and hunting, though father always said I''d be useless in a hunt because of my black hair, with the snow and all. There aren''t many crops that grow in the North, so animals are our primary source of food. Too cold and all, you know?¡± He hummed in agreement. ¡°Makes sense, so how did you end up here?¡± Her eyes turned cold. ¡°We''re a nomadic people, which means we''re often easy prey for imperial slavers. My father was a great warrior, but our caravans usually don''t contain much more than 15 people since food is scarce.¡± She looked away. ¡°My father and five other men were the only protection we had, but we were ambushed by a large slaver party and the men were killed almost instantly. The women were all sold off separately afterwards, and I never saw any of them again.¡± ¡°I-¡± Nebo swallowed. ¡°I''m really sorry you had to go through that Elka, I didn''t want you to relive it.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°It''s alright, it doesn''t hurt as much as it used to.¡± Nebo looked at her. ¡°The woman that was like my mother gave her life so Mikhail and I could stay together.¡± He hesitated. ¡°She was executed in front of us.¡± Elka stared at him, then smiled and put her arm around his shoulders. ¡°I guess we both haven''t had it easy, have we?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Thanks for telling me, I won''t-¡± One of the shiftmasters threw a rock at them, and nearly missed Elka''s head. ¡°Almost got ya, fucking useless northern cunt, why don''t you make yourself useful and come to the shiftmaster¡¯s quarters tonight, eh? I reckon you''re old enough now.¡± A vile, toothy grin appeared on the man''s face. Nebo''s muscles tensed, and fury rose in his chest. Because of filth like you, innocents die every day. Elka squeezed his arm before he could say or do anything stupid. Elka looked at the shiftmaster. ¡°I''m sorry master Elryc, but I''m not worthy of such an honor. I''m quite sick, and I wouldn''t want to cause you all to get sick as well.¡± He turned up his nose, spat on the ground and walked off. ¡°Disgusting barbarian, we¡¯ll see some day.¡± Elryc was one of the most sadistic shiftmasters they knew. A short, balding man with a penchant for doling out punishment where none was needed. He seemed to enjoy taking young slaves with him to his quarters, after which they either came back differently from before or they were simply never seen again. Nebo''s heart weighed heavy with fear of the day he might really set his eyes on Elka. Elka squeezed his shoulder, but he could feel her slender hand trembling. ¡°Thanks for keeping calm, it might have ended differently otherwise.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Gods I''d love to smash his balding skull in some day.¡± Nebo said, fuming. Elka laughed. ¡°You might want to grow some muscles first then, beanstalk.¡± She smiled. ¡°But thank you.¡± A tap on the shoulder interrupted their conversation. Nebo turned around, and saw Frehar standing there with his arms crossed and a goofy grin on his face. ¡°Ah, young love. If only I were still your age and, well, not a slave.¡± He shrugged. ¡°How are you, kids?¡± Nebo rolled his eyes at him. ¡°I''d guess you''ve had quite enough ¡®young love¡¯ in your life already, Frehar.¡± Frehar winked at him. ¡°More than you''ll ever know, young blue-eyes.¡± He sat next to them and turned to Elka. ¡°You''re a bar-¡± Elka''s eyes made Frehar reconsider his choice of words. ¡°Sorry, a Caldmori, aren''t you?¡± He put up his hands in a show of apology. ¡°I didn''t intend to insult you, my great grandmother''s actually a Caldmori. It''s just that not many here in the mines know your people''s true name.¡± Elka nodded her head. ¡°It''s alright, but yes, I am.¡± ¡°I thought as much,¡± He said. ¡°You may have hair as black as a dreadraven, but those deep crimson eyes are a dead giveaway.¡± ¡°Is there something you came here for, Frehar?¡± Nebo asked, slightly irritated at the man''s jovial attitude. Maybe Mikhail really was rubbing off on him more than he thought. Frehar''s eyes twinkled with amusement, as always. ¡°I just wanted to say hello, my boy.¡± His expression changed as if he just remembered something. ¡°Oh, there''s been a collapse in one of the tunnels, so be sure to steer clear from there for the time being. Dangerous falling rubble and all.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Those poor sods that are trapped in there, I hope they''ll be alright.¡± ¡°Thanks, we''ll be sure to stay away.¡± Nebo said, knowing for certain he and Elka would be going to see it soon. ¡°Good lad,¡± He sighed. ¡°I guess we''ll have to work even harder tomorrow to clear the rubble. Oh, my poor old back.¡± Nebo smirked. ¡°I guess being too young does have some advantages.¡± ¡°It does, and don''t you forget it.¡± He looked over his shoulder. ¡°Anyway, I''ll leave you two to your own devices, I''ll go catch a bit of rest for tomorrow. Be good, now.¡± ¡°Thanks Frehar, we''ll see you around.¡± Frehar hobbled off, exaggerating his posture. Nebo chuckled. ¡°Nebo?¡± Elka asked. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You want to go look at the-¡± ¡°Already ahead of you, let''s go.¡± They both ran off after asking one of the other slaves where the collapse had happened. When they got there, three shiftmasters were standing in front of the collapsed tunnel speaking to another man dressed in heavy, red embroidered black robes. The unknown man was of short stature, but exuded an aura of power and authority. His slicked back grey hair, long goatee and proud posture gave him an appearance that reminded Nebo of a noble. Elka pulled at Nebo''s tunic. ¡°Look at that, it''ll take at least two weeks for that much rubble to be cleared. The people inside would never survive that!¡± Giant boulders had blocked the entire thirty feet high entrance, there was no way the slaves would be able to clear it in less time than Elka said. Nebo felt bad for Mikhail and the others, their workload would almost certainly be doubled. ¡°Let''s sneak a bit closer so we can hear what they''re talking about.¡± Nebo said. Elka agreed, and they snuck towards the entrance. When they got closer, they heard the men arguing. ¡°Master Weaver, we can''t keep production up to standard like this. Please, if you could ask the lord overseer to send us a couple hundred more slaves.¡± ¡°We need the rubble cleared and we just don''t have enough men to do that.¡± The other shiftmaster pleaded. ¡°Gentlemen, calm yourselves.¡± the unknown man''s deep voice sounded through the caverns. ¡°I came under the orders of overseer Arolan to inspect these mines and to make sure everything is going as intended.¡± The shiftmasters looked at eachother, shifting their weights from one foot to the other. ¡°This is simply bad luck, master Weaver, but it will slow the work for at least two weeks.¡± The man they referred to as lord Weaver looked each of them in the eye before speaking. ¡°A subject of the empire does not blame circumstance, you will do well to remember that.¡± He turned to the entrance. ¡°We can not have production slowing down because of something as insignificant as a tunnel collapse, though.¡± ¡°So, you''ll send more slaves, sir?¡± The Weaver waved dismissively. ¡°Stand clear of the entrance.¡± The shiftmasters looked at eachother, and quickly stepped away from the rubble. ¡°I will help you this time, but Sahrion have mercy on your souls if one more tunnel collapses because of shoddy upkeep and incompetent inspection.¡± The weaver stepped forward and began waving an intricate pattern in the air. Nebo felt a ripple of magic, and goosebumps formed on his skin. This man was an Arcaneborne, like Katya had told him. His heart pounded in his chest, he hadn''t seen magic apart from his own in years. Elka shuddered next to him. ¡°I think we should get away from here, Nebo. That man is dangerous.¡± But he didn''t want to go, he had to see this. The Weaver¡¯s deep voice got louder. Nebo focussed his eyes and saw him pick out the shimmering strands of magic, weaving a pattern in the air that he''d never seen before. The strands were intertwined, then unravelled, before being sewn together again in a completely different pattern from the first. The air crackled with magical energy, and waves thrummed through Nebo''s entire body. Then, suddenly, the man stopped. He spread his arms out in front of him, softly spoke a single word, and clapped. It felt and sounded as if all the air was sucked out of the cavern momentarily, then exploded in a giant shockwave towards the collapsed cavern. Half of the giant boulders instantly vaporized, and the rest were shattered and blown into the tunnel. Nebo was utterly shocked, and after coming to his senses there was only one thought running through his mind. I need to learn this, at all costs. Mikhail Frehar and Twenty had told him earlier they''d want to talk to him in a few days. When asked what about, Frehar had just dodged the question and joked around. ¡°All in good time.¡± He had said. Mikhail would''ve dismissed it as more of Frehar''s foolishness, but something about Twenty¡¯s demeanor made him reconsider. Curiosity clawed at his mind, and he didn''t like being kept in the dark for the time being. What are those fools up to? He slung his bag of tools over his shoulder and made his way to the quartermaster for inspection. Nebo had been in somewhat better spirits since their talk, but he could tell the boy was still not feeling as well as he could. Maybe some day soon he''d ask him again, but until then he decided he''d wait for the boy to come to him. He arrived at the quartermaster''s cabin. Several other slaves, covered in sweat and grime, were waiting in line to have their tools counted and checked for damages. They did this weekly to ensure no tools were stolen, and to make sure the slaves wouldn''t have any excuse for less productivity. Mikhail looked around and saw the collapsed tunnel off in the distance, with three men in front of it. One of them was dressed suspiciously well. He''d heard there were hundreds of slaves trapped there, and felt relief for the fact that he and Nebo weren''t in there when it happened. Those poor souls, made to work every day and then having to die in such a terrifying manner. At least they were together. He shook his head. The line moved a step forward, and Mikhail saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Nebo and the girl were sneaking from cover to cover, inching closer to the collapsed entrance. That fool! Mikhail''s hands shook. Of course he understood they''d want to take a look, but there were shiftmasters and an unknown man there. If they were caught sneaking around they''d be whipped for certain, or worse. He wanted to step out of the line and grab them, but that would certainly get the attention of everyone around them. He couldn''t do anything but watch in silent anger and worry for now. Then, he felt something. A shudder, a whisper of a thing he hadn''t felt in a long time. Katya? He turned his gaze towards Nebo, and saw the well dressed man wave his arms in the air. He''d seen this before, the man was conjuring magic. All of a sudden the man stopped, and clapped his hands together. Mikhail''s eyes grew wide as he witnessed the resulting shockwave blasting clear the tunnel entrance. Some of the slaves around him fell over in shock and fear, while others hurried to look at what happened. Mikhail quickly regained his senses, and joined the slaves that were running to see what happened in order to pull Nebo and Elka out of there. When he got closer, he saw he was too late. One of the shiftmasters, Elryc, stood behind the two children and grabbed them by their hair. Chapter 9 - Part 2 Nebo Elryc twisted Nebo''s hair in his bony, surprisingly strong fists. ¡°You fucking little wastes of space, I''ve got you now! Eavesdropping, are we?¡± Elka yelped as he rammed her face into the dirt. ¡°Leave her alone, Elryc! It''s my fault, she didn''t want to stay here, I was just curious.¡± Nebo said, trying to pry his hair free from Elryc¡¯s talons. ¡°Oh please, I don''t give a shit about you, the barbarian whore is the older one so she bears the responsibility for your failures as well.¡± He turned Nebo''s face towards his, yanking his hair. ¡°So I''ll be taking her with me, now.¡± Nebo looked Elryc in the eyes. There was no sign of humanity left in them, if there ever had been. He saw empty, vile hunger, and he knew what Elka would be subjected to if he let him take her away. He couldn''t, he''d already been carrying the blame for one innocent life being snuffed out. This would break him. ¡°What''s happening here?¡± A deep voice said. The Weaver had noticed their scuffle. Elryc looked at the Weaver, and immediately bowed. ¡°Nothing for you to worry about, my lord. I''ll be punishing these ones thoroughly for spying on you.¡± ¡°Spying, hm?¡± He looked at Elka and Nebo. ¡°It matters not, there''s not much they could have heard.¡± The Weaver rubbed his chin in thought, and let his eyes rest on Nebo. ¡°Still, I understand the need for discipline. An arm each should do.¡± Nebo''s heart sank, and images of what was about to happen to Elka because of him flooded his mind. It was probably better than what Elryc had had in mind, but it was still far from ideal. Elryc nodded quickly, he reminded Nebo of a rat. ¡°Of course, as you say, Lord Weaver.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± A gravelly voice interrupted their conversation. It was a voice Nebo would recognize anywhere, Mikhail had come. ¡°I sent them here, shiftmaster.¡± Mikhail bowed deeply to Elryc. It made Nebo sick. ¡°Please, sir, if anyone is to be punished, let it be me.¡± Elryc looked at the Weaver, too scared to make a decision. ¡°Four times an arm, then.¡± The gray haired man said. ¡°Two for the leader and one each for his pawns.¡± Several ropes were thrown over Mikhail''s neck immediately, pulling him to the ground. Whips rained down on his large body, each lash piercing Nebo''s brain as if he was undergoing it himself. ¡°No, stop!¡± Nebo begged, but was silenced when Elryc headbutted him. ¡°You shut your mouth, insect.¡± Elryc hissed. More shiftmasters came and dragged Nebo and Elka next to Mikhail, pinning their arms to the ground. One of the others grabbed an axe, and approached the three unfortunate slaves. A silence fell as other slaves surrounded them, watching the spectacle in horror and shame. ¡°Which one first, Lord Weaver?¡± Elryc said, grinning from ear to ear. The Weaver stroked his goatee. ¡°The boy.¡± The axe wielder made his way to Nebo and stepped over him. He raised his axe in anticipation. ¡°Don''t hurt him! Don''t hurt my boy, you worm!¡± Mikhail raged, but he wasn''t able to break free. Elryc nodded at the axe wielding shiftmaster, and Nebo squeezed his eyes shut. A loud thump sounded on the right side of his head, and excruciating pain shot through his upper arm. He couldn''t suppress it, and he screamed his lungs out. His right arm had been severed at the shoulder, and he almost lost consciousness from the shock and pain. After catching his breath, he looked over to Elka and Mikhail.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Elka''s face was covered in tears and mucus, but when he looked into her eyes he didn''t see blame. All he saw was pity. He looked at Mikhail, but couldn''t hear what he said yet. It took a while for him to hear what he was shouting. ¡°Be strong, lad, we''ll get through this!¡± Mikhail''s face was twisted in rage, grief and worry. ¡°Don''t do what you''re thinking about!¡± He didn''t understand at first, but then he saw the shiftmaster stand over Elka, his axe raised. I can stop this, but I can''t. They''ll torture me at the tower and they''ll take me away from Mika. His shoulder burned with pain. He wanted to scream again, but he was sure he''d screamed his throat raw. He looked around in a panic, and saw Twenty and Frehar standing in the crowd. They looked worried and impatient. Impatient? Before he could process what that meant, he turned his eyes to Elryc. The man was laughing and clapping his hands as if he''d just heard the best joke in his life. Save them, child. The voice entered his mind unexpectedly. He recognized it. It was the Weaver. He turned to look at the man, and saw a faint, golden glow surrounding the man¡¯s otherwise pale gray irises. Show me your power, or watch your companions be mutilated as you were. He looked over to Mikhail again, and saw him pleading with his eyes. Elryc had recovered from his fit of laughter, and took a deep breath. ¡°What a pair of lungs on that brat, hilarious.¡± He said, wiping his eyes. He turned to the axeman standing over Elka. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°So you like my voice, Elryc?¡± Nebo said, a cold rage in his voice. His entire body went frigid. He apologized to Mikhail in his thoughts, but he couldn''t bear to watch Elka and Mikhail suffer this terrible pain. ¡°Hm? What''s that, nightingale?¡± Elryc said, mocking him. He looked at Elryc and smiled maniacally. ¡°I''ll let you hear it once more, as loud as I can, are you ready?¡± Elryc just stared at him, puzzled. In his mind¡¯s eye, he attempted to recreate the movements he saw the Weaver make in front of the collapsed tunnel. He grasped the shimmering threads, and roughly imitated the pattern the man had made. He knew it wouldn''t be nearly as powerful, but it would be enough. ¡°Well, filth, speak up then if you have something to say!¡± Elryc said. Nebo felt ripples of power course through his entire body into his throat. He knew his eyes were shining, judging by the looks of Mikhail and the rest of the crowd. Elka looked at him in confusion and shock. His eyes went to Elryc, and finally it was time to speak. He grinned, and shouted a single word with all his strength. ¡°Shatter!¡± Elryc exploded into a million pieces, covering the entire crowd with blood and bone and guts. Everyone, except the Weaver, who stood there with a raised eyebrow as the pieces of viscera slid off the thin layer protecting his body. The axeman stumbled backwards, dropping his axe. ¡°I¨C, it''s an Arcaneborne!¡± Before the crowd could panic, an explosion in the now cleared tunnel shook the mines. One of the shiftmasters came running from inside, nearly falling on his face before reaching the Weaver. ¡°Lord! There weren''t any slaves in the tunnel, they all escaped!¡± The Weaver''s face grew sour. ¡°Those loathsome rebels again. Quick, man, what''s happening?¡± ¡°They''re coming sir, a few hundred Acuamorii and Dunmorii warriors. They have two Freeweavers with them!¡± Nebo quickly crawled towards Mikhail and Elka. ¡°I''m so sorry, both of you, but I couldn''t let this happen.¡± Elka threw herself into his arms, sobbing and wiping tears and snot all over his tunic in the process. ¡°You fool! Why didn''t you do that before you went and got your arm cut off?¡± He patted her back. ¡°It''s okay Ellie, I can live without an arm.¡± ¡°I agree with her, you dumb fuck,¡± Mikhail said. ¡°If you were going to do it anyway, you might as well have done it earlier. Bah.¡± ¡°I''m sorry Mika, I-¡± ¡°It''s alright lad, it seems you take after Katya.¡± Frehar and Twenty came running. ¡°We''ve no time, you three. The plan¡¯s been moved up, and we have to leave now.¡± Frehar said, looking around wildly. ¡°What plan, you bumbling fool?¡± Mikhail growled. ¡°We''re with the rebellion, Mikhail. Both Twenty and me, we were caught intentionally to look for structural weaknesses in the tunnels so our fellow rebels could free the slaves here.¡± ¡°Twenty I could fathom, but you too?¡± Frehar rolled his eyes. ¡°Not the bloody time, you mean old codger! Follow us, we''ll clear a path.¡± Twenty grabbed the axe dropped by the shiftmaster, and immediately cleaved two of the masters in front of him in half. He roared, and moved like a whirlwind of death and destruction through the other guards as he went. ¡°What in the-?¡± Mikhail stuttered. ¡°Now''s a good a time as any, I suppose,¡± Frehar said. ¡°Twenty''s called twenty because before they cut out his tongue, he beat twenty imperial knights to death with his bare hands.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikhail said, not sure how to respond. ¡°Now come on!¡± They ran after Twenty in the direction of the tunnel. Nebo was having trouble staying conscious, the exhaustion from his magic use and the blood loss was taking its toll on him. They went as fast as they could, making sure to stay just out of reach of Twenty''s rampage. When they almost reached the rebels, who were slaughtering shiftmasters left and right, Nebo heard a voice. Oh no, you don''t. This mine is lost, but I''ve gained something far greater. His body froze. An invisible force stopped all of his movements, and he saw Mikhail stop and turn around. ¡°Lad, what are you doing?¡± He shouted. Nebo couldn''t speak either. A hand rested on his shoulder. ¡°Get away from him, leave him alone you demon!¡± Let''s go, Neophyte. A portal opened next to Nebo, and the hand dragged him inside. Mikhail and Elka tried to chase after him, but Nebo knew they wouldn''t make it. Mikhail''s face was contorted with fear, and as Nebo saw the portal closing behind him, he heard Mikhail''s desperate voice shouting in a panic. ¡°Please, don''t take my son!¡± Chapter 10 - Part 1 Mikhail The rays of the setting suns trickled through the canopy of leaves and warmed his sallow face. Evening birds began singing their songs of twilight, and just like the sky, Mikhail¡¯s mind was in between two colors. It had been five years since he''d seen the light of day, only having had the oil lamps of the mines to light his path. Yet he couldn''t enjoy it. Though it kept him alive, his heart was dead. The empire had taken the final thing he had left to live for, and no amount of warmth and light could have revived his still beating heart. Nebo was gone. He sat in front of his tent. The slave rebellion had freed them, and soon after split them up into small groups to evade detection. Mikhail was assigned to Frehar and Twenty, Elka had come with them too along with a few other freed slaves. They were to stay hidden as best they could, and the Freeweavers that had come storming into the mine had cast a few spells to prevent detection. They were to join with the rest again in a few days at an undisclosed location to the east. They weren''t told exactly where, in case one of them was caught and tortured. Footsteps approached, Frehar and Twenty came to visit. ¡°Hey big man,¡± Frehar said, patting Mikhail''s shoulder. ¡°Feel like having some meat when it''s done? We caught some Golars earlier.¡± Mikhail looked at the chubby, weasel-like creature with bulging eyes in Frehar¡¯s hand, and turned his head away to stare off into the distance. ¡°Thanks, but no.¡± It wasn''t their fault, but that creature was the last thing Mikhail wanted to see right now. The two rebels looked at each other for a moment, and sat down. ¡°Please, Mikhail,¡± Frehar said. ¡°You need to eat, or you''ll die of hunger before any imperial blade finds you, friend.¡± Twenty nodded in agreement. The big Acuamori looked at Mikhail with pity in his eyes. Mikhail kept staring at nothing in particular. ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°We know how you feel, I know Ne-¡± ¡°Don''t speak his name!¡± Mikhail shouted, veins bulging in his neck. ¡°You know nothing of how I feel, you gods damned poet.¡± He yanked the dead animal out of Frehar''s hand and threw it into the forest. ¡°I''ve lost him, I''ve lost the one person who gave meaning to this fucking mess of a life!¡± For once, Frehar was quiet. ¡°What do I care if I die of hunger, or a blade, or of being mauled to death by whatever things are in this damned forest. Let me die in peace, damn you.¡± Twenty stood up, grabbed Mikhail by his tunic and punched him in the jaw. Mikhail rolled backwards into his tent, took a second to collect himself, and launched himself at Twenty roaring with rage. They rolled over the ground, punching and grappling with each other. For every blow Mikhail landed, two more came in return. The years of malnourishment in the mines hadn''t done him any favours. Frehar quickly intervened and pulled the men apart with great effort. ¡°Gods damn it Twenty, shove off, you violent fool!¡± Frehar said, standing in between them and panting. Twenty growled, and strode off into the forest to find the dead animal. Mikhail dusted himself off and picked the dead leaves out of his hair. His lip was swollen and he had a splitting headache. ¡°What in the hells is wrong with that dumb giant?¡± ¡°You remember what I told you about Twenty, right?¡± ¡°How he got his name, you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. He didn''t kill those imperials for no reason, they hanged his wife and daughter. He was out hunting at the time.¡± Mikhail was stunned. ¡°I- I didn''t know. I''m sorry.¡± ¡°You couldn''t know.¡± ¡°But that still doesn''t give him the right to attack me out of nowhere!¡± Frehar shook his head. ¡°I''ve known him for over twelve years, and I haven''t seen him act like this with others before, I think he cares about you more than you know.¡± Mikhail raised a bleeding eyebrow. ¡°The man''s got a funny way of showing it.¡± ¡°If he didn''t care about you, he''d have grabbed an axe instead of using his fists.¡± Twenty had found the animal, and sat down against a tree, inspecting its carcass. ¡°He hates seeing you give up like this, Mikhail. Nebo is alive, which means there''s still hope.¡± Frehar looked at Twenty. ¡°His family is dead, that''s why he was angry with you, because you''re giving up without even trying.¡± Mikhail sighed. ¡°I''m just so very tired, Frehar, and how am I supposed to find him anyway? That fucking wizard-¡± ¡°Weaver.¡± ¡°Fine, Weaver, took him to gods know where. He''s probably being tortured as we speak, I don''t even want to think about it.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. I think after that display of arcane talent, he''s probably been taken to the Elysian Tower.¡± ¡°I''ve heard about that place before, years ago, when we were on trial in the Spire.¡± ¡°It''s a place where they train and educate imperial Weavers like the one you saw at the mines. They don''t kill Arcaneborne if they get their hands on them at a young age, but they mold them into weapons of the empire.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I saw what that man did to several tonnes of rock and stone. You''re telling me there''s a tower full of those kinds of people?¡± ¡°Yes, although this Weaver seemed to be particularly strong.¡± Mikhail rubbed his beard. ¡°So how is there hope, again? How am I supposed to invade a tower of fucking rock smashing Weavers?¡± ¡°You don''t, Mikhail, you wait for them to come out.¡± Frehar smiled. ¡°Join the rebellion, you''ve a decent head on your shoulders and if you eat a little I bet you''d be a force to be reckoned with in no time.¡± His smile turned into a grin. ¡°You held your own against Twenty pretty well, after all.¡± ¡°Oh shut your mouth,¡± Mikhail said. ¡°I''m grateful for what you do, but I''m no hero, Frehar. I don''t care about freeing slaves or a grand goal like overthrowing the empire.¡± ¡°Maybe you don''t, but I''m sure you can see how the information you get by working with us would benefit your search for Nebo, can''t you?¡± He stood up and wiped his trousers. ¡°And if you save a few people in the meantime, all the better.¡± Mikhail thought it over for a minute, and decided there was some truth in Frehar''s words. He felt a small fire return in his chest, it was a tiny chance, but he might be able to save Nebo, and a tiny chance was all he could ask for. ¡°Fine, I''ll join you, but only until I find Nebo. Don''t get me killed in the meantime.¡± Frehar''s eyes lit up. ¡°Good man! Now go apologize to Twenty, and let''s go eat that meat, mental counsel makes a man hungry.¡± He looked in Twenty¡¯s direction. ¡°I''m sure he''ll like the look in your eyes.¡± Mikhail kicked Frehar¡¯s shins, causing him to jump and grab his leg. ¡°Fuck off, poet.¡± He turned and walked towards Twenty to apologize. ¡°But thank you.¡± Nebo A purple crystal spun around on the table before him, filling the room with a whirring sound. There were four black stone walls surrounding him without an entrance to speak of. The Weaver dragged him from the mines and threw him into this room before stepping into another portal and vanishing from his sight. He could still see Mikhail and Elka in his mind''s eye, scrambling to save him from the Weaver¡¯s grasp. He buried his head in his remaining hand and sighed. What''s going to happen to me? Before he left, the Weaver had cast a spell to stop his arm from bleeding, but he didn''t think he''d done that out of kindness. It was most likely to keep him from bleeding out so he could torture him later while he was fully conscious. A shiver crept up his spine. The continuous whirring of the crystal stopped, breaking his train of thought. It hung suspended in the air, humming softly. A portal opened behind him, and Nebo turned around, his eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. The grey haired Weaver stepped inside, followed by a small red-skinned, mischievous looking creature wearing leather armour and a golden circlet. It had small, beady eyes and two slits where a nose should be. It was grinning, exposing its jagged, yellow teeth. The Weaver sat in the chair opposite Nebo, and set down a bottle and two mugs on the table. The creature perched on top of the armrest of the Weaver¡¯s chair, and kept its piercing gaze fixed on Nebo. ¡°Hello, child. You must be wondering why you''re here.¡± The Weaver said after a while. Nebo swallowed, and nodded. ¡°My name is Nodryev, I''m a Weaver of the Elysian Tower,¡± He said. ¡°And you must be thirsty.¡± Nebo hesitated, but then nodded again. His throat was parched. Nodryev snapped his fingers, and the evil-looking creature filled the cups on the table with the fluid in the bottle. When they were filled, he handed a cup to Nodryev first, and then hobbled towards Nebo to give him his cup. Nebo grabbed it, but didn''t drink yet. A sly smile formed on Nodryev¡¯s face, and he took a sip first. Nebo sighed, and drank the blue liquid. It was quite sweet, and it cooled his throat. ¡°What is your name, child?¡± Nodryev asked. Nebo cleared his throat. ¡°I''m Nebo.¡± ¡°That''ll suffice for now.¡± He wasn''t sure what the old Weaver meant by that. ¡°Why did you bring me here, Master Nodryev?¡± ¡°Because you have talent, child, and a lot of it at that. Not many your age could cause a man to explode like that and still keep their eyesight.¡± The Weaver stared into his eyes. But you''re not talented enough to do the same to me yet, Neophyte, so cease your infantile weaving under the table. He felt a pit in his stomach and immediately stopped, how did he catch him? Nodryev chuckled. ¡°In addition to your talent,¡± the Weaver said, ¡°You have a certain ruthlessness in you at such a tender age, as you just demonstrated by trying to blow me up as well.¡± ¡°It''s because I wanted to protect my friends, and now, myself.¡± Nebo said. He chuckled. ¡°Yes, but not many have the conviction for murder at your age, not even in the face of imminent danger.¡± Nebo felt his cheeks flush. It wasn''t like he enjoyed it, right? Well, maybe I enjoyed killing Elryc a little, but he was a worm who liked killing innocent people. ¡°I saw you smile, you know? When you killed that shiftmaster, I mean.¡± ¡°He was pure evil!¡± ¡°Maybe so, I''m not judging you child.¡± Nodryev leaned forward, folding his fingers together. ¡°The Dunmori Empire has need of Weavers like you, those who don''t hesitate to end an enemy.¡± Nebo flared his nostrils and felt heat rise in his chest. ¡°I hate the empire, why would I ever help the nation that had me enslaved and people I love killed?¡± ¡°Because I think you''re not a fool.¡± Nodryev said. He took another sip of his cup. ¡°I understand why you would despise the empire, boy, but the Elysian Tower can help you hone your talents, make you become powerful beyond imagination. Is that not something you want after living powerlessly as a slave for so long?¡± Nebo''s rapid breathing steadied. As much as he hated the empire, he had to admit Nodryev made a fair point. If he refused, he''d probably die right here in this room. Why not make use of the empire for now? When he grew strong enough, he could do whatever he wanted. ¡°You''re young, still. In the next few years you''ll come to understand the realities of this world, and the necessity of the empire. Learn the mysteries of the Allweave, and build the reality you want.¡± Nodryev said. ¡°The path to power is what lies in front of you, Neophyte, all you have to do is grasp it.¡± Nebo racked his brain. What choice did he have? He needed to survive to find Mikhail again, and he could develop his natural gifts. On the other hand, he''d have to work for the very same people that enslaved innocents and had Katya executed. After a short deliberation, he decided he should survive for now. ¡°Alright, I''ll come to study at this tower.¡± Nodryev looked at him haughtily. ¡°Good, smart boy.¡± He rummaged around in his robe and took a small vial out. ¡°Drink this, It''ll heal your wound completely.¡± Nebo frowned and took the vial. ¡°This will regrow my arm?¡± ¡°That''s not what I said. It will completely close the wound, but you''ll still only have one arm.¡± That disappointed Nebo. ¡°You can learn how to grow it back in the Tower, child, or how to craft a new one out of metals and eldritch components. That will depend on your talents, though.¡± His eyes lit up, he couldn''t believe things like that were possible. ¡°Can''t you regrow it for me, sir?¡± Nodryev''s eyes darkened. ¡°You should learn this as soon as possible, do not ask others for help.¡± He stood up. ¡°In the empire, hard work and talent determine your worth. You will earn your arm yourself.¡± Nebo felt like he made a mistake. He opened the vial and drank it, feeling the wound close on its own. ¡°Sorry, I got too excited.¡± ¡°Mistakes are how you learn, Nebo, but be careful not to make too many.¡± Nodryev motioned for Nebo to stand up. ¡°Follow me, we''re going to my laboratory.¡± Nebo got up, clutching his now healed stump. ¡°Weren''t you going to send me to the tower, sir?¡± The old Weaver chuckled. ¡°Yes, but first you''ll be learning from me. Or do you feel it would be wise to send a puppy to live among wolves?¡± He didn''t like being compared to a puppy, but he understood what the Weaver meant. ¡°No sir, I don''t.¡± ¡°Good, you''re not a fool, then.¡± He turned to open the portal. ¡°One more thing, child.¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°From now on you will address me as Master or Threadgiver. This is how you''ll address the teachers at the Tower as well.¡± Nebo clenched his jaws, after the years he spent as a slave he wouldn''t be addressing anyone as master. ¡°Yes, Threadgiver.¡± Nodryev nodded. ¡°Good, now follow me.¡± He approached the portal, the imp happily hopping behind him. ¡°Power and knowledge await.¡± Chapter 10 - Part 2 Mikhail The cave¡¯s crystals cast their faint, ethereal light over the group of escapees like a clear night sky. Many days now they''d walked through the damp system of tunnels, and for all their beauty it still reminded Mikhail a bit too much of the mines. Elka was as quiet as he''d been right after their escape. He knew the girl missed Nebo, maybe even as much as he did, but comforting a person had never been his strongest suit. He didn''t have the time to care much about others, anyway. Mikhail had decided to put all his effort into locating Nebo, and slitting as many imperial throats as he could in the process. He''d go back to the man he once was, the man his father had built him to be. He¡¯d need to. Frehar had asked him to keep an eye out for caveshriekers. Slimy, insect-like beasts that had adapted to the low light of the caverns. He''d been given a pair of daggers again after requesting it from Frehar, at which Twenty had somehow shook his head in disapproval. ¡°Frehar, come join me for a second.¡± He said. Several heads turned in mild alarm. Frehar''s surprisingly light footsteps approached from the back, until he''d caught up with him. ¡°I''m here, what is it?¡± ¡°How much longer until we reach the encampment?¡± He asked. ¡°People are tired with hunger and uncertainty,¡± He glanced at Elka. ¡°And grief.¡± ¡°As am I, damn you,¡± Frehar sighed. ¡°Sorry, I hate these caves. It should only be a few more hours before we reach the western gate.¡± Mikhail grunted in agreement. ¡°Good, people tend to get antsy when they don''t know how long something will take.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I''ll pass it on to the others.¡± Frehar wandered off and whispered to the other escapees that it wouldn''t be much longer now. Several sighs of relief could be heard. Mikhail felt a tug on his sleeve, Elka had moved next to him. Her faithful winged companion was perched atop her shoulder, it had followed her in the escape. ¡°Can I ask you something, mister?¡± She said, looking up at Mikhail. ¡°Sure, but call me Mikhail.¡± She smiled. ¡°Are you doing alright?¡± Mikhail looked at her, confused. He thought she came to ask how much longer it would be, or to ask him about Nebo. Instead, she''d asked about him. It caught him off guard. ¡°I''m fine, lass. Why?¡± ¡°You seem hurt, even though you try to hide it.¡± She grabbed his hand. He pulled his hand away, he had to stay strong. ¡°Don''t worry about me, I''ll focus on getting him back, little one.¡± He patted her head. ¡°I know you miss him too, but we have to focus on surviving until we get him.¡± She nodded. The rhythmic steps of the group nearly drowned out the sound of her silent sobs, but Mikhail could hear. All they could do was keep going for now. A shriek disturbed the relative silence of the caverns. ¡°Frey! Twenty!¡± Mikhail hissed. ¡°What the hells is that?¡± ¡°That, my friend,¡± Frehar said wildly looking around, ¡°Is a caveshrieker. Be on high alert for anything that moves.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Damn it all, it just had to happen when we''re so close.¡± Twenty patted him on the shoulder, and motioned for Mikhail to let him lead. ¡°Acuamorii have far better eyesight than we do in the dark, Mikhail, let him walk in front.¡± Twenty grabbed the dual axes on the sides of his hip, and silently crept ahead scanning for anything out of the ordinary. ¡°Stay close, lass.¡± Mikhail said, grabbing Elka by her arm. ¡°Nebo would never forgive me if you got hurt.¡± Whimpers of fear filled the tunnel, and a ripple of panic started spreading through the crowd. ¡°Frehar, what do we do?¡± ¡°Not much we can do except hope for the beast to pass, if it-¡± But a mighty roar interrupted him. Flashes of faint crystal light reflected off a flurry of axes flickered ahead of them, and a guttural scream pierced their ears. Twenty had managed to cut off one of the creature''s six legs. The creature looked like an unholy combination of a human and an insect. It''s torso was black and shiny, sporting plates of carapace as if it were wearing armour. It''s head looked almost human, except it was twisted in a grimace of a caricature of agony. Its thorax was covered in reddish spikes and excreting a kind of slimy substance. It pushed Twenty aside and paused to look in the group''s direction. Then it charged. Mikhail was knocked into the rocky wall together with Elka and Frehar as the caveshrieker thundered past them, followed quickly by Twenty gone berserk. Mikhail immediately got up and ran after them. ¡°Frehar, keep her safe!¡± But he was pulled back by the Sklora of the Feohal. ¡°That''s your job, time to show you what a Sklora can do. Sorry, Mikhail, but you''re still too weak right now.¡± Mikhail knew he was right, he was still underfed. He saw no point in arguing, and quickly stepped back to shield Elka from harm. ¡°Careful, you damned poet.¡± Frehar pulled a longsword from his scabbard, and flicked a switch. The sword lit up in flames, then slowly settled into a red-hot aura, giving it an impression as if it just came out of the forge. He quickly ran after Twenty and the caveshrieker, twirling his blade. Screams of pain and death rattles could already be heard along with the sounds of the creature reveling in its slaughter. The light from Frehar''s sword lit up the tunnel, and as he ran forward the blood and guts of the killed escapees glistened in its fiery glow. He felt Elka trembling behind him. ¡°It''ll be alright, lass.¡± He said, as he crouched into a ready position in case something came their way. Nebo An acrid smell wafted into his nose as soon as he exited the portal. Flasks containing unidentified liquids littered the shelves spread across the room, and bowls of dried ingredients were meticulously organized inside glass cabinets. This was a Weaver''s laboratory. ¡°Now then, you must be tired, so I''ll keep this short.¡± Nodryev said as he turned around to face Nebo. ¡°When we finish here, my little friend here will show you to your chambers so you can recover.¡± Nebo nodded, he didn''t have much choice for now anyway. ¡°What is it?¡± Nodryev weaved a simple pattern, and a sudden gut punch made Nebo gasp for air. ¡°Try again.¡± Nebo felt bile rise in his throat, but managed to swallow it down. He clenched his jaws and took a breath. ¡°What is it, Threadgiver?¡± He managed to say. ¡°Good,¡± Nodryev said. ¡°You learn quickly. I applaud boldness, but disrespect and failure to adhere to tradition are things I shan''t tolerate, fledgling.¡± ¡°Understood, Threadgiver.¡± ¡°I''m sure.¡± Nodryev paused. ¡°These next few weeks I will be teaching you the basics of magic, alchemy¨C¡± He motioned to the flasks and ingredients around them. ¡°Imperial philosophy and other subjects you''ll need to be well-versed in before attending the Elysian Tower.¡± Nebo scratched the back of his neck and nodded. ¡°For your sake, I suggest you pay very close attention to e-very-thing I teach you.¡± He said, putting emphasis on every syllable. ¡°I don''t have time to teach you for more than these few weeks, and if I judge you unable to attend the Tower because you failed to grasp the basics, I''m afraid I''ll have to end your life.¡± Nebo felt a heavy pit in his stomach, and it was as if someone doused him in ice water. He thought he could take his time. ¡°Why would you do that, Threadgiver?¡± He asked, a tremor in his voice. ¡°Didn''t you say I was talented?¡± ¡°Talented? Yes. Irreplaceable? No.¡± It felt as if the old Weaver stared directly into his soul. ¡°I have other responsibilities to the Empire, child, and I can not set them aside indefinitely for the purpose of getting you ready.¡± He sighed, and opened a leatherbound tome close to him. ¡°You''re too dangerous to be left alone unsupervised, so I would have to end you before returning to my duties.¡± A cold sweat ran down Nebo''s back. He¡¯d have to succeed or die, there was no compromise. If he wasn''t feeling sick already from blood loss and mental exhaustion, he sure was now. ¡°Now that that''s cleared up, get some rest. We begin tomorrow, fledgling.¡± Nodryev snapped his fingers, and the demonic little creature stood at attention. ¡°Vrathel, show the young man to his room, and bring me some thirdlebush tea, please.¡± Vrathel grabbed Nebo''s sleeve with his scaly clawed hand, and pulled him along towards the exit. ¡°Oh, Nebo, one more thing.¡± Nebo turned his head. ¡°Yes, Threadgiver?¡± ¡°I suggest that you don''t try any magic without my consent, a Weaver''s home is full of traps, and if you do try,¡± Nodryev said, not looking up from his tome. ¡°The consequences are yours to bear.¡± Nebo swallowed. ¡°Yes, I understand, Threadgiver.¡± ¡°Marvelous, run along now.¡± Nebo followed Vrathel towards the exit. The creature swung the heavy looking door open with surprising ease, and they disappeared into the dark hallway. Chapter 11 Mikhail He wasn''t a stranger to murder and blood, but the aftermath of the fight with the caveshrieker would make even the most hardened soldier turn away in horror. Body parts were strewn everywhere, smashed in heads and bisected torsos littered the cavern floor and walls. The creature had ripped the majority of the group of slaves apart with extreme brutality. The smell of excrement and viscera stifled the air and made it nearly impossible to breathe without throwing up. Wails of people in pain filled his ears, and he covered Elka''s with his large hands. She trembled. This hadn''t been a battle, it had been a slaughter. Frehar and Twenty had, to Mikhail''s astonishment, managed to kill the caveshrieker together, but in the process Twenty had sustained a nasty cut on his right leg, and Frehar¡¯s left arm was practically unusable. They''d been a storm of fiery blades and flashing axes together, more vicious and in sync than Mikhail had ever seen anyone fight, and still they''d been hurt this badly. After witnessing them, Mikhail understood why Frehar had asked him to stay back, he would have only gotten in the way. Frehar stumbled over corpses, trying to support Twenty as they made their way towards Mikhail and Elka. ¡°Fucking monster,¡± Frehar spat, panting as he reached them. ¡°We have three survivors out of forty-six, and one of them is dying.¡± Mikhail looked around wildly. ¡°What in the hells was that abomination?¡± ¡°I told you, it''s a cave-¡± ¡°I know its name, damn you, I''m asking you what it was.¡± Frehar looked at him. ¡°We don''t know, but luckily they seem to be confined to these cave systems. Probably something a fucking Weaver made again in some laboratory.¡± ¡°They can make something like that?¡± ¡°You''d be surprised.¡± Frehar helped Twenty sit down, and sat down next to him. He accidentally leaned on his arm and fell down, moaning in pain. ¡°Gods damn it all!¡± ¡°Take a rest Frehar,¡± Mikhail said. ¡°That was a hell of a fight, you both earned it.¡± ¡°You''re right about that,¡± He laughed coldly. ¡°Wish we could have saved more, though.¡± ¡°You did what you could, friend.¡± Frehar glared at him. ¡°It wasn''t enough.¡± Mikhail said nothing, he understood how he must feel, he failed to keep Nebo safe too, after all. ¡°Could you do me a favour, big man?¡± ¡°Of course, what do you need?¡± Frehar closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clutching his arm. ¡°The poor sap who''s dying in pain, could you¨C?¡± Mikhail nodded, he understood what had to be done out of mercy. ¡°Keep Elka with you, I''ll put an end to his misery.¡± He shielded the girls eyes from the horrors he was about to walk into as he handed her over to Frehar. Twenty intervened, and pulled her into his massive chest, careful not to let her touch his wounded leg or look in the direction of the carnage. He stroked her hair and hummed a tune. Mikhail looked at them. ¡°Thank you, Twenty, she doesn''t need to see or hear this.¡± Twenty only nodded. Frehar started mumbling something to himself as he closed his eyes, and placed a hand on his chest. ¡°What are you-¡± Frehar stopped him by shaking his head. ¡°Alright, I''ll be right back.¡± Mikhail grabbed one of his two daggers and made his way through the bloody mess, finally arriving at the dying man. He knelt down in front of him and looked him over. The man had a gut wound, blood and feces dribbled from the wide gash in his belly. He would die an excruciating death if left alone. ¡°What''s your name?¡± Mikhail asked. ¡°It-¡± the man coughed and groaned in pain. ¡°It''s Alaryc.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He gently put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure you''re aware, but you''re dying, and if I leave you like this, you''ll die in pain.¡± ¡°I don''t want to die, I''ve¨C¡± He coughed again, spitting up blood. ¡°I''ve only just regained my freedom, damn you!¡± ¡°I''m sorry, friend, at least you won''t die in chains.¡± Mikhail sighed. ¡°Make your peace, now.¡± The man tried to struggle in vain, and pushed Mikhail''s hand aside weakly. ¡°No, no I don''t¡ª!¡± He put a hand over the man''s mouth and quickly stabbed into his heart, ending it instantly. The man sagged, and went completely still. As he saw life leave his eyes, Mikhail stifled the pang of sympathy crawling its way into his mind. Those kinds of feelings are of no use to you right now, hide it. He closed the man¡¯s eyes and made his way back to the rest. ¡°It''s done.¡± ¡°Poor man,¡± Frehar shook his head. ¡°I''m glad you made it quick, thank you.¡± He looked at Elka gently sobbing into Twenty''s chest. Even he felt a bit shaken up, he couldn''t imagine what she had to feel like. ¡°Frehar, what were you mumbling about anyway?¡± ¡°Mumbling? Oh, you mean my prayer.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°A prayer? To whom?¡± ¡°Drelastha, the goddess of death. I wanted to make sure these poor souls would be at peace.¡± He stretched out his hand. ¡°Help me up, we have to get going.¡± He took Frehar''s hand and pulled him up a bit harder than he intended. ¡°I wouldn''t have pegged you as a man of religion.¡± ¡°Careful, you brute.¡± He said, rubbing his arm. ¡°I''m not, but it''s common sense to pray to Drelastha when people die. Now come on, let''s get out of these fucking caverns.¡± ¡°Agreed, should I help Twenty or¨C?¡± Frehar looked at him and stuck his chin out towards his arm. ¡°What do you think?¡± Mikhail shrugged, and helped Twenty up as well. He offered him his shoulder, and they started making their way towards their destination. ¡°Elka, don''t look back, let''s go.¡± The girl quickly ran to catch up with them, and the surviving slaves also followed, unsure of what their fates might hold in the future. Nebo ¡°Again.¡± Nodryev commanded. The dim light of a floating candle lit up the soberly dressed room. A small window allowing Nebo to look outside at the rolling hills surrounding the Weaver''s small tower, was beset with iron bars to prevent him from climbing through. Not that he would have tried, anyway, he couldn''t fly, and it was quite high up. His bed stood in the corner of the room, and a desk and two chairs adorned the middle. Somehow, it always smelled vaguely of incense. ¡°I said again, boy, don''t make me repeat myself.¡± "The Emperor declares here and now, for it to echo forever: Any who call themselves Weavers without the Elysian Tower''s permission, shall have their eyes gouged and their tongues removed.¡± Nebo said. ¡°No, you fool.¡± Nodryev quickly weaved a pattern in the air, and another invisible blow struck Nebo in the stomach. ¡°That''s the third imperial mandate, I asked you for the fourteenth.¡± Nebo''s heart raced in his chest. His mind was jumbled by the stress of having to learn so many different things at the same time, and the threat of execution hanging over his head didn''t make things any easier. He missed Mikhail and Elka more every day, and he could hear Mikhail desperate plea ringing in his ears every night before he slept. He clenched his fist, and forced himself to block out unnecessary thoughts. ¡°I suggest you answer me now.¡± Nodryev said, his hand ready to weave the same accursed pattern that Nebo had felt the effects of so often these last few days. ¡°The emperor declares¨C¡± He paused, straining his mind to remember. "The Emperor declares here and now, for it to echo forever: Any and all that dare weaken the Empire''s Golden Might shall feel the Executioner''s Golden Axe.¡± Nodryev clapped his hands and flashed a toothy grin. ¡°Very good, boy, it seems you''ve successfully remembered the twenty imperial mandates.¡± Nebo nodded, still reeling from the blow he received. ¡°Yes, Threadgiver, thank you.¡± ¡°Still,¡± Nodryev said, stroking his long, gray goatee. ¡°You''re awfully unaware of our great empire''s history, even if you''re a slave.¡± He took Nebo by his chin and held his gaze. ¡°Tell me, fledgling, are you an Astramori?¡± ¡°I don''t know what that is, sir.¡± ¡°An outworlder.¡± Nebo didn''t know if he should tell him about his past, but he didn''t know enough of the outside world to come up with a believable excuse. He had no choice. ¡°Yes, Threadgiver, I am.¡± Nodryev laughed. ¡°How curious, your kind is rare, child, we don''t often have travellers from other worlds.¡± He stroked his beard again. ¡°What''s even more curious is that you''re able to use our magic. What was your world like?¡± ¡°Sorry, Threadgiver, I have almost no recollection of the place except that it was extremely cold,¡± He paused, seeing Katya''s face in his mind. ¡°And warm at the same time.¡± The old Weaver paced around the room looking down at the floor. ¡°Very strange, indeed,¡± He stopped to look at Nebo. ¡°I''d hazard a guess that you''re originally from this world, seeing how naturally you take to the Weaving arts.¡± Nebo shrugged. ¡°I really wouldn''t know, Threadgiver.¡± ¡°That wouldn''t explain your eyes, though.¡± ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°Language, boy.¡± ¡°My apologies, Threadgiver.¡± ¡°Insolent child,¡± He mumbled. ¡°You have blue eyes, have you seen that on any other person since you came to this world?¡± Nebo thought about it, but every person he could think of either had red, amber, yellow, black, green or brown eyes. He''d never seen anyone with blue eyes before. ¡°No, I haven''t.¡± He said, frowning. ¡°Tsk,¡± Nodryev shook his head in disapproval. ¡°And only now you realize this? There''s much to work on in that murky swamp you call a mind I see.¡± He turned to stare Nebo in the eyes. He suddenly felt an intense pressure invade his head. A maelstrom of images and sounds came crashing into his mind, impossible to untangle. Thoughts ran through one another, until he could make out a faint whisper. ..trol¡­ Co¡­it Control it. Nodryev spoke, his words piercing through the chaos like an icy spear of command. "I said control it, fledgling, focus." But Nebo was getting dizzy, he felt he was about to lose consciousness when it suddenly stopped as soon as it started. His legs gave way and he managed to just grab onto the desk next to him. Black spots formed in his vision and it felt like hundreds of needles stabbed the back of his eyes. He blinked his eyes in exasperation. ¡°Terrible,¡± Nodryev said haughtily. ¡°And impressive. Sit, boy.¡± Nebo felt around for the chair, and sat down rubbing his temples. ¡°Listen to me,¡± Nodryev said. ¡°You fail spectacularly at focusing your mind and let yourself be overwhelmed by chaos.¡± ¡°I apologize, Threadgiver.¡± Nebo said, still rubbing the sides of his head. ¡°Hold your tongue and let me finish.¡± He commanded. ¡°Did you hear me tell you to focus?¡± ¡°I did, Threadgiver, but I couldn''t do it.¡± ¡°That''s right, and that''s what impressed me.¡± Nebo thought about what he said, but couldn''t make sense of it. ¡°My apologies, Threadgiver, but why would you be impressed with me for not being able to do something?¡± ¡°Because it was a command you received from an experienced Ocularus like me while maintaining eye contact, yet you somehow managed to resist it.¡± ¡°So I''m too stupid to follow commands?¡± Nebo said. ¡°Do you want me to hurt you again?¡± Nebo sat upright and felt his stomach tighten. ¡°No Threadgiver, I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Fool.¡± Nodryev turned up his nose at his insolence. ¡°But an interesting fool. It''s good you have a resistance to Ocularii, but we''ll have to work hard on fixing that chaotic mind of yours before you attend the Tower. Every night, before you go to sleep, you''ll come to my laboratory and we''ll repeat this training until you can pick and choose which thoughts you''ll focus on.¡± Nebo felt a knot form in his stomach. This had been one of the most unpleasant experiences he''d ever had, and he would have to do this each night? ¡°Isn''t it enough that I can resist commands, Threadgiver?¡± Another slam to his stomach doubled him over, and almost made him throw up. ¡°I''ll suffer through your bouts of occasional insolence, child.¡± Nodryev said, stepping forward and moving his face close to Nebo''s until their noses nearly touched. ¡°But I will not have you show me true stupidity or a lack of ambition, do I make myself clear?¡± He wanted to run from this man. The old weaver didn''t say it explicitly, but he knew he''d cast him aside if he kept this up. It would be the death of him. ¡°Yes, Threadweaver.¡± He said, his voice trembling. ¡°A chaotic mind is a danger to everyone, including yourself. Especially the mind of a Weaver.¡± He stepped away from Nebo and grabbed a goblet next to a stack of books to inspect it. ¡°How do you intend to weave magic of your own if you can''t even untangle the web of chaos that is your own mind?¡± Nebo wrung his hands and bit his lower lip. ¡°Ambition, child, a hunger for power is what I saw in you, and a means to gain it as well.¡± He put the goblet down he had been studying. ¡°But first, you must learn focus and discipline.¡± ¡°Yes, Threadgiver, I''ll try my best.¡± ¡°Good, now take this,¡± he shoved a tome into Nebo''s arms. ¡°and study it.¡± Nebo looked at the title; ¡®Dunmori of Old: The Six Sages¡¯. ¡°What is this, Threadmaster?¡± ¡°A collection of tales from the beginning of our empire, it''s about six different great thinkers and could be said to be the foundation of our culture. It will help strengthen your mind if you let it.¡± He looked at the ornate silver letters on the burgundy book, and wondered what its contents held in store. He was curious, if nothing else, which thoughts could have built an empire as cruel as this. ¡°Thank you, I''ll read it tonight.¡± ¡°Good, I will rest now. After you''ve read the first chapters you will come to my laboratory to begin training, is that understood?¡± Nebo swallowed. He really didn''t want to go through that again, but he didn''t have a choice. ¡°Understood, Threadmaster, I''ll be there.¡± ¡°Good, we''ll see eachother tonight.¡± The old Weaver left the room and Nebo behind. Nebo went to sit on his bed, and opened the book to start reading. To survive his mental training he''d take any advantage he could get. Chapter 11 - Part 2 Mikhail The metal clangs of the makeshift smithy rung through the stale, humid air. Tents and huts were spread around the camp, and torches were placed everywhere to light the makeshift paths. They''d arrived earlier today at the hideout together, and Twenty and Frehar were being treated by one of the Freeweavers in the medical tent. Elka and he were assigned a small tent at the outskirts of the hideout, and were waiting to meet some of the leaders. They had gotten some stew, which might as well have been made by a palace chef compared to the strange goo they''d been fed in the mines. Elka slept inside the tent, she''d fallen asleep almost instantly after dinner. Poor lass must be exhausted. Mikhail couldn''t sleep, not yet. He had been in a constant state of alert since leaving the mines, and images of Nebo being dragged through the portal by the imperial still flashed through his mind. He rested his head on his arms and sighed. For now, all he could do was join the rebellion to get information, and hope to free the boy soon. The powerlessness angered him. A voice startled him. ¡°Mikhail, I presume?¡± He looked up and saw an Acuamori woman standing in front of him. Her long, fiery red hair was tied back into a long braid, and she sported a scar across the left side of her face. The scar had taken one of her emerald eyes. Tall and slender, but her wiry muscles and confident posture betrayed her training. This was a fighter. He nodded, and got on his feet. ¡°Aye, that''s me.¡± She looked him over once, and stared up at his face. ¡°You''re not much at the moment, but I can work with that.¡± She stuck out her hand. ¡°Nelea, I''ll be training you soon.¡± He shook her hand. ¡°Thank you, but I don''t think I need it, I''ve been fighting all my life.¡± ¡°You''ve been trained by a swordmaster before?¡± ¡°No, but I''ve made do with my two daggers, and I''ve not lost a one on one fight yet in my life.¡± She laughed, it was a hearty laugh. ¡°Then you''ve been brawling, newling, not fighting.¡± She shook her head, grinning. ¡°You''ll see what I mean. Also, daggers? Really? A man of your size?¡± He frowned. ¡°I don''t appreciate being mocked." ¡°Sorry, that wasn''t my intention, I just found it hard to imagine.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Anyway, get some rest first and eat lots, you need to gain some mass.¡± ¡°I don''t have time to rest, I need to find out where my¡ª" ¡°Yes, yes, I heard about it from Frehar. I understand you''re itching to go out there, but you won''t be much use to anyone looking like an exceptionally tall corpse.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°Trust me big guy, recover a bit and we''ll get to training soon.¡± ¡°Fine, but don''t make me wait too long.¡± ¡°I don''t intend to, I look forward to seeing what you''re capable of.¡± She turned and left, waving as she went. ¡°See you soon.¡± Mikhail sat back down and stared at his empty bowl. He grabbed the spoon and twirled it around in his fingers, accidentally dropping it after a few seconds. He sighed and picked it up, and tried again, but failed after twirling it twice. His shoulders sagged. He picked up the bowl, and stood up to make his way back to the mess tent for more stew. Damned woman, fine, I''ll eat until I can''t anymore. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Elka said, rubbing her eyes. He looked at her. ¡°To get some more food, should I bring some for you too?¡± She yawned, and shook her head. ¡°I''m okay, thank you.¡± She stretched her arms above her head. ¡°I''ll come with you though, I want to look around.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He started walking. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Elka quickly got up and ran after him. They made their way into the central area of the hideout, where the rebellion had put the most important tents, and stopped to look around. The medical tent, the leader''s tent and others were placed in a circle around an empty area. They had built a makeshift square where training drills were held daily, and several instructors were shouting and working on improving their recruits¡¯ form. Two men in robed armour came walking out of a particularly tiny tent, which was lavishly embroidered. It felt like it didn''t belong. ¡°Weird, isn''t it?¡± Mikhail frowned and turned to the familiar voice. ¡°Frehar, how the hell are you up and about already?¡± Frehar puffed up his chest. ¡°I''m unbelievably resilient, my friend.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, poet.¡± He laughed. ¡°The Freeweavers fixed me up, apparently we have an amazing alchemist in our midst.¡± ¡°Alchemist?¡± Elka interjected, a curious expression on her face. ¡°I remember hearing about those, but I heard they were mostly snake oil salesmen.¡± Frehar grinned at Elka. ¡°True, many are, but some rare alchemists who actually understand their trade do exist. Oftentimes they''re trained by the Elysium Tower, or in our case, they''re one of the Freeweave.¡± ¡°How is Twenty doing?¡± Mikhail asked, staring at the recruits. Frehar''s expression saddened. ¡°It seems his leg was crushed. He''ll be alright eventually but the process will hurt tremendously for a few days.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He didn''t like the thought of the big Acuamori writhing in pain. ¡°I''ll visit him when I can.¡± ¡°So,¡± Frehar said, touching the back of his neck. ¡°One of the Freeweavers requested for you to meet her, she''s in that tiny tent over there.¡± He pointed to the embroidered canvas. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I told her about what happened in the slave mines with Nebo and she wanted to speak to you, other than that she didn''t say much.¡± Mikhail shrugged. ¡°Fine, but after that I''m going to eat more, that annoying woman came to pester me too.¡± ¡°Who, Nelea?¡± ¡°Yes, she insisted I¡¯d come and train with her.¡± Frehar laughed. ¡°She¡¯s fiery alright, I wish you the best. Now come on, follow me.¡± They left for the small tent together, with Elka right behind them. Nebo Nodryev studied a pattern in a dusty tome that was opened on top of his desk. ¡°What is a Dunmori¡¯s purpose, boy?¡± ¡°To be greater than those that came before.¡± ¡°And what constitutes greatness?¡± ¡°Greatness of the soul is decided by Sahrion, greatness of their deeds is judged by the emperor.¡± ¡°And what do Dunmori decide for themselves?¡± ¡°Everything, and nothing. I choose the domain in which to achieve greatness, I don''t decide for whom to achieve it.¡± ¡°Ultimately, why must you strive for greatness?¡± Nebo hesitated. ¡°I asked you why, boy.¡± Nebo met his teacher''s stern gaze. ¡°According to your doctrine; for the glory of the empire.¡± A stinging pain spread across his cheek when Nodryev struck him. ¡°Don''t get cheeky with me, you can''t afford to be.¡± Tears welled up in Nebo''s eyes. ¡°I apologize, Threadgiver.¡± ¡°I don''t care about your insincere apologies, fool. I care about you entering the Tower without having your head separated from your body first.¡± Nebo nodded while caressing his burning cheek. ¡°I''ll try to refrain from sarcasm, Threadgiver.¡± ¡°Listen, child, this is basic imperial doctrine. I¡¯m not interested in your personal thoughts, yet.¡± Nodryev sighed, and leaned back into his chair. ¡°Make the doctrines your own for now, enter the Tower, hone your weaving, and then you can choose what to believe. Before then, accept the system and learn to thrive in it.¡± Nebo nodded, and squeezed his hands together. He knew Nodryev was right, but he couldn''t bring himself to fully embrace the teachings of an empire that had cost him so much. Even pretending to accept it left a bad taste in his mouth. Nodryev stood up, took some time to gather his thoughts, and rummaged through a cabinet close to his desk. He stopped for a moment, and took out a scroll. ¡°You should read this, it isn''t very long but it should grant you some measure of insight into the imperial mentality.¡± Nebo reached for the scroll, but Nodryev pulled back momentarily. ¡°I want you to ban preconceptions from your mind, boy. Read it with an untainted mind, it will prepare you for your weaving as well. Can you promise me that you will try?¡± Nebo looked at the scroll, then at Nodryev, and nodded while taking the scroll. ¡°What is it about, Threadgiver?¡± Nodryev¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Didn''t I just tell you to ban preconceptions from your mind? How do you intend to do so when I tell you about the contents beforehand, you fool?¡± Nebo felt a flash of heat flush his cheeks red, and he looked at his feet. ¡°May I go, Threadgiver?¡± ¡°You may.¡± He said, turning towards the shelves of books. Nebo bowed slightly, and walked out of the room, scroll in hand. He made his way through the dark corridors towards his own room, alone with his thoughts. Cruel old man, fine. If you want me to read the scroll so badly, I''ll make sure to understand the contents in a single hour. I''ll make you regret humiliating me, and when I''ve learned all I can, I''ll escape and find Mika. He opened the door to his room and saw Vrathel busily sweeping his floors. The diminutive demon seemed to be a housekeeper, cook, butler and guard all in one. Nebo didn''t like the creature. ¡°Get out, Vrathel, I''m busy. I''ll finish sweeping myself.¡± He said, and sat down on his bed. The creature bowed, his cruel smile unchanging, and scurried out of the room. He put the scroll down next to him, sighed, and rubbed his face with his remaining hand. He hadn''t gotten used to missing an arm yet, and sometimes still reached for things without realizing it was gone. Rain tapped lightly on his window, and he set to focusing on the gentle sound to ban other thoughts from his mind. Alright, let''s try this scroll.