I let the power guide me, not wanting to disrupt its natural flow. It was still evening here I realized, the sun providing the last few rays of light before the night set in. I was drawn into the city, turning and twisting through the streets. None of the people paid any attention to me, to them I was invisible.

Samos had thought he knew how crowded and unforgiven a city could be. That was before he had ever set foot in Vorna. The bustling in the cobbled streets was near-deafening, marketers of all trades trying to promote their wares as loud as humanly possible. With every step, Samos felt as if he bumped into four new people who all looked at him judgingly.

Once or twice, he felt a quick stroke of a hand go over his pockets. It was only thanks to his enhanced senses he was able to fend them off in time. Just ahead, Ralph manoeuvred his way through the crowds with the grace of a wolf stalking a prey through the underbrush.

He heard Yara curse behind him followed by the sound of a slap. Turning to help her, he saw a rugged looking beggar rub his cheek and raise a fist at her. One look at Samos and the hand he held on his sword’s pommel was enough to make him reconsider his options and he scurried off muttering. No one around them paid any attention to the ordeal.

“Thanks,” Yara muttered under her breath as they continued after Ralph. He didn’t doubt she would have been able to handle the beggar on her own, but Ralph had specifically instructed not to draw any attention. And sending someone flying with a seal was definitely a good way to do exactly that.

Behind Yara, Faye and lastly Eder followed. Samos gave a quick nod at Eder who regarded him with questionable eyes. This was not the first beggar they had to fend off and it would probably not be the last.

Ralph hadn’t told them where they were going, it was part of his training to prepare for unexpected situations, but as they progressed eastwards towards the higher reaches of the city, Samos knew they were heading for the palace. During the month at sea they had received little news on the siege and Vorna was to be the first stop on their way to Acir. If there was one place where they would hear the situation at Eresath, it was at the palace.

Some minutes of navigating through the crowds and chasing away beggars and pickpockets alike, they reached palace’s gate. The palace itself was surrounded by a low wall which separated it from the rest of the city. All along its perimeter, Samos saw guards surveying the city and the streets below them. Was the governor here always that careful or was it a consequence of current times?

Ralph stepped forward and guards approached, their spears held upright but somehow still threatening. “Ralph Aëron, Twentieth Son’Sha, requests counsel with governor Navarro concerning the ongoing siege on Eresath.” He addressed the guards.

A message was relayed and after no more than a minute, the gates opened and they were let in. A servant guided them into the belly of the palace, not stopping to check whether they were following or not. Surprisingly, they walked straight ahead from the gates, not turning once before reaching a large room consisting of a long table with comfortable chairs placed all around.

“Governor Navarro will receive you in a moment,” the servant said as he motioned for them to walk in. Following Ralph’s example, Samos and the others picked a chair and sat down.

As the servant left them, Ralph spoke up. “Vorna is the last city before one reaches the Calm Waste and gets to deal with the Nakin tribes. That makes it a very strategic place for many reasons, but it also means the governor often has to deal with raids in these regions.

“Adan Navarro is a very strict man, his mind always thinking in military terms and how words that are spoken could be used to undermine his authority. I will do the talking, but when addressed make sure to answer with confidence, even if you don’t feel like it.”

Before they could answer, a door in the side of the room opened and spear-wielding guards marched in, followed by five older men which Samos suspected to be the governor and his advisors. Ralph said nothing at the appearance of the guards, but held his tongue.

The men sat down, the spot at the head of the table taken in by the oldest looking of the five.

“Governor Navarro,” Ralph begun as he stood up and bowed. “My gratitude for receiving me on such short notice. What news of the siege? Have you received the instructions from Acir?”

The governor nodded. He was older than anyone Samos had seen yet, his skin scarred by dozens upon dozens of wrinkles. When he spoke, his voice resounded surprisingly youthful and warm.

“I have received instructions yes,” he answered, speaking slowly as if to weigh his words carefully. “Concerning the siege, not much has changed as far as we are aware. The Warbringer hold the city hostage, both with ships blocking the harbour and ground troops preventing any escape over land. The only news we receive is from scouts on the outside, no news from inside the city so far.”

Ralph nodded as if he had expected this. “And what of your fleet? I must admit I saw not as many ships in the harbour as I had hoped.”

The governor tensed visibly as did his advisors. “Two weeks before the siege began,” he rasped, his voice suddenly sounding older, “we received a messenger here in this exact same room. He claimed to be send by Ethel Hallwell, the Son’Sha who disappeared over a century ago. He also told us that soon, they would be laying siege to Eresath and form a blockade against the Order.”

The tension in the room grew with every word spoken. Samos had never seen Ralph so wide-eyed and shocked before.

The barrage of ill news continued. “He informed us that Ethel’s only business was with the Order. As long as we would not engage his forces, we would be left alone. The same message was delivered to kingdoms and cities all over the realm. I have no doubt others have come to the same conclusion as we have. We will not send our fleet and soldiers out only to be killed in a war that is of no consequence to us.”

Ralph jumped out, the guards around them tensing at the sudden movement. “You cannot do this!” he cried out angrily. “This war is of consequence to all of us! The very existence of the Order is at stake here!”

“As I said, it is of no consequence to us. We’ve been fighting off the Nakin for centuries without any help whatsoever from the Order. Why should I send away my troops when raids take place nearly every month? We are not your enemies, Lord Aëron, but neither are we your allies. I’m sorry.”

He stood up, bowed and left the room trailed by his advisors who hadn’t uttered a word. The guards however remained. One of them stepped forward. “It’s time for you to leave, sir.” The words were spoken softly, but firm.

“And so it is,” Ralph whispered as he stood up and made for the exit, supressed anger clearly visible in his step. Not a word was spoken on the way back to the Windweaver, an uneasy silence between them somehow noticeable even amongst the clamour of the crowded streets.

Ralph did not slow down nor made he any effort to dodge others. People moved out of the way instinctively as they saw him stride without pause. Samos followed him nervously, letting the governor’s words sink in one by one. The Order stood alone it would seem. Ethel had made sure of that.

They arrived at a market square, the density of the crowds decreasing for a moment. Ralph stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards Samos and the others.

“Get to the ship,” he commanded, voice tense.

“What…?”

“Go!” he yelled and drew his sword.

The crowds around them had disappeared completely in a matter of seconds, Samos suddenly realized, the market square left empty except for the five of them.

“Now Samos, no time for arguing,” Ralph insisted.

Yara tugged at his sleeve and he followed her reluctantly. The square was still empty when they merged back into the crowds in the adjacent streets, but soon the clashing of metal and shouting reached their ears. Samos had half of mind of turning back and helping Ralph in whatever it was he was facing. The look on Yara’s face was the only thing holding him back. He couldn’t leave her behind.

As quickly as the crowds allowed they made their way towards the harbour where the Windweaver was docked. Getting closer to the docks however, Eder gave a cry and pointed in the direction of their destination. Above the buildings, a thick plume of smoke could be seen.

Fearing the worst, they quickened their pace and came to a skidding halt once the harbour came into view. The Windweaver was ablaze, flames reaching higher even than the main mast. As they stood watching, the two other ships that had sailed with them, the Wavewatcher and the Pathfinder, burst into flames as well. In a matter of two seconds, both ships were completely engulfed in flames, people jumping into the water to save themselves from burning alive.

The docks were in a state of uproar, men and women running around screaming for help to extinguish the fire. But they as well as Samos could clearly see that the ships were well past the point of saving.

“We have to get out of here,” Faye said anxiously. “Whoever’s responsible for this are clearly after us. They would expect us to come back here.”

They all looked at him. Since when had he become the one to make the decisions?

He nodded though, feigning confidence. “Let’s find a place to lay low and wait for Ralph to return,” he said and turned back towards the inner parts of the city. He didn’t knew what he was searching for exactly, but staying put at the harbour was out of the question. They needed to keep moving until they were reunited with Ralph.

If Ralph even returned.

Samos didn’t doubt Ralph’s skills, but the tension he had heard in his voice had sounded more serious than ever before. There had been no jokes or quips this time, only pure focus and determination. What had he felt that Samos had missed?

They moved away from the main road and into the smaller adjacent streets. A crowd of decent size still occupied them, but the constant sound of the traders and merchants diminished somewhat the deeper into the city they went.

Corner after corner they turned hoping to shake off any pursuers they might have on their tail. They passed an insignificant looking house, but Samos stopped as he unwillingly peered into the window. This wasn’t the house of someone, this was an inn and a very small one at that.

He looked back at the others. “Let’s hide here, an inn this small is easily overlooked. “

The three of them agreed immediately and seemed content to get off the street.

The inn only held four tables and a small bar where the innkeeper stood cleaning large cups. He eyed them suspiciously as they entered, his other patrons consisting of two grump looking old men.

“Four ales, if you will,” Samos asked trying to appease to the man. Whether they drank them or not, it was the coin that mattered to the innkeeper. Not drinking anything while occupying his establishment would only result in trouble.

He finished cleaning the cup and nodded with a grunt, taking out four other cups from underneath the counter. Silence fell between them once the drinks were served and paid for. In the span of an hour, they had gone from preparing the fleet to sail against Ethel to being denied any help at all, losing Ralph and their ships being burned down.

“Did they follow us?” Yara asked, breaking the silence.

Eder shrugged. “Sevens if I know, with the amount of people in the streets anyone could have been tailing us.”

“What even is going on,” Faye sputtered. “How did it turn out like this?”

Nobody answered. Nobody knew the answer.

The door to the street opened and two men walked in, laughing at a joke one of them had just finished as they entered. The innkeeper eyed them with the same suspicion he had Samos. Clearly he wasn’t used to the amount of patrons he was receiving all of a sudden.

The two men snickered and continued their conversation while ordering drinks. Samos glanced at Eder who nodded. They had to stay on guard.

As if responding to Eder’s nod, the two men turned around in the blink of an eye, knifes ready in their hands. Before any of them could react, the knives stopped mid-air trapped in a seal. Not their seals, Samos realized as he saw both Faye and Yara only now assessing the situation.

A third man stood in the doorway, his arm stretched out towards the knives. He was dressed in strange, white garbs that covered nearly his entire body expect the eyes.

Once the initial shock of the attack was overcome both Samos and Eder jumped up, overwhelming their two assailants and knocking them unconsciously. The innkeeper and the two other patrons stood frozen, watching with their mouths agape.

“Come with me,” the men in the white garbs commanded, his blue eyes piercing them one by one. “If you want to live that is.”