Visgamar’s insignia, the boat amidst stormy seas, was the centrepiece of the gate, watching over tourists and criminals alike as they entered its walls. Since it had been half a year, the two Seekers felt strange coming back, now like tigers among mice, while Joiroa pensively followed, his face as passive as usual.

As they passed through the city, it became obvious the Imperial forces had been victorious due to the soldiers everywhere. The streets were still scarred by the battle, but it seemed the city dwellers had gotten used to this as they all walked on, ignoring the surrounding damage. When the trio got to the marketplace, they were pleasantly surprised to see it was thriving, stalls set up like before the riots. Orion noticed the that none of the stallkeepers shouted out their wares but this made sense considering the city’s current mood.

The closer they got to the centre of Visgamar, the less damage they saw on the buildings. In contrast, the inhabitants of these areas who had been haughty were now aware and sceptical, always on the lookout. The trio eventually arrived at the Guild buildings, perhaps the part of the city least affected by the riots, and they entered the Seeker’s guild.

Seeing the multitude of skulls decorating the inside, Orion calmed, even smiling as he spotted Maya engrossed in a book as always.

“Maya!” he called, striding up to the curved, marble table.

“Whytie!” she said on impulse, before knotting her brows as she peered at him. “Whytie? You’re no westerner with skin like that,” she said.

He flicked her forehead before she could react, sending a flush down her face. “Oh my, when did my innocent Whytie get so dominant?” she asked, regaining her composure.

He ignored her comment. “Is Smith in?”

When she nodded, the three of them went upstairs, leaving her open-mouthed about how different Orion was. Her Awakening had changed her in ways, but nothing compared to what had happened to him.

Knocking on Smith’s door, the three of them came to see him behind his desk cluttered with papers. He was wearing a dull-blue eyepatch with his greying hair combed to the side.

“Oh, you’re back, with a visitor as well. Is he the one you took with you?” Smith asked.

“Yeah, this is Joiroa,” Orion said, gesturing towards the foreigner.

Joiroa nodded at Smith.

“Does he understand the common tongue?” Smith asked, curious over the man’s appearance.

“I have learned the simple parts,” Joiroa answered.

Smith stared wide-eyed, before shaking his head in disbelief. “Wow, I think we need to sit down and talk someday. Anyway, back to the matter, how were your Awakenings?”

“They went alright, as well as any other,” Kora answered.

“Which Elixirs did you two drink?”

“Djinn and Barghest,” Orion answered.

The gentle smile across Smith’s face washed away at this, his expression tightening into a scowl. He seemed to be in thought for several moments, before turning back to the trio. “It must be serious then… What news did Jowler ask you to send?”

“The Tribes have made some ground into the Zakari’s land, and the Metoles are leaving to the frontlines. Jowler’s left from Kajan for that reason, since the Horsemen will soon take over, and the Seekers there have gone to Petrosa for the time being. Then they’re going to Edge’s End for the Seeker’s Summit,” Kora explained.

“And he said he’ll put a stick up your arse if we aren’t there,” Orion added, chuckling a little.

Smith shook his head with a good-humoured smile. “That sounds like him. I guess that means you two have little time to become 5-stars. Though, that should be easy; I can only imagine what kind of monsters you are now. So, head outside and get going on a contract now, I don’t want Jowler handling me,”

Minutes later, the trio, or more accurately, duo, were scouring the contracts board as Joiroa spied the other Seekers around with interest. They eventually agreed on one about a Lich, mainly because it was reported to be a week’s distance away.

They spent the night at The Fat Munch, Orion paying for Joiroa’s room, before setting off at dawn with new horses.

****

Orion gazed over the passing fields from his horse with relative disinterest, vaguely wishing to go back in time to Kajan. As tough and mind-breaking as the exercises had been, it had also fulfilled him in a way, taking his thoughts away from vengeance and head-hunting.

“You two are of great clans?” Joiroa said out of the blue, bringing both of them out of their thoughts.

“Yeah. Did Jowler tell you that?” Kora said.

During their trip from Kajan to Visgamar and now this one, Joiroa had stayed quiet on the whole. While Orion’s curiosity had been piqued when Jowler had mentioned Joiroa was on a mission, he had kept off asking him, after all, he knew all too well how painful it was to talk about matters like that. He had only ever told Kora what had happened, and that was because he had been close to having a breakdown. If Joiroa’s wounds and former prison cell were anything to judge by, Orion knew it was best the foreigner opened on his own terms.

“He told me you two were from famous, very large clans,” Joiroa explained.

Orion laughed at this, Joiroa staring wide-eyed at him while Kora rolled her eyes at him. “Close but you missed the mark. My House is dead – I’m the last one,”

The foreigner didn’t respond for a few moments as if taking in the meaning. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know,”

Orion waved his hand at Joiroa, gesturing it was of no matter.

“Jowler told me you two could help me. I’m new to this… Empire place,” Joiroa continued.

Orion laughed again, interrupting once more. “I think everyone figured that out!”

Joiroa chuckled at this, “Yes, you all look sickly. But some of my people are sick in the head, seriously sick,”

He paused, keeping the two Seekers on hook. “I was on a ship, the…” he pointed to the ground, then to the sky, “stars, travel, direction”

“Navigator?” Kora said.

“Yes, navigating. We were on a mission to find new ground, a new place to take control off. By Shale’s grace, we came to this Empire’s coast after a year at sea. But, but,” he stopped there, his eyes glazing over. “But one man, Shrien, he had other contacts, people he was promised to. He and others tried to kill the rest of us – I was one to escape, perhaps only one to escape. But something happened, because I was found by a Maegi who put me on a ship and spoke your tongue, demanding something off me. Then, you rescued me,” Joiroa said, a weight lifting off his chest.

Orion pondered over the matter. It seemed Shrien, one of the ship’s mates, had another allegiance, due to which he had attacked the rest of the crew. Joiroa had escaped but had been caught by a mage later, likely the fat woman he had killed on the Saltrock’s ship. And if Joiroa’s ship had been searching for new land to colonise, it made sense Shrien and his men had made a violent ruckus in the area after the backstabbing, most likely attracting the Mage Guild’s attention.

In turn, they had sent one of their own, who had caught Joiroa and possibly interrogated him ever since then. This was the version that made sense in Orion’s head, although he was still unsure on many parts, the biggest being where the hell was Joiroa’s homeland and how come the Empire had never heard of it?

“Ok,” Kora said, her expression pensive. Orion figured she was trying to make a link between Shrien and Yhaoli, after all, the monster king seemed to have a talent spreading the idea of betrayal.

“Jowler said you both could help me since you have wide power,” Joiroa said, explaining his point.

“Wait, what do you want us to help you with? Killing Shrien and the rest of the backstabbers?”

Joiroa’s red ovals seemed all the more brighter now, a hot anger rising inside him. “No, not for that. They attack us because they didn’t want to make any peaceful trade, instead they want to attack here,”

“So we’ve got a year of time to prepare? I reckon we can do that,” Kora said, smiling at Orion.

“No, no, no. They have a Maegi. He makes wide doors in the sky, really powerful. They let men skip land and water,” Joiroa said.

Orion felt his body freeze over at this. The only things that could let people skip land were portals, and they certainly couldn’t be made by man. But what if they could be? He considered the possibility, his beginning in Visgamar suddenly popping back up. He had somehow travelled from the west of the Empire to the east in too short a time frame to be possible, even with portals.

But if someone could artificially make them…

Orion realised the reason’s Joiroa’s eyes had seemed brighter wasn’t due to anger, but rather fear, the same fear he felt now.