Orion walked through the slums of Visgamar, experiencing a sharp pang inside his heart as he surveyed the damage surrounding him. The slums were now a dead town, life as rare and sparse as in the Arctic wastelands. Of course, there were still people around but these were just hopeless zombies, going about their daily lives because there were no alternatives.

Kora followed him, her expression much brighter than before. She had drunk a lot of Orion’s blood, and while it had only put her into euphoria for a little while, the dulled effect still lasted now, a day later, though much weaker.

While Orion felt glum, she found the situation funny. The first time they had come to this part of the city, they had been wary and careful. Now, they walked like beasts among men, her more than him. Still, she wore a pensive expression on the outside in respect for his emotions. In truth, it surprised her Orion was so emotional considering the reputation the Zakari had, but then again, he had proved himself to be an ugly duckling already.

They navigated their way through, soon reaching the fort the Sticky Fingers had held. Sensing no watchers, Orion gulped, fearing for the worst. Walking forwards, his fears became a reality as he faced an abandoned fort instead of one with life. He searched for clues, anything that could tell him what had happened, and yet the Gods above seemed to bar him from even this joy.

Spiritless, he eventually gave up, Kora comforting him with a hug.

“Why don’t we check Old Joe or Nanlong?” she asked.

Despite being devoid of hope, he followed her suggestions, first going to Old Joe’s. When they got to the old home, they could see from the outside Old Joe wasn’t in - the windows were trashed and the door was knocked down. Considering the connection he had with Grima, it was entirely possible he had also shared the identity. Most likely, he had escaped the city after they had massacred the elusive group.

Heading to Nanlong’s mercenaries’ base, Orion finally felt a sprout of hope as he saw the base still had signs of life about it. The mercenaries recognised the duo at a glance and led them in, towards Nanlong, the large man smoking a sickeningly sweet joint. He was slow in his reactions, only turning around after several seconds, his eyes dazed over.

“J-Jax?” he said.

“Yeah,” Orion replied.

Nanlong paused, suddenly smiling. “Ahh, I b-bet you’re here about that d-dumb kid, I mean dumb g-gang,”

The silence was all the response the large man needed.

“It happened too quickly, nothing none of us could have done. The w-whore’s gangs cleaned up, and course the Sticky Fingers was a target… They got baited and d-done in, then and there. The surviving few left their base,”

“What about Thimble?” Orion asked.

Nanlong took a second to process the question. He merely shook his head.

After a pause, Nanlong offered his pipe. “Want a smoke? T-takes your mind off… shit,”

“No thanks,”

Orion talked for a few more minutes before leaving.

Over the next few days, he spent his time splurging his money on equipment and items for the trip. Soon after, the two left with Joiroa for Edge’s End.

****

Shielding his face with his hood, Orion surveyed the land. Edge’s End was at the edge of the Empire, on its northern front. Due to how close it was to the Arctic wastelands that followed, it meant the land was consistently harsh and cold. Orion could handle the cold, but the ice flakes which swirled around and tried their hardest to jab his eyes in strong winds were another matter altogether.

He led his horse, with Kora following with hers. Joiroa had step up camp several miles behind, aware he wouldn’t be allowed into the Seeker’s Summit. The ground crunched under their steps, its colour a bleary grey. Far in the sky, hidden by cloaks of mist was the sun, a small orb barely lighting up Edge’s End. It had been three months since they had become 5-stars Seekers; while the trip had been planned to be two months long, complications with bandits along the way had put them off track.

With the Pirosian Empire crumbling, soldiers who had previously served the Empire with pride now returned home to find nothing. In bitterness and due to no better options available, most of them had turned to banditry, robbing the few still lucky to thrive in the Empire.

Either way, they were here now and that was what mattered to Orion. His heart was pounding, and his eyes were searching the countless wooden cabins below for Kasib. Hoping for Kasib. If he had learned anything from the Seeker’s line of work, it was that when undertaking an 8-star contract, there was a massive chance of no return.

Making their way down the mountain range, they came upon the clearing where the Seekers had set up. Beyond this was the Passing sea, the icy waters like blades against the skin. As they entered the clearing, a light-footed woman skipped their way, checking their identities with scrutiny. When convinced they were who they claimed to be, they were let in and allowed to choose one of the remaining lodges. They were also told the summit all the Seekers had gathered for was tonight.

After a short rest, Orion made his way to the sea, sitting by the coast for a time with his legs dipped in the water. The Passing sea continued to the west, separating the Zakari’s land from the Arctic wastelands. The further you swam across it, the thicker and colder and calmer the waters got until they morphed into sheets of ice you could walk across. It reminded him of fond memories, of the time when his family had been around him, of when he had a protective shield against the world.

Looking into the horizon, he wondered if he had gotten stronger than his dad. Seconds later, he shook his head with a deprecating smile. While he had exploded in terms of strength in the past year, he was still a distance from his dad and his uncle. They had been true monsters, and they had been the foundations of the House. Somehow, they had also fallen…

Eventually calming like the waves around his feet, he got up and left for his lodge. Inside, he had fun with Kora, coming out a few hours later as he glimpsed the sun’s final spurts of light before the night. Leaving with her, they joined a large circle of Seekers crowded around seemingly nothing, just a blank arena several metres in diameter. A few minutes later, a platform had been hoisted into the centre and Orion could sense the Seekers around growing impatient, not so much with irritation as with anxiety. Personally, he didn’t care and was just searching for Kasib.

Half an hour later, around a hundred Seekers had joined the circle. During this time, he had spotted and waved at Smith and Maya, although Kasib was still out of sight. It was at this time he saw the crowd part for two men he knew well: Jowler and Leo.

Taking to the podium, Jowler took in the scene, breathing in the same chilled air as his brothers and sisters around.

“We have a problem,” he said, his voice powerful, his message resounding through the clearing, “It goes by the name of Yhaoli,”