Izik watched the insane bastard for another minute, but when it appeared nothing would change, he shoved off the doorframe and left his emperor to whine and rock by himself.

Hopping up the short, near-vertical ladder, he was glad to be in the fresher air of the top deck. Dascus hated water, hated bathing even, so being cooped up on a small ship in the middle of the ocean didn't improve the man’s already unstable moods.

“We’ll land a few hours west of the Port Town’s harbour markers, Chief Commander,” the first mate told him when he approached. “Small village there to tie up our longboats and fresh horses have been arranged. You should make the capital inside of two weeks, as ordered.”

Izik nodded, already thinking of his plans for getting through the Orak’Thune interior. He wasn’t really worried about detection on the way in, but on the way out…

A loud, crazed scream erupted from the lower decks. The sailors deck-side stopped, bewildered, some more than concerned, but their officers ushered them back to their duties.

And then there was the freak accompanying them. Without Dascus, the royal mother would be more difficult to take. Getting caught here would not only assure they were executed, but that sort of failure would undoubtedly foil his master's plan. Coltair heard and saw everything; being dead wouldn’t hide or save them from anything.

Izik knew his master waited in the darkness, in a place more sinister and far more reaching than just the afterlife—Coltair had been teaching him. Wherever he waited for the wheels of his plan to gain traction, Izik knew it was nowhere he wanted to be.

The trip on the enemy’s soil proved easier than he anticipated. Their arrangements for horses and provisions were met and without any delay, their party was mounted and travelling light, making excellent time.

The countryside, cooler than his native home, was beautiful in the late spring. It was blissfully light on rain, provided plenty of forage for the horses and shelter for camping under the trees, off the road at night. If they weren’t off to kidnap a royal, Izik might have considered this some sort of pleasant diplomatic retreat. He looked to Dascus, slumped over in his saddle, his cloak oversized and hanging over his emaciated frame.

Izik felt no sympathy; he only laughed at him.

Approaching the capital, Izik began to take precautions. The enormous academy, the Orak’Thune’s national institution for training its citizens into its world-famous fighting army, and their pride and joy, was located only five or so miles from the main city. The roads surrounding saw considerable military traffic.

Dressed as Antarian noblemen, in brown and green cloaks and some bird as their insignia, no one took a closer look at them. Nonetheless, Izik barked at his men to ensure their weapons were well covered.

Bael, a young brute from the streets where the Black Tower was known to recruit its most brutal enforcers, was along for his first ever mission. Blindly loyal to Izik, he was assigned the close watch of Dascus. He was to stick close to the hunched-over man, make sure his horse travelled straight and controlled and deter anyone from having too much interest in their “sickly cousin.”

Izik paid special attention to choosing their camp for the night. In a grove of trees just outside the walled city’s grounds, he settled them in perfect view of the enormous main gate. Sending one of his most innocent-looking men to deliver a message to the palace on foot, he’d now wait for Kara’s response. If all went well, Kara herself would answer the summons. If not, they would see whoever else was coming and scatter into the dense woods.

Izik settled to his cold supper and eyed the bent-over emperor. Dascus didn’t eat. His food sat untouched beside him. If the alarm was sounded, Izik planned on abandoning him there. Kara wouldn’t let her husband kill him and given his condition, anything he said would never be believed anyway.

From what he knew of his master's plan, so long as Dascus was left close enough and long enough in Kara’s presence, it didn’t matter if they succeeded in getting her to the ship and back to Rogun. Still, Izik would try because that’s what Coltair wanted, but he’d read between the lines.

At dawn, Bael kicked his foot to wake him. Izik huffed, snorted and rolled from the tight hold of his bedroll to stretch and yawn. Light was just beginning to streak the sky and he was about to complain that they had little to do until the kid returned, but Bael pointed for him and it was obvious that he wasn’t speaking for a reason.

Izik heard shuffling of feet in the leaves. He gathered his cloak, readjusted his sword and stepped back into the shadows, away from Dascus, who sat just as he was when he’d last looked at him the previous day.

“Dascus?” Kara called in surprise, recognizing him and breaking the hushed silence. She bolted from the man’s side to fall on her knees in front of him and immediately pushed the hood back from his face.

Izik watched them. She touched his cheek lightly and Izik could see Dascus’s eyes on her in return. His lips moved constantly in a rolling motion, like he was wetting them. It was a twitch now, a sign of his weakening mind.

“Winds, what have they done to you?” she whispered fast, her expression anxious.

“If you don’t come,” Dascus said woodenly, “I will kill your children.”

Kara froze. She blinked and her hands, determined and desperate before, stilled.

“Who will kill my children, Dascus?” she asked seriously. “Because my friend would never hurt me or innocent children.”

Dascus whimpered. For a moment, his eyes grew sad. Then suddenly, his expression changed to panic and fear. It was rare, but sometimes Dascus wrestled free and won the authority over his mind. It didn’t last long. The reality of all that he was doing under their influence would awaken and bathe him in the horror of his worsening state. He was inconsolable, erratic and sometimes violent when free of their control. Izik tensed.

“If you don’t come,” Dascus repeated, beginning to weep and rock. He kept his eyes firmly on hers. “They will come and kill your children!”

He burst into a scream then and grabbed his hair with both fists. He rocked violently and began pounding his temples. As he sobbed, great gobs of saliva hung from his lips and mixed with the tears and mucus from his nose. His eyes were once again lost to madness.

Startled by his outburst, Kara fell backward, but she hurried forward once again to take him strongly against her.

Despite Dascus punching her a few times, she held him until he calmed once more. Slowing his movements, she led him in a gentle, comforting rhythm, shushing him and humming the whole time.

Izik was impressed. He signalled to Bael to gather the horses.

He emerged from his tree trunk and casually approached them. Kara looked up fast and then all around when she noticed he wasn’t alone.

“Peace, Lady Kara,” Izik told her amenably. “We mean you no harm here.” He smiled. Dascus had started at the sound of his voice but resumed mumbling again.

“What have you done to him!” Kara barked. She continued to pet Dascus’s hair and cheek, but her eyes were everywhere.

Izik only shrugged and moved closer in slow, measured steps.

“Nothing at all,” he told her. “He’s a gifted man, it’s true. I guess the gift is harder on some than others. But you can see why it was so important we came for you. His Highness insisted only you could help now. We, of course, came as quickly as his command was unveiled to us,” Izik explained. Kara softened just enough so that he felt confident to keep moving closer and smiled again.

“He said I could help him?” she asked.

Izik nodded quickly. “Oh, yes! Since Coltair’s passing, our poor emperor has had terrible bouts with his father in his head. It would seem he has trouble shutting him out… or something?” Izik left the question open, pretending he had no idea what troubled Dascus.

Kara clucked her tongue and leaned more heavily to embrace her friend. “Winds, Dascus!” she crooned, leaning protectively over him. “It will be alright.”

“I know this is unconventional, but I am sure you can appreciate Roguns are not always so welcome waltzing up to the capital and demanding an audience with the royal mother,” Izik went on. “We thank you for meeting us here on such short notice.”

“Yes, of course,” Kara replied dismissively. “But I am not sure what I can do out here. You should have sent correspondence. I could have convinced my husband to let me see him, to help him, even on Rogun—he is the emperor! You didn’t need to travel this way and risk his health and comfort.”

Izik wanted to snort. Instead, he bowed slightly and opened both hands wide. “Emperor’s orders, my Lady,” he told her with mock innocence and sincerity.

Kara huffed but looked back to Dascus. “What can I do, my love? These whispers, are they anything like what we heard spoken off in Riverbrook when we were children? We can seek the Shepherd there if this is your ailment. Fear not, love, we will find a way,” she whispered fast and petted his face reassuringly, lifting it to search his eyes.

She was so absorbed in them, she did not see Bael approach from behind with the white cloth soaked in the mysterious fainting chemical the imperial scientist had provided them.

Dascus watched in muted, paralyzed fear as Izik bound Kara’s hands and fixed a gag to her mouth. His mind registered the atrocity unfolding before him, but the ancestors had locked away his cognitive connection to his body again. He could no more scream than lift his arms to strangle Izik for touching her. All he could do was watch and live his life’s unfolding nightmare.