He should have come with me home that night…

“You mean your partner Hanneghan?”

Shit, how did he hear that, she wondered. She was sure she was only thinking it.

“Umm, yes. He returned two days later. Some good time with those Amazons was more important to him than our plan.”

“That made you angry?”

“No… yes, of course it did. It was stupid of him to lose focus like that.”

“To lose focus?”

“I didn’t expect that from him, to fool around in such…. intense times, that’s all.”

“Filipov was right, wasn’t he?”

“Right about what?”

Again the buzz inside her temples.

“The plan.”

“What plan?”

The pain started.

“I told you, there’s no point in lying.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The intensification of pain was sudden and overwhelming. She was pulled into the darkness. The giggling….the voices…them again.

“Love…”

“Death…life…”

She pressed her hands on her head or did she? All she felt was pain. And their presence.

“The threads… you wave…. are powerful… too powerful…” a female voice reverberated within her brain.

The voices will go away….keep it together!

“It has already begun…”

“What you’ve done…”

“What you’ve triggered…”

“What you will cause…”

Female and male voices, grotesquely distorted, mixed with laughter and high pitched giggling, and the pain….she couldn’t bear it. It was too strong.

“Yes!” she uttered with a yell. “Yes, yes! Filipov was right!” The pain receded, the voices were gone and so was their creepy presence within her mind. She opened her eye slowly, still feeling a slight buzzing at her temple. “It was planned. All of it,” she gasped and took a couple of long breaths, calming herself down.

The buzzing stopped. Her body was so tense, the veins popped out on her hands. It was of no use lying to the Source, she couldn’t bear the pain. If she wouldn’t give in, she’d probably faint, or worse.

The Source observed her as if he was listening to her thoughts, his eyes warning her not to test the tube again

Does he know of the voices too? Are they some twisted side-effect of the tube? Or a malfunction? Maybe she should just ask him….no, no, don’t be stupid Ana, he’ll think you’re crazy and won’t give you any information. She realized she was hitting her head with the palm of her hand. She immediately stopped and with the same hand began stroking her messy hair, trying to smooth it out.

“Just, you know….headache…” she said… He knows, he probably knows…

The Source didn’t remark on it, instead, he resumed the previous topic. “Who thought of it?”

“We did, well mostly Akayev. He knew his aunt well, he knew it would trigger a guilty feeling in her, and he knew she didn’t like to owe to anybody.”

She wiped the tears that kept running over her left cheek and through her nose. Her right eye socket was patched up in the way, it didn’t allow through tears anymore. They all gathered into her nose instead. She never really cried anyway, it was just a reflex, a body response to the pain.

“Akayev called us when Filipov came to his club. Filipov usually hung out there when the fights were on. I sought him out and provoked him. I shamed him, badly, and H was with me, laughing at him. We knew he’d do something about it, the vengeful, predictable idiot he was. He and his thugs kidnapped us at the parking. Akayev also knew Filipov liked torturing people that rub him the wrong way or had fun with women in the basement of his mother’s house.. The plan was simple. Akayev gave the master key of all the cells in the basement to H. We’d be taken to the cells and when Filipov would come to have his way with me or smack me around, H would deal with him. Akayev would be at his aunt’s at the time and alert her to the brawl in her basement. H would make some final touches on my face, to make it more believable, and I would then claim rape, playing on Filipova’s strong feelings about it. Akayev would suggest to her that seeing the palace would be the right compensation for me.”

“A risky plan.”

“It was. The getting drugged part was not expected and H should have come sooner to my rescue. In the end, we had to improvise a lot. Filipova was out on a business, but luckily Johnson, her lover, was there. It was also pure luck she came downstairs at that very moment. Akayev told me later he couldn’t find any of the intended witnesses, which was also why he had come to the basement with such delay. And H, he almost killed Filipov. That would have been a disaster because even if Filipova believed her son tried to rape me, she would still have killed H. Blood is blood after all. So a lot of risk, but also lots of luck, one could say. In the end, it all played out better than we expected. And that bastard got what he deserved.”

“You were almost raped.”

“Yes, but somehow I knew it will all sort out.”

“How come?”

She took a long thoughtful pause. “Because of H being near, I guess.”

“Wasn’t he drugged too?

“He was… his body must have recuperated faster than mine, or maybe the drug infuriated him even more…Can’t say…H was…yeah, it’s good that Akayev showed up when he did.”

“What happened afterwards?”

“The next step was to tell Tengu about our progress. I went to the address he gave me. It was a local store for antique stuff such as clocks, books, some furniture. I found a young girl at the counter, she was maybe twelve years old, and after I asked her if somebody else was working there, she led me to her grandfather. It was a sad scene really. He was dying in his bed. Consumption. Didn’t have enough money for internal organ replacement. He beckoned the girl and whispered to her something. She took my hand and led me back to the counter. She then took an antique cuckoo clock from the wall and pulled from it a piece of paper. It had numbers written on it, coordinates. I had to memorize them.

“Be there in three days exactly at 3 o’clock in the afternoon,” she said and then burned the paper in front of me. Before I could say anything, she asked me to leave, unless we were to buy something. I didn’t …buy anything. The stench of death permeated the whole shop and it was all so hopeless. I just wanted to get out of there. I told her on my way out, I’d look for lungs. She didn’t say anything. I guess she got immune to empty promises or just couldn’t believe that somebody would help her grandfather without asking anything in return. And she was right. I made an empty promise. Even though I worked only with limbs, I had good connections with some of the IOS, that’s short for the internal organs sellers, but it would take time from me, the time I didn’t have.”

She fished for an understanding in the Source’s eyes, waiting for a nod, or a sigh. When she got nothing she dropped her stare and shook her head. “Poor kid, the grandfather must be dead by now, and I’m sure she didn’t make it alone in that shop. Anyway, the coordinates led us again to the Eastern Highlands, although not to the same spot as last time. It turned out to be another, unique experience, none of us could have imagined.”

****

Ren was their guide again, but this time Ana found him much more considerate. He kept to their pace, instead of enforcing his, no disparaging words came from him, and once or twice he was polite enough to warn them about the difficult terrain. She quickly guessed the reason for his behaviour. With a mischievous smile, she watched Ren’s face reddening each time his eyes met Margot’s. She went as far as snorting when Ren offered Margot a hand as they crossed over a big gutter. He must have heard her for he then quickened the pace and walked ahead of them for the remaining time.

No sound of water was heard on their way and Ana hoped they took a different, shorter route than the last time. Margot kept to herself, resenting Ana for not being able to go with them to the Palace. The more Ana tried to explain to her there was nothing she could have done, the more Margot got angry, taking a rather distant and cold attitude. She even refrained from talking to H, and she had always talked to H.

After spending two nights at Filipova’s house H had been out for most of the other nights too. Ana didn’t ask him what he did or who he’d been with, and he didn’t bother to explain. In overall it was a gloomy company, in which Ren was the least disturbing element.

Walking for four hours, with dusk settling throughout the forest, they began a steep ascend at a pace, which was not easy to maintain.

“Ren!” Ana shouted.

Their guide was nowhere to be seen.

“Where the hell did he go? Do you see him, H?”

“No, but I saw him going straight up. If this is another test from Tengu, I’ll smash that pale bastard’s face.”

“Great, that’s the right spirit for meeting our client.”

“I don’t give a fuck. I’m done playing his games.”

“Shut up! You’re both annoying. He’s there, I can see him, he’s waiting on the top.” Just as she said that Margo tripped over a root and cursed loudly.

H wanted to help her up, but she dismissed him promptly: “I’m fine. I’m not as helpless as you think.”

“Who said I think you’re helpless?”

“You might both as well admit it.” She brushed away some of the dirt from her clothes. “You’re more than happy that Akayev took my place in the mission.“

“Fuck, Margot, again with this shit? What could I have done? Just tell me… I explained to you the situation,” grunted Ana, her voice filled with annoyance.

“You could have not agreed, you could have insisted, you could have tried to persuade your ex… but you did nothing,” Margot retorted.

“Fucking stubborn…” Ana shook her head angrily and continued upwards, speeding up her pace as much as the sloppy terrain allowed her to.

H waited for Margot to go first and followed her. Once they arrived at the top of the steep slope an astounding view opened on a gorge below.

“We proceed downwards. If you walk a bit faster, we’ll reach the place in twenty minutes,” said Ren.

“What place? There’s nothing down there, but trees.” Ana felt a little unsettled with entering the seemingly impenetrable forest extending below. As if the trees sensed her uneasiness they turned a darker shade at the receding light of the twilight, nurturing the sense of something ominous hiding within them.

“There is, you’ll see,” said Ren, his eyes turning at Margot.

The walk down the rugged slope proved even more difficult. Ana soon felt that those twenty minutes should have passed by now, yet there were no signs of anything human. Only trees, noting but thick, high trees.

Is it going to be another den-like entrance or it’s just one of the many ways to get to the cave? Is H right…is Tengu playing with us again? Yes, it’s likely... The sound of a river halted her speculations. They must be close. Praying in her mind Ren was taking them to an entrance they wouldn’t have to crawl through, she heard a familiar whistle. Ren responded with a joyful tune to whoever was lurking among the trees. Ana chuckled at Margot’s bewildered face and readied herself to be surrounded by gun-carrying rebels.

Contrary to her expectations nobody showed up, not even when they arrived at a bridge, suspended over a deep gorge. Ana couldn’t decide what impacted her more – the precipice at the edge of which she was standing, with the gushing rive so far below, she could barely discern it, or the appearance of the bridge.

Following Ren over the bridge, the three of them walked in complete silence, holding tightly at the handrail ropes as the wooden deck swung gently at each of their steps. An armed rebel standing on the other side of the bridge came into their view. He exchanged a nod with Ren, and let them through onto a narrow trail, which bordered a steep rock wall on one side and the precipice on the other. They walked one by one, keeping close to the wall and avoiding looking into the abyss, which was just a step away. After a few hundred meters the path widened and led away from the unsettling edge. Soon they came across a few wooden cabins, which were built amongst the rocks and trees, with a path wiggling between them. As they proceeded more of such cabins came into their view, some had people standing at the doorways, greeting them with a smile or a wave of their hand. The inhabitants of this most surprising mountain hamlet didn’t look like rebels. They seemed just ordinary folk.

Ren’s face beamed with pride as he led them through the clandestine village. He smiled contently each time Margot sighted in awe. H was looking at the surroundings with an observant eye, rather than admiring it. Ana found the setting equally impressive as the cave, although she didn’t expect to see ordinary folks. But what nourished her excitement even more, was the expectation of meeting Tengu again.

Ren brought them to the biggest cabin they saw so far and beckoned them to follow him inside. They entered a large crowded room. It looked like a gathering on some joyful occasion, with people chatting, eating, and drinking. A few curious glances and welcoming smiles were thrown at the newcomers, but other than that they didn’t get much interest from the merry crowd.

At the center of the room was a hearth built into the ground with a roasted pig on a skewer turning over the fire. It wasn’t just the sight of real food, but also the cheerful, cosy atmosphere, the way people interacted with each other, the genuine laughs and happy faces, all that was unusual for Ana or any person living in the Settlements.

In the flickering light of the fire, she saw Tengu, talking with a group of people on the other side of the hearth. When he met her stare, he immediately headed toward her.

“I’m glad you made it. Hope the walk was not too hard this time?” Tengu greeted, giving Ana a slight pat on her right arm. The half-smile half-smirk set on his lips while he gazed at her without blinking.

She found him quite handsome in the unbuttoned, long olive-green coat, made of thick, firm cotton. Her eyes wandered over the plain white shirt he wore beneath his coat, which was thin enough to give the sense of his firm torso beneath it. A strange sensation overcame her. Why was she feeling so disarmed with him? She couldn’t muster up a single word to answer. H spoke instead of her. “Isn’t it a bit risky….all this?” he asked, throwing a glance around the room.

Tengu’s eyes shifted from Ana to H. “Don’t worry, Hanneghan, this place is fully protected. I have guards posted on the top of the hills all around the gorge. If an intruder was spotted we’d be notified immediately and he’d be taken care of.”

“Still—“

“Should the enemy manage to reach the river, the bridges are the only way to this village and can be retracted if necessary,” continued Tengu, refusing to let himself be interrupted. “The village cannot be accessed from the north side, there’s nothing but bare rock there. As you have probably noticed on your way here, nothing is seen through the thick forest, nor heard due to the sound of the river below. This place is practically invisible unless you know it’s here. In the worst case, if all our security parameters were bridged, which is highly unlikely, I and my comrades are always ready to fight. So don’t worry, Hanneghan, feel at ease, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

H snorted. “It’s stupid to think the word about this location doesn’t get around.”

“Perhaps, but…” Tengu turned his palms upwards and shrugged. “…so far so good.”

He’s so damn confident…Ana was devouring all his words unable to take her eyes off him.

“You’re a careless fool, if you think in this way,” H disagreed.

“Your straightforwardness is appreciated, Hanneghan, but let me worry about the things that are mine to worry about.”

The edgy exchange between H and Tengu prompted Ana out of her dazzled state. “What is this place and who are all these people?” she blurted.

Tengu’s eyes softened as he turned to her. “It’s an old clandestine hospital, from the pre-modern area. Imagine, all this was preserved, even the machines didn’t find it. The older the thing the better the quality, it seems.” He smiled and let out a gentle chuckle. “After the Event, some people, most of them farmers, who lived outside the cities all their life, found refuge here. Well, not only farmers, we also have doctors, and some other, interesting profiles. They are people that didn’t want to conform to the policies, which thrived during the 7-year war, or to the subsequent Emperor’s reign. They know the older ways of life and are able to provide for themselves. Once I and my comrades discovered them, they took us in. Some of the villagers joined our ranks, others are our support for food and medical attention when we need it. In turn, we provide them with protection. Without them, our rebel army could not survive.”

“And this….. “ Ana’s eyes flickered around the room. “Is it some sort of festivity?”

“Yes, it is,” he replied, his wide smile recapturing Ana’s stare. “You might think it’s risky gathering like this, so many people in one place, openly and loud….” He turned, looking around at the crowd. “…some of my comrades are also here…But we all agreed that once in a while the benefits of such events outweigh the risks. They are important, for the psyche and for lifting the spirits of the people. It’s their decision anyway, of the villagers…They’d do it with or without us. We just happen to agree with them.”

“Then why you’re living in the cave and not here?”

“It’s still better our headquarters are located separately.”

“Better protected and less risky, for the rebels as well as their arsenal,” remarked H.

Tengu smiled slightly but said nothing.

Margot crossed her hands in front of her chest and admired the setting. “I had no idea, something like this existed.”

“Well, you should have seen the cave,” muttered Ana.

“Not many do, Margot. And we’d like to keep it this way.” Tengu’s eyes demanded some kind of confirmation from them.

“Understandable,” said Ana and gave a quick glance at H and Margot, prompting them to agree to it as well.

“Can we talk business now?” asked H in an impatient tone.

“Well, let me first welcome you all amongst us at this night of festivities. It’s a rare occasion, you should all try to enjoy it. It’s a celebration of the new wine.”

“It’s not what we came for, so—“

“Wine?” Ana cut H off, her eyes bulging with disbelief.

Tengu leaned in conspiratorially and arched his eyebrows. “And an excellent one.”

Funny, she thought, how small details such as the taste of wine stayed so vivid in her memory, despite the opportunities for tasting it were so rare. A sip at the New Year’s celebrations with her parents and for her birthdays, when she was a child. Its bitter taste made her grimace, yet she liked the way it tickled her taste buds. The last time she tasted it on her birthday was on the day of the Event. After that, she could count on one hand all the times she drank wine. With her father, for her nineteenth birthday, when he surprised her with a small bottle of Merlot just before he disappeared. The time she re-opened Orion’s Belt after her father’s disappearance. Twice with Akayev, who received once a bottle from his aunt. She did drink alcohol, but not wine. The wine was a commodity served only in the homes of the elite in the Forbidden City.

And now she had an opportunity to drink wine with Tengu. A big, silly grin spread over her excited face.

“Come…” He took her hand and pulled her along. It was a decisive grip of his Nakamura arm and all she could do was depart from H and Margot with a shrug before she disappeared into the crowd.

Tengu brought her to one of the counters on the other side of the room. A barrel and plates with fresh food were on top of it: apples, pears, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, bread… Ana was eating it all up with her eyes. His hand on her wrist added to her excitement.

Tengu asked for a glass from the lady behind the counter and placed it under a small tap on the barrel. While the glass was being filled with the red liquid, he nudged his head towards the food. “Go ahead,” he encouraged Ana with a smile.

Hesitating at first, she took the smallest piece of bread the lady just laid out on the plate and chewed it slowly, with her eyes almost closed. Then a potato, a pear, and more bread. The lady, an older woman, with rosy cheeks was smiling kindly at her from behind the wooden counter and pushed forward another plate filled with fruits. For a moment she forgot about the plan and everything else. It was Tengu’s lingering stare that made her aware of her lapse.

“Umm, sorry,” she muttered with her mouth full. “It’s just, I haven’t eaten real food in more than ten years….where is this coming from?”

“They, the folks of this village, produce it. I told you, these are people, who chose not to live their lives according to the always-changing whims in the big cities. They wanted to be self-satisfactory, so they were producing food for themselves long before the Event. They passed the knowledge down to the next generation. Oh, look,” he said, moving aside and allowing a robust man carrying a plate with chunks of roasted pig to pass through. The man greeted Tengu and placed the plate on the counter, then left again towards the hearth.

“Smell it first…” Tengu said, holding a plate in front of Ana’s nose.

Its delicious smell filled her mouth with saliva. She didn’t hold back and took the largest piece. It was her dream coming true, right there.

“You surely ate that awfully fast,” Tengu remarked, his eyes smiling while he was still nibbling at his chunk of pork.

Ana grinned with embarrassment, her lips greasy with pork fat. “We had quite a long walk.” The truth was she could have easily swallowed down at least four such pieces. But she didn’t ask for more out of consideration. She quickly understood that although it did seem an abundant feast at first sight, it wasn’t that much food considering the number of people in the room.

“Now try the wine and tell me what you think.” He passed her the glass he previously filled from the barrel.

She swallowed it with long, slow sips. She had always appreciated its taste. Had the Event not happened, she’d probably be in the wine connoisseur business. It was a good wine, slightly sweet, not too heavy. She was overcome with a pleasant feeling after just a few sips and by the time she finished the glass, she felt heat on her cheeks.

Tengu refilled her glass to the brim.

“Oh, what about… others?”

“Don’t worry, there is enough of it, more wine than food.” He smiled, toasted with her, and drank as well.

“I think I should check on H and Margot,” she said after they both emptied their glasses.

“Of course. Hopefully, they are enjoying themselves as much as I do.” He added meaning to his words with a prolonged gaze at her. She was glad her cheeks were already red from the wine.

She found H and Margot at the same place she’d left them, both looking uncomfortable amongst the chatting crowd. Ren had just surprised Margot with a plate full of vegetables and fruits, he had meticulously picked himself from the nearby counter. Margot, staring at the full plate, was hesitating.

“Try it, Margot, you’ll finally know what the real food tastes like,” said Ana, who just returned and was ogling the food herself.

A look of confusion spread across Margo’s face.

Ana rolled her eyes. “Just eat it, for gods’ sake, bite into it…like this…” She picked up juicy red tomato, bit half of it off, and chewed it loudly.

H chuckled and took some bread and apples from the tray one of the locals pushed in front of him.

“There’s wine too, H.”

“Yes, I can see that by your red face.”

Ana grinned and raised her glass towards him. “Two glasses down, and one more to go.”

“Sure, why not…that will help you to have a clear mind when discussing the plan, on which our lives depend.”

“Oh, now you wanna talk about being serious? ‘Cause I didn’t really get that vibe from you when you decided to waste days with those Amazanos at Filipova’s. Here, take a glass, you know, to recover properly.” She tossed him a condescending wink.

“Are you jealous I’m getting some?”

H’s remark made her unusually angry, but just as she was intent on voicing that anger Margot interjected: “Can I taste some too?”

“Sure, here you go…” Ana turned away from H and hugged Margot over the shoulders, giving her a sip from her glass.

Margot grimaced but continued to drink.

“Much better than those supplements, ha?” asked Ana observing her scrunched face with amusement.

“Not sure…” replied Margot.

“The more you drink the better it gets.” Ana messed up Margot’s fringe and released her.

“Ren, why don’t you bring a glass for Margot, and Hanneghan,” suggested Tengu joining the group again.

“No need to worry about us, we’ll take it if we want to,” said H darkly.

“You’re guests here, let me treat you properly.”

Ren returned with two glasses and gave one to Margot and then to H, who took it after some reluctance.

With the glass at their mouths, they were startled by the sudden sound of a violin. Its heartfelt tune was joined by a couple of harmonics, then a drum, and eventually some other unknown instruments. The musicians slowly gathered together in one place and filled the room with joyful music. The people clapped and swayed to the rhythm, the bolder ones began dancing.

Tengu ceremoniously bowed to Ana and extended his left arm at her. “May I have this dance?”

“What? No way!” Ana put up her hand in defence. “Dancing is really not my thing.”

“Don’t worry. Hold on to me and I’ll lead you.”

“Go, Stemetski, go! I’d like to have a good laugh, and seeing you dancing would surely do it,” Margot taunted her.

“No, no, I’d prefer another glass of wine. Could you please?” She held out her glass toward Tengu. He took it from her hand, but instead of refilling it he gave it to Margot and pulled Ana with him into the crowd.

She turned her head sideways, too embarrassed to look at him as he put her arms on his shoulders and embraced her with his left Nakamura hand around her lower back, keeping his right hand by the side. She almost wished for a security alert to stop the dance from happening. They began to sway gently, stepping from one foot to another. He was overly considerate. Other couples around them were spinning much faster, and she was sure Tengu could easily catch up with them if he wanted.

“Don’t worry, I have you,” he said.

She finally dared to look at his face. “Is this some archaic gentleman’s line at which my heart is supposed to flutter?”

“Did it?”

She frowned. “No!” Yes, although to be precise it wasn’t her heart it was her stomach.

They made a slow 180-degree turn. She saw Margot laughing, with her finger pointed at her and H’s empty stare cast in her direction. Margot grasped him around the elbow in an attempt to drag him to the dance, but he wouldn’t budge. For a moment their eyes met, then Tengu spun her away.

The sweet wine made her feel pleasantly numb and all her attempts to keep a vigilant and reasonable mind failed. He was a client. He was also the most wanted person. He kept surprising her, while she wasn’t any closer to figuring him out. To fall for him would be even more stupid and suicidal than the mission she accepted. Distance, she had to keep distance. And yet. as awkward as it felt, she enjoyed being in his embrace.

“What’s with that suspicious look?” he asked, as they drifted apart from the crowd.

“Just wondering, where’s that Aynu person? He’s like your shadow…I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw him dancing just so he could be close to you.”

He smiled, jerking her head backward. “Ichiro, he is my shadow indeed. Don’t worry, he knows when he’s not needed. Besides, this is our territory. I told him to relax, to have some fun, but I’m quite sure he’s lurking somewhere in the woods, making sure nobody can surprise us. Can I show you something? Please, come with me.”

Before she realized they were out of the cabin, walking through the village hand in hand. She let him lead her, until they came up to the bridge.

“Wait, where are you taking me?”

He nodded to the guard, then turned to her. “Some place nice. Don’t be afraid. If I wanted to harm you, I would do it by now.”

She let go of his hand and put hers in her pockets. “Okay, let’s go then.”

He buttoned up his coat and they continued over the bridge. With the sound of the river in the background, they walked up the slope, moving as two shadows between the trees. He didn’t say a word, but he was stuck very close to her. When she stumbled over a root of the tree, he caught her and took her hand in his again. She wanted to release him after she regained her balance, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Don’t,” he said, giving her hand a tight squeeze. “You’re not used walking in nature, especially not at night and after a few glasses of wine.”

She didn’t object. His hold was comforting in the dark woods, even though it made her feel safe and unsafe at the same time.

“A few more visits up here with you and I’ll be as good as Ren,” she joked.

He chuckled. “I’m not as good as Ren, and it would take you several more visits…walks with me.”

She didn’t reply, feeling again the tickling sensation in her stomach. They reached the top of the slope and climbed up on a small rock, its white surface visible well in the moonlight. They sat down, close to each other.

“Do you see?” he asked.

She focused her eyes and searched for any sign of the village within the dark gorge, but couldn’t see or hear anything besides the black blanket of trees extending as far as her eyes could see and the gushing sound of the river. He was right, she thought, one could not know about the village, unless inside it. It was a fantastic clandestine construction.

“I see…trees… and rocks…”

He shook his head, smiling. “Look up.”

She tilted her head backward and saw a sky full of stars. “Oh…” Her lower jaw remained open as she continued to gaze up.

“You said you liked stars, and I told you I would show you a starry sky. Just another way to show you that I always keep my word.”

Mesmerized by the blinking stars, she was barely listening. Tears started gathering in her eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to--“

“No, no…” She wiped away the few tears that managed to escape down her cheeks and forced a smile. “It’s beautiful… My mother…we used to stare sometimes at the stars through the small telescope in her cabinet. She’d talk about the constellations and tell stories about them. It’s just a silly memory”

“Tell me one…”

“Umm…what?”

“One story about one of the constellations.”

She thought about it for a moment and nodded. “You see those three stars up there to the right, they are shaped in a line…same as on my cap.” She pushed the brim of her cap downwards to show him. He looked at it then he looked up again, following her pointing finger.

“Yes, I can see them.”

“They are part of a larger constellation named Orion.”

“The mythical hero from the antique state of Greece?”

“Yes, Orion, the great hunter. His right shoulder and left foot are marked by two bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel, and that distinctive line of three stars forms Orion’s belt. They are named: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.”

“I see, so you named the company after them?”

“My father did, those stars were my mother’s favourite. She used to joke that that’s where all the Gods come from.”

“And do you believe it?”

“Naah, I don’t believe in Gods period.”

“So how does the story go?”

“There are a few versions of Orion’s story. In one of them, Orion was the lover of Artemis, the Goddess of hunt, moon, and chastity. Apollo, Artemis’s twin brother tried to protect her innocence and was against her union with Orion. He devised a plan, in which he taunted his sister to shoot an arrow at a barely visible object in the lake. Annoyed by her brother’s comments she shot at the object, which turned out to be Orion’s head, and killed Orion, who went for a swim, on the spot. In her pain, she appealed to Zeus to immortalize Orion in the stars so that she could be with him.”

“Hmm….so she killed her lover by mistake.”

“Yup…I prefer another version, though.”

“Which is?”

“Orion had an immense strength but also an enormous ego. He was vain and he boasted that he could best any animal on Earth. In response to his vanity, a small scorpion was sent by the earth-goddess Gaia. It stung him and killed him. The two opponents, Orion and the Scorpion, were placed amongst the stars, positioned on opposite sides of the sky. One sets as the other rises.

“So, either way, Orion ends up among the stars.” He watched her smugly, his head tilted slightly to the side.

She took her cap in her hands and looking at it, she smiled. “Well. that’s why the story was created in the first place. In all versions, whether Orion is good, bad, innocent or guilty, courageous or vain, he becomes a star.”

“You always wear this cap…”

“It was my father’s.”

“Is your father dead?”

“Probably, yes.”

“You don’t know?”

“He’s dead. You really don’t remember anything about your parents?”

He shook his head. “No, I…after the Event I woke up in a Sanctuary.”

“A Sanctuary, you mean…you met the Sources?” Her voice raised in surprise.

“Yes. They treated me. I think I was barely alive. They fitted me with this antique arm, it was hard to get any spare body parts at the time. They were nice, but… how to say… rather impersonal. They called me Gabriel because all the Sources at that Sanctuary were called Gabriel.”

“Shit…that impressive. I’ve only ever heard stories of the Sources. I know of no human ever being in a Sanctuary.”

He laughed. “They are hard to find. But if you do, I think they are quite welcoming.”

“So, do they know…everything?”

“They know a lot.”

“Wait, so your Nakamura arm… you got that after the Sanctuary? Did the Sources tell you where to get it? Is that it?” She snapped her fingers in excitement. “Now it all makes sense, if anyone, they would know it. That’s how you also found out about the parts in the Emperor’s lab. Am I right?”

Tengu leaned back on his elbows, half-smile half-smirk arising on his lips. “I told you already that’s something I’m not ready to share just yet.”

“Oh, come on…you can just nod or shake your head…No? Ah, fine then…” She pouted her lips and exhaled loudly, turning her eyes to the sky. She wondered when and if there would be the next time she’d be able to gaze at the stars like this. A sudden breath of warm air hit her cheek, and as her eyes left the sky they were surprised by the closeness of his.

Tengu leaned in and kissed her. It was a brief kiss on the lips as if he was only checking if it was all right to do that. She clenched her cap in her hands and stared at him with her eyes wide open. He kissed her again, this time he gently held her face with his left hand and the kiss lasted much longer. Her eyes were opened, his were closed. Strands of his hair were blown into her face by a short gust of wind that crept out of the forest. Don’t stop, she thought, when his face suddenly twisted in pain. His lips detached from hers and his head slid on her shoulder. She thought he passed out, but in the next instant, he abruptly pulled away from her.

For a moment she wasn’t sure what happened or whether she was the cause of it. He sat next to her, all scrunched up with his left hand pressing against his head. The sighs and moans he emitted spoke of intense pain.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked all worried.

His eyes closed, he shook his head. When she tried to come closer, he pushed his palm in her face to stop her. “I’ll be fine,” he gasped through his teeth, which were clenched in pain. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

She froze at the loud cry that he uttered next, not knowing what to do or how to help. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked at her, breathing rapidly. His eyes glittered on his pain-stricken face as if he was on the verge of crying. Their colour was darker and the pupils were abnormally enlarged.

“Gabriel, I…what happened? Are you okay now?” She put her hand on his arm, but at her touch, he jumped to his feet. “Yes…” He swiped his hand across his face a few times. “I’m fine. We should go back.” He headed down the slope without waiting for her.

Just like that, no explanation, as if the kiss and the strange pain have never occurred. She shrugged at his odd behaviour and thought what an asshole he was. During their rapid, silent descent anger built in her chest, and alongside the anger regret. That kiss was a mistake. It meant nothing, not to him, and sure as hell not to her, she tried to convince herself.

She was more than glad to be back in the village and escape the tension, which built up between them. Tengu was a different person than the one she got on the top of the hill with. She left his side as soon as they entered the festivity cabin and searched for Margot and H.

She found Margot dancing with Ren. With her hands around his neck, she was swaying with provocative, exaggerated movements, making Ren blush. H stood nearby with a glass in his hand and as soon as he saw her he turned away towards the counter with the food. She approached him and gave him a slight nudge on the shoulder.

“Hey, is Margot okay? It doesn’t look she’s taking the alcohol too well.”

“She’s a grown-up.”

“Well, yeah, but still…she’s getting quite close to that young rebel. Might be not so appropriate…“

“I guess, she‘s following your example. Tell me something, Stem, are we still here ‘cause of the job?” His lips pursed as his green eyes narrowed at her.

For a moment she got confused. She didn’t expect such an aggressive attitude from him. The kiss on the top of the slope came to her mind and she averted her stare. ”Of course we are, H, what else?”

He snorted and sipped from the glass.

“Heeey, you two!” Margot approached them, leaning heavily on Ren, who very gallantly supported her. “Now, there’s a couple I’d like to see dancing together! Come on, H, now is your time to shine! Here’s the person you really wanted to dance with aaaall night! ‘Cause you see, Stemetski, no matter how much I pleaded, he just… wouldn’t… dance… with me. He’d rather see me in the hands of this young, charming rebel than grant me a small dance..” She giggled at Ren, who blushed and promptly averted his stare downwards. “But I bet if you asked him, he’d be spinning around this room with you as if there’s no tomorrow.”

“What are you talking about…H wouldn’t dance with me or anyone else even if there was a fire under his feet.”

Wobbling on her feet, Margot reached toward Ana’s cap and pushed it down by its brim. “Sometimes, you’re so blind or naïve or just too self-absorbed to notice, Stemetski.”

“Notice what?”

“Ahhh, I can’t even hold it against you. With those innocent eyes, it’s like everything is forgiven to you in advance. Say, how about Tengu, did you make him fall for you too?”

“Fuck you, Margot. I don’t know what you’re trying to insinuate, but it’s clear you don’t hold the alcho very well.”

“That’s enough.” H intervened and grabbed Margot by her elbow. “Let’s go and get some air.”

“You have no right, leave me!” She resisted him, leaning her full weight on Ren. “Tell me, Stemetski, where did you and the chief rebel go? Did you discuss the job that will get all of us killed or have you been somewhere…ehmm…cosy?”

“What the fuck, Margot?” Ana frowned, starting to wonder if the alcohol was the only cause for her unusual behaviour.

“Ah, never mind!” Margot laughed and clasped her hands together. “It doesn’t really matter. Whatever you do, and whoever you do, he’ll stay faithful to you…”

“I have no fucking idea, what you’re talking about, Margot…get a grip of yourself.”

“Come on, Margot, bedtime!” H looked dead serious.

“Already?” It was the voice Ana hoped to avoid for the rest of the night.

With a glass of wine in his hand, Tengu approached them, all cheerful and smiling, showing no signs of his previous negative attitude. Ana bewildered and annoyed by how easily he got over the bad ending of their little escapade into the hills, snatched the glass from his hand, and drank almost half of it in one go.

“Oh, you! You!” Margot pointed her finger at his face, balancing herself on Ren’s shoulder. “I don’t trust you!”

Tengu’s eyes sparkled with a mischievous light. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there a way I can prove to you that you have nothing to fear from me?” Saying that he grasped her hand in front of his face and pulled her out of Ren’s embrace with ease. “I see you are very keen on dancing.” He put his arm over her back and swept her along in a quick turn, keeping his stare firmly on her. “Your mistrustful nature might have saved you many times, but I assure you with me is misplaced. We all want the same thing.”

“Do we?” she said quietly, raising her hazel eyes at him.

“Of course.” He pushed her ponytail from her shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about, child, tonight you should enjoy.”

They were about to dance away when H stepped in and pulled Margot to his side with such force she barely managed to stay on her feet.

“Where can we sleep?” he snarled at Tengu.

After an exchange of tense stares between them, Tengu, without breaking the eye contact with H, took a step back and put his hands up. “Relax, Hanneghan, I only wanted for all of you to have a pleasant time.”

“We came here to discuss the plan and if that’s not happening right now, we’d like to go to sleep.” H sounded so determined that Ana didn’t dare to object, even though she didn’t feel like sleeping at all.

Tengu scoffed, looked around the room casually, and then said in a calm, resigned voice: “We shall discuss the plan tomorrow morning. Ren will show you to your cabin.”

H, holding Margot close to him, started to walk away, Ren at the nod of Tengu quickly followed him, while Ana remained behind.

“We’re leaving,” H called at her, looking over his shoulder.

She indecisively looked at Tengu, who extended his arm at her.

“Umm, I’d better go to rest too.”

“You sure?” asked Tengu.

“Stem!” It was H again.

She remembered Tengu’s earlier transformation from a very gallant person into a complete asshole. That did not sit well with her.

“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied and hurried after H.

She wasn’t surprised that Ren remained outside their cabin. For their own protection, he told her, Tengu’s orders. Guarding them or watching over them, either way it was clear they were not simply free to go. They were at the mercy of the rebels, and she had just experienced how quickly their leader could swing moods.

They got a one-room cabin, with two bunk beds. H laid Margot on the ground bed and she fell asleep instantly. Ana took one of the upper beds, and H lay below her. The beds were quite short and Ana chuckled upon hearing H’s attempts to accommodate his large body within the small bed frame.

“H,” she whispered.

Nothing.

“H, come on, I know you’re not asleep. I can hear you moving.”

He remarked something indiscernible in a displeasing tone.

“You think I’m right in doing this?”

She heard him blow out the air.

“It’s not the job,” he said in a quiet voice.

She leaned over the bed frame. H was lying with his arms crossed below his head. Their eyes met in the darkness

“Is it Tengu?” she asked whispering.

He nodded.

“He’s bad news, I know it, but--“

“Something is not right, I feel it in my guts and I know you do too,” he whispered back.

She sighed, lifted herself up, and lay back in her bed.

“Shall I call it off?”

“It’s your decision.”

“If my father was alive--“

“Maybe he still is.”

“Well, if he is, I’ll kill him myself”

“You won’t.”

“No, I won’t. But I’ll tell him all that I did with his company and then I will never speak to him again.”

H offered no response.

“Why, H, why the hell, are you so loyal to him?”

“I owe him. He took care of me.”

“You owe him nothing. He owes you.”

Again silence.

“Have you ever wondered about your father?”

“Sometimes. I wonder if my mother would eventually tell me about him if she had survived the Event.”

“Must be some tough mofo, judging by your looks.”

H chuckled.

“I’m serious, all you got from your mom are your lovely green eyes.”

“So now you think my eyes are lovely?”

“I always thought your eyes were lovely.”

“Okay…good night, Stem, I realize now how drunk you are.”

“No, no, no. Wait! You’re right, H, now that I think about it, my father would surely oppose this mission, all of it, dealing with the rebels in the first place. Huh …it’s all clear to me now. We’re going forward with it.”

“Your reasoning is fucked up.”

She smiled inwardly and sank into a dreamless sleep.

In the early morning, with the room still silent, Ana tiptoed down the iron ladder on the side of the bed in an attempt to sneak out without waking up anyone else. H's stern gaze, which meet her as soon as she hit the ground, spoiled her plan.

»What—»

»Psst...« he put his finger over his lips and glanced toward the bed where Margot slept. He half rose up in his bed, almost bumping his head at Ana's bed above him, and with a reprimanding face, tapped at his wristwatch a few times.

She frowned back at him, feeling rather proud of herself for waking up this early and without H's assistance, which would very likely be in the shape of a rough shake at her shoulder.

Their non-verbal discussion was interrupted by Margot, who turned in her bed and continued her light snoring as though nothing had happened.

Signalling to each other they silently walked out of the room. As soon as they opened the door Ren jumped in front of them.

“Good morning!” said Ana cheerfully.

Blinking with dazed eyes, he looked like he'd just awakened from a deep sleep. He only nodded, passing his hand over his face and hair, probably not expecting the guests to wake up this early.

The day was just dawning and the village was quiet. A sound of a closing door or a voice was heard here and there but they all died out quickly, leaving only the chatter of the birds and a rooster to greet the day,

“Well,” said Ana, looking at H; “I’m gonna go for a morning walk.”

Ren frowned, tilting his head to the side. “What? No, wait, you can’t… you’re not supposed to--“ but before Ren could take any proper action, Ana had already walked down the path that led away from their cabin, and H stopped him from following her by stepping in front of him.

“Can we get something to eat…a jar would do…any food would do,” said H, his large body getting in the way of Ren's sight.

Ren looked at H, then at Ana, who was disappearing down the path, then at H again, and nodded with resignation. “I’ll get something.”

Most of the huts on Ana's way were still closed and no people were seen outside. Even the river below seemed quieter as if trying not to wake up the village Ana paused and gazed at the sun climbing up the cloudless sky. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh morning air. The opportunities to see a clear sky, breath fresh air, or just be in a surrounding so quiet and natural, were non-existent in her life. If she could she'd stay to enjoy these simple pleasures for a while longer, but she had a task to do. With H's help, she got rid of Ren, which allowed her to roam around the village alone and observe it freely.

After walking for a few minutes, she came across the doctor’s hut, or at least that’s what she thought it was, seeing a sign of the staff of Asclepius on its door. Nothing about the other huts struck her as particularly interesting or suspicious. Considering the landscape in the village was quite rocky, with no possibility of a garden or fields, she wondered where the villagers grew their food. She heard a clucking noise and followed it to the back of one of the huts. She found a small enclosed area with a few chicken running around in it. She leaned on the fence and observed them until a woman come out of the back door with a bucket in her hand. When she saw Ana she smiled and waved at her.

Ana waved back and called out at her: “Good morning! It’s a nice place you have here.”

After some hesitation, the woman came to the fence. “Thank you, Miss, may I be of some help to you?” She seemed eager to go about her business.

“I was just wondering how’s the life here…I mean, you live in this village, but you also support the rebels. Isn’t it very risky? If the Emperor would found out…“

The woman waved her hand in dismissal. “We trust Gabriel. He’s strict but fair, and he keeps his promises. We trust him with our lives. He’ll protect us, from the Emperor as well as from the others.”

“So, you supply food for him and his army?”

“We support him with whatever he asks of us.”

“Where do you grow the food? There’s nothing but rocks here.”

“Further down, near the edge of the forest…” The woman grabbed a fist of seeds from her bucket and threw them at the chickens that briskly gathered at her feet. “I need to go now, lots of work to do.”

“Wait, umm…” Ana struggled; “How can you place so much trust in one individual, an individual who is persecuted by the Emperor nonetheless?”

The woman smiled and looked at her in a slightly patronizing way. “Gabriel is a very special person. Everyone here can see that. With time, so will you. I really have to go now.”

How can they be so trustful, she mused while walking away from the hut. But the more she considered the question the more the answer that presented itself bothered her. She could understand what the woman was saying. The devotion and trust Tengu inspired in people, she felt it too, she just didn’t fall under his spell. Yet.

Amongst the huts not far from her, she noticed two women carrying what looked like a large roll of fabric. She followed them and saw them entering a larger cabin towards the end of the village. She walked up to it, and after making sure nobody else was around, she approached one of the windows. Stepping on her toes she looked inside. The windows being quite high she could barely see anything. There were people, most of them women, and large cloths of fabric lying all over the room. The women were working on the fabric, cutting and sewing it. She pressed her face onto the window to see better when she heard a voice.

“May I help you?” a woman standing at the door addressed her.

“Umm, good morning. I’m…I’m a guest of..of..umm Tengu.” Uncertain about which name she should use for the rebel leader, she simpered back at the bewildered woman. “I’m looking for him.” She came up to the woman, trying to peek inside over her shoulder. A sort of clothing production, she thought. “Working so early? New dresses for another party?” she asked jokingly.

The woman briskly closed the door behind her and forced a smile. She pointed her finger in the direction of Ana's cabin. “Follow the path towards the bridge. The last cabin before the bridge is usually where he sleeps.

“Thank you,” replied Ana, slightly disappointed she couldn’t find out more. At least now she knew where Tengu was. After all that happened last night, she wasn’t too eager to meet him even though she knew it would have to happen sooner or later.

Once far enough from the lady that told her about Tengu's whereabouts, she continued in the opposite direction of the bridge. The cabins became scarcer and the path wasn't so obvious anymore. Becoming narrower with every step it eventually ended in a steep, bare wall of the mountain.

She advances a few more steps, pressing her palms against the rock and keeping her stare firmly forward. With slow and careful movements, she reached a point where she'd need some serious climbing skills to continue. Clinging to the wall, she looked over the edge, all the way down the rocky wall until it sank into the glistening river far below. Her eyes followed the river’s winding shape that cut through the gorge and didn't waver from it even when she already knew that somebody was standing behind her. Biting down on her lip she mentally readied herself for the unexpected intruder and turned slowly,

The focused black eyes of the Aynu stared back at her. He was very close, too close. The hilt of his katana stuck out from behind his shoulder. If she made one step backward she'd have to climb on the bare rock and she wasn't sure she was capable of doing that.

“I was…I was walking around the village and…ehm..” The cold glow of his black eyes was very unsettling. Before she could think of how to continue, he moved to the side, pressing his back against the rock. He gave her enough space to pass, although she’d have to walk very close to the edge.

Was he testing her? Maybe he wanted to push her into the gorge, making it look like an accident. She'd fucking grab him and drag him down with her if he did that. Either way the thought of their bodies getting so close or even touching repulsed her. She waited, hoping he'd understand the situation, and simply walked away, but he didn't move, quite the opposite, his eyes were pressing her to get on with it. He even nudged his head slightly to his right, telling her to proceed.

With a frustrating sigh, she went for it, and in the crucial moment, when they were side by side, she made the mistake of looking over the edge, prompting an alarm in her brain. Instinctively, she moved away from it, leaning with full force onto the Aynu, trying to get hold of the wall. She heard a scoff and a loud sigh and considered herself lucky that she was with her back against him and not face to face. He didn’t try to grab her or push her away. He remained as neutral as one could in such a perilous situation by keeping his arms close to his sides and turning his face toward the rock. She slowly slid over his body, spreading her legs in a large step, and finally got past him. Finding the whole experience painfully humiliating she stopped at a considerable distance from him.

“Does Gabriel know you walk around alone?” the Aynu muttered in a low tone. His hands were crossed in front of his chest and his stare aimed somewhere at the other side of the gorge.

“And why should he? I’m just taking a morning walk in the village,” she replied in an irritated tone.

»Does that include questioning people and snooping around the huts?«

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, finding him utterly annoying. “Were you following me?”

“Yes.”

“Did Tengu tell you to?”

“No. Gabriel told me to get you for the meeting. But you were not in your hut.”

“Let’s go then.”

The Aynu reluctantly departed from the wall. “Walk,” he said nudging his chin forward at the path.

“We need to stop by my hut and get H and Margot.”

“I was told to bring only you.”

“But--”

His adamant stare left no room for discussion.