Sitting as upright as he could, Snow fixed his gaze on the door, fearing being seen by such an important person. After the last two incidents he’d much rather hide somewhere where no one else might lay eyes on him and realize just how different he was. Being seen by a prince was one-thousand times worse. What if that prince demanded that he was to be delivered to him? Would the monster really be able to deny him? And why did he feel safer in that black monster’s company? He knew they were all the same. And if he had believed just a little bit that this time things might be a bit different, that belief had been thoroughly shattered when that healer had turned against him.

ZenTar opened the door, offering passage to a tall, elegant man dressed in long, snow-white robes. The collar surrounding his elegant neck and the wide sleeves covering most of his hands, were printed with shiny silver patterns, the fabric of his clothes looking extremely light, floating around his feet with every soundless step he took. And yet, what really captured Snow’s attention wasn’t his exquisite, flowing clothes, or how young and beautiful his face was. What really captured his attention was the pure, white color of his hair and the pale-gray color of his eyes.

Unexpectedly the monster got up, crossing the room to welcome him, and bowed respectfully, which was amazing to see and, at the same time, extremely frightening. Because it probably meant that Snow had been right, and that the monster wouldn’t be able to deny that elegant person, should he demand to take him away.

“CalDai,” the monster greeted him politely and the white-haired man elegantly bowed his head in response.

“Lun Calzai, Nox ZaiWin. We thank you for taking the time to receive me at such late hour,” the CalDai declared and the monster straightened his back to look him unceremoniously in the face.

“You have nothing to thank me for. I apologize for having to receive you in such inappropriate accommodations.”

The CalDai gave him a cold but polite smile and his gray eyes turned to Snow.

“We understand, since your guest has been injured.” His voice was soft and pleasantly melodic, but even so Snow couldn’t help frown at the knowledge that he was talking about him. “Like we spoke, may I approach?”

The monster simply nodded and the CalDai crossed the room in silent footsteps, almost looking as if he were gliding over the floor, closely followed by ZenTar and the monster.

Snow’s frown deepened and he readied himself to jump out of the bed and dash to the door should that white man try to grab him.

With a cold but gentle smile the CalDai reached out his pale, frail-looking hand.

“My I touch your hand?”

Snow glared at the man and held his hands together as if to stop them from acting of their own accord and obey his request.

“Do it, brat!” the monster commanded and, although he really didn’t want to, he ended up obeying.

The CalDai’s hand was cold, even colder than his, his skin strangely soft and silky, but unexpectedly not at all unpleasant. His gray eyes bore into his, as if he were searching for something and, for a moment, he just stood there, staring at him. Finally a soft smile touched his lips and he gently released him.

“It is like we had told you. This child is not one of us.”

“Are you sure? Even though he has the white hair of your Clan?”

Snow instinctively took a hand to his head, feeling the small hairs growing there. He couldn’t remember the last time his scalp had been covered with hair.

“He may look like one of us but his nature is not. Even his hair, as you pointed out, is more silver than white. There is no mistaking it. He is not one of us,” the CalDai vehemently declared and turned his gray eyes to Snow again. “However, you will always be welcome amongst us, should you choose to leave Imperial lands. Ours is a simple way of life. I am sure that one such as you would enjoy it greatly.” Snow instinctively turned to the monster but the dark mass remained silent, his blue eyes looking distant and concerned. “Well, it does not need to be right away. If that day ever comes, we will be glad to welcome you,” the CalDai added and turned to the monster at his side. “As we discussed before, we will maintain what you have stated on your reports.”

“And what about the El’Lin Wen NimRen?”

“It was never our intention to welcome an Imperial El’Lin into our Clan. That was an one-sided proposal on Wen’s El’Dur’s part, a clear attempt to make amends for any ill fortune that might have befallen us during our captivity. I will personally make sure that your El’Lin remains with her family where she belongs,” the CalDai declared and the monster took a deep breath looking somewhat relieved. “We hope that by agreeing to these terms our debt may be repaid.”

“It is. More than repaid. I thank the CalDai for his generosity.”

The CalDai nodded and, for a moment, looked as if he was about to say something else. But then he seemed to think it through and ended up simply bowing.

“If there is nothing else I will take my leave. My brothers and sisters are eager to start the trip that will eventually take us back home, and there are still a few things that need to be settled.”

The monster nodded in understanding and, like before, bowed respectfully at the waist.

“I wish you a safe and uneventful trip.”

“I wish I could wish you the same thing, Lun Calzai,” he simply declared and, without uttering another word, turned around and left.

Snow couldn’t help sigh in relief when the door was finally closed again. Though that person was undeniably the most beautiful person he’d ever seen, and although he had been nothing but polite and graceful, there was something about him that simply left his hair standing on edge.

His relief, however, didn’t last long, and not even three heartbeats had gone by when another series of knocks sounded from the door, these ones in a funny rhythm.

ZenTar didn’t waste time, opening it, and two other men stepped inside.

One Snow had already met. He would never forget the open smile that glowed on his face the minute his eyes landed on him, and the enthusiastic way he was waving at him made him frown suspiciously. The other, more serious one, he didn’t know. And yet all three of them, including ZenTar, were strikingly similar in a way Snow couldn’t quite explain.

For starters they all had the same rare dark-green eyes and the same common black hair, even though ZenTar wore his short, the dark strands falling in untamed waves over his forehead and neck, while the smiling one wore his hair longer, around shoulder length, the locks over his temples braided and tied at the back of his head. The more serious one had the longest hair, presently pulled and tied up at the top of his head in a ponytail that reached his shoulder-blades. The three of them also had more or less the same height, being intimidatingly higher than Snow as well. And, even though they were obviously different, and clearly wore different clothes, their bearing was still very similar.

“Hey Snow! How have you been? Feeling better?” the smiling one asked, the one called MenTar he now recalled, unceremoniously marching towards him; until ZenTar grabbed him by the back of his tunic, stopping him in place.

“Be quiet for once!” he practically growled and MenTar turned to him with an indignant expression on his face.

“What did I do now? I was just asking if he’s feeling better! Isn’t that the courteous thing to do when one falls ill?”

“Be quiet or I will smack you sillier than you already are!”

MenTar pouted, averting his gaze but, in doing so, found Snow again, and he couldn’t resist giving him another huge smile, waving and silently mouthing: how are you feeling?

The dark monster completely ignored him, turning his attention to the third man, still standing by the door.

“LaoTar,” he greeted him and the man bowed respectfully at the waist.

“Calzai.”

“Is everything ready?”

“It is. We can depart on your command,” LaoTar replied in a very serious, official manner. “As per your instruction we are leaving behind fifteen men to hold the fortress until it is decided who will keep it from now on.”

“It will probably be Wei, since they’re the closest ones,” the monster replied and LaoTar nodded.

“Oh, the old fox will love it,” ZenTar added with a cold smile on his lips. “A Fortress dropped on his lap with a gift-bow on top. What’s there not to like?”

“At least, if he takes it, it will no longer be used for illegal purposes,” the monster sighed and turned to LaoTar again. “As for your mission, this time …”

“I already know, Calzai,” LaoTar interrupted him, his expression serious and grave. “My brother has already filled me in. I am more than willing to go.”

“They will probably arrest you on arrival.”

“They will not dare,” he immediately countered. “They may keep me inside the Palace grounds but they will not risk harming me in any way. I may be on loan to you, but I am originally a member of the Zai Clan. And since my brother abdicated his position, I am the next in line to lead our Clan, at least until a new El’Cal ascends the throne. They will not risk antagonizing the entire Zai Clan. And, in any case, keeping me in the Palace can work to our advantage.”

The monster sighed.

“You are right.”

“Of course he is!” ZenTar declared with a rare open smile that was strikingly similar to MenTar’s, wrapping an arm around LaoTar’s stiff shoulders. “So stop worrying already. We have even decided how we’re going to remain in touch. If anyone can do this that person is LaoTar. He is, after all, the more responsible and centered of us all.”

The monster sighed again but Snow’s attention quickly shifted to MenTar who, released from ZenTar’s hold, silently made his way to his bed, unceremoniously sitting down, forcing him to quickly scoot to the opposite side or he would have sat on his legs.

“So, did you try your clothes on?” he whispered in a voice as small as his and Snow’s gaze inevitably fell on the pile of clothes left on the chair.

That’s right, he thought looking back at the smiling man. The monster had told him that MenTar had fixed them for him. Still suspicious, but not wanting to look ungrateful, he nodded.

“And? Did they fit?”

He nodded again, even though, as the monster had predicted, they were all to big for him. Still, their fabric was soft and pleasant to the touch and, more importantly, they were warm, the warmest pieces of clothing he had ever wore.

“Good. It’s not like I’m a master at sewing but I like to think I can manage,” he declared with a prideful air about him and then his gaze fell on his bandaged arm, his smile quickly withering away into a worried expression. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Snow quickly pulled his arm away from his outstretched hand, glaring threateningly at him.

“Okay, okay! I won’t touch it!” MenTar replied, raising both hands in the air. “No need to glare at me like that. I though you Celestials were all supposed to be sweet and kind,” he grunted with a new pout, as if he’d been unfairly deceived, and Snow frowned.

Again with the Celestial thing. By now he had no doubts that everyone around him believed him to be one of those things, and he couldn’t help wonder if the Lord before them, and even the woman that had kept him for so long, had also shared the same belief. And yet, no matter how many times he had heard that word, he still had no idea of what being a Celestial really meant.

Sure, he had some strange markings on his back, he had had them since he could remember. Sand used to draw them for him in the dirt, her brown eyes alight as she conveyed to him in gestures just how pretty they were. But throughout the years he had met other people with markings similar to his. Though not everyone had them, there were still a lot of people who did. For instances, he was pretty sure the monster also had them, and ZenTar as well, probably even the other two. Those who had markings were able to do strange things, like the way ZenTar had been able to melt the frozen door, or how the monster had rendered the healer’s bag to cinders. So he knew that him freezing his surroundings when he was scared, even the red array that had killed all those people, were not enough reasons to make him so different from everyone else. Of course, unlike the monster or ZenTar, he had no control over the things he did, but that was probably because he had never had the chance to learn how to control them.

In fact, the only thing … the only thing that was different about him, as far a he could tell, was his blood, he thought, his heart beating faster at the mere thought. His damned blood that had been the sole reason behind all the pain and torture he had been forced to endure. But he still wasn’t sure that that was enough to make him one of those things. By the way they spoke about Celestials Snow couldn’t brush off the feeling that he wasn’t the only one, that there were others like him in the world. So did that mean they all had a special blood like his? And if they had, had they been abused and made to suffer like he had as well?

Sweet and kind!, MenTar had said. Why he should be any of those things was beyond his understanding.

MenTar smiled and patted his leg over the covers, making him jump and almost fall off the bed with how fast he tried to avoid him.

“You’re such a scaredy-cat!” he complained. “You know? We’ll be traveling together in just a few days! Me, Nox Calzai, Zen and a couple of other guys. If you keep up with this kind of attitude no one will like you.”

Snow frowned and averted his gaze. All the better, he thought, slowly sliding out of bed just to keep a safe distance from him. If only the entire world didn’t like him, how wonderful it would be. Maybe then they’d leave him alone, he thought leaning against the wall, trying to make sure the room stopped wavering back and forth around him.

Deep darkness covered his sight and a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

“What are you doing out of bed if you’re still this weak?” asked a harsh voice and the hand led him back to the bed, making him sit.

“Because my dumb brother kept pestering him,” ZenTar replied and, grabbing MenTar by one ear, forced him to stand up.

“Hei! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Cut it out!” MenTar complained as he was dragged all the way across the room, and LaoTar silently opened the door so that ZenTar could throw him out. “Gods damn it, Zen! My earlobe is going to stretch all the way to my feet!” he complained, rubbing his reddened ear with an offended expression on his face, and ZenTar frowned, pointing down the corridor.

“Beat it! Or I will throw you out through the window!”

“You’re such a bully!” MenTar still argued and, peeking inside the room, smiled again when he saw that Snow was looking at him. Waving enthusiastically he jumped back just in time to avoid ZenTar’s kick. Sticking his tongue out to his brother he finally turned around and walked away.

“Calzai, I will also take my leave,” LaoTar informed, bowing respectfully, and the monster nodded his agreement. “I’ll see you tomorrow, brother.” ZenTar nodded and he too disappeared down the corridor.

ZenTar sighed.

“Are you sure you want to take my useless brother with us?”

“I am sure I don’t want to send him to the Palace as well. Sacrificing one of you is enough. And since he was with us when it all happened, it will be safer if he doesn’t return home right away. They are bound to issue an order to apprehend and question all those with high ranks that might have witnessed the events that took place. Even if he were to go home, he’d end up being dragged to the Palace sooner or later. So yeah. I am sure I want to take your useless brother with us.”

ZenTar sighed again.

“Just try and be sure not to kill him …”

“That I can’t guarantee. But I will certainly do my best,” the monster replied and ZenTar sighed yet again.