After some uncountable minutes for him, Xie’e rode with Nehkar into the yellow archgate. With the lack of the vanguard, it was him that led the company, and so it was them that saw the remnants of the massacre.

Bodies lying lifeless on the floor, half-mangled corpses stuck to the walls of the white adobes, pools of blood still rippling with droplets. Xie’e felt a strong urge to close his eyes at the sight, and whenever he looked at the eyes of the dead and to the shadows flapping on the sandstone pavements, he remembered the dead in Yadratafos.

He thought of how he refrained from closing on them, and how he was frightened of being there for those about to pass away. The images of that time and these corpses overlapped in his eyes. The deathly silence was, perhaps, not the same with then, yet it turned him more...something. His heart tugged; a string rounded it and shrunk around it, as if squeezing him to his death.

When he heard the hooves of the horses, Xie’e realized they were well past the slaughter zone of the vanguard, and that his back now drowned in cold sweat. His hands, also, grasped tight around the horse’s neck, and his drenched palms soaked the mane above the nape. Corpses now gone, blood still lingering, and the expressions of the company unchanged, Xie’e felt his eyes redden.

Was this how he was supposed to feel? He killed men almost amounting to the number of his ten fingers, and he took four just some thirty-ish hours ago. The excitement from then he remembered clear and fresh, and the fear now here he felt suffocated him; if this was not hypocrisy from his part, what was it?

Which one of those feelings were real?

‘’Look into the homes; water, grain, date fruit...cooking utensils, buy any if you can get a reasonable price!’’ Nehkar shouted behind Xie’e, and the images in his mind no longer remained. They all shattered and flew away, and all remained in his vision was a small tower in their front.

Perhaps from the tears almost condensing on his eyes, he saw its surface as somewhat blurry and with ever changing colors of yellow, brown, and white. It also had torches strapped to its body, and all in each corner cast its shadows to the empty square dividing it from the houses around.

Xie’e raised his arm and swept his eyes with the sand-ridden sleeves; he blinked twice then thrice to take out the grains slipping in. His sight somewhat clear now, he looked again and saw the tower covered in the obvious color of white limestone.

These limestones, he remembered, though not certain of the intention behind remembering it, were bought from Shaowei and Cindersnow city to adorn the exterior of many buildings. Though he didn’t know where Shaowei’s supply came from, Ali mentioned the maritime merchants diving into coastal waters to mine them with their specialized fleets.

‘’Benefactor, would you like to wait outside?’’ Ali asked, and Xie’e once more came back to reality. Now, it seemed, they had stopped right outside a two-meter stone fence surrounding the tower with its gates open.

‘’...I won’t bother you, go on.’’ He said and dismounted with Nehkar. The horse stood right where it was without any order, and Xie’e saw no one coming to take care of it. Then he saw the rest of the company dispersing in groups of three or four, going into houses with pouches held on their palms.

‘’It won’t take long. Could you not let anyone disturb us, benefactor?’’

‘’I will,’’ Xie’e nodded.

‘’Thank you,’’ Ali said and gave a small wave, then stepped through the open gates into the supposed garden with Nehkar. A few seconds later Xie’e heard a screech coming from inside, and a heavy thump. A door, Xie’e peeked from the side, and once he saw it closing behind them he stepped back to stand on the entrance.

He looked around for a few seconds, and heard the hooves of the horses moving again. This Runvalt in front of him had no reaction to the aggressive stomps. It seemed to ignore its far blood relatives, even, and Xie’e tried to amuse himself with the lofty aura the Runvalt gave. Why was an animal’s pride so humorous?

That, he smiled, was something his master would ask about. Once Quan came into his mind, and the possible interactions they could have in the future, Xie’e forgot all about the worries and fears he had a moment ago. His heart no longer tugged, and a faint hope brimmed in its stead. In the end of this journey, he felt vitalized again, there would be a person he-

‘’Where is my prince?’’ There came the inquire of a man, and Xie’e found himself awake from the thoughts for the third time. He had not realized the arrival of Kazad and his vanguards, who all now stepped off the stirrups and stood on the ground, and it was only now he heard the words of the man.

‘’Inside,’’ Xie’e said and grasped one end of the gates’ railings.

‘’Then excuse me,’’ Kazad said, and he stepped forward. Yet even before his step landed, Xie’e pulled the gate off.

The sole metal of the building let out a shrill whistle and closed with clanks, and perhaps the impact came louder than he intended, even Xie’e found himself gobsmacked. There Kazad raised his two long brows and knitted three sets of wrinkles between them, and he spoke.

‘’What is your intention?’’

‘’My bad,’’ Xie’e said, ‘’But Ah Li said to not let anyone disturb him for the moment.’’

‘’I am his aide, not anyone,’’ Kazad said, and he indeed had the right so say so. It might come off weird to hear it, Xie’e admitted, and to his subordinates it would be something akin to a dismissal of their status. But having pride was, after all, almost a requirement of position and Kazad was a man who showcased it to him before.

‘’Is this for not welcoming you enough?’’

‘’What?’’ Xie’e tilted his head, and he realized what he meant. That welcome was to strap him to a tent alone and interrogate him of his origins, and though he didn’t like it he bore with it. Thleaft and Theraght were decent fellows. Chances of Kazad knowing his feelings was low, and since he discovered the misunderstanding early on Xie’e spoke with hurry.

‘’Of course not, why should I be that petty?’’ Xie’e said, ‘’No need to worry about that- but I don’t think Nehkar would humor a disobedience.’’

‘’Is benefactor threatening me?’’ Kazad widened his eyes.

‘’Why do you misinterpret it?’’ Xie’e tilted his head again and let go of the railings. ‘’I said what Ah Li said, that is all. And Nehkar is, from what I learned, not someone who will look upon something like this fondly for his sake.’’

‘’...fine,’’ at last Kazad nodded and turned around to look at his group. ‘’You lot, go join the others and buy what you can haggle- we don’t have much time to linger around!’’

The few men and women let out a collective shout and dispersed into teams again. They escaped from their sight a moment later and they were left alone with the horses in front of the gates.

‘’You have my gratitude, young fellow,’’ Kazad spoke after a second of silence. He turned around again, started swirling his mustache, and stepped towards Xie’e. His steps sounded heavier than they should have been, and Xie’e didn’t see his feet until they, in a blink, stood in front of each other; chests touching, and heads on the same height.

‘’Your...welcome?’’

‘’Yes, my welcome,’’ Kazad smiled. ‘’And my lord also gives you his gratitudes, and Nehkar, and others in the company.’’

‘’I’m grateful for that,’ Xie’e nodded.

‘’Yes, you should be, ‘’ Kazad said, ‘’But it should not let you speak so imposing- nor should it question our loyalty.’’

‘’...’’ Xie’e tilted his head, again, and cast a confused glance. ‘’What are you talking about?’’

‘’Why have you not addressed me once in the whole conversation?’’ Kazad stopped patting his moustache and put one arm over Xie’e’s shoulder. ‘’Or why do you bring up that companion all of a sudden? Don’t get me wrong, I know that it is the natural thing to learn the hierarchy of a group you are not familiar early.’’

Here he thumped his shoulders twice, and Xie’e felt something flow into his body. He frowned at the sensation and willed the Qi around to move, and they all started gathering in miniscule amounts to surround them. The thing about to pierce his body stopped, and Xie’e looked at Kazad’s hand stopped in the air.

He saw droplets of blood, and his mind shook for a moment. The images, the corpses came to his memory, and his head shot back to see a frown on Kazad as well.

‘’This misunderstanding has gone too far, sir Kazad,’’ Xie’e said and took a step back. His spine touched the cold gate, and there appeared to be no more steps to be taken back; only forward seemed to be permitted.

‘’For first, I don’t understand what made me question your loyalty, or how I spoke so domi-’’

‘’This itself is questioning,’’ Kazad took a step forward and their bodies met again. For some reason, though their heights were the same, Xie’e imagined Kazad to be bigger than him. ‘’And you doing it without understanding is a bigger problem, young fellow. Lose of face, don’t you know what that is?’’

‘’How did I make you lose face? It was but a small conversation.’’

‘’You are getting sidetracked-’’

‘’It is you who is pulling this conversation somewhere off.’’ Xie’e tried to straighten his back, and he cowered in pain again. That momentary pain, however, gave him a short burst of soberness. It looked like, Xie’e’s frown deepened, Kazad wanted to learn something from him with a confrontation.

‘’No, no,’’ Kazad attempted to make another step, and it forced Xie’e to splatter to the gate with his whole back. ‘’You are getting sidetracked from my meaning.’’

‘’...It was out of embarrassment that I didn’t address you-’’ Xie’e said, and saw Kazad break his knitted brows for a moment. ‘’I don’t even know how to call Nehkar or Ah Li, it all sounds to weird.’’

‘’...’’

‘’And I was just trying to be helpful, not to shame you. Of course you are a close one of Ah Li, are you not?’’

‘’Indeed...I am, and stop now,’’ Kazad took two steps back whilst shaking his head. ‘’Or I’m going to regret what I did.’’

‘’...I won’t apologize for that, however.’’

‘’And I don’t expect that.’’

There they both fell silent, and Xie’e released a sigh. With his breath, the almost-tangible Qi in the air dispersed again, and with it an invisible pressure disappeared. They still spoke of nothing, and in their steads the horses neighed. The two runvalts and the gatherings of ritous rallied together and laid down next to the entrance.

He wanted to make a comment about that, but Xie’e found no resolve in himself to speak again this soon. So he leaned to one of the horses and sat down as well. Kazad cast him a dismissing glance and stood his ground.

So they waited for some more minutes until a clatter of metals came from the garden, and the heavy breathings of an angry companion. Behind the fuming Nehkar came Ali and they both stepped outside together.

Nehkar looked at the horses for a moment, then at the Xie’e; he mumbled something to himself and sat next to him to lean on a horse. Ali, however, stepped towards Kazad and held him from the shoulders. They walked away from the gathering to inside again, and the gates closed once more.

Xie’e looked to his right, to Nehkar, and tilted his head in confusion.

‘’So, what happened?’’

*********

Nehkar sighed and started scratching his chest with both hands; his head slumped back on the runvalt.

‘’Throne problems-’’ He said and peeked sideways to Xie’e. ‘’Not something you should bother with, benefactor.’’

‘’...you might be right,’’ Xie’e said, ‘’But if it is a problem, is it not right to inform me as well? Withhold the private things, of course.’’

‘’It won’t be private soon...so alright.’’ Nehkar stopped scratching with his left hand and put it on the back of his head.

‘’You know of the armistice, yes?’’

‘’I do,’’ Xie’e nodded. Though the war with Shuangguang lasted long in numbers, the real fighting occurred in a span of two months in the first year of the struggle. The rest of the year and a half had arguments, political bickering between ruling strata, and trying to get as much benefit as possible to one’s own nation. And as it turned out, it was Shuangguang who left victorious with the armistice, and would seem to achieve the same in the formal treaty coming soon.

‘’Though Khan had decided on the emissary, the representative, and the terms of both documents with the officials some weeks ago, my prince objected the decision before they set out.’’

‘’Ah Li? Why?’’ He did not know much about the involving conditions for each part. He knew little of diplomacy between the Northern Continent’s hegemons anyway, so he had no clue about what could stir Ali to reject his father, The Khan’s, arrangements.

‘’I do not know, nor does others,’’ Nehkar winked, ‘’But the Imperial family and the Elders seem to know of it, for his majesty The Khan decreed: ‘Then go and convince the three, and I will have no more say in this matter.’’’

‘’Is this not detrimental to the Khan? Or no?’’

‘’Who knows?’’ Nehkar winked again, and Xie’e couldn’t even guess what he implied with it. ‘’He is a wise ruler with two centuries under his belt, and two more to go still. Since he is the central pillar of the nation, then of course he has to think different.’

‘’...so it isn’t you not knowing it?’’

Nehkar winked thrice.

‘’So,’’ Xie’e massaged his stiff shoulders, as he had been doing for the past two days, and spoke. ‘’Why did Khan order him to convince the Three Elders?’’

‘’It is a problem more related to how our home works; The Khan is the overlord of all territories filled with sand, and while he might be more efficient than a mortal ruler would be with his cultivation base, it is no easy thing to deal with all matters in the realm by himself.’’

Nehkar rose from his leaning position and tapped on the air; his Qi flowed from his meridians and shriveled in the air to create a map. This one, although similar with Ali’s, came to being with no empty swath of land. It was filled and drawn before, Xie’e realized.

‘’That is, actually, the problem of all emperors of the land: Of the Han’s and Haishen’s and Shaowei’s and Shuangguang’s. No sole figure can take on the scepter and be an accomplished ruler. The Shamo Khan made it so that the nation was split to four regions: Ghuneit at the south, Batıh at the west, Khuzeit at the north, and Bashkend at the east. Each region is divided into three to four provinces, and each province has a multitude of towns and villages with their respective judges or warlords.’’

‘’So people of position are pseudo-rulers, or something like that?’’

‘’Indeed,’’ Nehkar said, ‘’And that should answer your question, shouldn’t it benefactor?’’

‘’It does,’’ Xie’e nodded and cast his gaze to the sky. There he looked at the handful of stars donning the sky, at most ten or twelve; quite different from the sea of stars he drowned under with his father, and he looked at the moon. Its light gleamed off the metal gates barring the small tower and no one else, for the torches swept every corner of the city with their warmth and golden flames.

They must have a good amount of oil to keep them up and running like this, Xie’e thought. But it was to be expected. He doubted they used oil to light fire inside as those in Yadratafos or The Sect did; The desert was scorching hot for most of the time, after all, and its cold, while precarious, didn’t meddle with their bodies much other than a small chill. Yet then, he was once immortal, and his physique had a better resistance to the cold and heat of the climates. Most in here were mortals, if not Qi Creation level, so his assumptions had a fair chance of being wrong.

That was evident in its name though; assumption. Without concrete evidence and sightseeing, it wouldn’t be the reality.

‘’May I ask something, Nehkar?’’ Xie’e asked after a period of silence. The man blinked twice, tilted his head, then his eyes widened.

‘’Oh, you addressed me by name? Finally!’’ Nehkar let out a laugh and clutched Xie’e from the shoulder. He swayed him back and forth, and with each shake Xie’e imagined the man shedding parts of his worries to the ground.

But his back hurt, and so Xie’e forced himself to a halt.

‘’Ahh,’’ Nehkar took a deep breath after his laugh, ‘’Go on, benefactor.’’

‘’How did The Sect’s departure affected the Shamo?’’

‘’...well, this isn’t something, but a cursed topic,’’ Though he said so, Nehkar plastered the most amused of the smiles on his face. ‘’Benefactor, while I don’t want to answer that, may I advise you on it?’’

‘’Of course, I apologize if its something disturbing again.’’

‘’It indeed is,’’ Nehkar mumbled, then spoke with his normal tone. ‘’But it will be more disturbing for you if you speak of these matters in public.’’

‘’...I’m listening.’’ Xie’e said.

‘’Our people have a tendency to...wonder. About the protectors of the other realms, about the lands beyond the desert or the people beyond it. But...that is all they can do.’’

‘’Our freedom is limited to The Sheng... benefactor, do you understand?’’

‘’I don’t.’’ Xie’e shook his head.

‘’I expected so-’’ Nehkar sighed. ‘’Those of the tribes like you have the ability to live outside after all...but...well, growing without a mother is a price that gets heavier with time. I wouldn’t exchange my mother with such a freedom, to be honest.’’

‘’I’m sure if it was the reverse, you wouldn’t either, right benefactor?’’

With Nehkar’s sentence a multitude of people passed in his mind. Xie’e pondered, and his face crumpled into a distraught pain, for he realized that this kind of a choice required a will stronger than his own. For his father, he wouldn’t even think of such a possibility. For his master, it might take seconds before he refused, and it would be, perhaps, a few more seconds for Gaobun.

But Xie’e found himself terrified that he didn’t feel any disturbance at the consideration of exchanging his grandmother for the...freedom. Freedom of the Shamo, the Sheng. This repulsion against his conscience didn’t come from the decision itself, but the lack of reaction he had towards it.

It was the same with killing people, in some sense. He didn’t feel disgusted at killing people, but at feeling joy when he killed people.

Both of these situations, while different in surface, were problems with no distinction between the core reason: His Conscience.

‘’Don’t fret over imaginary possibilities, benefactor,’’ Nehkar patted his back, and Xie’e woke from his internal argument. ‘’Perhaps that longing wouldn’t be much strong in you, as fragile as it is in me, for example. So its value wouldn’t even be closer to some fifty soulstones, if that was the case.’’

‘’Illusions like these will only hound you and nothing more.’’

‘’...Alright,’’ Xie’e released a deep breath, and his belly rose and sunk with it. ‘’But it was you who asked that.’’

‘’I’ll treat you my part of horse milk, no problem.’’ Nehkar showed a grin and looked forward.

‘’Here they come, huh? Oooh, they have quite many!’’

‘’Oh, right,’’ Xie’e looked at the some dozen men and women, each carrying bulks of large pouches and packs and walking towards them. They all chatted among themselves as they came, and form their expressions he saw satisfaction of a haggling addict.

They must be used to this, then?

With questions to himself as always, he and Nehkar stood up to welcome and, this one was the latter, order them to their positions. A few minutes later of organizing and resting, the doors of the tower creaked open and the duo inside came out.

*********

After Ali and Kazad came out, former somber and the latter fuming like a certain companion, the company made a quick list of what they bought, how much they spent, and where they would relocate the supplies. Auxiliary members filled up the empty spaces of their spatial rings and pouches with the fresh equipment and food, and they let the mounts rest for some more before loading up with whatever was left. It all took around twenty-two minutes, Nehkar announced, and right after commanded everyone to mount and get into formation.

Instead of the centre-focused line up they used in the day, the company took into a wedge formation with seven-per-line. The first line was taken by Thleaft, the second by the Kazad, the third by the auxiliary, and the fourth by Theraght. Xie’e was, by Ali’s request, placed at the second line with him and Kazad whilst Nehkar led the company at the forefront. Of course, Xie’e still rode with a soldier, not by himself.

Strange enough, and this he questioned, Ali passed him the oversized lance with the head of Jiao Xue; it piled up twenty-three heads by this point. Blood didn’t drip and the heads didn’t show signs of rot. He did not expect them to deteoriate this quick, indeed, but when he touched the shaft Xie’e sensed a queer force of Qi slithering around the lance. This, he thought, must be why the first head didn’t age.

‘’Why would you want me to carry this?’’ He asked after opening his eyes, and the Qi he felt turned quite faint to his senses.

‘’You shouldn’t sit empty and all, for first,’’ Ali said and pointed to the horizon; the moon was still on its way to the center of the sky. ‘’And for second, there isn’t anyone that can carry it outside the fighting force.’’

‘’It isn’t heavy though?’’

‘’With a tempered body like yours, of course it won’t be,’’ Ali said. ‘’Only Nehkar and I are in Path Finding, so these men still have some work to do.’’

‘’What about Kazad?’’ Xie’e asked. If he wasn’t wrong, Ali was on the third-layer Path Finding whilst Nehkar was on the second-layer. And the aura Kazad showcased in the massacre, and then later to him hinted at a power much greater than theirs.

‘’He is also a Qi destructioner, can’t you assess?’’

Xie’e showed a quite conceited frown. He was confident of his senses more than his archery, though these men and women proved his pride on latter to be worthless no longer than in a day. But there was the experience of years of practice, and if he prided himself in something other than it, it was also bound to be more than average.

Heshang, too, commended him once on that.

Only once though, Xie’e shook his head.

‘’For the third, benefactor,’’ Then Ali spoke to his head, and it seemed he didn’t mind Xie’e’s frown and shake. ‘’You won’t be needed to fight as the Bounty Carrier. That lad with you is quite reliable, so even if you won’t protect yourself, he will.’’

‘’From here on, don’t involve yourself with fighting.’’

The talk ceased from there and Xie’e didn’t comment. He understood that Ali spoke to him with transmissions only when he didn’t need answers. Or he didn’t want answers. That, he wasn’t sure much. But it was fine with him as well.

He had burdened himself enough these days, he just wanted to find his master and...he still had no idea about what would come later.

In silence between men and women, and with the sounds of hooves and whimpers they went on. No pursuers appeared for the entirety of the night, and they passed by a small-scale sandsurge with seven scorpions in it; the one Xie’e and Ali encountered numbered in hundreds, so the difference was quite mind boggling.

Nothing of note happened the day after except the rest they took once in a few hours. On the road the company tried to contact their superiors and people that could help, and they still had no response or the sign of contact. What happened here was, Tanto, the soldier with him said, either a region scale Qi-lock or the expulsion from the transmission network of Ghuneit.

There still laid, however, a miniscule chance of the talismans being tampered. While this idea was thought at first, with no signs of them being damaged in any way, the auxiliary concluded on the former two possibilities. Ali still held onto his idea though.

Further from there, after traveling one more day with nothing but quarter-hours of rest, they reached another village called Hearsun around evening, and they didn’t encounter anything ambush-like. This time came no men to greet them but a single elder, clad in a white cloth covering everything but his head and tightened to his body with a belt of gold.

This elder turned out to be not of the locals, but a merchant passing through Hearsun to the Sitesun’s Oasis, also a village, fifty-seven kilometers east to Hearsun and then to Nuorfo to the southeast and to the southern city of Nuofuon. Nehkar, as the figurehead of the company, conversed with the merchant and used half of their remaining money to buy some more supplies.

After the transaction they lodged outside the village until dawn and set out after the first few lights shone on them.

There was not much to tell about their manner of travel; the formation held the same and the men acted the same. Between them never passed a small talk, or a longer one, even, except when Xie’e questioned or inquired about something. With the reactions as it is, Xie’e had the thought that he was bothering Tanto, but the eager responses of the man kept him relieved.

Six more days passed, and each two days they set up camps to take a long rest. Unlike the first camp they made, however, the sleep lasted a mere five hours rather than their lengthy slumber. This time was even less for the auxiliary, who woke earlier to prepare the supplies and the mounts, and then much lesser for those assigned to patrol and stand on night watch.

While Nehkar assumed the representative mantle of the company, it was Kazad Of Vanguard that still rallied and ordered the company, and so he made switches and changes between men and women of the company to preserve their strength. He said, when they stood by a campfire on the fourth day’s night, while this pace squeezed their bodies thin on energy, these men still couldn’t shake off the rustening from their week of imprisonment. The way to get them back on their feet was to push them harder, and not the immediate requirement of some pursuing enemy.

‘’And if there is an enemy?’’ Xie’e asked in response, and he saw Kazad twist the right-end of his moustache, smiling.

‘’That would work better, by my heart.’’

Most memorable of his conversations was not that, of course, but with Tanto whom he now got familiar with. The man wasn’t as ferocious looking as Nehkar, but he stood taller than him by a head and half, so his intimidation factor did not lack by any means. He also was a admirer of Kazad, and so grew a moustache to match him in looks.

‘’Say, Tanto,’’ Xie’e said on their thirteenth day of travel, awake from sleep fresh and with the Bounty Lance on his hand. ‘’Don’t all these provincial and regional cities have their own militias?’’

‘’Oh yes, brother Xie, they do. They are militia still and not soldiers, though.’’

‘’But with how abundant they seem, the desert shouldn’t have this much problem with deserters and bandits.’’ These people he mentioned now stood stacked upon the lance in his hand, and weird enough after the fortieth head the lance no longer seemed cramped more.

As for what he felt for them, Xie’e didn’t try to think upon that.

‘’As you say, brother Xie, they are deserters. Not in the meaning of from the desert, you know?’’

‘’Escapees,’’ Xie’e said.

‘’Yes yes,’’ Tanto nodded twice, then plucked a strand of his brown hair back. ‘’Those foul green worms were too deceitful, you know, and they forced those blabbering traders to sell their food elsewhere. Now those near the border don’t have enough to eat, soldiers even more since the war came to an end.’’

‘’And now they turn into banditry? The situation should stabilize in a few weeks, shouldn’t it?’’

‘’Who knows? Not me, at least.’’ Tanto said, yet cast an obvious frown to their back with his long eyebrows. The intent behind it didn’t stem from any hostility, but of disturbance. After all, even if they were mere soldiers, they were mere soldiers of the Third Prince. That itself granted them the right to know more than others of their supposed same rank.

But soon that frown turned into a hardened glare, and Xie’e heard the command of Nehkar from the front.

‘’Kazad, get ready to split!’’

It seemed they caught the eyes of another group of scavengers.

And yes, Xie’e learned that to be the name of those long-necked birds.

*********

In the Palace Of Southern Winds, the judge of Nuofuon hosted a banquet for the arrival of Guneit Elder Keschil and his entourage.

While the details of the mansion named a palace was of the same as any other judge of the realm, excluding its size, the main feature it boasted to others was seven arched towers rounding its outer gates. When one passed through the outer-gate of the mansion, they would pass so between these and enter into the empty space leading to the inner-gate. And this evening, a servant trod through the aforementioned road.

This male servant wore nothing but a yellow gown, not of natural color but yellowed by the sand from all the journey he spent, and a shoulder pouch dangling from his side.

With fast paced steps and a hurried breath, the male servant passed by the gazes of the arching towers and stepped through the gates to the courtyard. He saw a sole fountain sprinkling water to the brown, rocky earth, and four glaive-wielding scale-armored men standing side by side near a green steel gate.

‘’Lhord-’’ There he spoke and rushed to the men, of whom one took a step and halted him.

‘’Are you the messenger?’’ The guard with beard said. ‘’Take this,’’ Then took out a pouch from his side that the servant didn’t notice. From the pouch came out a transparent flask, and so he saw the water rippling inside.

The male servant paid no heed and clutched the flask, opened its lid, then hauled the content to his head. Rather than drinking he licked the droplets flowing down his face, then let out a deep breath.

‘’Lord,’’ He said, and his voice sounded no longer hoarse. ‘’Is lord in? Is lord awake? I have news, news.’’

‘’Let me alert the lord,’’ The guard said and took his flask back, then stepped through the gates into the mansion. The messenger waited there as the other three searched his body for weapons, which there was none in the first place.

It took mere three minutes for the guard to come back and usher him inside. There they passed a myriad of corridors and pottery adorned reddish walls before reaching a giant pair of doors. There stood eight more guards, each with heights three or four heads above the average men and women, yet with nothing but large shields buckled to their arms.

Two of the guards standing next to the doors moved at his sight and pushed from each side; the gates creaked, then squealed to an open.

Beyond the metallic doors came the sight of a small chamber, and inside the lamp-lit chamber was two men.

One of them stood on his knees, with his head still looking up, and the other seated himself atop a three-legged chair.

Though anyone would recognize the man by his drooping grey eyebrows, the manner of seating itself hinted at the disparity between their influence.

‘’Lord Keschil,’’ the messenger shot himself to the ground and kneeled to the man on the stool: The Ghuneit Elder Keschil Shamo.

‘’What does Shagang’s Judge say?’’ One wouldn’t expect such harsh voice from an old man as such. His voice brought such an effect that even the shutting doors remained silent under it.

‘’I implore his highness to act not too late; with a prudent attitude and haste, and with my gift. Then all left is for you, my lord, to take the field and get rid of the third party, he said.’’ The messenger recounted and took the pouch dangling to his side.

‘’This,’’ he presented, ‘’Is the gift, my lord, and the recording.’’

‘’Let me see,’’ Keschil said.

The messenger raised his head and took three steps forward, stopping right at the foot of the chair, and lowered himself again. Keschil grasped the pouch and the messenger took three steps back.

‘’Hmm, hmm hm.’’ Keschil muttered to himself for some seconds, then clenched his fists.

The pouch shriveled, shrank, and at last burst into patches of clothes.

‘’I accept his...gift, now begone.’’

‘’My gratitude,’’ the doors opened behind him and the messenger, after bowing once, left the room.

A burdening silence fell on the room; nor breath nor the crackling of the torches could be heard. As if the walls devoured any noise and left an empty void.

Staying in such an environment was, perhaps, worse than a prison of Shamo, for while they were infamous in many realms, at least the whirling of the sand could be heard in it.

‘’Does my lord wish to kill little prince?’’ After an uncountable time, the man at the bottom spoke. He was the judge Of Nuofuon, Thkum, and held the reign of the city for more than two decades. And so, his relationship with the Ghuneit Elder, Keschil, ran deeper than most other local governors.

That fact was the reason he could speak with soberness and safety.

‘’Not...wish...’’ Keschil’s voice turned more subtle. ‘’It is a certainty...that he...won’t get the throne...’’

‘’Mm,’’ Thkum nodded in agreement. ‘’He is not bad of a character, my lord, but his elder siblings fare better in almost any aspect.’’

‘’I don’t...think so,’’ Keschil shook his head twice. ‘’Ali...is a good boy...’’

‘’Not a man?’’

‘’A boy...good, kind...and vigilant. But...he is overcast by...something.’’

‘’Is it hard for my lord to explain?’’ Thkum smiled.

‘’Aaah,’’ Keschil sighed. ‘’Everything is hard...to give a reason...but...yes, it is.’’

‘’Then I suppose there is no need to pursue them?’’

‘’No need...no need,’’ Keschil shook his head again. ‘’They...should...be near Savkhuz’s province...border, right?’’

‘’If they set out seventeen days ago, they might be further than that.’’

‘’Then...’’

‘’It should take them a month more to pass through there, and another twenty days to Region Border.’’ Thkum stopped right there and fell in thoughts.

‘’My lord,’’ He said, caressing his chin, ‘’Would it not be a good idea to alert them? Since they have no knowledge of the Shagang’s Judge, and his intentions, there should be a membrane of trust existing.’’

‘’I...have...already,’’ Keschil let out a giggle. ‘’A few...dozen...bandit heads. Isn’t it...enough?’’

‘’Indeed, it should be,’’ Thkum smiled again and put his right hand on his left chest. ‘’Then would you like me to alert Lord Irohan?’’

‘’That...also taken...care of.’’

‘’...there is not much for me to do these days, my lord,’’ Thkum said and rose from his position. ‘’Then I’ll get your quarters ready right away. Is there anything else you need or wish?’’

‘’Nothing...thank you...’’

Thkum nodded, gave another bow with his hand on his chest, and opened the door. After the gates squealed open and Thkum disappeared through the corner of the corridor, Keschil let out one last sigh.

‘’Come...carry me.’’