The town was small yet lively, it’s outer walls showing signs of age having kept invaders out over the years. While on the outskirts of the town, dotted across sandy dunes stood wind turbines that provided the bare minimum energy for the people that lived here. The air smelled medicinal and a thick white fog permeated throughout. I had finally arrived at Rinsaad. I found that I had eaten all the travel rations and was dry of thirst after taking a wrong turn on my way here. I would need to resupply my drinking water and dried food. I needed information on this town's exchange of goods. I began to consult numerous locals but found myself quickly dismissed with a wave of their hand. I found myself disadvantaged, as any foreigner would be regarded as an outsider.

It wasn’t too long ago that a language barrier separated Rinsaad from the rest of the world. Rinsaad was a territory ruled under the control of Jochi Khan of Goltib who resided on the throne in Duuriamal Ling. It wasn’t until the Republic of Kindoria began making plans in expanding their territory that made them take an interest in their desert neighbors. The Border Sand Conflict of 2632 ended with thousands of casualties, though Rinsaadi soldiers put up a good fight, they were outnumbered by sheer force from Kindoria. Though the end result appeared to be obvious, Kindoria had its troops pull back and cease their assault. It was an order set forth by the Chief Imperator of Kindoria, for the Khan of Goltib had heard of this affront to their empire and began to send in his Golden Horde. Though the details remain unclear, it appeared that going to war with the Golden Horde was more than they could handle, the Chief Imperator wished to discuss politics with the Khan. In a closed room, no one knew what was discussed between the two leaders. What followed as a result of the supposed peace agreements ushered in what was known as Pax Goltib, a peace between nations. As of today, the Empire of Goltib and its province of Rinsaad remain a close ally of Kindoria, promising to support one another in times of crisis and to ensure the growth of commerce through trade. Though communication and relations between Kindorians and the Rinsaadi have improved, the culture barrier still remains.

I began to feel an irritable itch at the back of my throat as I wandered about. I determined it was likely due to the white fog causing me this discomfort. I observed the locals wearing loose fitting hemp robes and layered cloth over their faces. I wrapped a spare tunic over my mouth and nose, filtering out the fog. With the minor inconvenience off my mind I began to wander around in hopes of finding a merchant. I followed the sound of distant clapping and bell chimes. I found myself navigating the narrow alleys between sun baked buildings and emerged into a bustling bazaar. Finally, down a long stretch of road, I found merchants that could be seen selling various assortments of charms, pottery, textiles and traditional food. Roaming about, I caught a glimpse of a Kalhani salvager selling relics as well. Licensed scholars could be seen taking note of anything of historic value. If there was anything of interest, they would certainly report it to the guild. Young boys were seen playing with screws, spinning them to see how long it would take before they fell. Other boys could be found sitting and getting comfortable inside large rubber wheels and having their friends roll them around. Some nobles who fancied themselves as gourmands sought to eat ancient food, encased in metal cylinders, they believed it to be of better quality than anything they could find on the streets. Others could be seen eyeing pencils, pens and functioning calculators that were far more reliable than using quills or reed to inscribe research or conduct math. Their housewives jumped at any opportunity to suggest the purchase of ancient tonics or topicals such as lip balm, perfume or the widely sought Lo-shun. Though all of this was non-exclusive, seeing as many men found that perfume complimented them as well.

Another salvager had set up shop with a smaller selection, what he had in stock was sure to impress the nobles, it even piqued my interest. Carts filled with a variety of ancient texts; books, all differing in quality. Those would certainly grab the attention of nearby scholars seeking to know more about ancient life. However upon further browsing it would seem the salvager had something even better in stock, something that would blow everything else out of the water, a grenade. Explosives were one of the many ancient artifacts typically reported and reserved for purchase on behalf of the Republic. It is on their authority that they claim ownership of any ancient artifacts pertaining to warfare, after all the resulting explosion of a grenade was comparable to some more advanced forms of sorcery.

Fortunately there were more opportunities for trade in Rinsaad, salvagers had full ownership on what they salvage meaning they could go ahead and sell their goods to the highest bidder. As a result, it wasn’t uncommon to see wealthier nobles begin bargaining against each other for ownership over these artifacts of war. The ancient world of the Vykin was fascinating and marvelous, a civilization who had created the Network consisting of vast cities and industries that rival the spheres of influence that exist today.

I managed to find a reliable merchant selling drinking water noted by the people crowding his stall. I called out my offer for 2 flasks. The merchant focused his attention on me and turned his head, he waved his hand and stuck up 6 fingers. It would seem that Bargaining was to be done with hand signals, if the seller gestured with 6 fingers, I gestured back with two I was adamant, I kept my hand gestured with four fingers and raised a closed palm. I would not budge any further. We locked eyes for a while but I eventually got my way. Two flasks of water for four bits of silver wasn’t a bad haul.

I needed information on any ruin excavations occurring nearby. My best bet was likely going to be at a tavern where salvagers would be drinking. Though as to where that would be, I would have to do some looking around. I figure I’m likely to have more luck finding it by roaming the many alleyways and booths of the bazaar. Having been wandering about for awhile, I noticed a young girl perched at the steps of a boarded up home. Her head tucked into her knees pressed against her chest. The townspeople kept their distance and averted their gaze as they passed her by. Likely condemned. I understood her situation, I could help. She did not react when I called out to her. As I began to approach her I felt a sudden grip on my shoulder, I was pulled away. I was met with a loud clap and a handful of white ash powder that coated my face. The individual brushed his finger across my forehead leaving a red paint mark. Though I was taken aback, I took a moment to collect myself seeing as no immediate harm was done.

“I’ll be honest, that’s the most interaction I’ve had in this town so far. Mind telling me what exactly you dusted and flecked on me?” I breathed calmly.

An elderly man had seemingly appeared to confront me. The elderly man began spouting the local language and gesturing for me to back off. He sounded angry, spouting the same words and phrases over and over, though he didn’t appear to have any ill intent.

“Yeah, I don’t understand. I’ll be going now, I’ve no time for senile antics.”

“Go. Stay away. Be elsewhere.”

“Oh okay, well this works out. I would love to leave, but I need some information. Mind telling me where I can find a tavern or broker nearby?”

“Don’t bother. Leave here. Gravedigger’s curse has claimed this town.”

“Look I don’t think I’ll be leaving Rinsaad anytime soon. But you mind telling what you just threw on my face?”

“Wards off evil. Disease and bad omens. That girl, she is sick. Too late for her. Best you go about your business.”

“Not sure I follow, are there no healers around here?”

“Sir, there is nothing you can do. A curse has come upon us. A plague that infects the young. They should not have disturbed that place.”

“I don't understand, is that why Rinsaad is caught in this white fog?”

“No good ever comes from gravediggers.”

“As far as I’m aware, Rinsaad practices cremation. I’m afraid any body buried under the sand is bound to be uncovered. No need to get upset over nature’s curiosity.”

“Bah. Even if you call them salvagers it doesn’t change what they are. Outsiders should stay outside.”

“Yeah okay, whatever. I’ll be going this way.”

“No, no, no, I must know you understand. Say you will stay away.”

“Yeah okay, I will. Can I just pass through here.”

“No, you must say it.”

“Look, I get it. I’m just looking to pass by.”

“I have to hear it.”

“Fine, yes. I’ll be sure to keep my distance.”

“Hmm?”

“I will stay away. That good?” I sighed as I began to get irritated.

“So long as you understand. Go then. Peace be upon you. May the oracle guide your way.”

“Will do.”

I backed off and turned to go back the way I came, though I wasn’t about to be stopped in my tracks. Going back the way I came, I walked into a nearby alley that looped back to where I had my previous encounter with the elderly man and little girl. Hiding in the shadows under hanging laundry, I checked to see if the man was still lingering about. Nowhere to be seen, it seems he had other foreigners to bother, and of course to stay as far away from the Gravedigger’s curse as he could possibly be. I admit he certainly left me with quite an impression, the strange man's parting words had left me with a sense of worry and foreboding, and of course a face full of powder after all. Grabbing some of the laundry from above, I wiped my face clean of the powder and dye.

“Unbelievable. I didn’t think it would spread this far.”

It would seem the cause of the plague stemmed from something called the Gravedigger’s curse, but I knew better. A sickness that can’t be cured through sorcery, it was all too familiar meaning the source of this disease must be close, perhaps the broker’s info may have some truth to it. Though it doesn’t seem to have a lasting effect on grown adults, it would seem to have a stronger impact on the more fragile bodies of children. I feel partly responsible for what's happening. I wasn’t confident, but I was willing to help this girl and give it a shot, who knows, I might just be able to override her ailments.

“Hey little girl, mind if I sit next to you?”

The little girl kept her head down, seeming she couldn’t be bothered with another adult that likely wouldn’t look her way. I wasn’t about to give this up though. I put my hand on her shoulder and felt her body quake, she looked up at with a sickly complexion.

“Hey there, you look a little under the weather. But I think I can help with that.”

She continued to look at me with a blank stare, her face stained with tears. Yep, this was something I had to do. I motioned to unsheathe my dagger.

“Don’t worry, this is all part of the process.”

She seemed uneasy, but remained still, perhaps she imagined a situation similar to this in her head. What came next however likely didn’t happen in the scenario she imagined. With a dagger in hand, I pressed it deep into the palm of my hand. Leaving me with an open wound, I looked at the girl who seemed visibly confused. I kept my palm open and let my body work its magic. The open wound began to close itself up, as if it wasn’t even there. I rubbed over my palm to assure her that my hand was perfectly fine. Her confusion had turned to bewilderment. She went to grab my hand, and began examining it for herself. My body seemed to prove somewhat entertaining. It was nice to see her enthralled, up until she got a little too curious and started digging her nails into my skin and banging my arm with a rock. I wasn’t about to teach this kid that violence was okay, I had her stop and to just hold off for a bit. I once again cut open a wound on my palm. I probably seemed like a maniac pulling a dagger out on a child. I gently grabbed her hand and had her open her palm as well. Dagger at the ready.

“This might hurt a little. But please, trust me.”

She looked at me for some time before nodding her head. I took that as confirmation. Opening a wound on her palm, the blood leaked incessantly, I made sure to cusp her hand with my own. A firm grip, but not too tight that it would offend her. Then the signs began to show, her sickly complexion beginning to fade, the color coming back to her skin, the impurities within her were slowly dying. Her eyes which gave a dull expression had begun to brim with life.

“All better, right?” I smiled. She hugged me tightly, staining my cloak with tears.

“Can you speak? What’s your name little girl.”

“Shaia.”

A small voice spoke out. The little girl sniffed, her face still buried in my cloak.

“That’s a nice name. I’m Grit. Mind telling me how you got here?”

She shook her head burrowing deeper into the cloth.

“It’s alright, It’s best not to think too hard on those things. How about this, if you’re feeling up for it, how about we get you something to eat, sound good?”

“Mhm. Okay.”

She perked up, wiping the snot off her face. I was sure the pub might have some grub, but it couldn't be far now.

“Now, grab hold. Let’s see what we can find.”

With my hand extended, her hand held onto mine. It would seem that I, or better yet, we would be back to wandering the alleyways once more. Backtracking to the outskirts of the town, we began to browse the bazaar to find something to eat. The little girl eyed many of the delicacies baked and being cooked among the stalls, enticed by the many flaky desserts. Despite her interest, it was best she ate something more filling and nutritional. We found a butcher selling Chowarma, meat cut into thin slices, stacked vertically and roasted on a slow-turning spit. Once again I bargained and settled for a fair price for the meal, the butcher began shaving thin slices off the Chowarma and served it to us on thin bread. Enjoying the meal, the little girl could be seen making a mess of herself which didn’t seem to concern her all that much. Once satisfied, I helped in wiping off any leftovers and we once again returned to wandering the town.

Along our stroll I began to inquire the locals as to whether they recognized the little girl. The townspeople doted on the little girl but did not recognize her, the local guards couldn’t be bothered with matters unrelated to mob violence. Any merchants asked would coerce me for silver and tell me to go meet one of their associates who upon meeting them would then ask for more silver. This cycle continued as I found myself a victim of extortion, I abandoned the notion of seeking help from merchants. The search for her parents seemed to be hopeless, with no leads as to their whereabouts, I had no idea what to do with the little girl. I had somewhere to be, though abandoning her might make things easier, I’d end up feeling like shit for the rest of my stay in Rinsaad. It would seem this little girl might just have to tag along for the journey. The sun began to set, it was getting dark. Just as I decided we should head to the Inn to get some rest, something caught the attention of the little girl.

“This is…” The little girl spoke out, leaving my side she ran off into an alleyway.

“Hey, where are you going!” I yelled. “Damn it.” I chased after her.

Following her through the narrow alleyways, past hanging laundry and discarded trash, I fumbled turning into various corners attempting to catch her. Adjusting my speed to accommodate the alleyway corners, I was finally able to catch up to her. Down a straight alley, I now had a clear path, she was finally in my grasp. Exiting the alleyway, the little girl had stopped, I had finally caught her.

“Why did you run off like that?” I questioned.

Waiting for her response, I gauged our surroundings and found ourselves in a large square forecourt. A frontage could be seen leading into the streets, with alleys and buildings on all sides, and a large gate that led into a courtyard where a large building resided. The little girl began to approach the large gate, but before she attempted to pull on the gate I stepped in to stop her.

“Hey, you can’t just go into somebody else’s property without their permission. Didn’t your parents ever tell you that?” I scolded.

“But my parents are in there.” The little girl said, staring at the building beyond the gate. I was beginning to understand why she ran off.

“Is this where you live?”

“Yeah but…”

“Well if your parents are home, I’m sure they’d be glad to see you, come on.” I interrupted.

I held onto her hand so that we could head on in though she wouldn’t budge as she clenched her shirt. It would seem that despite wanting to go in just a little while ago the little girl appeared somewhat hesitant and seemingly stressed. Perhaps the reason she was afraid to see her family again was somehow related to the condition she was left in while out on the street. I recall a small conversation I had with Talal following our discussion on the outlook on invalids in Kalhani society, in regards to children left abandoned by those who revoked their responsibilities for caring for their children. Those left abandoned at the local dump, a drop off zone for the unwanted. However, the little girl was left out on the street, likely a result from a choice of her own making. Even if she had been kicked out, I knew one thing for sure and that was the fact that this little girl was certainly loved.

“Is everything alright? Don’t you want to see your parents?”

“I do but there was a fight and mama had a weird look on her face when it happened.”

“Is that why you were out on the streets? You think you can tell me what happened?”

“Yeah, I was scared. Papa came home with friends. I couldn’t see. Mama told me to stay in my room. Lots of yelling, so much screaming. It was loud. I went to hide. Then mama came in. I can’t think anymore. I’m scared to go inside.”

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to think about it anymore. But I can guarantee that your mom and dad are probably feeling the same way you are. Nothing is scarier than losing someone you care about, especially the fear of not knowing what might happen to them. Even if you’re scared, sometimes you have to build up the courage to apologize no matter the outcome, yeah?”

“Okay… I really want to see mama and papa again.”

“You will, I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to see you as well.”

I once again held the little girl's hand, reassuring her of her commitment. We approached the gate and attempted to push it open to no avail, it was locked. That was certainly not what I had expected to happen, it would seem that her parents weren’t allowing visitors in at the moment. I noticed a figure looking at us from a nearby balcony, however upon looking their way they quickly disappeared. It would be best to get this over, staying here any longer would only bring trouble. Despite that, I wasn’t about to let a gate stop me from reuniting this girl with her family, I would have to find another way in.

The gate was tall but I was confident in my climbing skills, though I wouldn’t want to attract unwanted attention so I was sure to check my surroundings before attempting the climb. Convincing the little girl to ride on my shoulders and hold on tight, I clambered up the gate. Near the top I carefully vaulted over the spiked railheads and dropped down onto the other side. It was then I noticed a man looking in our direction from across the frontage near the town road. Appearing as though he hadn’t noticed us, he headed off into another direction. Perhaps it was imagination, but it almost appeared as though he were smiling. Letting the little girl disembark from my shoulders we began to approach the large home, I could hear commotion and people arguing coming from inside the home. A large ornamental door knocker adorned the front door, though it was quite nice, I opted to start banging my fist on wood. There was no reply yet the noises from inside continued, once again banging on the door, still no reply. Perhaps they weren’t expecting visitors, I looked at the little girl who appeared shaken when a loud crash was heard from inside the house. Nobody had come to the door but it would appear that somebody was inside, I turned the doorknob surprised to realize it had been open this whole time. Walking into the foyer, I found that the whole room was left in disarray, the furniture moved about, a man could be seen placing silver and other valuables onto a large tablecloth situated on the floor.

“-should have at least been something. Damn nobles, must have hidden the Singasteinn elsewhere. It can't have been looted already…” A man said.

“There’s still some silver spoons and knives laying around, these might be worth something at least!” A man exclaimed walking out from the dining room only to stop abruptly. “Hey, that little girl. Isn’t she…”

The men all stopped what they were doing, surprised to see their newly arrived visitors. There were four men in all, the one in the foyer, the second who had just exited the kitchen and two who appeared to be peaking from the top of a staircase down the hall. The men all appeared to be disheveled and somewhat stunned, they quickly garnered a response.

“I’m not sure who you are, but it’s rude to enter a home unannounced.” The floor man explained eyeing the little girl. “That girl, I’m gonna have to ask you to hand that little girl over.”

“I could say the same, what business do you have with the girl?”

“We don’t have to answer that, who are you supposed to be? We know the girl and her parents, but we don’t know you.”

“You could say I’m a family friend, her caretaker. I promised her parents I would look after her until they return. Remind me, how exactly are you related to her?”

“That so? Well, we’re her uncles, in fact we came here to pay her parents a visit. Ain’t that right?”

“Yeah, we’re her uncles, we’re the only ones that can look after her. After all her parents are-” The spoon man replied before being cut off.

“Her parents are fine, if you come with us we can take you to go see them. You said you know them, yeah? Then you can confirm it with the parents yourself if you follow us upstairs.” The floor man interrupted.

“I don’t know about that, her parents never told me they had family here in Rinsaad. Also I gotta say, I’m sure her parents wouldn’t be too happy to see that you guys have made a mess of the place.”

“Well we’re from out of town, we came to visit after her parents invited us over for a little family gathering. As for the mess, her father asked us to look for something important, we took it upon ourselves to be real thorough is all.”

The men in the room glanced at one another, as though they were engaged in some unspoken conversation. The little girl took a step back and hid behind me. There was no way in hell that these guys were her uncles. The four men in the house seemed quite tense, apart from their faulty sentiment they appeared to have a rather sickly complexion as well.

“Like I said, you’re welcome to ask her parents personally if you just follow us upstairs. And since you’re a family friend, I won’t take offense to you being skeptical of us.”

“I see. Alright, I’ll go with you.”

“Good, we’re already on our way to being good friends. We’ll take good care of the kid down here.”

“I didn’t say I’d let her leave my side, she’s staying with me. I’m confident her parents would want to see her since she’s spent some time away from home.”

“Have it your way. Can’t blame us as uncles for wanting to spend some time with their niece. No matter, come, the stairs are this way.” The floor man said.

I could tell these men held bad intentions, but for the time being it was best that I play along with their make-believe for the time being. I was certain the little girl would find my actions to be rather concerning, she would have to play along as well. As I followed the floor man down a hallway, he glanced over his shoulder to the man from the kitchen who began to turn the lock on the front door. Arriving at the stairway, I waited for the floor man to take the first step and followed him closely from behind. The man from the kitchen had come to tag along as he stood at the base of the stairs, the floor man began to pick up the pace as he ran to the top of the stairs. It was at that moment I heard concerning mumbles from behind, I grabbed the little girl and vaulted over the handrails. My back slammed against the floor as a blast of heat burst through the air, leaving the wood charred where we once stood.

“You missed! How could you miss!?”

“Shit, I could’ve sworn I had him.”

“Look, they’re still alive down by you!”

“Blaze!”

I quickly rolled out of the way and got up, dragging the little girl with me, narrowly avoiding the blast of heat.

“Stop messing around, hurry up and ready another spell and burn the bastard away!”

“Stop yelling, the air here is suffocating, my abilities are limited indoors.”

“If you can’t do it, I’ll kill him myself.”

“Don’t! I’ve got it, I’ll get him with this one.” The kitchen man heaved, he seemed exhausted. “Blast Bla-” He spat before coughing uncontrollably.

The man from the kitchen began hacking hard canceling out his spell, he began to spit up blood, his skin a pale color. Now was my chance, I dashed toward him before he attempted to cast another spell. I plunged my dagger deep into his jugular ensuring the blade properly went through. I quickly pulled it out and retreated back to the little girl. The man put his hand to his neck, wide-eyed he attempted to cast another spell through garbled words until he stumbled backwards onto the floor.

“Damn fool was useless in the end.” The floor man spat. “Damn curse has plagued us, can’t even use my sorceries properly.”

“So you’re nothing but a bunch of powerless dregs. It’s a shame, it seems the plague might kill you before I do.”

“If I could just find that damn stone I’m sure it could cure me. But I can’t do that with you still alive, we’ll kill you!” The dreg said, snapping his fingers.

Two men who had been keeping themselves hidden upstairs began to aid the others in their attack. They both brought about a large tube and began to fill them with what appeared to be large wooden balls. Mumbling to themselves, they put their mouths on one end of the tube, the wooden balls within shot out with great force as they came hurtling toward me. I was caught off guard, unable to shield the little girl I pushed her out of the way. The first ball missed as it came crashing down and burst into the floor leaving a hole. The second ball came hurtling toward me, I had no time to move out of its range, all I could do was attempt to block it with my hand. In an instant, the wooden ball tore through the flesh and bone of my open palm, bursting out the other end. This was bad, I shifted my body ever so slightly as the wooden ball briefly grazed the side of my neck, avoiding a fatal injury as it came crashing into the wall behind me.

“Got him.”

“If you just give up that little girl this could all be over. She can tell me where her parents hid the Singasteinn and you can be on your way.

“That ain’t happening, as I said, I’m her caretaker. I’m gonna protect her no matter what.” I retorted, using some of my remaining blood to heal my hand and neck wound.

“Bloody Oracle, what did you just do?!” He shouted in shock.

Before anything else could be said or done we all shifted our attention to the knocking coming from the foyer. The knocking continued and we both glared at one another before a loud bang was heard from the foyer. The front door was blown off its hinges, a small group of three men came marching in bearing a maniple of a torch and a key emblazoned upon their scutum. The little girl began to run off into a room in the back, I can’t protect her if she’s not by my side. I took this chance to run after the girl while the dregs were distracted. Upon entering the room, the little girl could be seen quivering in fear. I attempted to console her while overhearing the conversation in the other room.

“It’s rude to enter a person’s home unannounced, you friends of that bastard?” The dreg shouted on deaf ears.

“These men don’t seem to match the description sir.” One of the two soldiers in the front stated.

“There appears to have been an altercation here.” The second of the two soldiers stated, kneeling to examine the corpse on the floor. “Doesn’t appear to be the man you described sir.”

“Hey I’m speaking to you, don’t ignore me you bastards.” The dreg spat.

“Do not interrupt our investigation. Should you speak once more we will terminate you.”

“It’s quite alright. I apologize for our sudden arrival.” The soldier in the back stated, looking far more equipped than the others with a strange lance holstered on his back.

“And here I thought you men had no manners.” The dreg said.

“It would seem you suffered a loss at the hands of an individual I’m currently searching for. Do you happen to know where they are?”

“ The bastard you’re looking for is here, but he’s my prey, he’s gotta pay for what he did to us.”

“They don’t appear to be part of the rebels nor do they appear to be affiliates related to the landlord, what would you like us to do sir?”

“Still, I won’t take the chance. Kill them. Leave no survivors.” The captain commanded.

“Kill me? I’d like to see you try, no one disrespects me and lives!” The dreg snapped his fingers once more.

A wooden ball began to hurtle toward the soldier in the back, in that instant one of the soldiers in front stood in the way to protect him, his shield began to envelop in a gleam of light. As the wooden ball came into contact with the shield it audibly cracked and was deflected into a nearby wall.

“How is that possible?!”

“Civilian sorcery stands no chance against those who’ve spent much of their time honing their abilities.”

“These guys don’t look like they’re from around here, he didn’t even chant his spell, who the hell are these guys?”

“You are in the presence of Centurio Nero of the Chassis Corps, and as such your acts will not go unpunished.” Stated their captain. “Now, let us end this quickly, I have a consul to attend later.”

The Chassis Corps, an elite tactical unit representing the Kindorian Republic. Among the most skilled and most dangerous soldiers within their legion, they carry out their tasks swiftly without mercy. I had already used up too much blood, if we were to stay here any longer we would find death before long. I whispered to the girl to keep quiet so as to avoid being discovered. We needed a way out, it appeared as though these soldiers weren’t here to help. I’m somewhat capable, but in the face of heavily armed soldiers trained in the art of subterfuge and deadly sorceries, I wasn’t about to warrant their attention. We found another stairway in the room back here and carefully climbed the stairs while the blowpipe dregs kept the Chassis soldiers distracted. At the top of the stairs we found ourselves in a room behind the hall where the blowpipe men were. Taking a peak around the corner, the dreg was holding his ground against the soldiers, though not for long. The soldiers were slowly marching their way toward them, the dregs picked up the pace and shot one wooden ball after another at the soldiers below.

“What’s the matter? We have to keep moving and find a way out of here.”

“I’m scared.”

“Look, I know things seem scary at the moment, but you gotta be brave, alright?”

“No. I remember now, they were there.”

“What do you mean, who was there?”

“No, I don’t want to remember!” She yelled, her words muffled by the ongoing fight.

“Okay, okay I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“I just want this to be over…”

“I know…” I sighed. We needed a way to get out of here or at the very least avoid the situation happening in the house.

“Hey Shaia, why don’t we play a little game of hide and seek. But we gotta be quick to hide, do you happen to know any good hiding places?”

“Mmm… I think I know where…” She mumbled, it would seem my suggestion helped distract her thoughts.

“You think you can show, can you do that?”

“Mmm, follow me, I know where to go!”

The little girl led me down the hall into what appeared to be a large bedroom, well crafted furniture, silk sheets and fine rugs adorned the room. Set upon the dressers, furniture and walls were portraits of a group of people, a strong and proud looking man coupled with a woman who displayed a comforting and kind smile, their hands caressing a familiar little girl.

“Over here, we have to hurry!” The little girls said startling me.

The little girl continued to move about as she ran into what appeared to be an apparel room and rummaged through the clothing to find a small lever. She attempted to pull on the lever to no avail, using all her strength her hands slipped and fell on her behind. I stepped in and pulled on the lever, the sound of a low whirring hum and the loud clacking of wood could be heard. The little girl ran back into the bedroom and pulled on the rug, a staircase had appeared that led into a room below.

“How did you know about this?”

“Everytime my mama and papa went out to purchase salvage or recieved gifts from friends, they always returned to their room after guests would leave and I would always hear these weird sounds.”

“I bet, those noises would be sure to catch anyone's attention.”

“Mhm, there was this one day I spied on them and saw them open this room, but I wasn’t sneaky enough and they caught me. I thought they would be mad but they showed me all these amazing things, I was supposed to keep it a secret so long as they were alive…” She trailed off.

“Your parent’s sure liked to keep secrets, huh?”

Hearing the noises nearby getting louder we quickly descended down into the hidden room, unsure how to close the hatch, I pushed the stair ladder upwards hoping that would do the job. It was dark but the little girl flipped a switch that lit our surroundings. It was a surprise to see a small room filled with various ancient artifacts and treasures, this must have been where her parents kept their valuables. It was a good spot to keep hidden, upon examining our surroundings I noticed a faint red glow coming from an artifact mounted on a wall rack display. I took it off the shelf to get a closer look, it seemed to be some sort of tool.

“That thing doesn’t work, papa tried but couldn’t get it to work, said he got scammed but kept it anyway since no one had or knew what it was.”

It seemed to be some sort of ranged weapon, identifying the source of the eerie glow, on its side were three glowing bars of light that burned red. Looking at it closely it was quite bulky, it had a large tube, some sort of miniature barrel mounted upon its shaft, how odd for what looked like a hand-held cannon. Its construction looked awfully similar to that soldier's fire lance. It was then the rummaging of footsteps stopped above us, once again I urged her to keep quiet. Caught up in the moment looking at the ancient artifacts we could hear a door slam open above us and something fumbling about. At that moment the stair ladder unfolded only to find a familiar dreg crashing down the stairs. A mistake on my part, I had forgotten to secure the latch on the stairs, unsure on how to lock it. The man got up, shocked to see us.

“You, you’re that freak with the weird hand!” The blowpipe dreg stated. “If you hadn’t showed up we could have been living easy lives…” He started, steadily approaching us.

“Don’t take another step.” I aimed the artifact at him.

“Wh-what is that?”

“A Vykin weapon, it has devastating power that could rip you to shreds.” I bluffed, not knowing how capable the artifact actually was.

“Heh, I don’t believe you. That thing looks familiar, isn’t it just a piece of scrap ripped off those old Vykin chariots?”

“You sure about that?” I pressed down on the trigger as the cannon began to produce a sound in rhythm.

“Wait, what are you doing?!”

“I told you, if you take a step closer that I’d have to kill you.”

The artifact continued to beep and I assumed the weapon was ready to attack, letting go of the trigger I was expecting to hurt the dreg only for nothing to happen.

“What the hell, why isn’t it working?”

“I told you! Papa said it was a scam!”

“Ha! You thought you could trick me?! I’ll kill you bastard!”

Before the dreg could make his move he was struck in the back and tumbled over. A lead dart lodged in his back kept him immobilized. Behind him standing near the stairs was one of the Chassis soldiers, our eyes locked.

“Sir, he’s in here!” He shouted.

“Shit.”

I began tapping on the trigger repeatedly thinking maybe it jammed. Only hearing it make a beep unlike the rhythmic sounds I heard before. Then I remembered what I had done differently, I held down the trigger.

“C’mon, work!”

“Surrender, you’re coming with us terrorists.” The soldier stated unsheathing his spatha.

“I ain’t gonna surrender, I haven't committed a single crime here.”

“You’ve not only committed murder via the use of stolen artifacts taken from the crime scene but you’ve come to harbor a child of those funding terrorist activities as well.”

“I’m not a rebel or a terrorist damn it. The fight I had with that dreg was in self defence and this girl has nothing to do with it.”

“Silence, you shall face justice in the form of Kindorian steel.”

My finger still held down on the trigger, the soldier refused to listen to reason as he approached with killing intent, it was at that moment the glowing bars on the side of the artifact began to change from red to white. The sound had stopped and the artifact seemed to hum with life.

“Well, I’m afraid that's not gonna happen.”

Aiming at the soldier I let go of the trigger, a deafening noise filled the room and a burst of energy erupted from the artifact. Wincing at the noise, I witnessed the aftermath of its effect on our surroundings. The walls demolished, everything in its direction was blown outward onto the town roads. The soldier was nowhere to be seen, looking out into the new-found hole in the wall I noticed something sticking out on the building across the street. It was the soldier, lodged into the building's wall, his shield placed in front of him seemed to have protected him from the initial blast. His body moved as he dislodged himself from the wall, falling below onto the town road. Seemingly still alive as he attempted to lift himself up only to collapse to exhaustion.

“You’re kidding, chassis’ are damn sturdy.”

If the Chassis soldier was able to survive that hit, I wasn’t gonna stick around to find out how I’d fare against their captain. The sound of marching could be heard above, the static of a radio message echoed throughout the house.

“Nero, have you found signs of the terrorist?”

“Yes commander, he seems to have gone into hiding, but we have him cornered.”

“Excellent, I have high hopes for you Centurio, we wouldn’t want to disappoint the senate. Your position in the Chassis Corps depends upon it.”

“I’m honored, I won’t fail you, commander.”

“I’m glad to hear it, I expect to hear your report in person. The Fardaughter wills it, Hail the Imperator.”

“Praise the Fardaughter, Hail the Imperator.”

The static of their makeshift radio began to die out.

“What should we do now, sir?”

“Investigate the source of that explosion and find out where Toledo has gone. We need that girl alive, we have no need for the terrorist.”

“Yes, sir.”

It would seem we’ve overstayed our welcome, we needed to get out of here. But where would we find our way out? For now, we would keep low on the ground and not make any noise, we would need to quietly make our escape.

“Is that…” Shaia’s attention seemed to have caught something, as she began to crawl towards the pile of artifacts.

“Shaia, what are you doing, come back here!” I commanded, trying to keep my voice low.

“It was around here…” She mumbled, rummaging around the pile of artifacts. “Ah, Its still here!” What could she have been looking for that was so important?

“Did you hear that?” A voice called out from above.

“Yes, quiet.” Footsteps started motioning toward the room above us.

They heard us... There was no time, i quickly went over to grab Shaia to employ the only plan I could come up with on the spot.

“Ah-!”

Running over to the collapsed wall, I looked out over the town road and jumped out onto the streets with the little girl in tow. Holding her in my grasp, I made sure she wasn’t hurt from the fall, brushing off the dirt, I looked back up from where we once were only to find a soldier looking down at us.

“Sir, out there, the terrorist and the girl are on the street!”

“Stand aside, I’ll take care of this.”

We were spotted, the Chassis Centurio began to draw the lance he had holstered on his back, aiming it in my direction, but it mattered not. I was already on the run, however what chased me was a ray of heat unlike anything I've seen before. Crystallizing the sand on the road that trailed behind me. The Centurio captain seemed to have an artifact of his own, however I had run far enough away for them to be unable to catch me. So long as they did not see our faces we would be safe, for now it would be best to find somewhere to hide for the time being. Taking a turn into an alley I once again found myself wandering the streets once more.

=====================================================================

The rest of the evening was spent hiding away in alleys as we quietly hid to avoid being spotted by the chassis soldiers roaming the town who had become more active, alerted by the incident from earlier. During one of the close calls, I readied the artifact I had at our disposal only to discover the artifact no longer responded in the same way. The lights on its side refused to appear and the device no longer produced the rhythmic hum that had incessantly rang back in the manor. In the event we are found by Chassis authorities we would have no real means of fighting back. As a result we did our best to blend in with the townsfolk and hide in the shadows.

Before I knew it the sun had set and the temperature began to drop rapidly in the town, it would be best for us to find shelter at an inn lest the little girl freeze to death. Wandering about the town we found many of the inns were closed or refused to accept us either because they were full or due to mistaking us for dregs. Having been involved in the incident from earlier, we were covered in grime, from being coated in sandstone dust and fighting among corpses whilst rummaging around in the alleyways, no doubt we certainly qualified as dregs in both looks and the smell. Having been denied numerous times from inns and having to walk all over town, I could see the little girl was beginning to tire as well as we endlessly searched for someplace that would offer us a safe haven for the night.

I began to feel a little drained myself as the blood loss from earlier began to take its toll. Fearing we would have to sleep on the streets, It was then we came upon another inn that seemed different from the rest. Compared to the others, It had outside lighting and a powered sign. The letter’s on the sign illuminating its name to any visitor who happened to stumble upon it, ‘The Feathered Roost’. Nowhere left to go, we stepped inside.

“Ah, Good Evening, welcome to our Inn, are you here to rent- !” The innkeeper exclaimed, looking up from her ledger before cutting herself off.

“Evening, we’re looking for a room to rent.”

“I’m afraid there are no rooms available, and even if there were, your kind isn’t welcome here, so please leave.”

“Look, we’ve been all over town, this is the last place we’ve found still open. It’s just one night, please.”

“This is no home for dregs, so leave now, lest I call the guards!”

“I’m not looking for trouble, look, see? I have silver to pay for a room.”

“We have no need for hacksilver from some dregs, I demand you leave our establishment!”

“Will you just hear me out?”

“Did you not hear me? I warned you, I’m calling the guards!”

What a pain in the ass. “Alright! Look, we’ll just go.” I exclaimed turning towards the door to leave.

“Hold on.”

“I heard you the first time, I said I’m leaving now.”

“Yes, but did you not come here seeking a bed for the night?” Turning back around, a homely woman stood on the stairs wiping herself off with a rag.

“Well yeah, but I don’t wanna cause any trouble with the innkeeper over there.”

“No worries, I’m not the least bit upset that you’ve come here.”

The woman who had been behind the counter had become quiet. “I see. I apologize, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“No need to apologize, it was a simple misunderstanding. Aside from that, I see you have a child with you, the poor thing. I wouldn’t dare let a young one like that go sleeping outside where harm may come to her. I’ve just finished preparing a room, it’s available and ready for rent.”

I felt a little tug on my cloak, I glanced down to see a weary little girl. “I can’t keep my eyes open…”

“I know. It won’t be long now.” I hushed. “Innkeeper I have money to pay for the room, would you allow us to rent it?.”

“Of course, come now, I’ll show you to your room. And as for the payment, It’s fine, you can pay in the morning, it’s best you get some rest.”

“Ah, but I can pay -”

The innkeeper stopped me and put a finger to her lip, she smiled and pointed her finger beside me. Shaia had begun to doze off.

“It can wait.” She quietly spoke.

There wasn’t much else for me to say. Following her up the stairs, I carried the little girl on my back who was now quietly resting. Into a rather open corridor, the light from a ceiling lamp warmly lit the area. We were led to a corner room that was quite spacious, accommodating the needs for multiple people. Walking in, I quietly laid Shaia to rest on the bed only to have the innkeeper gesture for me near the door.

“I can’t thank you enough, we’ve had a bit of a long day.”

“I can see. I’m just glad that I could offer both you and the little one a place to stay.”

“Well, thanks. But I gotta say, this is quite a well maintained inn.”

“We’re lucky enough to have a wind turbine generating power here, so having guests come to stay isn’t much of a problem. So should you wish to have a warm shower, it is available.”

“Seems we were lucky to find you and this place. I’m glad we came here.”

“So am I. Though I urge that you get some rest as well. There isn’t much time left until morning and I still have errands to finish up. So, I shall take my leave, please enjoy your stay.”

I watched as the innkeeper walked off toward the stairs, stopping to smile in my direction as I smiled back before quietly descending down the stairs. I quietly closed the door, turning around, I was surprised to see the little girl wide awake.

“Did I wake you?”

“I remember now, those men, they were there when I left the house.”

“Which men, the men looting the house?”

“No, the soldiers.”

“What about the soldiers?”

“They were the ones that… my parents… mama… papa… they were the ones that…” She hiccupped.

Tears welling in her eyes, the expression on her face wrinkling into a frown as she began to cry. There was no need for her to say anymore for me to understand what she was willing to convey. This girl has suffered more than any child should, she reminds too much of her. Perhaps that’s why I find myself somewhat responsible for her, I don’t want to see her suffering any more.

“There’s no need to worry anymore, no matter what happens, I’ll be there to protect you.”

The little girl grabbed hold of me and wept, and wept and wept, weeping for quite some time until the ducts in her eyes ran dry, her frail body uncontrollably tired, she had cried herself to sleep, her cheeks stained with tears. Wishing to escape the uncomfortable position I was left in, I hesitated to move, afraid I would disturb her peaceful slumber. Stuck in that position as time motioned ever onward, I couldn’t help but gaze out the window thoughtlessly. I could see the sunrise through the window, contemplating what to do next to avoid future confrontations with the Chassis. I felt myself dozing off the rays of light peeking through the pane, replaying the events that occurred at the villa, a great deal of problems I wished to avoid were now lingering on my mind, come tomorrow I hope these problems can be left behind. I was left unaware as my thoughts overlapped and eventually quieted down, my eyes proceeded to close shut.