Five minutes earlier...

"Who is that??"

Two deep painful coughs barked out.

The sickly old man strained as his chest bulged.

"Reveal yourself if its death for me. Come, am ready to meet it" he repeated.

"It's…. it's me dad" she squeaked back.

"Is it, is that you Aya?".

Aya crouched down to meet her father's hands.

Emotions filled the room as the sounds of the soldiers rummaging through houses were masked by condolence of the love between the Father and Daughter. Both fell into tears.

Aya crumped and bawled all her feelings holding onto her father.

He rubbed Aya's back gently barely holding back his emotions.

"I thought you'd..... you'd left with the others... Why you still here??".

"The seer said the water must be poured on your skin every day" she earnestly replied.

He painfully laughed as he gasped for breath.

Aya sat silently, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Aya?? Why are you.... here!? He inquired in a humble tone.

"My... The seer tasked me with..."

"AYA!!!".

She rattled in fear.

"I couldn't leave..... I have to fulfill my task papa" she reprimanded while shaking her head.

"Where's your bucket then??" he gave in and teased.

She fell silent and shielding her mouth masking her whining.

"Hate… hate to see you like this, but you know what you have to do. Sweetie…".

Aya rubbed her head in denial on his chest, thumping her fist on it.

"I know, I know you think it's cruel…... I know… I know there's a siege of the town. Soon the city".

Aya lamented not responding to him.

"Aya, ..... Aya look at me!" Lifting her head, she nudged her head on his warm hand.

"I'm dying…... they won't let live through this. We've been through this topic before dear. Am done. I'm ready to be received to the heavens. Let me pass away quickly..." he looked at her, body looking meek and lifeless.

Caressing his old fingers on Aya's soft skin.

"You remind me so much of your mother…. Am proud of you. You Made it back here. Alone. Everyone's gone".

Sorrow swept and drained Aya, she couldn't even respond back to him. Her face was pale and tormented by the thought of losing him.

"Where's Shassii? Thought she'd be with you".

"She, I let her go. She escaped with Quine and the others… I couldn't risk losing her as well".

Lojjuinn coughed some blood out and smirked at Aya.

"That's good. Wish we had time to keep on talking Aya, but you need to go".

"I don't want to!! Let me die here with you" Aya hysterically said weeping while waving her hands around.

Lojjuinn slapped Aya with a force so loud that the echo ricocheted around the room.

Aya froze while tears poured down her face.

"Bring me the dagger in your mother's keepsake now!!" Aya's body stood still then responded and got up.

Her body moved on its own.

She unconsciously obediently followed his orders.

Heading up the stairs she retrieved the decorated dagger hidden in her mother's chest.

"That child, she'll make it but she needs to witness this. Syythel give her strength to follow in your footsteps and become a Śeinq you will look down upon with pride".

Memories of her childhood, the trinkets, and toys she and Shassii made. The paintings they carved out, the handprints left above her bed. In this moment it seemed like it had all come to an end.

Footsteps rescinded down the steps, Aya's voice quivered and her hands shriveled and shook sporadically.

Aya came down, grieved her eyes bore sadness her pupils fixated on her father, her face slumped in a stroke.

Lojjuinn leaned his head up.

"Aya, this has to happen. I won't live past 2 days without the water. I want you to know this isn't your fault. Neither blame no one, just protect you and yours!".

"Raise Shassii well".

Aya hesitated.

"Dad, you know I met the Śeingtt's today at the lake".

He chuckled in pain.

"They must've seen the innocence and drive in your heart. You visit the spirits and ancestors every day so am not surprised".

Aya's head shook. "Maybe the Śeingtt's will save you".

"It's an auspicious day. The Celebration of fortitude. But no, the Śeingtt want me to join them. Now is my time. Aya I need you to remember, ... I choose this. Don't blame anyone!!."

Aya fell silent blocking her ears, turning her head in rejection.

"Aya, Aya do you hear me!!" He urged her with pain in his voice.

Nearby The noise of the shuffling and rummaging around the soldiers approached them.

Aya was traumatized.

"I won't make winter this year," Lojjuinn thought aloud. Grief and lament filled his soul but he kept it hidden from Aya.

"Carry my name!!" he roared at Aya.

She shook and looked back at him.

"Press the dagger in me, please and relieve my spirit to the Śeingtt, let me return to my beloved Syythel" he requested.

Aya pointed the dagger up above her, fear and doubt consuming her and slowly shaking frantically she brought the dagger down.

Above his abdomen area...

Past the forest

The forest was clear, the mist-covered their escape. The mud was set and dampened the road ahead. The town of R'einsel had fallen. The great tall buildings formed out of clay and stone now blackened with the rain of fire. Robes, clothes, books everything that formulated the people's culture was destroyed.

The siege was over.

Buildings fell into smoldering; families had died and were separated or captured.

Chainik was broken after the torture the soldier had induced on her. Villagers had been rounded up. The army had taken over the town completely and were now treating their wounded.

The carriage had broken free of its pursers except one. He caught up to them adamantly navigating through the thick mist till he heard and saw the carriage wheels.

Skidding through the wet mud.

Back on the wagon, panic had ensued the group. Sannu was yelling frantically and had lost his cool since his wife had been shot.

Ussu had taken over the reins with Yannu scouting for her.

"I don't know what am doing here??" She told Yannu.

"It doesn't matter, we've just got to get her help for now," Sannu said wearily stressing to the others.

Sannu had gone mad under the pressure, it had finally caved into him and he lost his composure. Kairui tried to keep him level headed.

"Where we going to find a doctor to heal her?? The wound is too deep. She won't make it Sannu" she told him, examining the body while hanging onto a wooden latch as the carriage bolted up and down the muddy road.

"We just have to try it. Maybe we can heal her with Ummm …. Natural herbs and remedies".

"Do you know how to do that?? Does anyone on this carriage know how to? Plus its 2 hours past midnight we'd have to make it to the next city or town or village past the Great sands of Eein to find them".

"Can she hold out till then??" Kairui reiterated to the group/

"No, no we don't. There's a forest at the lake if we get there in time" Yannu interjected.

"There's a chance, we can make something up" he suggested.

"That forest is inhospitable, Yannu" Quine rudely answered.

"We'll just have to… just have to try" Sannu backed him up.

"It won't work!" Quine intervened again, sternly placing her foot down.

"Am just trying to help Quine" Yannu fired back.

"Well don't. Just focus on the road please!" Quine reciprocated.

Sannu held Rachid down as she lost her strength.

"Dear, you have to let me go, please. We made it this far, that's an achieve…..ment in and of its own…."

She let out two blood filled coughs as she spoke out.

The soldier was now behind them and could see them.

"Stop now and we won't kill you all!!".

The group heard but no one responded, failing to understand his tongue.

"Keep going Ussu" Yannu ordered.

"Kairui, take care of him will you please for… me," Rachid ailed out.

Sannu looked at Kairui full of grief.

Kairui glanced at him, then at Rachid, and smiled, saying to her slowly.

"I always have".

She grabbed Sannu's forehead and kissed it.

"I always wondered why... Sabbu for a name. Not even I could think of that" Rachid asked.

"Nickname", Kairui jokingly pronounced back.

"I like it".

The two for the first time had clicked.

It was just a pity it had to be at the point of death.

"You know…. what needs to be done….".

Kairui winked back at Rachel.

Quine was lost as the scene transpired before her. She felt empty but slowly accustomed to death in this short period of time.

She was calm and collected although she felt sad for Sannu, she was more focused on the journey ahead and the group she vowed to protect.

Shassii flicked back timidly before resting, she herself was torn between reality and fiction. Desensitized from the scene in front of her.

Betrayal and disappointment had eaten at her already but she stood there unresponsive. Troubled by the thoughts of Aya and Chainik.

She had distanced herself away from everything. Isolated and alone. She moved out of the way to sit beside Ussu. Leaning her head on Ussu's shoulder.

"Don't worry Shassii it'll all come to an end soon" Ussu reaffirmed in a manner of hope.

Yannu jumped in.

"Shassii, am sorry for earlier. I was…".

Shassii swayed her head at him with a small smile on her face.

Yannu felt relieved, he didn't need to finish his words.

"All is all, Outside is outside. Inside is Inside" she let out. Yannu and Ussu were shocked.

Shassii's proverb caught Quine's attention too.

"What's that? What does it mean?" Ussu turned to Shassii, wondering what she meant.

Nudging her shoulder to try to get a response.

Shassii kept silent, humming to herself until she smiled at her and Yannu.

"Nothing much, just something Aya told me".