We finally learn what happened that night on Hyda, years ago.

Unedited.

~

He heard their voices above them, running the peaceful manor he was hiding away in. They found him, and they wanted him back. Ruy wished Kenric or Tezca were here; they would know what to do.

"He is here somewhere!"

"The High Lady has been hiding him."

"We could get Vespera's brat and the Morrettis in one go! We are drinking tonight boys!"

"Look at all this rich stuff around the house! Look at this geode! Who needs this?"

Ruy sniffled, holding the hem of his shirt in tiny fists. Nyoka noticed and slowed down, holding out her hand for him with a strained smile. But Ruy kept going.

This was his fault.

Allesandro kept Alexios by his right side and kept Amalia on his left. His hand tightly grappled on his daughter as they walked through the dank tunnels. The only time his mother held him with that sort of protective fierceness was when she needed him to do something.

"Through here," Nyoka whispered, taking the lead through another tunnel. Their footsteps echo through the tunnel as they carefully maneuvered down slick and steep stairs. Ruy noticed they were covered with mold, the dankness thicker as he took shuddering breaths. Distantly, the sound of Neverseen boots marched through the tunnels. They found their way in.

Soon, a soft light tickled the murky brownstones of the tunnels. The group turned towards it, sprinting to the grate it illuminated through.

Nyoka struggled to pull it off as Allesandro made sure Alexios had his coat around himtight to keep out the ocean chill.

"Let me," Allesandro pulled the rusted grate off in one tug, holding out a hand for Nyoka. She carefully took it, her hand small in his as she carefully stepped through the grate and shuffled down the rocks a bit, waiting for all of them on the beach.

Allesandro helped Alexios, then Amalia, and finally Ruy. Ruy hesitated a bit when Allesandro reached to help him.

"It's alright boy, we will get out of this just fine," Allesandro reassured. Ruy whimpered but took his hand, carefully sliding on the rock into Nyoka's waiting arms, who set him down on the soft sands of the Hyda beach. He could hear the island's panic even from the isolated beach, maybe only two miles from the very same dock they arrived in a day ago.

"Some barbarians broke into our High Lady's house!"

"Have her guards done anything?"

"They were all incapacitated from what I've heard."

"Gods save her, she has been kind to us."

Allesandro carefully plunked the grate back into place and slid down the rock himself, landing masterfully on the sand.

"What's the plan Nyoka? Do you still have the safe houses I set up on your island?"

"I believe so."

"Some of my men should be stationed there. They will be able to help us ride this out-" Allesandro squinted at the docks and cursed. Ruy tried to see what he was looking at, but Allesandro pushed the kids all into Nyoka's arms.

"Keep going along the coastline, it's too dark for them to see you. Try to cover your tracks once you enter the forest. I'll stay to divert them."

"What are you-" Nyoka stopped as she saw them too. Dark hooded figures quickly approaching them from the docks. Nyoka began to shuffle them away, paling at the Neverseen soldiers. On the dock stood Governor Heinrich, his hand on his sword as he glowered at them.

"That's the man that hurt my friend," Ruy whispered to no one in particular. Allesandro looked at Ruy then back to the Governor, pulling out his sword and readying his feet.

"Pater?" Amalia whimpered.

Allesandro looked over his shoulder before smiling a bit, "Go on, Candessa, listen to Nyoka. It'll all work out."

She clearly didn't want to go, but Nyoka dragged them all along the coast. They ran right where the tide was seeping back into the ocean, hiding their footprints. The water wasn't chill and crisp like he always imagined it would be; it was brutal and freezing as it soaked his socks.

Amalia gasped as the sound of fighting erupted from behind them, the ocean almost knocking her over.

"Nyoka, we have to help him-"

"Your father is capable of holding a fight. Come on, move, move, move." They all scrambled up the coast for another few minutes before Nyoka pushed them all up the sand and into the awaiting jungle, leading them along an extremely beaten path. The animals cackled and crowed as they ran, tripping over rocks and pushing leaves out of their way.

"There!" Nyoka gasped. It was a small shack made out of fibers, small torched alight outside it. They all ran for it, the door opening to reveal a hooded figure.

"My lady! Did our Mentore-"

"Close the door, extinguish the flames!" Nyoka hissed as she barreled through the door, the children right behind her. More hooded people were inside, and all rushed to fulfill Nyoka's command. The flames were extinguished with the smoke fanned away, the shutters closed, and the doors slammed shut.

"Get down." She hissed to all of them.

For a few dreadful moments, it was as silent as the jungle could be. The cicadas stopped their humming, the animals went still in the trees, even the wind sat in wait. Then the sound of stampeding feet.

"STOP HIM!"

Amalia scrambled, against everyone's better judgment, and opened a shutter just a sliver. Ruy accompanied her, even as everyone scolded them.

It was Allesandro. Followed by a horde of angry but tired Neverseen soldiers.

He was sprinting through the jungle as if he were a leopard, jumping over rocks and sliding under logs. It was as if the fury of the gods were in the man's bones. But he was running away from them, further from his daughter. He was leading the Neverseen away.

He only spared the safe house a glance but no doubt saw them.

"We have discovered Assassin activity in Hyda, I repeat, Assassin activity in Hyda!" One of the Neverseen soldiers barked into a receiver. But they couldn't keep up with Allesandro; it was as if he were a monster himself. Uncatchable and unkillable.

Allesandro sprinted up a long and hopped over a massive tangle of leaves before grabbing a natural overhang, pulling himself over.

The Neverseen were slow to follow but shakily hopped onto the overhang to pursue. It was silent again. The Assassins grabbed Amalia and Ruy, pulling them away from the shutter and into the darkness.

Ruy swallowed the bile growing in his throat, but it did little as the darkness seemed to grow. It was dark; it was quiet.

Dark and quiet. Too much of the dark. Too much of the quiet.

His mother loved the empty dark and quiet. It felt like the only Ruy knew of her.

Ruy put his head in his hands, his breath now coming out in shuddering hiccups. He clamped his eyes shut, tears tickling his long black eyelashes.

"We will be okay." It took a moment for Ruy to realize Amalia was talking to her. And took her a moment to realize she said it in Inalian.

"I meant-"

"I know what you said." Ruy cut her off, his voice garbled.

Maybe she was in shock, but Amalia didn't respond. Alexios said what they were both thinking.

"How do you know Inalian-"

"I know a lot of things! I know languages a-and I know the secrets. Momma's secrets. Her habits and her hidden places, she knows I know!" Ruy clamped his hands over his ears to try and press out the headache growing. There was more silence, and then, Amalia's voice.

But it was in his head.

"We don't blame you. For trying to run. None of this is your fault." Was all she said.

Ruy looked at her, but Amalia didn't meet his eyes.

"We need to get the children out of here," Nyoka whispered.

"We don't have anything in this safe house, it is just an outpost. But a little north of here is a larger outpost which might have something. We can escort you there."

"Yes, that will work."

A bit of rustling around, but then the shutters were carefully opened, allowing the gentle moonlight to wash over the safe house.

"You all scout ahead, you three with me to protect them as we move." One of the Assassin's explained. They all shuffled out of the safehouse, keeping everything quiet. A handful of Assassins moved forward to scout the path to make sure it is safe, a few of them ruffling Amalia and Alexios's hair as they left.

"You know these people?" Ruy asked.

"They work for my Uncle Allesandro. We grew up with a lot of them." Alexios answered.

Ruy stopped, "They work for him?" His mother had people that worked for her too. Were they-

"We help people, boy." The Assassin leading them called back. Ruy turned to him, "A lot of us were like you. Scared and alone. The Morrettis helped give us a purpose and the means to save the little guys."

"B-But I've never heard about the Assassins."

"That means we are doing our jobs right." The head Assassin held out his hand, looking through the trees. He let out a short whistle; it sounded exactly like the sparrows from the forest Ruy used to play with his father in. It was silent for a few moments, but a sparrow call echoed back, longer and slightly shriller.

"It's clear, let's keep moving." The Head Assassin whispered. They all started moving again, a bit faster this time. In the distance, purple and blue lightning roared, even with the clear night sky.

"That would be my pater." Amalia smiled.

"Your dad is a Charger?"

"Yup, I am too! We are both Telepaths, Chargers, and Frosters. I did get Shade from my mom, though."

Ruy jumped as another massive bolt of lightning came down in the distance.

"Normal Chargers can only really create-"

"Yeah, no, I know. My family just seems to have a little extra, I don't know-"

Alexios cut in, "Sparkle! We have extra pizazz!"

Amalia rolled her eyes, "I was gonna say power. But yeah, sparkle works too."

They soon approached the safe house, which was no safe house at all. It was a camp set up in the center of Vatarian ruins. The crumbled stone pillars once used by Ancient Vatarians now lay abandoned and created the perfect cover for a secret operation. The head assassin leading them whistled ago to his scouts in the trees, making sure their final approach was safe.

But there was no sparrow call in return.

The leading Assassin stopped, pulling down his hood. He was a tall, greenish skinned ogre with black dreadlocks and a slight overbite, who puffed out his shoulders slightly as he sniffed around.

"Where are the others in the camp, Rava?" Nyoka asked, holding the children close to her.

The Head Assassin, apparently named Rava, whistled again. But still no response.

"The scouts were there just a moment ago. We would have been alarmed if something-" A twig snapped, but everyone was too slow to stop it.

Ruy screamed as he was ripped away from Nyoka, his feet dangling off the ground as he was held by the back of his shirt.

"Gotcha, you little rat!" Fintan cackled. Neverseen plowed through the green of the forest surrounding them, most of them covered in blood. The scouts that were in the trees and the Assassins in the camp... oh no.

"We are gonna do this all slow," Ruy's blood chilled at that voice. He immediately stopped squirming against Fintan's grasp, his feet going limp as he went quiet.

Vespera stood next to the fire the Assassins previously sat around in the ruins, staring into the embers with feigned interest. She looked at Ruy and smiled.

"I see you found my brat." She said evenly. Ruy's cheeks burned with embarrassment as attention turned to him.

"They are just children, traitor. Leave them be." The head Assassin snarled. Vespera didn't deign him a response, simply wiping blood off her dagger. The scouts they sent ahead? That had to be their blood on her blade. The Assassins that would've met them here, their blood probably also tainted that blade.

"I'm so sorry-"

"How did you even get your hands on him?" Vespera asked, pointing the knife to her son in Fintan's arms.

"Please don't hurt them-"

"You haven't earned the right to ask for anything. We had a plan!" Vespera stomped towards Ruy, her son squirming in Fintan's arms.

"We are exiled from the Lost Cities, I take you to one of the bases in the Neutral territories and we continue your training!" Vespera gloomed over her son. Amalia and Alexios slunk into Nyoka's skirts, clutching the fabric in their tiny fists.

"He is just a boy, leave him be." Nyoka muttered. Vespera turned her attention to Nyoka, then to children clinging to her skirts. Vespera's attention remained on Amalia, on the features she shared with the same man Vespera once loved.

"Eumelia e il moccioso di Alessandro, eh?" Eumelia and Alessandro's brat, hm?

Amalia blinked for a moment at the sneering woman, surprised by the Inalian. But then she stuck her tongue out, stomping her foot a bit to be more intimidating, even though she was a small child facing off against a fully grown Vatarian with a knife.

"Ugh- you see this, Ruy? Rowdy and unreliable! How dare you be spending time around these pests-" Vespera froze, her face dropping.

"Come on out, Morretti."

The entire forest was silent for a moment, but a hooded figure emerged from leaves. Allessandro pulled down his hood, his fists clenched. Vespera looked him up and down, then smiled. A cruel tease, that smile.

"Took you long enough." Vespera sighed. Allesandro turned to his daughter, clearly transmitting something to her, but then turned back to Vespera.

"What even is your plan with all of this? The Neverseen? What would a powerful Vatarian want with some little Elven terrorist group?"

"My plans are of no concern to you, Morretti. The gods have chosen a path for me, and I am simply following it." Vespera snapped. They Neverseen herded around them closer, Ruy kicking and punching hopelessly in Fintan's grip.

"Alexios, can you do that thing?" Allesandro muttered.

"Thing?" Alexios whispered.

"That you did by accident, during training."

"I was scared, I did it because Lia shocked me-"

"Copriti gli occhi!" Cover your eyes! It took him a second to realize Amalia screamed that in Inalian. The elves, who didn't speak the language, couldn't heed her warning. Ruy wriggled enough out of Fintan's grip to secure his palms over his eyes, watching through his fingers as Amalia smacked Alexios's back with a lightning drenched hand. Alexios howled, tripping over his feet. As he fell, a light emerged from his skin.

"WHAT THE HELL-" Fintan roared as light, pure unfiltered light, cut through the jungle. Fintan dropped Ruy, screaming as he covered her eyes. Ruy kept his eyes down, waiting for the screaming and hot steam to go away.

It seemed like forever, but a few short moments later, it was all over. Ruy carefully removed his head from his hands, staring in shock at Alexios. Allesandro stood up from sheltering Nyoka and Amalia to also gape at the boy. Alexios's skin had a gentle glow to it, as if he were a pane of glass, allowing the sun to shine through, even in the dead of night. Alexios's palms were the brightest, like a living torch dancing underneath his skin. Neverseen around them groaned and cried, covering their eyes.

"That... didn't happen last time." Alexios breathed, lowering his bright palms.

"Last time, you flashed a beam of light from your hands, you didn't turn into an explosion!" Amalia hissed.

"You just shocked me with actual electricity and you are saying Iwent overboard?!"

"It worked, didn't it?!"

"You are insufferable!"

"Both of you, knock it off! Nyoka, are you okay?" Allesandro helped the High Lady up to her feet. Nyoka coughed a bit but accepted his hand, using his arm to stabilize herself.

Amalia quit her bickering with Alexios with a final stomp on his foot, her brother howling and jumping in pain. Amalia turned to Ruy, and her face dropped.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

Ruy whimpered, scrambling back. He stared at his mother's twitching body, who understood Amalia's warning but didn't cover her eyes in time. She shook her head out, her breath coming out raggedy, dirt pressed under her nails as she clawed at the ground.

"You need to go. Forget you ever saw me. " Ruy whispered. Amalia's eyes widened, hurt dancing across her waterline.

"I heard everything. I'm not leaving you with that monster, boy." Allesandro took a step forward, but Ruy scrambled to his mother. She wasn't mean; they pushed her, right? This was his fault; he caused this.

"Go away!" Ruy cried, trying to shake his mother awake so he could apologize. Allesandro tensed up, holding Nyoka back. But Amalia slipped past him, approaching Ruy. Ruy's head pounded, but Tezca's voice kept whispering against his skull, "Forthu, forthu, forthu..." and that gut feeling from those worse, it was getting worse. And he knew Amalia was feeling it as well, her skin paling and pupils dilating.

"Get up you fools," Vespera hissed, struggling to get up herself. The Neverseen were straggly in getting up, and Allesandro started towards his daughter.

"Amalia, Ruy, both of you. We need to go."

"Momma," Ruy whispered. He allowed Kenric to sneak him out, allowed all of this to happen. How could he do this to her?! She is the one who feeds him, she gives him clothes, yet he ran away from her?

"Ruy, come on, we need to go-"

Ruy meant to only smack Amalia's hand away. But that gut-wrenching feeling went taut as he screamed, "I said forget it!"

Piercing miserable pain shot through his body, like raging fire through his veins. He dropped, but through his teary eyes, he saw Amalia drop as well.

"Amalia!" Allesandro got up hastily, nearly tripping over his own feet as he sprinted to his daughter.

Tezca's voice chanted new words now, "Forthu, zii fem, ru maar,"

His eyes struggled to remain open, staring at Amalia in the dirt, her hands over her ears as Tezca chanted to her too. Allesandro was yelling something, shaking for his daughter to remain conscious, yelling something at Ruy too.

Allesandro watched Vespera get up, a little shaky but standing none the less. The wind was quiet as the two Inalians just stared at each other. Allesandro cradled his daughter, also positioned in front of Ruy to protect him too. Even though Ruy did that to his daughter, Allesandro refused to leave.

They said something to each other; the curling of the tongue's vowels and sharp clicks that Ruy could hear indicated Inalian. His mother hated Inalian. But when she stared at Allesandro, it just came to her naturally, like an urge she couldn't fight.

But then she got confrontational, yelling something to the man, then turning her attention to Nyoka and Alexios still waiting in the side wings.

Ruy's tongue was useless as his mother began to storm towards them, dirt pressed underneath his nails as he struggled to move.

He watched the white-clad Assassin rise, reaching for something beneath the cloak attached to his left shoulder. But it didn't look like a weapon.