"Where is she?" Brandt rumbles.

"She must be here," I say, searching the dull bones for a telltale shimmer of silver. Orange light flickers from the lantern, throwing an fiery shine upon the Ivory Nest.

"Let us go back," says Sohel in a low voice. Hura agrees with a whine. "If she does not wish to be bothered..."

Harun barks.

A familiar scent tickles my nostrils. The sage has barely registered before Saffiyah coils down from above, loops and swirls encircling us. All done without a single whisper of noise.

Eventually she speaks. "You brought company." Her voice is jaded, quiet. Even her scales are a mundane shade of silver. Sohel steps forward and instantly regrets it, as Saffiyah shrinks back. "Hello," he ventures. "My name is Sohel. These are my friends: Avila, Brandt, Caree, and Dysung." His words flow unsteady into one another.

She says nothing. Then, "You are Hunters?"

Upon my request, they changed out of their original attire. Though I suppose that is not making this much easier. "We used to be. Now..." Sohel shrugs helplessly. "We do not know."

Everyone but me has gathered into a tight ring. Hura and Harun hide behind my legs.

"How quaint," Saffiyah murmurs. "You quake at the sight of me, while I would have escaped by now if I could."

She turns to me. "Old man, do you have anything to say?"

Her words are akin to a foreign instrument, a song whose melody you could never replicate yet carry it forever in memory. Now they are laced with the barest hint of its former richness. My eyes travel along the wreaths of scars on her body, all the way to the freshest wound. It has clotted, but leaves a grisly scar. I bite my lip. Will my words be enough?

Hura nuzzles my leg encouragingly, while her brother watches Saffiyah with a cautious air. I feel the attention of the space turn on me, closing in from all directions.

So I use this pressure, this heavy heart of mine, and pour it into courage.

I kneel down and apologize profusely. For everything I said and done to Saffiyah and more. That I did the wrong things in the wrong way. That I took her for what she seemed like, and not what I believed in. That despite what had happened to me, I chose to repeat my past.

At some point, other voices fill the air. Their presence pushes me to continue. I pour out everything. Even the things that I have never dared to voice. But perhaps if I let these feelings go, they will not pull me down again.

"I believed after all my mistakes, your Eye would be my solution," I say quietly. "Stealing it was my biggest mistake yet." I hold out the Eye to her.

She watches me, still and quiet as a mouse. Slithering forward, Saffiyah lowers her head. I place the Eye on her brow.

The stone's luminescence begins to spread throughout her body, its energy taking the form of violet rivlets. Scars fade as her hide slowly regains its quicksilver vibrancy, and her muscles ripple with newfound strength. She sighs deeply.

"You are the first to have ever done such a thing," she finally replies. I cannot tell what she means to convey.

"Did you get what you wanted?" she questions.

"Yes...no...I am not sure," I admit. "With the Eye, I managed to reunite with my brother. I am very thankful for that. Of course, there are some things I still have to unravel myself. As for honouring my pupils... We have an idea."

Sohel helps me explain. "If we could create a force of resistance against the Hunters under the memory of the Swift Assassins, it would be more than a tribute. It would be our hope to defeating the Hunters."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"To gather recruits, empower the people, and then...er..." my brother trails off. 

Saffiyah snorts. "To do so would be running a fool's errand. This is not a game of politics, Sohel. One cannot sweet-talk reality into abiding by your wishes." He stiffens at her remark.

"But what if we are the only ones who will do it?" I ask.

"You believe your tragic narratives will be compelling enough to win you a war? There are thousands more that have suffered unimaginable things." She closes in. "What makes you so special?"

"That we have the chance to help others," I say. "It is our responsibility to reach out, and not stand by. Our safety does not ensure theirs. And our sufferings do not distinguish us, nor are they excuses. We are one and the same. But if we could make ourselves known, the others would not feel so alone anymore." Sohel and the survivors murmur in agreement. My brother clasps me on the back. I hold my breath, bracing for her answer as Saffiyah tilts her head ever so slightly.

"Will you seek revenge?" The survivors stiffen at her tone.

"No." 

"Then your task is impossible."

"Then it is good that we are crazy enough to accomplish it."

"It's a bold goal you have," she muses. "But, I see you are more than serious about it. Very well. I shall help you." I sigh in relief. "That was a part, if not most of the purpose of your visit?"

All of us look down.

"I jest," says Saffiyah good-naturedly. "Is there anything else?"

Anything else? Sohel and the others seem just as unsure. Harun takes this moment to approach the serpent and sniff her. I start to protest, but Saffiyah does not seem to mind. It is hard to gauge a blind snake's thoughts with the naked eye. But though she remains motionless except for the constant flick of her tongue, she seems faintly charmed.

"Well." I can hear the smile in her voice. "I take it you're not ones for conversation. Let-"

"Wait," says Avila. I look at her in surprise. She hesitantly steps forward. "Why...why would you murder people who come here for your advice?" Avila shakily gestures to the skulls. "Are you not supposed to help others?"

"Avila, most of them-"

She cuts me off. "I am not buying any of this," she says, shaking her head. "Some of them, like the Hunters, had malicious intentions, I know that. But what about the scouts Abandryaph sent to you during the drought? What about the numerous times an ill person's loved ones came to you, their last hope?"

"Avila-" I look to the others for help, but they are pondering her words.

"Did you not care?"

I crouch down to stroke Hura and Harun assuringly, whose ears have flattened. Hura buries her nose in my arms. I look up. Avila has Saffiyah locked in a hard stare.

"Whether they came here for help or to hurt, that had not mattered." A frosty edge creeps up the serpent's tone. "They chose to attack. I had to defend myself."

"Not all of them would!" 

"Really? Do tell, what stopped you from attacking me?"

She hesitates.

"You all thought about it. But he," pointing her tail in my direction, "did not. You saw that and trusted him. But now, with my Eye in my possession, you grow wary of me once more. Just because people come here with good intentions does not mean they leave with them."

"I suppose that's true," Avila mutters. "But we really did not think of killing you, we were just-"

"Fear is a powerful motivator," Saffiyah says. "Do not underestimate its ability to sway a man's heart." We grow silent at that. "It's not something to be ashamed of," she adds with a sigh. "We are all guilty of it. Fear, greed and a sense of justice keep us alive, teach us to survive. In what way is a completely different story.

"Though I must admit, I'm curious. How have you withstood the calling of the Eye?"

Now that she mentions it, I wonder too. I ask Sohel, "What did you do with the Eye while I was unconscious?"

"We passed it around, and speculated about its true powers," Sohel recalls. "That was it."

"Did you feel something? As though it was drawing you towards itself?" I recall the way I felt when I first saw the Eye.

Now he looks confused. "Yes? Maybe. But at that point, the Eye did not seem as potent as it does now."

"It was strange that we managed not to fight over it," Dysung remarks.

Saffiyah tilts her head. "Then in a way, you are a first. Men have gone power-hungry at the sight of my Eye. It's...refreshing."

We settle into a comfortable silence.

"Old man, you never gave me an answer." She draws back my attention. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

I nod.

"What was it?"

"To pay a lasting tribute for my pupils."

"But that was not all of it, am I correct?"

I start. "What do you mean?"

"Do not fool yourself into thinking you were entirely selfless," she chides. "Have you ever wondered why despite my powers being limited to knowledge, wisdom, and the such, humanity has this grand image of my Eye being equivalent to a wish-maker?"

"I thought knowledge itself was equivalent to power," says Sohel.

"True, but that is not always the case. Power does not necessarily mean what you think it is. And often, people seek for more than one thing." She gestures to one of the motifs on her body, which depicts the intricate roots of a tree. "Everything is connected. A thirst for knowledge can stem from desperateness, greed, or sheer curiosity. This, in turn, comes from more things: saving a loved one, attaining power, or a need to be recognized. On it goes.

"For you, 'honouring your pupils' stemmed from wanting do something—anything. You were restless. I'm sure I do not have to elaborate further. In short, you were seeking happiness, alongside finding atonement for your past errors."

It makes sense. I nod slowly. "That was what you meant. When you told me the Eye could not return everything to the way it was."

"Knowledge cannot answer everything," Saffiyah affirms. "Sometimes it changes the situation for the worse. But I see you found what you needed, for the most part. I can tell you are satisfied."

And truly, I do feel that way. Something inside me has settled, and I can finally move on. 

I suppose you got your wish too, I think.

Yes. Yes, I did.

Thank you, I say with my eyes and heart. 

The Eye responds with a warm pulse of light. If only snakes could smile.

"Are you prepared?" Saffiyah asks. "As much as it fills me with hope, I must warn you: the path you're about to take will be long and grueling. After this, none of you will not be the same person ever again. Sacrifices will be made. Not everything will turn out the way you would want. And of course, neither the Eye nor I will always be there to help you. Are you sure you want this?"

I look around. Everyone has made up their minds.

"Yes," I say.

"Then it's time for me to leave my Nest."

We end up outside the Nest's entrance, gazing at the stars that sprinkle the night sky.

"It's been eons since I last saw the night sky," whispers Saffiyah. Her hide gleams in the moonless night.

"How?" I ask. "Were you not allowed to venture outdoors?"

She does not answer, instead shaking herself out of her reverie. "I suppose you'll need a name to call yourself a part of. Ideas?"

"It needs to memorable," Sohel says thoughtfully. "Something simplistic, but meaningful."

It comes out easily. "How about 'The Resilience'?" I suggest. 

"I like the sound of that," says Avila.

Sohel nods. "That's perfect."

"The Resilience it is, then," Saffiyah agrees. She settles once more to looking up at the stars.

Sohel comes to stand next with me. "I am scared," I tell him. 

My brother chuckles. "That makes all of us." Turning to look at me, he says, "But the fear does not matter anymore, does it?"

Now that I have found my footing in this place, it does not. I welcome the unknown. It is exhilarating, to finally venture down a path of new beginnings. A chance to leave a fresh mark on the world. Maybe even change it. But despite Saffiyah's warnings, I will strive for no less than what is right. I vow to always keep the past tucked away in my heart, to remind me of who I am, and who I am fighting for. To persist and persevere, no matter which side the coin lands on. As I start to count the stars that shine within the darkness, a swift's silhouette soars above, and announces the arrival of the next day with a hopeful call.

"This is for you."