Note: You might notice that my writing style compared to the rest of this novella seems different in this chapter. It's because I've rewritten it for a contest, though I haven't changed any of the plot details. 

Rusty hinges groan as I shut the gates of the pale-stoned fortress. In the setting sun's rays, the fortress shimmers, reminiscent of the magic that once brought hope and vitality to the desert. Sand swirled around my robes as I planted my cane in the ground, looking back at the desolate Home. My journey will bring hope back. The Eye of Saffiyah will guide me to my brother, and our reunion will be one step closer to revealing the secrets that eluded me for so many years.

The Eye of Saffiyah gleams in my wrinkled hand. The fabled jewel likes to play tricks on me. Yesterday I heard the laughter of my dead students, and today hollow bones rattle near my ear. Violet shadows swirl beneath the jewel's surface. I slip the Eye into my satchel before my imagination shakes my resolve. It clinks with the week's worth of supplies I planned to make this journey with. By the time it runs out, I would either have reached my destination, or die trying.

Haru and Huran pace around my feet, nipping at me. No amount of stroking or reassurances would calm them down. Their worry lifts my heart like a soaring fledging. It gives me courage and the reason I need to keep fighting, instead of waiting for the end to come.

"I will save my brother," I promise to them. "In the meantime, you'll protect this fortress, and this fortress will protect you."

No matter what I say, the jackals stubbornly refuse to let me make this journey alone.

I turn towards the east, where the sky begins to deepen to a rich velvet blanket. Beyond the sand dunes, I would cross the Cobalt Ocean to visit my homeland to find my brother.

"Sohel," I utter, and the name crumbles like sugar cane in the breeze. "I will find you. And I promise, this time I will not fail you."

--

Fikri's dark eyes flashed with interest. "So you will not give us your name, nor the destination you seek? You're fortunate that I'm in charge of today's expedition," she says, steering her camel in the direction of the northern star. Her sapphire robes bend to the shape of the wind like water.

I adjust the leather reins of my own camel to follow my guide. Aware that the rest of the Maquan tribe was behind us, most likely listening in with their sharp senses, I reply, "Neither are of relevance. I am indebted to your kindness."

Her olive skin crinkles at the edges of her eyes, no doubt smiling beneath her face veil. "The Maquan tribe knows no debts. Here, the sand changes daily. The wind speaks a different language, and our people learn to do the same. When we break camp to find a new one, we leave our burdens behind, too."

Fikri's words soften with sadness. "But...scars are hard to forget when the Hunters are constantly on our tail. We fought off at least three separate attacks in the dry season alone. And when we are not fighting for our lives, we are fighting alongside our sister tribes for their survival. The Nomads have been guardians of Saffiyah's Eye for centuries. So of course we know how to fight. We are warriors, guided by the wisdom of the heart. It is only..." She shakes her head. "Well, what happened to the Assassins five years ago was a tragedy. I would not have imagined that so many things would change after the massacre."

The muffled clopping of our camels fill the space between us. Fikri silently leads us around a rocky boulder, and as the trail of camels curve, more camels and their riders appear in my vision--dark silhouettes in the vast desert plains, moving together as one. A family. My heart leaps up to my throat. I face forward, praying they did not recognize my face. But like a fresh wound, the anguish is hard to swallow.

I miss my students, my family so much. And more than that, I miss my brother.

You are a thief, the Eye of Saffiyah whispers in my mind. The jewel burns hot in my satchel. Its power beckons me as I grip the leather reins tighter. A thief and a liar.

You dare steal my Eye, then align yourself with my most loyal followers? You are a traitor.

"Will you join us?"

My head snaps to Fikri's question. "I can't. I have other obligations."

With one hand, she tucks the loose ends of her flowing scarf into the folds around her neck. "As I suspected. I refused to believe that the Master of the Swift Assassins was a coward, but here you are, meekly following my tribe like a lamb, instead of braving your own destiny."

I grit my teeth as the Eye pulses with heat, sinking through my robes like wicked tongues of fire. The Eye knows. But how much does Fikri know? If she knew my identity all along, does she suspect more? My intentions? The fact that I confronted Saffiyah and stole--

"The past cripples you," Fikri sighs. "But I suppose it's better than wallowing in pain."

"You and I are different. You are a leader, and you have a family to embrace at the day's end. I cannot abandon mine until I've done justice to their memory," I say gruffly. My brother's face flashes before my eyes, and an emotion like rolling tides fills my chest. "My strength is lacking, but once I arrive at Abandryaph, I will find the answers I need."

"That wasteland of a kingdom is crawling with Hunters."

"That wasteland of a kingdom was my home." And may the Eye of Saffiyah guide me, I add in my mind. For better or worse.

"Well, at least I know where you are heading," said Fikri. She clasps my shoulder. "But heed my warning. Do not stay there."

The wind picks up, and the landscape transforms into a land of swirling sand clouds. I cover my face with my scarf. "I will try."

We brace for the storm.

--

Azure waves lap against the shore, echoing like mourning doves beyond the surface of my dream. Urgency tugs at my thoughts, but I remain trapped within the coils of a giant silver serpent. I watch the snake's scales. They flash with the warmth of a thousand suns, rippling into mirrors, into pearls, into bones. An ivory spine forms my prison, and the snouted skull rears its fangs at me in hatred. One of its eye sockets shimmer with the power of a condensed universe. The corpse of Saffiyah speaks to me.

"You wished for wisdom, and here is my counsel: Your brother does not remember you. Do not heed the advice of others. They believe the old ways can be revived, that magic and tradition can be preserved. But when there is no memory, there are only enemies. And your brother is one of them."

My lungs convulse, and through bleary blinks I cough out drops of seawater. My hands grip the glassy cave floor, and as my vision steadies, a pair of shining buckled boots stop before me. The events of last night are still wrapped in hazy sorrow.

"I need my cane," I croak. "A-And, where are the jackals?"

The familiar whining comes from a direction I can't discern. A sharp, echoing bark makes me wince, but I chuckle with relief. Haru and Huran must be safe.

A voice comes from my peripheral, not from the person standing in front of me. "Ee'z only an old man. Why bother with 'im?"

The cool touch of metal brushes my exposed neck. "Because what 'ee said yesterday intrigued me," my captor replies with a silk-smooth sophistication that reminds me of a predatory cat. "The desert folk are so reclusive! But 'ere we got a one-way ticket to those mysteries. Like this precious jewel."

There is the sound of metal being sheathed in a scabbard. Taking that as permission, I roll myself into a sitting position. No ropes or chains bound me, but the pirates outnumbered me. Ten or so of the haggard seafaring men eye me curiously, standing or leaning against the cavern walls. I wish to admire the Cobalt Coves' beauty--the encrusted gemstones, the tiny rainbows cast by refracted lights from multiple angles, the cerulean walls sculpted by decades of churning ocean. On the surface it seems unaffected by the recent years of war with the Hunters--but after my students' massacre, all things have lost their sense of wonder for me.

I regret so many things.

"Ay, youse listening to us?" the captain demands. He leans into my face so I can smell the seaweed stench on him. In one of his eye sockets, a blood red ruby peers into my very soul. His lips pull into a grin, reveals a fist, and opens up his hand. The Eye of Saffiyah rests on his palm.

He pulls back before I can lunge for it. "Feisty for an ol' coot! But to be fair, climbing aboard our ship uninvited and demanding passage to Abandryaph while our crew celebrates our first raid in a long time--" He tsks and wags his finger. "The Eye of Saffiyah seems like adequate payment for that disrespect, don't cha think?"

I forgot how odd and contradictory the maritime mannerisms are. My assassin's instincts take over. "The Eye of Saffiyah is no toy for you to play with," I say, my face morphing into a practised mask. "I have risked my life attaining that. I am risking my life to save my brother in the homeland I dearly love, despite the conceit you bear for Abandryaph. And I will do whatever it takes to reach my goal."

The memory of me driving my dagger into Saffiyah's neck appears so vividly in my mind's eye, it takes my breath away. No, that is different. These pirates must be my enemies...if they are so selfish to not lend a hand for another, then--

A sharp whistle cuts the air like a knife. There is a nervous chuckle. "The Master of Assassins himself, eh? Never saw that comin'!"

The captain sits cross-legged from me. I raise my head in resignation. He is tossing the Eye of Saffiyah from hand to hand. Now with a closer view, I notice his entire being is flecked with faint scarring. Even his tunic and breeches are fraying at the seams, despite him being the best off compared to the rest of his crew. "Look, I appreciate you looking out for your brother. And I was pulling your leg with this Eye of Saffiyah. The truth is--"

He jabs a scarred finger at me. "My men and I've wanted nothing more than peace and quiet out here at sea. This thing is only goin' give us trouble. Your mission is goin' to curse our ship. You got that?"

My resolve wavers. I reply, "Curses do not exist."

"And there is no higher being than ugly humanity itself," the captain drawls sarcastically. He grins. "We might believe in different things Grandpa, but that doesn't mean both cannot coexist. And I apologize if I got carried away; I forget how formal the desert people are."

I grudgingly accept his apology. "It's true that the Hunters have been seeking out the Eye of Saffiyah for so long. It's why I've decided to take matters into my own hands. But why give it up?" I ask incredulously. "The Eye is your wildest dream, it--"

"Is not goin' grant us immortality, or wealth, or anything more than a morsel of satisfaction," the captain cuts in. "Those myths don't fool us. We live long by minding our own business and not getting caught in whatever shenanigans the rest of the world is stirring up. Shiny jewels ain't our secret. They're just here for whoever happens to do business with us." He gestures to the shimmering crystals and stones of the Cobalt Coves. "Also serves as eye candy, don't you think?"

He gets up and tosses the Eye in my lap. "You're free to go. Ready the vessel," he orders his men.

One of them comes to return my cane. His hunched back and wheezing cough suggests he is on death's doorstep. Even the opal in his eye socket is dull and lackluster. He gives me a strange look when I thank him. He goes to release my jackals from their cage. They bounce happily to me and lick my face. Running my hands through their fur, I watch the silent pirate hobble away.

"I thought you refuse to sail to Abandryaph," I said to the captain. "And what intrigues you about my mission?"

He is your enemy in more than one way. Hunters are known to align themselves with pirates, the Eye of Saffiyah hisses. The captain keeps walking, oblivious to the voice. "But they will kill whomever they fancy. Everyone except you."

Why is the jewel so insistent on feeding me lies? I thought the Eye of Saffiyah grants its owner wisdom, and indeed it has done just that....until I left the Assassins' Home. Is it because I'm in deceptive company? Why does it give me more burdens than it erases?

With Haru and Huran leading, I hobble to catch up to the captain's long swaggering strides as we make our way down the twisting tunnels. "...thought you were a Hunter. No one in their right mind willingly sails into the open arms of death. Not only that, but you have the Eye of Saffiyah with you, which makes me question if the snake goddess herself granted you that, or if you stole it, to bring it to the Hunters themselves."

In hindsight, the deduction is reasonable. Swallowing, I said, "I'm not an ally of the Hunters. But are you?"

He barks a laugh. "They fight for the very same thing we wish to avoid--disaster. Like I said, the Eye of Saffiyah brings turmoil and trouble. It upsets the balancing scales of the universe. But here on a pirate's ship, everyone gets their fair share of spoils. No one's exempt just 'cause they have a special stone. And I'd rather die by my own sword than side with those who've slayed our fellow Brethren brothers."

I wish I told my own brother those words with the same pride and fierceness. The toll of the past few days encased my bones in heavy iron. My resolve, the love for my brother and slain assassins, are fading, becoming taunt echoes like the string of an overused bow. The Eye of Saffiyah showed me a vision of my brother, but what are the truths, and what are the lies? Is the Eye itself, something I coveted for so long, a friend or foe?

Is your brother a friend or foe? How will you know? the Eye inquiries innocently.

The captain clears his throat, and I realize I haven't spoken. I nod respectfully. "I'm sorry I doubted you before. And if you truly believe the Eye is a curse....then why not side with us? Fight with us against the Hunters."

He shakes his head and taps his ruby eye with a cracked fingernail. His warped reflection against the cavern wall ripples and slides like the shadow of a shark: ruthless, cunning, but not cruel. "You mistake my practicality for generosity. Our goal is to sail to the ends of the earth, discover what lies in store, and forge a story worthy of legend. We're not getting involved with this dispute of yours. We're only following the pirate code. And I can't refuse an old man's dying wish to see his brother one last time--even if that's suicide."

His frank attitude chills me.

Finally the cavern finally opens to the outside world, from where a gust of seabreeze greets us. I step out into the timid sunlight. Fine white sand, nothing like the coarse grains of the desert, dips under my feet like pillows. Before me is a vast vessel fit to carry at least a hundred passengers. Navy cloth flaps in the wind as the men hoist up the sails. I marvel at the canons, the intricately carved stern, and the wooden hull that gleam with a spark of an adventurer.

"She's not much," the captain says, reading my thoughts. "We had lassies three times the size of this one back in the good ol' days."

The jackals stumble in the soft sand. Huran sniffs the water with his snout and decides it's safe to splash in. Haru barks at the sun.

The captain gestures stiffly to them. "These your mutts?"

"Yes. They are my world."

"Who else?"

"Pardon?"

The captain scowls. "There must be something else. You have the Eye of Saffiyah. One would think you're content enough to leave things be instead of sailing to Abandryaph." His shoulders drop ever so slightly. He strokes his beard. "Is there someone else? Lost loved one? Seeking a proper burial for your family?"

"My only family is my brother," I reply softly, "and according to the Eye, he may be alive. And he may be a Hunter."

By the time the ship is fully prepared to set sail, the captain is like a terrifying statue. When the wooden plank lowers to welcome us aboard, I wait for the captain's permission. Haru and Huran turn their snouts to him too.

"And just a few minutes ago, I would have imagined us as comrades," he said gruffly. "But we are strictly business partners, you understand?"

"I have nothing to pay you with."

"You've lost enough. And when you're destined for Abandryaph, you are surely to lose more. Let's move."

All alone, just like before, the Eye croons.

--

I collapse against a dilapidated tower. Hura whines in concern. Through the haze, Harun continues to sniff about the remnants of Abandryaph—now known as the Abandoned Kingdoms.

Jagged silhouettes of fallen structures loom through the fog, and those closest to me are not much different. Shades of black and white paint the scene into a haphazard picture of emptiness. The air smells of despair. The wind whips at me from every which way, curving around every corner of rubble. There is no life, no death here. Only a jaded void.

I have been searching these ruins for several days. Not a trace of him remains.

I drive my fist into the earth.

I was so certain that he would be here. He would be here, waiting for me to come back, waiting in the same place he refused to leave whilst I was so glad to escape.

What have I done wrong now? I am a man of mistakes, of too many to count, too many to forget. And I have done everything in my power to pay for my sins. But have I done something so vile, so irreversible that even the Eye is incapable of helping my families? My pupils? My brother?

Me?

The soft pitter patter raises my eyes to the sky. In a daze, I try to catch the falling droplets as it continues to rain. My senses tell me that I should seek shelter or risk catching a cold. Instead I close my eyes and relax, feeling the sensation of water on my skin.

A voice from my past nips my ears.

"Took you long enough, brother."