Ailyn's heart was already beating fast, hammering against her ribcage like a wild animal. Hearing Ela's thoughts had been startling enough, but nothing could compare to the sour feeling that was growing in her stomach.

She wasn't ready to wager her life in a game of head or tails.

Nora groaned as she stomped forward, standing in front of Arden and glaring at the boy with firey warning. "This is absolute madness," she hissed. "We don't need this scum's advice. You have to trust me."

Arden glanced around, examining his surroundings before his gaze landed on Nora's black pupils. He stared at them heavily, a glint of aggravation in his own. "That's an absurd request for a hypocrite."

After propelling the stunned spy to the side, he nodded towards the glimmering coin. "Tails."

The man smiled a satisfied grin, sending the coin up. It flipped into the air, every turn making Ailyn's heart beat louder. This is a trap. The guards will arrest us anyway. She didn't want to ponder about what would happen if she met Kage again, what means he would use to elicit every last bit of information they had gathered. Deep down she knew already. She had gone through all of this again, after all.

How could she forget it? Her hands had felt no warmth since the freezing metal blade touched them. Her lips hadn't dared to utter their names ever since she had screamed them with as much force as her narrow lungs had allowed. Every time he talked, her mind always went back to the words he had spoken back then.

'What are you waiting for? Make your choice. In this world, you must pick a side.'

Ailyn reached into her pocket, caressing the cold barrel of the revolver. She had been given a gun before the rest left to take Ela, in case someone found her behind that large tree she was resting against. One bullet, one chance. Now, she could only thank the paranoid boy. She clenched her fists shut, slowly pulling the weapon out.

'So choose us. Choose me.'

With a few deep breaths and a promise to herself that she would never blow anybody's brains out again, she whipped out the small revolver and pointed a trembling hand to the man's forehead.

Arden exclaimed in surprise, slipping away from her range. Although the alarm was crystal clear in Nora's face, it quickly turned to menacing amusement. She grinned at Ailyn with a curt nod of approval.

The coin soon landed on the indifferent man's palm. "That is cheating." He held up the coin, the gleaming rising sun engraved on thin gold coming into view. A sigh of relief escaped Ailyn's throat. We almost lost. Almost.

The girl approached the corporal with slow steps, the quiver of adrenaline conquering her body. "Life is unfair," she admitted, shaking the gun threateningly and aiming between his eyebrows. "Now say what you know." Her terse snaps were unlike her, so she considered the amused looks she got justified.

The man clicked his tongue, but the gun hovering in front of his head seemed to neutralize his irritation. He looked at Ailyn, his red cheeks glinting in the low lamplight. "Musha," he spat, folding his arms behind his back and gazing at the moon nostalgically. "My brother has a textile factory west of Karahi Lake. He used to trade rags and tablecloths with many taverns and inns in Karahi."

"Trade rags for what?" Salo queried, eyeing the man skeptically.

The former corporal laughed, shaking his head. "My brother also likes to get involved with gangs. He sold his goods for protection and some information. This particular woman he was especially affiliated with was called Lumi Dorona."

The woman Halim Terko mentioned in his letter. Good.

"She kept bragging in letters that her men had stolen this royal artifact in a raid... It didn't take me long after my brother told me to realize what she was referring to."

"We know all this," Arden interjected, waving his hand dismissively. "The question is where the artifact is now."

"Yes, I'm getting there," assured the corporal as he examined the group closely. "Korin made his intentions clear. He told me the artifact would offer him more than what Lumi Dorona could. And what do you know; some days later, the cloth packages sent to her inn were filled with explosives."

Nora rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "The evidence isn't conclusive," she pointed out. "We could just be wasting our time there."

"Yes. But I reckon you have no other option."

Silence. No, Ailyn realized, we really don't.

"How can we trust someone like you?" she vocalized her doubts.

"You don't have to. But the factory isn't far from here, just a few hours by carriage. Besides, I know the artifact will eventually return to the Ascended Council." He paused, smiling a crooked grin that made Ailyn's skin crawl. "The Prince of Shadows tends to get what he wants. This time will be no different than the rest. So go ahead, find it for him."

Yes, I must choose a side.

The princess squeezed the revolver in her hands, cocking back the hammer before anyone could argue.

I choose justice.

She pressed the trigger. It only took a light pull for the single bullet inside the gun to fly out with a loud bang, burying itself between the man's eyebrows. His face froze. It was as if time froze, as well. As blood started to trickle down his forehead, he tipped backward, falling to the ground with a climactic thump.

The silence was colder than the wind tangling her hair, stronger than the firm grip of fear in her heart. She drunk it in to delay the realization of her actions; I just killed a man. I just removed a soul from the world. The sound of stillness was louder than the harshest of screams, a ringing in her ears she couldn't shake off.  It was a poison to her, for in that void of sound the fear and panic hovering over her head was laid bare. She stumbled back, dropping the weapon from her hands as if it was dipped in acid. A hand clutched her shoulder tightly, and for a moment she assumed it was a royal guard ready to throw her in a cell.

"Your Highness," muttered Nora, turning Ailyn to face her. To contrast her own horror, the spy was wearing a bright smile. "That was so unnecessary. But also dramatic! Living with a cold-blooded murder for six years really took its toll on you, didn't it?"

"How can you say that right now?" Ailyn whispered, looking at the ground. "This man had a family, a home. Now all that is gone. Because of me."

Arden stepped forward, swiping the gun from the soil and tucking it in his coat. "If it helps your conscience, I would have done the same." 

"It doesn't," she replied dryly.

Salo looked hesitant at first, but after a minute he sighed. "He would have talked, no doubt. We don't need the Council to be searching for us too." He smiled warmly at Ailyn, or at least as warmly as one can look at a girl who just butchered someone for no good reason. "You did us a favor. No need to fret over it."

Ailyn knew he was just saying that to make her feel better. Yet despite her actions, her heart felt slower now, almost a bit fuzzy. She returned the simper, gazing at the bronzed boy with a new appreciation. "Thank you."

"I am so terribly sorry to interrupt your pity party," Ela spoke for the first time since they emerged in the chilly weather, her arms crossed in defense, "but that gunshot was quite loud. It's a miracle nobody has thrown us in a prison wagon yet."

"True," Arden affirmed as he stepped over the slumped body. "We should get moving. The illusions won't last forever, either. It would be ideal if we could leave Seyal by sunrise."

As they all slipped away from the scene, Ailyn's hands began to shake once more. The glint in the man's eyes as he talked about his brother haunted her for the rest of their small trek through the deserted town. Besides, she was almost sure she had seen him before; although his hazel eyes and brown hair were common among Seyali physiques, she could be nearly certain he attended the war meeting about the Kingfisher.

She shook her head. The war meeting... It feels like it was centuries ago. Yet it had only been three days, almost four. So many things had happened that it was hard to believe that was what her life had become. She almost expected to abruptly wake up from the absurd dream she was experiencing and be asked what temperature she wanted her bath in.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Nora strode ahead, searching for signs of a road, while Arden hovered warningly behind Ela's shrunk form. As Ailyn took unsteady steps behind the group, Salo fell into pace a few feet beside her, throwing occasional curious glances her way. The princess could feel the guilt they shared float above their heads, haunting their every thought and tainting their hearts.

No matter how necessary it was,  she wanted to say, it was still murder.

It didn't take long for the team to reach a rocky street, void of any life apart from the sporadic scanty carriages that shook the pebbles covering it. After just a few minutes, another coach lurched by. With a deep breath and not much remorse, Arden shoved Ela forward, in front of the vehicle.

Ailyn gasped. What... Why?

The young girl fell face first on the rocks. With a staggered neigh, the horse fell on its hind legs and the wagon rolled to a stop. An angry man emerged from the driver's seat, stomping towards Ela with a frown on his face.

"We go on my count. One," Arden whispered.

"What?"

The villager peered curiously at Ela, his eyebrows nearing together. "What are you doing in front of my carriage, young lady? Come on, get a move on!"

"Two..." 

Ela pushed herself off the ground, spitting curses like a dock worker. "Why does this happen to me every time we go on a road?" she wondered, dusting her clothes.

"Three!"

Nora and Arden shot forward, taking the rest with them. As they came into the pale lamplight of the street, the driver raised a brow at them. He didn't have much time to react, though; Salo hauled Ela back and pushed her at the back of the carriage. As everyone seemed to take a seat, Ailyn climbed on its body and released a weary sigh. It was one meant to transport people, so the shallow cushions on the seats alleviated some of her pain. Still, the sour look on Ela's face brought back some of her own bitterness.

Before she could talk, the door was hauled open and a prying Arden stepped inside, falling on the seat beside Ela. Ailyn couldn't help but narrow her eyes at his presence. "I thought you were going to drive." 

"I thought so too. But, well, you two ended up together, so I suppose Salo wouldn't do much good being back here."

"You just want to be entertained."

"Maybe."

Silence overtook the atmosphere for a mere moment. Then, Ela clicked her tongue. "If you think I will be the sacrifice in every one of your absurd plans, you're mistaken."

"And if you think your feelings matter, then I'm afraid you are gravely misinformed."

The girl huffed but didn't argue.

Ailyn bit her lip. "We have no idea where the factory is. We are in the dark here," she pointed out, looking at Arden expectedly.

"Hardly," he muttered as he tugged at some loose threads on his black coat. "How many textile factories do you think there are on the west coast of Karahi lake?"

She shrugged. A few, probably.

Arden let his case down on the carpeted floor, pinching a tight cylinder from his pocket and tucking it between his lips. With a snap of his silver lighter, its tip was browned. "So," he began, exhaling a cloud of crimson air. "This Korin man was a corporal. You must know his surname." 

Ailyn drew an audible sharp breath it, only to cough out. He smokes this... thing? She had hardly seen anyone smoke anything in Seyal, let alone puff something with such a peculiar color.

"Relax," he gushed with a laugh, rolling down the window and waving the smoke out. "It's simply... flower powder, yes. Are you so scared of flower powder?"

The princess rubbed her chin. Kesumae were only used as an anesthetic and in very small doses, exclusively in hospitals. Finally, she shook her head and looked away from the brown dust. "I do not know any corporal named Korin. In fact, I do not know any corporal at all. The army was not something I was particularly involved with."

Arden took another puff. "Once again, you prove useless."

Ailyn's eyebrows shot up. It's probably that weird powder talking, she told herself. Taking a deep breath, an obscure question nested in the back of her mind found itself in her lips. "Arden."

"What is it?"

"Why did the illusion manipulator call you that?"

The man stiffened. "Call me what?"

"'Fireboy', was it?"

Arden shifted in his seat, seemingly cringing at the nickname. "I remember no such thing," he replied, examining the rust-colored dust dropping from the roll as he tapped it on the edge of the open window.

"Your hands are pale," Ela spoke, nodding towards his white limbs. "You don't look to be a fire manipulator." 

"That's because I'm not. You probably misheard." And with a final gesture of his head, he fixed the paper cylinder back on his lips and his cheeks sank in as he drank the copper smoke.

Ailyn was sure that was not the case. Salo had brought it up multiple times before, and the boy simply brushed it off as gibberish or crazy talk. Then again, he truly didn't look like an Ascended; his features contained obvious flaws, his origin was hazy and his stamina remarkably low at times. No burns decorated his skin like Ela's, no fatigue was exposed when he didn't bend his supposed element.

All evidence pointed in the opposite direction, yet her intuition begged to differ.

Ela and Arden's silence made Ailyn uneasy. Instead of trying to break it, she laid her head on the soft cushion of her seat, closing her eyes shut. Yet whenever her lids touched, an image of the corporal's distorted corpse found itself in her mind. The blood dripping down his skull, his eyes two wide orbs staring blankly in the distance.

She hastily rubbed her eyes. The body disappeared, only to be replaced by the assured features of Kage's facade as he held out a sharp blade towards her. If I could go back, what would I do? Yet with horror, she realized that if she had done otherwise, it would have been her own bloody frame lying on the cool marble floor.

It took several minutes and deep breaths for her mind to empty. Without another thought and with crystal drops almost hanging from her lashes, slumber came over her like a fuzzy blanket on a winter evening.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

"We're not interested."

Nora's familiar croak startled Ailyn out of her dreamless rest. She extended her hands in an attempt to shake the sleep off, only to be interrupted by an aggravated groan. "Will you please remove your paw from my face, your Highness?" Ela hollered as she drove Ailyn's limb away.

The princess opened her eyes. Ela had moved next to her, cringing uncomfortably towards the window. Arden's form had been replaced by Nora who was leaning towards the half-open window, waving her hand dismissively at a young lady on the other side. She was hailing a flyer in front of their faces with nearly illegible Mushan letters scribbled on it. We're already in Musha, Ailyn realized as the brilliant sunlight flooded through the glass.

The woman sat up. "Are we there yet?" she quizzed as the carriage moved away from the flyer, lurching down the paved road clumsily.

"Almost," Nora replied as she rolled up the window, sending a caustic grin to the confused Ailyn. "Did you enjoy your beauty rest?"

Ailyn hesitated. "What... does that mean?" she faltered.

"It means we need some gratitude," Ela demanded, crossing her hands on her chest defensively. "Everyone took turns driving this cursed coach while you slept soundlessly like a newborn baby. Even me."

"You could have woken me up."

"And face the wrath of sleep-deprived royalty? No thank you," Nora laughed as the carriage suddenly rolled to a stop.

Ailyn peered outside. The stones on the ground had turned into wet soil, framed by grass and weeds. The sordid side of a riverbank came into view, slightly surprising Ailyn. We're really in Karahi.  And out of Seyal.

They all exited the vehicle reluctantly. Salo slumped down the driver's seat as Arden dragged him towards the girls, shaking his shoulder and reminding him that they had finally arrived.

"Are you sure this is it?" Nora queried, pointing at a tall metal construction towering over the town, merely a few feet ahead. Clear windows decorated its length, along with a translucent dome on top of the tallest building. No sign existed to clarify its purpose, but the several people in grey uniforms pacing around the dull complex were quite explanatory. 

Arden shrugged. "It's the only textile factory around here, at least according to the locals."

As the crew entered the first building, Ailyn started feeling jittery. The shining alloy floor creaked under their footsteps, causing almost every head to shift to them. Glares and scoffs were shot their way, the sight of outsiders disturbing the factory workers.

Not soon after, a man approached them. "You must speak to our manager. This is a prohibited--"

"We shall speak to Korin."

The familiarity of Arden towards the factory manager seemed to take the worker off guard, as his eyebrows rose and his gaze was driven to the floor. "Please follow me."

Korin's office laid almost bare, with a single wooden desk accompanied by a few chairs adorning the square room. The wallpaper's edges were yellowed and curled, the floor littered with hollows and dents. Ailyn sat on one of the chairs, trying her best not to flinch as its legs squeaked dangerously. Salo followed grudgingly, while the rest stood in the middle of the room, avoiding the furniture as much as possible.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Ailyn almost thought he was never going to show up, but just as she was ready to flee the scene, the door burst open.

Korin's form was almost surprising considering the state of his office. Although his clothes were plain, his face was cleanly shaved, his hair slicked back in a neat hairstyle and his features fresh, rested. He couldn't be much older than the corporal, and the familiar slightly crooked nose he possessed declared some kind of kinship. This has to be him, Ailyn confirmed in her mind, a sour feeling growing in the bottom of her stomach.

The manager walked to his desk, collapsing on the chair and sighing dramatically. "A hot day, don't you think?"

Silence.

He laughed. "What is it that you want from me? Employment, perhaps?"

"Far from that," Arden said, leaning forward. With newfound confidence, he dragged a chair forward and sat in front of Korin. "We want information. About the Kingfisher."

The man's eyes glimmered. He almost looked uninterested before, but hearing the name of the artifact leave the boy's mouth seemed to pique his interest. "What kind of information?"

"Let me correct myself. We want the Kingfisher."

A chuckle burbled in Korin's throat. He shook his head, his brown orbs narrowing. "Give me a break! What can a bunch of kids offer in exchange for something this valuable?"

"You should know your brother referred us to you."

"My brother? Please, he is--"

"A corporal?" Nora offered. "Or perhaps, an ex-corporal?"

Korin hummed. He brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it as he ruminated. "What do you have to offer?"

"What you currently lack," Arden proposed, sitting back on his seat. "Do you really believe Lumi Dorona's gang will let you be after you blew her brains out? You need something more than guns and knives." He paused, his eyebrows rising. "You need something magic."

Ailyn held her breath. If Korin knew about the Kingfisher's contents, he would not only decline but also probably kill them all then and there. Arden was trying their luck while more secure options were available. She clenched her fists tight, examining the manager's expression.

"Magic?" he inquired, his eyeballs moving around in confusion. "As in...?"

"We have two Ascended who can offer you protection for as long as you need."

Ailyn's head snapped towards the boy. His face was unreadable, stoned to static apathy for eternity. His glance shifted to her once before he turned back to Korin. "So? What do you say?"

The manager beamed, laughing excitedly. "Two Ascended? Why didn't you say so earlier!"

No, Ailyn thought, denying the situation. This can't be happening. This is what the Council warned me about.

A clearly audible groan echoed in the four-sided room as Ela shot up from her seat. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes narrowed, veins pushing against her neck and forehead. She shook her head firmly as she fired an icy glare at Arden.  "No. Absolutely not. You can forget about it."

"That is the Ascended?" Korin said, evidently amused rather than frightened.

Ela grunted, trampling forward as she shrieked, "I am not an attraction!"

"Worry not," Arden assured the smiling manager. "It will calm down."

Ailyn released a quivering breath. Thinking back to the previous night, she found it hard to believe the Arden talking now was the same boy that joked and laughed with them mere hours earlier.

 Her mind went back to the conversations she had with Kage some months ago. 'Be careful of foreigners,' he had said. 'We are respected in Seyal because they fear us. But out of these borders, their only care is to use us for their own recreation.' She hadn't taken his words seriously back then, thinking nobody was as cruel. And sincerely, she didn't think her crew was like that. Seeing Arden use her trust for his own gain made her blood boil and her cheeks redden, the embarrassment and rage mixing into a crimson blush.

"What the hell are you doing?" Salo hissed, tapping Arden's shoulder. 

He brushed the hand away, briefly looking at the boy before shrugging in indifference. "Collateral damage," he replied and extended his hand, ready to sign Ailyn's and Ela's life away to Korin. "Do we have a deal?"

"No," Ailyn tried to yell, yet the word came out as a low whisper. She stood, standing next to Ela. For the first time, she felt like something connected them. "Find something else to sell. We are not your property, and you cannot simply trade us for a trinket."

Arden sighed, smiling a tired smile at Korin. "May we have a moment? The merchandise is talking back."

The man laughed, hurrying out of the room. "Yes, yes! I will be outside."

As the door clicked behind him, silence fell in the room. 

Ela breathed out, a subtle orange glow hovering over her palms. "You asshole--"

It all happened in a blur. Arden shot forward, grabbing the girl's shoulder and hauling her around. Ailyn gasped, toppling forward to aid Ela, but a strong grip held her waist back. A glowing ribbon of fire escaped Ela's boot, aiming for his leg. Still, he was swifter. Arden twisted her forearms in his grip to face her own back and hurled her to the floor, locking her ankles under his left shin. A pained cry fled her lips, tears of pure rage streaming down her red cheeks.

"Get off me, jackass! Fight like a real man!" she screamed, the stray flames shooting from her feet only growing stronger by the second.

Arden shifted his weight, squeezing her anklebones harder. Ailyn swung around in Salo's grasp, but it was pointless. "There must be another way," she uttered as she battled with her tears.

"I'm afraid there's not," the thief sighed. He looked up at Ailyn, cocking his head to the side. "Let's be honest. What else would you be useful for?"

She felt a pang in her chest. How could he say something like that? Yet the more she searched for a sign he was lying, the more her hope died. All she could find in those silver eyes of his was greed, selfishness, and anticipation for the artifact he had longed for all this time.

Ela wouldn't stop squirming in Arden's grasp, and without the tranquilizer to numb her powers, the man barely dodges the flares coming his way. With a final groan, he grabbed her hair and slammed her forehead against the metal floor. Ailyn gaped, staring as the girl stopped moving and relaxed against the cold platform. Arden turned to her, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "Don't make me do that to you, too."

She shook her head with a gulp. Whatever happened to your bravery? But despite what her intuition said, she lowered her head and let herself be lead out of the office. A wave of shame overtook her as Nora helped Arden carry Ela. Everyone I trust turns on me, she realized. When will it ever end?

Korin stared at the girl's body bewildered. "What happened to the young Ascended?"

Arden sighed at the manager's bemusement. "We need to place them somewhere until they calm down. Do you perhaps have any spare rooms?"

It didn't take them long to reach a small cabin away from the factory. Inside was a double bed and some essential items, but the furnishings seemed just as scanty as the office they were previously in. Ela was laid on the bed and Ailyn was simply shoved in there without further explanation. The door was slammed shut and locked with a click, letting the girls in suffocating silence.

Ailyn sat at the edge of the bed, placing her head in her hands. This is all because of me, she realized, tugging at strands of her hair. If she hadn't trusted Nora, she wouldn't be here. If she had fought in the office, Ela would be fine.

If she had never doubted Kage, maybe things would be easier.

She sighed at her stupidity. It wouldn't have been hard to change Kage's mind like she had done multiple times before. Her multiple possibly false accusations of the man made her pinch her forehead in embarrassment. How could I say those things? How could I simply run away? She didn't just leave her belongings behind; she abandoned a whole nation and crippled her country at a time of war.

A sudden idea breached her mind. She jumped from the bed, running towards the brown drawers at the side of the room. The cabin hadn't been prepared for them, and seeing as it was previously inhabited, there must have been some essential items. Surely enough, after ravaging the counters, she came across some thin paper sheets and untouched envelopes. She smiled at her findings, hauling the items out.

The princess dipped the pen laid on the desk into a container of jet black ink. She paused for a moment. What should I write? What can I possibly say? Without giving it more thought, she hastily jotted down a few sentences before shoving the letter inside the envelope and sealing it clumsily.

A knock on the door sent her heart flying out of her chest. She rushed towards the bed, lying down as if she were ready to sleep.

The entrance was pushed open with a creak. Salo peeked inside, tucking the key into his pocket and entering the cabin with a pile of clothes. "Are you... sleeping?" he asked reluctantly, guilt clearly painted on his features.

Ailyn sat up, shifting her weight on her elbows. "I was trying to," she sighed with a sad smile.

The boy nodded, leaving the heap on a table next to the door. As he spun around to leave, Ailyn cleared her throat. "Wait! There's something I had to I ask."

Salo turned his head, yet he avoided the girl's gaze. I can't mess this up, thought Ailyn as she slipped out of the bed and approached the boy, envelope in hand.

"There's a note I must send, promptly. I've been meaning to deliver it before all of... this." 

He leaned his head towards his shoulder, a puzzled look occupying his soft features. He pursed his lips and that sad expression returned. "What kind of note?" 

"You cannot tell anybody." Ailyn heaved a sigh, shutting her eyes tightly.

"It's a letter to my mother."

***

I am finally back! I'm so afraid my four readers will have forgotten about this already...

Frankly, this isn't going as planned, but I like the direction it's headed towards. I would love to hear suggestions on how to improve the plot and the characters!

IMPORTANT NOTE ~ The next chapter will be a little different. Although short, it will be a chapter in Kage's POV, as I believe his point of view is crucial for the understanding of what in the world is going on. One such chapter will be published every ten chapters, so expect the next one around the twentieth part.

Please consider voting and commenting ♥ 

PUBLISH DATE — 19/07/08

EDIT DATES — 19/07/15