Emil

  It wasn’t until the half-masked Exalted had disappeared past the Saar’s endless dunes that Emil finally collapsed onto his knees. The Zal’Khari’s sudden retreat had robbed him of his chance for vengeance. He stood under the blazing sun, his body depleted and a hollow weight in his chest, transfixed at Van’s corpse. It didn’t feel real. His mangled body laid pitifully in the sand, soaked by the pooling puddles of red. His decapitated head sat uneasily on the scorching sands. His eyes were wide, a look of absurdity and confusion, mirroring Emil’s exact thoughts. The sight of Van’s death was permanently seared in his mind.

  Surely, this must have been a dream?

  Emil was no stranger to death. The life of a Steiger Cleaner demanded it. Danger was woven into their blood. Their existence thrived in bloodshed of both allies and foes alike. It was an inevitable part of their duties, which was why he had vehemently refused to let Mia get involved with his affairs in the past.

  He should have been used to it. Numbed to the loss. Detached. Unaffected.

  But this was different.

  Van was supposed to be just an incorrigible senior. A flippant man. A frivolous, mischievous, unserious annoyance of a coworker. Someone who caused him more trouble than what he was worth. A fool. A clown. A stubborn idiot who made light of almost every situation.

  Even as he stared at his corpse, a part of him hoped that this was all just an elaborate, distasteful prank. At any moment, he half-heartedly expected Van to just sprung back to life with his usual grating grin and snappy one-liner. It wouldn’t have been out of character for him—in fact, he had pulled the exact same thing multiple times in the past until Emil threatened to end his life for real.

  Please. I won’t even get mad this time.

  He knew he was being delusional, but he couldn’t resist indulging in this improbable fantasy.

  A hand landed on his back. The touch was tender and apologetic. A piece of lightly woven fabric was draped over his bare shoulders. He hadn’t realized it, but the upper half of his body was now exposed.

  “Your clothes were burned off from your Gift.”

  It was a female voice that he didn’t recognize. He turned to regard a Gharian woman. She didn’t wear the distinct tattoos of the Zal’Khari. A purple cloak enshrouded her body. The insignias and symbols of celestial bodies and other geometric patterns were woven along the hems of the outfit.

  The woman must have sensed his bloodlust and tension.

  “We’re Dhazara,” she immediately said, “We’re here to help.”

  Were they responsible for the Zal’Khari’s sudden retreat?

  Vaguely, he caught glimpses of disembodied voices in the background. Kai and Liesel were being tended to by a group of Gharians applying first aid. Anna was in the middle of a discussion with a tall Gharian man who appeared to be their leader. For a moment, he debated if he should go help her. Van was dead and they needed someone to speak on behalf of their group. Then he remembered Anna’s merchant background and decided to entrust her to the role.

  “Are you injured? I can apply first aid,” the woman asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Then, what do you want to do with him?”

  Right, Van’s body. He had to decide. He was the only one who had any right to choose. Memories bubbled to the surface of his teetering conscious as he tried to recall if Van had ever said anything about his will. The endless number of frivolous conversations that they exchanged over the years was difficult to sort through. At the time, they only made him roll his eyes with annoyance. Now, they were excruciatingly painful to remember.

  “If I ever drop one dead one day on the field,” he once said with an irritating nonchalance as though he was discussing the weather, “I want you to cremate me.”

  The memory was from a year ago. They were returning to the nearest Steiger branch office after completing a mission together.

  “Okay? I didn’t realize I asked,” Emil replied. The morbid topic came out of nowhere. Like it always did. Van had a nasty habit of saying disturbing things without warning to elicit a reaction out of him.

  “The thought of being buried as a corpse just sounds gross if you ask me. Imagine if someone was digging near my grave one day and found a pile of rotted bones. Ugh! And that’s what would be left of me? Gross. So unstylish. Ashes are just so much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing. There’s like…an air of intrigue to it. It’s mysterious. Romantic. Enigmatic. You get me?”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “If possible, I also like you to do it with your Gift.”

  Emil paused, staring at him.

  “…Somehow not the strangest thing you’ve requested from me.”

  Van flashed him a stupid smile and continued his ramblings, undaunted. Once he started, he usually never stopped committing to the bit. “You can also keep the ashes. It’ll be like a memento. Something sentimental to remind you of me whenever you feel lonely.”

  “I think I’d rather gorge my eyeballs out and puke,” he spat, wincing at the thought, “Don’t people usually ask to spread their ashes somewhere? Like a final resting place. Or like returning to where they belong.”

  “I suppose they do,” Van said, thoughtful, “But I don’t know where I would want to go.”

  The memory ceased.

  Emil’s focus returned to the wretched reality. His eyes were murky, shimmering underneath the sun’s nauseating glare.

  “…Would you happen to have an urn?” he asked in a small, trembling voice.

  ***

  He must have passed out because the next thing he knew he was staring at a low-hanging ceiling that he didn’t recognize, lying on a strange cot of cloth and straws, inside of a room fenced in by clay-colored walls. The confusion lasted for a second until the painful memories of what unfolded in the Saar came roaring back. He grimaced, holding onto his head. The terrible force squeezing on the ridges of his skull arrived with vengeance as he suffered the backlash of residual Overclock.

  The Zal’Khari retreated after a battalion of Dhazara arrived. They’re friendly, I think. Kai and Liesel got treatment. Anna negotiated something. They took us to the nearest Dhazara settlement after.

  The harsh desert sun poured through the windows. His body was unbearably sore from the lingering acid in his worn-out muscles. Yet, hunger somehow still hadn’t settled in. He must have been passed out for barely a few hours.

  The urn holding Van’s ashes rested on the bedside table. There was also his Azurite pendant, an envelope containing a letter, and a key. Nothing else remained of him.

  It still felt surreal, seeing his senior reduced to just a couple of possessions and a container of ash. The letter and the key were meant for Ruby. Thinking back, Van had been uncharacteristically chatty about his childhood with his sister before they departed for the Saar. Emil realized now that he was making a contingency plan, so that even if he died during this mission, there would still be someone who could tell his amnesic sister about her past.

  It's almost like you were expecting to die.

  Maybe it was his own morbid superstition, but preparing for one’s death always felt like it invited it.

  “You’re awake.”

  Anna allowed herself in as she closed the heavy curtains that made up the entrance of this small rustic dwelling.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her gaze dropping to the items on the bedside table.

  “Frankly, no,” he admitted. He had no energy to put up a mask. His relationship with Van was supposed to be a secret. However, his ugly reaction after his death was already telling enough. He might have been able to fool Kai and Liesel, but Anna would see right through him.

  “How’s the other two?”

  “Stable. A bit mauled and bloodied, but they should be fine within a day or two. Benefits of an Exalted constitution,” she said, shrugging.

  A small silver lining. Emil sighed, allowing himself a short momentary relief. The room fell silent. He noticed Anna had an anticipatory glint in her eyes. A knot crossed his stomach. She looked like she had something to say.

  “We need to talk.”

  He dreaded hearing those words.

  “…Must we?”

  He was tired. He was hurt. He wanted time to grieve. Couldn’t he be allowed just a bit of solitude and reprieve?

  “The leader of the Dhazara, Nabil, wants a meeting with us before sunset. We need to at least be on the same page.”

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  But the world was infinitely cruel. Time advanced relentlessly, sparing no rest and mercy for those who stood still. Van was already an afterthought. They were already moving on without him.

  “Emil,” Anna said pointedly. The severe tone of her voice grated on his nerves. He wanted to snap at her for being heartless. For being insensitive. Why the rush? Their mission was already in shambles. Barely two days into the Saar and two people were already dead. He raised his head, indignant, ready to argue.

  A single look at her face stole his anger away.

  The fear in her gaze couldn’t have been more obvious. Emil realized that he wasn’t the only one affected by Van’s death. The other three knew him as a Lionheart and from their brief time spent on this expedition into the Saar. Their trust in him was dubious at best, but he was their leader. And suddenly, he was gone and they were left to fend for themselves in a foreign province amongst a race of hostile people. The uncertainty must have been terrifying.

  “Please,” Anna pleaded.

  She needed him. They needed him to be strong.

  “Fine,” he relented, “Let’s talk then.”

  Anna first got Emil caught up to speed with what had happened. The area that Taksh had led them through was a neutral region between the Zal’Khari, Dhazara, and Shiraza factions. The three tribes of Gharia were apparently in the midst of an ongoing conflict. That explained the Zal’Khari battalion that they encountered. The Dhazara led by Nabil were monitoring the region due to the abrupt sandstorm and reports of sandworms being sighted when they saw their battle against the Zal’Khari.

  “The Dhazara saw your flames, by the way,” she revealed, “But I think you’re still in the clear. I don’t think they know about Bulwark. When Nabil asked me about who created the stone barricades, I told them it was Van.”

  Emil felt his stomach constrict.

  “Kai and Liesel. They definitely saw me. I used Blaze right in front of them.”

  “I know. They didn’t say anything when I gave Nabil my accounts. They’re not stupid. But they’re definitely going to want an explanation when we’re left alone.”

  Fuck. He wasn’t so na?ve to think that he would have been able to keep his nature a secret forever. His service to Steiger necessitated that he relied on both. It was his weapon. It was his edge. He’d be a fool not to use the few advantages that he had. Still, what a terrible timing. The last thing he wanted right now was to worry about how to conceal his secret.

  “For now, I’m only going to use Blaze in front of the Dhazara,” he declared.

  The decision left him unsettled. Ever since he became the Academy student named Emil Milligan, Bulwark had been the Gift that he demonstrated to the public. Blaze was the secretive half of him, unveiled only during his Steiger duties or in times of emergency. It was disorienting to have their roles now flipped around.

  “What about Kai and Liesel?”

  He shook his head, not wanting to think about the inevitable confrontation. Liesel might have been able to shrug off this revelation, but Kai would definitely have questions. Their fight on the night of House Nacht’s subjugation flashed in his head. Kai was sharp—he probably already connected the dots.

  “I have no clue.”

  ***

  When it came time to meet with Nabil, a guide arrived to escort Emil and Anna through the Dhazara settlement. It was the Gharian woman who had spoken to him in the Saar.

  “Sir Emil, I’m glad to see you well. My name is Inaya.”

  A small diplomatic smile crossed her lips. Emil nodded and thanked her for allowing them refuge. Inaya began a brief tour of the Dhazara settlement as they trekked through its streets. The Gharian woman had a calm disposition and the maternal gaze of a stern mother. Her voice was gentle, but firm; hospitable, yet not deferential.

  “This settlement lies directly on the border of the unoccupied neutral region. It’s why you see barricades and fortifications everywhere,” she explained.

  Indeed, this settlement was remarkably militarized for being roughly the size of a village. Scouting towers were erected along the perimeter of the settlement walls which were lined with barricades and spikes built with stone and packed with sand. Most of the residents appeared to be warriors. Everyone walked around armed with some sort of weapon, whether it was a sword, a spear, or a dagger fastened to their waist. Emil also caught the presence of a few Exalted nearby who appeared to be using their Gifts to help construct the defenses.

  “Are the Dhazara preparing for war?” he asked, not expecting a proper answer.

  “Not exactly. This is a contingency in case the Zal’Khari and Shiraza get overeager after what just happened,” Inaya explained, “You folks got terribly unlucky. The Zal’Khari thought they had discovered a pre-emptive attack on their territory when they spotted your unnatural stone barricades. They believed that we were taking advantage of the sudden sandstorm to stage an ambush.”

  “We’re clearly Ardairan,” Emil pointed out.

  Inaya shrugged. “The Dhazara are known to have a closer relationship with House Ulster than the other two tribes. It’s not out of question for the bloodthirsty Zal’Khari to jump to those conclusions. Or perhaps their prejudice towards our conquerors overtook their sense of rationality.”

  Emil clicked his tongue.

  So Van died because of a misunderstanding? The grim truth was difficult to accept. Just what the hell is going on in the Saar for tensions to be this high?

  “You have Exalted. As did the Zal’Khari,” he said, intentionally vague. Inaya didn’t miss the implications behind his curt tone.

  “I cannot speak for the other tribes, but House Ulster supplies us occasionally with Azurite as part of our trading deals,” she admitted without hesitation.

  Was Troya aware of the heightened tensions in the Saar? How could she not if she had a relationship with the Dhazara? Or was the Dhazara intentionally keeping her in the dark? Emil desperately hoped that Troya was ignorant. If the head of House Ulster had knowledge of this inter-tribal conflict and kept it from them, then he didn’t want to know what machinations were unfolding behind the scenes. Why hide this information from them? Was she hoping that they’d fail? Then why make a deal with Van in the first place? It was logical for Troya to want to confirm the discovery of a new Azurite mine in her territory. But he couldn’t think of a logical motive for why she would want to make it more difficult for them to succeed.

  Suddenly, it was no longer clear who was on their side.

  Objectively, this expedition was an unprecedented disaster. The original mission to find traces of Karni was already challenging enough. Van then added to the difficulty with his backdoor dealing with Troya, which led them to being caught in the middle of a tribal conflict spanning all three major tribes of the Saar.

  Van was now dead. Kai and Liesel were struggling with their Gifts due to the Saar.

  And I don’t know who to trust.

  Eyes trailed them as they waded through the Dhazara settlement. Anna and him of them stood out like sore thumbs amidst the sea of Gharians. Their gazes weren’t friendly either. Most were cautious and scrutinizing, but a significant number were openly disdained. It wasn’t nearly as malicious and murderous like the Zal’Khari, but the message was clear—they weren’t welcomed here.

  Emil found the hostility odd. Taksh had described the Dhazara to be the most moderate out of the three tribes and as the faction most willing to integrate with the rest of Ardair. The reaction of the people here, however, told a different story.

  If Inaya was aware of the distasteful looks that they were receiving, she didn’t let it show. She continued her tour of the settlement, pretending to be oblivious to their discomfort. The diplomatic smile on her face never once shrank as they finally reached the meeting spot.

  A group of Dhazara warriors surrounded a large tent. Before they were allowed to enter, Emil and Anna were asked to hand over any weapons on their bodies, including their Azurite accessories. Emil parted his with great reluctance. He always abhorred the feeling of being Ordinary and nothing else made him feel more powerless than being severed from his connection to his Gifts.

  Kai and Liesel were already present. The bandages wrapped around their bodies appeared to be done with diligence and care. That was a relief. Even if the Dhazara detested them, at least they weren’t so malicious as to sabotage their treatment.

  Emil shot them a careful glance. Their eyes met. Liesel tried to look composed, but the slight twitch in her lips gave away her apprehensions in an instant. Kai didn’t make much of an attempt to be subtle—his gaze was sharp and steeled and he looked like he wanted answers immediately. Emil didn’t want to admit it, but their reactions hurt.

  “Ah, everyone’s here.” A breezy voice spread throughout the tent. “Before we start, let’s do a quick round of introductions, shall we? I don’t think everyone was in the proper headspace when we first met in the Saar.”

  At first glance, there was nothing particularly notable about the man named Nabil. Everything about his appearance was plain and unremarkable, save for perhaps his above average height. Despite that, he carried himself with a self-assuredness that veered on arrogance. He exuded confidence. Not the loud and aggressive type that screamed insecurity, but the version that was quiet and unwavering. The kind that was molded from growing up in a privileged environment or built upon layers and layers of experience that became unshakeable evidence. The sway and inflections in his voice as he spoke had a natural rhythm to it that was pleasing to listen to. It compelled you want to trust him.

  Emil was instantly wary.

  Charismatic people were dangerous. They had a knack for lowering your guard with sweet words and subtle gestures.

  “Let me cut straight to the chase. I’m not sure why you were traversing the Saar, but your timing was unfortunate. The three tribes are currently in the middle of an escalating conflict. My condolences to the man that died.”

  “I told you already. We’re merchants,” Anna replied, “We were traveling through the Saar to establish new supply route for—”

  “And I, am a world-renown scholar.” Nabil cut her off with a dramatic wave before belting out a laugh. “Let’s not insult my intelligence, alright? Even if I’m not as smart as I just claimed, I’m not so stupid to believe in an obvious lie.”

  “I can show you my credentials.”

  “And I still wouldn’t believe you. Please. Let’s be honest here. Am I really supposed to believe that a group of five Ardairan Exalted came to the Saar to do business? Much less an Exalted who single-handedly took on a battalion of Zal’Khari on his own and slain two of their Exalted?” Nabil said, directing his gaze at Emil, “I know a warrior when I see one.”

  He maintained a neutral face, trying to betray nothing, but he suspected that the jug was already up. The Dhazara had seen too much of their fight with the Zal’Khari.

  “Anyways, I’m uninterested in prying. Regardless of your reasons here, there are at least a few details that I’m fairly certain of.” Nabil raised three fingers. “One, your guide and leader are dead. Two, the four of you are effectively stranded here with no way to get home. And three, you four are all trained Exalted.”

  “What do you want?” Emil asked.

  Nabil’s eyes shone with delight. “You have a problem. And I too, happened to have a problem. Let’s call it a proposal. You see, there’s a mine here that’s been recently discovered.” He brought out of a map of the Saar and pointed at a location north. His friends all raised their eyes. It was the exact same area as their original destination. “It’s…well, I’ll just say it, there’s a large deposit of Azurite in this mine. And potentially Archanum. We suspect it’s how the Zal’Khari arms their Exalted. We want it instead.”

  Suddenly, the conflict in the Saar made sense. All three tribes were vying for the Azurite mine that the Zal’Khari currently lorded over. Troya was behind on her intel—she still wasn’t sure if the rumors were true while the Gharian tribes were already preparing to go to war for the rights to control it.

  “And you want our assistance.”

  Nabil nodded. “I want those flames. In exchange, we will house you. Feed you. And grant you safe passage back to Cereza once the conflict has stabilized.”

  A tempting offer given their situation. But the proposal was ridden with holes that Emil didn’t feel like pointing out. Not while they were robbed from their access to Azurite.

  “And what if we turn this proposal down?” he asked cautiously.

  Nabil hummed with amusement. “You’re welcome to leave the settlement and try to navigate home,” he said invitingly, “But how will that end up for you, I wonder, when you don’t know the region? The geography? The terrain? When you don’t have food and don’t know where to search for sources of water? When you have little means to protect yourself against sandworms and sandstorms?”

  Emil narrowed his eyes. “Is that a threat?”

  “Oh, definitely not. I’m civilized man. Let’s call it a warning. But you’ve noticed the hostile eyes around you, surely? Gharians of the Saar don’t particularly like Ardairans. Even us of the Dhazara have our qualms. The scars of the annexation run deep. Who knows what someone may do in a fit of passion. Without my protection.”

  Liesel suddenly stood up. Her face was red with anger as though she was fed up with the condescension. “I’m the scion of House Belle. The ruler of the Rosales province and one of Great Houses of this kingdom. Do you know the risk of threatening me?”

  Nabil grinned. The friendly mask smoothly faded. Teeth bared, Nabil looked like a ferocious beast that had been hiding its fangs. Emil got a glimpse of the Dhazara leader’s true nature. “Oh sweetheart, you can’t that na?ve,” he said smugly, “In Ardair, you might be a princess.

  “But here, in the Saar, you’re just another conqueror that we can’t wait to bury.”