Emil

  Once Emil accepted Nabil’s proposal, the Dhazara encampment instantly spun into a whirlwind of activity. The warriors in the training field quickly wrapped up their training at Nabil’s urging. After a modest breakfast banquet, everyone dove into preparing for the upcoming expedition. Emil found himself in awe of the Dhazara’s speed and efficiency. Each person seemed to know their roles perfectly as supplies, weapons, and animals were gathered with minimal coordination.

  Inaya handed him a clothed pouch containing food, water, and other mischievous items.

  “There should be enough inside to last you four days for the trip there and back. Double check it just in case I got the portions wrong,” she said before hauling three more packs over her shoulders, presumably for the rest of his friends.

  Emil turned to Nabil with a questioning look.

  “Oh, did I not mention this? We’re leaving in an hour,” he said, clearly amused.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Got to strike while the iron is hot. The Zal’Khari will be on high alert after your encounter with them yesterday. My preference is to take over the mines before their leader, Rakan, arrives with reinforcements.”

  Freedom to choose, my ass. He fully expected us to accept his proposal and planned everything with that assumption in mind.

  Emil sighed. There was no pointing fretting over what’s already been decided. Instead, he chose to direct his attention to a more personal affair.

  “Do you know the Zal’Khari who wears the smiling mask?”

  How many times has he relived Van’s final moments already? The look of desperation and confusion on his face right before the Smiling Mask’s blade severed his head was seared in Emil’s mind. He had to be Exalted. The attack he unleashed must have been a Gift. Emil refused to believe that Van could have fallen to an Ordinary.

  “Ah, was he the one took your leader’s life?”

  “Just answer the damn question,” he snarled.

  Nabil put his hand up in a feigned surrender. “That would be Nasir, the Zal’Khari’s strongest warrior and Rakan’s righthand man. He’s Exalted as you probably have already guessed.”

  “What’s his Gift?”

  The Dhazara leader shrugged with an earnest frown. “Honestly, I have no clue. He’s never revealed the full extent of his abilities. No one who’s seen his Gift has lived to tell the tale. He’s somewhat of a legend in Gharia.”

  Amazing. He was relieved. He expected nothing less from the person who killed Van. It would have been a disgrace if a Steiger Cleaner was downed by someone insignificant. It would have sullied his mentor’s legacy.

  “Will he be at the Azurite mine?”

  “Oh, there’s no doubt.”

  Emil sneered. His body twitched with violence. The image of Nasir and his smiling mask echoed in his head. He drank in the tantalizing sight as he envisioned the man writhing in his grasp. Blaze scorched his flesh. Bulwark punctured his body. There were so many ways he could make the man to suffer. He wanted revenge. He craved it. How would he kill him? What kind of death would be deserving for the person who slayed his senior? Regardless of what he chose, he would not grant Nasir an easy demise.

  ***

  If there was anything honest about Nabil’s promises, it would be the treatment they received after agreeing to his proposal. Emil wouldn’t call the Dhazara hospitable, but their hostility had noticeably lessened compared to yesterday. Now they were treated less like sworn enemies and more like hired mercenaries. There were no warmth and comradery in their relationship—just a loose string of professionalism tying them together.

  At the very least, the Dhazara didn’t slack when it came to providing them with gear and supplies to traverse the Saar. Inside the pack that Inaya gave them also came with freshly made tunics, headwear, and other pieces of clothing to brave heat and sands. The difference in the quality of the fabric compared to the stuff they purchased in Cereza was rather extraordinary, so much so that Emil suspected that they might have been scammed back in the capital city. The pieces provided by Inaya were more breathable, less irritating on the skin, yet somehow just as effective at shielding against the scalding sun. What was most surprising was how well the sizes fit his body.

  “They’re all hand-made. We sew them together yesterday,” Inaya explained.

  “How did you know our sizes?” he asked, frowning disapprovingly.

  “I have good eyes.” Inaya pointed at herself with a smile. “Or so I like to say. But truthfully, we took your measurements while you were receiving treatment. Discreetly, of course. Ardairans always seem to get uncomfortable when we take out instruments to measure.”

  That was a surprise.

  “You’ve treated other Ardairans in the past?”

  “Many times. You’re not the only ones who foolishly try to cross the Saar with a single guide and a pair of camels. Nabil has been collecting anyone stuck in the Saar for a while now. Rescue them, give them treatment, and then send them back with a good word about the Dhazara. It’s how we’ve built a relationship with House Ulster,” Inaya explained.

  “I’m surprised the other Dhazara are okay with it. They barely tolerated us yesterday.”

  Inaya hummed in amusement. “They might find it hard, but they understand Nabil’s vision. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. And you should know this, by the way, since Nabil is involving you and your friends for the long haul. In truth, our goals are similar to the Shiraza, in that we both seek the unification of the Gharians to better our people’s livelihoods. But the difference lies in the amount of blood we’re willing to sacrifice. The Shiraza want a rebellion. We just want to be taken seriously on the negotiating table.”

  Emil narrowed his eyes at the obvious hypocrisy. “Why pretend to be pacifists when you’re already planning to subjugate the other tribes by force?”

  Inaya gave him a sad smile. “Because fighting against the entirety of Ardair is much different than between ourselves. There are still some of us who remember the horrors inflicted upon the Saar.”

  ***

  They set off for the Azurite mine within exactly one hour as Nabil intended. The expedition consisted of four of eight Exalted that Emil saw in the training field, one hundred warriors, and fifty crossbowmen. The numbers might have seemed low for a raid, but the bulk of the battle was going to be fought by the Exalted. The Ordinary soldiers, Emil suspected, were mostly like there to provide range support and manpower after raid was complete.

  The expedition moved with a caravan of camels following a wide formation. The center area held most of their essential supplies for the 2-day journey. Nabil, Inaya, and the rest of his friends were situated here. There were four camel riders fanned out on the far extremities of the formation, occupying each of the four cardinal directions. Nabil had a rotation of messengers running back and forth to exchange periodic updates.

  The Saar was incredibly unpredictable as Emil came to realize. Winds would abruptly pick up with violence and then calm in an instant. Tremors shuddered through the earth without warning. The Dhazara were constantly on edge, trying to make minute adjustments to their route based on the desert’s response.

  “I honestly don’t understand how Gharians make this place their home,” he complained after getting blasted in the face by sudden gust of wind.

  “It’s exciting, don’t you think?!” Nabil exclaimed with a childish glee, “There’s a primordial danger constantly lurking in the Saar. It’s dangerous. It’s exhilarating. It’s humbling. Never a dull moment. It reminds us that no matter what, we’re connected and reliant on the whims of nature.”

  “I think I’d rather not,” Emil replied flatly.

  “Hahaha! Peace dulls the mind, my man! Humans are built to look for danger. Adversity strengthens the spirit. Without it, we crave conflict. Why do you think Ardair is always in a mess?”

  “Always is a bit disingenuous. If you want a history lesson, it’s the previous generation of the royal family that created this mess. They were indulgent and short-sighted. They conceited too much power and Azurite and now every noble house in Ardair is emboldened to do whatever they want.”

  Nabil grinned. “And you’ll hear a similar tale in every nation’s history. It’s human nature. When your mind is no longer thinking about the need to survive, it searches for other ways to occupy it. It creates conflict where there is none.”

  “Is that why you think Ardair invaded the Saar?” Emil asked. Unsurprisingly, that portion of their kingdom’s history was always obfuscated from records and studies. The official reason on paper was territorial expansion. But what use was there in a vast stretch of desert?

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Nabil scoffed. “As if. It turns out there’s quite a decent amount of Azurite in the Saar. And nontrivial amounts of Archanum hiding in the region.” He smiled as he turned to observe Emil’s slack jawed response. “Pragmatically, it’s logical. If there’s a foreign land with deposits of a mineral that makes the backbone of my military power obsolete, I would try to conquer it too.”

  That explains how the Zal’Khari had Archanum. Compared to Azurite, Archanum was even rarer and tightly regulated. Outside of the royal family, only the Lionhearts were allowed possession of the strategic mineral. Their quantities were so limited that their usage was restricted towards keeping Exalted criminals under control. Emil suddenly scowled, realizing the implications. While it didn’t completely tip the scales, the Gharians did have a way to neutralize an Exalted’s powers. Maybe the Shiraza’s idea of a rebellion isn’t so far-fetched.

  While the kingdom was pre-occupied with the threat of Vigil, its recently conquered lands were quietly building up a resistance.

  The winds suddenly picked up. Tension permeated the air. Alarmed, Emil shot a glance at Nabil. The leader of Dhazara was no longer smiling. His expression was distant, staring off into northwestern side of their formation. Something had changed. Something unseen, yet all of the Dhazara warriors in the vicinity seemed to have noticed it too. Just what were they detecting?

  Seconds later, a camel galloped back from the western extremity of the formation. The rider was drenched in sweat. Foam and spittle leaked from the mouth of his mount. The animal was clearly distressed with exhaustion after being pushed to the limits.

  “Speak,” Nabil commanded.

  Despite his fatigue, the rider’s voice was astoundingly clear. “Earth tremors. Persistent. They’re getting closer in northwest direction. Likely sandworms.”

  Emil paled.

  “How many?” Nabil asked, his sullen face betrayed no indication of alarm.

  “One. Maybe two if we’re unlucky.”

  “Rein the beast in. Take Inaya and ten of the crossbowmen.”

  Just like that, a detachment of Dhazara crossbowmen led by Inaya left to meet the oncoming sandworm. The monsters were apparently pervasive enough in the Saar to warrant special measures. Emil later learned that the formation they were in was designed specifically to scout for the monstrosities. The four camels positioned on the extremities of the formation were intended to be bait. Sandworms perceived their surroundings by sensing vibrations and patterns of seismic activity. Those camels in particular were bred and trained to move in a certain way to maximize their seismic signatures to attract the sandworm’s attention.

  “Are you sure that’ll be enough?” Emil asked.

  Nabil pointed. “Just watch.”

  As if on command, the sandworm erupted from the ground. A terrible shriek filled the air. Emil felt a visceral disgust worm through his guts. The horrible creature was just as disturbing as he remembered. The colossal abomination shot up from the sand. Its long, elongated body was crowded with dense hairs. Its eyeless face was occupied by a massive suction-like mouth. Serrated teeth and suckers lined the circular appendage, flickering back and forth at the anticipation of prey.

  He almost activated Blaze on instinct.

  Inaya and the ten crossbowmen were positioned around twenty meters from the beast. They were on camels, constantly maneuvering and maintaining this fixed distance. The camel rider responsible for luring the sandworm in was at the vanguard of the formation as they continued to draw the monstrosity’s attention. The abomination slithered forward along the sand’s surface at a disturbing speed. It was gaining on the camel. Then once it almost at its tail, the sandworm suddenly lunged upwards, preparing to plunge down at its prey.

  “Fire!” Inaya’s voice rang over the chaos.

  A dissonant click echoed as the ten crossbowmen unleashed their arsenal. Inaya weaved a sphere of mana to add to the barrage. As expected, she was also Exalted. The combination of steel and mana slammed into the underside of the sandworm. The creature writhed and screamed in pain. Blood and flesh flopped onto the sand.

  It only took three more consecutive assaults before the sandworm collapsed.

  “These bastards look scary and disgusting, but they’re actually quite weak if you attack them in their underside,” Nabil said, “But I guess you already knew that. The key then is to get them to voluntarily expose their weakness. How? The easiest way is to bait them into lunging for the kill.”

  “The timing isn’t exactly lenient,” Emil observed. The sandworms were absurdly fast. The delay between its wind-up and the actual attack was probably less than a couple of seconds.

  “Not a problem if you’ve prepared and learned its movements,” Nabil said, smiling. In the background, Inaya and the crossbowmen were confirming the sandworm’s death. “Just a bit of practice and even a group of Ordinaries can take this beast down.”

  “It’s a monster, is it not? How often do you run into them?”

  “Often enough to devise countermeasures. And correct, they’re monsters. I doubt any animals can become something this grotesque naturally. Mother Nature would have long brought them to extinction herself.”

  Monsters were animals malformed by exposure to mana. If abominations like the sandworm were roaming the Saar on a regular basis, then just how much mana and Azurite was hidden beneath this land of sand?

  ***

  Night soon descended upon the Saar. The rest of the day passed with little fanfare. As the sun set, the Dhazara settled down and made camp at the base of a sand dune. The packs that Inaya provided them came with a set of thick cloth and iron rods which formed the basis of a makeshift tent. The material was windproof, if nothing else. It did little, however, to silence the howling winds of the Saar at night.

  Emil sat in the middle of the rustic dwelling, mulling over the various things he learned about the Saar from Nabil during the day. With a stick in hand, he drew down the key details. What he was curious the most about was how the Dhazara navigated the Saar.

  It was one thing if there were landmarks to denote their positions, but the desert was nothing except sand as far as the eyes could see. They didn’t encounter a single oasis. A cavern. A distinct pattern of sand dune. Nothing. And yet, Nabil and the rest of the Dhazara somehow were able to navigate the barren land without issue.

  If we were traveling at night, then there’s at least the stars to help navigate.

  He didn’t understand how the Dhazara were navigating during the day. Did it have to do with the sun? The angle of their shadows? The way the sun traveled over the course of the day? Or was it something else equally ubiquitous?

  The winds of the Saar were the only other possibility he could think of. Maybe there was a pattern in the wind’s direction.

  The theory was promising and so he tried to recall the moments where Nabil might have checked for the winds during the day.

  He was so caught up in the thought that he nearly missed the frantic scratching on his tent.

  “Emil?”

  The voice was muffled, but he heard it enough times to guess who it was.

  “Come in.”

  Anna stomped into the dwelling, arms hugging her chest as her body shivered uncontrollably. The night was unbearably cold.

  “T-Took you damn long enough! I thought I was going to freeze!”

  “Didn’t Inaya pack you a flint and stone?” he asked.

  “You think I can create a fire when my hands are shaking like this?!” Anna snapped, her teeth clattering. She stared at him, waiting in anticipation. “Well? Hurry up and make a flame already!”

  “Always so demanding,” he retorted, shaking his head with a smile. With a snap of his fingers, an orb of flame materialized into the palm of his hands. A soothing warmth soon permeated the tent against the chilly air of the Saar.

  “Thank you,” Anna groaned with relief as she soaked in the heat. Emil hadn’t realized how red her extremities were under the dim lighting.

  “Try not to catch a cold before the raid.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Wow, what great advice, genius. Why do you think I’m here begging for a flame?” She glanced around the tent. “Maybe I should just sleep here tonight.”

  “A little scandalous, don’t you think? Besides, it’ll be cramped. There’ll be no space for a firepit.”

  “Why do we need a firepit if there’s you?”

  “Because I need sleep too obviously.”

  She waved him off as though his problem was trivial. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” The next topic that she wanted to talk about wasn’t so trivial, however. “Speaking of figuring it out, what are we going to do about Kai and Liesel? If everything goes according to Nabil’s plans, the raid will take place tomorrow after sunset.”

  Emil let out a weary sigh. “Nabil knows about their predicament. We can only trust that he’s not going to misuse them. We still should have value to them as political hostages later on.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. Liesel does, obviously, as the daughter of House Belle. But the rest of us? We’re just nobodies.”

  “Then they better figure it out fast.”

  Liesel

  She sat on the sand, huddled in the corner of her tent before the illuminating flames of the firepit. The howl of the winds raged on in the background, sending biting frost into her back with every breeze through the thin slit at the tent’s entrance. It was painful, but she endured it. She was the Ice Maiden of Belle after all. A little bit of cold was trivial. And she needed the pain, if only to stir her survival instincts to come up with a solution out of her current predicament.

  “Done with the self-torture yet?” Kai asked, looking equally frustrated and confounded. He had been pondering the same issue of their Gifts with her for most of the day.

  “It’s just something to help me focus,” she spat through gritted teeth.

  Her Gharian classmate sighed in resignation. He was acting strangely cavalier about their situation. With a hand rested on his chin, he drew in the sand with a stick.

  “No amount of self-condemnation will bring Van back,” he muttered, reading her thoughts perfectly. He had to. He knew exactly what she was going through. Distress, for being unable to use her Gift to her full extent. Humiliation, for being forced to rely on others to do what she should have done for them. Guilt, for being the direct cause of Van’s untimely death. The two of them shared the sin of being weak.

  If she didn’t punish herself for this colossal failure, then she didn’t know how she could continue. The Ice Maiden of Belle was supposed to be indomitable. The Prodigy was supposed to rise to every occasion and overcome every challenge. She was supposed to be both. Instead, she was neither. She was weak and pathetic. And her lacking abilities led to the death of her superior. For Liesel, there was no greater shame.

  “Like I said, it’s just to help me focus,” she stubbornly claimed despite knowing that Kai had already seen through her.

  “Sure, whatever,” he said, dropping the unproductive talk as he continued to scribble into the sand, “Let’s go through what we know again.”

  The crux of their problem in the Saar was the climate. The Saar was dry and hot, a direct anti-thesis to the environment that enabled both of their Gifts. Kai controlled water. Liesel commanded ice. Both of them were spoiled by the temperate and moist air that permeated most of Ardair. The lack of moisture in the Saar was the crux of the issue. Liesel needed water and moisture to create ice. And Kai’s Gift was most effective when he had a source to manipulate.

  “To reiterate, my Gift is dependent on having access to sufficient ambient moisture or a source of water,” Liesel explained, “I can’t create ice without it. But you’re different. You don’t have that same restriction. You can actually weave mana directly into water.”

  The exact limitations and scope of influence for a Gift were unique to each Exalted. Everyone had their own rules. As a result, knowledge about the inner workings of a Gift were treated like intimate secrets. Exposing your limitations was akin to handing someone the instructions on how to kill you. It demanded trust. And given how Kai was training to be a knight of the royal family and Liesel was the daughter of the noble faction leader, they weren’t exactly in a position to entrust each other with their lives.

  Van’s death changed their minds.

  The stakes were getting higher. The Saar was more dangerous than they had initially thought. They could no longer afford to hold their friends back.

  “I’ve tried,” Kai said, shaking his head, “I’ve tried to create water. But it’s useless. The process is too slow and the volume that I can create right now is not practical for combat. My understanding of water is probably too rudimentary right now. If I could comb through the Consortium for materials, then maybe I can visualize a model that makes sense. But here we are, in the middle of this damn desert.”

  Liesel grimaced.

  Water.

  We just need water.

  Frustrated, Kai wrapped the tunic around his neck and threw it onto the ground. The cloth had darkened with sweat stains from the scorching trek.

  …Sweat?

  Liesel’s eyes widened at the revelation.

  There was technically water all around them. Inside their bodies. But it was dauntingly impractical to try and use the sweat of a person to create her ice, especially during the heat of combat. But sweat wasn’t the only liquid that a human body produced.

  “I’ve got a terrible idea.”