Kai

  Nothing was going according to plan.

  Kai shot a nervous glance at Anna and Liesel before steeling his nerves to join Inaya’s group at the entrance of mining cavern. They were being separated. Was this an intentional play on Nabil’s end? Either this was an unlucky coincidence or the Dhazara leader was shrewder than he appeared. Emil, on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten about the contingencies that they agreed upon as a group.

  After Emil became aware of Nabil’s intentions to use them to unify the Gharian tribes, they collectively decided that it was best they separate from the Dhazara. Being treated as political hostages was already bad enough as a deterrent, but none of them were compelled to fight a war that would help strengthen a potential Gharian rebellion. Ardair had enough to worry about as is with the growing fracture between the royal family and the noble houses and the incidents caused by Vigil. The last thing they wanted was to contribute to the escalating chaos.

  As a result, they had planned to escape from the Dhazara. During the journey to the Zal’Khari mines, Emil and Anna would focus on deciphering the Gharian’s secrets for navigating through the Saar while Kai and Liesel looked for methods to make their Gifts functional in the desert climate. Then on the day of the raid, the plan was to sip away during the chaos of the battle.

  What they didn’t expect, however, was for the Zal’Khari defense to be humiliatingly weak. The outcome of the raid was effectively determined before the battle started as Nabil’s Gift eviscerated the bulk of the Zal’Khari warriors on duty. It took more time rounding up the workers than taking down the defense. In the end, they never had an opportunity to escape from the Dhazara expedition.

  Now it was too late. Nabil had separated their group, making it impossible to coordinate an escape. Kai mulled the possibility of running away on his own, but quickly perished the foolish thought. There was no way. He would die before he even got close to Cereza. Not only was his Gift neutered by the Saar, but he also was severing lacking in resources and knowledge. Emil and Anna seemed to have figured something out when it came to navigating the sprawling desert, but they hadn’t had a chance to convene and share their findings. His pride would never let him admit it out loud, but he and Liesel were completely dependent on those two for everything.

  Kai glanced at Emil as the two of them joined Inaya’s group at the cavern entrance. Something had changed about his demeanor since the day started. His eyes were narrowed. His jaws locked. A subtle bloodlust lingered in his proximity. His hands were clenching in and out repeatedly as though itching for blood.

  He was looking more and more like the rumored depictions of a Steiger Cleaner.

  Kai clicked his tongue, recalling the Zal’Khari scouts that Emil had encountered in the earlier sandstorm. Their deaths were brutal. Limbs had been ripped apart. Flesh scorched till black. And the horrific expression permanently etched on their faces before their gruesome demise was difficult to watch.

  His friend was a monster.

  And he was out for revenge.

  Goddammit.

  The last thing their group needed was for their strongest member to drown himself in a revenge-fueled rampage. They should be looking for opportunities to escape. Survival, not vengeance, should have been their greatest priority, especially when both of them were possibly venturing deep into enemy territory. Kai could only hope that Emil would be able to rein in his desire for blood.

  Inaya quickly assigned the formation. There were four Exalted in their small group of twelve, consisting of him, Emil, Inaya, and one other Dhazara Exalted. The rest were Ordinary warriors. Kai suspected that part of the reason he had been selected to investigate the cavern was to keep Emil on a leash. It was humiliating, but he and Liesel were nothing more than liabilities right now.

  The inside of the cavern did little to change that, much to Kai’s dismay.

  The air was cooler, but remained dry. The dull hum of the Saar’s winds rumbled in the background even as they ventured deeper in, suggesting the presence of multiple air pockets hidden amongst the crevices. It meant they won’t suffocate at the very least.

  Unless Emil decides to go crazy and burn up all the breathable air.

  He stretched out his palms, trying to conjure a bubble of water from the ambient moisture. No use. The phenomenon stirred unsteadily before collapsing inwards and losing its integrity. It was a better outcome than being out in the desert, but it was still unusable in combat.

  The inside of the mining cavern was surprisingly devoid of people. Torches lined the walls. Rusted tools and rotten food littered the floor. Wooden and metal scraps were also scattered about, likely from containers used to carry ores that were broken off by repeated abuse. It was clear that this cavern saw regular activity. But somehow, they’ve encountered no one thus far.

  Kai was getting antsy.

  His nerves were veering on an edge, and they only got worse the further they ventured into the caverns. He was flinching at every disparate noise. The tensions on his mind and body were stretched taut and he almost begged for an encounter to relieve himself of the stress. The paths before them were beginning to branch off. Inaya always made them pick the one that saw the most foot traffic, judging by the imprints left on the ground. An encounter felt inevitable.

  Emil was at the vanguard. Kai was right behind him. His friend showed no signs of nervousness. His eyes were locked in a permanent glare as he scoured the surroundings with diligence. How was he not anxious? They were trekking into enemy territory, surrounded by dim lighting and long shadows that could hide an ambush at any moment.

  This cavern investigation was insanity. So many things could go wrong for them. The ceiling of the cave could collapse, trapping them all inside. The enemy could have surrounded them by now with all of the openings created by the branching paths. But no one seemed to be concerned. The Dhazara warriors moved forward in silence, alert with their battle-hardened eyes. Kai felt like he was going mad. Surely, he wasn’t the only one who was aware of all these dangers?

  Emil suddenly stopped.

  Kai nearly slammed into his back, startled by the abrupt pause. He fell into a battle stance, eyes narrowed as if expecting an enemy to appear at any second.

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  “What is it?” Inaya asked after a few seconds of nothing.

  “The ambient mana is rising,” Emil claimed.

  Kai concentrated on his Exalted senses. He felt it too. The air was suddenly sweeter and denser as though he was walking into a perfumed banquet hall. Only except the smell here was pleasant and subtle, unlike the pungent stench of the noble parties.

  “Stay alert. Keep your eyes and ears peeled. We should be close to the Azurite deposits now,” Inaya said.

  A bellowing groan suddenly rumbled across the cavern. The ground shook violently in response. Stones and debris stirred loose from the ceiling. Kai was nearly flung to the floor until he righted himself against a wall at the last second. The cave passage turned dark as some of the torches were snuffed out by the shaking.

  Then just as abruptly, the tremors ceased.

  For a moment, everyone was silent. Wide-eyed gazes darted the surroundings. Abated breaths waited for something to arise from the inexplicable tremors. A splinter. A fissure in the earth. A burst of mana. Something to explain what had just happened. Seconds turned into minutes, but nothing else occurred.

  Emil was the first to break the silence.

  “I think it’s fine to proceed.”

  “Any idea what just happened?” Inaya asked.

  “No, but it doesn’t seem like the cave is about to collapse. The foundations are sturdy. And I didn’t detect any abnormal fluctuations of mana.”

  Did he use Bulwark? Kai thought. If so, then he at least had some confidence that they weren’t going to be buried alive for the moment.

  “Let’s keep going then,” Inaya ordered. Kai swore he caught an audible quiver in her voice. “We’ll get out of the caves as soon as we have visual confirmation of the Azurite deposits.” The Dhazara warriors nodded in response. Their battle-hardened eyes suddenly turned meek.

  The caverns grew darker as they continued down. A bunch of the torches were knocked loose by the earlier tremors. The amount of branching paths increased. Choosing which way to go became more random than logical. To make it easier on their designated navigator who was tracking the paths that they picked, Inaya decided to stick with the leftmost leaning passage.

  Kai was about to enter the next set of tunnels when he caught a footstep to his right. It was unmistakable. He was aware of the incongruity immediately. He was behind Emil, occupying the rightmost flank of their formation. There should have no one to his right.

  As he turned, his eyes suddenly locked onto the silhouette of a Zal’Khari soldier. Underneath the darkness of the caverns, they hadn’t noticed each other’s presence until they were nearly face-to-face. Kai froze. His mind blanked at the unexpected encounter. His body felt stiff, heavy from the unbridled tension and frazzled nerves. It wasn’t until the Zal’Khari raised his weapon that he had the presence of mind to move.

  He reached for the canteen on his wrist. His fingers fumbled as he struggled to uncork the container to access his reserve of water. It was ridiculous. In his head, he cursed his incompetence as the Zal’Khari’s blades aimed for his neck.

  I should have reached for my dagger.

  A storm of bloodlust erupted from his left. Kai felt a wave of dread latch onto his back. A jet of flames streamed past his eyes. He winced at the heat before throwing his head to the side. The Zal’Khari’s blade stopped short just before it could pierce his skin. Instead, the enemy was falling onto their knees. Their weapons dropped. Their hands reached for their throats, drenched in flames. The scorching sizzle of flesh blared in Kai’s ears.

  Emil.

  His friend was suddenly in front of him. Before he could blink, the air was sprayed in blood. Blaze flickered occasionally, illuminating the space and unveiling the full extent of the violence. Three more Zal’Khari soldiers laid on the ground. Mutilated.

  Dead.

  Shit.

  Kai realized he was heaving. He had the presence of mind to grab his chest and stop himself from hyperventilating. He almost died. Emil saved him. He was sure of that. He couldn’t in good conscious deny what his friend did for him. But, the deaths. Oh, the gruesome deaths. The remains of the Zal’Khari soldiers no longer looked human. They were unrecognizable. Kai couldn’t help but be horrified.

  How? How was he able to kill so effortlessly? His movements were so mechanical and efficient. No hesitation. No wasted energy. Not a single flicker of emotion crossed his face as he sent his enemies to the afterlife. If he was bothered by his ruthlessness, he showed none of it. His expression was neutral. His gaze focused. Not a shred of remorse or horror at what he had just done. His breathing barely quickened.

  A killing machine.

  The fact that this was the same person who Kai plotted against in the Clash of Dawn seemed improbable. Kai joked with him. Got along with him. They were friends. Kai thought he understood a little bit of the enigma that was Emil.

  But not this.

  Just who was this monster in front of him?

  Maybe he was na?ve, but he struggled to believe that a person with humanity could produce the horrors before his eyes.

  Even the Dhazara warriors behind them were shocked. Jaws were dropped as they stared at the nauseating aftermath in disbelief.

  Inaya was the first to speak. “Let’s continue down this corridor.” She motioned towards the path where the Zal’Khari warriors had come from. Her face was paler than before. “Get ready to fight. We will likely have more encounters.”

  No one had the right mind to question her decision. Everyone was still too stunned by Emil’s savage takedowns. Kai felt a mixture of fear and awe from the Dhazara warriors. The eyes glancing at his friend was no longer one born from suspicion. The feelings were closer to veneration.

  It wasn’t long until they finally heard signs of Zal’Khari presence. Emil motioned for everyone to crouch. Voices echoed in the near distance. Azure light irradiated the end of the tunnel. The ambient mana climbed to a feverish concentration. Kai felt a breeze against his face. Slowly, he followed after Emil as they inched closer to the light.

  What the hell?

  They found themselves at the edge of a massive subterranean chamber. A quick scan of their surroundings suggested that at least a dozen of the branching passageways of the tunnels converged to this area. They were near the top level of several floors that winded down to the bottom in a spiral. Pockets of Azurite were scattered about, embedded in the walls of the cavern. But the bulk of the minerals were located at the bottom of the chamber.

  Inaya pushed beside the column and ended up beside them. Emil gestured at the bottom.

  Rows and rows of slaves were chained to their knees. Their hands were locked behind their backs. The bulk of the Zal’Khari warriors were present. Kai began counting their numbers before quickly giving up. There were at least a few hundreds of them inside the subterranean chamber. Half of them were at the bottom most level with the slaves. The other half spread out on the lower levels of the spiral. Somehow, the top level was unaccounted for.

  Those were probably occupied by the ones that Emil had killed.

  But why? Why were there so many slaves gathered here at the bottom? And why were they not mining? Kai felt like he was watching a strange ritual. It wasn’t until he saw one of the Zal’Khari walking down the rows of slaves with an Azurite stone in hand that he had an inkling of what’s going on.

  “They’re checking if any of them had Awakened,” Emil whispered.

  There was a leading theory that one of the requirements to undergo an Awakening was to be in the presence of mana.

  “But why?” Kai asked.

  “To eliminate any chance of an uprising,” Inaya answered, “The emergence of a single Exalted could change the power dynamics of this place.”

  As to confirm their hypothesis, one of the slaves suddenly had an adverse reaction to the stone. The Zal’Khari pounced on him immediately. Spears tore through his body as the slave went limp. The weapons were likely laced with Archanum to prevent retaliation. Without a word, the bloodied slave was dragged away.

  “So, what do you want to do?” Emil asked. His voice was quivering with anticipation. “We can ambush them now. All of them are confined in a single area. They don’t have the advantage of fighting inside a cave. We might be outnumbered, but we have four Exalted on our side.”

  Kai grimaced. He was hardly an Exalted at this point, but Emil more than made up for his lackluster fighting prowess. He wasn’t wrong. They could definitely seize the mine right now with a well-planned attack.

  Inaya frowned, weighing their options.

  As they were waiting for orders, the tremors resumed again.