VI – Obscured Clarity

Stunned silence blanketed the room, holding everyone still as sure as steel chains. Xia looked up at the ceiling. Earth’s Sin had ignited Sol III, taking with it its entire solar system and more. No one really knew what it was, or even remembered why it was called Earth’s Sin, at least not until Cerberus had come and explained the history. The Spherics found on Earth caused an entire arm of the galaxy to detonate before the chain reaction had run its course. Frighteningly, that power was what Tailz was after.

Danni and Fenix looked at each other. “I don’t understand,” Danni said. “Cerberus said it was because of people using machines to talk without speaking. He said they set it off.” She eyed Cerberus. “Right?”

Cerberus gazed back, considering. His face lifted, as if to speak, but then sighed. He watched Xia staring blankly up at the ceiling and kept silent.

Fenix’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him, and turned his head slowly to look at Cerberus. He spoke quietly. “Tailz.” When he saw the flicker of Cerberus’ eye, he continued. “Cerberus… is it true?” The Scout said nothing. “Tailz knows how to talk without speaking. That’s how he did it.” He stepped up to Cerberus. “Is that how you know? Did Tailz…speak to you?”

Just like that, Cerberus’ calm cool snapped. His arms lashed out, gripping Fenix’s jacket by the collars, and hefted him against the wall. “Damn you, I did not mean to! It was not supposed to happen!” His face was a mix of anger and terror. He shook Fenix against the wall. “I did not want it, you hear me! I did not want it!”

Deia stepped up and placed her hands on Cerberus’ arms. “It was not Fenix’s fault, Cerberus.”

Captain Ternagis approached Cerberus from the other side. “Put him down, boy.” He said sternly.

Growling slightly, Cerberus shot one final look at Fenix before letting him go, dropping his feet to the floor.

Fenix straightened his collar, but he was not done. “Tailz came here and took away so many of our friends. He slaughtered them, Cerberus. He turned our village into a squabbling mess struggling to survive.” Fenix’s eyes grew hotter with each word. “Then, you go out there and nearly take the rest of the village with that stunt of yours.”

“But,–” Cerberus began.

Fenix’s finger stopped him. “You are just as dangerous as Tailz. Do you even know what is going on? You could have killed people, Cerberus! Did you even think about what you were doing?”

The fire in Cerberus’ eyes burned, but he kept his fists balled at his sides. “I told you! I was not trying to do anything! There was so much left over energy from the Spheric, and I was studying it, trying to see if I could learn anything about it.” He stared at Fenix a moment longer, then dropped his eyes and looked away. He took a breath, and when he spoke again, it was somberly. “The more I focused on it, I started thinking I could hear it changing. As my scanner said it increased, I thought I heard it, like a higher pitched tone. The next thing I know…” He trailed off.

Fenix hmphed. “And what happens the next time?” Cerberus just stared at the floor. Fenix sighed, and crossed his arms. “Cerberus, it’s long past time for you to be gone.”

Danni gasped. “Fenix!”

“I’m sorry, Danni.” Fenix said, raising a hand to silence her. “We cannot have another Explosion. More than one hundred people died. And those were just the ones I could count.” Fenix shook his head. “You take your Earth’s Sin, and Spherics, and all your damned lost technology, and get out of Tel!”

Cerberus and Fenix stared at each other. Fenix breathed heavily, his face red with outrage. He stood poised on the balls of his feet, as if ready to strike at the Scout. The Captain stood next to Cerberus, his hands on his hips, but he said nothing. Silence blanketed the room again.

Then Danni whispered. “Cerberus did not mention Earth’s Sin. Xia did.”

Fenix’s mouth worked, unable to find words. Then he turned to Xia, eyes wide. Xia flinched as if he had been stabbed. “How…how did you know, Xia?”

Xia squeezed his eyes shut.

Fenix snapped his mouth shut, squeezing his fists together. He turned to face Cerberus, and then Xia again. He watched Danni, stroking Xia’s arm softly and biting her lip, and then the Captain, who stood there, waiting.

“Fenix… you said everything ended after I moved closer, but… I cannot explain it really.” Xia’s eyes opened again, still looking at the ceiling. “I just know, Fenix.”

Fenix turned his back on the room, and announced to the open doorway, “We cannot have another Explosion. We cannot risk losing more family.” He strode to the doorway and leaned against it. “Cerberus, you need to leave here. Xia–.” He hesitated once more, before standing straight again. “Xia. You should probably go with him.” Danni gasped again, and then Fenix disappeared down the hallway.

Danni stood up quickly, as if ready to follow after Fenix, then hesitated. She struggled visibly, looking between the open door and Xia, before saying, “Fenix! Xia… you know Fenix does not really mean that, right? I mean, come on.”

Cerberus replied to her first. “Fenix is probably right.”

Danni whirled to face Cerberus, but found herself stuttering, unable to say anything.

“What, Danni?” He said too calmly. “You want to say he is right, I should leave, and somehow leave Xia out of it. It’s obvious how you feel for the boy, but can you really do that?”

Danni squeezed her hands in fists in front of her waist, and her face twisted, partially embarrassed, partially furious.

“That’s quite enough.” The Captain finally chimed in. “Cerberus, suffice it to say, there is nothing here for you anymore. You should go. You still have your reasons for coming to Landing in the first place.”

Cerberus nodded, not looking at anyone, then pivoted sharply and stalked out the door.

Deia sighed and took everyone else in with a glance. “Cruel-hearted people.” She said quietly. “Like you have any better idea what’s going on than he does.” With that, she was gone too.

Ternagis sighed and approached the door himself. “Frankly, Xia, I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life. I could not say what I would do, if I were you.” He shrugged. “I know what kind of boy…” He nodded to himself, and corrected his words. “I know what kind of man you are. I’ll respect the choices you make. But, whatever you do, son, this is your town. You have people who love and respect you. In time,” he said, stressing that, “you will be accepted. Regardless of what happened yesterday.”

Like that, Danni and Xia were alone. Danni knelt at Xia’s bedside, and reached out to take his hand. Minutes passed as she sat there wordlessly, begging silently for him to look to her, to let out what he was feeling. She did not know anything to say, but she would not abandon him.

Xia eventually looked down at her hand on his, staring through it as if seeing nothing. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at her, his unshed tears glistening over his eyes as he gazed at her.

His eyes. She knew it for a mistake, and regretted it immediately. As he turned those sad eyes to her, she gasped, retracting her hands as if she was scalded. She fell back onto her bottom, and stared at Xia with a look of amazement.

Xia blinked, a tear forming at the corner of his eye. “What…?”

Composing herself, and berating herself internally, she calmly rose, dusted off her dress, and reached her hand out to Xia. “Come. Look.”

Xia gaped at her. Wiping his eye with the back of his hand, he extended the other to take Danni’s. Danni was surprised at how weak he was when she pulled him up from the bed. He really had exhausted himself, whatever he had done. Tossing that thought aside for the moment, she guided him, holding his hand delicately, as if too much pressure would cause him pain. Together, the pair of them crossed the room to the stand mirror leaned carefully against the wall. She drew him close to her, placing her arm around him, and when he looked at her questioningly, she made herself look into his eyes without flinching, and tightened her grip around him. Sighing, she said, more to herself than to Xia, “Okay. Here we go.”

She reached up and tilted the mirror forward. Xia looked at his face, bewildered, unknowing what he was looking for. Then he blinked, and leaned closer. “Wha–? How?”

Danni could not help flinching this time when his face turned to her, disturbed, looking to her for answers she did not have. He looked to her with those eyes, once a bright blue she had gazed lovingly into many times before, but now a deep misty gray that reminded her of a raging thunderstorm. She could only shake her head.

* * * * *

Danni could see the gathering mass blocking Tel’s front gate from down the street. Some were yelling and pointing at Cerberus and Deia. Several villagers brandished swords. Cerberus seemed unfazed, but Deia was bouncing on her toes. Another man shouted and Deia drew her dagger. The townspeople’s swords waved higher. Danni kept in step with Xia, staying a pace behind him.

Between the crowd and Cerberus stood Captain Ternagis, his sword sheathed and his arms crossed. No one dared to test the wall he created with his gaze, but the calling and insults continued.

As Xia approached, the crowd grew sullenly quiet. The looks on the townspeople’s faces grew less angry, replaced with sulkiness. Noticing the difference, the Captain turned to see what had gotten their attention. The swords remained raised, however. “Cerberus,” Xia said as he came within earshot, “what is going on?”

Cerberus nodded to the villagers. “Not everyone is happy just letting me leave.”

Xia frowned and moved beside the Captain. Danni followed silently. Ternagis spoke softly. “Cerberus was ready to leave without a word to anyone, when these folks stopped him. Guess they learned he was leaving.”

Xia sighed. “Fenix?”

Ternagis nodded. “He’s the only one who knew. I doubt he meant to cause this, but when I catch him, I’ll teach him to vent where others can hear him.”

Xia shook his head, one hand on his forehead as if nursing a headache. Raising his voice, Xia spoke to the crowd. “Has there not been enough bloodshed for one week?” Silence answered him. He waited, and when no one responded, he continued. “Fine then. Make way.”

“Are you really going to let him go?” someone asked. “After all he has done?” Several others agreed quietly. Danni put a hand over her face.

“And what is that he has done, precisely, Master Lants?”

The farmer answered loudly. “It’s because of him the Explosion happened.” More villagers agreed this time, not so quietly.

Xia’s mouth tightened. “Are you all so shallow as to believe that?” Stunned silence answered. He did not give anyone a chance to respond. “We have a method of dealing with crimes committed in our town, and mobbing is not one of them.” Several of the townspeople looked at the ground, abashed. “Also, I will remind everyone here that Cerberus was with me, outside of Tel, when the Explosion happened. He’s no more guilty than I am for it.”

The villagers looked up, uncertain, and several swords moved. Remembering yesterday’s events, Xia realized that might not have been the best choice of words, and quickly redirected their attention. “Danni, and Fenix too. If you believe us to be responsible, then surely they are too.” After that, several swords lowered. He thought he heard one slowly sheathe.

Letting out a breath, he relaxed visibly. “Now, all I see is an agitated gaggle of men and women who were attempting to assault an innocent man who has been helping us since the Explosion.” He pointed to a tall man in the crowd. “Gan, you especially. Cerberus lifted half a building to save your boy.” Xia’s hand moved again, quickly. “And you still have the use of your arm since he got you quick enough to Victor.” The remainder of the swords had been lowered, some townsfolk going as far as to hide them behind their backs. Xia nodded to himself. “Now move along. Or I’ll stick all of you in the cell. Regardless of how I have to pack you in there.”

Surprised faces blinked at Xia. Then they dispersed, everyone in a seemingly different and unrelated direction, as if they had coincidentally been walking by.

Xia shook his head and slumped, sighing. Danni smiled encouragingly at him, and he smiled briefly in return. Then, he turned back to Cerberus and Deia.

Cerberus watched impatiently as the gate cleared. “Can we leave now?”

“What?” Danni practically growled. “No thank you?”

Deia smirked. “Ha! All Xia did was save his own people. We would have been fine.”

Cerberus shook his head and raised a hand to calm Deia. “Still. Thank you Xia. Regardless, it is time for us to leave.” Looking between Danni and Xia, he noticed the packs on their backs similar to his own. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going with you.” Xia said at the same time Danni answered, “I’m going with Xia.” Xia and Cerberus looked to Danni, who blushed slightly.

“No. You’ll only slow us down.” Deia said. “We don’t need your help, and you’ll only get in our way.”

Xia stepped forward, staring Cerberus in the eye. “I am going.”

Cerberus’ eyes widened as he noticed the dim gray eyes he was looking into. Then he grunted and nodded. “Fine. But just so we’re clear, I know only just as much as you do.”

The women glanced at each other confusedly. Xia gazed a moment longer, noting that Cerberus’ own eyes had not changed from the deep brown they had always been. Then he nodded and stepped away.

A gruff call sounded from down the street, drawing everyone’s eyes. Fenix’s father was leading two horses by the reins, a bay and a sorrel. Xia strode to him and greeted him, taking the bay’s reins. Danni took the sorrel’s. She felt a small pang of regret that she was not bringing a decent dress, but she did not know how long she would be on horseback. Three more pairs of the soft riding pants she wore were in her pack. “Are you sure about this?” Coole asked.

Xia waved it off to avoid opening the discussion again. “Thank you, Master Down. I appreciate you taking care of things here.”

Coole shook his head. “It’s okay, boy. I cannot say I blame you. Personally, I think it’s a good idea to give everyone time to cool off a bit. Yesterday’s… well, yesterday was a lot for those of us who lost folks. People’s upset now, over everything.” He motioned to the crowd of people still moving away from the gate.

“Tell me about it.” Xia reached up and began buckling his satchel behind his saddle. Noticing the tuft of gray hair at the top of the bay’s black mane, he recognized the horse as one of the town’s stallions. Xia glanced back at the old builder. “Why Bluff, Master Down?”

Bluff snorted and tossed its head, as if it was offended at the question, then stepped back and forth in place. “Well, the geldings were all sent off with the runners, save Flametracer here.” Coole patted the other horse, a lighter sorrel. “The others are pullers, not fit for riding like that.”

Xia nodded and continued strapping down his pack. “What about the Council?”

“The Council, they stand behind you. Even Terov, through all the complaining that Danni was going with you.”

“Terov, huh?” Ternagis said thoughtfully. “Maybe Fenix is not as hot-headed as we thought.”

Coole almost sounded offended. “My boy may be rash at times, but he is hardly hot-headed.”

Ternagis just held his hands wide and shrugged.

“By the way,” Coole said to Xia, “These two, they are really what we have left. I don’t have more to spare for your friends.” Coole motioned to Deia and Cerberus.

Xia reached up and scratched Bluff behind its ear. The stallion nodded its head to the attention. “Well, we will have to double up.” Bluff turned its head and bared teeth, snapping at Xia’s fingers. Xia pulled them back quickly and chuckled before climbing into the saddle. “Bluff is a bit touchy today, but Cerberus can ride with me. Deia, climb on with Danni.”

Both women scoffed simultaneously. Xia sighed.

“How about I take the other horse, and Cerberus can ride with me.” Deia said.

“I think not!” Danni exclaimed. “Flametracer is mine. I’ll ride him, and Cerberus will ride with me.”

“Fine, whatever.” Deia said, and reached up to clasp Xia’s hand, helping her into the saddle behind him.

Danni frowned when Deia put her arms around Xia for balance, and suddenly regretted not letting her ride on Flametracer. She opened her mouth to call her down, and then smartly snapped it shut. She realized that anything she said now would just sound silly; after all, it was her idea that Deia ride with Xia. She had no choice but to silently turn and set about packing her saddle, albeit furiously.

Bluff had other plans. Xia had ridden Bluff on several occasions, rarely, but enough for the stallion to recognize him. Deia had barely gotten settled on before the bay reared up, landed, and reared again. Both Xia and Deia were tossed from the horse onto the flats of their backs. Xia had to roll swiftly to prevent a hoof from landing on him.

Coole leaped forward. He spoke firmly and calmly, telling Bluff to calm down. The stallion stepped in place, snorting, but did not move back from Coole’s approach. Coole grasped the reins and put a hand on the animal’s snout to calm it.

“A bit touchier than normal?” Ternagis asked.

Xia shook his head, coming to his feet. “Just restless.” Bluff was usually out on one of the larger pastures, getting plenty of running time, not counting when it was ridden. But in the days following the Explosion, it had mainly been restricted to the pickets at the edge of the village. The horse was restless and eager to be in the open.

Danni openly smiled at Deia peeling herself off the ground, her light cotton clothes covered in a firm layer of fresh dirt. Deia glared at her while she dusted herself, prompting Danni to cover her mouth with one hand. “Well, perhaps that was not such a great idea. I guess you’ll have to ride with me.”

Cerberus approached Flametracer and buckled his pack behind the saddle. Flametracer just looked back at him and blinked, not at all bothered by Bluff’s outburst.

Coole wiped a kerchief on his forehead. “Well, I suppose we could saddle one of the mares. They’re just not used to riding. They haven’t been properly sacked out yet.”

After Cerberus finished, he checked the straps, then turned and walked to the gate. “That will not be necessary, Master Down. Xia can ride the darker horse, and Deia and Danni will ride the red one.”

“The red one?” Xia asked, looking at Flametracer. “Cerberus? Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

“Secretly travelling from planet to planet for covert insertion missions, it is not a skill that comes up a lot.”

Xia nodded. “No. I suppose not.” He sighed. “Cerberus, we do not have much of a choice at this point; it will simply be faster on horseback if we are going to catch up to Tailz.”

Cerberus looked back at Xia. “It will not be necessary. Just keep up.” Cerberus turned and trotted out of the gate.

Confounded looks were exchanged between everyone. Coole scratched his head. “How does he reckon…?” Then his jaw dropped. Cerberus never stopped increasing speed. His legs pumped solidly and steadily, and before long, had to be running as fast as Bluff at full canter. “I’ll be damned…” The Scout was already a speck down the road.

Danni stared so wide-eyed that she did not notice Deia tugging at her pant leg. Blinking herself back to where she was, she reached down and pulled Deia up behind her. Then, Danni grinned. “Don’t fall off.” She kicked Flametracer off swiftly, and Deia barely got her arms around Danni in time. Danni laughed as she heard Deia growling into her back. She glanced back, and saw Xia and Bluff trotting to catch up.

“You take care, boy!” Coole called behind them.

Ternagis roared. “You come back safe, you hear me?”

* * * * *

The cart rumbled along the cobblestone road. Tailz grit his teeth. Who builds roads with countless rocks? And then run wheeled carriages over them! Growling to himself, he regretted the decision to not get out and walk when they reached Srynn. He held onto the carriage’s windowpane with one hand. He found it easier to ride that way, otherwise, he was bucked around the wooden carriage enough to lose a tooth. His other hand unconsciously touched the pouch he sewed into his cloak to carry the Spheric. After what they had seen it do back on the highway, he did not trust the idiots driving the carriage to not steal it.

Before too long, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of a building that was larger than most of the houses and shops they had passed on their way here. The largest fool himself, caped in his slick golden tassels and open cloak, stood at the large metal gate of a low wall that encircled decent sized grounds surrounding the building. Gregori Mensch, at first a sniveling coward, became quite a faithful hound after the demonstration of his phasic rifle and the promise of more extravagant power to come.

The carriage’s side door was opened by the lesser of the two morons he had traveled here with. Skippy was the ugliest creature Tailz had ever seen, but he was not dim. Fortunately, being small gave him a healthy fear Tailz used to motivate him. Normally, Skippy could rely on his large strong-arm friend, Jif, when muscle was needed, but Tailz was one man that Jif refused to come close to. As Tailz stepped out of the carriage and stretched, he glanced at the heavyset man tending to the horses. Jif flinched as he noticed Tailz looking at him, and tried to ignore it. Tailz shook his head and turned his attention to the aforementioned fool.

Mensch nodded briefly, a sign that he still considered Tailz an “equal.” To Tailz, this did not much matter, so long as he remained useful. Besides, the “Lord” bowing to some random stranger would make people ask questions.

Along that train of thought, Tailz swept his own graceful bow. “Good morning, Lord Mensch,” Tailz said with a smirk.

The fool blinked in surprise before pretending to take it in stride. “Welcome, Master Tailz.” He held an arm wide, directing Tailz up the path from the gate. “I hear you found what you were looking for.”

Tailz nodded. “So you met Tel’s runner. She passed us out on the road, driving her animal like mad.” He glanced back at Mensch. “We did not pass her coming back. What happened?”

“An unfortunate coincidence. Being an official from Tel, the guards let her pass.” He grumbled to himself. “Although they were told not to let anyone pass. Regardless, the villages are warm to one another, and when they heard of a…disaster…in Tel, they saw no reason not to let her in. She came into the Srynn Hall and witnessed my in-depth motivating of Mayor Taugen.”

Tailz growled quietly.

“What would you have me do? I could not very well let her leave at that point. I decided to hold her for now until I figure out what to do with her.” Mensch nodded to himself as they approached the Srynn Hall.

“Well, leave her for now. She may prove useful. Cerberus and very likely others from that village are coming this way.”

Mensch stopped at the large double doors. “This way? So soon?”

Tailz nodded, remembering the memories he had felt during his dream encounter with Xia and Cerberus. “Let’s just say things have not gone completely according to plan.” Tailz was unsure how Cerberus had salvaged enough of the Terra Prime to devise a makeshift phasic scanner, but even so, the blasted girl from Metson had witnessed him leaving Tel, and there was only one road south. That experience with the Spheric had been more than helpful, revealing to him everything he needed to know about Cerberus’ plans so far on Landing. “We just have to use this to our advantage. I was hoping to be without his interference for a while, but it just means we will have to handle him first.”

“What is your plan?”

“Have some men patrol the gates, keeping an eye out for Cerberus and Xia. There may be others, but those two, I know are coming.”

* * * * *

Xia set the pace for the ride south. Or rather, he tried to. When he rode Bluff in the past, it was because the horse loved to just run. If it was not taken out for occasional rides, it would get testy around the handlers, so it was saddled and just let to run to its content, sometimes galloping straight for a few hours before it would let itself be walked back. At that pace, Bluff would not make it to Srynn, but it was that pace that Bluff kept trying to push to. Especially if Flametracer got too close. After the first hour or two, he found that if he kept well enough ahead of Danni and Deia, Bluff stopped trying so hard to outrun the sorrel.

He kept the horses at a fast trot. With two riders on Flametracer, it was harder than the horse was used to, but it seemed able to keep it up. He had told Danni to keep an eye on it, and to just slow if the horse needed it.

The water sources up and down the highway to Srynn were well known, so Xia was able to gauge their speed to where they would stop to rest. They would be able to travel three, maybe four, hours before the horses would need to water and rest.

At their first stop, Xia stretched his legs and promptly tied Bluff down near the creek where he could watch him drink. After the clopping of hooves for several hours, the quiet was welcome. Then, Danni and Deia caught up on Flametracer.

Deia barely waited for Danni to halt the horse. She promptly jumped off its back and swung around, pointing a hand at Danni. Her face was contorted in anger, near purple. “Are you purposefully trying to shake my brains off?”

Danni climbed down, and put her hands on her hips, leaning forward. It was the stance Xia had seen many times before, when Danni was brooking no nonsense. “What ever are you talking about? Have you ever ridden double before? It’s harder in back.”

“Don’t insult me! You forget, my father was Master Farmer in Metson, just like yours in Tel. I’ve been on the back of enough horses, and none tried to shake my eyes out of my head!”

“Come oooon!” Danni stamped a foot. “If I wanted to shake your eyes out, I’d do it myself!”

“Oh yeah?” Deia retorted. “You’d get a pretty black eye for trying!”

Xia approached the two. “Listen, you two…”

Two pairs of eyes swung hotly in his direction. Two voices sounded simultaneously. “Stay out of this Xia!”

Xia sighed. “I’d love to but…” He motioned in the direction of the creek. Flametracer had noticed the water and walked over, but Bluff was snapping at the other horse with teeth bared each time Flametracer got close to the creek.

Danni squeaked, and ran to regather her reins.

Xia called after her. “Take him further up the creek.” Deia chuckled at Danni scurrying after her horse, until Xia turned on her. “Do you want to walk?”

Deia pouted. Deia! She even showed lip! Xia threw his hands up and turned back to Bluff, sighing. “Grab something to eat from the saddlebags. We leave in an hour.”

At their second stop, Xia announced they would stop for the night.

Danni squinted at the sun low in the sky. “We could get two more hours, Xia. We have not caught up to Cerberus yet.”

Xia growled as he explained that the next water source lay further than that, and he wanted to rest the horses fully because tomorrow would be a full day of riding, sun up to sun down. “Besides,” he said, motioning to the saddlebags, “Cerberus will come back when he’s hungry.”

Before long, the horses were tied down next to the small pond, and the three of them sat around a fire, sharing the salted beef they had brought along. They had brought two watercases. One sat between Danni and Xia, the other next to Deia on the other side of the campfire.

Other than the initial conversation upon arriving, no one had said a word. Danni and Deia apparently were not talking, and Xia was not sure what to say to break the silence. He was thinking of something to lighten the mood, when Danni spoke first.

“What exactly happened, Xia?”

Xia looked at Danni. “When?”

“You were knocked unconscious, then you wake up and tell us that Tailz is after the power of Earth’s Sin. How did you know?”

Xia looked at Danni, and then at Deia, who was looking back at him curiously. Sighing, he leaned back, and told them. He told them about his dream that was not a dream. How he saw and felt Tailz’s and Cerberus’ memories and emotions. He told them about the strange cave he had seen, and how Tailz and Cerberus were ready to kill one another. He spoke of the strange panther-cat that had stopped them. When he told them of the Seeker, with the color-changing eyes, Danni moved nervously. “Do you think she had anything to do with it?” He asked her, motioning to his own eyes.

“I don’t know, Xia.”

They sat in silence for a short time, the fire crackling loudly. Bluff snorted behind them.

“How do you know it was not just a dream?” Danni asked.

Deia answered for him. She said it sadly, not a trace of the earlier hostility present. “Cerberus told me the exact same thing. He had the same dream, and just like Xia, he knew it to be true.” She lowered her eyes. “I am not sure… but, I think he was scared. I’ve never seen him scared.”

Xia nodded. “I can still feel some of their memories as if they were my own.” He put a hand to his head. “It is hard to tell a few of them apart, sometimes.”

No one spoke after that. Danni looked at him worriedly. He could not blame them. What do you say to that?

Before too long, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Deia suggested that they get some sleep, and volunteered to watch for bandits.

“Bandits?” Xia asked. “On the highway?”

Deia’s mouth tightened. “I’m not finding us living in a peaceful world anymore, Master Mayor.”

Remembering her encounter on her way from Metson, Xia relented. “Alright. Do not stay up too late.” Deia half-smiled and nodded.

* * * * *

“They’ve got to be in here somewhere.” Sam placed the lantern on top the cellar table and moved a stack of boxes. They landed on the ground with a wooden smack. His son, Xia, was doing his best to help, but he could barely lift the lids of the wooden boxes, much less the boxes themselves. “If we don’t find those deeds, old man MacSendin and Coole will be arguing about the borders of their plots until they forgot what it was they were arguing about.”

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing, Father?”

Sam smiled. “It’s a figure of speech, son. It means they will be wasting so much valuable time arguing instead of doing their respective jobs, that the argument will only hurt them when they could be more productive.”

Xia nodded. His father always described things in ways that benefited the whole village. He was the Mayor, after all. It amazed him how his father managed to logically describe everything. Even the reason he had to eat his vegetables each night was somehow tied to the productivity of the village, though Xia was still trying to figure a way around that one.

Sam lifted the lid of another box, and stopped, peering into it. “Well, I’ll be.”

Xia peeped into the box. “What is it, Father?”

“It’s… it’s the box with your mother’s things.”

Saddened by the sudden mention of his mother, Xia looked gravely at the contents of the box. Sam reached into it, and pulled out a small tarnished box. Pulling it open, he smiled, looking into it. “What’s that, Father?”

Sam pulled a small glass ball from the box, and held it in his hand to show Xia. “It was a gift your mother and I received a long time ago. A trinket like no other I’ve ever seen.” Sam held the small orb up to the light and squinted through it. It was so clear, as if it were made from liquid, colored deep crimson. “It meant a lot to us.”

“Oh.” Young Xia sighed. “Is that why you put it away too?”

Sam squeezed the orb in his hand and sighed. “This, and so many other things I could not stand to look at any more when your mother died.” He shook his head. “It is sad, really. I’ve got so many things to remember her by, and I can’t bear to look at them for too long.”

Xia frowned sadly. “Mother never gave me anything to remember her by.”

“Well,” Sam smiled, “we can’t have that now, can we?” Sam reached his hand out with the orb nestled in his palm. “Why don’t you have this? I’m sure your mother would approve.”

Lighting up visibly, Xia snatched the orb from his father’s hand. He grinned as he held it close to him. “I will take good care of it!”

Sam patted him on the back. “Why don’t you put it someplace safe, while I keep looking through these boxes?”

Xia nodded, and turned to bound away.

He froze at the door, looking down.

“What is it, son?” Sam asked, placing the cover back on his late wife’s box and putting it aside.

The child turned around very slowly, his hand held out in front of him. The orb lay in it. It shined, giving off its own light independent of the lantern on the table. “Look at it, Father!”

“What..?” Sam could only stare at the little orb in his son’s hand. “It’s never done that before.”

“I think… I think its getting warm.”

“Warm?”

“Yes. Warm.” Xia’s eyes widened, and he drew his hand in quickly, dropping the orb to the floor. “No! Hot!” It rolled on the floor, resting under the table as Xia nursed his hand.

Reaching under the table, Sam poked at the glass ball. The light had started fading as soon as it had hit the ground, and it was as cool as it was when he himself had been holding it. Baffled, he lifted it from the floor, and sure enough, the wooden plank beneath it held a round indentation: a burn mark.

Xia frowned. “I’m sorry, Father… I didn’t mean to…”

Sam waved his hand at his son. “Its okay, boy. It isn’t your fault. Though, this thing may be more than what it seems.” Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he dropped it into a stone case on one of the shelves and closed it tight. “I’ll have to speak to Lord Mensch and see where he obtained it from.” He shook his head. “Fascinating.”

“Maybe we should put it back for now, Father.”

Sam nodded. “Good idea.” He picked up the small box and placed the orb back into it.

Xia turned his head. A woman stood in the doorway, leaning on a staff taller than she herself was. She seemed friendly, familiar. Oddly, she was dressed in a deep blue uniform he had never seen before. She looked down at the boy, and smiled sweetly. Then, her bright blue eyes turned deep crimson.

Xia awoke with a start, panting, and put a hand to his head. Looking around, he was still in his bedsack, and the sun had not quite reached the horizon yet, though daybreak was close. Deia lay sleeping in her sack, and Danni stood next to Flametracer, stroking his snout with one hand, and running a brush through her hair with the other. Bluff stood, head down, drinking from the pond.

Rising, Xia stepped carefully over Deia, and went to Danni. “You did not wake me to take a turn at watch?”

Danni looked at him and smiled. “We decided not to wake you. Deia and I, we had a nice chat about you and Cerberus. We are worried about you two.” She sighed. “Deia was beside herself, because Cerberus did not come back last night.”

Xia blinked. “Does she care about him that much?” He thought for a moment. “Is Deia in love with Cerberus?”

Danni’s smile melted away. “Why is it men always assume that when a woman cares for someone that it is always romantic?”

Xia’s mouth worked. “But I thought… that you two talked… that it was the same…” He cleared his throat, and blushed. “Because, I mean, not the same, I don’t think you do, I mean, me…” He trailed off.

It was Danni’s turn to stutter. “Well, no, kind of… not exactly…” She stared at his gray eyes, her mouth unable to make noise. Then, her face flushed deeply, and she pointed a finger at him. “Damn you… you… man!” Then she turned and stalked off to her bedsack, and started packing her things.

Xia frowned, and spoke quietly, “What did I say?” Flametracer snorted and shook its head.

As they rode, Xia looked back at Danni and Deia from time to time, finding them talking, or as much talking as two people can do from horseback at a fast trot. It was still imperative that they get to Srynn and find out where Tailz went from there. He reached down and patted Bluff; the horses were doing exceptionally well. Bluff still wanted to break out into a gallop from time to time, but after riding yesterday, he had run out a bit of his pent-up energy, and was less pushy. He still had to keep a lead over Flametracer, a move Xia regretted as he looked back at Danni and Deia laughing. What were they talking about?

At the first resting spot, Xia tied down Bluff for a drink, and when he bent upright from tying off the hobble, he heard the women laughing. Looking behind him, he saw the two of them looking at him. “What?”

“You better check that hobble, Xia.” Danni said with a smile.

Xia frowned and bent down to look at the hobble. “Looks fine to me, why…”

The laughter started up again, and this time he caught part of it. “…nice bottom…”

He blushed furiously and stood completely erect. “The hobble is fine.” He said, then turned and walked thirty paces down the creek, trying to get out of earshot.

The next leg of their ride, he was more than happy to keep Bluff further ahead.

At their second stop, after announcing this rest would be for two hours instead of one, he purposefully took Bluff to the other side of the pond before stopping and tying the horse down.

After pushing the horses all day, Xia gave them the extra rest, and, as the evening came on them, he slowed the trot down. They were getting closer to Srynn, and the horses deserved the break after getting them down here so quickly.

As dusk deepened, Xia saw a man far down the highway. Slowing to a halt, he waited for Flametracer to catch up.

Danni slowed the horse as she came close to Xia. “Is there a problem?”

“Just someone on the road. Better careful.” Xia replied. Danni and Deia nodded in agreement. “I’m going to go on ahead, watch for me to wave to you if it is okay.”

“Xia.” Deia said, tossing him her dagger. “You did not bring a sword.”

Xia caught the dagger, and nodded thanks. He booted Bluff forward.

His mind went through a number of possibilities that made his hand sweat in grasp of the dagger. He almost laughed at himself once as he thought of fighting Tailz with just a dagger, and then he did laugh at the thought of Tailz just showing up on the side of the road. He somehow doubted it was Tailz’s style.

Then he stopped laughing as he realized: he knew it was not Tailz’s style. Grumbling to himself, he tucked the dagger under his belt and trotted on.

Still, he was still relieved when he got close enough to see Cerberus’ face. Shaking his head and smiling, he slowed and turned in his saddle to wave at the women, who started towards him.

“I’m glad to see you are being careful.” Cerberus said.

Xia walked Bluff close to Cerberus and dismounted. “How is this even possible? I pushed the horses as hard as I dared, Cerberus, and we never saw you.”

Cerberus stood with his arms crossed. “You caught up to me around the time you stopped for the night. I’ve shadowed you since then.”

“What? Why?”

“In case Tailz or his bandits showed up, then we would have an advantage of surprise.”

“Oh.” Xia blinked. “Wait? You kept up with the horses the whole way?”

Cerberus nodded as Flametracer rode up with Deia and Danni. “Cerberus!” Danni called, waving. “We were worried about you last night, when you did not come back.” Danni halted the horse on the other side of the road from Bluff, and the pair of them dismounted. Xia pulled the dagger from beneath his belt to hand back to Deia, but seeing her furious face focused on Cerberus, he decided against it.

Cerberus looked at Deia questioningly. “Wh–” He was cut off by a full-armed slap.

Deia pulled back, shaking her hand. “That was for disappearing.” Turning away, she walked back to Danni, and the pair of them moved closer to Flametracer.

Xia could not help but chuckle at the absolutely stunned face Cerberus wore, one hand clapped over his cheek. “Never been slapped before either, huh?” Cerberus just looked at Xia, blinking. Xia smiled and waved a hand. “Yeah, I know, not a skill that comes up a lot.”

Cerberus took his hand off his face, and looked at it, as if looking for blood. He blinked again, then turned to Xia, who was still smiling. “Well. The reason I came back to get you. Tailz is in Srynn.”

All other thought went out the window. Deia swung around and came back to the men, and Danni was a step behind her. “Tailz is still here?” Deia asked.

Cerberus nodded. “I am picking up both the Spheric and Tailz’ rifle in the center of the town.”

“What do we do?” Xia asked?

Cerberus motioned at the increasing darkness. “We stay hidden. Go through the town gate, go south two streets, then turn left and head east two more. There is an inn there called Daggerpoint, take two rooms in it.”

Xia put up a hand. “Wait. I’ve been here before. Why not just stay at King Faerth’s Inn, next to the gate?”

Cerberus replied, “Because it’s next to the gate.”

Xia blinked. “You were already in the town? What if you were seen?”

“I was not seen. I climbed up the wall and stayed out of sight. Now, do as I asked. Head straight to Daggerpoint. It is not yet late enough that your arrival would cause any more comment than anyone else. I’ll catch up to you before morning.” At Deia’s dangerous glance, Cerberus put up his hands. “I promise.”

“Where are you going?”

“Tailz’s craft is a mile or so back, and I want to see what I can figure out while he’s not with it.”

“You found his craft?” Danni asked excitedly.

Nodding, Cerberus reached into his pocket, and took out his scanner. “You go on, I’ll be there later.” With that, Cerberus trotted north, the darkness quickly hiding him.

Xia all but leaped into his saddle. “Come on, I would love to get out of the saddle and into a bed tonight.” Deia and Danni agreed, and climbed onto Flametracer.

Darkness fell quickly enough that the horses had to be kept at a slow walk. It would do them no good to ride them into a small hole and possibly injure a leg. Danni and Deia were discussing the prospects of a nice hot bath, but Xia could not get Tailz out of his mind.

Tailz was in Srynn, and they were going to waltz right in. Somehow, he just did not feel as safe without Cerberus there. It was at this moment, that he regretted not bringing a sword. He had chosen not to bring one, because he was not a hero, and he was not going to fight against Tailz. He just had questions he needed to find answers to, and he felt sticking close to Cerberus might get them answered. Looking back at Danni on her horse, he cursed at himself. He decided he would go to a smithy’s in the morning and purchase one for himself.

Soon, some time after full dark, they arrived at the closed gate of Srynn, a large metal set of double doors set into the white wall that surrounded the town. They presented themselves to the men on duty, in the green uniform of Srynn’s Guard.

“Xia Townsend,” Xia replied to the question of their names, “Mayor of Tel. This is Danni Lants, and Deia Vengen. We’re going in for the night.”

The two guards glanced at each other before nodding at Xia. The first man wrote their names on a small tablet he held for that purpose. The other turned, and pounded on the gate, three hard times. “Open the gate!” Then the two Guardsmen moved away from the gate as someone inside turned the crank to start it opening.

Xia waited calmly as the gate slowly turned open. He wondered what kind of hilt to get for his new sword. His father’s sword had been shaped with a falcon’s head on the hilt, with two small emeralds for eyes. Thinking softly, he began to wonder what had happened to it. His father used to keep it up on a stand behind his desk. Xia frowned. It was probably obliterated along with everything else.

Suddenly, Xia felt it clearly as a biting cold wind.

Ready… Just wait for the gate to open…

Startled, Xia glanced to his left to see that the guards had not only moved out of the way of the out-swinging gate doors, they also had quietly started to circle to their sides. They were being flanked. “Run!” Xia cried, and waved at Danni and Deia. They hesitated, confused, and before Xia could move, three men rushed out through the narrowly-opened gates. Bluff reared up, crying in shock, and Xia was again thrown from his horse’s back.

On instinct, he rolled to his left to avoid any danger of being kicked by his own horse. Coming to a stop, he saw the first guard, having dropped his writing tablet, reaching down for him. Xia kicked out, catching the guard squarely in the kneecap. The guard cried in pain and leaned forward. Xia kicked out again, sweeping the man’s feet from under him, and the guard fell onto his face.

Leaping up, he tried looking for Deia and Danni, but jumped back at the hands of another man snatching at him. As the man ran to catch him, Xia dropped to one knee, swinging his arms low as if he held a sword. Without the blade, it would not hurt as much, but it was still an effective move. His hands clasped together, he hit the approaching man’s armored shin sideways, knocking him off balance. Xia followed up by springing up with his fist, catching his attacker under his chin. With a half-strangled grunt, the guard fell backwards.

Breathing hard, he frantically searched for Deia and Danni. They were off their horse, Danni half-ducking behind Deia, and the other two Guardsmen who had emerged from the gate were slowly moving towards them. The final guard, the one who had pounded on the gate in the first place, was already on the ground sporting a bloody nose. Blinking, he realized Deia did not have her dagger out. Touching his waist, Xia remembered that he had not returned it. Pulling the dagger and its sheathe out, he flanked the guards and ran at them while their attention were on the women.

Passing the gate, Xia cried loudly, and the two men looked his way. Simultaneously, Xia threw the dagger to Deia and leaped forward. At the last moment, he kicked a foot out, taking one man in the ribs, and drove him to the ground.

Deia caught the dagger, and unsheathed it. She stretched her arm out, slashing at the guard. The man ducked and swooped, watching the dagger point carefully. He watched her methodically, and starting blocking her thrusts, throwing an arm to catch her wrist as she attempted to slash him. The guard smiled at her, as if mocking her childish fighting form. Then he frowned as Deia smiled back.

As the next parry hit her wrist, Deia opened her hand and released the dagger. She dropped to one knee and caught the dagger pointed upwards. Before he could react, Deia sprang forward, driving the hilt into the guard’s throat. “Ha ha!” She growled victoriously.

Xia gaped at the look on Deia’s face as she drew back her dagger. “Deia! None of them had pulled blades, they were not trying to kill us! I wanted you to get away, not kill him!”

Deia pointed and started to say something, but her words were swallowed by darkness as something bashed the back of his head.