Without guards coming in frequent intervals, time slipped away. Ohacha sat in total darkness. No one came to replace the candles that once lit the dark corridors outside his cell. Neither did they bring more food or water. His stomach groaned at the mere thought of the bland porridge served prior. Thirst made his throat sticky.

Patzau Minoc’s visitor was the last person to descend into the deep bowels of the fortress. It had been silent silence then. How long has it been? Three days? Ohacha wasn’t sure any more. The crawl of time twisted into disorienting emptiness. When left with nothing but time, only thoughts remain. Anxieties crawled their way in, eating away at them. He had been abandoned, again. Left to die in darkness. Forgotten in the depths of this terrible place.

Ohacha felt confident Minoc’s visitor had been Patzau Ashill. It was strange to think of her as Yuromi’s mother. The Patzau had a similar timbre to her voice, one that felt familiar. Yet at the same time it was distinct; hoarse, older, sadder. Maybe even a little melancholic, although perhaps he was projecting that feeling on to her words. She had come late into the night. It had been long after their evening meal, back when they still came, and Ohacha had listened with interest to their conversation. She had come seeking answers, and Minoc had woven her a tale so grandiose, Ohacha found it hard to comprehend it all. The big Patzau spoke in Tralang and had lost his jubilant vibrato. He too sounded tired and diminished.

When he finished, the voice in the darkness echoed his disappointment. “It seems I’ve fallen into the same trappings.” She sighed heavily, “Always making promises outside the council chambers. Promises and trust and the guise of improvement.”

“In the beginning, it was the same for me” Mellen explained. “And for a while, I played along. But I don’t blame you. Yours has always been the most precarious position.”

“What changed?” she asked. Ohacha leaned closer to his cell door to listen.

“I stopped believing what I was being told and started looking for the truth” Mellen answered. He explained how, years ago, a pair of newly promoted bankers from Powanati’s guild had discovered accounting errors. Funds disappearing. Miscounts on ledgers. Errors that, when raised to their seniors, were first ignored, then stonewalled, then disciplined for. With nowhere to turn, they agreed to go to Yohati’s auditors. The banker who went died unexpectedly that same night in a mugging. “That was when I first heard about it” Mellen admitted. “The remaining banker fled the city. I sailed to Juking to meet her. I heard the whole story from her, and then came back to look into it myself. I already had my network of spies and so it wasn’t too difficult to collect rumours. Everything I’ve collected on accounting errors is hidden in a false drawer inside my kitchen cabinet. Left hand side, under the bowls, there’s a hidden latch. Inside are copies of the account notations on parchment dating back years.”

“Why didn’t you bring this forward to the council? Yanata asked.

“The council is behind this” Mellen explained. “I only ever found proof against Powanati and Hadashenta, but those two were paying bribes to Adagizhi and Onudar. I always suspected Yohati was either involved or willing to turn a blind eye. Regardless, that’s majority. I needed more evidence and I needed more support.”

“And instead, you got caught.”

“No,” Mellen scoffed. “I’m not that stupid. I got bolder and that was enough. But there’s one more thing I found. Not only were taxes disappearing from accounts, extra money has been flowing into our friend’s pockets. Careyago eyes are upon our city. Their influence in our politics has risen. Money, favours, business. Their current Emperor is an expansionist. Ju-Nayo, the Aandarri, the Ohegan Sea Kings, the Thalang, the Mar. They’re at constant war, rotating peace treaties and hostilities like a gambler rolling dice. The City States across the isles don’t facilitate enough trade to feed the empire’s hunger. With the Great Turtle Sea and its many storms and the Ohegan raiding trade from the north, Caso has become the last bastion with which the Careyago can import goods from the far east. It is the emperor’s prerogative to ensure this final door remains open, at any cost.”

She hadn’t asked any more questions after that. She seemed to simply stew over his words, as did Ohahca. He suspected Minoc knew he was listening and intended some of what was said for him. And though Ohacha had overheard the entire conversation, Minoc’s final words resonated most deeply, “The course to righteousness is headed by knowledge, navigated with patience, and captained by trust. Seek truth above all else, be patient in its pursuit, and trust that the right path, however arduous, will ultimately reveal itself. Remember me when I’m gone.”

As Ohacha awoke the next morning and an unsettling silence lingered. It took a long time for him to realize that no one had come to relight the candles. No one had come to bring breakfast. No one remained to share his dark prison. As the silence deepened, so too did Ohacha’s despair. He clung to the small misguided hope that this was all a mistake and a misunderstanding. That help might come. That for the first time, he understood his enemy’s weaknesses. Minoc had laid it all bare for him.

Days passed until the next time guards appeared. A group nosily descended into the deep dungeons. Their candles drifted through the darkness and light poured in through the small window of Ohacha’s cell. It stirred him from his numb stillness. The murmur of Casoyan voices and the clicking of a key indicated they had come to Minoc’s cell. It opened and all hell erupted. Shouts and anger. Voices spoke over one another. It took Ohacha a long time listening to figure out that Minoc’s absence days prior wasn’t planned. He was already gone.

Elvi Batari sat alone in her office. She had reports to complete but had too much nervous energy to finish them. The tense quiet after last nights fires and fighting was too much to handle. There had been no command to fight the fires or provide aid to the people still inside Mudtown. Nor did she expect such an order would be followed after the skirmishes inside led to scores of dead amongst the guild’s rank. The guild’s hospitals were at capacity, treating cuts, burns, and broken bones. Elvi waited eagerly for Patzau Ashill to arrive. She would know what to do next. But as the morning lingered without Yanata’s arrival, her unease grew. The sentiment spread through the fortress, from the lowly staffers to the captains and commanders. Everyone was on edge.

It was under those pretenses that commotion below brought concerns to bear. A tide of panicked voices drew Elvi from her desk and to the small window overlooking the bridge to the central keep. A lone figure led a surge of soldiers in their wake. There was an urgency to them. Curiosity, or perhaps worries piqued, Elvi stepped from her office and into the hallway of the officer’s tower. A throng of soldiers already filled the hall, a buzz with anxious energy. Burm ascended the tower, flanked by Janos Tydana.

They were an odd pair, and Elvi found their sudden cooperation strange and off-putting. Both men shared the same expression. One worn by a parent prior to a scolding. Spirits, what has happened to Yanata? she worried. Why is Janos here?

“Aginjigaade Batari” Burm proclaimed. His eyes fixed on her. He seemed upset about something, and Elvi really didn’t want to have to deal with him at this moment. Where is Patzau Ashill? Elvi wondered. Why can’t she be here to handle this asshole? “We need a word” Burm said, drawing closer, “In your office, now.” It was an order, which was strange but she didn’t feel up to making a scene about it while everyone was on edge.

Not wanting to protest, Elvi opened her door and walked to her seat behind the wide desk. Janos entered first and Burm followed, slamming the door closed behind him, the sound amplifying the tension in the room. Suddenly, Elvi was angry herself. Angry at the intrusion and at Burm’s gruff demeanor.  

“What’s going on? What is the meaning of this?” Elvi demanded, her voice steady.  

“Where are they?” Burm commanded, his voice thick with contained rage. “Where are Ashill and Minoc?”

“What are you talking about?” Elvi countered; her brow furrowed.

“Don’t play innocent,” Burm snapped. “Mellen Minoc is gone. Missing from his cell.”

Elvi’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her face. “Gone? How?”

“You tell us,” Janos suggested calmly, his voice laced with accusation.

“You think I had something to do with it?” Elvi asked, insulted.

“Of course!” Janos said sternly. “Tell us what you know. Did you free Minoc? Did Yanata?”

“I don’t know” Elvi said. She was distracted, contemplating if Patzau Ashill really might have done what they were accusing.

“You’re lying, Batari” Burm said accusingly, pulling her back from her thoughts. “You’ve always been close with Ashill. What has she done? Where is Minoc?”

“How should I know?” Elvi’s anger flared, her voice rising. “She’s Patzau, not me. I had no idea Minoc was gone until you barged in just now!”

Burm stepped closer, his presence looming. He was big. Elvi only ever remembered his big personality. She hadn’t seen him much in the short time he’d been back from the interior. A cruel smile played across his lips as he said, “You seem to be the last to know, then.” A grim satisfaction was clear across his face. “Patzau Ashill has been removed from her position by the council. The decision was voted on this morning following the disaster that was her last incursion into the city.” He paused, savoring the moment. “And I have been selected as the new Patzau of the Soldier’s Guild.”

The shock to Elvi came as a physical blow. She did her best to keep her face impassive. Inwardly, she cursed the unbelievable idea of Burm being in charge. Then her surprise turn into rage. “I spoke with Yanata after she approved the attack” Elvi said, her voice low, “The last strike into Mudtown was under your leadership, not hers, if I recall correctly. How is it you find yourself promoted off the same failure that saw her stripped of her rank?”

Burm’s smile faltered. “Don’t…” he warned.

Elvi ignored him and pressed further, “And how is it that you, a captain, and not one of our several outranking officers were selected for the role of Patzau? Daddy’s connections get you the job? Or perhaps you bent your back enough for the council to earn your new title?”

“Enough” Janos snapped, stepping between Burm who looked ready to strangle her. Elvi met his gaze in defiance.

“Do not make an enemy out of me, Batari.” Burm said. “And you would be wise to distance yourself from Yanata going forward. I am your Patzau now.” he said. It was a warning and a threat. 

Far below within the depths of the fortress, a grinding sound captured Ohacha’s attention. It was faint and gradual, but grew in strength until he sat up from the cold floor and faced into the dark recess of the cell corner. Ohacha watched as the stones of his cold cell slid unnaturally. A hole opened at the base of the wall. In the darkness, Gaba’ké’s face appeared, etched with focused determination. Once the opening had formed, his face relaxed, shedding away his strained focus to reveal a loving smile.

Gaba’ké crawled into the cell, his face and body covered in dirt and dust. “Ohacha?” the old Aginjigaade whispered. Ohacha stumbled forward. He felt weak but Gaba’ké’s sturdy arms took him into a tight embrace.

Gaba’ké held him, despite being a head shorter and a hand short. Ohacha wept in his embrace. A wave of relief swept through they boy. It made his anxieties retreat with the flood of gratitude and love he held for the old man. His uncle in all but blood. The man who came back for him, despite Ohacha’s betrayal. They held each other in the silent darkness. It was a long time before Ohacha overcame his emotions and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“You came back?” Ohacha croaked, his voice low and self-deprecating.

“Of course I did” Gaba’ké said, straightening Ohacha’s shoulders.

Ohacha’s looked at his old mentor. He was noticeably tired. Dirt covered his clothes and face. Ohacha’s eyes landed on Gaba’ké’s missing hand and he pulled away reflexively, then felt ashamed by his actions. He felt responsible. “Your hand…” Ohacha stammered. “Is it healing?”

“Its healing” Gaba’ké replied with a gruff dismissiveness. “I’m still getting used to it but I’m fine.”

“But–” Ohacha stammered, “It was my fault. All of this was my fault. And then, with the ambassador… you were right. I got us into so much trouble.”

Gaba’ké placed his left hand on Ohacha’s shoulder and Ohacha met his gaze. “You, Prince Krimas, are my king. What you and Cask decided went against my advice and guidance, but that doesn’t mean it was wrong, or that you are a bad person. All I have ever wished to teach you is that actions have consequences. Decisions you make affect all of us who stand with you, but others too. Eliminating the ambassador has removed an enemy. But it has forced the ambassador’s allies to turn against us.”

“I’m so sorry” Ohacha repeated. “I understand now what you and Aramuk spoke of; what you meant when you said the Careyago had claws in this city.

“It is a lesson then,” Gaba’ké said with a sober smile. “One you won’t quickly repeat. By taking action, we lost our neutrality. You gave those who might have defended us no choice but to stand aside. Actions have consequences. But where I have failed you, is in ignoring that inactions too have their consequences. Knowing what we know now, the ambassador’s allies were planning to come for us anyway. Your counterattack accelerated their plans, but you were right to want for action. In my reservations for your safety, I left us vulnerable.”

Ohacha nodded slowly, “We need to find Cask and Rolena.”

“I’ve already found them” Gaba’ké said, his eyes closed. “I must admit, I had to expend a lot of energy to tunnel my way to you. I don’t have much energy left. We’ll need to go on foot.”

“What about other Aginjigaade?” Ohacha asked nervously. “I thought you could sense each other?”

“The other Aginjigaade are on the far side of the fortress and it is our good fortune that they appear distracted for the time being.” Gaba’ké focused and the locking mechanism that kept Ohacha’s cell door bolted changed somehow. “Go on” Gaba’ké insisted. Ohacha pushed lightly and the door swung outwards. The stone that used to catch the bolt came away like melted wax, soft and brittle. A soft creaking sound echoed through the empty hall.

“To the right” Gaba’ké said, directing Ohacha towards the others. The two men stepped out into the dimly lit hallway and stepped softly past the other cells and up the stairs. The fortress, especially its lower levels, seemed labyrinthian. Shadows clung to the walls between sconces and a strange mix of cut stones and bricks of various origins made the structure a patchwork of history. They turned left, descended another half level, and then ascended again after another turn and paused as voices echoed from down the hallway they were approaching. Ohacha followed Gaba’ké’s lead, ducking inside an empty room as a pair of soldiers wandered by.

The two men passed, and Gaba’ké led Ohacha down a curving hallway to a plain looking locked door. Ohacha pushed lightly and, same as before, the door opened softly. Rolena stood with her back to the door, staring out the small window that let in real daylight. She turned and her face lit up as she spotted Ohacha with Gaba’ké at his back. She ran across the room and embraced the pair of them in one great hug.

“What? How did you find me?” Rolena asked, excitedly.

Gaba’ké held his finger to his lips and answered softly, “I’ll tell you at a better time.”

“And Cask?” Rolena asked, nervously excited.

“We’ll get him next” Ohacha said eagerly.

“He’s just down the hall” Gaba’ké said, leading them out towards Casks cell. It opened the same as the last two. Inside, the gruff looking swordsman was asleep in the corner. Rolena moved to take a step forward and Ohacha stopped her before she could enter.

“It’s us” Ohacha said. “You can stop pretending.”

Cask winked open one of his eyes, then rose to his feet energetically. “I thought you were one of the guards.”

“And you planned on overpowering the soldiers and fighting your way out alone?” Ohacha asked.

“Well, no. But I wanted to give myself the option,” Cask said awkwardly scratching his scarred head. “But when you put it that way…” Gaba’ké appeared behind Ohacha and Rolena. Cask stared at his old friend. “I wasn’t sure you’d come back for us” he said humbly.

“That’s bullshit” Gaba’ké said smiling. “You knew I’d try it.” The two men embraced in a tight hug. “I lost a hand, not my mind. Where else would I go?” Gaba’ké asked jovially.

He was all smiles, but Ohacha could see the exhaustion seeping in. He moved slower and was taking rough breaths. The dig had taken more out of the man than he cared to admit. And for the first time, Ohacha wondered just how long he’d been tunneling. Cask sensed much the same and they made eyes.

“You’re an Aginjigaade” Rolena said, brows furrowed. “You could do anything—go anywhere and they’d welcome you.”

Gaba’ké met her gaze. “I may be welcomed, but I’d have nothing. No purpose. No community. No family. Even for an old man like me, I’d be daunted to start again, Aginjigaade or not. However,” he continued, a sense of urgency creeping into his tone, “this isn’t the time to dwell on such matters. Let’s get you three out of here.”

Elvi, her patience exhausted, had made to escape from Burm and Janos, lest she truly lose her temper. Unfortunately, the two men hadn’t let her leave unharried, opting instead to chase her into the hallway. Their argument now drew onlookers whose faces were a mix of concerned and pallid.

Elvi turned; frustration written across her face. “My loyalties lie with the guild!” she yelled, “And with Caso!”

“And yet you refuse to cooperate” Burm blurted. “Instead, you’re trying to protect Yanata from the repercussions of her actions and in doing so, you’re lying to me; your new Patzau. You’re a damned traitor Elvi!”

“You accuse me of treason?” Elvi shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway for all to hear. “You’re the one who’s been orchestrating this ousting of Patzau Ashill to use your little family connections to place you in this new Patzau role. I didn’t choose you. None of the people in this room voted to have you take her place. And there are two dozen people who deserve that post more than you do.”

“Elvi!” Janos warned, his voice venomous. Officers peered their heads out of doorways, their faces curious and apprehensive.

She ignored Janos. What the hell is he doing here anyway? If they want a public spat, I’ll give them a public spat. “You’re nothing but a guild-damned puppet!” Elvi declared, her voice contemptuous. “A pawn for the Council, handed your title through nepotistic bullshit instead of advancing through experience or merit. Nobody here voted for you as their leader.”

Janos looked defeated, “You’ve crossed a line, Elvi. You are hereby–”

Burm had other plans. His face flushed crimson interrupted Janos’ announcement to roar, “Under arrest for treason! You are a disgrace to this guild and our great city. You are guilty of aiding Patzau Ashill and will await trial for your crimes!”

The room froze. Elvi froze. Janos froze. Only Burm seemed capable of emotion, and his was rage plain and clear. “I said arrest her!” he bellowed to the surrounding soldiers.

Nobody dared to move. Burm drew his sword from his hip and suddenly the reality of what Burm had done—was doing—hit Elvi like gale. Janos, who seemed disappointed moments before, now appeared energized. His consciousness slammed into hers and only years of training kept him from crushing her with his agindan spirit alone.

Elvi stabilized, keeping Janos at bay and selected a spirit and primed herself to channel through it. The wind is everywhere. One of the soldiers on Elvi’s right took a cautious step forward and Elvi jumped away from him, floating backwards an inhuman distance as if immune to gravity’s pull. She touched down, light as air and the scent of her sorcery filled the room, pungent.

Janos channeled in response and she smelled his sorcery join hers in a tangle. Theirs were alike; light and air. The softest amongst the Aginjigaade scents. His was more medicinal than hers, like eucalyptus. Elvi’s was stickier on the nose, crisp and pungent like ozone.

“Submit yourself” Burm growled, the sword still brandished. Elvi eyed the blade nervously.

“I have done nothing wrong” Elvi shouted back. “Your accusations are baseless and–”

“And yet you resist!” Burm countered. “Had you nothing to hide, you would submit and face a trial. If you are truly innocent, all would be revealed.”

“Had you truly wanted answers and justice, you’d not have come with a mouth primed for accusations and ears closed to listening. I’ve done nothing wrong, and you have no proof that I’ve done anything wrong. Yet you came to arrest me for crimes you’ve invented. But unlike you, I know the crimes you’ve committed Gal. I know your squad took bribes from inland tribes to remove their enemies. I know you stole the Auction House fortune from those thieves that attacked Patzau Yohati. You’re a brute and a thief, and so long as you are Patzau, there will be no justice in these halls. You think–”

Elvi didn’t get a chance to finish as Burm charged. He was quick for a huge man, but Elvi was a step ahead. She channeled her energy and pushed back at Burm, the very wind resisting his movements like a man fighting against a storm bent on tripping you up with each opportune step. She dodged him with ease, evading his bulk in the corridor. Her hands flew down to her side where she carried her sword and found it missing. Shit, Elvi thought, I left it in the office when I stormed out.

Then, Burm’s figure split into two, and then three. Illusions. The three Burm’s charged from three sides. Janos, Elvi thought. She pushed backwards and away from all three Burms. They advanced again, each one with its blade drawn. She focused hard, reading the subtle patterns in the air. She dodged right and stepped right through the second illusion of Burm as it chopped down at her.

“Four on one hardly seems fair” Elvi taunted. She tried her best to sound calm, but inside she was a mess of panic. People spilled into the hall. They blocked the doorways and exits. Burm’s minions stood at the top of the steps and watched her with baleful looks. No weapon. No shield. Exits blocked. Spirits, I’m in trouble!

“You’ve crossed a line, Elvi” Janos said from the far side of the corridor.

“I’ve crossed a line!?” Elvi shouted back, avoiding another advance from Burm. “I’m unarmed! Burm is swinging his fucking sword like he aims to kill me. What happened to my promise of a trial? I’d say you two have crossed a fucking line!”

“A trial would have resolved this” Janos shouted back.

“A trial like the one you helped High Judge Madaral with?” Elvi scoffed. She wove between Burm once again. “Where you executed hundreds of people from Mudtown without hearing anything but their names?” Elvi yelled. “You’re insane! I would never trust you with justice.”

Far below, Ohacha trailed behind Gaba’ké. Cask and Rolena followed close behind. The old Aginjigaade led them back down the hallway towards Ohacha’s cell deep within the fortress. The halls were vacant. Ohacha had expected guards and resistance and instead they moved unimpeded. Where the guild’s soldiers had gone, didn’t matter to them. All that mattered was making it out of the fortress alive.

There was a foreboding sense of unease in the silent halls. It was quiet and that was almost as uncomfortable as the foreign words Ohacha had expected to hear around each corner. Despite those feelings, Gaba’ke led them down the dark set of stairs that led to the lower cells where Ohacha had spent the last period of his life. How long has it been? He wondered. Days? Weeks?

As Gaba’ké pushed his way into Ohacha’s cell, he froze. Ohacha ran right into the old man in the darkness, causing both to stumble. “What is it?” Ohacha hissed, fearing the worst.

Gaba’ké had turned his head and faced in what felt like a random direction. He focused intently, ignoring Ohacha’s question.  

Cask and Rolena stood awkwardly in the open hallway. They looked around anxiously, not wanting to be caught here and now of all times and places.  “What’s going on?” Cask hissed, after a moment. He looked nervously behind them.

“There are two Aginjigaade inside the tower” Gaba’ké said, his voice frightened.

“And?” Ohacha urged impatiently. This hardly seemed the moment to stop and reflect on that. “You already told me that” Ohacha whispered urgently.

“They’re fighting” Gaba’ké said, his face ashen.

Elvi stood in the hallway, her back against the wall, and darkness descended over her eyes. She had witnessed Janos use this ability once before, deep in the prisons of the Northern Barracks. She had expected it, and still it unnerved her. She prayed that Burm too was blinded by the effect. The patterns of movement in the air suggested otherwise. He continued his advance towards her. Elvi dashed, using the wind and the sounds in the room as her eyes and was blinded by the light as she escaped what appeared to be a small black sphere where she had once stood. Burm chased, sword drawn and the dark orb followed her like some kind of otherworldly demon. They were corralling her.

Elvi focused on where Janos stood. He was right in front of her office door and a desperate idea sprung to her mind as his orb of darkness enveloped her once again. She switched spirits, losing her sense of the wind, and forced a rush of air through her office door. It hit him hard in the back and the darkness disappeared for a fraction of time. But that fraction was just enough for her to see Burm’s lumbering body and the arcing swing of his sword. She slipped underneath the huge man’s blade and scrambled away.

“For a person you intend to arrest, you’re certainly swinging to kill” Elvi taunted, still trying to buy herself time for escape.

She just needed a window. Janos was back on his feet and clearly angered by the unexpected blow. Elvi had hoped she might have hit him hard enough to knock him out or something. Anything that might give her a chance to escape the tower. Instead, only Janos’ pride seemed wounded. Burm bellowed again, stabbing forward with his blade. Elvi blew herself away again and found herself backed into the stairwell leading to the roof. The roof!

Elvi breezed up the steep and narrow stairs that led to the roof hatch. She had just enough time to scramble up and mustered a huge gust of wind to blow open the trapdoors. They crashed into the flat stone roof with a bang and Elvi followed through the gap. Burm was already right behind her, one hand on his huge sword. But now she stood with all the spirits of the skies at her back. Elvi channeled with as much power as she could muster and a gale blew down the narrow hatchway. Burm was hit with the full blast of her power and he tumbled backwards down the stairs, hitting the bottom with a hard crack. He didn’t stir, but Janos’s dark eyes looked up at her from below.

Another hard wave of agindan consciousness slammed into her and Elvi winced, doing her best to keep her mind closed and her spirit strong. It was agonizing. He was strong. Far stronger than Elvi ever imagined. It felt as if his very will could crush hers. She struggled under his assault. Elvi had been a soldier near all her life, but never had she fought another Aginjigaade. It was clear immediately that Janos had that experience she lacked. Elvi dropped to her knee and focused everything she had on withstanding his mental barrage.

After what felt like an eternity, the pressure eased. Elvi opened one eye and saw Janos approaching. How is that possible? Her heart was pounding and she panted hard, trying to keep herself together. Janos appeared unfettered. How is he this powerful?

“It’s just you and me now” Janos said. His voice was a blur.

Janos was still several steps away but Elvi knew it wise to fear his approach. She dug deep and tried with all her might to break free of the lessened pressure of his spiritual assault. She channeled, sending another surge downward like the palm of the heavens, crushing him under the pressure of the atmos. Janos fought to stay standing. Elvi held on as best she could but tired fast, having no choice but to ease the pressure or feint.

The wind subsided. Janos slowly regained his feet. Elvi was panting, sweat dripping down her brow. Janos seemed unperturbed. Why he hadn’t attacked with his full strength down below when Burm was chasing her, Elvi couldn’t guess. Instead, she was thankful he hadn’t gone all out. She knew it would have spelled her doom. Her eyes darted across the rooftop, but there wasn’t anywhere to go. Behind Janos was the hatch that led back into the tower. Behind her was the long drop down the steep cliff face to the sea below. She was cornered. Buy time, Elvi repeated to herself, a mantra for survival.

“This was pre-planned, wasn’t it?” Elvi asked, getting back to her feat.

Janos looked behind him before saying, “Yes, it was I’m afraid.”

Elvi stared, surprised by his honesty, “The trial would have found me guilty, same a Patzau Minoc?”

“That was the plan” Janos admitted, “But Burm wasn’t supposed to let you out of your office. He misjudged you, I think. He thinks very highly of himself. I don’t think he understands what you and I are capable of. He underestimates our kind, Aginjigaade.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Elvi asked.

“Because now, you have to die” Janos said. He spoke the words not as a threat, but as an inevitability. He walked over to the trapdoor behind him and closed it, something appeared between the bars, locking the trapdoor closed. “You cannot be allowed to leave, or to join Ashill, wherever it is she’s gone with Minoc. It could mean chaos, instability.”

“And what we have now isn’t instability?” Elvi said accusatorily.

“I misspoke” Janos said calmly, “It could mean splitting this city down the center, civil war and unrest. It cannot be allowed to happen, not now with so many enemies on our doorsteps.”

“I won’t die peacefully” Elvi said, not sure what else to say.

“I never hoped you would” Janos said with a wicked smile. “Where would be the fun in that?”

Light appeared around Janos and it blinded her. Elvi turned away instinctively, and he rushed in towards her. Elvi jumped away, feeling his movements through the wind. She drew up a curtain of hot air from the sun-baked rooftop in front of her and used the refraction to bend and refract the intense light. He became blurry, but blurry was better than blind. It was much easier to react to his movements when she could see something, rather than rely on her senses alone. It required too much focus.  

He approached, but like her was empty handed. That scared Elvi most of all. For Janos moved like a man that knew what he would do when he caught her and yet Elvi couldn’t fathom what his plan might be. As she continued to evade, it became clear to Janos that his blinding trick wasn’t working. He released the blinding light and the rooftop plunged into darkness. Elvi’s senses told her to panic. Her mind kept her from following through. As the epicenter, Elvi blasted air outwards in all directions in a sudden gust. She could feel him, turbulence in the airstream she smothered him with. He stood his ground, unmoving. She tightened the focus of her stream, but felt the drain of continuous focus start to pull on her mind. I can’t keep this up. I still need to escape. The darkness lapsed. Elvi stared across at Janos. He smiled. He’s enjoying this. The thought unnerved her.

“How many Aginjigaade have you killed?” Elvi asked.

“Fewer than I would have wished” Janos said, his eyes sharp. “Some escaped. Some I had to let go. Some I let escape to make the hunt more enjoyable once they’ve fully… developed.”

“You’re sick!” Elvi shouted. She was panting hard.

“Batari,” Janos said, raising his hands to the sky, “You have been granted a power greater than mere mortals. Yet you treat it like it’s nothing. You lack ambition. You serve those beneath you. You and I have been given power, power far beyond what regular souls can comprehend. And you squander it. I have witnessed what true power looks like, and I hope one day to reach that great achievement.”

“And what does true power look like?” Elvi asked. Buy more time. Think!

“Have you never left this city?” Janos asked.

Elvi wiped her brow. Her hand came away covered in sweat. “No” she admitted.

“You’ve never sailed the seas or climbed the great mountain?” Janos asked.

“The mountains?” Elvi repeated.

“The great Casoyan mountain! The volcano!” Janos shouted, “Have you never felt the spiritual pressure of the ancient spirit that dwells within the Volcano, the one the filthy mountain ilk worship? The one they call Yomu?”

“No” Elvi said softly. Yomu? She recognized that name.

“You bind yourself to ignorance” Janos said condescendingly. “Why the spirits gave you the gift, I’ll never fathom. You, who has never felt the true power of the ancient spirits of seas and skies. Spirits of thunder, powerful enough to waste this fortress with the beat of a wing. Spirits of the deep oceans, strong enough to pull down a O’Kwiran Warship. Spirits of the forest, as large as the auction hall.”

“Myths and legends” Elvi scoffed. “Stories told to children.”

“Says the woman whose never left this city. What you believe matters little to me” Janos spat. “You’ll be dead in a minute anyway.”

A flash of light blinded Elvi again. When she opened her eyes, dozens of illusions filled the rooftop. Duplicates of Janos Tydana. Elvi blinked and more seemed to appear. She focused again. If I can find you in the darkness, finding you through some illusions will be no different.  

Elvi channelled power and blasted air outwards in a stream. She found his real body immediately. Her stream of air crashed against him, pinning his body in place. Then all Janos illusions rushed her at once, despite the onslaught. She increased the pressure, trying to hold him back. Instead, a tingle on her neck gave the faintest warning that something was awry. She relented and rechanneled, trying to gauge what had given her the odd feeling. She felt the air to her right shift with movement.

Elvi moved on instincts alone. Her senses felt the strangeness of the illusion before it ever reached her. She locked eyes with it, and the look in its eyes felt so real. And then it grabbed at her with a real hand. The shock was instantaneous. Elvi tried to evade, to pull herself away beyond the illusion’s grasp. But then an odd and painful feeling spread through her chest like fire.

A sudden blast of air propelled Elvi across the roof away from Janos, who was somehow not an illusion. She rolled painfully, and looked down at her chest where Janos’ touch had frozen her. The pain was immense and instantiations. It felt as if her organs had been set on fire. Elvi clawed at her own skin under her clothes, finding herself frozen solid where Janos’ hand had touched her. Yet he had only grasped her for a fraction of a second.

“You managed to escape?” Janos remarked. His cold face took on a tone of surprise. “I’ve never faced an Aginjigaade of your affinity before” he admitted. “You have been more… slippery that I expected. I was hoping to stop your heart.”

Elvi screamed. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before. What was that? she panted. “How the hell did you do that?”

Janos sucked on his teeth. “Oh, Elvi. You weren’t supposed to survive long enough to ask questions.” A bang from the trapdoor rattled nosily and both Janos and Elvi turned as a muffled voice screamed through the barred hatchway. “Looks like Burm is awake. Should I let him up?” Janos taunted.

“You…” Elvi said, pain spreading through her core. “You have two affinities, don’t you?” she asked, incredulous.  The smell of his second sorcery hit her at that moment. It was cold and bracing, like frost on the trees. Not at all like the smell of his light sorcery. “That’s not possible. Is it?”

“I told you that you blind yourself in ignorance” Janos mocked. “Your blasts of wind certainly helped to keep my efforts disguised” he added with an unsettling laugh. Elvi looked over to where she though Janos had been, the place where she had been focusing her power and a statue of ice stood where Janos had once been. “But this won’t do. Not a living soul knows about my second affinity, Elvi” Janos said with a smirk. “So, it’s a secret you’re going to have to carry to your grave.”  

He charged again. This time, he didn’t hide his intentions with tricks of light or a sudden blanket of darkness, and somehow, that made everything worse. Elvi scrambled to her feet. Fear flooded her body. She feared him and she feared death. She hadn’t even found her escape route. So, not knowing what else to do, Elvi turned and leapt from the tower.

She wasn’t sure which way she’d jumped. Only the sea below and the long sheer cliffs gave her an indication. Elvi committed to the one option she had feared most. She focused on trying to survive the fall. She would need everything left to slow her descent. Then all she could do next was pray she’d miss the rocks.

The deep blue of the sea below approached with terrifying speed. She managed to take control of a spirit, and channeled, ready to slow herself when the moment came. The sea hurtled towards her. The wind whipped by her face. She readied herself. And then something hit her from behind. She tumbled, no longer in control of her fall, as the ice spear launched by Janos impaled her body. Then she hit the water.

Janos watched from above as Elvi’s body hit the sea below. They were so high up, he could barely make out the splash amongst the waves. He was sure that he had hit her. Her tumble confirmed it. Next, he would need to recover her body. The sooner the better.

The difficulty now would require keeping the whole ordeal contained. They would need the right story. A guilty suicide. Janos turned and opened the hatch, dissolving his icicle bar that had frozen the door shut. Burm burst through, sword drawn. Blood was smeared across his face from where he had wiped it with his hand. A small trickle of blood ran down from his hairline. More than that, there was fury in his eyes. He was angry. Bloodthirsty even.

“Where is she?” Burm demanded, looking around.

“She jumped” Janos said. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t think she had it in her.”

“Jumped?” Burm growled through gritted teeth. “Could she have survived?”

“Not likely” Janos said.

“She’s an Aginjigaade!” Burm said, turning on him. “With an air affinity! What if she… flew or something.”

“She’s dead!” Janos snapped. “I watched her fall. She hit the water. Surviving a fall from that height is impossible, even for her. But you need to get on top of this, right now.” Janos said, meeting Burm’s angry eyes. “Get the story out that she jumped. Make it clear that you and I approached her about crimes she committed, freeing Minoc or whatever. She seemed to know a lot about your history. Add some of those things to her record. I don’t care. Make it clear that she was guilty and jumped to escape punishment, rather than face judgement.”

“But she did” Burm said.

“Exactly…” Janos said, trying not to strangle the brute of a man. “But make sure alternative stories are snuffed before they can do damage. We can’t have an investigation that damages either of our reputations. In the meantime, send someone you trust out to look for her body. They’ll need a boat.”

“Don’t order me around, Tydana. I’m Patzau of this guild” Burm growled.

“And I’m telling you how to keep your fucking title” Janos hissed back. “If we weren’t at war right now, you’d be in serious trouble for this. Hopefully with all the other bullshit going on, we can keep this under wraps.” Janos turned and left Burm without waiting for his response. Burm stood distracted at the edge of the tower, eyes fixed on the see below.

Gaba’ké held his heart. He had kept a watchful gaze on the battle unfolding far above atop the fortress tower. He recognized Elvi from their encounter, and now he recognized the strange dual-affinitied Aginjigaade who had beaten her and sent her to a watery grave. She had been channeling at full power. She had given everything and more in her clash, but it hadn’t been enough.

Gaba’ké understood how that felt. She seemed a good person and he would mourn her. But with equal importance, he had remained to bare witness to her final moments. Her had bore witness to the identify of her murderer; the man with two affinities; the one Kuta sought for vengeance for the death of her mentor.

More disconcerting, he was a man Gaba’ké had stood face-to-face with a near dozen times. Not once had he suspected the wickedness within. Elvi’s murderer was none other than Patzau Yohati’s Aginjigaade, Janos Tydana.