Chapter 6

Chapter Six: The Seven-Pointed Star
 
 
            The sun had just dipped behind the palace walls, rays fading from Keith's sight. The walls themselves were seemingly impenetrable, made of marble, granite, and iron, but during his stay in the capital of the Empire, he'd learned that its greatest defense had never lain in cold,inanimate objects.
 
            Alantaiya housed well over two hundred thousand people,making it the largest city he had ever seen, even in comparison to Sienne in Begnion or Melior in Crimea. The Empire was vast, millions lived in it and tended to it, and even more passed through it to admire its wonders. The canyons of Mantabu, the mountains of Ivel, the glass spires of Ninael, and - of course - the Imperial Palace in Alantaiya. It was any traveler's dream, to see a place of so many colors and races. Here, laguz and beorc mingled freely as they wandered the streets of Port Lagayu, purchasing exotic wares. Of course, the Empire didn't house native laguz, but they were not unwelcome.
 
            The Empire's greatest defense, and its true life's blood, lay in its people.
 
            "You seem lost."
 
            Keith closed his brown eyes, letting the desert's cool dusk breeze stir his red hair. He could still remember that conversation. It had happened years ago, but it had determined the course of his life, since he'd wandered here from Tellius.
 
            This place is too big, he thought to himself as he rounded yet another corner. The buildings in this city were made from stone, and had seen centuries of wear, but they were built to last. Everything here was made to last.
 
            "You seem lost."
 
            "Was I lost? Or did the Goddess mean for me to run into you?" he asked the air.
 
            Keith snapped his head forward to lock eyes with a man probably three or four years his senior. Brown hair waved to his shoulders, and his green eyes seemed alert, even though he leaned on the wall like he was tired or waiting for someone. "I'm not. This place is ... so much bigger than my old home. Those towers, and that palace! I wonder what sort of royal lives inside. He must be some pompous fool with more gold then anyone could ever care to imagine," he replied with a shake of his head.
 
            "Heh.” The other man chuckled to himself, a hand covering his mouth while his eyes regarded Keith with an expression of mirth. “A pompous fool? I suppose a soldier would think so."
 
            "I never said I was a soldier. I couldn't qualify to the army's standard, let alone my own father's. My traveling companion tells me otherwise. But, I have a hard time believing her word. I trust her, but my own doubt hinders what I think I can do, or rather what I should be able to."
 
            "Doubt holds people back." He uncrossed his arms and let them hang loose at his sides, pushing off from the fall to stand straight. "And you never said you were a soldier, but normal passersby don't carry themselves the way you do. Only soldiers do. Trust me – this land has made war into a fine art, the way she practices it. One can spot a warrior at a glance. As for your companion.” His eyes sharpened into chips of jade. “I would trust her word. She is your friend, is she not?"
 
            Keith rubbed his head nervously. "At times she seems more than that for me. She saved my life three years ago, saying, 'All life is important regardless of who one fights for.' I don't know if I'm ever going to be a professional soldier. Listen to me whine, I should go."
 
            The man smiled softly, but the gesture held more sadness than joy. "I'm still listening, aren't I?"
 
            "You always listen, but you never talk. Or when you do, it's always in those stupid riddles," he muttered.
 
            "Yes, but you don't carry a weapon yourself, so, I'll have to assume you're not a teacher. That, or you used to be and an accident left you unable to hold a weapon."
 
            Oh, if only he had known then.
 
            The stranger's expression changed to one of disapproval. "I don't fight, I find the whole business distasteful. And no, I'm no teacher. I will always be a student at heart."
 
            'He's a stranger giving advice on fighting, but he doesn't train himself?' "You're bizarre."
 
            His smile extended to his pale green eyes, and he chuckled to himself. "No, just a pompous fool with more gold than anyone would ever care to imagine."
 
            "Pardon? I don't what you mean by-" The blood left Keith's face as he stared from the gilded walls to the man before him, then back again. He swallowed hard, and gaped openly. "Oh beloved Ashera.” His mouth went as dry as sand. “You're the one who lives...” He pointed a shaky finger from the ornate building to him, then back again. “Heh ... Er, sorry."
 
            The noble shook his head with a small smile. ""No need to apologize." He ran a hand over the gilt on the marble, and brought his hand to his face, looking at his fingers as though they were something he was unfamiliar with. "It is rather extravagant to a foreigner, I suppose, but my people have built even greater wonders. My name is Liyal e Telemari. My full name is a little much for one unfamiliar with our ways, or so I have been told."
 
            "Still, it's becoming fairly common for me to insult those without thinking. I'm very, very sorry. My name is Keith. Honored to meet you, sir."
 
            A frown creased his brow as he regarded him with those strange eyes. "Keith Disoto, from the country of Daein?”
 
            Keith still could recall the shock he'd felt. From what he had learned that day, this Liyal was a noble, an extraordinarily wealthy one, and probably had more power than he, a commoner from Daein, could ever dream of. This man knew of him, knew his name.
 
            "You've heard of me?"
 
            "From a Henrietta Alare,” he said with a small smile. “She speaks very highly of you."
 
            "Henri, you looked out for me, even then."
 
            Keith recovered from his surprise as quickly as he could, and gave Liyal a shaky smile. "Henri still remains a mystery to me. I never know what to say to her, not that I ever get the chance, mind you. Oh, don't tell her I said that. Cleric or not, the girl knows how to hit where it hurts most."
 
            Liyal seemed to agree with that, and then looked up at the pale blue sky. "That she does, which is why I trust her. Tell me, Keith,what do you think of our city? Would you live here?"
 
            The swordsman studied his surroundings thoughtfully. "I suppose I could. For Daein, well.” He sighed. “It's a private matter."
 
            Taking a step forward, the older noble held his hands out to his sides. "Then I have a proposition for you, if you are interested."
 
            "What's that, sir?"
 
            "Please, don't call me sir,” Liyal said with uneasy laughter. “It makes me feel unreasonably old," he added when Keith gave him a funny look.
 
            "S-Sorry, si- Master? No.” The swordsman raked through his brain for a proper form of address for someone like this strange man. “My Lord, I guess would be better."
 
            "If you are interested,I would like to offer a position in the Imperial Guard to you."
 
            "The Imperial Guard? That sounds wonderful." 'Better then working as a stable boy, that's for certain.'
 
            "Just Liyal, please. The Imperial Guard is trusted with the care of the most important thing in the Empire."
 
            "By your given name? It's improper for one of common standing to refer to a noble such as yourself in such a casual way. To be a soldier. I suppose that my answer is yes," he consented without another word.
 
            "Very well, then, Commander. Thank you. And don't let her out of your sight."
 
            Keith watched him leave with a wave, and he smiled. "No, thank you, Lo-! C-Commander?! You sneaky dastard! You tricked me!"
 
            Keith sighed heavily. "You always know what to say to people, don't you?" He stood, the creak of leather and chink of metal barely audible. He looked down to the front of his tunic, and his hand covered the cloth over his heart. "But you're a good man, I know that much. If you weren't ..."
 
            "You know what this emblem is? It's the Seven Pointed Star. Amalini, the Guiding Light. It's the emblem of the Commander of the Guard, only the one with that rank can wear it."
 
            A medal of crystal and silver, hanging from his tunic, glinting whenever any light struck it. A work of art, a symbol that had been worn by a select group of men before him.
 
            "If you weren't, I wouldn't have come here to serve as you asked."
 
            "A guiding light, in every way. The last man to wear this served honorably, putting his life on the line and dedicating his sword to the crown."
 
            Keith swelled with pride. "How long was he the Commander?"
 
            "Only ten years. He was killed in action when he was thirty five."
 
            "But why did I still swear an oath to an Empire that I wasn't born in, an Empress I hadn't seen, even after I found out about that?" Before he'd even finished the question addressed to no one, he already knew the answer. He did it for Henri, it had always been for Henri.
 
            She was the head of the princess's household, a very important position that came with a title and income of its own. She was close to the princess, like a best friend crossed over with the role of older sister. His Grace Liyal personally employed her, just as he had with Keith himself. That man had a talent for handpicking the people who worked for him out of nowhere.
 
            As far as Keith knew, Liyal had met Henri at a festival, and got to know her further after he ran into her while she was looking for a job as a healer. Before she'd had time to register it, she had landed a position extremely close to the Throne.
 
            Liyal had then taken Henri's word, and what had appeared to be a chance encounter on the street was actually planned very carefully. Keith had thought he'd been waiting for something, and he had been. He just hadn't realized then that the noble on the street was waiting for him. He knew better now.
 
            Liyal never wasted his time on anything, no matter what it was. It was either important, or he wouldn't even look at it twice. This should have been a boost to Keith's ego, but instead it left him feeling a little nervous.
 
            He didn't like feeling like a piece on a board, even if he was a valued one. And even though he'd seen this kind of game played before, he'd seen the outcome far too many times, and knew that nothing good would come of it. But was it really a game? Liyal e Telemari, the Grand Archduke of the Empire and current head of House Solaan in the South, seemed like the kind of man who would enjoy games. At least, that's what he seemed like. But those who knew him knew better. Liyal didn't play games.
 
            That's what made Keith trust him with his life, but just to be on the safe side he also harbored a touch of fear.
 
            Fear of what that man might be capable of.
 
 
***
 
 
            “Princess, it's time for-” Keith cheerfully opened the door to the princess's personal chambers, where she usually was this time of day. “Your meeting with the councilmen ...” His voice trailed off when he realized that he was standing in the doorway of a very clean, but very empty room, devoid of the one presence he was looking for.
 
            He really should have expected this, since it happened every day like clockwork. Princess Evalia was a very lively royal, who enjoyed her quiet lessons in calligraphy and history with her teacher Tol-Nawayi, along with the balls that came with the winter's social season. She loved her garden and spent countless hours there tending her flowers and trees. Nearly every day, she would read with her brother, or talk with him.
 
            But the princess absolutely hated the meetings she had to attend every day. They basically consisted of a group of men and women far older than she was, and who represented groups in the Senate. She didn't have to listen to them, but her brother said she had an obligation to at least pretend to. The representatives either droned or yelled, depending on the issue, but in the middle of spring, it was mostly the former. It was planting time in the South, and all they had to tell her was how many seeds were sown per acre. Keith did not envy the task of putting on a politely interested face while someone blathered on and on about numbers that wouldn't even matter until harvest.
 
We are bound by duty wherever we go, and no one is more caged by that than a ruler, or someone about to be one, he thought. He felt sorry for the girl, but his duty required him to force her to go. I'm like an overgrown babysitter, not a Commander of an elite fighting squad.
 
            There were a select number of places she could have run off to. Her garden was an obvious choice, but he'd found her there yesterday. She never picked the same place to hide two days in a row. He had to give her credit, she was very clever, but he wished she wouldn't use that intelligence to make his job harder.
 
            She might be in one of the ballrooms, dancing or just plain daydreaming, anything to get away from her obligations as princess. It wasn't that she slacked off – it was just that she avoided the unpleasant duties she was required to attend to. This also included having to listen to the disputes of the senators and the nobility that made up the Imperial Court. The arguments could be over important things like money swindling or someone stole land from someone else, or they could be petty squabbles over stepping on another foot. It was no wonder she complained of headaches at the end of the day: there was no relief. He couldn't blame her for wanting to run away from it.
 
            The only other place she could really be was the library, and he hoped with all his heart that this wasn't her chosen location for the day's game of hide and seek. The Imperial Library was also the center of the Imperial University, the first of its kind. The building was massive, and branched out into various rooms where classes in magic, healing, and combat were taught. It was the point in the capital that radiated the most raw power. It was no small feat to have hundreds of sages in one building, all to learn and to teach, exchanging knowledge with those whom also practiced their craft.
 
            It was also no wonder that the princess's teacher, Tol-Nawayi, was the head of this massive enterprise. Perhaps that was also why Keith dreaded the library. He was always there.
 
            Since his first day in the palace, Keith hadn't gotten off to the best of starts with the sage. Of course, the young commander was fairly certain there couldn't have been a good start, even if he had tried for one. He was convinced the man just did not like him, and so far, in the past few years, Tol-Nawayi had not offered any evidence to the contrary.
 
            “Here in the Empire, soldiers always stand tall!” he said sharply, rapping him in the small of the back with his staff. “Commanders in particular have excellent posture, to set an example for the others. They must stand with their shoulders back and head high, do you know why?” The sage didn't even bother giving him time to answer. “Because the soldiers of the Empire are proud to serve their Motherland. We have never drafted men and women into their ranks, it is strictly on a volunteer basis. They made their choice, and they are proud of that decision.”
 
            Keith shook his head at the memory. There's no way he liked me then, and nothing has changed since that day. Ever since, he'd tried to avoid the magic wielder on principle, but given his luck, he seemed to run into him every other day, sometimes even more often than that. But today, he hoped that his luck would be different, and the princess had decided to run amok elsewhere.
 
            “Excuse me, solin.” Solin was the proper word of address for a girl or young woman he didn't personally know, and this applied to the pretty maid he was facing. “Have you seen Her Highness anywhere? Do you know where she might be?”
 
            “Ah, that's easy, Il Fevrea,” she replied with a smile. “She is in the library.”
 
            I knew it. Is life ever easy? Not here, it's not. He returned the gesture and thanked her for her time, and made his way through one of the side hallways. Keith knew that he was smiling partially to be polite, but mostly from another thought. She always makes my life difficult, but she wouldn't be herself if she did otherwise. 'Il Fevrea'. The One who Sees, the title given to the Commander of the Imperial Guard. One who sees, there were days he doubted the truth behind those words.
 
            And the days when he couldn't best the princess in a game of this kind? Definitely not some of his best.
 
            Keith finally came before the massive oak doors, bound in wrought iron. The metal had lines of the old language etched into it, imbuing it with a sort of majesty and wonder. He knew that these people focused on the power of the world around them rather than spells in books or prayers to a goddess that had a mere chance of reaching her ears. The inscriptions in the iron blessed those who sought knowledge and understanding, and granted them with an open heart and a hungry mind. He knew this because Tol-Nawayi had mentioned it to him when he had given his tour of the palace and the surrounding buildings.
 
            “The Drazi value knowledge and discoveries almost as much as they value the art of war. That's why this university is so revered throughout the Empire and beyond it. Practitioners of magic and other arts come here from around the world to study. In here, you can find a book on anything. All that is required of you is the humility to admit that you don't know everything and to be able to ask a question. Merely ask, and the knowledge shall be provided.”
 
            “How may I help you, Il Fevrea?” asked a courteous librarian.
 
            “All that is required of you is the humility,” Keith recalled, the dry, irritated voice in his head making him cringe. “Merely ask, and the knowledge shall be provided.”
 
            “I'm looking for Her Highness, do you know where I might find her?” There was no need to address the other man with an honorific, the librarian wore a light colored sash. The lighter the color, particularly if it had a pattern on it, the lower in rank he was as a sage or cleric. Tol-Nawayi was one of a handful in recent memory to acquire a black sash, and bore the title of Master attached to his birth name.
 
            Il Fevrea was a high title, but even Keith acknowledged that there were still those above that. Tol-Nawayi for example, as Dean of the University and Head of the Mage's Guild, was one of the most respected and feared figures present in the palace. His Grace Liyal e Telemari was the Speaker of the Senate, a role that enabled him to gently guide the topics presented to be more aligned with his own beliefs, and was one of the weightiest titles the Empire could bestow on a man.
 
            Her Highness, Evalia fa Telemari II, bore the additional este Hohenzolle at the end of her foreign name. This deemed her the Heiress to the Holy Imperial throne, blessed by Ashunera in the days of old, and with the authority to bring even the most influential and powerful men and women to their knees before her. This most definitely did not fit with the girl Keith had come to know and love like a little sister, a girl who liked quiet activities like gardening or chatting with Henri and Rena. This wasn't a young woman who would wield the Imperial scepter and dispense justice left and right.
 
            She's not ashamed to be a princess, but I can't see her fulfilling the duties expected of her in the future, and still be happy, he thought as he shook his head.
 
            “I believe Her Highness is in the Western section today.”
 
            “Thank you very much for your help,” Keith said quietly, remembering the rule of hushed voices inside this building as he strolled down the pathways made by the numerous bookcases. A person could really get lost in here, he thought for what seemed like the thousandth time. No wonder Liyal and Tol-Nawayi like it, they're both all about knowing things.
 
            Now that he thought about it, the two men seemed like they were the same in some respects. Both loved to learn and ask questions, they both fired off theories at each other like it was just another stroll in the courtyard. They both took their responsibilities very seriously, and took pride in their work.
 
            But Tol-Nawayi as cold to most people, the exception only really being the princess. He always smiled for Evalia, even though everyone else could see that it was a painful imitation that he wore on his face. Keith supposed it was the effort he made that counted, and Evalia never really seemed to notice. But the sage was really a cynical, icy, bitter man, and there were many times when he didn't even bother to hide it.
 
            Liyal was like his extreme opposite. He should have been bitter, having been an unwanted son begot from his father's mistress. His birth mother died shortly after he was born, and he was left to the care of an army of wet nurses and other caregivers. The mother he came to truly love died when he was still a small boy, and he was left virtually alone in the world with his baby sister. Though the king had married a third time, the woman didn't even bother trying to care for Evalia or Liyal, instead opting to spoil her three blood children rotten. The one who had every right to be a cynic, to have a hard attitude, was the one with a kind and warm heart, who had a perpetual smile in his eyes.
 
            “Why do you smile so much anyway? From what you've told me, I wouldn't be smiling all the time. Don't you ever get angry, or upset?”

            Keith rounded a corner, and began his trek up a polished wooden staircase as he recalled Liyal's answer.
 
            “I smile more for others than for myself. That's what a smile should be for. Not to brighten your life, but to offer some light to another person. Besides, smiles can be used in so many different ways. Haven't you ever noticed that when you see a stranger smile at you, it puzzles you at first? You want to know why they're so happy. But seeing someone offer to share that happiness in a smile? You can't help but smile back.”

            “Princess, there you are. You sure gave me a chase today!”
 
            Evalia looked up at that, and smiled. “I should have known you'd find me, Keith. No matter where I go, you always find me.” She sighed, and the cloth of her cream-colored silk dress seemed to make the sound with her, regret at having to leave this place of wonder and imagination.
 
            “Oh, I know that look. We can't stay here, but,” his voice died when he saw the expression on her face, and he sighed. “I guess you can take a book or two with you,” he said, relenting. I give into her big puppy eyes too easily. Some personal guard I am, if I let her boss me around without her even giving me an order. “Just make it quick, you do have a meeting to go to.”
 
            Her russet eyes brightened, and he grinned.
 
            “But seeing someone offer to share that happiness in a smile? You can't help but smile back.”
 
            “It'll only take a moment, I promise! I just have this one I want to finish, and two scrolls to take!” She searched the shelves for the two in question. “One was a marvelous poem about three heroes that defeated a goddess, and the other is...right here! Ah, Keith, do you want me to get something for you while we're here?” she asked, a slight tint of pink on her cheeks, shamed that she'd completely forgotten to ask in the middle of her rush.
 
            "Keith, did you want me to take some for you?"

            He squirmed uncomfortably inside, though he tried to keep his composure locked on his face. "No, that's all right, Princess. I don't really read that much anyway. You go ahead and take what you want."
 
            “Keith.” She pouted, looking a little downcast at his half-hearted reply. “Don't be like that. You get bored waiting for my meetings to end, I know you do. A book or two could help, don't you think?”
 
            He fidgeted with the hilt of his sword, avoiding her open gaze. “I just...” He fought to explain himself. “I don't want to, that's all,” he said, offering a lame excuse rather than the truth. How could he explain himself to an educated noble like her? He was supposed to be like that – the Commander was a part of the nobility – but how could he say that he ...
 
            Realization dawned on her face, and she peered up at him curiously. “Keith,” she said with a start.  “Can you read?”
 
            His eyes grew wide, and he stumbled over his words. “What makes you think I can't? O-Of course I can read!” he stammered, fighting for the right thing to say.
 
            Even if it was a lie, he couldn't say the truth to this young, educated girl. That a man older than her, more experienced in life, couldn't read.
 
            “You can?” she repeated, the look on her face more skeptical than anything. Maybe it was the tremor in his voice that tipped her off. Evalia withdrew a book from the library shelf, and opened it to a page. “Here, read that for me.”
 
            “Princess, this is absurd-”
 
            “Just humor me, Amalini?” she pleaded, using the name of the medal he wore on his chest. She preferred to call him that if she didn't want to use his given name, as opposed to the servants who called him his official title, “Il Fevrea”. “Please? Just read it for me?”
 
            He sighed in defeat; there was no way he'd be able to continue with the lie any longer. Really, it probably would have been easier just to tell her the truth. Why did he have to lie to her? “I can't, Princess.”
 
            “You can't read.”
 
            He shook his head. “No, I can't. I never learned, but I've never really had a teacher for anything, not swordplay, and not reading. It's just ... easier to teach yourself swordplay. It's not as easy to teach yourself to read.” His shoulders slumped in defeat, and a faint blush of embarrassment stained his cheeks.
 
            “Would you like me to teach you?” Keith's head snapped up from looking down at the ground, and he saw a beaming smile on her face. “I'll be your teacher! I'll have you reading like the best in no time!” she said excitedly.
 
            He smiled awkwardly at the smaller girl, but the gesture was genuine. “I'd like that, Princess. Just promise me something?” He hesitated, and looked from one end of the rows of bookshelves to the other. “Don't tell Tol-Nawayi?”
 
            It had been several months since that day, and the princess had kept her word, Keith recalled with a small smile. She had possessed seemingly unending patience for his failed attempts at reproducing the characters of the Drazi alphabet, after hearing his halting voice reading simple children's stories. But now ...
 
            The smile she wore on her face now, anticipating his answer, reminded him of how he'd smiled once for his older brother. An excited smile, ready to take on the world, even if it was just a book.
 
            “Surprise me, Princess.”
 
 
            ***
 
            “Where do we go from here?” Boyd asked Soren, who was poring over the map he held. “This whole place isn't a desert, right? I mean, there has to be more people here.”
 
            “There are. Although, admittedly not here. The people we briefly came into contact with are nomads or travelers like us. The D'Hari is a harsh place, it's difficult to live here without a steady source of water on hand,” Soren replied, turning the parchment this way and that, studying it carefully.
 
            “Or relief from the sun and heat,” the reaver grumbled under his breath irritably, taking a swig of water from the skin.
 
            “So where do we go from here? What seems like a good plan to you, Soren?” Titania asked as she rewound the grip of her axe, the old leather being worn and nearly falling apart. When it came to making decisions of direction, Ike and Titania could make some themselves, but the two usually gave Soren the authority to do that.
 
            “Honestly?” the sage began, but he put down the map and sighed. “I think this map is a little dated.”
 
            “Dated?”
 
            “He means it's old, Rolf,” Shinon corrected with a tone of annoyance. “What do you mean, it's dated? We've been wandering around with a map that isn't even current? What kind of tactician are you?”
 
            A rock flew at him as Soren glared at the archer. “I'd like to see you do better, especially since this is the most current one the shopkeeper had available, and it looks like it's off by about fifty years,” he spat scornfully.
 
            “Fifty years?” Titania gasped in disbelief. “Soren, we could be anywhere!”
 
            “Not quite.” The tactician flattened his map on a rock with a miffed expression. “The D'Hari changes every year, it's true, but this is the general area.” He traced several spots with a fingertip. “I doubt the provinces have gotten much bigger, except possibly Shun'ya, or the North.”
 
            “But Mantabu was annexed officially about ten years ago, after the Hanbene Wars completely devastated it,” Rhys corrected. “The whole country, and the smaller provinces around it, were swallowed up by the Empire.” When Boyd and Rolf gaped at the priest, he smiled. “I read too much, and my uncle told me stories, but I didn't find out the truth until years later. The Drazi Empire was originally just Draza, Shun'ya, and the Northern Territories. Ivel was annexed relatively peacefully, but there have always been malcontents there. The South followed after that – they're farmers, not fighters, and the Drazi are infamous for their skill in a dueling arena or on the battlefield. They are able to provide protection from pirates and such, and the Southerners in exchange ship valuable crops and ore to the capital and Port Lagayu, and they're exported there.”
 
            “Mantabu has this stretch between Shun'ya and Draza,” Soren mused, the tip of his finger tapping the map. “The Path of Blood.”
 
            “Path of Blood?” Rolf repeated, looking a little pale.
 
            Ike shook his head silently. “This country's full of morbid people obsessed with death, darkness, and despair. It's no wonder they're always fighting each other.”
 
            Soren cleared his throat. “The Path of Blood is probably the most fought-over stretch of land in the Empire, and you'd have to look hard to find one in Tellius that compares. Many wars have been fought over it, including the very first one that created the Empire. Evalia fa Telemari I led that charge, and it makes some sense that her descendants saw fit to reclaim it, even if it's only for a few years. That changes some things, for us, at least.”
 
            “We want to pass unseen by any of their military?” Titania wanted to know.
 
            Soren nodded. “Yes, it's better that we avoid contact. There's no guarantee that we'd win a fight against the Imperial army or their cavalry. I'd rather tangle with them than the Guard, though.” He and Rhys exchanged a look of mutual dread, though Rhys's was more pronounced.
 
            “Il-Fevrea,” they whispered synonymously.
 
            “Il-whatsit?” Boyd asked with a laugh. “Sounds like some kind of weird pastry.”
 
            “Don't joke, whelp,” Shinon said sharply from his place, leaning on a tree. “Il-Fevrea is the Commander of the most elite force in the entire Empire. 'The One who Sees', the personal guard of the Empress, the one in charge of the group who protects her. I wouldn't take him lightly.” He settled back, rummaging in his pocket, seeming to look for something.
 
            “He stays wherever she goes, so if we go towards this place here, we should avoid any trouble,” Soren said, tapping a spot on the map. “Legacy Springs, it's a popular resort, but the army can't stay there, it's a peaceful settlement. It's about a day's ride from here, and we can get proper food and supplies there from the market.” He rolled up the paper and tucked it in his robes. “Maybe they'll have an updated map that would be of better use than thi-”
 
            “Shinon, is that a letter from Gatrie?”
 
            The archer's young pupil stared at him with big, light green eyes, peering over the parchment with a curiosity that a proper teacher valued in a student. The desire to learn, at any cost. It's probably what got Rolf this far – his drive to become a valuable asset to the Mercenaries, and with a bow and arrow nonetheless.
 
            But right now, what the older man wanted the most was a bit of privacy, and the boy's curiosity was getting in the way of that. It was aggravating, to the point where Shinon badly wanted a drink. “It's none of your business,” he snapped, wrenching the paper away from Rolf's prying eyes.
 
            “Word from Gatrie, eh? Who else would write to you?” Titania observed from the fire, the light flickering over her face as she looked across to him. “What's that rascal up to now?”
 
            Shinon leaned back against the tree, and lifted the parchment back up. Gatrie was really the only friend he'd ever known, but he would've wanted Titania to know his endeavors back in Begnion. He sighed, and read out loud from the letter.
 
            “Shinon, I hope this gets to you before you reach the Death Desert! Her Majesty is keeping me on my toes, but at least she gives me time to relax now and then. They've managed to slow down Makalov's gambling back in Crimea, or that's what I heard. I think it was mostly a group effort led by his sister, but I'd bet money Astrid had something to do with it. You remember them getting married? You drank too much that night as usual, so you probably don't.” He glared at Boyd, who snickered at that last, then continued. “I mostly don't have much to do, it being peaceful here and all. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone with you all, but then I would've missed out on the pretty temple maidens! You should see some of them if you come by again, there's some pretty flowers around here. Mia's also stopped by, she's asked how you lot are doing. I told her Ike's gone to the east, and you lot decided to go with him, to keep him out of trouble and make sure he doesn't get himself killed one of these days. You might see her, but it's pretty hard to tell. That girl's still looking for that rival of hers. I'll see if I can write if I can, but give my best to the rest of  'em, and look out for each other, you know? Just like the old days.”
 
            “Mia's still looking, is she? She never does change,” Oscar said with a laugh. “Did you ever manage to say goodbye to her before we left, Rhys? I know that would have meant a lot, you were a very good friend to her.”
 
            A faint blush crept over his face while everyone at the company stared at the fair man. “I ... did manage,” he stammered. “She told me she'd be waiting at the Retreat for me.”
 
            “Probably with a challenge, I'd wager,” Titania said, and the others laughed. She glanced at Rhys while the company chuckled, and gave him a knowing wink, making him burn a darker pink. If there was anyone who knew him well, it was her. He'd saved her life, and it'd created a bond of friendship that included confidence when it came to secrets. She would never betray them to anyone, and so he trusted her.
 
            Titania saw Rhys sigh and touch his cheek, and she smiled. Maybe Mia wouldn't be the one waiting at the Retreat after all. “We should get some rest before that ride to Legacy Springs, then.”
 
            Shinon yawned, stretching out his arms and whacking Boyd in the face at the same time. “If only I had a decent drink around here, I'd sleep better. It'd get rid of the grit in my mouth.”
 
            “Maybe if you stopped cursing, your mouth wouldn't be so foul,” Soren muttered as Boyd gave a muffled oath, holding his nose.
 
            As the others began to set up their tents, Rhys looked up at the sky. Stars were beginning to dot the endless expanse of darkness, punctuating it with their light. One in particular was especially dazzling. “What star is that, Rhys? Do you know what it is?” Titania asked, gazing up at it with her axe propping her up beside a tree.
 
            “Amalini, the Guiding Light,” he whispered. “Legend says that Ashunera created the sun and moon to give the world light, but when the moon was gone from the sky, a warrior became lost in the D'Hari desert. His wife, Amalini, prayed to the Goddess to keep her beloved safe from harm, and to bring him home.” His voice faltered, but he took a deep breath and continued. “He died in the desert, and she was inconsolable. She cried out to the Goddess in her grief, and Ashunera in turn placed her in the sky, where she could be reunited with her love in the heavens. She's there to this day, guiding wanderers and travelers with her eternally burning torch. She's revered by the Drazi, and she became one of their emblems, the Seven-Pointed Star.”
 
            “That's a beautiful story,” she mused, looking back up at the star, to see it wink and sparkle back. A guiding light for those who had none. There might be darkness in this place, but where there was light, no matter how far or small, there was hope.