The jeep was parked in a small clearing a little ways off the entrance to the mine. The clearing they had chosen was surrounded by tall bushes and shrubbery, obscuring the vehicle from view, especially in the dim light of the early morning, with the sun just breaking shyly out of the horizon. Beside him, Simani sat on the passenger seat, looking out towards the mines through a pair of binoculars. It was around four in the morning and his partner had determinedly ignored any suggestions that she drive them from the motel where they had put up for the night, to the location of the anticipated crime.

Ruban rubbed his eyes tiredly. He needed more sleep and a lot more caffeine. And the universe seemed determined to deprive him of both.

“But you did this the last time as well,” Ashwin whined from the backseat, making Ruban want to bang his own head against the steering wheel. “You can’t just keep leaving me behind all the time!”

“In fact, my lord,” said Ruban, his teeth gritted against the urge to punch some sense into the younger man. “I plan to do just that. It was hard enough to get information from that half-wit Bhagat anyway. The last thing we needed was for him to see you and freak the hell out even more. He’d probably have mistaken you for the king of Zaini and thrown you an impromptu party.”

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“While that is far from an unpleasant prospect,” said Ashwin in a put-upon voice that made Ruban’s blood boil. “I don’t see why that means I can’t go with you now. After all, it is part of my mission to help you apprehend these evil Aeriels. So why can’t I go with you?”

“Because,” enunciated Ruban, in a voice full of patience he did not feel. “While you dying a bloody and painful death in the bowels of a mine in a backwater Vandran village would make little difference to me personally, it might cause some minor embarrassment to my superiors. Hence, I would rather we avoid that eventuality as long as possible.”

“I see it,” said Simani, interrupting their discourse, her voice urgent. “I see its wings. Ruban, the Aeriel’s here.” She was already stepping out of the jeep before Ruban could properly register her words.

“Stay here,” Ruban growled at Ashwin, before slamming his door shut and running to catch up with his partner.