We left the cave as the sun rose. It was just Ian and I, and he was scared of me. He didn't say it at first, instead just looking on from the side, almost nervously. Of course we quickly began our travel home, because it was sure to be a difficult trip.

Even if I spent most of my time indoors and in the city I still had to venture out, more as a child, and I was still well versed in how to navigate. There were tricks to it, things to look out for, ways to keep yourself from getting lost or turned around. Direction was important and without long practice that you might not even realize you were doing you could end up walking in circles for days. Part of this was that even elves favored one side of their body over the other, turning your steps off to that way. More importantly though was the fact that under trees the sun wasn't always visible, and in the afternoon it might be difficult to tell which direction was which.

Words were few as we moved through the morning light, picking our way along game trails and the occasional small creek. It was easier to move fast like that, along the paths that weren't roads, than through proper jungle, which could be a hard place to run in at the best of times. As we stopped to rest around lunch Ian turned to me.

“So, do you have a plan?” he asked.

“Yes, get back to Atal, and avoid any of the villages while we do so.” It wasn't a complicated plan, but simple plans had a better chance of success in my experience.

“You don't think they were bluffing about traitors then?”

“No,” I answered. “Atal is terrifying to me, and he likes me. Even if he doesn't mean to be, even if he's trying to be nice he comes off as scary. It doesn't surprise me in the least that a few would welcome someone else.”

“Almost sounds like you'd think of joining them,” he said.

“They're killing children Ian, they already killed my village. From what Isha told me it was their leader, Cino himself that ordered it, and that carried it out. Perhaps there was little love between myself and the old elder there, but I didn't want her dead. If I had I'd have just done it myself,” I snapped.

“Sorry,” he said, making a placating gesture. “I meant no offense. On the subject of killing though, what happened back there?”

“I suffocated them,” I answered.

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“Justin, I've seen people suffocated before, and strangled, and stabbed. They just... fell asleep, I've never seen anything like that. How?”

I looked at him for a few moments. How did I want to explain this? Did I want to explain it at all? I didn't have to, it was one of my spells, and those were private. There also wasn't any theory at all about different gases here. Sure, people knew that smoke was a thing, and that bad smells happened, but the idea that there were a lot of different components to air that could change it like I had? Nobody though anything even mildly similar to that.

Even if I did tell him, and in a way that he could understand, would it give others a new tool against me? It might well, and one that would be hard to counter. Of course, I was only capable of what I'd done because I knew way more about molecular structures than they did, not something I was willing to part with, or could explain at all.

“There are many kinds of air,” I finally answered. “It is difficult to explain, but some of them are not so good for you. Like a cave filled with smoke, you couldn't breathe that right?”

“I guess not,” he said. “But there was no smoke, no smell. They didn't even look like they noticed.”

“Yes, that's the trick to it. It's complicated Ian, but that's how it is, bad air.”

It was an answer that wasn't really an answer. What was 'bad air' to him? He wouldn't know from what I'd told him anything useful, or any insight an older elf might not have already had. Certainly people here died of suffocation in caves and whatnot sometimes, and if you could use that as a weapon it would be a powerful one indeed. Well, maybe not, seeing as it could only be used under a few circumstances. He didn't need to know that though.

Ian shook his head. “You know Justin, some days I feel worthless next to you. I sometimes think about when we first met. You looked barely a man, wandering somewhere you didn't quite understand. Now look at you, sought by ancients and put in charge of these projects, and I can't do anything worthwhile, don't even have real strength.”

I looked away. Sure, it was possible to give him some line, some soppy story about how he was really useful, but the honest truth was that he wasn't particularly strong, nor smart. Ian didn't have any outstanding talents, and even if he worked hard he'd not chosen a field where he could ever be a truly outstanding person, unless he had magic of course.

“You're an alright guy. My aunt likes you well enough at least.” It wasn't much, but it was the best I could come up with on the spot.

He gave me a bit of a look to the side. “I, uh, didn't mean to tread on any...”

“What? I don't care. If she's happy I'll be happy for her.” It was clear that the only reason he'd not made a serious move was that he worried about how I'd react, but honestly I didn't care.

“Seriously? What about, well, your uncle or whatever.”

“Never had one as far as I know. Anyway, why should I care? Atie's a big girl, she can make her own decisions.”

“Ah, I wasn't expecting you to be okay with that Justin,” he admitted.

“Yeah, go nuts. Of course if you hurt her they'll never find your body.” I gave him a small smile, only to see him pale in response.

It didn't occur to me until much later how potent of a threat that was. Had he ever been exposed to that particular part of my society? Not really. I was also a terror compared to most of the people in my age group, with money, magic, and political power backing me I could probably kill him with ease and nobody would even look.

Shortly after that the conversation died. With nothing else to say we readied the bit of gear we had either retained or taken when leaving the dead kidnappers behind and set back off. Neither of us wanted to be here, neither wanted to risk getting attacked by enemy elves or the many beasts that roamed this land.

The only solution to our problem would be to get home, get home and back to those we loved. It was also important that we quickly inform Atal that there were betrayers, people who needed to be dealt with quickly. Having enemies like that in this war would be no small problem if we wanted to win, and after all the crimes of the Westers I was out of pity for whatever Atal would do to any who turned their coats.