Vesper, Thirteenth Day Before the Kalends of June

Eastpoint, Bahim, Drum

Jack approached the Eastpoint slowly, creeping from one shadow to the next. He kept one of his hands rested on the hilt of his dagger. Even as a boy, inexperienced in battle, he could sense that something was wrong. It was quiet, too quiet.

When Jack reached the border of the town, where there was a small windmill, he saw two men walking towards him and hid behind a bushel of wheat. The men were laughing. Only when they got closer he could see that they were dragging something behind them. It took a moment for Jack to make out its shape and realise what they were dragging. A dead body. Inadvertently, Jack drew a sharp breath in.

The two men stopped. They turned towards where Jack was hiding. They dropped the body they were dragging. It fell onto the ground with a soft thud. One of the men drew their blade. Jack drew his dagger and readied himself for battle.

Then rush of wind, and both men were decapitated. Before Jack could react, a cloak flashed before him and he was taken off his feet. They were flying.

“Kate,” Jack whispered, as if in a daze. He grabbed onto Kate’s arm and held on tight as the wind rushed through his hair.

They landed on an oak tree some distance away. Jack stepped away from Kate. His feet felt unsteady, but when he reached out and touched the bark of the oak tree, he felt somewhat calmer. He looked at Kate. She was crouched down, perched on the oak tree like some great vulture. She had in her eyes a glint that Jack had never seen before.

“So, to save us,” said Kate. “Hazel sent you.”

Her voice was hoarse. And quiet, too quiet.

“Hazel did not send me,” said Jack. “I came by myself.”

Kate made a sound that was halfway between a chuckle and sob, and turned away. In doing so her neck was illuminated for a moment by the moonlight, and Jack saw that it was covered in blood.

“You are hurt,” said Jack.

Kate’s body withdrew again into the darkness. “Go back to Larkins,” she said.

“I wish to fight,” said Jack. He took a step forward towards Kate. “I can fight.”

Kate turned to look at Jack again.

“Logan taught me how to fight,” said Jack.

At this Kate laughed. She laughed in bursts, some short and some longer, at times throwing her head back and at times shaking it slowly. Some of these bursts of laughter sounded genuinely mirthful, some bitter, and still others despondent. Jack simply watched in amazement.

Eventually Kate stopped. She looked at Jack. Jack saw in her eyes again that unfamiliar glint.

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“Then go,” said Kate. “Fight.”

Bahim, Drum

Logan’s body was pressed flat against the horse, as if the horse would somehow feel his thundering heart and go faster, and faster still. As they soared across the plains they left behind faint traces of lightning which disappeared with a faint sizzle into the air.

Compline, Thirteenth Day Before the Kalends of June

Alleyway Outside the Town Hall, Eastpoint, Bahim, Drum

The alleyways were heavy with the stench of beer. As Jack crept up to the Town Hall he felt his boots sticking onto the cobblestone ground. He could hear muffled speaking from inside the hall. He maintained a strong Connexion between his Mind and his Body to prevent whoever was inside from Sensing his Body, just as Logan had taught him. He pressed his Body to the stone wall of the Town Hall. He listened for a little while, but still the sounds from within the Town Hall were muffled.

Jack crouched down and pressed a hand against the ground. Soon a vine grew out, climbed up the stone walls, reaching the window a little above Jack’s head. He climbed the vine cautiously up to the window. He peeked over the windowsill and saw two men drinking by the table. Jack did not know who they were, but from the way they were dressed he guessed that they were not common soldiers. One of them bore the emblem of the Lesser Family of Ramani on his lapel.

Jack drew a deep breath in, then let it out slowly. Become your own person, Logan had said. That is the only way. Jack gathered up Impact Connexion in his hand and struck the window, shattering it. The two men looked up. Jack threw one of his throwing knives at the man who bore the Ramani emblem, but the man had already drawn his blade and deflected it with ease. Without wasting another moment, the Ramani sent a challis towards Jack. Jack jumped away from the window and took off running. Behind him he heard the impact of the challis like the crack of a whip, then shortly after he heard the doors of the Town Hall burst open. Without looking back, Jack jumped up. The oak tree above him bent one of its branches down. Jack grabbed the branch and lifted himself up just in time to avoid another challis.

Jack knew instinctively that there was no time to stop and reassess, let alone attack back. He had to reach the forest. With his heart pounding in his chest, he fled, jumping from branch to branch, from one tree to the next, dodging, weaving, and ducking to avoid the flurry of challis unleashed after him.

Prime, Twelveth Day Before the Kalends of June

Eastpoint, Bahim, Drum

Logan’s horse collapsed as soon as it reached Eastpoint. Logan put his hand against its neck. It was dead. Logan stood up. There was no time to waste.

Logan closed his eyes and detached his Mind from his Body, Sensing outwards. He Sensed many Minds, sound asleep. He went further, but still nothing. He Sensed outwards to the quarry where the revolutionaries had been based. He Sensed the Minds of a few women and children who were still trapped there, but nothing else. Perhaps Jack was not here after all. Logan opened his eyes. He almost collapsed from fatigue. It was no easy feat Sensing the whole of Eastpoint, let alone after such a long travel. Logan steadied himself and began walking towards the centre of the town.

Even now the streets were heavy with the stench of alcohol, which for Logan was mixed in with the stench of his own sweat, for he was completely drenched from the panicked journey to Eastpoint. Logan pushed his legs to go faster, but they were now so fatigued that they were shaking. Even worse, his prior wounds seemed to have opened up on the journey here. Pain shot through Logan’s abdomen with each step Still Logan pushed on.

In a mindless haze Logan reached the Town Hall. But when he saw the broken window he gasped, because there was a wilted vine leading up to it. Logan ran up to the window and looked into the Town Hall. Not a soul in sight. He then saw the imprint of the challis on the wall behind him. Then more challis imprints leading down the road, towards the forest.

Ah, thought Logan, and took off running.