If I never saw sand again, I would not find anything wrong with it.

The small storm wasn't that bad, compared to a few we have weathered since being here, and was useful.

It gave me and my people a good excuse as to why our Line was closed up. Why it was locked, and no one could draw near.

I stood in silence, staring out the observation window. The sound of the wind and sand could barely be heard, even though it was roaring just outside a few feet away. The Front-Line was sometimes a little too good at what it did.

“Commander! Someone is nearing the city wall, screaming at us,” an ensign said.

“Ignore them,” I said, keeping my eyes on the window.

“I... I would sir, but she looks hurt,” the girl said, as if unsure of what to say.

Turning just my eyes, I saw that the ensign was worried... almost on edge.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“It's not your wife sir... but, she does have blood on her and,” she started to speak, but stopped when I looked away from her.

For a moment I was adamant in my decision to ignore whoever it was, and whatever they wanted.

We were getting ready to leave. By tomorrow morning we'd be gone.

I didn't plan on getting involved with this city any longer.

The ensign didn't leave, and instead drew a little closer. She mumbled something, and I sighed at her. “What is it?” I asked.

“Sir! Sorry... I know you gave an order... but... It's just a child,” she said softly.

Glancing back to her, I saw that she was nearly on the verge of tears.

“Show me,” I said.

It didn't take long, only a few minutes later and I was standing in another observation deck, overlooking the part of the wall where our bridge had once been.

Sure enough, kneeling in front of the Front-Line... prostrating… was what looked to be a young girl.

The harsh wind wasn't being kind to her, and her hair and clothes were flapping wildly. It made it hard to make out her finer features.

“You said she was hurt?” I asked.

“She's got blood all over her,” a deep voice said as Yevin entered the room.

“Let's go,” I said, heading for the stairs.

As I descended, I ordered the bridge to open and slowly attach itself to the wall. I wasn't sure if she'd move out of the way, but there was little I could do if she wouldn't.

The storm roared as we waited for the bridge to latch itself, and I realized that it was fiercer than it was earlier... or maybe I had simply not noticed it from the safety of the Front-Line.

And this had been a small one...

“What's going on?” Jamthi asked as he came up to me.

“We're about to find out,” I said.

Once the bridge latched, I and the rest hurried across. I didn't even need to, the kid ran straight for me the moment the bridge stopped moving.

Yevin put himself in-between me and the child, and a few of his men went to do the same. I didn't order them back, since I wasn't a fool.

Children could be used as weapons, or could be weapons themselves, depending on the scenario.

“Please help!” she shouted over the wind, and I watched as she collapsed in front of Yevin.

Approaching the two, I noticed that there were large blotches of blood covering her front; enough that there was no way it was hers.

She'd not be running, maybe not even breathing, if she had bled that all herself.

The girl said something, and it made Yevin hurriedly stand in a panic. At first I worried she had done something, but instead he simply lifted her up and brought her to me.

Seeing me, she reached out as Yevin held her in front of me. I noticed he was being gentle, but had a strange look on his face.

She struggled, as if with the last bit of her strength, and I reached out to support her. “What's wrong?” I asked.

“Lord! Please! It's Telleya!” the young girl screamed, her breath and body ragged. She felt soaked, and not just from the blood on her hands.

She must have run the whole way here, and she was far from accustomed to such a thing.

“Please, she's hurt,” she begged, grabbing my shirt.

“Noth!” Jamthi tried to usher me, and I knew what he wanted me to do. I knew what they all wanted me to do.

But...

Only three heartbeats separated my hesitation, from my dedication.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Get Kana,” I said.

Jamthi hurried away, and I grabbed Yevin's arm. “Do what you have to,” I said to him, and the large man gave me a heavy nod.

“Please!” the young girl was familiar, but I didn't know her name. I knew at least, that I had seen her face before in the House of Derri. That was enough.

A trap, most likely. But a bad one.

Did they think they could take Yevin and his men? That they could harm me?

They were in for a rude awakening.

Their men hadn't even been able to carry goods from their House to my Line. They had been that weak.

Maybe me closing and locking the Line had scared them into action.

Maybe they had found that their saboteur was a failure…

“Have your people escort Kana,” I told Yevin, and gestured for one of the dockhands.

“Close the bridge till we get back,” I said to him.

“Careful sir.”

I didn't need the young girl to guide me, and it was a good thing too. She must have exerted all of her strength just getting here, because the moment her message had been relayed, and we went into motion she had fallen to the floor.

“Take care of her!” Yevin ordered one of his men to remain behind, and we hurried onward.

Thanks to the storm, no one was out and about. The streets were clear, and there were no onlookers as we hurried to the House of Derri.

It didn't take us long at all to reach it, and I was surprised to find the entrance unguarded.

“Yevin,” I ordered, and he and a dozen men hurried ahead of me.

I slowed my pace, and looked around through the storm. It was hard to see, with all the sand in the air, but it was clear enough to see that no one was around.

Would all of their warriors be waiting for us within their Household? Should I just go back...?

Maybe it wasn’t a plot by the House of Derri at all, but another. Maybe the House of Markith finally took matters into their own hands.

If so… would they be brave enough to attack us as well?

Yevin entered the building first, and the rest of his men quickly followed. Only a few remained outside with me.

It wasn't just my life on the line after all.

“There's no blood anywhere,” Yevin's apprentice said.

“The wind could have buried or blown it away by now,” I said, and wondered why she had not thought of such a thing.

She flinched, and I knew it was because she realized it. But I wasn't in the mood to tease her. Not right now.

“Boss!” one of Yevin's men beckoned me, so I hurried in.

Although the building gave shelter from the harsh wind, and the sand, it didn't do much against the noise. In fact it was almost worst in some parts, thanks to the sound of the sand scraping along the buildings stone outside.

“That way, hurry,” the man said, gesturing down a hall.

Hurrying down it, I passed a few of Yevin's people... then a Derri guard.

Then another Derri. Then another.

The fact none of them were dead told me that they hadn't set any kind of trap for us... but it actually made me more concerned.

What was happening then...?

“Lord Noth...” Rivini's mask didn't last a moment once she saw me. She even looked away, as if she could hide her face of embarrassment.

Embarrassment I noted, not shame or sorrow.

The elder, and a few others, were standing around a doorway. And within it I could see Yevin's massive frame, and a few of his crew.

I stepped into the room, and immediately smelled the blood. It was distinctive… somehow it was more noticeable than usual... maybe it was because of how dry this place was.

“Noth,” Yevin's deep voice spoke softly as he gestured to a nearby bed. And the blood soaked woman upon it.

The first thing I took in was the curved knife sticking out of her chest. It was somehow the cleanest thing, and gleamed a little. It was encrusted with jewels, and looked valuable.

It looked just like the many others that filled the crates in my storage compartments.

And even though it itself wasn't what I should look at... I couldn't bring my eyes to look away from it, and to the one who it was sticking out of.

Yevin's large hand had placed itself on her chest, trying to surround the wound with as much pressure as he could.

“She's still alive...?” I asked, and hated how softly I had asked my question.

“Barely,” Yevin said.

Telleya looked unconscious, and her breathing was sporadic. She breathed quickly for a few seconds, and then stopped. Only to start breathing again.

“If Kana doesn't bring the right catalyst, she'll die,” Yevin warned.

“Send a man to get them, just in case,” I said.

“Already did.”

Even if he ran as fast as he could, there was no way he'd be in time... even if Kana walked through the door now, with all the necessary tools...

Walking over to the bed, I bent down so I could inspect the wound more closely.

Although the blade was sharp, it was curved. It looked more like a decoration really, but it obviously did as much damage as a real one.

The only reason she was still alive, even barely, was that its curve stopped it from doing too much damage to the heart.

Not that such a thing stopped it from killing.

As I studied the wound, I noticed that there weren’t any more cuts or wounds elsewhere. None on her arms or hands, where normally a defending person would have them during a knife attack.

A surprise attack maybe?

The blade also looked to be loose, and not just because of Yevin trying to apply pressure. Had she struggled? Maybe she had tried to pull it out after being stabbed.

“She's breathing. No blood is coming from her lungs. Yet,” Yevin said.

“She isn't going to drown in her blood, she's going to lose it all,” I said.

Yevin looked at me, but said nothing as I stared at the girl.

She didn't look that bad, all things considered. Even when covered in sweat, dirt and blood... she still looked...

Putting my hand on her forehead, my eyes narrowed at the feeling of heat. She was burning.

“Where's Kana?” I asked.

“Any moment,” Yevin's apprentice said.

“Was it done in this room?” I asked.

Yevin looked around, and everyone waited for him to study it. They knew I wanted his answer, a real one.

“No,” he finally said.

“Find out where. Who. Why,” I ordered.

Yevin didn't move, but his men did.

I ignored the sound of people complaining, and the sound of voices rising. I ignored them as I watched her blood seep through Yevin's fingers.

This poor girl, who had just a few nights ago been so full of joy and life... Who had been happy just to eat a fruit never tasted before, was now dying.

A woman who had buckled under the weight of sin and had not been able to go through with her own cruel plans and schemes.

A woman who placed the lives of my people above her own.

“This is your fault, Noth,” Yevin said softly.

“I know,” I said.

I know.

It always is.