Auria returned to the camp alone. To Suranihr’s questioning gaze, she answered with a sigh. “Harian found a… victim for me. A sort of priest, I guess.”

“And where is he now?”

“He stayed behind, aiming to scout ahead before we continued. He told me to not expect him before evening.”

“Alright. Naira’s awake, you should…” Even before he finished his sentence, Auria was already running towards the tent where Naira slept. She ran through the entrance, tent flaps fluttering from her passing by.

Naira was trying to get dressed up, pain evident from her movements. It was an interesting sight, her pale, naked body bent over, dressed only in dark gauntlets that she couldn’t take off. Auria’s lips twitched. Wearing only gloves made Naira seem more naked than if she wore nothing at all. “Back to bed.” Auria commanded with a voice that didn’t allow any backtalk. Naira turned her head towards Auria slowly. “I will go mad if I stay in bed any longer. I am fine.”

“I see that. You are indeed completely fine, movements as chipper as an old lady on her deathbed. Back to bed, I’m going to heal you completely.”

“Are you sure you will not burn me to a crisp?” A hint of mirth in her voice was something that Auria really did not expect. “Honestly, I feel fine. You are the most talented medic I know, Auria, and you have done an excellent job. You do not need that thing to heal people, you know.”

Auria nodded. “I know, but why not use it if I’m able to?”

Naira’s face turned red. “Honestly? It sickens me a little bit. The idea of you using the energy of someone you have killed to heal me.”

Auria was startled. “I… I’ve never thought of it that way. At least let me look at you. You’ve been shot with some toxic filth, let me at least check up on you.”

Naira nodded slowly, and laid down. Auria stretched the projector out, and focused.

She was on a large wooden ship, her sun-darkened hands locking up the collar around the slave’s neck, wondering how gold he could get on the market for him…

She danced with a boy she fancied during festivities to praise their all-loving god, dreaming of taking his seed into her body later that night…

She stood in front of a kneeling crowd, preaching the holy words, yet in her mind thinking about the young, barely-adult man waiting naked in his bed, arousing himself with the thought of doing something so vile and heretical as to lay with another man…

It took but a moment, yet the images in her mind made her wince and take a small step back. Naira noticed it. “Are you alright, Auria?”

Auria nodded. “It’s… nothing, probably.” She stepped back to Naira, focusing her will through the projector… only to see nothing. Naira was completely invisible to the projector.

“What are you doing, Auria?” Naira asked, a hint of panic in her voice.”I feel it.”

“You… what?” Auria raised her eyebrows, confused.

“I feel the tingle in my fingers. It comes from the gauntlets.”

“That’s… strange. I can’t see you - or better yet - feel you at all.”

“Yet I feel you. Move around the tent.” Naira closed her eyes, raising her left hand towards Auria, pointing at her. As Auria moved slowly around the tent, the finger followed her unmistakingly.

“Do you think there is a connection between your gauntlets and my arm?” Auria asked, realizing the obvious answer as soon as she let the words out.

“Either that, or my hearing is amazing and I can imagine you being anywhere around me as soon as I hear you.” Naira smiled. “Strange, they never acted before, whatever you did with that thing…”

“Maybe it’s because I didn’t use the projector on you directly.” She stood in silence, contemplating. “Will you help me dress up?” Naira asked out of the blue. Auria nodded happily.

“So what’s with that long rifle?” Auria asked her while pulling Naira’s undergarments up. Naira’s mouth twitched. “A modification to Basilisk. I am able to use it as a short, revolving pistol, or attach it to a rifle frame and use it as a - you’ve guessed it - rifle.”

Auria shook her head while putting Naira’s arm into a sleeve of her light, white blouse. “I’ll never understand your fascination with guns and explosives.”

“You can thank Navarr for that.”

Auria tensed. It was the first time after his death that Naira said his name out loud. Thankfully, nothing out of the ordinary followed and Auria felt that in time, Naira could return back to her cheerful old self instead of the cold, emotionless automaton she became in recent times. Even no, Auria already saw the progress Naira was making and she had to admit, she was rather relieved.

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“What’s the difference? Both of them shoot something, hurting someone on the other hand of the barrel.”

“Accuracy, power, intimidation of something long and big being aimed at you.” Naira shrugged and hissed out of pain. “Now kneel and adorn my boots. I know that you like to kneel in front of men.”

Although she could not see it, Auria certainly felt and heard the grin on Naira’s face. “You’ve got it wrong. I like when men kneel in front of me.” she said with a chuckle while lacing up Naira’s long boots.

“Maybe that is why you are still alone.”

“No.” Auria shook her head. “Believe me, there are a lot of men that look big and intimidating on the outside, yet inside, they want to be bound up and spank like little children.”

Naira laughed out loud, and Auria was completely startled by that sound. Oh, how she missed that sound…

“I am sorry but the idea of your petite, slender figure towering above a kneeling, muscular man, ready to spank him if he will not lick your feet, that is a rather funny concept to imagine. Although, after I have seen you scorch an entire crowd with just a thought…”

Auria raised her arms in defense. “No, no feet. That’s where I put the border.” She looked at Naira’s face and while it was still cold and emotionless, the voice and laughter were honest.

“You seem rather… fine with me causing so much death.”

Naira sighed. “It was either us, or them. You have done what you needed to.”

“Naira I… Can I hug you? Please?” Auria asked meekly. After a short time, Naira nodded and both women hugged. They stayed like this for a good five minutes, until Naira broke it. “I… I need to… be alone.”

Auria took a few steps back, startled. “Have I done something? Was it too much?”

Naira shook her head, chuckling. “I need to relieve myself, so please, kindly fuck off for a while.”

***

Auria walked out of the tent and looked around. Tents stood on a flowery meadow in a circle nearly twenty meters wide, which gave everyone enough privacy, yet it did not make anyone feel pushed away. Auria realized that she did not know who exactly she was traveling with at the moment, and she decided that it was rather important to find out. She looked for a girl - a camp cook, by her guess - and decided to start with her. Specifically, by treating her wounds.

She found her talking to another injured person - a citadel guard this time - and realized how selfish she was, chasing the energy and the power instead of taking care of everyone injured as she was supposed to. She felt ashamed, and a thought crossed her mind whether the projector was starting to alter her mind or not.

She walked towards them, and the girl - a cook - bowed her head. “Mistress.” The guard stood straight and saluted her with a painful grimace.

“Don’t.” She waved at the guard. “Tell me of your injuries, and please, tell everyone to come to me for treatment.”

The girl nodded and quickly ran towards the closest tent, while the soldier sighed and started to list his injuries. As the list went on, another person came - again, a guardsman - and then another, and another, and another…

All of them were injured, one way or another. Civilians - a blacksmith, coach master, cook - were traumatized, startling themselves with each fall of a leaf, each whisper of a wind. Guards were broken, cut open or burnt.

And so Auria began. She healed both body and soul, in the best way she knew - ointments, needles and threads, poultices, potions, herbs and bandages. She did not use the projector, afraid to run out of energy, afraid to need to feed upon somebody.

When she was finally finished, it was already an evening. Harian returned in the meantime, famished and tired and with interesting news.

“Too many patrols wander these lands…” He spoke towards the full camp as he ate. “They look strange. Some of them wear the full military uniforms and armor of Glaeria, some of them look like cutthroats and brigands yet even in that disguise, they use distinct markings of the Glaerian army. Golden stars - pendants, wristbands, belt buckles. We need to be careful. Somehow, I doubt that they will be friendly towards us.”

“We are envoys of peace.” Auria said softly. “We mean them no harm.”

Harian turned towards her. “The people you want to make peace with would rather see you burn. We need to be careful regarding our intentions and identities. Hide all the citadel markings. Hide the jewelry, anything shiny. Hide the weapons. Auria, conceal the projector. Act sick and plagued, or as poor people, homeless, beggars even - nobody will try to rummage through our stuff then, or give us any attention. We need to alter our carriages, they look too fancy and too out of place. We need to blend in with the dirt on the road, meaning be as dirty and worn down as that dirt.”

He sighed and looked them each in the eyes for a moment. “It will be hard and dangerous, but we can all make it in good health and fortune. Remember, we are all in this together. We leave none behind.”

Suranihr raised his hand, asking for a word. All the eyes turned towards him. “When on sea - or, specifically, on my ship - we have a rule. Each member of my crew needs to know how to fight, how to defend himself or herself. At least basics. I present this offer to all of you - I will give you as much training as needed, provided that you will ask for it voluntarily. I guess that the same will be true for Harian and these men to my right.” He nodded towards guardsmen right to him, to which they muttered in agreement.

“Well then, let’s all get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

***

After a quick task assignment, everybody hurried towards their work. All the decorations and carved woodwork on the carriages were torn down, scratched, burnt or made dirty with mud and ashes. Clothes that they all wore were hidden beneath large cloaks that were made filthy with food and grease stains, dirt from the road and oil from the wheel shafts. They were all in a rather rough shape, with visible bloody bandages, freshly sown wounds, scratches and bruises, so at least there wasn’t much needed to fake.

It took them half a day, but it was worth it. As they continued on their road, three patrols went by them. Two paid them no attention whatsoever, and one patrol stopped for a few questions which Suranihr obliged to answer with a raspy voice and a lot of coughing. A sting of unease and shame hit Auria when she heard him cough - after all, she attacked him with a plague-bringing projector. Luckily, it was too depleted to cause any permanent harm and she surveyed him multiple times to assure herself that he is perfectly healthy.

The night came, and she kept turning underneath the blankets. She stayed outside as heat waves washed over her constantly in the tent she shared with Naira. Alone, she laid on her back, looking at the stars above, thinking.

For the past day, she could not get the thoughts regarding Naira’s gauntlets out of her head. What were they? What was their purpose, and how did they hide Naira from the projector's senses? How did they work? Were they dangerous? Were they… useful?

She kept turning and thinking. After a while, she realized that this will probably be a sleepless night and she decided that there surely was a way to spend it somehow usefully.

She stood from her bedroll and went for a coach with her own personal belongings, seeking the journal of Sphinx. I need to know more about… all of this… she thought to herself.