Ciella should’ve known Captain Waris would not let her off so easy. No sooner than the following day was she saddled with some planted accusation of keeping food in the sleeping quarters, and was sentenced to be strung dangling over the cliffside opposite to Dmitri.

Well, she didn’t break her promise.

Cliffside turned out to be a lot more haphazard than the previous iterations Ciella had seen over the past few months. No doubt, a result of a few irate fellow soldiers witnessing Dmitri competently fight for the first time that week and feeling salty that they could not bring out the same potential from him.

“Think you’ll fall?” Ciella yelled out from her spot.

Dmitri and Ciella were suspended from twin lookout tower’s rooftop spire, dangling just below the overhang, facing away from one another. The towers were spaced several dozen paces away from each other, which meant they had to throw their voices to speak.

The tower itself was a carved stone pentagon with tall windows and a railing to avoid falling right off the edge. Two of the three sides faced the outer eastern wall of the outpost, which doubled as the continuation of a sheer cliff on the mountainside the outpost was built upon. In the distance, twin rivers sparkled, meandering into the captial city of Setia and its gleaming teal lake. It was a gorgeous sight… for the casual viewer.

“I think my death would make enough people upset that I trust my punishers are malicious, but not murderous.” Dmitri chirped, but very obviously refused to look down. Ropes tied around his shoulders, waist, and crotch, gradually letting his own weight become his undoing as circulation to his extremities was slowly being strangled. He was minutes into his punishment, so he was not feeling the worst of it yet.

“At least you’re realistic.” Ciella was in a similar compilation of knots and ropes, but she had resigned to using her arms to pull herself up and spare her body a few moments of respite. “What a mess. I’m blaming you and the thoughts you put in my head about—”

“I apologize, but you did ask for my candid thoughts.” Dmitri paused, then spoke, measured. “You seem to resent the Captain. I’m surprised you aren’t on the frontlines yourself, either.”

Ciella gazed at the walkway between the towers. Empty. Figures Captain Waris would leave them seemingly abandoned— no one to convince to cut them down.

What a relief.

“It was the fastest route to Lieutenant.” Ciella admitted.

“You’re looking for a legacy.” Dmitri sounded interested. It frustrated Ciella to be unable to see his face.

“We seem to talk a lot about me, and not much about yourself.” Ciella huffed.

“Well of course. I’m doing exactly what I’ve set out to do. Why I’ve joined, why I’ve shuffled between different outposts… I’m scouting for the perfect one. “ She could hear the smile in his voice. This fucker.

“Ciella Najem, will you be my Captain?”

“Did they cut off the blood flow to your brain, too? What are you even on about?” Ciella attempted to twist around to see him, even just for a glimpse. The fleck of yellow in his hair was just visible around the edge of the tower.

“Have you ever considered that this war may be self-serving?”

Ciella’s gaze quickly shifted to the walkway between their towers. Empty. Figures that Captain Waris would leave them perceptively abandoned, with no one to convince to cut them down.

Thank goodness.

“To the public, both the Caldon Kingdom and the Vitae Empire claim they’re trying to liberate Zhuraita, the nation between them, from the oppressive rule of the other. That the military presence of the other in the region is evidence enough to play hero. But our forces have pushed past Zhuraita’s borders while leaving other parts of the region to bear the brunt of the conflict. They’re going into Caldon in a very specific pattern.”

“That’s impossible. The Caldon have enslaved mages. They’ve stripped someone of their will and is using that willpower against them. It’s an atrocity.”

“Whether or not the Caldon are horribly flawed does not remove the Empire’s potential selfishness.” Dmitri clarified “I believe the Empire is searching for something. If you can help me find out what they’re looking for, I can promise you captainship.”

——

This was getting bad. Ciella was completely wrapped up in Dmitri’s words once again, now playing as his spy. She was more confident than ever that he was capable of becoming the hero she needed for her plan. But at the same time…

What if we were the bad guys?

But that couldn’t be right. After all, Zhuraita was the one who came forward to the Vitae Empire and asked them for help from a famine. The Empire were sending innocuous trade caravans, and it was Caldon Kingdom’s army that mobilized first.

That is the story told.

Ciella ended up “staying back” during one of her errand runs in Waris’ office to “organize” some stray files of correspondence. When she found nothing there, her mind calmed for but a moment.

But she ventured back to the military academy in the capital during a break between shifts, just to confirm her assumptions. She visited old professors under the guise of catching up, and discovered more battle plans and arrangements of new cadets on the frontlines.

And one location came up over and over again.

The Citadel of Chora. An old border town, fortified precisely because the longstanding rivalry between the Caldon and the Vitae meant that the borders closest to one another received the highest amount of security reinforcement. Even if there was a nation in the middle. The citadel itself wasn’t known for anything significant, it was a glorified mining town that was just close enough to the trade routes to enjoy a flow of coin.

And yet, the Caldon army surrounded it like a vigil, and every maneuver the Vitae executed over the years were attempts to pierce that wall.

It can’t be a coincidence.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Ciella met Dmitri once more as the moon was beginning to peek out from the ashy purple skies of late sunset. She offered him no greeting, but rather gave him a single long stare at the dining table, and then retreated to her office. Dmitri followed no sooner than moments later, ignoring the murmurs of speculation that flitted the dining hall. Nerves painted his expression, only further exacerbating the rumors.

Ciella’s office was cramped and dark, a sliver of light peeking through half-closed shutters.

“You’re looking to take up my offer?” Dmitri croaked out. He seemed particularly out of sorts compared to the bravado he held in his voice when they last spoke.

Then again, he wasn’t looking directly at her, then. He didn’t need to face the extreme scrutiny and suspicion in her gaze the way she looks at him now.

“I’ve looked into you while I was away, but I still don’t get it.” Ciella began. “Your mother is an innkeeper. Your father, a traveling scholar. Certainly you are patriotic, but no ties to any organized unit to evidence a proactive approach either. You’re just an… average civilian. Quirky, at best.”

“My father’s expertise is on Altiman.” Dmitri admitted. “The nation without magic.”

“And the only ally the bloody Caldon Kingdom has.” Ciella mused with bitterness, yet curious, inviting him to continue. Information in exchange for information.

“Have you heard the saying ‘The Altiman are the only mortals who know how to control the weather’?”

“It’s fairly common. The Altiman are known for their ingenuity and invention.”

While magic itself was sparse amongst humanity, in every society there is always a handful of individuals who are exceptionally willful among the rest. Altiman is the only nation where magic simply does not exist. Not one person in generations upon generations of the arid region ever felt a whiff of supernatural power.

But what they did have was Altiman Glass, the only substance in the world to nullify and subdue another’s magic.

And so, in a continent where magic dominated the landscape, the Altiman became expert craftsmen in warding against magic, and in finding systems of industry and metalworked machinery to compensate.

But such achievements had a layer of darkness cast upon them, for they were not the only wardens of the semi-arid region, and their neighbors were far more magically inclined than they liked.

“That saying doesn’t refer to their invention, but rather how bloody efficient their trafficking scheme against their nomadic neighbors, the Windspinner Tribes, has become. In a land of wind and sun, take out the wind and you take half the weather with you.”

“I couldn’t understand my father’s fascination with such people when I first learned that. How could he find so much interest in those cruel enough to subjugate another nation? To remove someone of their will for the rest of their life is an atrocity.” Dmitri spat, genuine emotion crossing his features.

“But it all has to do with fear. If it came down to a military fight, the Altiman would crumble into a bygone society in an instant. Their only form of defense is one that requires touch— which isn’t something you can do if your opponent can launch you into the sky with the flick of a finger. Those limitations beckon preventative measures.”

“The Windspinner tribes are simply the nation that happened to be the closest in proximity to them. All the Altiman really are doing is acting on the presumption that someone amongst the tribes would wish harm upon the nation, and therefore decided it best to get rid of the possibility altogether before it came to arms.”

“But the Tribes aren’t entirely innocent. There are involvements in domestic crimes, evidence that they have encroached upon Altiman’s safety. The incidents only further escalated when family members sought vengeance. Which only further justified the continued trafficking scheme. And so, the cycle continues.”

“There are Windspinners in the Caldon Kingdom’s army. They’re considered special agents.” Ciella cut in, beginning to piece together his plan.

“The war between us Imperials and the Kingdom has created a profitable funnel for Altiman to sell off these captured mages as far as possible from them.”

“That’s what war is, an opportunity to take advantage of every resource given to you under the guise of avenging a common enemy.”

“You plan to liberate the Windspinners.” Ciella breathed. Her face contorted into an array of emotions before finally settling on incredulity. She let out a laugh that felt tense, tight.

“My God, you are naive. Do you think that hasn’t been attempted?”

If Dmitri felt heckled by the sharp reprimand, he didn’t show it. Instead, his features softened, saddened.

“Attempted with mages, with Altiman Glass, with sheer amount of people attempting to grapple them. I know it’s hard. But they all failed because they think the Windspinners are coerced. I have reason to believe they’re under a thrall, and that I can get them out of it with my unique abilities.”

“So, Captain, will you help me? Or will I be forced to continue my search elsewhere?” Dmitri finished with a hopeful smile.

But Ciella’s gaze remained unchanged, stiff, scrutinizing.

“Do you truly feel sorry for these people? Or are you just as selfish as the rest of us?” She murmured. Dmitri’s smile cracked, just a little.

“Turning my words against me. I’d be sorry to lose you, Captain.”

“Answer.”

Dmitri let out a resigned sigh.

“I’m doing it for my father. The war has taken up so much of his time as a scholar, with the government asking so much intelligence of him about the Altiman peoples, that I’d like to hurry up and end it already.”

He never needed to mention that the war effort had forced his father into acting as a spy within Altiman’s premier research university. Or that every day for the past seven years, he worried whether his father would be caught and executed. That his animosity towards enslavement ran a more personal streak, where he didn’t quite believe his own nation would be any less capable of the atrocity of stripping someone of their will, as the Caldon Kingdom.

Ciella understood exactly what it meant to have your own peace shaken irrationally, unfairly. And it was because of that understanding that she told him about the Citadel.

From there, the two acted as partners. Ciella assigned a training regimen of intense parkour for Dmitri to navigate across battlefields and wrote reports of his good progress, recommending evaluations and a plan of action be drafted up for his use in the battlefield.

When the army generals began visiting the outpost, it was a combination of Ciella’s thorough explanation of Dmitri’s plan (all under the guise that she had thought it up herself), and Dmitri’s disarming flattery and hospitality that won them their first mission: rescue and liberate the Windspinners from the Caldon Army.

There was, however, a caveat.

It was soon confirmed that the Imperial army had intentions to break through and conquer the Citadel. That they were searching for something classified.

And so it was agreed then that any person liberated from the Caldon Army under this special operation be brought in for questioning for that purpose.

Dmitri knew that when they first found Abel. He knew that when he promised to help him avoid interrogation. He also knew that when he went against Ciella’s orders to help Abel attempt to save another Windspinner, only to fail again and watch a poor soul extinguish before their eyes.

With their many failures under this new squadron’s belt thus far, Dmitri knew he was in for a rare tongue-lashing from Ciella for potentially jeopardizing, well, everything.

“That boy in the carriage is the proof that we need to show to the Capital to let us continue our crusade.” Ciella spoke softly at first, and waited for him to meet her quick pace on the road as she walked alongside the caravan. Dmitri followed obediently, preferring to survey the dirt road ahead of them in hopes of escaping some of the heat coming off of her.

Abel was willingly cuffed and sealed away in his carriage, soundless and despondent. The events of that night had taken a toll on him. He wasn’t going to act out anytime soon.

At least they hoped he wouldn’t.

“His name is Abel, and yes, he is.” Dmitri just as quietly corrected, then agreed. A flare of irritation ran through Ciella.

“And yet you went against orders.” Ciella snapped. “One of our soldiers is on her deathbed because you delayed the convoy. We had a plan for an enemy attack, but you threw that away.”

“I know it looks bad, and it’s within your right as a captain of this squad to be cross with me.”

Dmitri’s words earned an immediate glare from Ciella. He continued.

“It was the only way I could get him to stay on our side.”

“Ah.” Ciella mumbled. “I see.”

Ciella’s anger suddenly subsided and she placed an understanding hand on Dmitri’s arm. Dmitri was astounded how easy that was. Abel’s safety was secured—

Then she pulled down her mask and leaned in, unexpectedly close. He could see the golden flecks in her dark brown eyes, the way the harsh sunlight turned her dark, long lashes white. Her gaze flicked from his lips up to his eyes, then back down to his lips. Her brow knitted in a soft concern.

She had freckles. He never noticed that before. He didn’t expect her dark skin to have them.

His eyes instinctively dropped down to her lips, to the peek of skin beneath her collar.

She planted her hand firmly in his, squeezing it.

His face reddened. Was this the time and place? What had gotten into her? Did he even want this?

He kind of did.

“Lieutenant Fenharrow, if I told you we had to send that boy ahead of us, what would you do?”

“I…” Dmitri thought. “If it’s best for him, I have no reason to oppose.”

And then Ciella’s anger returned.

“You’re not under any mind-magic shit.” She shoved him, hard. Dmitri stumbled off the road. “You’re just babying him.”

“What? I’m not!” He scrambled to regain pace with the caravan.

“He was cuffed to the carriage. How hard could it be to throw him in? My orders were clear.”

“I’m not going to treat him like a prisoner. We rescued him from—”

“Rescue? Get out of your own delusions, Lieutenant Fenharrow.” Ciella snapped. “That boy is currently an elite enemy soldier. He could turn against us, or end up with his brain melting through his eyes like all the others before him. Until we know more about how this all works, he is a target.”

Dmitri winced at the mental image. Ciella pressed on.

“After last night’s events, there were some… concerns among the squad. They saw him draw a blade on you.” She rubbed her temple in frustration. “With that and the casualty—”

“No! Wait.” Dmitri scrambled to step in front of Ciella, stopping her in her tracks. “I know this was a risk, but he’s willing to cooperate. That blade—he just wanted to save his friend. He was desperate. He’s just a kid.”

Ciella’s frown remained unchanging, so Dmitri pivoted.

“His mind is still there, he remembers things. He told me about his life in Caldon, briefly— about their customs. He remembers, which means he has information.” Dmitri reasoned. “He’ll know something about the Chora Citadel.”

Ciella and Dmitri held each other’s gaze for but a moment more before Ciella shoved past him.

“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t get attached.” She murmured, pulling her fanged mask up over her lips. “He is our first one. You need to be ready for our assumptions to be wrong… about his innocence or the empire’s altruism. For all we know, he could learn to resent you after the war council is done with him.”

Dmitri stood there, watching as carts passed him by, snaking down the forest path down the mountain. In the distance, patches of fields indicated farming towns lining the river, snaking off towards a large cluster nestled against a lake. Just a few days more.

“I know.”

But now that he had seen the way Abel wept with relief after breaking from Caldon’s thrall, he couldn’t help himself.

Dmitri wanted to give him a better life.

Even at his own risk.