The storm had not abated in the slightest, making their trip back even more difficult than before. Keresh and Dapplegrim were able to navigate the deep snowbanks reasonably well, but Tsia’s thoroughbred struggled, and their pace slowed to crawl. Thus it was nearly day when the city walls finally loomed out of the whirling snows before them.

The city guards eyed them with suspicion as they approached and Jasper could hardly blame them. Only Tsia had escaped without any wounds and though a healing potion was more than enough to heal what harm they’d suffered, it did nothing to scrub their clothes clean. Bloody and covered in snow, they looked like ruffians.

But as soon as the guard spotted his burgundy skin and the colors on his armor, their demeanor changed. They were ushered in forthwith, and from the gates, it was not too long of a trip to reach Nekelmû’s stables.

Their business there was brief as well; after Tsia’s previous performance, the Djinn had never doubted their ability to succeed and the contract stood ready to be marked complete. But unfortunately, there was one fly in the ointment - with the thick cloud covered and swirling snow, the tsussîm were unable to depart.

“I’m sorry,” Nekelmû apologized. “As soon as the storm clears, I will have a team ready to carry you to Nūr-S̆ams̆a, but for now, I’m afraid you’re stuck.”

Crap. Jasper suffocated his sigh. As much as he was annoyed by the delay, he knew that the tsussîm were likely their best hoping to catch up with the army. And besides, he consoled himself, a little extra sleep won’t be so bad.

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It turned out to be a little more than a little extra sleep. One day turned into another and three full days had passed before the snow ceased. But Nekelmû had not lied. As soon as the sun peaked through the dissipating clouds, the Djinn had their tsussîm ready to go.

Their four mounts were lured into Nekelmû’s spatial case, and then they departed - Tsia proudly riding on her brand new prize, a dappled grey tsussîm with a frosty-white mane and a pair of matching wings.

And Jasper had to admit, the trip was a blast. Granted, before he’d had access to Spectral Wings, he probably would have been scared out of his mind - though the Djinn did use ropes to tie the riders down to the horses, the thin rope was hardly reassuring when you were several thousand feet up in the air on the back of an animal prone to sudden movements.

And it wasn’t like there weren’t occasional accidents. Indeed, on one of the days they’d been stuck due to weather, Jasper had wandered around the company’s extensive grounds and stumbled upon a small memorial site where fallen members were honored and, judging by the epitaphs, some of them had quite literally fallen.

But with the warm reassurance provided by Spectral Wings, he was free to enjoy the dazzling views, the roaring winds, and the swoops and dives of the stocky beasts.

They made good time, too. While the tsussîm were no match for a jet, the beasts were surprisingly fast. Indeed, if Jasper was forced to bet who would win a race between them and a small plane like a Piper Cub, he’d place his bets on the tsussîm.

Thus, they crossed a journey of several days in the space of mere hours and reached Nūr-S̆ams̆a before evening fell. It was then, lit by the dying rays of day, that Jasper gained his first glimpse of the King’s army.

Set on the banks of Lake Yarhab, Nūr-S̆ams̆a was a bit smaller than Kiribāti. The high cliffs of the northern plateau slowly descended as the lake sloped south, and the resulting change in climate was obvious. Though a smattering of snow laced the brown grass, the city was surrounded more by mud, muck, and barren trees than the winter wonderland that had adorned Kiribāti.

A large fleet filled its harbor, the ships bristling with flags of every different size and color from the many merchants that plowed the Lake. On most days, it would have been an eye-catching sight, but next to the army, the trading fleet seemed small.

It flanked the city on all three sides. Endless rows of bleached, leather tents filled the land, between whose rows the men milled around like insects. It was hard to guess how many had gathered, but Jasper felt certain it was in the tens of thousands.

There was a surprising amount of heterogeneity amongst them, too. There were many small, organized sections discernible in the vast gathering, marked by different colored tents or banners, and the tents closest to the city gates were even protected by a temporary wooden barrier that had been raised around them.

Judging that to be the center of command, Jasper directed their guides to take them there. The tsussîm swooped low over the city, and as they approached the wooden encampment, a small detachment rose to meet them, no more than fifteen or twenty warriors. They rode tsussîm as black as the night itself, and when they drew closer, Jasper could see that the beasts’ eyes glowed like burning embers. These must be the firebirds I’ve heard so much about. He watched them with a tinge of envy. He had no idea how they’d stack up against him in a fight, but he had to admit they were definitely winning the fashion battle. Got to step up my game.

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“Halt.” The one in the lead raised a warning hand. Though it was impossible to tell in the heavy armor the warriors wore, the voice was that of a woman. “Turn back to the city, merchants. You are not authorized to be here.”

With a wave of his hand, Jasper bid Nekelmû’s men to stay and fishing his orders out of the bag, nudged the tsussîm he was riding on closer. “I was told to meet my command here. I was hoping you could direct me to them.”

“Stay put,” the warrior snapped instantly.

He reined in his mount begrudgingly and waved the letter again. “My orders.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the armored woman approached and snatched the letter out of his hand with as much care as if she were trying to defuse a bomb. She seems kind of on edge. She pushed the plate on her helmet up, revealing a face that was both surprisingly young and surprisingly pale. Either she’s not very high-leveled or firebirds have a different evolution.

As she examined the letter, seconds stretched into minutes, and as the wait still continued, Jasper became downright uncomfortable. What’s the holdup? Unless…he paused as the thought struck him. Can she maybe not read? Despite how long Jasper had been stuck in Corsythia, the vast majority of his time had been spent around adventurers or nobles, arguably the elites of the society. But he actually had very little idea how widespread literacy was. “Is there anything I can help you with,” he asked amiably, not wanting to insinuate anything.

Her cheeks flushed scarlet, though whether it was from embarrassment or anger, Jasper couldn’t tell. “I’m fine, my lord,” she replied icily. Folding the letter back up, she handed it to him. “It seems everything is in order. We will escort you to a landing place, but the merchants will have to leave as soon as you are unloaded.”

“Sure thing,” Jasper agreed with a shrug.

She prodded her mount back into position with the other firebirds and waved for them to follow. They flew past the wooden encampment and landed on the north side of the city, where a large stretch of pasture had been kept free of the endless tents. The firebirds waited in silence as they unloaded their bags and mounts from the tsussîm, neither interfering nor offering to help. The merchants worked fast, spurred on by the unfriendly watchers, and were back in the air in fifteen minutes, soaring back over the encampment toward the docks.

When the merchants were gone, the firebird captain finally slipped off her mounts and approached Jasper again.

“I’m sorry, my lord, but would you be willing to submit to a search of your person and belongings?”

Jasper eyed her dubiously. “Why I would need to do that? You saw the orders from the king, did you not Captain...?"

"Captian Gūla," the woman responded firmly. “I truly don’t wish to give offense, my lord, but there have been a number of incidents since we left the capital and our orders are to search all newcomers thoroughly before they enter the camp.”

“Incidents?” He questioned with a frown.

“Sabotage, Lord Yas̆peh. It seems there are those among us who are not keen to march to the empire’s aid. Every night this week, a different section of the camp has been set ablaze and many other smaller attacks have been carried out as well. I do not doubt you, my lord, but if I let you wander free without checking, and I was wrong, my head will be on the line.”

Jasper sighed. After a long ride on the tsussîm, the last thing he wanted to do was go through the equivalent of a border check, but the woman was just doing her job. “Fine. Look through our stuff, but you won’t find anything. And while you’re at it, why don’t you tell me more about this sabotage.”

When the firebirds finally finished checking through their stuff, the captain volunteered to lead Jasper to his station. The information she’d shared had been troubling. The attacks thus far had only been perpetrated on the camps pitched by the king’s troops and those from the northern tribes. The southern tribes had been left unscathed. This, of course, had done much to elevate tensions between the army, with many in the northern tribes believing the southern were to blame.

It was certainly possible; the southern tribes had long resisted the king’s desire to aid the empire, so it was a believable accusation. Yet, Jasper had to admit, the southern tribes were also a convenient scapegoat. Even if they were innocent, few would be inclined to believe them. Unfortunately, this meant the army was already on the edge of breakdown before it had even left the province - hence, their less-than-friendly reception by the firebirds.

The captain was apologetic - indeed, a bit more than apologetic. Despite his protests, the young woman practically twisted his arm into agreeing to join her for a drink later that week - though whether she actually intended it as an apology or had found a stealthy way to hit on a noble, Jasper was unable to tell. For the most part, he couldn't really complain too much about the wealth and the power his uncle had forced on him, but when it came to matters of the heart, it just made things worse.

And yet, Jasper had to admit that the Djinn, whose skin was thankfully not that unfortunate red he so disliked, was reasonably attractive. His mind turned to Laylah, and for a moment, he felt almost a touch of guilt, but he dismissed it as unreasonable. She’s not even in this world any longer, and it’s not like we were an item. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders. Eh, maybe I’ll let her buy me a drink and see what happens.

But by the time they reached the encampment where his men had been sent, Jasper couldn’t bring himself to care. The flight, though exhilarating, had left him sore in places he never knew existed and he was more than ready to hit the sack. Dark had already fallen, so bidding farewell to Ihra and Tsia, he hastily tied Dapplegrim to the post outside his tent. He took care of her first, removing the tackle, rubbing her down, and providing a generous helping of oats and a few stolen sugar cubes, and then he stumbled into his tent, fiddling with the latches on his armor.

He nearly had his armor off when he realized he had an unexpected guest.