Saiyun closed his eyes and willed his senses into Jado. The lantern-lit chapel looked far clearer, but he was not interested in the summon's sight. Through the walls, he could hear a multitude of people hurrying back and forth. Ever since the guards closed the door on him, more and more people had gathered around the little chapel. He'd never been able to make out what anyone was saying, but now something had changed.

There was only one voice speaking, and it was shouting orders. Saiyun straightened up and pointed the pistol back at Shaoten, still bound on the floor. It was time.

The doors burst open and Saiyun forced himself to not flinch as musket-wielding soldiers crouched in the corner of the doorway, leveling their guns at him and his summons. He held his breath until he was certain they would not open fire. The sun was still below the horizon, but the sky was the hazy purple of an approaching dawn. Saiyun said nothing, staring down the soldiers as the lanterns flickered and cast wild shadows on the wall.

A woman stepped into the doorway, carrying a small chair made of wood and cloth. She had graying auburn hair decorated with gold and jewels. She walked past the soldiers, setting it down on the floor, never once taking her eyes off Saiyun. "You have my attention," she said, accent short and clipped.

"Senior Batore Wabaro, I presume?" Saiyun asked, receiving a curt nod in return. His first instinct was to offer apologies for getting her out of bed so early in the morning, but this wasn't a genial dinner party. He was here to put pressure on her, to force her to bend to his demands. From what he knew of the Anku, no one became the Senior Batore if they were easy to push around. "Ambassador Shaoten has betrayed Emperor Haogon, the man we both swore an oath to serve. He-"

"Conspired with Admiral Azun of the Empire of Tsilen," Wabaro cut in, eyes boring into Saiyun. "We searched his office and found correspondence between him and known Tsilen spies. What we did not find was any record of an Emissary of the Emperor Haogon by the name of Taoshi or by any other name for that matter."

Saiyun froze as Shaoten squirmed on the floor, making pathetic noises through his gag. She had already worked out that he was a fake, so there was no chance of using his 'official status' as extra leverage. The thought of explaining who he was crossed his mind, but he put the idea aside. This was not the time to make excuses or apologies. "Who I am is irrelevant. What is important is that Shaoten conspired with more than Azun. He has made common cause with dark powers," Saiyun said as he reached into his robes. The soldiers tensed as he pulled out a vial of red liquid. "This is Blood Acahli. Creating it is a monstrous crime to the Atemzlites who live in Hilt. Shaoten sheltered the people who made it here, providing them with places to work their dark arts. You may have it examined if you doubt me. Here."

Wabaro's eyes flicked away from Saiyun's just long enough to track the vial as it was tossed to her. She snatched it out of the air, expression unchanged.

"And this is the head of a Korav," Saiyun said, reaching out behind him and pulling out the severed head of the demon, holding it up by the feathers on his head. "This monstrous creature was in the service of Azun and Shaoten allowed it on the embassy grounds. Followers of Riyao know this creature well and hold it in as much contempt as the Atemzlites do Blood Achali. Bring it to any priest and they will confirm what I say."

The head bounced once on the floor before it rolled to a stop between Wabaros feet. She did not so much as glance down at it as she kicked it through the legs of her chair out the door. The chapel was silent, save for the shocked gasps and whispers of those outside.

"My companions have other vials of blood and the body of the Korav with them," Saiyun said, steeling himself on. "If you do not agree to my demands, they will bring this evidence to temples and churches at noon to show the people what evil lurks in Hilt. We will proclaim that you and the other Batore were complicit and even aided these dark arts in exchange for a cut of the profits."

Wabaro did not even blink at the threat. "What are your demands?"

Saiyun clenched the grip of the pistol, forcing his face into the same neutral mask Wabaro wore. He knew his threat had teeth. An accusation like that coupled with the body of a Korav and genuine vials of Blood Achali would whip people into a frenzy. "First, have you been made aware that Azun has remade the old Treasure Ships?"

"I've heard rumors about it," replied Wabaro.

"I can tell you that the rumors are true. I have seen these ships with my own eyes," Saiyun said, straightening up. "I have even managed to locate the shipyard where they were built and have convinced the Vathlanri to sail against them. My first demand is that you dispatch a contingent of warships to join them. My second is that you send a diplomatic message to my Emperor containing an account of Shaoten's treachery and everything you know about the Treasure Fleet."

"Those will take time," Wabaro interrupted. "A fleet cannot be dispatched with a few hours' notice. An official missive to the Haogon Emperor would take days to draft even without cramming it full of knowledge."

Saiyun nodded gently. "That is why I will accept a gesture of good faith for now. Allow me to return to my companions unbothered, and I will tell them to hold their accusations. You will also release Headless Bill from prison and allow him safe passage to the Vathlanri's island."

For the first time, Wabaro's mask slipped. One corner of her mouth twisted up into a grin and she chuckled. "Oh, now this all makes sense."

"Do we have an accord?" Saiyun asked.

Wabaro sighed and stood. "Even locked up, he causes me trouble. Yes, we have an accord. I refuse to make any promises about the size of this detachment or my contributions to the missive, but both will happen. Stand down! This man will leave and no one will follow him!" she bellowed, picking up her chair and walking out of the chapel.

The guards lowered their guns as Saiyun stood. He hopped over the bound Shaoten and hurried after Wabaro, both Jados following. The assembled soldiers outside tensed as he caught up. "Wait, I need to know how to get in touch with you."

"Bill will know how," Wabaro said, pointing ahead. "Now go and find your companions. I'd hate to have to deal with riots because you were late getting back."

-

Much of the Vathlanri's camp was shrouded in darkness, save for what little was illuminated by lantern light. Most everyone was asleep, so their entrance on a flying boat had not attracted a crowd of curious onlookers, at least not yet. The Vathlanri on watch had surrounded them when they landed, holding them at gunpoint and barraging them with questions until one of the guards recognized her. Then they were marched over to the row of medical tents until their leader could be summoned. Now that she was here…

"You swear this is all true?" Uvenli asked, fixing Yazwa with a glare.

Yazwa fidgeted, wishing there was anyone else to talk to the burned woman. Ji was kneeling in front of Aven's tent, ignoring everything around her. Turantoc had said something to the Vathlanri in their native language and been allowed to leave with his dog. With Aven still asleep, it fell to Yazwa to clear things up. "Every word," she said, scraping some dried blood off her arm.

Uvenli spoke slowly. "Let me see if I have this correct. The Ambassador of the Haogon Emperor was a spy for Azun. He never told the Senior Batore about our voyage and passed on that information to a Captain of Azun's fleet and a Blood Achali. You discovered this, killed the Captain and the Blood Achali in the middle of the Embassy, and captured the Ambassador. And...this…Saiyun…stayed behind to hold him hostage? To compel Wabaro to join our cause by threat of mass civil unrest?"

"Um," Yazwa swallowed. The plan sounded a lot more reasonable when Saiyun said it. "Yes. We'll know if it worked if Headless Bill and Saiyun make it back here by noon."

Uvenli took a deep breath and muttered something that sounded less than polite. "I'll send word for our sentries to watch out for them. If they are not back by noon, you will help us find the Captain's ship so it has no chance of bringing back word to the Treasure Fleet. Do not try to leave."

"No no, staying right here. Of course," Yazwa agreed as Uvenli walked away into the gloom, leaving the guards behind. It wasn't like she had any other choice anyway. She looked down at Ji, who had hardly moved during the entire conversation. Ji sat on her knees with her hands folded in her lap, staring at the closed flap of Aven's tent. "Saiyun will figure it out," she said, patting her on the shoulder.

Ji replied with the barest of nods.

At first glance, she looked calm, but Yazwa knew better. There has been worry in her eyes since they left the Embassy, and the tongue-lashing she got from Aven's caretaker hadn't helped things. Maybe it would be best to get her away.

Taking a quick look around she spotted Turantoc at the other end of the row of tents. A lantern hung on a branch above him, illuminating a pile of papers on his lap. "Why don't we go see Turantoc?" she asked, giving Ji a gentle shake. "I'm sure he has a few stories to share."

"I will stay here," Ji said, nearly monotone. "I want to be here when Aven wakes up."

Yazwa frowned. "Sitting here won't make him wake up faster. "If we-"

"Thank you," Ji said, turning her gaze to her for the first time. "Thank you for trying to make me feel better. But I must wait here, and I would prefer to wait alone."

"Well..." Yazwa said, tossing an errant dreadlock back over her shoulder. Something about Ji was different. Not completely different–she hadn't transformed or anything–but her eyes seemed deeper, and her words had more force behind them. Was this a side effect of En Chitei speaking to her? "If that's what you want. But I'll just be right over here. Shout if you need me."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Ji nodded again and turned her attention back to the tent.

After a moment of hesitation, Yazwa walked away. Some of the guards followed while others remained to watch over Ji.

If Ji wanted to be alone, maybe it was best to let her. She wasn't acting normal, but at least it was better than before. A lot had happened, so some solitude might help her make sense of everything. It wasn't like she could disappear into Hilt again. Best to leave her be and talk to Turantoc while she had the time.

Halfway down the row, Yazwa stopped in her tracks. Up ahead, the green man still sat under the lantern, flipping through a pile of papers on his lap. The black dog lay curled up at his side, gently snoring. What would she ask him? Ji had told her the story of how they’d met and likewise filled Turantoc in on how they had all come to be in Hilt. Tuarntoc, though, had provided few details on himself in return.

What could she ask?

She could hardly walk up and demand his life story. But who knew how long he would linger?

Taking a half measure, she blinked and peered at him with her Sight. The dog looked much the same as the last time, a roiling black mass with red eyes and jaws. She could see nothing when she looked at Turantoc. With all the practice she had with her Sight, most people appeared with at least a vague outline. Turantoc was completely blank, he would be invisible if not for all the blades tucked about his body. Most shined with cold white light, but a few pulsed with deeper, stranger colors.

What was he?

It was unlikely he was an Otzen, those were hard to miss. But what else could he be?

"I don't bite you know," Turantoc called, gesturing to the dog at his side. "He does, but I don't. Feel free to come over if you want to do more than stare."

Yazwa blushed and blinked away her Sight. Throwing caution to the winds, she strode over with a swarm of questions in her head. As she approached, the dog sat up, whip-like tail swishing over the ground as it panted. She stretched out a hand, then hesitated. "Can I?"

"Go for it," Turantoc said, setting the papers aside. His clothes were still in tatters and a fist-sized chunk of his chest was still missing. Something that looked like hardened yellow sap clung to the edges of the wound. "He likes you."

Reaching down, she ran her hands over the dog’s ears and down his neck while he sniffed at her. Nothing strange here, it felt like any other dog she had petted. "You said his name was...Loyal One?" she asked as the dog licked her hand.

"He's The Loyal One," Turantoc replied. "It's fitting enough to serve as a name."

"So...what are you reading?" Yazwa asked, deciding to pick the most banal question out of the dozens swarming around her mind.

Turantoc picked up the sheaf of papers and gave them a gentle shake. "A whole lot of work. Most of this is useless notes, but there's some correspondence in here between the Blood Achali here and some others in Avendi. It never fails, whenever things get bad a flock of these assholes show up and think it's a good time to break the blood taboo."

Yazwa nodded, gently petting the dog and watching Turantoc closely. "Do you think you got all of them?"

"All the ones in Hilt? Yes," he said, tapping the dog with his boot. "Blood Achali has a terrible stench to it. Easy for The Loyal One to track down even in a city this big. He's got a great nose on him."

The dog, The Loyal One, seemed to smile at his name. She reached out to scratch it’s ears and his whip-like tail started to thump against the ground. "What is he?" she blurted as The Loyal Ones tongue rolled out of his mouth. "I mean, I can see that he's not a normal dog. Is he some kind of summon? Or is he an Otzen?"

Turantoc grinned, setting the papers down on the ground. "You know how when Illitzo died, she passed through the Caves into the World of Spirits to create a paradise of peace and plenty for all who followed her teachings? The Loyal One is like that, but for dogs."

He said it so casually it took Yazwa a moment to process. In that time, The Loyal One rolled over on his side so his belly could be rubbed. "Are you...are you telling me this is the god of dogs? There's a dog heaven?"

"Yes," Turantoc laughed. "It's one of the nicer ones. Luckily, he was there when I went to find him. Apart from Tsen, I don't have any friends left alive in this part of the world, and you know how hard it is to get Tsen to do anything."

"Like pulling teeth, I know," said Yazwa, leaning to the left as The Loyal One's back leg started to kick. "Can he talk? He must be able to if you made a deal with him."

Turantoc shook his head. "He's a very smart dog, but he's not that smart. We play the Favor Game like anyone else. I break up dog fighting rings for him, he helps me track people down. It's simple, but it works. Once the hunt is over, we'll go our separate ways until we need each other again. Care to join us?"

Yazwa froze and The Loyal One whined in protest. "Join you? What do you mean?"

"This will heal in a few days," Turantoc said, pointing to the hole in chest. "When it does, I'm off to Avendi to find the people Ca Diro was writing to. Tsen said you were quite interested in tracking down Blood Achali. I've already got his nose; having your eyes would make finding them even easier."

"I'm not," Yazwa stammered, waving her hands. "I'm not, I mean, if you need help you can just get help from a local temple. Anyone would help you hunt a Blood Achali."

A wry smile crossed Turantoc’s face. "When the green guy with no nose shows up asking for help, people are more suspicious than helpful. Most Blood Acahli have some kind of protection. Better to fly in, smash the place, get out, and leave the locals to clean up the mess."

"I couldn't," Yazwa replied. "I have to stick by my friends. I can't abandon them when they're getting ready to sail into danger."

Turantoc cocked his head to one side. "And you need to cure that curse too, right?"

"Of course!" Yazwa said, reaching down to pet The Loyal One again. "If I don't find a cure for my curse, I can't go home. That's the whole reason why I'm out here."

"...Right," said Turantoc with a shrug. "Life’s hard if you can't get anywhere near an open fire. I'm sure your family is waiting on you, too."

Yazwa nodded in agreement and looked down on the Loyal One. She felt a twinge of jealousy at his bliss. "Yeah. I've been away a long time. One more step, and I can go home."

"The first and last steps are usually the hardest," said Turantoc.

-

Ji shifted back and forth and flexed her legs to keep her blood flowing. The light of dawn was beginning to filter through the trees around them, and the camp was beginning to wake up. Hushed conversations surrounded her as the early risers asked her guards who she was. Ji did her best to ignore the whisperings as she grappled with the problem that had consumed her from the moment they’d left the embassy.

How could she possibly apologize?

Everything she could think of fell short. There was nothing she could say that would excuse the magnitude of her betrayal. After everything Aven had taught her, after all the battles they fought together, after he stayed by her side when she told him her murderous plan, she had tossed him aside like garbage.

A shudder ran up her spine as she remembered his scream when he was wounded thanks to her madness. His groan when she dumped his bleeding body on the dock in front of the Vathlanri. His weak plea to stay as she left him behind.

"You," came a stern voice from behind her.

Ji took a deep breath, broken from the loop of terrible memories. She turned to see Utosa, Aven's caretaker and old friend, looming over her, holding a bowl of steaming soup. "Yes?" Ji asked, voice cracking. Utosa had not been happy to see her at Aven's tent and nearly screamed herself hoarse before another Vathlanri pulled her away. Whenever she passed by, she always had a glare on her face.

"Open the tent flap," Utosa said curtly, tapping it with her bare foot.

Eager to help, Ji leaned forward and pulled the flap aside. Her mouth went dry and her hand shook when she saw Aven lying on a cot, nude save for the bandages wrapped around his stomach. The gentle rise and fall of his chest kindled some hope, even as fear still weighed heavily on her heart.

Utosa ducked down and shuffled into the tent without spilling a drop of the soup as she set it down on the ground next to the cot. "Come in," she demanded, pointing at a spot next to the cot.

Ji scrambled in, dirt shaking off her legs as she crawled to Aven. Now that she was so close, she did not dare look at him, turning her gaze to Utosa.

"I have other sick I need to tend to this morning," Utosa growled, flexing her hands. "If I leave him alone for too long, he tries to get up. Can you keep him on the cot?"

There was nothing pleasant in her tone. Ji could tell this was an act of desperation, not forgiveness. "I will," Ji answered simply, bowing so low she pressed her head into the dirt.

"Feed him slowly when he gets up," Utosa huffed as she hurried out of the tent.

As the flap fluttered closed, the tent went dark, and Ji tried to calm herself while her eyes adjusted. Aven's breathing was steady, but he was thinner and paler, with dark circles around his eyes. Staring at him, Ji came to realize that Utosa's fury was the prelude to what she would receive from Aven. Yazwa and Saiyun had been quick to forgive, but she had not betrayed them as she had Aven. What feeling could he have left for her besides hate?

The thought gnawed at her guts, but she could not deny it. The only thing she could do now was face his rage. She would make her feeble apologies and leave his side forever. It was the right thing to do.

A tear gathered at the edge of her eye and she angrily scrubbed it away. What right did she have to cry while he suffered for her foolishness?

Her dark thoughts vanished as Aven stirred, flinching and reaching down to touch his bandages. Her heart pounded as his eyes fluttered open, squinting to see through the dark.

"Ji," he wheezed, eyes snapping open. His face contorted in pain as he struggled to sit up.

"No!" Ji gasped, voice cracking as she shuffled forward, gently placing her hands on his shoulders to force him back down. "You have to stay down."

Aven reached up, wrapping her arms around her in a weak embrace. "You made it back," he whispered into her ear.

All of Ji's dread vanished in an instant as she went limp. She buried her face into the crook of Aven's neck, babbling apologies between sobs that made her body ache. Aven held onto her with all the strength he could muster, whispering things that only made her cry harder.

When Utosa came back, they were both fast asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.