Weeks passed, and Tanzik was stuck pacing around his dungeon cell thankfully that he was at least able to do so. He had made his peace with death, and was waiting impatiently for the execution. He didn’t want to die, but he knew it was inevitable and would rather have it done sooner than later.

In the early afternoon, his cell door opened and a guard tossed a pair of shackles at him. “Put them on,” she said.

Tanzik complied and she dragged him out of the cell and pushed him toward the exit. She kept behind him with her sword drawn, telling him which way to go when they got to intersections in the dungeon.

As they left, Tanzik felt the warmth of the sun and smiled. It was still cold, but it was more sunlight than he had seen since he was arrested.

“Keep moving,” the guard said, pushing him forward again. She led him to a large fort-like building made of steel and stone that stood imposingly among the massive courtyard that surrounded it. Tanzik assumed this was the Bastion, the part of the city where the city guards were based in.

An older woman sat at a desk in the middle of the lobby surrounded by guards talking while they started or ended their shifts. “The other two are upstairs already,” she said with a bored inflection. The guard nodded and took Tanzik upstairs to a large office. At a desk in the back sat a stern looking middle-aged woman with sharp features, short black hair, and scars across her face.

“General,” the guard said. She pushed Tanzik forward to where Lura and Allena were sitting shackled to wooden chairs.

“Thank you, Zilet,” she said with a voice heavy with care. “Go ahead and remove the shackles.”

“Ma’am?” She seemed confused.

“All three.” She looked at the guard with a look Tanzik was familiar with. The ‘I’m not going to tell you twice’ look his commander used when he wasn’t in the mood to argue.

The guard nodded and unshackled Tanzik, then Lura and Allena. Allena immediately got up and throw her arms around Tanzik who returned the hug hesitantly.

“Sheath your sword, Zilet,” the general said. “Dismissed.” The guard obeyed and left them alone in the office.

“I missed you too,” Tanzik said. Allena chuckled and released the hug.

“Yeah, same here,” Lura said, “but I’m not gonna touch you.”

“I didn’t call you in for a reunion. My name is General Sarvása, commander of the Imperial Army. And you, from what I understand, are the Unsworn.”

“Yes,” Lura and Allena said.

“Apparently,” said Tanzik at the same time.

“Interesting concept. Reminds me of the Grey Knights of Gazikar.”

“Never heard of them,” Tanzik said.

“Unsurprising, they keep to the outer reaches of the Empire that we can’t patrol as well.”

“You mean ‘won’t,’” Lura said flatly.

“Lurala Habod, thief and former Rook,” she said, shuffling some parchment on her desk around. “No, I do not. The Empire is only a few decades old, and we’re still finding our feet. And with so many soldiers tied up in peacekeeping and making war with dissidents like yourselves, we’re spread thin.”

“Oh no,” Lura said with a sardonic pout.

Sarvása frowned. “The reason I called you in is because I’ve heard a lot about you. You’ve been involved in some interesting events. Thwarted our invasion into Serevar by deposing the rightful Queen Furstin, dismantled the Rooks, deposed the rightful Lord Khayin of Makan…” She sighed heavily and stood up from her chair.

“It feels like an eternity since we left Violet Shoals,” Allena said. “I never imagined we’d accomplish so much.”

“Allena Alvar,” Sarvása said. She picked up another parchment and scanned it before setting it down. “You’re an interesting one. My intelligence about you is surprisingly threadbare. Our spymaster barely gave me anything, and he’s usually more thorough.”

“I’m just a simple woman, trying to make a living in this world.”

“You don’t need to convince me, I’m not interested in your past. What I am interested in is that, in a surprisingly short amount of time, you’ve deposed two Imperial rulers and dismantled an entire criminal organization. Given your… checkered pasts,” she continued as she glanced at Lura and Tanzik, “this is not surprising. You’re rebels. Insurrectionists. Traitors.”

Tanzik swallowed hard. This wasn’t looking good for them. Especially him, as he had deserted from the Empire.

“Tanzik Albard,” she said. “I’ve read the reports from Bandhi’s Watch. They don’t add up. I sent some agents to investigate. Regardless of the results, your commanding officer will be removed from his position. The Empress does not condone any violent actions toward the Orbrozan natives. You will not be welcome back in the Imperial Army after your actions, but I’m releasing the bounty from your head. Once I hear the full report upon the spies’ return, I’ll consider clearing your name as well.”

His jaw dropped. “General, I…”

“Don’t thank me yet. The point I’m trying to make is that the Unsworn are good at tearing things down. We could use that right now. There’s rumors of a monster roaming the skies. And I’ve heard whispers of a cult that’s beginning to worship and follow it. I’ve sent a couple agents to investigate the monster, but it’s too early for them to have sent me any actionable information. However, if the claims of a monster are correct and there’s a cult that’s dedicated to following in its destructive footsteps…”

“That would be bad,” Lura said.

“I’d thank you not to interrupt me,” she said firmly. “But yes. We’re fighting a war with Serevar and there are substantiated rumors of Obara attempting a secession. The situation is dire. A monster and a cult on top of us being spread out enough already is too much for us to handle.”

They remembered Capala telling them about two agents sent to investigate the Phoenix, but she seemed skeptical. Allena wanted to say something, but the magical bond she created with her friends prohibited them from revealing anything spoken to them in confidence to anyone outside the three of them.

“The monster is being investigated, the war in Serevar is under control, and our Navy has the Obara situation being looked at. That just leaves the cult, which is where you come in. I’m sending you after them. Find its leadership and tear it apart.”

Tanzik was confused. This was a covert operation not handled by the military arm of the Empire. “Why are you asking us to do this?”

“It needs done,” she answered tersely.

“I mean, why you? You mentioned a spymaster, shouldn’t we be reporting to him?”

Sarvása paused. “Ordinarily. But he’s… indisposed. Unreachable. Part of the territory, I suppose. I’ll hand the reins over to him upon his return, but until then, you report to me.”

Lura scoffed. “We’re not Imperial. Nor do we want to be.”

“This is a matter that affects all of Cyfandir, and possibly Deyrnas. I’m not commanding you like soldiers. I’m hiring you.”

“Mm, wait, what?”

“Like mercenaries, if you want to look at it that way. Independent contractors if you don’t. You’ve chosen to swear yourself to no one, even the king of Serevar.”

“We’re still Serevarans,” Allena said.

“I consider you proventials, but you’re not allied with them in any official capacity. Which, as far as I’m concerned, is the only capacity that really matters. You may not be with us, but you’re not against us. And that’s good enough.”

“Us?” Tanzik asked. He wondered who else could be involved.

“The Empress herself has taken an interest. Her emissary might actually want to talk to you. I’ll check with her. She’s essentially the Empress’s left hand, so be on your best behavior with her. I won’t tolerate any disrespect and neither will Her Majesty.”

“How much does it pay?” Lura asked.

“How much do you charge?” Sarvása responded.

“For a job this size, a thousand crowns apiece.”

“Done.”

Lura froze. She hadn’t expected her to actually accept such an outlandishly high demand. A thousand crowns was almost 3 years wages, and would be far and away more than she had ever seen in her life. “Bloody Void,” she whispered, “I could’ve asked for more.”

“Her Majesty has deep pockets, and this is a matter of Imperial security. I can allow up to five percent of your payment as an advance to cover the cost of startup supplies, so put in any requisitions you need to the front desk.”

“Oh gods,” Lura said. Her eyes sparkled with possibility of being able to use that much. There still had some left over from their last payment, so they could afford a decent amount.

Tanzik was uncomfortable about the idea of taking the Empire’s money, but the mission seemed more important. And he understood how much leeway they were giving by not requiring them to swear any fealty or allegiance to the Empire.

“What if we say no?” Allena asked.

“Allena!” Lura snapped. “Don’t!”

“I will have to throw you back in the dungeon for deposing an Imperial ruler. I can excuse it for contractors helping to save the Empire, but if you don’t take the job, I won’t waste my time trying to protect you.”

“I, for one, think this obvious extortion is a fine deal,” Lura said. She looked to the others, who nodded. “I’m no friend to the Empire, but if it pays better than scrounging for scraps and picking pockets, we’re in.”

Sarvása looked at the three of them carefully through narrowed eyes. “Good. Go order your equipment and recruit whoever you need to. Dismissed.”

They left her office and put in a request for new equipment at the front desk. Tanzik ordered some better steel armor, Allena some light chain and leather, and Lura a crossbow. They ordered horses and some backup weapons and other supplies as well, then left the fort.

***

“I can’t believe you’d sell out to the Empire,” Allena said as they left the Bastion to somewhere quieter.

“Gross, no,” Lura said. “I just want her to believe that. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be hunted down after we do their dirty work.”

“It’s not ideal,” Tanzik said. “But… I don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?” Allena asked.

“What she said about Badhi’s Watch. I thought the Empire sanctioned what happened there. But if they’re going to fix it…”

“It’s all talk,” Lura said.

“Maybe. They are desperate. Hiring mercenaries in an official capacity like that, especially criminals, is not standard protocol. The Empire must be desperate if they’re counting on us.”

“What do we do first, then?” Allena asked. “We weren’t given any leads.”

Lura’s lips turned into a mischievous grin. “We find our old friend, Veza.”

“He’s all the way back in Stormhall. Who knows what could happen in the time it takes for us to get there?”

“Oh, but that’s the best part. He’s right here!”

“What? How?” Tanzik asked, not able to hide his disbelief.

“And how did you know this?” Allena added.

“I heard his weaselly, whinging voice in the dungeons. From what I overheard, he was extradited here. King Hárkast sent him as a peace offering to delay hostilities enough for his troops to regroup.”

“How would that benefit the Empire?” Tanzik asked. “I thought the Rooks only operated in Serevar.”

“Eh, mostly, but they’ve got their fingers in some of the Empire’s business too. Not privy to the details, of course, but the extradition was enough to get the Empire’s attention.”

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

“That still doesn’t help, he’s in jail.”

“Oh, Tanzik. You sweet, innocent fool.” She sarcastically patted his cheek.

Tanzik frowned and tried to move his face away. “Stop,” he said wearily.

“I don’t want to participate in another jailbreak,” Allena said.

“Who said anything about breaking him out? Like Tanzik said, the Empire needs us. General Sarvása said to recruit whoever we want to. And who’s a better candidate than the man with one of the biggest spy networks in the continent?”

“It’s certainly an idea,” Allena said.

“Our plans can’t get any worse than they have, I guess.”

“Great! Because I already put that on our shopping list in the Bastion. Where are we staying the night?”

A couple days later, a courier gave them a message that their equipment was ready. They headed back toward the Bastion, where the tired woman at the front desk directed them back upstairs to General Sarvása’s office.

“You really stirred the pot with her,” she said apathetically.

“Oh,” Lura said, unable to hide a smile. “I wonder why.”

The woman glowered at her and returned to her paperwork as Tanzik, Allena, and Lura went back upstairs. In Sarvása’s office was the general herself, looking livid. Veza was there as well sitting politely on a chair. Next to Sarvása stood a tall, slender woman in a simple but elegant blue dress. She had waist-long hair that covered her ears and draped neatly over her shoulders. It was completely white, even though she looked no more than thirty. She looked at them keenly with bright, clear blue eyes and the faintest of smiles.

“Unsworn,” Sarvása said tersely. “When I said to put in requisitions, I meant for equipment. Do you mind telling me why you need this lowlife?”

“As much as I am loathe to keep insisting I’m nobility—” Veza began as he shifted his weight in his chair.

“Shut it.” She looked back up to Tanzik, Allena, and Lura. “Answer.”

“Oh, we go back ages!” Lura said as she put a hand on Veza’s shoulder. He squirmed visibly, clearly uncomfortable with the touch. “We figured the best way to dismantle your secret cult would be to have someone who’s as well connected as our friend here.”

“General, I’d prefer to go back to my cell, please.”

Lura laughed. “Such a kidder!” She squeezed and Veza whimpered quietly, squirming a little more in his seat.

Sarvása turned to the woman next to her. “Lady Thora, what do you think? I’m not inclined to give this any more thought, but it’s Her Majesty’s decision.”

Thora looked down at Sarvása, then toward the four guests. Her eyes lingered on them just enough to make them a little uncomfortable with her cool, steady gaze. “He has no teeth,” she said softly, barely above a whisper.

Veza frowned. “Ah,” he said. “Demoralizing. Hm.” Thora looked at him with what could only be described as pity, and he kept quiet.

Sarvása was clearly unhappy, but said nothing in protest. “If you think it best. Very well, you’ll have his assistance. On a temporary basis,” she added. “Once you’re done, he’s to come back here.”

“I’m rather certain I’ve told you everything,” he protested.

“And I’m certain you’re still an enemy of the Empire, so you’re rotting in a dungeon regardless.” She looked back up at Thora. “Thank you for coming, my lady, was there anything else?”

Thora shook her head quietly and walked toward the door to leave. She looked at the three Unsworn and with a slight smile said “Heroes.” She stood behind Allena and leaned a little closer. “Go home,” she said, quiet enough that only Allena could hear.

Allena looked ahead unblinking, unable to look the noble in the eye. Her breathing became shallow and tears began to well in her eyes. Tanzik blushed and nodded to Thora. Lura crossed her arms as if she was trying to keep the compliment out.

As she left the room, Veza held up a hand. “I don’t suppose I can—”

Sarvása interrupted him. “Just get him out of here. We’re counting on you.”

Lura noticed that Veza bristled at the continued interruptions. She noticed Sarvása almost looked pleased about this.

“Who was she?” Allena asked, her voice hoarse.

“Lady Thora? Empress Ermina’s emissary, I mentioned her last time we met. Woman of few words.”

“She called us heroes,” Lura said. “Can’t say I agree.”

“I wouldn’t either. But she’s a good judge of character. I’ve learned not to question her. You’re dismissed.”

Tanzik grabbed Veza by the arm and led him out as they left Sarvása’s office. They grabbed their new equipment on the way out and headed back to the inn they were staying at.

***

“I want to make this clear,” Tanzik said to Veza. “We’ve gone through a lot of trouble dealing with you and your ilk in the past, and I’m past the point of having any patience at all. You make this hard on us, I tell General Sarvása you suffered a terrible accident and we weren’t able to bring you back.”

Veza’s face blanched and sweat began to form on his forehead. “There’s really no need for this. Truth be told, I rather missed not being imprisoned. Dreadful boring in a dungeon, not sure if you’ve had the pleasure.”

“Once or twice,” Lura said. “But if you make this easy for us and help us, we’ll still tell General Sarvása you suffered an accident, but we’ll let you go. You know, instead of actually killing you.”

“Mm. Well when you put it that way,” Veza said. Tanzik reached out to shake his hand. “Oh, I don’t…” Tanzik frowned and moved his hand closer. Veza’s lip twitched and he slowly extended his hand to shake it. “All right, then.”

“You’re one of us now,” Lura said.

“Mhm. Yes. Quite.” Veza was clearly uncomfortable with this, but made no protest. “So since you wanted my expertise, I highly recommend hiring a crew.”

“We work better on our own,” Tanzik said.

“Of course, but you’re local. You can only be in one place at a time.” He looked at Allena. “As far as I know?”

“Yes,” she said. To her knowledge, magic like that didn’t exist.

“Yes, of course. So you won’t want mercenaries. You’re up against a cult. These are true believers. You hire sellswords, they can be swayed by a bigger purse. You want true believers of your own. People like you, devotees to your cause.”

“And where could we find people like this?”

Veza stifled a condescending laugh and spread his arms out. “Here? Look around you. This is the capital of the Empire. It’s bound to be full of people who see it for what it is and want to fight for something different. Or go back up to Serevar. Plenty of people there with the same… enterprising spirit we share.”

“But then how do we find the cult?” Lura asked.

“Oh. You don’t. I do. This is why you freed me, isn’t it? You recruit, I hunt. I tell you where they’re at, and you…” He waved his hands at them in a gesture that implied a disgust with their violent methods. “You do what you do.”

“We’re not going to trust you that much,” Lura said with a scoff.

“We don’t have a choice,” Allena said. “He dies without us and is free if he helps. He won’t betray us.”

“I don’t like it, but I don’t see another choice,” Tanzik said. “What do we do?”

“If I may,” Veza said. “You find other jaded soldiers. Lurala knows the criminal underground and can find people there. And the mage, uh…”

“I can go back home,” Allena said.

“Yes.” Veza snapped his fingers. “Yes, that’s the thing.”

“Are you sure?” Tanzik asked.

“Yes. Before we left, Lady Thora spoke to me. And I can’t explain why, but her words just… cut so deep. And I can’t ignore what she said.”

“And what did she say.”

“‘Go home.’ Home, Tanzik.” She tried to be subtle, not wanting Veza to pick up on any subtext.

He nodded in understanding, realizing she was talking about her original home far in the north. “Do you think there would even be time?”

“There has to be. If I can ride fast enough, I can charter a ship with some of our leftover crowns.”

“But you said they—”

“I know what I said.” She breathed deeply and tried to hold back tears. “But I have to try. You were right. They might know something. And that’s knowledge that could potentially save lives. If there’s a way to stop the Phoenix, or at least survive it, they’ll know. They’ll have me arrested for desertion I’m sure, but hopefully I can convince them to send someone after you.”

“I can’t believe they’d arrest you for something you did when you were a kid,” Lura said.

She forced a slight smile. “They are a hard people.”

“Hello,” Veza said. “I am still here…”

“Don’t be!” Lura said as she shot a dirty look his way.

“Yes, yes, I’m… I’ll go. Now.”

After Veza left, the three stood together for what could be the last time. “So this is the end of the Unsworn?” Tanzik asked.

Allena shook her head. “You’ll get on without me. They can throw me in jail, but they can’t break my spirit. I won’t bend me knee to them or anyone else. But we sacrifice what we can to save who we can. I can’t walk away from this fight.”

“Nor I,” Tanzik said as he reached to take her hands.

Lura put a hand on her shoulder. “Me neither, I guess. Weirdly enough, I think I might actually miss you.”

Allena pulled them both in for a group hug and held them for a moment. “I’ll miss you too,” she said as she began to cry. “If the gods are merciful, we’ll see each other again.”

Epilogue

Several Weeks Later…

The salt breeze was warm as Allena approached the shore of her homeland. She had been traveling for weeks by land and sea, using only a small sloop that she rented from a coastal town in northern Perandor. She didn’t have the heart to go through Serevar or Violet Shoals. She wasn’t sure if she’d be welcome in the small fishing village since she stole a horse when she first left months ago.

She sped up the boat by using magic to fill the sails with air. She also used magic to catch and fry fish to eat, and to safely boil the salt out of water to drink. She remembered how hesitant she was to use magic when she left Violet Shoals, and marveled at how far she had fallen and how quickly she had abandoned her beliefs. Magic was theft from the gods, she was taught. But she didn’t care. She had to live. She had to return home.

Her heart raced and pounded hard in her chest as she saw land and she said a silent prayer to the goddess Uthix that they would have mercy on her.

It was night when she landed, and she let out a surge of magic to push the boat safely onto shore. She jumped off, glad to feel earth beneath her feet as she landed on the beach.

Suddenly, she heard a voice speaking a fast, lilting language that she didn’t understand. “Hello?” She cried out. “My name is Ansta Wracna, and I’ve come home with terrible news!”

A different voice scoffed and said something in a disgusted voice. The first voice said something that included her name, asking a question it seemed like.

“Yes, that’s me, Ansta!” She couldn’t understand what they were saying. She had been away from home so long she had forgotten her mother language. She felt ashamed at this, but hoped they understood her enough. “I ran away when I was young, but I’ve come home to bring terrible news. Cyfandir needs your help, the Phoenix has returned! The stories are true, it’s back and it’s ready to burn the world to ash again.”

There was a brief silence followed by laughter. Allena’s face turned red in anger. They understood her, but she didn’t know why they were laughing, or refusing to speak Imperial. One of them moved over to her and tied her arms behind her back. He said something that, guessing by his tone of voice, was not happy with her.

“You can arrest me if you need to, but please take me to someone in charge.” The two people talked to each other. After a moment, the second one came up to her.

“Who was your liege?” He demanded, finally using a language she understood though his accent and speech faltered over the foreign words. “To whom did you swear?”

“I don’t remember. I was little. But right now, and for all time, I am Unsworn.”

He scoffed, muttered something in his own language, and they led her down the beach to a path that led inland.

***

Tanzik sat down on a thatch roof of a house and looked out at the camp as the Unsworn packed up. His beard had grown back in and he had cut his hair short so it grew back in without the dye that was used back in makan.

Snow began to lightly fall. It was winter, and the cult, which called itself the Flaming Dawn, was amassing an enormous army for their assault on Katavysia. In the weeks since Allena left, they gathered several dozen spies, troops, ruffians, and downtrodden folk who were willing to join. The Phoenix and the Flaming Dawn were both common knowledge to most people in the Imperial army, which had given them additional support.

Dismantling the cult proved impossible after a short time, as they had barely been able to find any information on their leader, who they knew only as the Deathless. Even Veza’s prodding and scheming had come up dry when it came to the illusive figure. However, he did prove useful in shutting down smaller cells and capturing some important leaders in the cult.

Lura sat down beside him. She had a burn scar on the side of her face that reached from her upper lip over to her left jaw. She was surprised by how quickly she became accustomed to using a crossbow instead of her usual bow. The model she requisitioned from the Empire was newer and was easy to use. She even found a way to modify the trigger to make it easier to pull without her forefinger. She had also modified and affixed a small telescope to it, which helped her to shoot from farther away. Since the last time she fought, she was scared to be too close to danger again, though she wouldn’t admit it.

“End of the road, Tanz,” she said.

“Please stop calling me that… Lur.”

“See, that doesn’t bother me. I think Lur is cute.”

He sighed. “Have you sent the updated reports to General Sarvása?”

“Yesterday,” she answered, putting on a more serious tone and face. “She’ll know the new troop movements soon enough.”

“Good.”

“Some of us have been talking. You think we should head straight to Katavysia? We’re not doing much out here, and we won’t survive much longer. We lost a lot of fighters last time.”

“I know. But that’s the job. Slow the advance. Deprive them of what we can.”

“But, if we—”

“Lura, who do you think is going to lead the army to Katavysia?”

“This Deathless, I’d assume.”

“I don’t think so. I think the Phoenix itself will make a public appearance. Break the capital before it starts burning everything else.”

“You don’t want to be there when it happens. Is that what this is about?”

He sighed and stood up, careful not to slide off the roof. “This is the job.” He climbed off the roof using a nearby ladder.

Lura clenched her jaw. Ever since Allena left, he had grown colder. And every fight seemed to harden his heart further and further until the mission became the only thing he could focus on. She knew he grieved her departure and felt alone.

“Tanzik,” she said as she slid off the roof and landed with graceful ease beside him. “You’re not alone. But you keep this pace, you will be. We’re willing to die for the people of Cyfandir, but we’re not going to die because you stopped making reasonable decisions. The mission’s over. We couldn’t stop the Deathless and we need to regroup. I know you’re scared, but so are all of us. We’ll stand a better chance behind the walls than we do out here.”

“So just give up?”

“Gods no. Just stop rushing in like a bloody idiot. Give me a couple sappers and we can leave some fun traps for them. But we can’t take them head on again. Otherwise you might lose me, too.”

Tanzik thought for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

“I do like hearing that.”

He glared at her, but with a touch of friendly affection. They had been through a lot together, and he couldn’t imagine losing her. He knew she was twisting his arm like she had done before, but he couldn’t help but admit she had a point, too.

“Fine, then,” he said wearily. “Back to Katavysia.”

Once they had packed up and loaded their caravan, Lura gave out a loud, piercing whistle to get everyone’s attention. Tanzik stood on a stump and waved them over.

“It’s been a long road,” he said. “And you’ve all been braver and more fierce than I ever could’ve hoped for. The Flaming Dawn army that’s headed to Katavysia is blunted because of our efforts. We may never know how many lives we’ve saved out here, but if we win, we’ll know we played a part. Our role in stopping them from growing has ended. It’s too late now. The Deathless lives, and is leading the army toward the capital now. At this point, the best we can do is join the Imperial defense at Katavysia. With the Phoenix set to destroy this world, this will be the deciding battle that determine’s whether or not we survive this war. No matter what happens, we can live or die proud of what we’ve done, and that we fought for our survival and the survival of our world, unsworn to any king, Empress, or lord. One last journey, friends! Today, we ride toward the end, one way or another!”

They cheered and began to ride back to the capital with Tanzik at the lead. Lura rode up to him. “Nice speech,” she said.

“Are you ready?”

“Nah. Not really. This kind of fight isn’t exactly my area of expertise. I’m not a soldier. I’ll try to find a quiet place to set up with this.” She tapped her crossbow strapped to her back. “You?”

“Yeah. One way or another, it all ends in Katavysia. I know it sounds grim, but I finally feel at peace.”

“Well, I’m with you. I’ll watch out for you while you’re in the fray.”

He smiled, a genuine one, for the first time in a while. They rode away from the rising sun back to Katavysia, unshackled, unafraid, and unsworn.

The End