An awkwardness hung into the air like a morning fog amongst the ruins. The meeting was held at an older fortress, seemingly one abandoned maybe decades ago given the state of it. It had withstood weather and time, but looked ruined by means of war rather than the elements. The room was stone, light pouring in from a broken window enough to illuminate the sandstone with a yellow shine. Dust and dirt were everywhere but this room, seemingly cleaned up and furnished for this meeting, and no doubt would be abandoned soon after.

Tea had been prepared, most for Jessamine's nerves. She sat on one small sofa across the table, papers and documents carefully stacked in front of her. Payne was closest to the door, Kaid standing furthest away from it in a corner of the room. Some might have seen it as cowering body language, but he liked the corner because it was where he could observe all angles and prepare for the worst. If needed.

Jessamine looked a lot more confident sitting there than she was last night. Occasionally she'd rub her thumb against the palm of her other hand, that nervous tick still not conquered, but there was no going back in this moment. Hearing footsteps outside, Jessamine glanced over at Kaid, wondering if he was ready. He wasn't. But perhaps this was a moment in life nobody could truly be prepared for.

Emperor Bashir walked in with his own guards, armed with leather armor and spears. Bashir seemed to also take his attire into account today, ignoring his rich, regal looks, for one of simplicity that included brown robes and well tailored trousers. Perhaps it was also to try and remain inconspicuous in such a foreign area. Bashir looked nothing like Kaid. In fact, if he hadn't known the truth, he really wouldn't see much similarity other than those brown eyes. He was withered, forehead already wrinkled, his hair possessing more white than its original black. Bashir looked like the stereotypical aged, perhaps wise, ruler. Kaid didn't know if he could label him as wise.

Vrah followed in from behind, the last to enter the room, closing the doors behind him and standing parallel to Payne. He was the first and only of the group to glance at Kaid, his lips almost curving into a polite smile. His eyes still spoke graciousness, but also weariness given the situation. It seemed his half-brother was also just as concerned over this meeting as everyone else.

Bashir had not even glanced at Kaid's direction, immediately approaching his sofa, extending a warm hand to Jessamine before complimenting her. It almost made Kaid more uneasy, as he hadn't expected to be ignored. He thought Bashir would at least want to see his own son, see what he looked like thirty years later...but instead all he saw was Jessamine's Guardian. And all Kaid could see him as was the Emperor of Lungor. Perhaps it was simply better to keep it as such.

"Would you like some tea?" Jessamine asked, pouring herself a cup first. She took a sip, subtly letting him know it was indeed not poison but rather an offer of hospitality.

"Yes please, thank you Jessamine," he nodded, figuring it wouldn't hurt. She poured his cup, soon handing it over to him which he graciously accepted. The room remained silent for a moment, Bashir relishing in the wonderful mint flavor of the tea with a soft hum.

"I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule for this," Jessamine spoke, clasping her hands together, "I will have you know, I was quite surprised at the offer to meet. But I feel it's an offer I shouldn't refuse. My coronation certainly sparked controversy and speculation, but I want to assure that peace is my sole objective."

"Indeed, I will admit your concurrence came as a surprise, but my son spoke highly of you in Arilla," Bashir nodded.

"Vrah is a very polite young man, you should be proud," Jessamine complimented, offering a small smile to the heir. Vrah smiled slightly in return, perhaps blushing slightly, but held most of his composure.

"I am, I hope you don't mind him being involved in our meeting today. Vrah is a very good steward and has shadowed me well these past few years. He is a fine heir and is with me everywhere I go. I am coming to the age where my bones ache every morning, and my head every night. I must think of the future, of our future," Bashir sighed, taking a deep breath, "Can we concur to move on from the past? Your father and I saw eye to eye in most circumstances, but I know things got fairly complicated with my nephew. He no longer represents this family and its ideals, therefore he is no longer a part of such. So, let us do away with the decisions of the past, the deals with your father, the fighting between your grandfather and my father. Today, I want to start anew, because I feel as though our interests are rather aligned."

It was a lot to simply ignore, to move beyond and act like it didn't happen. The arranged situation with Mattias, which more than likely resulted in bridges burned between the two kingdoms, the sinking of ships in the Southern Isles, the assassination attempts of the Confederacy...it was a lot to put behind her. But there was also a lot that Lungor had to put behind them too. How ironic to do it in a location like this.

"Agree," Jessamine nodded, seemingly much more relaxed at this approach, "I do believe the only way to truly reconcile is to let go. " Revenge, vengeance, guilt, anger...it all had to fade away here. Jessamine should not and could not hold Bashir responsible for what Mattias had done, for both incidents. Not everyone had the strength to let go and move on. But neither rulers here felt that weakness in this moment.

"Good, shall we begin?"

The next two hours were filled with talks of economics, trade, and industrial power. Bashir was completely eager to get his hands on turbines, and Jessamine was stonewalling him for quite some time to figure out why. He eventually revealed that due to their abundance of mining for graphite, they mistakenly damaged underground wells in the process, wasting tons of drinking water. If they could have a turbine to tap into their side of the oceans and lakes, then it wouldn't become a problem in the future. Once Bashir admitted that, Jessamine was more than welcome to offer a turbine, given it spoke of famine in the future.

Water didn't just limit their drinking supply but agriculture as well. Not only that, but their water supply went southward straight into Skale, their entire economy needing water more than anything for their irrigation. A Lungor famine would not just affect them, but certainly the rest of the Continent as well. If Jessamine could be a reason for that to not happen, then she'd certainly do so under the right bargain. And Kaid remembered the engineers could be capable of sabotaging the turbines if needed. Grotto didn't know about that at the time, and it seemed Bashir didn't either.

So, Bashir offered a nice amount of graphite in return. Along with a new trading route between the two, where merchants could have access to a new hub. This would result in a share of knowledge and gear, books, techniques, scientific revolutions, and most of all, perhaps establish kinship. Both of the empire's citizens were weary of each other, but it wasn't beyond repair. If both flourished from this deal, then any kind of grievances could be looked past, just like Jessamine and Bashir did.

Vrah eventually walked over to Kaid as the discussions seemed to feel much more relaxed and everyone at ease. Jessamine was even capable of making Bashir laugh a couple of times. Vrah interjected from time to time, correcting his father on statistics or things that didn't require that much attention. The room was no longer as awkward, and it really seemed as if two hours of conversation well beyond Kaid's comprehension was making a huge dent in progress.

"She's doing very well. I'm impressed," Vrah whispered honestly, "she truly has grown this past year alone. I think it's safe to say that might be because of you."

"No," Kaid shook his head, knowing he might have a role but it wasn't as big as maybe people assumed, "I think she was a bit misguided at first. All she knew was the history of her ancestors, of their policies and decisions. The more she started doing her own things, felt the space to expand to her own interests and be herself, things improved. I had no part to play in that."

"Okay," Vrah laughed slightly, doubting that, "but Jessamine is right in not looking to the past. I've had to correct my father on policies and decisions of old, be a bit more innovative. In fact, when I told him about her agreement, his first idea was a marriage proposal between us. As much as I fancy her, I don't fancy the old ways of mending political relationships with actual ones. And I have the feeling she is very much taken, am I wrong?"

"Correct," Kaid insisted, glancing over at his brother's eyes. Yeah, there was no way in hell Kaid would even entertain that idea. And Jessamine wouldn't either. It was just a repeat of Mattias, not like Kaid believed his half brother to really possess the same selfish tendencies as their cousin. And also, maybe it was time to not be really shy from being Jessamine's partner in public. Most people knew, most people also assumed, and there was no harm in not leaving it to speculation.

Kaid was also a bit possessive that Jessamine was his, and nobody else's. He didn't want to think anyone had a chance.

A gentle knock on the door alerted Payne, who opened it to see Kiev walk in. They exchanged soft words before Payne quickly exited. Nobody else in the meeting room noticed it. It could have been a moment for Payne to relieve himself at a makeshift washroom or simply to relieve tired feet from standing all the time. Kaid had a feeling something was off though. Kiev's blue eyes held a bit of worry to them, not serious enough that something was wrong. But enough that perhaps plans were thwarted.

Kiev moved momentarily to whisper to Jessamine, telling her whatever news it was too. She paused briefly, blinked, and nodded, returning to business with Bashir as if the news wasn't bothersome. But it was. She glanced at Kiev to tell Kaid, Kaid relieved to be involved in whatever this was. As Kiev approached, his hand gripped his sword handle a bit too tightly.

"The group sent for Christine, they've reported that overnight they moved out. A storm covered most of their tracks. They knew we were coming and rigged the place with explosives," Kiev whispered, making Kaid nod as well.

Shit. Someone found out and if they moved, it made hunting them down much more difficult. No doubt that was why Payne left, seeing this conversation was going well. He could pick up the pieces and continue searching, knowing they couldn't have gotten far.

"Did we lose anyone?" Kaid asked, knowing explosives were mentioned.

"Six deceased, plenty injured. Cadize is already on his way to assess and assist," Kiev answered, seeing Kaid tense slightly, "Seb wasn't with them, he's stationed here." Kiev knew that would relieve Kaid. Kaid cared about every soul, but Kiev knew how deeply he cared for the boy, as if he was almost a son if not just a mentee. Kaid was relieved with that news, knowing Seb was safer here anyways, especially with how things were going. Kiev moved back to the door, Kaid trying his best to focus on the task at hand. Right now, this was a priority and Payne's was finding Christine's new location, again.

"How do we feel about Uhkhtar? We could split the area evenly," Bashir asked, both of them glancing at a map of the Continent.

"Is it really ours to take?" she asked, "We don't know how populated this region is, let alone their response to us being here at this moment."

"My reports suggest only a few hundred. If it becomes a problem, surely we can make a deal," Bashir suggested. Jessamine didn't seem too keen on the idea. She didn't need another territory to preside over, especially one that didn't quite sit right with her. Bashir seemed more than happy to take whatever resources this desert also provided, other than more graphite.

The talking stopped immediately after the sound of a loud boom in the distance, the ground reverberating and shocking everyone into silence. All eyes glanced at each other, everyone surprised, taken back at whatever that was. It didn't sound good, even if it was a distant echo. The fact everyone in that room looked astounded by it, meant perhaps it wasn't anyone's doing in here.

Vrah glanced at Kaid beside him, wondering what that was about before he froze slightly. And Kaid sensed it too. Whatever had triggered Vrah's response had triggered Kaid's as well, and it was only because they were both at the wall closest to the window. They smelled it: the black powder, the destructive metallic scent carrying a hidden scent of rotten eggs. Graphite.

Both Kaid and Vrah ran away from the wall towards their assigned security details, knowing they needed to get them out of this room as soon as possible. Kaid knew it was already too late. He slammed into Jessamine, slowing time enough to ease the tackle before covering her body with his own. The explosion rocked the wall behind him, just where he and Vrah stood moments prior. The sound rattled Kaid's ears, muting the surprised sounds and screams of guards and others. Debris flew with the dust, a momentary flash of heat surfacing with the smoke before fading. Jessamine clung tightly to Kaid in that moment, fingers clenching the fabric of his kaftan in fear he was injured as well.

When his ears stopped ringing, the room much more bright with the hole in the wall, he blinked the dust away before moving slightly. He was sore from the slight tackle, but was otherwise unharmed. Thank the Divines he had moved away from that wall. He pulled back slightly, glancing down at Jessamine who's worried eyes scanned her Guardian, looking for any signs of injuries. If anything, he was just covered with limestone dust from the explosion, and luckily unharmed just like herself.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked, glancing over at Bashir. He looked in slight pain, probably just due to age and being tackled by his own son. But he was relatively intact as well, and just as surprised.

"Can you get out of here?" Vrah asked, ordering a Guard to come over and start creating a portal. Shit. While it was possible to pull them all out together, that was a big risk in following them. Kaid didn't know for sure who was to blame, but he knew for sure that entering a portal with the Lungor Emperor had a risk of nobody capable of following. Bridger wasn't as experienced in his travels, especially anywhere close to the Lungor palace.

"Go, get him to safety, we can discuss this later. Kaid, we need to find Bridger, now," Jessamine insisted, getting up with Kaid's assistance. Two guards had been crushed by the explosion, one of Vitross and the other Lungor. Shit.

Fucking hell, this was all falling apart.

Fighting could be heard, the grunts and groans of battle and clashing of steel. Kiev brushed dirt off his white uniform before moving immediately to the door. Prying it open, he saw the fighting began to surge towards the door. And it wasn't fighting amongst the guards, but rather the guards joined together to fight invaders dressed in tan colored cloth.

"Are you sure? Jessamine, you can come with us," Vrah insisted, beginning to form everyone together to organize. Bashir was still coughing from the mess, struggling to really stand. He really needed to get the fuck out of here.

"I'm not leaving my people behind," Jessamine insisted, moving towards her already dead Guard to take his sword. As much as she hated using another man's weapons, her own dead soldier at that, she might need it right now more than he did. And the sword was much better than wasting her knives at the moment.

"Empress, I will lead the charge out. When we get outside, immediately head South to the rest of our group. Men, protect the Empress!" Kiev barked orders, drawing his own sword.

Kaid moved in front of Jessamine, unfolding his blade as well, feeling her shaking hand upon his backside.

"Stick with me, stay behind me. Don't remove that hand unless you need to," Kaid whispered, having practiced this before. A Guardian was supposed to try and stay with her at all times, and keeping that hand there meant she'd always be behind him. If that hand was removed for a long period of time, he had to make sure there were no threats from behind.

Emperor Bashir was first into the portal, the rest of Lungor guards jumping in. Vrah ensured to be the last, glancing at Jessamine and Kaid with a half-worried, half-assured expression. "Divines protect you. Go!" Vrah insisted.

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Kiev led the charge forward, slaughtering anyone not dressed in the white Vitross uniform, nor the brown Lungor attire. Everyone else was considered an enemy and dealt with as such. Kaid pushed forward, not seeing any enemy yet as the men in front of him were doing most of the work. Most of the challenge was traversing over dead corpses, Kaid keeping his eyes up to avoid glancing into dead eyes.

His heart raced. Screams continued, either of war cries or that of pain. Some were cut out by moments of death, being carried off with the wind. Kaid had never been to war before, never in a battle like this. Yet somehow it didn't rattle his nerves. They were like steel, hard like the grip on his sword. His only thought was getting Jessamine out of here and into safety. Bridger could easily get them somewhere safe, but hopefully the portalist was still alive.

Once outside the hallways and out of the fortress through a sidepath, the bright sun blinded everyone briefly before the sound of another explosion rocked everyone. Jessamine clung tightly to Kaid's belt before feeling secure, moving her hand back up to his shoulder. She was panting heavily, not out of fear, but to try and calm her own adrenaline. She was trying to convert any nervous, fearful energy, into something meaningful, whether that meant rage or her survival instincts. All she knew was to stay close to Kaid, and he would protect her.

Outside was where the fighting really began. Kaid lost Kiev in the dust and smoke, which meant he had to trust his instincts on heading South. Flashes of white and dark brown would run past. The second Kaid saw a blend of the two, tan sand colored cloth, he'd immediately strike. Kaid didn't hesitate in slicing his blade, thrusting it into the torso of their attackers. Right now there was no hesitation needed, no belief to stop and see if their enemies could be reasoned with. This was war, it was survival, and Kaid didn't care how many lives he had to take to ensure safety.

Jessamine's sword was already bloodied, more than likely her defending herself and slicing anyone that Kaid missed, or perhaps finishing the job. Her hand left his back occasionally, but it always returned. Each time it did, it felt less shaky than the time before, as if each rejuvenating kill restored parts of her confidence, of her bloodlust.

It felt like when things were calm, it would swell up again with either explosions or shots from the firearms Lungor guards possessed. Although, Jessamine could've sworn she saw their enemies use such weapons as well. Was it very likely it was the Confederacy? Or perhaps Uhkhtarians seeking revenge? She supposed it didn't matter and there was no use wasting the energy on those thoughts. Right now it was just to kill anyone who seemed a threat.

Kaid pulled Jessamine up against a wall gently, pressing against her to shield her as they caught their breaths. The dust was beginning to settle, Kaid capable of glancing around to where he was. He remembered walking this way this morning, so following this trail should at least help him back to their base camp. That was the hope anyways. Jessamine's eyes glanced at Kaid, seeing bits of blood across his face and clothes, although it wasn't his own. Her hand moved to his chest, feeling his racing heart, trying to steady it.

"There's four behind us, at least four," she whispered, "I can sense them trying to hunt us."

"Okay," Kaid nodded, still needing a slight respite, "What's the plan, keep heading South?"

"I think we should take them, it will catch them off guard," she answered, taking a deep breath, "same plan as that boat in the Southern Isles."

"Understood," Kaid nodded, feeling her hand move away. He knew what that meant. The first means of business would be Jessamine turning one of the soldiers against their own, a meaningful distraction and just enough to cause chaos. These men might expect an easy fight outnumbering them, but this was just another training simulation for them.

The talking and running of their enemies were heard, just about to turn the corner of the wall before one of the men gasped, clashing of swords heard.

"Roke, what the fuck are you doing?!" one of them shouted, having to fight their own soldier. Kaid immediately turned the corner, thrusting his sword into the torso of the man who didn't even see his death arriving. It was a silent death as he yanked the blade back out, seeing panic in the other three around him. Kaid parried another strike, opening him up for a side attack. And that's exactly where Jessamine came in, catching him unaware to dig her blade into the man's chest. She yanked it out with a struggle, seeing Kaid go after apparently Roke.

"Fucking mind witch," he spat, his eyes dazed and confused, just as his mind was after the rattling of possession. Kaid smirked at his curse, taunting the man with a swing of his blade. Roke took the bait, swinging back. Kaid immediately slowed time to side step, slicing upward at an angle which immediately decapitated the man. Not entirely anyways, as his head rolled back but not enough to completely detach, his body slumping to the ground immediately. Jessamine finished the last one off easily, finding these fighters not entirely capable of taking the two on, not as confidently as they had thought.

Perhaps that was why they wanted the element of surprise.

A shot was heard, making Jessamine and Kaid flinch as they felt the graphite bullet miss them, flying in between them. Kaid pulled Jessamine behind the wall, not before hearing another shot. And this time, Kaid was sent to the ground with a slight tackle, the bullet whizzing above him. Kaid immediately pushed the man off, before realizing it was Vrah. He was covered in blood as well, his sword just as drenched, but his eyes had relief as he had saved Kaid.

Kaid could have easily slowed time and moved away, but maybe Vrah wanted to do the saving for once.

"You didn't go with your father?" Jessamine asked, helping Kaid up.

"I did, and once I knew him to be safe I came right back. I thought I could help. I've sent more of your guards this way along with Payne. There's still a large group between you two and I can help, if you'd like," Vrah offered. He easily must've gotten past them being invisible, and right now seemed like a viable asset.

"We're heading back to our original base, if you want to tell Payne that. Have you seen Bridger? Shaggy brown hair, always wearing a mere shirt and pants no matter the weather? He hardly knows how to fight but..."

"Can't say that I have, sorry," Vrah shook his head.

"Do you know who these men are?" Jess asked, wiping the blood off her blade momentarily.

"I was hoping you two might," Vrah seemed surprised she had asked that, "you two should go. We will rendezvous another time, Divines willing."

"Thank you, Vrah," Jessamine nodded, truly grateful. She tugged at Kaid's wrist, this time Jessamine taking the lead away from the battlefield. She figured the more they got away from the mess, from all the confusion, they could come up with another plan.

"Brother!" Vrah shouted, Kaid turning back, perhaps just a bit too quickly to glance at him, "Keep her safe. And yourself."

Kaid nodded silently, knowing perhaps his reaction to his beckoning might just hint towards the truth, towards their truth: that Kaid knew it. Vrah didn't seem surprised or displeased, if anything, he wanted Kaid to know the truth. This secret should not have to die between either of them. But neither of them planned on dying today. Brothers in arms, or brothers in another life, today they could fight side by side.

He followed behind Jessamine, traversing through the rough terrain of dirt paths that probably haven't been walked in decades since this morning. The ground was rough, the roots sticking out, causing Kaid to stumble once or twice. They went at a steady enough pace to not waste their energy, but they didn't want the enemies behind them to catch up. Finally as they got closer to camp, they saw white uniforms approach. Sebastian ran closer upon seeing the Empress and Guardian walk over, relief in his eyes. When he first heard the explosion, he feared the worst.

"Guys, it's the Empress! She's alright!" Sebastian shouted to the others behind him, sheathing his sword as he moved towards them.

Kaid felt relief to know he was safe, letting his guard down for the moment, another reprieve to catch his breath.

"Seb," Jessamine exhaled, "has Bridger or anyone else passed this way?"

"No, nobody, your ladyship," he shook his head, glancing at Kaid, astounded by how bloody he looked, "How bad is it? Who are we fighting? Lungor?"

"No, no my child, someone new," Jessamine answered. Sebastian was just a child. She didn't know why Kiev selected him for this mission. Of course he was becoming a stellar swordsman but...he shouldn't be here. To be fair, none of her guards had experienced a battle like this. It was one of the reasons she wanted to avoid war in the first place, because not many were prepared for it. To bring a teenager into all of this was a horrible mistake.

Kaid took a deep breath, giving Sebastian a reassuring smile before looking at the five guards behind him. And something made his hair stand up. He paused time briefly, wondering what was giving him that impression of danger. Then, he noticed it, something so inconspicuous, something maybe other Guards wouldn't even notice. But becoming a fresh recruit himself months ago, studying the rules and regulations, it was something he had pointed out before to Sebastian himself. The five behind Seb weren't wearing their white gloves. Of course the warmer weather could be a factor, but the gloves weren't even attached to their belt line. It could've been nothing, but Kaid was not going to ignore his intuition. It didn't help that Kaid didn't even vaguely recognize the men.

Kaid was about to move before feeling his mind disoriented, his eyes blinking rapidly, unable to remove the incoming blurriness. His thoughts didn't feel his own, feeling a hot sweat fill his skin, yet his blood grow ice cold. It was reminiscent of something, of some moment in time. And then his mind went to the moment, running down the corridors of Caladin, looking for a portal. And when he found the wrong one, he felt this very same sensation.

Kill her.

Kaid resisted it, standing firmly in place. From his own readings, and the very fact a mind witch stood beside him, Kaid knew this was a mental fight. He had to push the influence out, block him before he could delve further into his mind. And so far, he was succeeding at that. What was odd, was that mind witches were only speculative to be women, and this just proved that historical theory wrong.

"Kaid, you're sweating blood," Jessamine observed, seeing it pour down his forehead, her eyes worried. And then her eyes steeled, her own memory and wisdom hitting her hard. Fuck. One of these men was in his mind, or at least, attempting it. Kaid felt it fade away, the same confusion that had hit Roke now hitting him. He felt dizzy, discombobulated, stumbling back slightly. Whatever happened, it didn't work. He didn't know if Jessamine intervened, if such a thing were possible, but the mind witch had given up.

Given up on Kaid, as it now chose a new target.

Sebastian withdrew his sword, looking right at Jessamine.

She didn't have the strength or mana to stop him either, as she just stopped her own guard from entering Kaid's mind successfully. She held her blade firmly, knowing she had to make a decision. Before she could stab the teenager in front of her, Kaid had gotten behind him, wrapping his arm around the boy's neck while the other tried to remove the blade.

"Seb, stop!" Kaid begged, applying pressure to his throat. Maybe it would cut the concentration, get him to stop. But Sebastian refused to release the blade firmly in his hand, trying to swing it at Kaid. Jessamine turned her attention to the others, fighting her way through them. Yet, Sebastian did not stop. Kaid tightened the squeeze around his neck, pleading, almost begging for him to drop the blade. Kaid would let go the second that blade was dropped, yet he kept trying to swing it, kept trying to break from Kaid's grasp to lunge at the Empress.

Kaid pulled him to the dirt, legs tangling with his own, his bicep squeezing tightly against Sebastian's throat, collapsing his windpipes. The boy continued to resist, his free hand moving around until it found something against his waistband. He had a pistol, a small one, somehow. Whether he picked it up off the dead, or he was a part of them, Kaid didn't know. Kaid felt the tears stream down his face, feeling the fading throbbing heartbeat of the boy as his hand still played with the pistol. Sebastian pulled the firearm up, angling it towards Jessamine who was finishing the last faux guard of the group. Kaid clenched his eyes tightly, his own throat wet and tight with tears before he whispered to the boy.

"I'm so sorry, Seb," he apologized. Kaid moved his other arm to join in the strangulation, only one arm went one way, and the other the opposite. Crack. Kaid broke the boy's neck with one motion, watching his hand collapse and the firearm fall to the side. Seb's body still shook, heart still pounded before it finally ended.

Kaid sobbed, clutching the limp boy in his arms, apologizing over and over. He never wanted this to happen. He never wanted Sebastian to join and for this to be his fate. To turn against his friend, against his Empress, and most of all to do so unwillingly. Forced against his will, he didn't have the same strength to resist. If only he did, and Kaid wouldn't have to kill a child he thought akin to his own, an adopted son of sorts. Kaid ran his hands through the boy's sandy brown hair, kissing his forehead before letting his body rest into the dirt.

He wiped the tears away, feeling on the verge of vomiting. Kaid rose to his feet, eyes finally moving up to Jessamine. She stood over the bodies, but her body was hunched slightly. Her hand held her own stomach, perhaps about to lose her breakfast as well. But as she turned slightly, Kaid's heart stopped, seeing the handle of a blade sticking out from her side. Blood stained her dress immediately, her hand tightly gripping the handle of the dagger.

"D-don't! Don't pull it out," Kaid hushed, immediately running over to her. She collapsed in his arms gently, his hand overtaking hers. She noticed his hand quivering, her bloodied hand covering his to provide comfort.

"Seb, is he...?" she asked, despite her wound.

"No. No, I had to...I couldn't save him," Kaid shook his head, not wanting to think about that right now, and not even capable of saying the words. He had killed him. All he wanted to do was freeze up, to curl into a ball and cry, to scream until he felt heard. But there wasn't much time for that. There wasn't any kind of time for that. His Empress was his priority.

"Shit," Jessamine whispered, her breathing growing rapidly as she took shallow breaths to try and control it. Kaid immediately started to remove the layer of his kaftan, ripping it to start balling it together to put pressure.

"This is going to hurt, I'm sorry my love," Kaid spoke, wrapping the tunic around the knife, immediately applying pressure. Jessamine screamed, her hand balling into a fist as she immediately punched Kaid's chest in response. Guilt immediately hit her, her hand unclasping to cup his face as an apology.

"Fuck! Fuck, please stop Kaid," she begged.

"I have to try and stall the bleeding," he assured her, seeing her nod despite the pain, "Breathe. It's okay. You're strong, I know it hurts. This will all be over soon. Just think about the sea, think about us sailing. Remember those dolphins?"

"Yes, I remember," she nodded, closing her eyes to try and picture that instead. Kaid still held the pressure down, knowing it wouldn't help much with that blade still inside her. But there was no way he would yank it out and create a bigger wound, not without Cadize around. Fuck. If Cadize had been sent to the other group, would he even be here in time? The thought made Kaid panic, wondering if this could be his last moment with her.

Kaid had failed, failed to protect her. If he had just killed Seb instantly, assisted in her fighting the others, this wouldn't have happened. This wouldn't have been his fault.

"Kaid...look at me," she whispered, her eyes open again, "it'll be okay. We'll get out of this."

Shouts were heard from the distance, Kaid snapping his head to the side, hoping it was good news. It was far from that. He was hoping for white uniforms and saw six tan ones instead. How many of these fuckers were there? Kaid moved to grab his sword, feeling Jessamine's hand quickly reach for his, but it slipped away due to the amount of blood, unable to grip him.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded, shaking her head, "Don't."

"I need to buy you some time," he whispered, knowing the truth. The closer those men got, the chances of Payne or Bridger making it here was riskier. And he had to make sure none of those six men would get past him, because it left Jessamine completely unguarded. He'd have to attack them on the narrow path before it widened towards the camp. Unfortunately, that meant leaving her.

"Kaid, please," she cried, knowing it was useless. He had to buy her time. Kaid moved towards the other corpses, finding one of those stupid graphite firearms and handed it to Jessamine. It would have to be used as a last resort, in case any slipped through Kaid to get to her. At least she'd have a way to defend herself.

"I love you," Kaid said, knowing if he wanted any last words to be heard, it was those three words, those three syllables.

Jessamine grabbed his undershirt, pulling him close to kiss gently, feeling the tears continue to pour down her face, "I love you too. Come back for me. You'll come back, right?"

"Always, my Empress," he whispered, having to pull himself away. He had to rip the bandage off, walk away from her before he felt the urge to continue to stay by her side. He could hear her sobs fade, Kaid walking past Seb's lifeless corpse. His breathing heaved, the blood in his veins that were once clammy were boiling. Boiling with rage, with this undeniable anger, the most he's felt his entire lifetime.

His fingers moved to the flask Cadize had given him, wondering if he should use it now or later. Cadize said he'd know when to use it, and right now, he wasn't getting that feeling. And the sound of a familiar faint whoosh behind him only confirmed that. His eyes glanced back, seeing a portal begin to form. Bridger, he was here. The sight of it caused his enemies to hurry their speed, and Kaid knew for sure he had to hold them back. The first rushed at him with a war cry, Kaid immediately blinking with time behind him, slicing across his backside.

He fell to the ground, a shocked yelp leaving his lips. Kaid stabbed his blade through his left shoulder, piercing his heart and ending his screams. His eyes moved to the other men, staring them right in the eyes as he pulled his sword out. Kaid could sense the fear in their eyes mixed with determination. No matter what, Kaid couldn't let them pass.

Payne immediately exited the portal, rushing to Jessamine, worriedness in his eyes. He immediately picked up the Empress despite her cry in pain, carrying her over the portal. Jessamine watched behind Payne's shoulder to see Kaid there, surrounded by five soldiers.

"Panye, wait! We can't leave without him. Stop!" Jess shouted, pounding at Payne's shoulders so he'd listen. But he only had one objective too, same as Kaid: get Jessamine out of there.

Kaid backed up slightly, prepared to sprint back towards the portal, but the second he turned around, it closed. They left him. Payne fucking left him. Part of him understood, knew that Kaid running back to that portal was a risk. And maybe he'd be like Vrah, Payne would make sure she was secure before coming back. Kaid doubted that. If anyone would leave him for dead, it was the Royal Investigator. When Kaid gazed towards his enemies, he noticed their stances changed as well. They were slightly defeated, but almost relaxed. Perhaps they believed the five could take Kaid, and maybe they were right in that. However, it looked like they didn't necessarily want to fight.

"Surrender, and we won't kill you," one of the men stated, pointing his blade at Kaid.

Kaid scoffed, not believing that, "You'd take me alive? After I killed most of your men?"

"You weren't our target," he replied, "They understood you'd put up a fight."

"Then you should understand the same," Kaid flourished his blade gently, taking a few steps back, "I'll slaughter you all if I have to."

The loud roar of a flame echoed behind him, Kaid feeling an oddly familiar warmth on the back of his face and neck. It froze him quicker than ice, made him question his own reality, wonder how the hell this was possible. This hour was stranger, deadlier than any of his dreams. And this was anything but possible. No. It was impossible. She was dead, he knew it himself, it went against the very laws of nature, or rather Caladin.

"Kaid, is that any way to treat an old friend...?"