“So, you’re saying that we can’t get them out.”

  “I’m not saying that we can’t get them out,” Ash replied, full of confidence as they sat by a riverbank, eating a heated ‘fresh’ lunch that had been kept in their bags. “I’m saying that it’s difficult to because they are heavier than we can lift out of the space.”

  “...And as a result,” Henry told him with a dull expression. “We can’t get them out.”

  Ash let out a low grumble and glared at him. “That is just a temporary issue! I’ll figure out the details when I get home. I was in a rush and then took on that magic product request, so I didn’t have time to fine tune the details.”

  Henry watched his brother’s face flush and held back an amused smile. He lifted his hand and patted Ash’s head. “I know you will. The storage sheet is a brilliant idea, especially for large objects. It would give those grandmasters at the Magic Tower heart attacks.”

  The combination of praise and ridicule of the Magic Tower seemed to fill Ash with joy and his face lit up, reminding Henry of when he first praised Ash after Ash wrote out his first set of magic text characters. The paper was kind of wrinkled, there were ink spots, and his writing was terrible, but Ash had completed it, and Henry was proud of him.

  But at the memory, his heart ached a bit. It wasn’t only Ash who became elated when he was praised. His second brother’s first time riding a horse by himself or his third brother’s wooden block replica of his house had been eagerly shown off to him in hopes of praise and Henry had lovingly, and sincerely, showered them with it.

  He fought back the wave of emotion that bubbled up. Years had passed since their deaths, but the pain never really went away. He just struggled not to show it to sadden his aunt and Ash, who had refused to eat for days after their third brother passed.

  Henry turned away to avoid Ash seeing his sad expression.

  Luckily, Ash was quickly distracted with explaining how he was trying to find an even thinner and more durable fabric for the storage sheet, and went off on a tangent complaining about Hana’s brother-in-law who was a clothing designer and tailor.

  “I just don’t think he likes me,” Ash concluded with an air of finality. He narrowed his eyes. “He’s probably jealous.”

  The corner of Henry’s lip curled up. “I’m sure that’s it.”

  “He’s so proud of his designs that he’s blinded to my creativity.”

  “This isn’t going to be another Magic Tower thing, is it?” Henry asked with a roll of his eyes.

  Ash sat up straight and looked proud. “He’s critical, but he’s still my friend and business partner’s family. He wouldn’t actively do anything to impede us.”

  “He’s also scared of Auntie.”

  “Lots of people are scared of Momma. He just happened to be sitting too close at the arena when the sword came flying at him. But it missed, didn’t it?” Ash replied in a cool voice. He stuffed the rest of his food into his mouth. “Are we sleeping outside tonight?”

  “We’ll be near the fortress city of Ji’Kerra by the end of the day, but they’ll probably close the gates before we can get in. There are usually a few inns outside the city. The Guild will reimburse you,” Henry told him. He patted his mouth with a clean cloth before standing up. Ash stood up, as well.

  “Brother, about the money from that thieving ring....” Ash began carefully.

  “We’ll go with the family rules,” Henry said. “Keep half and donate the other half.” Ash seemed to pump his fist a bit at this.

  “Great! It’s so much gold, I’m sure we can get a solid start on the recovery and prepare a proper place to store the items,” Ash replied with excitement. “Coupled with the payment for the fire proof suit, we can proceed. I can refocus elsewhere for a bit.”

  Henry pulled himself up on his saddle as Ash did the same next to him. “I thought you’d focus on earning funding for the recovery for the foreseeable future.”

  Ash shook his head. “It’s important to me, but I still have other commitments. Aside from the family business, Moonflower is still in its infancy as we’re still preparing our facilities. Hana is doing most of the planning, but I still have projects tied to it. We also have to prepare for the Invitational.”

  Henry drew his head back. “Are you planning to compete again?”

  Ash let out a choked snort and looked at his brother with disdain. “Why wouldn’t I? I won the platinum ring at the last two Invitationals.”

  “Technically, the last one was you and Hana,” Henry replied as he looked ahead of him. “The portable filtration system is invaluable in many places, of course it would win.”

  Every two years, the Federation of Merchant Cities would hold a series of games that put merchant city against merchant city to showcase the ability of its people in several categories. There were physical competitions tied to trade, such as sailing, horseback riding, charioteering, and several martial competitions as a way of showing off the Federation’s ability to defend itself.

  Amongst those competitions was the coveted Innovation Expo, in which three teams from each of the merchant cities competed by displaying latest technological developments that could heavily influence and advance the Federation. For merchant cities, this was the pinnacle of the Invitational, as it showcased the best and newest advances.

  As such, it attracted attention from other countries. The Federation of Merchant Cities Invitational was called such because it invited other countries to join. Each invited country received a set number of invitations that were given to cities within their territory at the guest country’s discretion.

  Dareisol, the Federation’s largest trading partner, had the largest number of invitations at nine. Cities like Solyek and its imperial capital were always given an invitation while others were selected after a series of applications and reviews. The Invitationals were a social, economic, and political event across Iveria, and also served to bolster the Federation’s reputation.

  The host merchant city was rotated amongst those that had the facilities to host such an event. The first one they attended had been at Carthage Harbor, the second at Xiu, where Ash had joined on a whim, and the third in Keygo. Carthage Harbor’s strength was in sailing, winning the Invitational Regatta more than any other city. It didn’t focus too much on the Innovation Expo and, so close to the date, the city still had a slot open, so Ash ‘volunteered’ to do it.

  It was there that he showcased food preservation storage for long distance travel and won the top prize: the platinum ring.

  At the last Invitation, he and Hana created two types of portable water filtration systems, once more winning the top prize.

  “This year, if Hana and I win, we’re going to announce Moonflower,” Ash told him.

  “What are you submitting this year?” Henry asked. After his first win, Ash had been reserved one of three spots automatically.

  “I can’t tell you that. It’s classified.” He said it with such firm resolve, Henry rolled his eyes. “Are you going to compete in one of the sword competitions? Or riding?”

  Henry shook his head. Like his aunt, he took part in the first Invitational they attended and placed in the top three of several martial events. Most people focused on a single event, but not him. He garnered more attention than he felt comfortable with and didn’t want to do it again, but Carthage Harbor had pleaded with him to represent them in at least one martial competition at the last Invitational after having no one place in any of the events he’d competed in the one before that.

  Henry obliged and, as the newspapers had called it, ‘slaughtered his way through to the platinum ring’ in the chaotic gladiatorial tournament. One versus one weapon of choice in a bracket competition, then an empty-handed bracket competition, and finally a chariot race. He’d used the winnings to help buy his aunt her birthday present.

  “Not this year. I don’t have much time to practice, and I’ve already informed the committee. Auntie was invited to represent the city in the women’s all-around tournament.”

  The all around tournaments took place over the two weeks of competition. Roughly every two days, competitors would compete in a single competition. Points were given and tallied to rank the competitors in seven events.

  His aunt won three Invitationals in a row for Carthage Harbor, with the first securing them citizenship into the Federation.

  “You know what’s strange? Momma won the last three, but I didn’t see her practicing for the last one. I can understand the martial portions since she always makes us practice with her, but I don’t remember her riding or going out to sail,” Ash said, furrowing his brows. “Does she secretly practice?”

  “I think we would notice if she left for hours at a time to practice,” Henry gave his brother a dull look. However, now that he thought about it, he also didn’t remember seeing his aunt practice. In fact, he didn’t even know when his aunt learned to drive a chariot. “If you win the Innovation Expo, are you putting the award money towards Moonflower?”

  “Yes, that’s what Hana and I agreed upon. It’s not a lot, but it’ll help. The real goal is to gain visibility,” Ash said as they continued down the road.

  Henry let out a hum. “Speaking of visibility, are we going to address the people following us for the last three hours?”

  “Well, they haven’t done anything to threaten us.” Ash shrugged. “Is it necessary to confront them?”

  As if the universe wanted to answer him, galloping horses were heard closing in from around them. The two brothers slowed down as several men on horseback appeared and cut off the road in front of them.

  Henry pursed his lips as he pulled back on the reins. Six more men came from the sides and two cut off the road behind them. “This is what happens when you open your mouth.”

  Ash scoffed and replied in a sharp voice. “I jinxed us, not summoned them.”

  Henry moved his horse forward, partially shielding his brother. “Can we help you gentlemen?” he asked in a calm and collected voice, as if he was the one who approached them.

  “Gentlemen, heh....” A large man with a beard chuckled as his horse trotted to a stop in front of them. He appeared to be the leader of the group. “I haven’t been called that before.”

  “That’s a shame,” Henry replied. “I take it you’re not here to ask us directions?”

  “A funny man.” The leader’s somewhat amused face grew darker, and he sneered.

  Henry gave him a small, acknowledging nod and smiled. “I’ve been told my humor is a part of my charm.” He pretended he didn’t see Ash roll his eyes.

  The leader’s lips pulled down into a frown and his eyes narrowed. “I’ll be lenient with you. Coins and jewelry. You can keep your clothes, horses, and anything else you have.” In some ways, that was lenient.

  Henry’s calm expression didn’t falter, but he did inwardly balk. Since they kept the majority of things in their preservation bags, it appeared that they were traveling very light. Even their horses’ saddle bags only held a few tools and water canisters.

  Henry raised his hands. “We don’t have any jewelry.” That was a lie. They had silver thumb rings with a part shaped like a scarab and a gold recoiled snake decorating its shell, but they only wore it when they were at home or traveling with the family. Ash was always afraid he’d lose it, and Henry was worried someone would want to steal it. Effie had a matching pendant and wore it everywhere.

  The leader looked towards one of his men and gave him a nod and a grunt. The man rode over to the brothers. “I need to check.”

  “All right.” Henry and Ash both held out their hands and arms, pulling up their sleeves, and then lowered the collars of their shirts to reveal no jewelry hanging.

  “Your bags,” the man said.

  After what he saw on the ships, Henry didn’t hesitate to hand over his bag to be searched. His relaxed, unbothered action made the man searching them frown. He snatched the bag and began digging through.

  His lip curled up in disgust before shoving the bag into Henry’s arms and checking Ash’s bag. The results were the same and he looked towards his leader with irritation.

  “Some cloth and a fruit.”

  The leader’s frown deepened. “How is that possible? Look at their clothing!”

  Everyone, including Henry and Ash, looked at their clothing. They were mostly clean with no stains and just a light dusting of dirt from their travel, but if one really looked, they could tell the quality was good.

  “Check their saddlebags!” Someone yelled.

  The man nodded and went to check. Henry sighed and kept his horse steady as the man rummaged through his bag, tossing out small tools on the ground, and then dumping out the water in their canisters to check if they were hiding anything inside.

  “Oh, come on....” Ash scowled. “We needed those to drink!”

  “Why is this water canister so heavy? What’s inside?” the man yelled.

  “Those canisters have filters on them to purify river and stream water to avoid parasites. We bought them with great difficulty,” Ash replied with a frown.

  “Water doesn’t have parasites!” the man retorted. “As long as it’s clear, it’s fine to drink!”

  Ash’s face scrunched with disgust.

  Henry sighed. “You’ve checked our things. May we pass?”

  “How are you traveling without any money?” Someone asked, frustrated. Henry couldn’t really blame them considering they had been followed for some time and were probably observed before deciding they’d be targeted.

  “We busk for money,” Ash said. “I do magic tricks and my brother flirts with women.”

  Henry slowly turned his head and his seething glare towards his brother. He stifled the urge to yell at Ash and remind him that Ash was the one that was usually fawned over because aside from good looks, Ash was cheerful and amiable, whereas he was usually more withdrawn.

  Instead, he felt several eyes looking him over, and he could feel the judgment.

  “Hmm...he is handsome,” the leaders said with a critical glare. “He may fetch a lot of money.”

  “I’m not for sale,” Henry replied, his eye twitching.

  “Tie them up!”

  Henry’s eyes narrowed and he began to reach into his bag for his sword. Beside him, Ash’s face darkened as three slips appeared in his hand. “It’s as if they can’t take a joke.”

  “I’m going to kill you later, Ash.”

  “You can’t take a joke, either.”

  Half the bandits remained with their weapons drawn while the other half began preparing rope and moving closer. One man’s eyes watched them for any sudden movements. “Slowly get of your horses!”

  Ash raised his hand, and the slips began to glow.

  The man who was watching them sucked in a sharp breath. “What are you holding-”

  A two-toned whistle cut off the man, making the words die in his throat. Henry and Ash both looked around for the source of the prompt whistle that jarred the tense atmosphere. Henry craned his neck and narrowed his eyes.

  More hoof beats.

  He pulled the reins back to realign himself with Ash. “Do you hear that?”

  Ash had fixed his eyes on the ground to the side of his horse, his hand still raised and the slips still glowing. “I can feel it,” he said as he frowned. “We’re even more outnumbered.”

  Henry's grip on the reins tightened as he noticed the faces of the bandits surrounding them start to pale. Their bodies tense and, without warning, the large man who had accosted them pulled the reins to the side to turn his horse away.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Retreat!” The air filled with the sounds of men yelling to not only flee but take separate directions in order to avoid being caught by ‘them’.

  The bandits began to break away one by one, abandoning Ash and Henry in the middle of the road like trash.

  “I don’t like that they’re running,” Ash said. “Should we also-”

  An arrow landed in the middle of the road in the distance, causing three bandits to pull violently back on reins to stop their horses. The horses buckled and one of the men tumbled off the saddle.

  Figures appeared from the forest on lithe horses and with weapons at their sides. One of the riders cut off the road of the bandits as they had done to the brothers and began yelling, forcing the bandits to turn around. From all sides, women on horses pushed the bandits back until they were around Henry and Ash.

  On a bay horse, a muscular woman with long, braided golden hair and dark eyes weaved her horse back and forth, assessing the situation with a sharp gaze. One hand held the leather reins while the other gripped a short sword.

  “Surround them!” A woman's gruff voice ordered and at once, the women rode forward, brandishing their weapons, and all the men were surrounded, with Ash and Henry still trapped in the center. Ash looked confused.

  “Are the bandits...also being robbed?” he asked in a low voice. He shook his head. “Wow, there is no honor amongst thieves nowadays.”

  “I don’t think that’s what’s happening here, idiot,” Henry said. He kept his eyes on the group of women on horses, looking for any sign of authority to a local town or city. Most places had uniforms, certain sashes, symbols on their clothes, or something that unified them and functioned as a symbol of who they were.

  He couldn’t pick out anything that showed they were a patrol unit or something of the like, but their clothes were local.

  “Lt. Mehgan, arrest these men,” the blonde-haired woman who appeared to be the leader of the group said. “Except the two travelers in the center.”

  Henry heard Ash let out a low breath of relief and lower his hand. The women riders used their horses to get between the bandits and the brothers, then herded the bandits to the side. The blonde woman looked towards the brothers and gave them a small bow of her head.

  Henry kept his face neutral, but reciprocated with a nod. He didn’t want to be the first to speak and waited.

  The woman seemed to realize that the brothers weren’t going to start th conversation and sighed. “My apologies for the disruption. We have been trying to catch this group of bandits for some time. For once, we were able to catch them before they finished robbing someone.”

  Henry nodded in return. “Thank you for your aid. We’re passing through and didn’t expect to be surrounded.”

  “Not at all,” the woman replied with a smile. “Are you two brothers heading towards the city? The gates to the fortress cities in the area close at sunset. You may not make it in time.”

  “That is a concern of ours, but we can always find lodging outside the gates. Should we be concerned with more bandits?” Henry asked.

  The woman shook her head. “Not that close to the cities. Our patrols have reduced the number of crimes in the region. As long as you’re not doing anything wrong, you can rest easy tonight.”

  “Good to hear,” Ash said, giving them a nod. “Thank you for your hard work.” The brothers smiled as they continued forward, giving each woman they passed a nod. When they were further away, the pleasant looks on their faces relaxed, and Ash furrowed his brows.

  “Do you feel uncomfortable?” Henry asked. Ash nodded.

  “I don’t know why.”

  “Go with your gut feeling,” Henry said. He gave his horse a kick. “I was going to go at a regular pace and not rush as we’d be cutting it close to arriving at sunset anyway, but now, I want to get into the city before dark.”

  Ash looked at his brother. “Do you think there is something out there?”

  “I don’t know,” Henry said. “But she gave us a vague threat: as long as we’re not doing anything wrong....” He frowned. “We’re in a foreign area with different customs, Ash. We don’t know if we commit something ‘wrong’ in the eyes of the locals.”

  ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

  The sun had yet to touch down on the horizon and from his measurements, they had an hour to go before sunset started. The horses were tired, and they had run a good part of the way to the fortress city of Ji’Kerra, but they’d made it with time to spare.

  The city didn’t have an Adventurer’s Guild, so there was no local resource to arrange for their lodgings. They would have to be reimbursed. The brothers asked around for lodgings that also took care of horses and were surprised to find that all of them were booked.

  “Is there some event happening?” Ash asked as he and Henry walked towards the far walls of the city. Since they couldn’t find an inn that also had stables, they’d have to house the horses separately. They found a small cottage for rent behind someone’s house, but there was no room for horses. Still, the old couple who had the extra room welcomed them.

  “It doesn’t look like it,” Henry replied. There were no banners or signs of celebration around the city. It looked as if it were an ordinary day. They reached an area by one of the gates which was recommended to them to leave their horses for the night. The familiar smell of farm animals was heavy in the air, but the two weren’t bothered.

  Henry approached the first stable they saw to ask and was directed to one further down.

  “Don't tell me it’s full, too,” Ash said as he led his horse beside his brother.

  “Surprisingly, yes,” Henry said. “But there is some room two stables down. The prices are regulated, so at least we won’t be overcharged.”

  It was fairly cheap, and Henry paid extra to provide some vegetables for the horses as a treat. They wanted to stay and brush the two horses after a hard day’s work, but the stable owner shook his head.

  “You two should return to your inn soon,” he said with a stern look. “The sun has almost set.”

  Ash cocked his head to the side with an inquisitive look. “But we’re already in the city,” he replied.

  “No, no.” The old man shook his head. “Once the sun sets, there is a curfew. You cannot leave until sunrise.”

  “Curfew?” Ash stood up straight. He looked at his brother and Henry frowned. To their knowledge, there were only curfews for the general populace when something bad was happening or martial law had been enacted.

  The city appeared to not be in any sort of trouble when they arrived. The streets were well kept and clean, the markets they passed were closing up, but still lively. No one looked terribly destitute.

  Now that Henry thought about it he hadn’t seen any beggars, not even outside the city gate when they entered.

  “Then, we should get back,” Henry put his hand on his brother’s shoulder and pulled him back. “We still need to get something to eat. Is there a restaurant you can recommend that’s open?”

  The old man shook his head once more. “Restaurants close before sunset.”

  “What about a pub?” Henry asked. Pubs usually open late.

  The old man tensed. He looked away. “Our pubs are no longer allowed to stay open past sunset. The city has new regulations.”

  Ash looked at his brother. Henry seemed to take in the answer before nodding. “We’ll figure something out then. Thank you.”

  He gave the old man a slight nod of his head and then pulled his brother out.

  “What is going on? What kind of city doesn’t have a pub open at this time? I can understand restaurants, but a pub?” Ash whispered in a low, hurried voice as he leaned towards his brother.

  “It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some places don’t even allow alcohol,” Henry told him. “Though, there are still usually coffee or tea houses open that serve food.”

  “From the sound of the old man, there aren’t any places to eat that are open at all.”

  “It’s fine,” Henry replied, keeping his voice low as they quickened their speed to get to back across the city to their room. “It isn’t as if we’ll starve. We still have food.”

  Aunt Margeaux had arranged for them to have meals to pack with them before they left so they didn’t always have to spend money and eat out, but the brothers liked to try different food where they went. It seemed that wasn’t going to be possible this time.

  As the sky grew darker, Henry found himself glancing into the horizon over and over. Because of the high city walls blocking the sunlight, the inside of the city was dark, and he wasn’t able to get an accurate estimation.

  They made it to their room, rushing into a single room cottage with minimal furniture. There was a door, one window with curtains, and a large bed they’d have to share. At the very least, there was a hearth, and the owner had kindly started a fire for them and left them some fire wood.

  The cottage was at the end of a walkway that went around the side of the owner’s house, and they could see the street out the window.

  “We’re on a main street, so I’m sure by sunrise tomorrow, we can find a bakery or something to get breakfast,” Henry told him.

  Ash nodded and began going through his bag for more blankets and his favorite pillow. There was one round table in the room and two stools. The brothers made sure the curtain was closed before taking out their food and making some tea. Henry wore a pensive look as he sipped his tea after the meal.

  “Usually, don’t you get warnings about places that have such a strict curfew from the Guild?” Henry asked.

  “Usually, but if the changes were too recent, word might not yet have reached the Guild,” Ash replied. “Do you think it’s strange?”

  “I don’t think any harm will come to us, but something has happened to instill a curfew across the city,” Henry replied. He shook his head. “It’s not our place to get involved.”

  Ash nodded, resigned to that.

  After washing their faces, they went to bed. With his brother with him, Ash needn’t put up his guard and was breathing evenly well before Henry. Henry closed his eyes, ordering his spirit beasts to wake him if something strange was happening.

  He was just about to doze off when Raiju’s voice spoke up in his head. “Master, there is a procession with torches going through the street. They are approaching.”

  Henry brushed it off. “Likely a patrol to check if there is anyone out. It’s fine.”

  “Master...the bandits that surrounded you today are tied up and being pulled along.”

  Henry’s eyes flashed open. “You’re sure it’s them?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  He took a deep breath and finally closed his eyes once more. “They’re probably moving criminals at night. It’s a good way to keep them from disrupting the public.”

  A low boom reached his ears, and he twitched. Henry forced himself to ignore it. It was probably just the fire. Another low boom rumbled. Then another, even spaced after the earlier one.

  “Why is someone banging on a drum in the middle of the night?” Ash’s low, irritated voice came from beside him. Ash sat up with a scowl and lifted his silk eye mask from his face. “People are trying to sleep!”

  Sighing, Henry got up and walked towards the window. He leaned against the wall and peered out through a gap in the curtains. He couldn’t see anything in the dark. The torches Raiju reported hadn’t passed yet, but he could hear the steady drum beat approaching.

  It grew louder and louder, and by the tenth beat, Henry saw the first of a row of two lanterns passing by the owner’s house. He narrowed his eyes as he made out the black draped figures holding the torches, the two people hitting two large, barrel drums pulled on an ox cart, and a draft horse drawn wagon that caged several people.

  “That isn’t the least bit disturbing....” Henry muttered.

  Ash was across from him, peeking through another gap. “What are they doing? It’s the middle of the night?” He frowned more so. “Don’t tell me it’s a cult. Why are there so many cults?”

  Henry held up his hand to silence his brother. The procession had stopped. He couldn’t see what was happening beyond the gap created by the walkway between the owner’s house and the neighboring building, but it was enough to see two people unlocking one of the prisoner wagons and pulling someone out.

  A skinny, unshaven man wobbled on his feet as he was pulled out and then dragged towards the owner’s house.

  Henry drew his head back. “I think we’re about to become involved.”

  Ash looked over at him, confused. “How can you tell?” Henry jerked his head towards the street and Ash looked back. He held his breath as he saw six torches and twelve cloaked people marching down the walkway, towards their rented one room cottage. He looked at Henry, frantic. “What are they doing? We made it inside before curfew!”

  “I don’t think it has anything to do with curfew,” Henry replied in a low voice. He stepped away from the window and pulled his brother deeper into the room. “We should see what they’re planning before they take action. This is a residential area; if we attack, other people could get injured.”

  Ash let out a low grumble and sat on the edge of the bed. The curtain began to glow as the light of passing torches illuminated it from the outside. It wouldn’t take much for the cottage to be surrounded. Henry stood in front of his brother, standing between Ash and the door. He waited for the knock.

  At least a minute passed, and there was no noise from the outside. The light of the torches outside had ceased and were now steady, but no one came to knock, let alone break down the door.

  They heard a scrape of metal against brick to their left and turned their heads. The sound was coming from the ceiling, but they couldn’t make out any additional movement nor did it seem that someone had climbed up on to the roof.

  Henry was glaring at the ceiling when Ash rose to his feet and grabbed his arm. He pointed to the hearth and Henry followed his hand. White powder was falling into the fire, and a dull scent began to permeate through the room.

  “Cat bane,” Henry said, almost curling his lip up in distaste.

  Ash let out a small scoff. “Are they trying to put us to sleep? Cat bane doesn’t work on everyone.” Mages tended to be immune and while Henry wasn’t a mage, he was summoner, and they were immune as well. “Should we pretend to sleep?”

  “Why would we pretend to sleep?” Henry gave him a strange look.

  “I don’t know! It’s not like we can leave now. Our horses are still in the stables and the gates are shut for the night. Let’s just see where they take us. Once the sun rises, we can leave. It isn’t as if they can stop us. And if they take us to a different location, it’ll be easier to deal with them without collateral damage in a residential neighborhood.”

  Henry narrowed his eyes. “This is a fine time for you to be logical.”

  “Brother.”

  “All right, all right. Just...lay on the bed. Put our stuff away and keep your bag under your clothes. Pretend we’re sleeping in our jackets because the blankets aren’t enough.”

  “The blankets aren’t enough...these are more like bedsheets than blankets.”

  Ash grumbled, but did as he was told, shoving their things into his bag before taking off his shirt and putting his bag underneath. He buttoned up a coat, put on his shoes, and curled up in a ball on his side.

  Henry mirrored him and shut his eyes. Part of him wished the cat bane did work on them, as he could use the rest after rushing to travel most of the day. Even if he tried, he doubted he could fall asleep now.

  The smell of the cat bane began to wane and it was only then that he heard the door unlock from the outside. It seemed that the owners of the house expected this to happen. The cool night air entered the room and there was shuffling.

  Someone came close to the bed to make sure they were unconscious, even pushing them from side to side to see if they’d wake. Neither brother responded. “The drug worked,” the person above him said.

  “Carry them out and put them on the horses,” a woman’s voice ordered. “Her ladyship will want to inspect them first.”

  Henry tried to keep his face from changing expression as the sheet beneath them was pulled. He was wrapped in one of the sheets and then lifted by two people. According to Raiju’s narration, Ash was also in the same situation.

  “With this, my son is cleared, yes?” an old woman’s trembling voice asked. Henry recognized it as the owner and scowled. They had been sold out.

  “Yes, with these two, your son’s debts are cleared,” the woman replied. “But make sure he doesn’t go stumbling around drunk and making a racket at night again.” Her voice was stern, and Henry heard the old woman reassure her profusely that her son would behave.

  The two were carried outside and heaved on to the back of a horse.

  After shifting him so he was balanced, the drumming started, and the process moved forward. Every time Henry began to slip, as there was nothing tying him on to the back of the horse, someone would push him back up. Beneath the sheet, he scowled at being roughly handled. He was certain someone was feeling him up.

  He didn’t know where they were taking him, and he couldn’t see even if he opened his eyes. He relied on Raiju telling him they were going up a hill and out of one of the city gates. The drumming continued the entire way until they came to a stop.

  People began talking and Henry strained to hear them. He couldn't make out all the words as people were moving around him, and several people were ordering prisoners out of the wagons.

  “My lady, my lady, please-”

  “Gag him.” The pleading voice was muffled in an instant. “Show me the two travelers.”

  “Yes, my lady.” Henry was fairly certain that was the same woman who had ‘rescued’ them that afternoon. “According to their Guild identification documents when they entered the city, these are two brothers from one of the Merchant Cities.”

  Henry was slid off the horse and lay on the ground. He kept his eyes shut as the sheet was unwrapped and his face was exposed. He heard a woman gasp.

  “He’s gorgeous.”

  “I know.”

  “What about his brother-oh...like an angel!” The woman who had been addressed as ‘my lady’ grew even more excited at seeing Ash, and Henry had to resist the urge to shield his brother.

  “Which one do you want, my lady?”

  “What do you mean, which one? I want both!” A hand began to rub his bicep. “Oh...muscular.”

  “My lady, what about the ritual?”

  There is a ritual? Henry almost clenched his fists. Was Ash right? Is this a cult?

  “Find me the best looking with the prisoners and use him. Bring the rest of the mines. Keep these two for now. I want to play with them first.”

  The sheet was thrown over his face once more and he was lifted up. A moment later he was tossed into what was likely the wagon and he heard one of the women chastising the people carrying him, ordering them to be gentler, especially for the smaller one. Henry managed to roll himself on to his side as if by the force of being thrown in and allowed the sheet to slide off his face

  Ash’s body was laid next to his and then the iron door the cage creaked shut.

  Raiju told Henry that the people had moved away, and he opened his eyes. “Ash?”

  “What did that lady mean by ‘ritual’?” His brother got straight to the point and Henry sighed.

  Henry’s eyes adjusted a bit and was able to make out a stone platform not far away. Torches had been set up all around it. The majority of the people seemed to be sorting and dealing with prisoners, but a few were carrying items on to the stone platform

  They were setting up a table and placing a dark blanket over it. The table was at a slight angle and beneath the lowest end, there was a large stone basin.

  Henry felt his blood run cold.

  “Ash,” he said, his voice quiet. “Do you see that?”

  He heard his brother shuffle a bit. “Are they going to sacrifice someone? No one does that anymore.”

  “Aside from that, do you see the basin? The one beneath the far end of the table?” Henry said, unable to contain his impatience.

  Ash was quiet before he heard him take a sharp breath. “That can’t be right. Why would that be here? It’s a copy, right?”

  “Where would they get a piece of blue jade large enough to carve that large of a basin from?” Henry frowned.

  “Maybe it’s made of multiple pieces?” Ash offered. His voice shook. “But it can’t be the real thing. It can’t.... It was entombed with Second Brother.” His voice tightened and Henry felt him tremble.

  “That blue jade basin was where Arunsha was bathed for his naming ceremony,” Henry said, his entire body cold. “It was custom made for him. There can’t be another in the world as it was never on display. His name and some markings are also inscribed on the side.”

  “Brother, you need to check. What if Second Brother’s tomb was raided?” Ash’s voice was weak.

  “Give me some eye drops to see,” Henry said. Ash passed him a small jar and Henry dropped the liquid in his eyes. Once they had adjusted, he made his way to the door. The door had been closed, but the latch was not secure. “Stay here, I’m going to check. If it really is Arunsha’s basin, we’re not leaving without it.”

  He climbed out of the wagon. Torches only provided so much light, and it was easy for him to remain in the shadows of horses and wagons. He eyed someone in a cloak securing one of the prison wagons. No one else was around, and Henry lunged forward. He wrapped his arm around the person’s neck and locked them in place.

  The person struggled and as they tried to claw at his arm to release them, he realized it was a woman. He didn’t hesitate and continued his hold until she ran out of breath and passed out. Looking around, he dragged her further away and stole her cloak.

  He pulled the hood up, over the top of his head and began to walk around, following a few people and acting as if he was part of them until they were close enough to the platform.

  He veered off and busied himself with the base of a torch, as if trying to secure it in place as he lifted his head.

  Henry held his breath as his chest was tight. He wanted the basin to be a fake. He wanted it to be some cheap reproduction made from some other pale, blue marbled stone. He didn’t know how it could be reproduced, as the basin had been commissioned by his mother as a gift for the birth of his second brother.

  She’d provided the stone from her dowry herself. She had told him that there was no other blue jade of that size. After they received the basin, it was gifted to his second brother’s mother and kept in their home. It had sat in his second brother’s villa as an art piece and for every sibling that was born after him, Arunsha chiseled a little mark beneath his name to commemorate his siblings. It was more like scrape marks, but Arunsha had still proudly showed it off to Henry, even pointing out which mark was his. When his second brother died, there were four brothers, and three sisters accounted for.

  The public couldn’t have seen it nor would’ve realized what the faint lines meant.

  Even when it was carried out holding extra sets of riding clothes for a nine-year-old child, only the family and various ministers and holy men had been present to see it entombed in Arunsha’s tomb. Henry had placed his offering of a sword he’d cut himself on to swear justice to his brother on top of the basin, just above a small fistful of jerky, Arunsha’s favorite snack, from Ash.

  As for the masons who carved it, they had sworn a blood oath to his mother that they would not replicate it.

  Despite the near impossible probability that the basin was a fake, Henry silently prayed it was.

  He moved on to the next torch and looked towards the basin. His heart tightened and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

  Engravings of a fire bird flying over horses galloping through the plains. He counted eight horses. Eight was an auspicious number and was said to bring good health to the baby. Arunsha was active and energetic from birth. Arunsha’s mother had been so pleased with the gift, saying that her son had fallen in love with horses because of the basin.

  Henry swallowed hard. He dared to move to the side to get a better look at the side of the oval basin that would’ve been where the baby’s head was placed during the naming ceremony.

  His eyes misted over at once as a sharp pain engulfed him.

  In clear Ashtari script was a name he didn’t want to see: Arunsha Kaserion Heidar, Second Prince of the Ashstar Empire.

  And directly beneath it, seven awkwardly scraped lines.

  Effie is 17 years younger than Henry and 10 years younger than Ash. The Ashtari Prince they have beef with is the same age as Henry (you can see where the problem lies....)

  So, I don't know if anyone remembers, but I used to make escape rooms for my friend's son's birthday - one that went from home, to a hotel room we set up, and to the park and back, and one at a local museum. This weekend, he is going to do one with his friend. and since his two other friends can't make it, his mom and I - his weird aunt, will be going to help make up numbers. Now, last time my friend and her son did this, she was essentially uselessly (as was 75% of the party apparently). I've gotten out of the 3 escape rooms I've done, but they were with other adults with varying experiences that could be applied. I only hope I won't let my boy down. (I have given them the heads up that this will likely end in failure despite my best attempts.) Wish me luck.

  Thank you for taking time to read!