Ash had a smile on his face as he sorted through some local souvenirs he’d collected for people back home. Henry had noticed he’d go shopping for a bit at every town, but didn’t think he was souvenir shopping. He frowned at the realization that he had not bought a single gift.

  Granted, they weren’t abroad for pleasure, but for work.

  Effie would still judge him for not bringing her something in comparison.

  “Let’s do some shopping in Akepol before we set sail,”F Henry said. Nera had sent one of the ravens back with Donut, the messenger hawk. Donut carried a message saying that she arranged for a ship to take them home instead of them having to make their way back on horseback.

  After the last few incidents along the way, both brothers felt a ride home on a familiar ship would be for the best. Akepol was south, so they had to go further than they came to reach it, but the journey back would be faster.

  “Akepol has some medicinal plant farms on its outskirts. I’m going to see if I can buy some for Effie.”

  His brother beat him to it again! Henry narrowed his eyes. His mind scrambled to think of something that Effie would like outside of sugary treats. She already got enough of that at home.

  “What about Auntie?”

  “Momma will just be happy that I am home safe,” Ash said with a hint of pride in his voice. Henry rolled his eyes.

  After sorting the items in different piles, Ash wrapped them into cloth bundles and shoved them back into his preservation bag.

  “It’s about a day and a half to Akepol if we leave tonight.”

  “I don’t want to ride through the night.”

  “Then in the morning and we camp tomorrow night?”

  Ash nodded. “That’s better. Then we’ll arrive midday and can do some shopping before boarding.”

  A knock came from the door and they both turned towards it. Henry crossed the room to open the door. A servant bowed his head.

  “Masters von Sails, His Highness requests your presence in the throne room. There is a message for you from Zimora,” the servant told them.

  Henry’s eyes narrowed once more. He looked over his shoulder at Ash, who had slowed his packing to a standstill and met his eyes. Ash’s unspoken question of ‘now what do they want’ was written all over his face.

  Henry took a deep breath and gave the servant an acknowledging nod. “Tell them we will be there soon.”

  “Yes, Master von Sails.” The servant bowed once more and stepped back. Henry closed the door and looked at Ash.

  “What do you think it’s about?” his brother asked.

  Henry took a deep breath. “I’m going to say an invitation to the dinner or whatever it is where Sumak will hand the dragon scale to the King of Zimora.”

  Ash frowned. “Should’ve left earlier....”

  Ash finished packing his things and then two of them walked down the spiral stairs outside their corner tower room to get to the grand hall.

  Prince Jasaw had a pensive look on his face as Princess Maia sat on his right, reading a letter. Beside her, Sumak’s mother was rubbing her temples. Sumak was standing and had his arms crossed with his lips drawn in, looking at his cousin as if waiting for her thoughts.

  The servant at the entrance from the stairs announced their arrival. Prince Jasaw rose from his seat to greet them.

  “Masters von Sails-”

  “Guillermo, Rutherford!” Sumak raised an envelope in the air and waved it. He rushed towards them. “A letter was sent to you from the King of Zimora along with mine.”

  Ash drew his head back and Henry heard him murmur. “Oh...this can’t be good.”

  “We have no acquaintance with the King of Zimora,” Henry replied as they crossed the wooden floor. “Why would he send us a letter?”

  “I suspect he knows you helped me,” Sumak suggested as he handed Henry the envelope. “My letter said to give it to the mage who helped.”

  Beside Henry, Ash sneered. “So, he found out one of us was a mage.”

  Henry slid his finger under the envelope seal and pulled out the card within. His eyes ran through the note and the corners of his lips pulled down. “He invites the mages who assist Lord Sumak to attend the engagement ceremony.”

  Ash let out a choked sound. “Engagement ceremony?” He looked at Sumak with wide eyes. “You haven’t given him the dragon scale yet.”

  “The engagement ceremony will include the formal presentation of the dragon scale to the King of Zimora in exchange for Princess Isera’s hand,” Princess Maia said from her seat at the table. She had a letter in front of her, too. It seemed that the entire family had been invited.

  “You’re fine with this happening so soon?” Henry raised a brow and looked at Sumak.

  Sumak took a deep breath and sighed. “What noble doesn’t marry for some sort of benefit?” he asked, letting his shoulders slump. “Even if Princess Isera protests and doesn’t want to marry me, I can leverage the dragon scale for some benefits for Uqi’ichu.”

  At this, his mother, cousin, and uncle all turned to look at him with surprise. Prince Jasaw’s eyes moistened. “Sumak...I and the rest of the principality is grateful for your efforts, but our family has enough strength and wealth that we do not need to marry for such benefits.”

  “And I’ve already started penning a letter to Akepol’s council to work with them,” Princess Maia said, sitting up straight and frowning.

  “But a little more help isn’t bad, right?” Sumak asked. “Cousin, I don’t have an official position in the principality. At best, I can be a representative of the family when someone opens a store, or something, but I can’t do much else. At the very least, I can try to negotiate for better trade conditions.”

  Prince Jasaw furrowed his brows and nodded. He put a hand on Sumak’s shoulder. “I am just concerned that Zimora will...disappoint you.” He seemed to hesitate when trying to describe his worries.

  Henry didn’t think his concern was unjustified, though disappoint wasn’t the word he’d use. Considering the entire challenge that the King of Zimora made, essentially using his daughter to exchange for something of value, Henry could see the other monarch trying to get the dragon scale for nothing and humiliating Sumak.

  Ash took the letter from Henry and sneered. “I know an attempt to gain favor when I see it,” he said. He folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. “He found out about Sumak’s suit and wants to get us to go to the party. Once we’re there, he’ll try to associate with us in hopes of working for him.” He tossed the envelope on the table with distaste. “If he wants a magic product, he can put in a request at the Guild like everyone else.”

  “If we don’t go, it could reflect badly on Sumak,” Henry told him. Sumak froze for a moment and Ash frowned more so. Henry looked at Sumak and then at Prince Jasaw. “How many people know that they sent us a letter?”

  Prince Jasaw looked around the room. “Us in this room,” he said. “And those three.” He motioned towards the two guards and the servant standing by the entrance, all of whom were tense.

  “And how many people know we’re still here?” Henry asked, narrowing his eyes.

  It was a half day to the volcanic valley and they spent less than an hour there before journeying back to Uqi’ichu for another half day. By the time they arrived, the sun was setting. Sumak and the brothers went to rest after they arrived with Ash and Henry preparing to leave now that Sumak had a dragon scale.

  Dinner had yet to be eaten.

  “I’m unsure,” Prince Jasaw said. “Guards hadn’t seen you leave, though most people must’ve known you returned an hour or so ago.”

  Henry took another deep breath. He looked at Ash, who looked back at him and then nodded. Henry picked up the envelope and handed it to Sumak. “We von Sails brothers left after retrieving our things. By the time this letter arrived, we had left the castle. You ‘sent’ someone to chase after us, but they couldn’t catch up.”

  It was a clear rejection. Henry didn’t bother to ask them to be his alibis. He and Ash had accompanied Sumak on a life-threatening mission, ensuring his safety, and bringing him home triumphantly. The Amar family was not one to repay kindness with hate.

  Princess Maia lifted her hand. “Have the two horses prepared for the ‘search’,” she said.

  Her aunt nodded and turned to leave. “I will have the kitchen prepare some dry foods for you. It will be ready soon. Jasaw, have the guards bring to sets of spare uniforms bases. Their clothes are too foreign.”

  Prince Jasaw knit his brows and nodded, making the order as Henry saw his brother looking at his clothes with concern. The ruler of the principality round the table and approached them.

  “Thank you for protecting my nephew thus far, Master Rutherford and Mage Guillermo.” Ash opened his mouth to remind him that he was paid for it, but Prince Jasaw waved his hand to quiet him. “Sumak paid for the product and the travel expenses, but you agreed to protect him to the end...even saving him from a dragon.”

  “Our family is small and I only have one cousin,” Princess Maia told them as she stood up. “He’s an idiot, but he’s our idiot.”

  Sumak nodded and paused. “Wait....”

  “Sumak.” Henry put his hand on Sumak’s shoulder and met his gaze with a firm one. “When you go tomorrow, stay focused on your goals. Present the dragon scale proudly. If the King of Zimora rejects your request for cooperation, don’t force it. Just leave.”

  “I’m not too confident that King Valacras will give up the scale so easily once it’s in his grasp,” Prince Jasaw said with a frown. “I will send several guards with Sumak tomorrow to ensure his safety.”

  “Your Highness, we’ve brought uniforms.” One of the soldiers had returned with a bundle of folded clothes in his arms.

  “Give them to the von Sails brothers.”

  Henry and Ash accepted the clothes to be used as disguises. Henry motioned towards the spiral stairs. “Let’s change quickly.”

  Ash nodded. He paused as he passed Sumak. “The bag holding the scales is yours to keep. Considering a parting gift and insurance.”

  Sumak was taken aback. The original plan had been to transfer one of the scales to a specially prepared metal container and return the bag filled with cooling gel to Ash.

  “Are you sure? That’s a separate product on its own-”

  “Gift from a friend,” Ash said. He took one step forward and paused. “If worse comes to worse, and the King of Zimora wants to take the dragon scale from you, give the old man the scale and leave.”

  “What?” Sumak’s brows shot up. “But-”

  “Sumak,” Princess Maia cut him off and gave him a stern look. “Do you understand what your friend is telling you? A fire dragon scale is not worth your life.”

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  They fled into the night wearing borrowed uniforms and Sumak’s old, worn leather cloaks. A meal had been packed for them to eat when they rested, but it would be a while until they did. They needed to put as much distance between them and Uqi’ichu as could be believed.

  Their horses raced out of the walls of the castle and then towards the closest city gates.

  Akepol was south east of the principality, but they weren’t going directly there from their route.

  Neither brother said a word as the road they took didn’t take them down the trade route that would go to Akepol, but the dirt road that went to Zimora.

  A little less than day’s ride away, the two arrived within view of the port kingdom’s walls well before dawn.

  They rested at the edge of the forest, out of sight from the road.

  It was only then that they took out the now cold food that Sumak’s mother had the castle kitchen prepare for them.

  “So....” Ash said, trailing off as he held a chicken drumstick in one hand. He looked out at the sloping land that circled a small hill overlooking the sea and the low earthen wall that surrounded it, separating the villages at the base at the edge of the city from the rural farmland sprawling out. “What’s the goal?”

  “Make sure Sumak isn’t arrested or coerced into a severely disadvantageous deal for Uqi’ichu,” Henry replied after swallowing a piece of chicken torn off with, and sandwiched in, a piece of corn flour flatbread. “Then go home.”

  Ash chewed his food, silent for a moment before speaking again. “The mage was there, at the volcanic valley. I could feel him watching him.”

  The corner of Henry’s lip curled up. “Then, it means they are in Zimora.”

  “Why are they here?” Ash asked. “And if they were in the volcanic valley, was the mage just curious and wanted to see the suit work with his own eyes or does he and the minister and whoever else was with them want something from Zimora.”

  Henry tapped his fingers on his lap. “Zimora is about halfway down West Iveria. It’s in a good position across the Smiya Sea for trade from Ashtar, if Ashtar can get its old port working.” Asthar was mainly inland with only a small usable portion that could act as a gateway to the sea.

  A series of small principalities that formed their own union essentially blocked more of Ashtar from having usable territory that reached the sea along the west. The parts of Ashtar that did border the sea had jagged, dangerous coastlines, making it difficult for proper ports to be built.

  It wasn’t that Ashtar hadn’t tried to seize territory to expand their usable coastline in the past. It was that all attempts failed. That area was carefully guarded, which also kept West Wind Valley safely out of any of Ashtar’s early expansion plans.

  Ashtar had to make do with a port city that had fallen into disrepair once the country became more isolationist.

  Henry still couldn’t understand why it had done so. It was almost laughable that it would still call itself an empire when it didn’t have the economy, or influence, to back up such a claim. Perhaps the court had finally realized this and were opening up for trade to revitalize the country. For the sake of the people, Henry was for that.

  But he was fairly certain it wouldn’t be the people who were benefiting. He had noticed corruption in the court as a child, what more now?

  “Brother,” Ash said. He looked at Henry with question as he narrowed his eyes. “Do you think he’s here?”

  A chill swept through Henry’s body. His eyes bore into the castle in the distance. He’d been so caught up with Sumak that he forgot that the Ashtari Prince was reported as a guest of Zimora.

  It was possible that he was still in the castle.

  He grit his teeth, a thousand thoughts going through his mind, each playing out different scenarios.

  Beside him, Ash’s face was unusually blank, as if for a moment he had disassociated and felt nothing. “If he is, can we kill him?” Ash didn’t sound like Ash for a moment.

  Henry closed his eyes, his heart aching through his anger. The thought crossed his mind.

  He considered various situations in which they could assassinate him, but he had to think of the consequences of doing so there, in a foreign country, where they had no control of what would happen next.

  His hands trembled, and for a moment, he imagined engulfing the entire castle in flames to ensure the death of one man.

  The corner of his lip curled up in a pained, bitter smile. There were times when he hated that he had restraint; that he had discipline, and a shred of humanity that kept him from razing an entire country to the ground for revenge.

  His mother had always been a sort of peacemaker. Good with her words and able to create a stable environment in what should’ve been a hostile one. He was born to be a leader and a statesman, she had told him, not a tyrant. Not a monster.

  Nera had tempered his anger and hatred that accumulated the last few years living within palace walls. She always taught him to target the sources of the problem, consider how the problem was interwoven with other aspects, and then make a calculated decision on how to act to gain the desired outcome with as little loss as possible.

  It was why both he and Ash, for how much power they had, didn’t attack those people who kidnapped them or killed all the tomb raiders. Everything was connected.

  Cutting the wrong knot could cause more problems than it solves.

  “Not here.” Henry opened his eyes.

  “What if we get him alone?” Ash asked, his voice was low and steady. Isolating him would prevent not only witnesses, but collateral deaths and injuries.

  “If he dies here, the Old Bastard will send soldiers. Even if Zimora’s king is untrustworthy, and he’s not. Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t trust him to make a simple exchange without resorting to threats, which is why we’re here,” Henry replied. “But there are still people here who shouldn’t be caught up in a foreign power struggle. This is Ashtar’s problem, not Zimora’s. Not anywhere else’s.”

  Ash clenched his jaw. He took a large bite of his bread and chicken, chewing violently before swallowing. “But what if he’s here.” His voice almost shook, as if pleading with Henry. “The longer he lives, the more harm he does.”

  “But killing him here will bring harm to the people here and cause unrest in Ashtar.” Henry turned his head to look at Ash, his own expression angry and regretful. “Our sisters are still in Ashtar. Their mothers. My mother. We can’t risk exposing them to a backlash when we can’t protect them. You know what that Old Bastard is capable of. To ensure that his heir grew up, despite no threat on his life from us, the Old Bastard happily acquiesced for us to have ‘accidents’. He loves that piece of trash like gold. Who knows what he’ll do if the son of the precious love of his life is killed?”

  Henry spat out the sentence, growing angrier the more he acknowledged it. He’d heard the Old Bastard call a woman who abandoned him the love of his life over and over, though that hadn’t stopped him from breaking someone’s engagement and then taking the woman for one of his wives just because she had similar eyes. Nera said it was in part to his obsession with that woman that the rest of the wives unified.

  Ash shook. “Can he at least suffer, Brother? Let me quell my anger at least a little.”

  Henry looked at Ash’s pained eyes behind the glasses. Ash didn’t say it, but he was thinking of their dead brothers. The blue jade basin was still fresh in Ash’s mind.

  Henry turned his head to look back at the castle. “Arunsha’s leg was also broken when he fell off the horse. His left fibula,” Henry told him. “Don’t use magic when you do it. It’ll alert them and make them wary of all mages.”

  Ash nodded. “Thank you.”

  “And wait until Sumak is safe,” Henry added, giving him a look. “Once that would be prince is attacked, there will be either chaos, if there are a lot of witnesses, or heightened security if there are none. We can’t let him be trapped inside.”

  “I’m not stupid. We came here to make sure Sumak was safe, after all.”

  Henry snorted. “You’re not stupid, but you want to assassinate a prince on foreign soil and possibly cause an international incident that can plunge the region into war and have an unknown backlash in Ashtar?”

  Ash’s face twisted with refusal. “We’ll stick with the original plan.” He was conceding.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Henry took a deep breath and released it. He lifted his hand and put it on Ash’s head, giving him a gentle shake. “If Ashtar goes into war, it will be Ashtar’s people who suffer. Our remaining family aside, the country itself is not equipped for a war with no end. It’s already having difficulty maintaining soldiers at the borders. Any more pressure for resources could lead to widespread famine.”

  This was already a problem when they fled and he hadn’t heard of it getting any better.

  Ash looked down. His eyes crinkled up and he shook his head. “He would allow that, wouldn’t he?” Ash asked in a strained voice. “He would let his people go hungry.”

  Henry put his arm around Ash. “He would kill his own sons, Ash. He would kill anyone.” He looked at his brother’s painful expression. “We’ll take it back...right in front of him.”

  Ash nodded his head. He stuffed the rest of his food into his mouth. “You’re right,” he said, sounding more determined. “Let’s just make sure Sumak gets out and then we can go home.”

  “The event will have a lot of security and only invited guests will be present,” Henry said. “We’ll need to sneak in to observe. As long as nothing goes wrong and Sumak isn’t in any danger, we won’t need to get involved.”

  Ash looked at his brother. “Your hair is red and mine is silver. This area has dark hair. We won’t exactly blend in. You know what that means.”

  “We need to cover our hair-”

  “Hair dye time.”

  Henry blinked and stared at his brother. “Is that necessary?”

  “Head coverings can be removed. It’s also rude to wear in some places,” Ash told him. “Do you want black or brown hair?”

  “What are you going to dye your hair?”

  Ash scoffed. “Dye?” He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair. A single movement was like painting all the hairs he touched black. He repeated this motion several times until his silver hair had turned black. Henry’s eyes widened. Ash grinned. “Who needs dye?”

  “Why can’t you do that with my hair?” Henry frowned. “I still have dye stains on some of my clothes from the last time! Not to mention I smelled cookies for days!”

  Ash met his accusing eyes with a matter-of-fact gaze. “I needed to use up the dye.” Henry lunged at him, and Ash flinched and raised his arms. “I’ll use magic! I’ll use magic!”

  In the end, the brothers both became brunettes wearing glasses. Ash showed him how to adjust the lens to change his eye color. While blue was preferred, as it was Henry’s natural eye color, it was a rare color in the region, so they changed it to brown.

  The next step was infiltrating the castle.

  It was easier than expected considering there were many people rushing to prepare for that night’s event. When people were in a rush, they became less observant. Even the guards were lax, as there were more people than normal moving around to prepare decorations, food, and music. As long as one acted as if they belonged, they wouldn’t stand out.

  Ash casually stole a server’s uniform while pretending to carry in food into the kitchen.

  Henry knocked out a man of similar size and took his clothes.

  The horses were sent to graze. When Henry whistled, the ravens would fetch the horses and lead them to where the brothers were. One of the benefits of having a mother and sister who were beast masters was being surrounded by animals who were well trained to take orders.

  By sunset, the two brothers had split up.

  If Sumak was in trouble, they’d take him out.

  If everything went well and Sumak could make a deal with the King of Zimora, then they would stand aside and let things progress naturally.

  Until then, they settled into their roles.

  The celebration started well before Sumak arrived. Both Zimora nobles and nobles from the surrounding area arrived in droves, helping themselves to the food that was laid out and the drinks that were carried around by uniformed servers.

  Zimora was a larger and wealthier kingdom than Uqi’ichu and the new ballroom reflected that. It didn’t have the grandiose of the ballrooms in Dareisol’s imperial palaces, but it was larger than a banquet hall with new parquet flooring and painted vaulted ceilings.

  There were even light crystals instead of oil lamps or candles.

  Musicians were in the corner playing local instruments as background music to the chatter of the guests.

  Henry spotted the mage and the minister they’d seen on the ship. He narrowed his eyes, but kept his position on guard by one of the back doors. His spot provided a good view of most of the room, but was far enough from most of the activity, allowing him to be ignored.

  Across the room, Ash was weaving through the crowd, confidently holding a tray with drinks. A polite smile was on his face as he paused at each small cluster of guests to offer them drinks.

  A few did double takes, appearing more attentive than normal before Ash gave them small nods of his head and slipped away. Henry made a mental note that the next time Ash wanted to go incognito, to put something on his face to change his features, too. A good-looking face was a good-looking face no matter what color his hair and eyes were.

  The chattering of the crowd began to grow quiet. Henry’s eyes flickered to the entrance, where the King of Zimora was entering, followed by two well dressed women. As the King of Zimora entered, he greeted his guests, laughing with a flushed face and crescent eyes that were all smiles.

  Then, the woman Henry assumed with Princess Isera walked in. She was a young woman with her hair braided and coiled, decorated with colorful fabric and hair pins. She wore a heavily embroidered dress and gold bracelets and torque. A wide, bright smile was across her face as she entered the room.

  But Henry’s attention wasn’t on Zimora’s princess.

  Henry could feel his fingers twitching, wanting to order one of his spirits to attack.

  “Calm yourself.” Simir’s low, calm voice pierced the haze of hatred that flared the moment Henry laid eyes on the man with long silver hair that faded into orange at his neck. His clothes didn’t match any of the guests, as the fine, shimmering deep purple fabric with gold and silver thread patterns wasn’t woven in West Iveria.

  He wore a gold circlet around his head and matching rings on his fingers. He held his chin up and wore an expression of superiority as he walked beside Princess Isera.

  No, he wasn’t just walking beside her. His arm was bent and he was escorting her.

  Escorting her in what was supposed to be her engagement ceremony.

  Henry calmed himself quickly. He reminded himself that this was not the time or the place, and that any impulsive action here could harm those still in Ashtar.

  He scanned the room for Ash. The servers were still making their rounds, but keeping to the edges of the room so as not to get in the way of the royals. Ash was opposite him, his head tilted back and a glass at his lips. He was gulping down a glass of clear wine from his serving tray. Henry watched his brother put the glass back and seemed to collect himself before pasting on a twitching smile and forcing himself out on the floor, likely giving his all to restrain himself.

  At least with the royals taking everyone’s attention, no one noticed Ash’s unprofessional drinking on the job.

  Henry looked around and wasn’t surprised that no one thought it was strange that Princess Isera was being escorted by someone who wasn’t Sumak. Neither Princess Isera nor her esteemed Ashtari Prince, whose crooked arm held her hand, were given judgmental or even curious looks. It was as if everyone expected this.

  This wasn’t a good sign for Sumak.

  Princess Isera followed her father and as he approached, Henry could hear her talking.

  “...Prince Eskander. He and my father are working out a trade deal. Zimora is in the perfect location to act as a gateway into West Iveria from Ashtar!”

  I knew it. Henry controlled his expression to keep from sneering. Ashtar wouldn’t play by the Federation’s rules and regulations. Of course, it would choose an ally that was easier to manipulate.

  Henry overheard the whispers amongst the noble guests. Princess Isera was planning to reject the suitor who presented the dragon scale. Some people didn’t believe it was possible to get one. Others asked if the suitor would accept an arrangement that wasn’t the Princess’ hand.

  It was disgusting.

  Henry presumed that these people had been present months earlier, when the challenge was issued. Now that someone had succeeded, they wanted to renege the arrangement. It was dishonorable as a head of state, and as a merchant, it was a breach of contract. Henry would’ve had them blacklisted.

  Just as the King and his daughter finished their first round of greeting, a messenger ran in, motioning to someone who appeared to be a high-ranking servant and whispering something to him. The servant’s eyes widened before squeezing through the crowd to get to King Valacras.

  The message was relayed and King Valacras’ predatory eyes lit up.

  He turned to his guests and raised his arms. “The suitor has arrived!” Another wave of excited murmurs swept across the crowd.

  Henry narrowed his eyes. He looked towards the main entrance and could see people approaching. As they came to the threshold, Henry’s grip on the halberd he’d stolen tightened. He could make out Sumak’s figure, but the six men following him weren’t wearing the guard uniforms of Uqi’ichu.

  They were wearing the same kind of uniform he was.

  Where are his guards? He caught Ash’s face across the room. Ash had stopped and was staring at the doorway with dark eyes, also realizing that Sumak was being escorted in by Zimora guards.

  “Lord Sumak Amar of the Uqi’ichu Principality!” A steward standing by the door announced Sumak and rather than be greeted with cheers for his bravery walking into the volcanic valley, the entire room went silent.

  It seemed as if all the guests were holding their breaths. The musicians had also ceased.

  Sumak was wearing far better clothes than they’d seen him in the last few days. His clothes were pressed, fitting him well, and a sash with stripes was draped across his torso along with a half dozen pins as adornments. His black leather boots hit the floor, making the sound of his steps fill the silence.

  His hair had been combed back and he held a metal box with wooden handles in front of him. Ash had helped prepare that box to contain a fire dragon scale that would normally burn through or heat up normal boxes.

  Sumak approached the King, not too fast nor too slow. He stood up straight and wore a neutral, but pleasant expression. If Henry didn’t recognize his face, he wouldn’t have believed it was the same man they’d seen get thrown out of a magic shop. It was the first time he’d seen Sumak act like the noble he was.

  He inwardly gave Sumak a nod of satisfaction.

  “Good evening, Your Majesty King Valacras.” Sumak bowed his head, as appropriate. “I am Sumak Amar, nephew of Prince Jasaw of Uqi’ichu. As of yesterday, I have completed the challenge you set forth to acquire a fire dragon scale, with my own hands, from the volcanic valley.”

  He adjusted the box in one hand and then used the other to undo the latch. He lifted the lid and a wave of heat radiated from the open box. Those who were close stepped back and whispers swept through the room. Many people tried to get closer, but the guards that had escorted Sumak in held them back.

  King Valacras wore a wide smile on his face, joy filling his squinted eyes as he made a show of leaning forward and examining the fire dragon scale. He even held his hand out to cover it close to the box, announcing to the audience that the heat of the scale was still so powerful.

  “Your achievement, especially in so little time, is commendable, Lord Sumak!” King Valacras said, though he seemed to be speaking to the crowd rather than directly at Sumak, who stood in front of him. He stepped forward, extending his hands. “I accept-”

  The box lid snapped closed and the hollow crack cut off the King. The old man froze in place, his arms still out and expecting to be handed the box. A shadow fell over his face despite his smile.

  Sumak drew the closed box back. He didn’t pull it against him, but just the subtle movement of keeping it just out of reach from the King was enough to raise the tension in the room. Henry raised a brow.

  Sumak was a madman indeed.

  “While I understand that the original challenge offered the hand of your daughter, Princess Isera, a generous and beautiful young lady, I must humble myself before her,” Sumak said, his voice clear. “I am not suitable for such a...hospitable woman.”

  For the first time since he arrived, Sumak set his gaze on Princess Isera. Up until that point, he’d been ignoring her and it seemed she finally noticed. Her eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips pulled down.

  King Valacras tilted his head a bit. “Does Lord Sumak not wish to marry my daughter?”

  “I am undeserving of your daughter, King Valacras,” Sumak stressed, keeping a pleasant smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes. “Her Highness has a title, whereas I only have a courtesy one. Our statuses are not equal and it would be unfair for me to lead her into a life where she would suffer.”

  Though he was berating himself, the clear line he was drawing to separate himself from Princess Isera was not lost to the crowd. People started whispering.

  King Valacras frowned. “My daughter has been waiting for one of her suitors to attain a fire dragon scale to show their devotion.”

  “Has she?” Sumak’s eyes moved over to the foreign Prince still beside the Princess. After giving the Princess a haughty, knowing look, Sumak looked back at King Valacras. “Your Highness, I believe that Princess Isera is better suited for someone matching her status.”

  The King’s face fell. His eyes narrowed. “If that is what you believe, then why did you come?”

  “To offer you the fire dragon scale,” Sumak replied. “However, rather than tie Her Highness to a marriage that is beneath her, I would like to propose an arrangement.”

  “An arrangement?” The King’s voice dripped with irritation.

  “Uqi’ichu is willing to offer a fixed rate for our iron ore in exchange for a lowered fixed rate for fees for accessing Zimora’s port,” Sumak asked. “And this fire dragon scale is a gesture of our sincerity.”

  Henry raised a brow. Iron ore was quite an important commodity and one a growing kingdom like Zimora could use. In addition, a lower fee would still allow for Zimora to make a profit.

  Sumak, still holding on to the box, reached into his coat’s inner pocket and unfurled a folded sheet. Henry couldn’t read it from where he was standing, but he assumed it was the contract.

  “I have been given authority by Prince Jasaw to negotiate and sign an agreement for cooperation,” Sumak told the King.

  If it were Henry, he would’ve read through the agreement and then offered to speak to Sumak for negotiations privately. He would not do what King Valacras did, which was reach out, take the agreement, and tear into pieces in front of Sumak’s emotionless face.

  “Zimora does not lower port fees for anyone,” King Valacras replied in a low, irate voice.

  Sumak lifted his chin and released a low breath. “Very well.” He turned around and prepared to leave.

  “Wait! Give us the fire dragon scale.” There was a silent threat in the King’s voice.

  Sumak glanced over his shoulder. He hadn’t made it one step, but slowed his motions while he locked eyes with King Valacras, and handed the box to one of the guards.

  “As I said,” Sumak told him with a light, undisturbed voice. “The scale is a token of our sincerity.” He released the handles once the guard had a hold on it and gave the King a small bow of his head. “Perhaps we can cooperate another time.”

  “One moment!” A voice rang out, stopping Sumak from leaving. This time it was the accented voice of a foreign prince. Henry narrowed his eyes, itching for a fight, as Prince Eskander pulled his arm out from Princess Isera’s grip and passed King Valacras to stand in front of Sumak. “Where is the mage?”

  Henry clenched his jaw.

  Sumak gave the Prince a curious look. “What mage?”

  “The one who made the suit.”

  “What suit?”

  “The suit you wore into the volcanic valley,” Prince Eskander said with a slight growl. “Answer truthfully, young lord, as my patience is limited.”

  Sumak gave him a dull look. “The mage left after escorting me back to Uqi’ichu. We received instruction to bring them, but the invitation to...this, arrived too late. They were already gone.”

  Prince Eskander narrowed his eyes. He took a step closer and bore his eyes into Sumak’s. “It is best that you do not lie to me.”

  Sumak held his gaze. “There is no reason for me to lie to you. The mage and his assistant were kind enough to escort me as a safety measure. This is beyond what he was hired to provide, but they had a schedule to keep, so they left. They weren’t even able to join my family and me for dinner before they did.”

  A low grumble left Prince Eskander’s voice. He grit his teeth but drew his head back.

  “What about their name?” A man with a peaked purple hat squeezed from the crowd with an anxious look on his old, wrinkled face. “What is the name of the mage who made your fire proof suit?”

  Sumak shook his head. “As part of the agreement, I must keep the mage anonymous.”

  “Need I remind you that you are in the presence of a king, Lord Sumak!” King Valacras, perhaps in an effort to please the Ashtari Prince, stepped forward. “I command you to tell me the name of the mage!”

  Sumak didn’t back down. He remained calmly defiant. “I am not a citizen of Zimora and it is not illegal to refuse questioning when there is no crime involved. I have a prior agreement and will not break it.”

  Prince Eskander opened his mouth, but King Valacras gave an order first. “Arrest him!”

  Here we go! Henry put his halberd aside and pulled the eye drops from his sleeve. He gave himself quick drops just as a loud crack filled the air above Sumak’s shouts of protest and King Valacras’ accusing yells.

  The crystals lighting up the room from ornate fixtures darkened one after the other. People began screaming as darkness engulfed the hall.

  Henry blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once he began to see figures, he swung the halberd.

  The guards who were rushing towards the center, where Sumak was in the grasp of two guards, were thrown to the side as Henry pushed his way through. He could see Sumak still struggling to pull himself out of the guards, but the two that held on to him were gritting their teeth and refusing to let go.

  A clang was heard and Henry watched one of the guards go down after a metal tray slammed into the back of their head.

  “You should’ve worn a helmet,” Ash said before turning and ramming the bottom of the tray into the guard’s face, sending his head back and a few teeth out. “Safety first.”

  Sumak let out a cry as he was pulled to the right after the guard on the left fell. Henry raised his halberd and adjusted it so the dulled metal axe head was behind him. He used the wooden shaft to hit the other guard in the face and then twist his arm off Sumak’s.

  Ash pulled Sumak up and pushed him to Henry. Henry was going to lead them out, but Ash stepped around him. Ash grabbed on to the top of the halberd shaft and seemed to slice off the top third. He grabbed the broken shaft.

  Henry held a struggling Sumak and watched as Ash rush back and swung the hammer-shaped break of the halberd at the left leg of Prince Eskander.

  The man screamed as if demons were tearing his body apart whilst dragging him to hell. His lower leg seemed to fold as he went down.

  Henry then grabbed Ash and pulled him back. “We need to leave!” he hissed. Ash nodded. He tossed the broken halberd tip to the side, hearing another wail as it hit someone. Henry turned his head and saw the mage grasping his arm, the faint magic he was preparing to use fizzling out as he cried out about something hitting him.

  Ash looked just as surprised. “My aim is really good tonight....”

  “Gloat later! Follow me!” Henry said as he cleared the way forward after handing Sumak to his brother. Sumak froze when he heard their voices.

  “Ruther-” Sumak’s surprised gasp was cut off as Ash clamped his hand over his mouth and pushed him forward.

  “Get the lights!” Henry said as he shoved his way through to one of the side doors. Everyone was struggling to leave through the main entrance. Before Henry had taken his post, he did some much-needed reconnaissance.

  As they rushed through the halls, the light sources, whether crystals, lamps, or candles suddenly went out, plunging everything into darkness. Guards who were standing in the hall tensed and looked around, shouting at each other, and asking what was going on.

  The salty breeze swept through their hair as they emerged outside. Henry put his fingers to his mouth and let out a whistle.

  “Where are your guards?” Ash asked, finally releasing Sumak’s mouth after they were clear in the back courtyard.

  Sumak let out a heavy breath. “They wouldn’t let me bring them in! They’re still outside the gate!”

  “Main gate?” Henry asked. Sumak nodded. “Then let’s go.”

  “What about the banquet?” Sumak said, looking back at the castle. All the lights from within had gone dark and there was muffled yelling coming from within.

  Ash gave him a look. “You want to go back?”

  “No!”

  “Then let’s go!” Ash dragged Sumak forward, following Henry as they wound through the auxiliary buildings on castle grounds.

  “Won’t they come looking for me?” Sumak asked.

  Henry snorted. “You don’t know the Ashtari Prince. Zimora’s failed dinner is an affront to him. He won’t leave at a loss.” Not to mention the halberd to the leg would anger him so much, he was sure to punish Zimora just for being the location where he was hit.

  Zimora was a port, but it didn’t have a navy, just a port guard and a few patrol boats. Ashtar wasn’t as wealthy as it pretended to be, but it had a navy.

  “Zimora will have more to worry about than you,” Ash said. “And he was trying to detain you illegally. What is he going to do? Harass Uqi’ichu and try to arrest you for not being detained illegally? That’s not going to go well with the neighboring countries.”

  Sumak’s head bobbed up and down, but he didn’t seem too convinced. “What are you two still doing here?”

  “Gut feeling,” Ash said. “I didn’t think this would end well, and lo and behold, I am once again right.”

  Henry rolled his eyes. “From his demand to bring us, we were concerned that he’d try to force you to reveal our whereabouts or retaliate for not bringing us at all. We thought we’d come to make sure nothing happened to you, since this also has to do with us.”

  “Thanks for not breaking the agreement,” Ash said.

  Sumak smiled. “It’s the least I can do for you saving my life.”

  They saw a crowd streaming out of the main gate, fleeing the chaos of the castle. It was easy for them to slip in with the other panicked guests.

  “There!” Sumak pointed out his guards. They made their way over and after brief instruction, Henry led them out of the city.

  Above them, ravens let out familiar caws.

  Ash let out a breath of relief. “All right...now we really part ways.”

  “Thank you!” Sumak bowed his head towards them. “You didn’t have to come all this way, but...” He sniffled and shut his eyes. “Thank you for being here.”

  “We didn’t save you from a fire dragon just to see you trapped here,” Ash replied. “You did a good job. I thought your requests were fair.”

  “They were fair,” Henry told them. “The King is simply greedy. His daughter is ungrateful. Most people would’ve demanded that she follow through with the original arrangement, but you wanted to respect her wishes and negotiate an economic deal instead. Instead, she was insulted when she didn’t want to marry you anyway.”

  Sumak stood up and let out a bitter laugh. He shook his head. “What’s the point of having done a good negotiation when the deal falls through? Not only did he reject the offer, but he took the dragon scale.” Sumak laughed once more. “I should’ve known...my family was right.”

  Ash and Henry exchanged looks briefly. “Consider it a lesson learned,” Henry told him.

  Ash nodded. “Personally, I think he made a big mistake. Uqi’ichu is extremely rich in minerals and ore. Arranging for lower fees to use the port in exchange for a contract with set rates isn’t a bad deal and is mutually beneficial. Your family was right, Sumak. You’re not bad at negotiation for resources. You’re fair.”

  “But the other party is unwilling.”

  “Then,” Henry said. “Find a willing one.”

  Sumak chuckled and gave them a helpless expression. “Where?”

  Ash reached into his tabard’s inner pocket and took out a small metal card. Styled similar to the family’s Snake, Scarab, and Sons card, instead had an embossed circle with a five-petaled flower on it. Part of the circle was de-bossed to show a crescent.

  “There is a research and design company that is just starting in Carthage Harbor,” Ash said as he handed Sumak the card. “They need someone to go and arrange for raw materials, as they don’t have the time to.”

  Sumak furrowed his brows and accepted the card. “Moonflower?” He read the card and looked at Ash with curiosity.

  “If you’re ever looking for a job, I think your skills can be used in Moonflower,” Ash told him. “The owners are young, but talented. They’ve won awards. For instance, I noticed you have water filters at the castle. They developed that.”

  Sumak’s eyes widened. “They won the top prize at the Federation’s Invitational two years ago!”

  “You’ll have to go to Carthage Harbor and ask for them. The names of the partners are engraved on the back of the card,” Ash said. Sumak quickly flipped it over.

  “Hana Nobuya and...Ash Atractas...Atractas...Atractas....” Sumak muttered the name. “Where have I heard that before?”

  “No idea,” Ash answered.

  Henry let out a low whistle and the horses came out from their hiding places. “You and your guards should return home quickly to ensure that you don’t get caught up in whatever is happening there,” he said, motioning one hand towards the castle. “My brother and I also need to leave. We wanted to make it to Akepol by daylight.”

  Sumak nodded, the card secure in his hand. “Then, you should go about the land route. The coastal route is shorter, but there have been many reported accidents recently. The fog has been much more dense than normal and it’s difficult to see.”

  The two brothers mounted their horses. “Have a safe ride home, as well, Sumak.” Henry said.

  Ash gave him a wave as he turned the horse around. “Remember! Ask for Hana or Ash in Carthage Harbor!”

  Sumak gave them a dumb nod of his head. He looked back at the card as he turned around and took a step towards his guards. “Atractas...Atractas...!” Sumak gasped. His brows shot up. He whirled around just as the horses of the two brothers disappeared into the darkness. His eyes remained wide. “Snake, Scarab, and Sons.”

  ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

  “Are you sure this is the land route?” Ash frowned as he looked up. It was dark and the light slips he was using to light their way weren’t doing much because of a dense fog.

  Henry was on the horse behind him and looked up. He squinted and frowned. “Do you hear the ravens or Donut?”

  The birds were usually flying overhead and acting as guides to lead them down the road, but with the fog, they couldn’t be seen or heard.

  Ash frowned. “Maybe we should rest until the fog clears up. The birds will rest and wait until it’s clear.”

  Henry let out an agreeable hum. “It has been a long night.” He looked around and frowned more so at the fog surrounding them.

  If Henry’s horse went any further forward, Ash wouldn’t be able to see him.

  “Let me activate a larger slip to light and warm up the area to try to dissipate some of the fog.” Ashe lowered his head and reached into his bag. He began to dig around and pulled out a slip of paper about twice as long as the slips he usually used. “If that doesn’t work, we can try wind to....” His voice trailed off as he lifted his head. “Brother?”

  Henry wasn’t visible in front of him. Ash looked around, expecting to see Henry or part of the horse Henry rode. All around him was fog so thick, the slips he had been using were useless. “Brother?”

  He called out again. Fog made visibility difficult, but sound would still carry.

  There was only silence.

  Bumps rose on his skin as he pulled back on the reins and stood in place. He craned his head forward and listened.

  Nature wasn’t silent.

  It only went quiet when something was wrong.

  His horse let out a snort and moved in place, becoming anxious. His legs trotted and he began to move back.

  Ash grasped the reins to regain control. “Hold a moment...calm down.” He bent forward and stroked the side of his horse’s neck. Usually, this would be enough, but his horse continued to fidget. When he began to jump in place, Ash slid off and held on to the reins to try to keep his horse from running off. “Calm down-”

  The horse began to twist his head side to side as he pulled away, tugging the reins. Ash didn’t have time to secure his hold on the leather reins and they were pulled from his hands.

  “Hey!”

  To his surprise, his horse reared on his back legs and ran away. For a moment, Ash stood in place, in stunned silence. This had never happened before.

  Every animal in his family had been trained. The horses could face a thousand soldiers rushing towards them, swords drawn and screaming, and they wouldn’t budge. What could have scared them?

  “Brother!” Ash shouted. He spun around, unable to shake off the unnerved feeling that made the hairs rise on the back of his neck. “Brother! Where are you?”

  He took a step forward and stopped, fearing that if he wandered off, he’d get even more lost. Ash activated a light slip and waved it around, shouting for his brother.

  Dread grew in his stomach.

  Something was wrong.

  If he cried out, Henry would come. Henry always came.

  “Brother!” Ash forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. He shut his eyes and crouched on the ground, remembering what he had been taught all those years ago, when they were hiding from imperial search parties and avoiding desperate famine refugees that had succumbed to violence while they were fleeing.

  He began to mutter to himself as he sat in place. “Don’t move...take cover and wait for us,” his mother had told him. We will come find you.