Shintra looked up from the book he was reading as soon as he saw the gateway opened. “Sorry I’m late,” Oraji said apologetically as she entered the room with his dinner. He was surprised to see that the Ilmarian of Nature came into his room by herself; usually she would have either Marika or Zentran accompanied her. That was odd, but then that would mean this was his opportunity to strike.
“That’s quite all right. All of you have been lately due to what happened,” he told her, setting his book aside after he placed his bookmark in it. She nodded as she placed the tray on the table right in front of him. He looked at his food disdainfully: chicken cutlet, green beans, and a roll. It wasn’t food fit for a king, but it would do. As he began chowing down, he asked curiously, “Is Kejuta still upset with me?”
Oraji, who was busy getting the dishes from lunch, stopped what she was doing and stared at him. “To say that she’s upset is an understatement,” she said dryly as she continued to stack the empty plate and utensils onto the tray. “I would say that she’s still furious.”
“But she’s not furious enough to seal my power away,” he mused. Ever since Kejuta found out that he had let it slip about the Lashival to his former men, she had banished him to his world without any means of leaving. He figured that he would be stuck there until she finally cooled down, which won’t likely happen anytime soon. She probably thought she was punishing him by forcing him to loiter around with nothing to do. Unbeknownst to her, he didn’t need a needle ring to further his plan.
Smiling at the quiet Bisahan, he began the next step of his plan by saying an off-handed comment. “You know, I found what you and Lanskas are doing as very honorable,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
She looked at him confusedly. “Ensuring that life is being sustained in Samara is honorable indeed, but it’s simply our duty.”
“Of course it is,” he agreed, “but that isn’t what I’m implying. What I am saying is that I found it noble of you to try to find a way to save the Lashival without killing him though it would be nobler if you do so openly.”
As soon as he said those words, her face turned pale. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she protested weakly. The Ilmarian of Souls beamed inwardly as he knew he got her.
“You’re a horrible liar, you know that.” He sipped his glass of wine as he enjoyed watching her slowly panic. “It’s quite obvious to me that you and that priest are opposed to Kejuta’s decision to hunt down that threat based on your reactions after Resphyr’s death. I had a feeling that you two were up to something and secretly observed your actions ever since. Imagine my surprise to see you actively opposing her though surreptitiously. Tell me, does Pendance know about this? I can’t imagine what he’ll do if he finds out his girlfriend is going against his mother’s wishes.”
“Don’t you dare tell him!” Oraji pleaded. “He doesn’t need to get involved with this.”
Shintra gave her a reassuring look and placed his drink back on the table. “Don’t worry, dear. I won’t tell him. Rest assured, your secret is safe with me.”
She looked at him wearily. “What do you want from me?”
He smiled. Although she can be naïve, she did have good sense. Standing up, he walked over to her and pulled out a slip of paper. Handing it to her, he began, “I am interested in getting these plants. Unfortunately, they’re quite rare or nearly extinct. However, due to your ‘expertise’, I’m sure you’ll find a way to retrieve them for me.”
She skimmed over the list before she looked back to him again. “And what are you going to use them for?” she wondered. Due to her training with Marika, she probably recognized some of the plants were used for medicinal purposes while others were poisonous. Not to mention, they knew that he had some medical knowledge.
“Nothing dangerous. I just want to try some experiments.”
Oraji looked at him suspiciously but wisely didn’t say anything. She knew that he has the upper hand on her. Instead she said, “I better leave. Kej is having a meeting with everyone else on what to do with the Velscendus threat and I’m already late as it is.”
Ah, so that’s why the Ilmarian of Nature was by herself. The Ilmarian of Fate was most likely racking her brain trying to figure out how to get rid of the threat but at the same time, help her puppets achieve their mission. “Yes, it’s best that you should hurry then. Don’t want anyone to suspect anything.” As she was about to toss her needle ring in the air, he then added quickly, “Oh, don’t tell your partner about this deal. We don’t want to get more people involved in this mess.”
She nodded and quickly rushed out of the room. Shintra smiled as he watched her disappeared before the gateway closed. He knew that she wouldn’t tell Lanskas about this since she wouldn’t want to entangle him. Out of all the Ilmarians, she was easy to manipulate due to her innocent and gullible nature. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he went over to a cabinet and pulled out the small bowl full of that strange, magical liquid. He then stared at the image of Samara and pondered where he should cause mischief for Kejuta.
“If you hadn’t rushed over to Ishara and ignored my messenger birds, you would have known that the Kasama was after the Lashival and warn Talic and the others!” Torryn listened gleefully as an irate Kejuta yelled at Hessin; she was still vivid at him due to his rash actions. For once, it was nice to see the old fart in trouble. Her twin brother must have felt the same way because he was trying his best not to crack a smile.
Nevertheless, that self-righteous prick didn't seem bothered by her rant. “You know that I won't just sit here and do nothing while that man destroys my homeland,” he argued.
“And that was what he was expecting!” the Ilmarian of Fate fumed. “He had Kahlin Leomas declare war on Eirenerida because he knew that it would get your attention, which was why he lured you over there. Because of that, I had to focus the majority of my attention to Ishara instead of on him. Once he knew it, he led his followers out of there since he knew that we were preoccupied. Now he has a head start over the Bartheomos members!”
Before Hessin could say a word, Istra quickly spoke up. “I’m sorry, Kejuta,” she said, bowing her head apologetically. “I tried to tell him that you wouldn’t approve of his actions, but you know how stubborn he is.”
The spirit’s master scowled at her before he turned his attention to the Ilmarian of Fate. “While it may be true that I was tricked by the Kasama, I still would have gotten involved no matter what. Even if we focus on that man, you know that he would have Leomas do something devastating to divert our attention from him anyway. Instead of worrying about two issues, we might as well as get rid of one distraction so we could have our full attention on the one major issue.”
Torryn grinded her teeth. Dammit! That old fart did have a point. Even Kejuta must have realized it too because she just sighed. “I suppose you’re right,” she admitted but warned, “However, next time you need to read my messages instead of ignoring them.”
“I will, I promise,” he consented.
Marika cleared her throat. “Now that issue is solved, we can focus on the problem at hand.”
They were currently at Welvaria attending another one of Kejuta’s meetings. After she had found out that the Kasama and his underlings knew about the Lashival, she had been meeting the other Ilmarians (well, except for Alethea, Shintra, and Kejuta’s children) nonstop as she frantically tried to figure out what to do. So far, she hadn’t found a perfect solution. Torryn just kissed her teeth. “Since you won’t let us kill the Lashival, why don’t you let us assassinate the Kasama?” she pointed out. “Weiss and I can easily sneak into his camp and kill him without anyone knowing it.”
The Ilmarian of Fate shook her head as she fidgeted with the Chains of Destinies. “Unfortunately we can’t. He is still important since he is one of the determining factors of whether or not Talic and the others will be successful in their mission. I just need to find the right Chain to ensure that as well as preventing the Kasama from causing too much trouble.”
Torryn huffed, annoyed, and slouched with her arms crossed in her seat. That woman was still hung up about letting those inexperienced Bartheomos members kill their target. Her twin must have sensed her frustration because he signed, “Be patient. We’ll get to play with him soon.”
Just as he was signing that, a gateway opened and Oraji stepped out. The Ilmarian of Nature seemed flustered as she set a tray full of an empty plate and silverwares aside before taking her spot. Heh, she probably thought everyone was upset that she was late, but they just ignored her since they knew why. The Ilmarian of Judgment clenched her fists. That damned Duermon! What the hell was he thinking telling outsiders of the Lashival? Didn’t he promise that monster to her brother and her for their enjoyment? If she see that Duermon again, she’s going to demand some answers.
“So what are we going to do then?” Zentran pondered. Torryn wanted to sneer. After she and Weiss decided to join alliance with Shintra, he informed them that the Sendoan declined his offer, which didn’t surprise her at all. He was too infatuated with Alethea, who obviously won’t side with them, and most likely didn’t want to go against her. Wasn’t it so obvious that the Aerian didn’t care for him and see him as a pest? She did ask the angel about her opinion of Zen, but the Ilmarian of Truth just gave a vague reply by saying that he seemed nice though Torryn did hear a sense of annoyance.
Kejuta didn’t answer at first before she finally said, “Nothing for now. This will have to be a wait-and-see approach. However, we can focus on decreasing the amount of men in his disposal. I know that you want to kill the Kasama, Torryn and Weiss, but you wouldn’t mind getting rid of some of his followers, would you? There are a few of them who hadn’t joined up with his group yet so we might as well get rid of them before they do. Does that sound reasonable?”
The twins glanced at each other for a moment and nodded. “Sounds fair,” Weiss agreed. “Do you want us to start right now?”
“The quicker, the better. The less men he has, the better the odd for us to win.”
“Good. I was getting bored.” Torryn jumped up from her seat and immediately opened a portal to Samara. As she and Weiss left Welvaria, she turned around and waved. “We’ll be back, Kej. Come on, Weiss! It’s time to go hunting!”
Rask 12, 2583
“Man, I'm ready to continue our mission!” Owain said, and Talic had to agree. After three days of staying at the Culao mansion, everyone especially he was relieved to be leaving. Ever since the dinner debacle, he has been on edge whenever he was in General Culao's company. Surprisingly, the old man didn't mention anything about the incident and acted like nothing happened, though the Eireneridan detected a slight coolness. Instead Karis Culao would carry on, asking him questions about his family, his work, and his future, which Talic answered politely. Whenever he did, he would provide subtle hints, praising Armita to show how much she was an asset to the team.
During his time with Armita's father, Talic knew that it was the perfect opportunity to apologize for making a scene at dinner, but something in his head told him not to do so in spite of his friends' urging. So he hadn't even offered a simple apology at all even on the last day of their stay. Although he began to wonder if that was the best thing to do.
“Leaving so soon?” The two men looked up to see Kian approaching them. They were currently waiting out on the front porch. Owain was sitting on the steps while he was leaning against one of the columns. A wagging Cuzo lie at his feet.
“Not yet,” Owain replied, shaking his head. “We’re still waiting for the ladies.”
Armita’s brother nodded. “I ran into them on my way out. Tristé and Chiara are waiting for Armita, who is with Mother at the moment. It may take a while since Mother always acts sappy whenever one of her children is leaving somewhere.”
“Oh, I see.” Talic could imagine Otiyil’s eyes being misty as she hugged Armita and bid her farewell. “By the way, why are you here?”
“To see you off, of course, though I have to leave shortly. I need to go check on my men,” Kian chirped. Based on his perky behavior, he was back to his usual self. “Father would have been here as well, but unfortunately he has a meeting with Theann about the nation’s security. He likes to apologize for the discourtesy and sends his regards.”
“Understandably. Theann has his hands full.” To be honest, Talic was somewhat relieved. Just one more minute with that man would stress him out.
“I will,” Kian promised as he handed him some documents. Talic looked through them while Owain looked over his shoulder. One was from the new Kahlin, which gave them permission to travel to the desert. Another granted them unlimited amount of supplies for their journey, and the third paper was a royal decree, which stated that they were to be given camels. However, the one that piqued his interest was a folded piece of paper. Curious, the Eireneridan unfold it. It was a sketch of a young man, who looked around Armita’s age. He had gentle look on his face and seemed affable due to his small smile. His hair, which partly covered his eyes, was in an undercut style. Underneath his picture was the name, Bobbas Veltez.
He and Owain must have looked confused because Kian explained, “Armita asked me to help find any information about the person you’re looking for. Since he’s interested in traveling to the Loredan Desert, he needed to get permission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so I went over there. Sure enough, they had a file on him and one of the requirements was that they had to have a picture of him just in case something happened to him so they can identify him. I had them make another copy so you can use it. It will make things easier for you.”
Talic looked at him, stunned. Not only did they finally get a good picture of their target, they even got his name. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said gratefully. Kian just brushed him aside.
“It’s not necessary. Just think of a token of appreciation for what all of you did to help save this kingdom.” He must have heard something because he turned back to the house and said, “It looks like Mother has finally decided to let Armie go; either that or Armie convinces her. Anyway…”
Kian held out his hand and Talic took it; it was a strong grip like the last time. Then he shook Owain’s hand as well. “It was nice meeting you, Talic and Owain. Have a safe journey and take care of my sister for me.”
“We will and good luck to you too, Major Kian,” Talic promised and added, “Would you please tell your father that we thank him for his hospitality?”
“I’ll make sure to let him know,” he said and was about to head out before he abruptly turned around. Taking Talic by the hand, he said, “Before I forget, Father has a message for you.” He leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, “You passed.”
A bewildered Talic could only stare back at Kian, who smiled broadly at his reaction, before he walked away. The Eireneridan watched him walk down the path before he burst out laughing as he suddenly recalled what Armita had warned him. Alarmed, Owain looked at him and asked, “What was that about?”
“Armita was right; her family is dysfunctional,” he only said as soon as he calmed down, which probably confused the young man even more. It was a good thing that he did because Armita and the others arrived.
“Goodbye, Mother,” Armita whispered softly as she embraced her mother. Otiyil nodded and hugged her tightly before reluctantly letting go. She then gestured to Tristé and Chiara to follow her down to the others. Without giving a glance at Talic, she said bluntly, “Let’s go.”
He nodded and led the way. No one said a single word until they went through the gate. “Is she still watching?” Armita asked underneath her breath. Talic glanced back before he shook his head. That was when she breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Even though I love my family, I couldn’t take acting so subservient much longer.”
“Armita, you’re back to normal!” Tristé squealed, hugging her friend from behind. “I thought the house was cursed or something since you and your brother were acting strangely. Don’t you ever do that again!”
“Umph! Tristé, next time give me a head up when you do that! I did warn you, didn’t I?” The Isharan grunted. “My parents especially my father expect us to behave that way whenever we come home. That’s why Kian and I are rarely home.”
“Well, I’m glad that you are back, and I’m sure everyone else is too,” Talic said with a smile. This time she returned his smile. “Anyway, we better hurry. We need to get supplies and prepare for our journey to the desert.”
As they hurried to the bustling city of Soleri, Armita looked at him anxiously. “I hope my father didn’t turn you off with his antics,” she said.
He thought for a moment. When he first met Karis Culao, he found the man to be unbearable and overly strict; a man who had unrealistic expectations and high standards for his children. But now he wondered if it was all just an act because General Culao wanted what was best for his children. “No, he didn’t,” he reassured her, “though I know why Sarina doesn’t want to visit your home again. Next time, if your father offers his home to us again, we’re going to decline. Once is plenty enough.”
“That’s quite all right. All of you have been lately due to what happened,” he told her, setting his book aside after he placed his bookmark in it. She nodded as she placed the tray on the table right in front of him. He looked at his food disdainfully: chicken cutlet, green beans, and a roll. It wasn’t food fit for a king, but it would do. As he began chowing down, he asked curiously, “Is Kejuta still upset with me?”
Oraji, who was busy getting the dishes from lunch, stopped what she was doing and stared at him. “To say that she’s upset is an understatement,” she said dryly as she continued to stack the empty plate and utensils onto the tray. “I would say that she’s still furious.”
“But she’s not furious enough to seal my power away,” he mused. Ever since Kejuta found out that he had let it slip about the Lashival to his former men, she had banished him to his world without any means of leaving. He figured that he would be stuck there until she finally cooled down, which won’t likely happen anytime soon. She probably thought she was punishing him by forcing him to loiter around with nothing to do. Unbeknownst to her, he didn’t need a needle ring to further his plan.
Smiling at the quiet Bisahan, he began the next step of his plan by saying an off-handed comment. “You know, I found what you and Lanskas are doing as very honorable,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
She looked at him confusedly. “Ensuring that life is being sustained in Samara is honorable indeed, but it’s simply our duty.”
“Of course it is,” he agreed, “but that isn’t what I’m implying. What I am saying is that I found it noble of you to try to find a way to save the Lashival without killing him though it would be nobler if you do so openly.”
As soon as he said those words, her face turned pale. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she protested weakly. The Ilmarian of Souls beamed inwardly as he knew he got her.
“You’re a horrible liar, you know that.” He sipped his glass of wine as he enjoyed watching her slowly panic. “It’s quite obvious to me that you and that priest are opposed to Kejuta’s decision to hunt down that threat based on your reactions after Resphyr’s death. I had a feeling that you two were up to something and secretly observed your actions ever since. Imagine my surprise to see you actively opposing her though surreptitiously. Tell me, does Pendance know about this? I can’t imagine what he’ll do if he finds out his girlfriend is going against his mother’s wishes.”
“Don’t you dare tell him!” Oraji pleaded. “He doesn’t need to get involved with this.”
Shintra gave her a reassuring look and placed his drink back on the table. “Don’t worry, dear. I won’t tell him. Rest assured, your secret is safe with me.”
She looked at him wearily. “What do you want from me?”
He smiled. Although she can be naïve, she did have good sense. Standing up, he walked over to her and pulled out a slip of paper. Handing it to her, he began, “I am interested in getting these plants. Unfortunately, they’re quite rare or nearly extinct. However, due to your ‘expertise’, I’m sure you’ll find a way to retrieve them for me.”
She skimmed over the list before she looked back to him again. “And what are you going to use them for?” she wondered. Due to her training with Marika, she probably recognized some of the plants were used for medicinal purposes while others were poisonous. Not to mention, they knew that he had some medical knowledge.
“Nothing dangerous. I just want to try some experiments.”
Oraji looked at him suspiciously but wisely didn’t say anything. She knew that he has the upper hand on her. Instead she said, “I better leave. Kej is having a meeting with everyone else on what to do with the Velscendus threat and I’m already late as it is.”
Ah, so that’s why the Ilmarian of Nature was by herself. The Ilmarian of Fate was most likely racking her brain trying to figure out how to get rid of the threat but at the same time, help her puppets achieve their mission. “Yes, it’s best that you should hurry then. Don’t want anyone to suspect anything.” As she was about to toss her needle ring in the air, he then added quickly, “Oh, don’t tell your partner about this deal. We don’t want to get more people involved in this mess.”
She nodded and quickly rushed out of the room. Shintra smiled as he watched her disappeared before the gateway closed. He knew that she wouldn’t tell Lanskas about this since she wouldn’t want to entangle him. Out of all the Ilmarians, she was easy to manipulate due to her innocent and gullible nature. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he went over to a cabinet and pulled out the small bowl full of that strange, magical liquid. He then stared at the image of Samara and pondered where he should cause mischief for Kejuta.
“If you hadn’t rushed over to Ishara and ignored my messenger birds, you would have known that the Kasama was after the Lashival and warn Talic and the others!” Torryn listened gleefully as an irate Kejuta yelled at Hessin; she was still vivid at him due to his rash actions. For once, it was nice to see the old fart in trouble. Her twin brother must have felt the same way because he was trying his best not to crack a smile.
Nevertheless, that self-righteous prick didn't seem bothered by her rant. “You know that I won't just sit here and do nothing while that man destroys my homeland,” he argued.
“And that was what he was expecting!” the Ilmarian of Fate fumed. “He had Kahlin Leomas declare war on Eirenerida because he knew that it would get your attention, which was why he lured you over there. Because of that, I had to focus the majority of my attention to Ishara instead of on him. Once he knew it, he led his followers out of there since he knew that we were preoccupied. Now he has a head start over the Bartheomos members!”
Before Hessin could say a word, Istra quickly spoke up. “I’m sorry, Kejuta,” she said, bowing her head apologetically. “I tried to tell him that you wouldn’t approve of his actions, but you know how stubborn he is.”
The spirit’s master scowled at her before he turned his attention to the Ilmarian of Fate. “While it may be true that I was tricked by the Kasama, I still would have gotten involved no matter what. Even if we focus on that man, you know that he would have Leomas do something devastating to divert our attention from him anyway. Instead of worrying about two issues, we might as well as get rid of one distraction so we could have our full attention on the one major issue.”
Torryn grinded her teeth. Dammit! That old fart did have a point. Even Kejuta must have realized it too because she just sighed. “I suppose you’re right,” she admitted but warned, “However, next time you need to read my messages instead of ignoring them.”
“I will, I promise,” he consented.
Marika cleared her throat. “Now that issue is solved, we can focus on the problem at hand.”
They were currently at Welvaria attending another one of Kejuta’s meetings. After she had found out that the Kasama and his underlings knew about the Lashival, she had been meeting the other Ilmarians (well, except for Alethea, Shintra, and Kejuta’s children) nonstop as she frantically tried to figure out what to do. So far, she hadn’t found a perfect solution. Torryn just kissed her teeth. “Since you won’t let us kill the Lashival, why don’t you let us assassinate the Kasama?” she pointed out. “Weiss and I can easily sneak into his camp and kill him without anyone knowing it.”
The Ilmarian of Fate shook her head as she fidgeted with the Chains of Destinies. “Unfortunately we can’t. He is still important since he is one of the determining factors of whether or not Talic and the others will be successful in their mission. I just need to find the right Chain to ensure that as well as preventing the Kasama from causing too much trouble.”
Torryn huffed, annoyed, and slouched with her arms crossed in her seat. That woman was still hung up about letting those inexperienced Bartheomos members kill their target. Her twin must have sensed her frustration because he signed, “Be patient. We’ll get to play with him soon.”
Just as he was signing that, a gateway opened and Oraji stepped out. The Ilmarian of Nature seemed flustered as she set a tray full of an empty plate and silverwares aside before taking her spot. Heh, she probably thought everyone was upset that she was late, but they just ignored her since they knew why. The Ilmarian of Judgment clenched her fists. That damned Duermon! What the hell was he thinking telling outsiders of the Lashival? Didn’t he promise that monster to her brother and her for their enjoyment? If she see that Duermon again, she’s going to demand some answers.
“So what are we going to do then?” Zentran pondered. Torryn wanted to sneer. After she and Weiss decided to join alliance with Shintra, he informed them that the Sendoan declined his offer, which didn’t surprise her at all. He was too infatuated with Alethea, who obviously won’t side with them, and most likely didn’t want to go against her. Wasn’t it so obvious that the Aerian didn’t care for him and see him as a pest? She did ask the angel about her opinion of Zen, but the Ilmarian of Truth just gave a vague reply by saying that he seemed nice though Torryn did hear a sense of annoyance.
Kejuta didn’t answer at first before she finally said, “Nothing for now. This will have to be a wait-and-see approach. However, we can focus on decreasing the amount of men in his disposal. I know that you want to kill the Kasama, Torryn and Weiss, but you wouldn’t mind getting rid of some of his followers, would you? There are a few of them who hadn’t joined up with his group yet so we might as well get rid of them before they do. Does that sound reasonable?”
The twins glanced at each other for a moment and nodded. “Sounds fair,” Weiss agreed. “Do you want us to start right now?”
“The quicker, the better. The less men he has, the better the odd for us to win.”
“Good. I was getting bored.” Torryn jumped up from her seat and immediately opened a portal to Samara. As she and Weiss left Welvaria, she turned around and waved. “We’ll be back, Kej. Come on, Weiss! It’s time to go hunting!”
Rask 12, 2583
“Man, I'm ready to continue our mission!” Owain said, and Talic had to agree. After three days of staying at the Culao mansion, everyone especially he was relieved to be leaving. Ever since the dinner debacle, he has been on edge whenever he was in General Culao's company. Surprisingly, the old man didn't mention anything about the incident and acted like nothing happened, though the Eireneridan detected a slight coolness. Instead Karis Culao would carry on, asking him questions about his family, his work, and his future, which Talic answered politely. Whenever he did, he would provide subtle hints, praising Armita to show how much she was an asset to the team.
During his time with Armita's father, Talic knew that it was the perfect opportunity to apologize for making a scene at dinner, but something in his head told him not to do so in spite of his friends' urging. So he hadn't even offered a simple apology at all even on the last day of their stay. Although he began to wonder if that was the best thing to do.
“Leaving so soon?” The two men looked up to see Kian approaching them. They were currently waiting out on the front porch. Owain was sitting on the steps while he was leaning against one of the columns. A wagging Cuzo lie at his feet.
“Not yet,” Owain replied, shaking his head. “We’re still waiting for the ladies.”
Armita’s brother nodded. “I ran into them on my way out. Tristé and Chiara are waiting for Armita, who is with Mother at the moment. It may take a while since Mother always acts sappy whenever one of her children is leaving somewhere.”
“Oh, I see.” Talic could imagine Otiyil’s eyes being misty as she hugged Armita and bid her farewell. “By the way, why are you here?”
“To see you off, of course, though I have to leave shortly. I need to go check on my men,” Kian chirped. Based on his perky behavior, he was back to his usual self. “Father would have been here as well, but unfortunately he has a meeting with Theann about the nation’s security. He likes to apologize for the discourtesy and sends his regards.”
“Understandably. Theann has his hands full.” To be honest, Talic was somewhat relieved. Just one more minute with that man would stress him out.
“I will,” Kian promised as he handed him some documents. Talic looked through them while Owain looked over his shoulder. One was from the new Kahlin, which gave them permission to travel to the desert. Another granted them unlimited amount of supplies for their journey, and the third paper was a royal decree, which stated that they were to be given camels. However, the one that piqued his interest was a folded piece of paper. Curious, the Eireneridan unfold it. It was a sketch of a young man, who looked around Armita’s age. He had gentle look on his face and seemed affable due to his small smile. His hair, which partly covered his eyes, was in an undercut style. Underneath his picture was the name, Bobbas Veltez.
He and Owain must have looked confused because Kian explained, “Armita asked me to help find any information about the person you’re looking for. Since he’s interested in traveling to the Loredan Desert, he needed to get permission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so I went over there. Sure enough, they had a file on him and one of the requirements was that they had to have a picture of him just in case something happened to him so they can identify him. I had them make another copy so you can use it. It will make things easier for you.”
Talic looked at him, stunned. Not only did they finally get a good picture of their target, they even got his name. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said gratefully. Kian just brushed him aside.
“It’s not necessary. Just think of a token of appreciation for what all of you did to help save this kingdom.” He must have heard something because he turned back to the house and said, “It looks like Mother has finally decided to let Armie go; either that or Armie convinces her. Anyway…”
Kian held out his hand and Talic took it; it was a strong grip like the last time. Then he shook Owain’s hand as well. “It was nice meeting you, Talic and Owain. Have a safe journey and take care of my sister for me.”
“We will and good luck to you too, Major Kian,” Talic promised and added, “Would you please tell your father that we thank him for his hospitality?”
“I’ll make sure to let him know,” he said and was about to head out before he abruptly turned around. Taking Talic by the hand, he said, “Before I forget, Father has a message for you.” He leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, “You passed.”
A bewildered Talic could only stare back at Kian, who smiled broadly at his reaction, before he walked away. The Eireneridan watched him walk down the path before he burst out laughing as he suddenly recalled what Armita had warned him. Alarmed, Owain looked at him and asked, “What was that about?”
“Armita was right; her family is dysfunctional,” he only said as soon as he calmed down, which probably confused the young man even more. It was a good thing that he did because Armita and the others arrived.
“Goodbye, Mother,” Armita whispered softly as she embraced her mother. Otiyil nodded and hugged her tightly before reluctantly letting go. She then gestured to Tristé and Chiara to follow her down to the others. Without giving a glance at Talic, she said bluntly, “Let’s go.”
He nodded and led the way. No one said a single word until they went through the gate. “Is she still watching?” Armita asked underneath her breath. Talic glanced back before he shook his head. That was when she breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Even though I love my family, I couldn’t take acting so subservient much longer.”
“Armita, you’re back to normal!” Tristé squealed, hugging her friend from behind. “I thought the house was cursed or something since you and your brother were acting strangely. Don’t you ever do that again!”
“Umph! Tristé, next time give me a head up when you do that! I did warn you, didn’t I?” The Isharan grunted. “My parents especially my father expect us to behave that way whenever we come home. That’s why Kian and I are rarely home.”
“Well, I’m glad that you are back, and I’m sure everyone else is too,” Talic said with a smile. This time she returned his smile. “Anyway, we better hurry. We need to get supplies and prepare for our journey to the desert.”
As they hurried to the bustling city of Soleri, Armita looked at him anxiously. “I hope my father didn’t turn you off with his antics,” she said.
He thought for a moment. When he first met Karis Culao, he found the man to be unbearable and overly strict; a man who had unrealistic expectations and high standards for his children. But now he wondered if it was all just an act because General Culao wanted what was best for his children. “No, he didn’t,” he reassured her, “though I know why Sarina doesn’t want to visit your home again. Next time, if your father offers his home to us again, we’re going to decline. Once is plenty enough.”