The quiet night stirred from a presence outside. Kiara sat up, knowing those footsteps by heart.

  “Nahara.” She whispered. “Is everything okay?”

  Leisha lay still opposite the room, buried beneath a pile of blankets.

  “Kiara, do you trust me?” Her chestnut eyes glowed with determined fury.

  “You’ve never given me a reason not to,” Kiara answered, somewhat unsettled by Nahara’s demeanor. “Why?”

  “’Cause I’m terrified that fate is forcing my hand two years early.” Nahara cryptically stated. “I’m uncertain you’re ready for what’s to come.”

  “You don’t think we’re strong enough?” Kiara murmured, hurt by her assumptions.

  “No, never.” Nahara maternally tucked their hair. “Though you might struggle to understand everything that’ll be unveiled. I must know you won’t hate me for whatever may come.”

  “Are we going to kill children?” Ty slipped into control, unperturbed by Nahara’s enigmatic games.

  “No.” Nahara sighed, exasperated.

  “Then, honestly, with love, we don’t care what we have to do.” Ty yawned, drawing their blanket over their head, exhausted from pain and medicine. “Whatever keeps the flashes away. We trust you.”

  *

  Soon arriving at the end of a pass, they struggled to ignore their suffering. Every step sent painful waves down their neck, though they persisted. A bound arm felt unnatural, restricted from budging to minor subconscious demands.

  The cool air felt heavy but pushed them through the fatigue. Although they hadn’t felt the fall too severe at the time, each expressed heavy fatigue.

  Nahara, further ahead, led the lost through the mountains. No one compared to her in all the Meyat; strong, clever, calculating, and confident.

  She made them part of the middle to keep them guarded, and to set the pace.

  Leisha stuck to their side. She’d apologized at least a thousand times. None of them felt animosity toward her regarding the mountain, but Leisha apologized nonetheless.

  “We’ll be making camp in an hour.” Nahara’s messenger hurried toward the back.

  “Ya doing okay?” Leisha tried to keep them against her.

  “I’m fine.” Kiara struggled to keep the irritation out of tone. “I like the pain.” She forcefully chuckled.

  Her words were spoken with some truth; since childhood, they obtained pleasure from a cut, bruise, or punch. Like an intoxication, a rush. They’d press on bruises until they stopped sensing discomfort.

  Their entire body aching for rest, however, was torture, as mental anguish seldom allowed itself to be ignored. Regardless, none of them desired the bumpy cart or risked perceptions of weakness.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?” Leisha’s eyes held an unrelinquished guilt.

  “I’m fine.” Kiara insisted. “Leisha, I am alive, and I am healing. So stop feeling guilty when you’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “You’re my mentor; I should protect you,” Leisha argued.

  “We should protect each other.” Kiara smiled. “I would’ve told you to save the others and leave me. You read the mind of your mentor.”

  Leisha forced a fleeting smile. “I should’ve done better.”

  “You acted quickly in a shit situation.” Kiara corrected. “Leisha, stop. No one is mad at you.”

  “It feels like I just ran away.” Leisha relented.

  “You led people to safety,” Kiara reassured.

  “I thought you were going to die,” Leisha whispered. “As soon as Nahara’s forces showed up, I went looking for you, but it took me forever, and the way you were jerking…” She shook her head as if trying to shake away the memory. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Well, we’re all awake.

  This is exactly what Jayce and I were trying to avoid when we said no.

  Yeah, yeah, you told me so. I know. Kiara fought the urge to roll their eyes at Ty. “Yes,” She answered Leisha with a sigh.

  Though irritated, Kiara understood Ty’s annoyance as genuine concern. Leisha’s worry would only cause them stress and guilt. There was some comfort in knowing another caring person entered their lives. Leisha wanted to protect and utilize her learned abilities to help those she cared for, much like them. Leisha took the self-perceived failure more personally than one would expect; it was a shared flaw.

  She has got to take a breath. She’s getting on Ty’s nerves. Rin voiced exhaustion.

  Leisha just feels bad, and she’s only nineteen. We were just like that. Kiara tried to utilize empathy.

  Only because Nahara would’ve made us return with her, and we just wanted to pay her back. Rin defended.

  And what if she’s afraid we’ll send her away or Nahara will take her back? Kiara reasoned.

  I didn’t want to argue. Just a warning. Rin sighed. I like her. Ty just makes her grumpiness my problem.

  “and then she went to every tent and asked for anyone good with their hands. None of us know what, but it’s obvious that something big is happening.” They caught the tail end of Leisha’s rambling. “Did Nahara say anything to you?”

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

  “Not really.” Kiara focused on Leisha’s soft voice. “She keeps secrets, even from those she keeps close. Just in case anyone is ever caught, only Nahara knows the full picture. You never truly know how someone will react to torture, and she’ll never give the Ketigaj power over her. In the past, the Rikevra were always defeated by people who knew too much and weren't ready to give their lives for the cause, even though they died anyway.”

  “But…she treats you like a daughter,” Leisha muttered almost to herself. “She hasn’t told you anything?”

  “You saw at Cúvidel, Leisha.” Kiara smiled. “She gives prior notice, and then the day of, we act. I’m no different than any other Rikevra.”

  “How does she get anything done?” Leisha asked with irritated astonishment.

  “Because she trusts us to do exactly as she says.” Kiara shrugged. “She never gives anyone more than they can handle, and she never wants to see us get hurt, though she knows it could happen. We trust her because she trusts in our ability to protect ourselves.”

  “But she did give us too much, and you did get hurt.” Leisha brooded.

  “Because I didn’t perform to the best of my abilities.” Kiara straightened. “I should have secured the cliffsides. That’s how we were ambushed.”

  We should’ve killed the ones who didn’t run. They’ll always chase when they aren’t afraid. Ty expressed her frustration.

  “H…how do you know they came from the cliff?” Leisha stammered. “How can you blame yourself?”

  “I didn’t secure it. They easily could’ve come from a pass or something I didn’t notice,” Kiara explained. It was my mistake.”

  “So you’ll still just blindly trust her?” Leisha languished.

  “Because she doesn’t allow anyone to be alone until they’re ready.” Kiara began rubbing at the knot in their neck.

  “How can she possibly know when someone’s ready?” Leisha’s eyes implored them for an answer.

  She’s genuinely struggling because she saw us hurt and without control. She’s not ready for this.

  Then she shouldn’t have joined. Ty retorted.

  “It’s in the eyes.” Roran’s voice caught their attention. “Sorry, Nahara sent me back to check on everyone, and I kind of overheard.” He explained, his voice shy as he absentmindedly pressed his pointer fingers together and teetered.

  “The eyes?” Leisha’s eyebrow raised skeptically.

  “Mmmhmm.” Roran excitedly nodded. "She says when you’re ready, people can tell you’re unstoppable just by your eyes.”

  “Yeah,” Kiara confirmed.

  Just like his. Rin dreamily whispered.

  Leisha half-turned, her olive eyes reflecting hazel ones. “I see it.” She breathed.

  You’re both utterly hopeless.

  “So…um…you guys okay?” Roran seemed awkward, almost like an accidental third wheel.

  “We’re fine.” Leisha faced Roran again, her cheeks red. “Thank you. I feel better.”

  “Good.” Roran nodded goodbye.

  “He seems pretty close to Nahara.” Leisha watched him leave. “He does whatever she asks without question. Maybe he knows her plans.”

  “He wouldn’t tell us even if he did,” Kiara recalled their prior conversation with Roran. “When Nahara has that much faith in ya, you never break it.”

  “How can you be so positive something else won’t happen?” Leisha drew them closer. “You could die for a plan you don’t even know.”

  “While I don’t know the plan, I know the goal.” Kiara patted Leisha’s back. “If I die fighting for a future child to never be afraid of living, to never be starving, always be clothed, and to always know love and safety, then I will gladly follow the maidens.”

  “The maidens?” Leisha inquisitively raised an eyebrow.

  “One of Nahara’s sayings.” Kiara shrugged. “It’s from the old Meyat, I guess, but it’s comforting. Some fierce and beautiful women coming to escort me to the afterlife? Sounds like my kind of thing.”

  “Weird.” Leisha chuckled. “How does she know so much about the old Meyat?”

  “She said she read about it, but I’ve only seen records written by previous Rikevra, none of books from the old Meyat: those are elsewhere.”

  “Illegal books…”

  “They’re only illegal when they tell stories with truth instead of brainwashing everyone to believe in one thing,” Kiara muttered. “She promised to show me one day, even teach me how to read them.”

  “You can’t read?” Leisha inquired.

  “She says they’re in code,” Kiara snorted.

  “Guess she doesn’t trust you enough to show you now,” Leisha smirked.

  Jayce blinked at Leisha, hardly able to snatch control before Ty. “You need to watch what you say about Nahara. What happened to me was my own stupid fault for not doing my best. She has always kept me safe, and I let her down.” He loathed when people disrespected Nahara.

  Y’all wouldn’t let me do my best because of her. Ty seethed.

  “You’re being too hard on yourself,” Leisha argued.

  “And you’re being too harsh on Nahara,” Jayce countered. “She saved every single one of us, whether personally or with the faith she put in others, but that alone should be reason enough to trust her. She could’ve chosen to be like everyone else, in this fucked up Meyat, and do nothing. Instead, she revived the Rikevra. She decided to fight, and for that, she deserves our trust.”

  “Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Leisha’s tone indicated a lack of satisfaction.

  They sighed, unsure what to do. Trust is earned over time and she’s still new. She’ll learn.

  *

  Cloaked Rikevra seemed to materialize from the trees. Nahara spoke with them for a brief moment before they dispersed among the camp.

  “They’re taking more?” Leisha verbally observed between bites.

  “Mmmmhmm.” Kiara shrugged.

  The guests randomly collected from throughout the crowd before disappearing into the treeline.

  “Not many left now. I wonder who we will be guiding.” Kiara surveyed the shrinking group.

  “Didn’t Nahara tell you?” Leisha sipped her water. “Since you got hurt like that, the plan’s changed. We have to go on shadow patrol.”

  She shadowed us? They were nauseated by the rapid transition.

  We’re hurt, and shadowing doesn’t take us from the field. Jayce attempted to calm their body. We’ll just talk to Naha, okay? Calm down.

  You weren’t concerned the other night. Kiara reminded.

  I didn’t think she’d fucking shadow us! We’re better in the Aid Program. Ty sighed but remained in position. Nahara’s busy right now, anyway.

  Their wait was brief, Nahara having joined during the meal.

  “Kiara, we gotta talk about your next assignment.” Her voice was soft. “It will take time for you to heal, even when the pain subsides. You and Leisha will be assigned to shadow work. You’ll still go to Cadíl, but you’ll be my eyes and ears in the shadows. I need you to be extra vigilant at the ports. I’ll send Roran requiring monthly reports. You must do this. It’s pertinent to the future of the Rikevra.” In her chestnut eyes lay a light of radiant hope. “Will you do this for me?”

  “Of course, Nahara.” Her hope impassioned them. “Anything to finally end this.”