Kian woke up in his bed. Hartmar was seated in front of him,Kelvanya stood by the door, blocking it as if to keep someone else from entering.’How do you feel?’ Hartmar said to Kian as he noticed movement in the boy’s body. The first thing the boy did was check whether his face was still covered.

  ’Don’t worry, Kian. We had you covered.’ Hartmar said to the boy. Hartmar could feel the panic swirling inside Kian, as if he were being eaten from the inside.’Just rest.’ Hartmar looked over at Kelvanya. He saw in her eyes what she needed. ’I’ll take watch outside.’

  Kelvanya stepped aside and let Hartmar leave. Hartmar gave Kelvanya a small nod. After Hartmar left, Kelvanya went to the chair Hartmar had been sitting on. She reached toward him, placing the palm of her hand against his forehead to check his temperature. As she reached out, Kian turned away. Afraid of the warmth it might bring. His breath ragged. It sounded like that of a hound.Kelvanya moved away from him. I… has there ever been a moment you felt at peace? Or do you feel like you keep circling the same day over and over? That you begin and live each day the same. Some call it insanity. I call it sadness. The feeling that you want to change, but it will never happen. What a few need to do is try something new. To not be burdened by the cycle, and to try to live anew.’

  Kian’s breathing slowed. It was silent. He looked like a dead body lying there. ’I never believed the cycle could be broken. Yet something happened. As we met you. I feel it made us all question whether this is truly what we wanted.’ Kelvanya shifted away. As if hiding her shame.’Since last night. I can’t promise anything will be any better, only that things will get worse. I shall not see another dead child.’ Kelvanya got up and left, leaving Kian alone. He pushed himself up in his bed to sit up straight.He looked around his chamber, as if searching for something in the shadows.Kian could not get out of his bed, no matter how badly he wanted to. There was nothing to do. He tried thinking of a plan to escape. Nothing came to mind, only the urge to give up and do nothing.How can one escape without the use of legs?How can one have the will to survive if half of you doesn’t work?Isn’t respected?Lies dead deep in thought, never to be revived again.The only thing that could be done was to wait.Wait until Rederick comes, wait until Albaras brings his laugh. If Heiron wants to bring life.Then they will bring death.

  Kelvanya went out of the tower. Hartmar stood leaning against it, next to the door. ’They are all outside. Only Heiron’s guards are still with him.’Kelvanya kept walking. Hartmar followed her. ‘Was there something he said?’ Hartmar tried to keep his voice low enough so the others wouldn’t hear what he said. Not so soft that they would expect something was going on between them.

  ’Can you leave me alone for just a moment?’ Kelvanya said to Hartmar. Hartmar wanted to move closer.After all that had been done, would she give it up? Hartmar paid respect the only way he knew how to. By walking away.

  Kelvanya went into one of the barracks.A few men lay in their bunk beds, which were placed against the walls. Two were sitting in the middle of the room with a table between them, playing cards. As Kelvanya entered, they all looked at her. ‘Out’ She hissed at them,the only thing she needed was her glare; they were already standing by to leave but with those words they all rushed out.Kelvanya seated herself at the table. Time alone, she slammed her fist into the table.Then, trying to calm herself, she gathered the cardsshuffling them a few times in a card spring. As she did, the anger stayed insideuntil she threw the cards beside her. The few she had a good grip on flew like daggers until they cut into the wood.Hanging there with just their points.From where she threw the cards, a figure emerged from the shadows. ’Anger from your past that you cannot change in the present?Or just your casual venting session.’

  Kelvanya threw a kitchen knife toward him.It passed through his body, and the ping of it embedding into the wood was heard shortly after.’I guess it’s your past then.’ The Red Smile said as he crept toward the other seat. ’Now then, have you realized it all?’ It was painfully plain how he was trying to convince Kelvanya of something. ’Yes, the boy needs to leave. Otherwise, he will die.’

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  ’Majestic how you were just filled with emotion,and in the blink of an eye it is all gone.’ He took a pauseas if taking it all in with enjoyment. ’But yes, we need to get the boy out of here.If you and Hartmar can take him,then I will take care offHeiron.’

  Kelvanya shot up from her chair after hearing that. ’You? As if that’s believable.’ There is not a chance that a backstabber would take on the lord.His courage was always like that of a rabbit.

  ’Yes, I know what you are thinking. Think about it this way: I will buy you time. If not, then you’d better have a plan.’ The Red Smile got off the chair and disappeared back into the shadows.As his traces disappeared, Kelvanya grabbed the table and flipped it to the side.That stone-cold glare didn’t leave.She stormed out of the building. Hartmar was in one of the corners, overlooking everything,and saw Kelvanya storm off.He wanted to go after her, but waited as he saw how the others were looking at her.

  Ranzolf stepped next to Hartmar. ’I’ve done some reflecting.What happened in the village, you know, I didn’t mean it that way, right.’He cackled with his words. Hartmar tried to move away from him. He simply followed after him. ’Did you know that there’s a traitor here?I thought it was you. My mistake, it was Kelvanya. I’ll let you have the first strike as my pardon to you.’ Ranzolf smiled as he said it, hiding something in his words.

  Hartmar felt his stomach turn. His old reflexes kicked in, telling him to slash Ranzolf down where he stood.He denied those feelings. ‘When do we do this?’ His fear turned into remorse, sounding more like sad fury than a plan of his own.

  ’Two days,’ Ranzolf said in a whisper. Hartmar took a breath. He turned toward the place where Ranzolf had stood.It was now empty as Ranzolf walked away.

  Kelvanya went up to her room, where Grummulde now stood waiting. ’Can I come in with you?’he softly growled.Kelvanya looked up at him. Never had they spoken like comrades. It was always quick messages before moving on.After everything, this felt like a welcome curiosity. ‘Please come in.’ she said, opening the door and letting him in first.She followed behind him as he set his bo-axe by the door.Kelvanya closed the door as Grummulde went to the chair. ’Lock the door while you’re at it.’ He tried to sound as human as possible.He took a deep sniff of the air, then relaxed into the chair. ’There is something important I need to tell you, miss.’ As he spoke, Kelvanya went to sit on her bed.That feeling she once had faded quickly. ’What do you mean?’ Something felt wrong. From a night so close to her family, to almost seeing another child die. Now this.

  Grummulde didn’t hesitate in saying what he wanted to say. ’You are seen as the traitor. Albaras lived. Even if you have done everything that was asked of you. They have seen you with Hartmar, with the Red Smile.The false Judgement Executioner,as they call him.I’ve already achieved what I needed to do. I will soon be gone. I recommend that you do the same. The dream you want will not go anywhereon the path you are on.’

  Again, another one. How many will say it?When the thought hadn’t even come in that long ago.‘I KNOW!’ she snapped,her eyes stayed the same dead ones as ever,but the rest told enough.

  Grummulde got up and walked in front of her. ’I know what happened. There is no shame in your wish. I would do the same,but maybe that is the problem, isn’t it? That the wish itself is not the problem, but we are, the world is. The man we follow that is the mistake and we are the morons who follow himfor something that shouldn’t even be real.’Grummulde looked at her,not to look down on her, but with compassion.

  ’I know, I know what you wanted to do I understand how it works but how can one call it fair?She looked at Grummulde with her stone-cold eyesas tears welled up. It was almost as if there were raindrops falling from a statue’s eye.

  Grummulde didn’t know what to say. This was no moment to think about speaking as beastkin to human.This was a conversation between parents. He seated himself down next to her.

  ’Did you also know that I have a son and a daughter waiting for me?That wish you think I achieved. I have been thinking about it lately,and I realized too late that it was a mistake,for now I have made surethat my son must be in the army.’ Grummulde wanted to continue, but couldn’t say it. Neither of them said anything for a long moment, and maybe for the first time in a long while in the Emperium,there was a beastkin and a humanseated beside each other in peace, in trust.