"So this is what you wanted us to do?" Shyra huffed, partly from annoyance and partly from exhaustion as she scrambled through the maya's trapdoor. "Go and fetch your son like messengers?"

The maya simply grinned and gestured for Shyra to take a seat on the carpet. She was beginning to annoy Shyra, but she obliged and sat cross legged on the wool carpet. She was soon joined by the others, who sat down around the maya in a semicircle. This whole scene reminded Shyra of grandmothers telling tales to children who sat around her in the dimming sunlight.

"Mother," Naor said, entering last and bending to touch her feet. "Why did you send them to fetch me? If you missed my company, you could have asked for me like you usually do."

"I haven't called you because I missed you." she snapped, and Shyra got the feeling that she was embarrassed by that bit of information. "You are required to accompany these women on their mission, and lend them all the help you can."

"Wait, what?" everyone yelled at once. The whole room broke out in outraged muttering as Shyra raised her hand to silence them.

"This wasn't part of the deal, maya," Shyra said with restrained patience.

"Oh, but it was," the old lady giggled. "This is the price you have to pay, child of the cosmos. Take my son with you and vanquish Arawn once and for all. I've seen that he will be of great help to you."

"Child of the cosmos? Why did you call me that?" Shyra frowned.

"Oh, did I?" she said, pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips and looking around. Shyra sighed and decided to let it go for now. Talking to her was giving Shyra a headache now.

"If that is all, can we have the directions now?" Arina asked. Shyra stifled a laugh. Of course Arina would become impatient and begin pestering the maya for directions. When Arina wasn't bothering Shyra, she could see how useful her stubbornness was. In many ways, they were similar in their relentlessness.

The maya tilted her head as she observed Arina, as if she were seeing her for the first time. "You." she crooked a finger in her direction. "I like you. You'll be the one I tell the directions to. You will not be able to convey it to anyone else, but my whispers will guide you true. Come close. Let me whisper it to you."

Arina looked unnerved as she walked to the maya. Shyra felt a flare of indignation at her sudden change of heart. But I thought you liked me, she thought with a pout. She knew it was childish of her to envy Arina for such a small issue, but after years of yearning for affection, even the slightest bit of unearned favoritism sent her puffing with pride.

The maya whispered a few words in Arina's ear, and Arina's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah, I see. And I have to guide them to this place, right?" she asked. The maya nodded and reminded them that Arina would be bound by the spell that prevents her from disclosing it. Now they would have to trust her directions.

"But then," Shyra raised her hand in the air. "Why do you have to employ such an elaborate method? Can't you just tell us the location?" Like a normal person?

"There's a story behind that as well," she answered with a secretive grin. "Suffice to know that I have been entrusted with this information and only those I choose can partake in it. For additional protection, a spell binds the recipients of this knowledge as well."

"Alright, alright," Shyra huffed. "We'll take your leave now, maya. Pray for us to return in one piece."

"Narani," she answered, creasing a frown on Shyra's brow.

"What?"

"That's my name. In case you ever need to remember me or use this acquaintance as a weapon, you'll need to know me as more than a maya."

"Oh," Shyra said, unsure of how to process this information. "Thanks, I guess."

She gave a wide smile and ushered them out. Shyra soon found herself walking back to the docks, this time with a huge crowd in tow. She kept glancing back at the chattering royals and sighed. At this rate they were going to get caught pretty quick.

"Guys," Shyra turned around. "Before we figure out a means of transportation, we need to leave Fitoor at the palace."

Fitoor, who had been eagerly talking to Naor, gasped and crossed her arms. "No way. There's no way I'm going back there. I wanna come with all of you and have an adventure."

Shyra smiled. She'd known that it wouldn't be easy to persuade the infatuated teenager. "Fitoor, come with me for a bit."

Fitoor frowned in suspicion, but relented and walked with Shyra, who put her arm around Fitoor's shoulders. They were at the edge of Ronin's capital city, and she could spot the palace from this angle.

"How long has it been since you ran away from home?" Shyra asked her. Fitoor pouted and held up five fingers.

"Five dinas? Five amshas? How long exactly?"

Fitoor muttered 'five haftas' with a cute groan and a flip of her dark hair. Shyra exhaled and squeezed her shoulders.

"And how would you feel if your father disappeared for so long without any clue of his location. Wouldn't you worry for his safety? Wouldn't you like to know that he's safe and sound by your side?"

"Yes," she said begrudgingly. "I would want to see him and be with him. It would pain me if something happened to him."

"I see that you're understanding what I'm trying to say," Shyra said softly. "So let us take you back to you father. Deliver the happy news that the daanav is vanquished, and stay by his side. If it's Naor you're worried about, don't be. I'll try my best to ensure that he returns safely. Take care of yourself till then."

Fitoor blushed. "What? Naor? Who said anything about him? I wasn't..."

Shyra gave her a knowing smile and turned to head back when Fitoor's words sent her heart tumbling.

"Is that how you felt, Empress, when Emperor Mahi was taken away from you?"

All too soon, memories of his abduction rushed to her mind and weakened her heart. She hadn't realized how much she was burying her feelings until Fitoor brought them up. Her heart, chest, stomach... everything clenched painfully until tears filled her eyes.

"Well," Shyra said, her voice shaking, "I don't really want to talk about it if it's fine with you."

"Yeah, okay," Fitoor answered quickly. The smart girl probably understood that Shyra was reliving her painful experiences, so she accompanied Shyra back to the others without further protest. The others were stunned to see Fitoor agree to return within such a short period of time, but the look on Shyra's face silenced them in a heartbeat.

After a tearful goodbye, out of which most of the tears came from Fitoor, they headed towards the docks with dark hoods pulled over their faces.

"What about transportation? How are we going to reach wherever we need to go?" Hira asked, tucking her long plait into the folds of her dress. Shyra smiled mischievously and dangled a pair of keys from her finger.

"I got a little... help from Ronin's princess," she revealed. "Fitoor can't lend us a ship in broad daylight, so she allowed me to grab the keys of a royal spaceship. We'll have to take things from there and steal it."

"What? We're going to steal from the docks?" Arina whispered, grabbing Shyra's wrists. Shyra shook her hand free and pressed her lips.

"Yes we are, Princess Arina, because like it or not, we're like teenagers who have snuck away from home. And if we get caught, we get sent back to our homes like naughty children. Is that what you want?" she said in the same harsh whisper.

Arina ran her hands through her hair and clenched them. "Ugh. Why in the worlds did I agree to this?"

Shyra shook her head and continued walking. "Come on. We'll have to hurry if we're going to steal this ship."

When she glanced back, she saw that Arina was rolling her eyes, Hira gave a faint smile while Naor grinned and rubbed his hands.

What a team we are. Three runaway royalty and a young leader of the garud. Truly the team of the millennium.