"You two! Up, now!" a voice barked in Emrick's ears. Bleary-eyed, he sat up, forgetting where he was for a long moment. "Did you hear me? I said, get up!"

He was in the enemy camp, in a tent Orvo had shown him to. The man in question was already standing and pulling on his armour without a word. In the open flap of the tent stood an armoured figure glaring down at him in anger. His supposed Captain, giving him orders as they should have been. He needed to follow them if he didn't want to get caught.

His armour had been left next to the spare bedroll Orvo kept in his tent and with a tired groan, he started pulling it on. He didn't dare ask what was going on, not with the Captain staring at him with such anger. The armour was uncomfortable first thing in the morning, his tired joints aching as he stretched them, but he didn't say a word in protest, lest he anger the Captain and blow his cover.

"Be out in two minutes," the Captain snapped and disappeared from the tent opening.

As soon as they were gone, Emrick turned to Orvo. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Orvo said with a shrug as he pulled his helmet on. "This isn't Captain Hyla, you don't need to come."

It was as if he was helping him solidify his cover. "I have the feeling I would get in trouble if I didn't show up, even if it isn't Captain Hyla," he replied.

Orvo didn't argue but under the helmet, his eyes narrowed. Once they were both dressed in their dirty armour, they headed out into the camp. In the predawn light, it looked abandoned, only a few people wandering between the tents like lost souls. Emrick walked at Orvo's side, unsure of where he was supposed to be going. He could run and go for the bridge, but in whatever chaos was ensuing, getting caught would end in a way he didn't want it to.

The captain who had woken them waited by the dead campfire he and Orvo had sat around the night before. There were others with them, but no one he recognised. The Captain glared at them but didn't say a word, waiting impatiently as more people joined the small group. There weren't many of them, twenty at most, which only served to make Emrick even more anxious.

"Now that you're all here," the Captain said when the last woman joined the group, their arms crossed over their chest. "We have a problem. During the night, a group of unknown Askari snuck through town and killed those stationed by the bridge. We have word that they are holed up on the outskirts of Fovatia. It is our job to find and dispatch them."

Of course, he should have expected something like that to happen. They believed that he was one of them and thus, treated him the same as they treated everyone else. If he wanted to get through the town in one piece, he had to act as the one group he'd rather kill than join. He had no other choice. By the end of the day, he would be gone, but until then, he needed to keep up his farse.

He kept as still as possible while the Captain explained what they were going to do, even though his hands were shaking with anger. There were eyes on him as he stood and when he looked over, Orvo narrowed his eyes questioningly. Their conversation from the night before came back to him and all he could do was wonder why Orvo was so complacent in the orders of the Captain.

Probably for the same reasons he was. Getting in trouble was a lot scarier than following orders, even if those orders went against everything they believed. At least for Emrick anyway. It could be the same for his new friend.

"We will head over the bridge and split off into groups until we find the rogue Askari. Don't show any mercy," the Captain said, their gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Come. I want to be done before the sun rises. If you let any of them escape, there will be a worse punishment for you, do you understand?"

Scattered mutters filled the air, but all Emrick did was nod when the Captain looked in his direction. Without another word, they walked through the camp, heading for Fovatia. In neat lines behind them, Emrick and the others they had woken at the crack of dawn wandered with tired yawns and long stretches.

They were going to head over the bridge, the exact place Emrick needed to go. If only he had been able to get there the day before, then he wouldn't have wasted a whole day, but at least he wasn't going to be struggling to sneak over. When they split off into groups, he would have to run off at some point when no one was looking.

Because of the surprise awakening, he didn't have any of his belongings. It was only out of habit that he still had the stone on him; he'd kept it in his pocket while he slept, scared that he would somehow lose it. But everything else was still in Orvo's tent, where it would stay.

He could get to Liman without his map. All he needed to do was get out of Fovatia and head southeast along the road until he reached Liman. It was easy for the most part, as long as he got out of Fovatia in one piece. The lack of food would be a problem, but if he had the chance, he would steal some from one of the houses. Leaving the gifts from the Mother and Father behind hurt, but there was nothing else he could do.

The bridge was busy when they reached it, soldiers pulling bodies wrapped in cloth away from the stones. Puddles of blood lay in their wake, but none of them seemed to care. Others stood watch and nodded to the Captain when they passed. If only it had been that easy for him to pass the day before.

As soon as they crossed, each of them staring at the crystal river as if it were something new and fascinating, Emrick's stomach clenched tightly. He had to be careful if he was going to sneak away. If he was caught, then all would be lost. Getting to Liman and Isiah was more important than anything.

They stopped in a courtyard on the other side of the bridge, as empty of people as the rest of the town. A few faces peeked out from behind curtains, but in the dark of the morning, he couldn't make out much more than that.

The Captain clearing their throat pulled him back to the matter at hand. "You five in the back, head to the southern part of the town. Go!" the yelled and Orvo's hand on his shoulder was the only thing to tell Emrick that they meant him. He shuffled after the older man, knowing that he was making it obvious that he didn't belong, but he wouldn't be there for much longer.

"Well, let's get this over with," one of the men said as they walked down a thin side street, leaving the Captain and the rest of the group far behind. "I want to get back to camp."

He acted as if it were an inconvenience to go out and kill people. Under his helmet, Emrick sneered and tried to figure out why the voice was so familiar to him. It was Daan, the drunk man from the night before, far more serious when he was sober and far more dangerous.

Emrick said nothing, not wanting to alert the man that he wasn't supposed to be there. He could have easily told the Captain that he didn't serve under them, but he would be sacrificing his chance at getting across the bridge. He'd made it over and all he had to do was find a chance to sneak away sooner rather than later.

There were plenty of small alleys he could go down, but there was always someone looking his way. With only five of them in the little group, his disappearance would be obvious. If he moved fast enough, he could get away without any of them seeing which way he went.

As if he knew what he was planning, Orvo was at his side constantly. It was a last resort, but if he needed to, he could kill them all and run, but it would only send more people after him. He couldn't bring a whole battalion of people straight to Isiah. Then again, he was stuck behind the army. If he wasn't careful, he could bring more than just a battalion with him.

The further they walked, the more spaced apart the buildings became. Fovatia was bigger on the other side of the crystal river and the houses far more run down. It was sad to look at, but it wasn't something to be concerned about when he was being sent to kill people for an army he'd rather destroy.

Of course, he wouldn't do it unless he had good reason to. The people they were trying to find were probably just trying to get out of the town. The deaths they had caused were necessary if they wanted to escape. They were far braver than Emrick, who was still stuck with the army because of his own stupidity. If it came down to it, he wouldn't kill them, not when they didn't deserve it.

"Wait," Daan said, holding up a hand to stop them. "Do you see that?"

He pointed at a house in the distance that looked like a breeze could knock it down. Dim light from a fire shone in the glassless window and a figure moved against the back wall, covered in familiar silver armour. Next to Emrick, Orvo hissed in a breath. "That's a Warrior of Ziya. I didn't know there were any left here."

"There won't be in a minute," Daan replied, far angrier than he had been the night before. Sober, the man was ruthless and the exact kind of person Emrick had assumed all people in the army were. "Come on. There's not much else we can do except break the door down. I don't see any other exits, do you?"

No one said anything and Daan took that as an agreement to sneak towards the dilapidated house. He used the buildings around them as cover and gestured for the others to follow. Ignoring the awful feeling in his stomach, Emrick followed, planning to use the chaos that would soon follow as a way to get out without being seen. Behind the house was a thick forest, if he could get in there without being seen, he would be fine. All he had to do was wait.

And he didn't have to wait long. The second he reached the door, the rest of them not far behind him, Daan kicked it open and it slammed against the wall with a bang that echoed in Emrick's ears. Cries rang out and those ahead of him streamed into the little hut, yelling something he couldn't understand.

Those inside would either hold their own or die, it wasn't his issue when there were bigger things to worry about. As Orvo shuffled into the room, holding his sword badly, Emrick got a proper glimpse inside and he stopped in his tracks.

The Warrior of Ziya wasn't wearing his helmet and Emrick recognised the young face instantly. Prince Benj of Minisia, huddled away in a hut like a rebellious commoner, far from Maeve. Rina's younger brother, outmatched and from the way he cradled his arm, injured. Then he was gone, blocked from view by an angry soldier.

He hissed in a breath, his gaze flicking from the hut to the forest beyond. It would be so easy to run and not look back. No one would know what happened to him. But could he really face Rina in Liman, knowing that he had the chance to save her brother and didn't take it? They were supposed to be friends, he couldn't do that to her.

With a deep breath, he turned and grabbed ahold of the fear stone's power. It was the easiest way to kill them all, even if it was awful. He stalked into the room and took stock of what was going on. One of Benj's people was already dead, the others barely holding their attackers off. Orvo stood in a corner, watching with a terrified expression on his face. It was a slaughter and Emrick was the only one who could stop it.

The power of the fear stone pulled taut as he directed it to the brutal Ishini soldiers. He stalled when it reached Orvo, ignoring the screams of panic and terror from those he had already hit. It was so easy now, he'd almost gotten used to the way it worked and what it did. But as the people around him screamed and died from failures of the heart or their own blades, all he could think of was the conversation he'd had with Orvo the night before.

The man didn't want to kill, he wanted to hurt people. Maybe, just maybe, he should be given the chance to do what he joined the army to do. He didn't enjoy killing or hurting, not the way the others did. Not everyone was as Emrick had expected them to be, not everyone deserved to be killed just for trying to survive.

With the others already dead, he pulled the power back and let it go, leaving Orvo alive. The Askari in the room stared at him and he pulled off his helmet, nodding to Benj. "Your Highness," he said, unsure of what else he was supposed to say.

Orvo glared at him in confusion but didn't say a word. Benj on the other hand, smiled in relief. "You're Rina's friend, aren't you?" he asked, sighing when he nodded. "Thank you, Sir, we are in your debt." He was a lot calmer than the last time he'd seen him, less inclined to insult him for his heritage.

One of the others, a person with a bow, aimed it at Orvo. "Leave him, he's with me," Emrick said and they dropped their aim. "He's a doctor. He'll help you."

For a moment, Orvo was frozen, but then he locked eyes with Emrick and moved towards the dead men on the floor. "I don't know what that was, but I'm not messing with it," he muttered as he crouched down to check their pulse. "I'll help you but then I'm leaving."

"I doubt you can. If you return on your own, you'd be tried for treason if they found out you helped," Emrick replied. He did feel a little bad about manipulating his new friend, but it was better than him going back to a place he hated.

With a groan, Orvo stood and moved to the nearest living person, the one with the bow and a cut of their forehead. "Sit down somewhere and I'll check you over," he ordered, but the archer didn't move with a nod of approval from Benj.

"Why are you here?" Emrick asked the young Prince. "What happened to Maeve?"

Including the dead man on the ground, there were two of them and they both shared terrified looks. "We don't exactly know. It was fine for a while, calm even, then this... thing showed up," Benj said.

"What thing?"

"It was a man, almost. Made completely of flames with an Ishini on his shoulder, a giant. He torched the whole town before we could do anything," Benj said and collapsed against a worn wooden table. "These were the only people I could get out before the town was destroyed. I swear I tried to do more, but I just- There was no time!"

The archer shifted away from Orvo to glare at the Prince. "You did the best you could, Your Highness, we don't blame you," they said but it was obvious that Benj didn't believe them.

"Wait, what do you mean 'Your Highness'?" Orvo asked, glaring at Emrick. He was honestly surprised the old man could understand what was being said, but he wasn't going to complain.

"Orvo, meet Prince Benj of Minisia," he replied and gestured at the young man. "I'm a friend of his sister's."

The old doctor muttered something under his breath that Emrick didn't hear and turned back to the archer. Benj cleared his throat. "Is Rina with you? Is she alright?" he asked, worry his voice.

"No, we got separated. I have no idea if she's alright," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm supposed to meet back up with her and Isiah in Liman, I just got stuck here while trying to cross the bridge."

"Thank the Gods for that," the last of Benj's companions muttered. Benj frowned, but said nothing, running a hand through his short white hair. He was so young to be a Warrior, too young.

Emrick sighed and bit his lip. "The thing that attacked you was Ishin, one of the Old Gods. I believe the Ishini on his shoulder was King Harudan," he explained, wincing at the pained expression on the young Prince's face.

"They're headed for Ziya, aren't they?" he asked but didn't give Emrick a chance to reply. "We need to get over there, now. I'm not losing my home while I'm stuck in this... This hole!"

He moved for the door and growled when Emrick held out an arm to stop him, trying to push past him. "In your current state, you can't. Allow Orvo to check over you and head for Ziya as soon as you are able. Once he's guaranteed me that you're safe and well. I will be on my way. I need to get back to Isiah as soon as possible."

It took Benj a moment to register what he was saying, but when he did, he sat back on the table with a huff, running a hand down his tired face. As if only just remembering that he was injured, he cradled his arm again and hissed with pain. "Thank you, Emrick," he muttered. "I don't know what any of this means, but you'll help my sister, won't you? The three of you are going to save us all."

"I hope so," Emrick muttered, ignoring the strange look Orvo gave him. Doubt settled in the back of his mind. If Ishin had destroyed an entire town, there was so much more he could do. How they were supposed to face that, he had no idea, but that would never stop him. Until his last breath, he would save those who needed it and destroy anyone who stood in his path, Ishin included.