Note: Underlined parts are Kathula tail sign language.

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Pinti knew there was just no way an Edgling would help a Kathula for no reason. There was some hidden motive, and she was going to find out sooner or later. After she and Daero were pulled from the prison hold, the Saboteur motioned for them to follow.

"We need to keep quiet." He opened the door at the end and peered out. With a guttural sound, he led them down the dungeon corridor. "Everyone is taking a rest now. It is Sleep Hour."

That such a dark, dim place even had a sleeping time surprised her. She sniffed the air and the stench of Edglings was so thick it made her sneeze. The Saboteur turned to glare at her.

"So, what do we call you? Do you have a name?" Daero whispered.

His wolf-like tail stretched, and he signed, Be quiet. Just call me Saboteur. It suffices.

At last, they reached a golden slope winding its way upwards. The walls turned from black rock to red brick. Saboteur stood for a moment with closed eyes and his body quivered.

It is clear. But we need to hurry.

Daero nodded and followed. Pinti hesitated first, but soon hurried after. She didn't want to get left behind in an Edgling castle. She was prey running around in the claws of Edglings. Bristling, she tapped Daero on the shoulder.

Edglings don't help Kathula. What if this is a trap? All they do is kill. She signed.

It's two against one. Daero signed. Besides, what explanation would he have for taking the prisoners out?

"Exactly," Saboteur said. "And we do not always kill. In fact, I for one have not killed since the Massacre."

Daero grumbled something under his breath. "You know it's really hot for us down here."

Pinti realized she was panting. She had been so focused on the fact that Saboteur was helping them escape that somehow the heat had evaded her. But now when she noticed it, it was like standing under the high noon sun of the Desert Isles in the First Ring and not knowing where the next oasis was. She didn't want to start thinking about water, but now that she had, her mouth felt dry.

"It will not be for long," Saboteur said and fell silent. He led them up the rest of the slope and out into a golden hallway. The right led to large doors. Pinti recognized them. It went into the throne room. At the other end was a yawning opening with a thin sheet of glass over it. Black sky with a reddish hue tinting it in patches sat beyond.

In the hallway, the Edglings' scent was stale. They hadn't been this way for at least a few hours. Among the scent of Edglings, the odd one stood out—Orvineau's scent of mint and lime. It disappeared around a corner. When she peered down that way, a black door with a golden handle had the words 'Do Not Disturb' on it like it was some kind of Human hotel room.

Saboteur led them down another hallway opposite Orvineau's door. They passed doors that only came up to Pinti's waist. Each was a shiny black contrast against the deep golden walls etched with triangular patterns. 

She glanced up at the walls adorned with portraits of all kinds of animal mixture Edgling forms. Runic symbols illuminated and dimmed on the frames as they passed. Some Edglings were drawn with clothes on, but they all held a black and red staff against the background of full yellow moon.

"The Kings of the past," Saboteur whispered. "The further down, the older they are. Some are so old we have had to take their pictures down and move everyone back to make room. The halls were full when I was born."

"How are Edglings born?" Daero asked in a hushed voice.

Pinti wouldn't have cared to learn about a race that hurt others but seeing these pictures and the strange, intricate, triangular art decorating the golden walls made her a little curious. None of the scrolls she'd seen or books she'd read had anything about the cultures of Edglings.

"Edgling is what every other race calls us. We call ourselves the Shaa." He gave a short guttural sound. "Translating that to Kathulan, birth pit," he said and gave the same guttural sound again. This time Pinti realized how the sound rose in the middle and fell at the end. Was that a word? She never thought Edglings had a language at all.

Saboteur pointed to the floor. "Birth pit is underneath the castle, rather, the castle was built on top of it. Every now and then, a Shaa is born."

Daero's tail quivered. "So, it's true? From the shadows of lava?" His eyes grew wide as if fascinated.

"It's true." Saboteur's shoulders rose and fell. "We don't have families like you do. Most don't have names. Individuality is a privilege. Only high-ranked Shaa like me have a name and individuality, but such a name must not be given away easily. That is why, even to you," He turned to Pinti, "I do not disclose my name."

As if I would care to know anyway! Pinti crossed her arms. They killed Kathula that never did anything to them.

She watched Saboteur from behind. Occasional whispers passed between him and Daero. Despite her reservations, there was something different about him. Strangely approachable, it was like he let a layer of his guard down.

And that black...tear? She recalled that encounter at Thereanbold's when something fell from Saboteur's eye. But how absurd to think about this! It was a known fact that Edglings didn't cry.

A tall, skinny door met them at the end of the hall. Stone stairs descended within. Saboteur held the door open with his tail. "This goes out to Gelid. If you follow the ashen path, it will cool. You will find a tunnel leading to snowy lands. Beyond the snow, is the Dark North. Not even I have been that far, but I believe it is out there."

"We're supposed to go off on your word? To a place you don't even know if it exists?" Pinti pursed her lips. He could be sending them to their deaths for all she knew. "I don't trust you."

"I suppose that is the gamble," he said. No emotions played upon his face.

"You must hurry, Kathula," he continued, "as the magick to enable your breathing will wear off by daybreak."

"You're letting us go. Why?" Daero stopped at the stop of the stairs. "Going against Orvineau?" Saboteur met his steady gaze. After a moment, he shook his head.

"Perhaps," he paused, "you may find out. Go now."

Daero let out a short hiss of annoyance and hurried down the stairs. It didn't take long for him to reach the bottom.

"Pinti, come on," he called from below in a hushed voice.

Trusting Daero, Pinti was about to follow when her ears perked at a sound behind them. A guttural call echoed down the hall and Saboteur responded.

"Go, Pinti," he hissed and gently pushed her. Pinti stumbled into the stairwell.

She turned. "Wait, why are you—"

"Go," he said and closed the door, leaving her in darkness. Guttural noises of Saboteur and another Edgling sounded right outside the door. Soon, both voices distanced and faded.

Heizak, that was close. She bristled and snuck quietly down the stairs. Once at the bottom, she spotted Daero leaning against a narrow, black door barely visible on the black wall. Seeing her, he pushed the door open.

A long, curving ashen path stretched in the middle of a vast plain of charcoal and dunes of ash. It was like a black and white photograph of the Desert Isles. In the distance, was a horizon of white.

"That must be the Dark North," she said softly. "Does that mean this is Gelid?" She frowned.

Behind, the Edgling castle loomed like a giant charcoal stalagmite. If the Edglings were asleep, she hoped their waking hours were still far away. Kathula stood out like a sore thumb in such a bleak place like this. They would easily be caught and brought back to the dungeon again. This time they might even be chained or maybe something worse.

"Hopefully they stay quiet." Daero followed her gaze.

"He could have told us when daybreak would be." Pinti set paw on the ashen path, feeling the soft, powdery sand on her pads. "Is that an hour or two hours or more?"

Keeping the snowy horizon ahead of them, they started down the path. Pinti could only hope they could get her Lunality, find the Scepter of Tamido, and return to the Fourth Ring before their time was up. Could they really get that many things done?

It wasn't long into the ashen land that Pinti became visually bored. There was nothing interesting out here to keep her going along this boring, gray path other than knowing they were getting closer to the Dark North. Next to her, Daero began to hum a tune she recognized. Then, he began to sing it.

Laid afar, the furthest sphere

Beyond the morrow, into the night

The whisper of the wind one can hear

Darkest reaches, dimmest lights

Rust ridden alleys, stolen lives

Raw, rich, a bloodstained meadow

Words wield weapons as sharp as knives

Half-beating hearts, born from shadow

Blue tainted darkness, Lunar light

An abysmal crevice, hideaway creak

Only one soul shall wish tonight

One soul granted powers to unleash

"So," he said when he finished, "I've been thinking 'The Song of the Scepter' is actually a clue to where the scepter is."

Pinti pursed her lips. "Where in there?"

"The first part. Laid afar, the furthest sphere. That's the Sixth Ring. Darkest reaches, dimmest lights. That's probably the Dark North."

"But how can the scepter be in the Dark North? Because then at the end," She hummed the tune to find the part she was looking for, "An abysmal crevice, hideaway creak," she sang and frowned, twitching her ears at the sound of her slightly off-key voice. "An abysmal crevice, hideaway creak," she tried again, "Better."

"Not quite. Could work on your delivery."

She scowled. "Wasn't asking your opinion."

"I noticed." He grinned. "So, half-beating hearts, born from shadow. That's about Edglings." Daero raised his voice. "What if, what if," He turned to her with a grin, "the scepter is hidden in plain sight? What if, it's the Edglings' royal staff if they have one. Edglings had a king, right?"

It was just ridiculous speculations. "What if the song was just a song?" She sighed with a twitch of her whiskers. "Besides, we already know what's-her-name Van Caviar—"

"It's Iarell V'kuthiar—"

"—made it with other races except Edglings. Your theory doesn't stand."

Daero shrugged. "Well, don't forget your Aurvandil stone. Thanks to that, we know it in ancient Kathulan." He grinned, peering into her face. "It has to be connected somehow."

Just at that moment, out popped Deel wearing a big smile. He bounced up and down, barely kicking up any dust with his jumping. His transparent feet only left slight pawprints.

"You two looked bored, so I've come to entertain you!" he said. Then he promptly called the ash, 'wonderful dust' and proceeded to name every large ash dune they came across.

"Gray, Ashes, More Gray, More Ashier Than More Gray, and," He said and began to walk backwards, "More Gray is the sister of More Ashier Than More Gray!"

Daero groaned. "Oh, the nonsense. It's worse hearing it out loud in the open than in my head." He gave a wry smile. "And watch where you're going! If you fall it's not just you, you know."

"Daero, I'm watching where I've been and that's enough." He grinned at Pinti and then sure enough, he slipped, fell backwards, and took Daero with him. The two scuffled about in the ashes before getting up.

"Pfft!" Daero hit Deel lightly across the head. "Just as I said." He brushed his arms and legs of the ashes that made him look a shade lighter. "You idiot!"

Deel sidled up to Daero and held his paw to which Daero responded with a paw squeeze. A pang of jealousy burst in Pinti's chest. She opened and closed her paw, imagining holding Tendri's. When they were little, they didn't hold paws all that often because Pinti didn't like being touchy, but now she regretted it. She should have given Tendri more paw squeezes or more hugs.

"Hey!" Daero shouted as Deel began to run. "Slow down!" Despite his initial annoyance, Daero soon laughed with Deel as they ran off. Pinti let them leave her behind.

Daero always has family. But me? Her chest tightened seeing the two laughing. Once all this was over, maybe she still had a chance to reconcile with Kirlan, but he wasn't family.

She was so drowned in thought she lost her footing at the edge of an ash dune. Daero gripped her paw before she slipped off.

"You okay?" he asked, cocking his head as she regained her balance.

Resting her bristled fur, she nodded, lowering her gaze. She thought about telling him how she would be alone but how he had Deel and couldn't. It wasn't like Daero could do anything about it.

Be a strong Shamala, Pinti. Be brave. She told herself shoved that thought away.

Deel slipped his transparent paw into hers. She could almost feel his soft fur. He smiled up at her. "It'll be okay," he said, so sure of himself. Pinti felt the corners of her mouth pull into a faint smile.

It'll be okay. She nodded. The hint of sadness in her chest receded as Daero's paw warmed hers and Deel's was a comforting existence.

Paw in paw, Pinti and Daero, matched their pace with Deel who took smaller steps than the two of them. Daero and Deel bickered or joked, Deel talked nonsense or sang incredibly off-key, and Pinti listened with a slight smile on her lips. Sometimes small, black, smoky blobs would slip across their path, but whatever it was, it stayed away.

After Deel's two made-up songs about ash, they ascended a dune taller than the previous ones. Pinti let go of Deel and Daero to climb. 

Once at the top, she shivered as a biting breeze nipped at her. The scene below drastically changed. Powdery ash became sparser, revealing a hard, charcoal ground underneath. Gradually, the charcoal ground went from black to a crystal ice field. A path of untouched dirt snaked through the ice field to the mouth of a dark tunnel embedded in a wall of snow.

"Dark North," Pinti whispered, and her breath chilled white.