In the second month, one-third of my people that remained fell victim to a strange haze that appeared in a middle of a day. It covered everything. It pressed against my skin, leaving a sense of longing. The longing of what? That I did not know, unfortunately. I can still feel it decades later. The haze as quickly as it appeared it was gone. With it one-third of my people. With only ten survivors, I was close to giving up. I missed Guizam. He was an expert on hopeless situations.

“Beyond Yr”

Chapter 10, Page 144

Kuravel

Darkness was everywhere. The wave that had appeared out of nowhere, pulled him underwater, and a short time after that he lost orientation. In the heat of the moment, reasoning fled him and he panicked. Who wouldn’t? The jungle was famous for sheltering the underground lakes and rivers. Whoever the woman was, she got him good. Think! Or you’ll die. Even a Royalblood could drown as easily as a commoner. Air was precious to them all in equal measure. Giliad’s lungs screamed. He could no longer hold his breath. There was no telling how long he’s struggled underwater. I’m not giving up! But each time he chose a direction and swam toward it a counter-current pulled him into another direction. Is this water alive or what? No. It must be a damned whirlpool or an underground river…

He gasped for air. A reflex he couldn’t stop. Water filled his lungs and the true pain arrived. Enraged, he screamed, as he died…

Giliad didn’t die.

Or if he did, then he’d done a terrible mistake not believing in gods.

“You’re tougher than I thought.” And they spoke the imperial language. His mind needed a few moments to clear up, and once it did, he sharpened immediately, ready to fight. The self-proclaimed goddess stood above him. What happened? Did she get me out of that underground nightmare?

“Did you save me?”

“Well … not really. I tried to kill you but you resisted me so nicely that I decided to give you another chance.”

Giliad’s focus was at an all-time high. He didn’t comprehend her words as they made no sense. She could have used poison on him or a moonflower like Yamil. For some strange reason, Giliad seemed immune to the Royalblood-killing substance. This must be it. She close enough to not being able to dodge. Giliad surged forward with all his strength.

Two columns of water appeared immediately on his path. He cut through them and found no one on the other side.

“You’re so slow,” he complained. “Did your race deteriorated so much? How much time has passed since Ull Ghis’s fall?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Giliad didn’t wait for her to gather her wits. She was clearly confounded by his words. Still, Giliad’s fists met air. She was a Royalblood. A very fast one. In all his life, Giliad had never fought another of his kind. It was Tayyi’s first lesson after he’d discovered Giliad’s true nature – never fight other Royalbloods.

“You don’t know who Ull Ghis is?” Her eyes changed color-from deep blue into a forest green and her gaze became distant. This is my chance. Giliad took the position but upon jumping he discovered his feet stuck in the water. He couldn’t move them! What kind of alchemy is this? Her skills… A dread, one he hadn’t felt for almost 20 years, grabbed his heart. If his suspicion was true, it would mean two things. He was a dead man and the legend many have only whispered about was real.

Her awareness returned and instantly focused on Giliad.

“What year is this?”

“Twenty years past the Emperor’s death.”

“Emperor? Who? Etohay? Shadow Lord? Vaar o his pet girl Shiveren? No. He’d never let her rule. It leaves only a few capable … Gidja Hybris? Her small kingdom Hubris fell but so did Erynth. Maybe she joined forces with that peasant who defeated Noro the Mighty. What was his name? Ye … Orin … something like this.”

“Ye’kun Orin.”

“Yes!” She smiled, finding the common ground with Giliad. “So did the peasant boy managed to become an emperor?”

“Orin fell almost two thousand years ago.”

The mysterious woman opened her mouth, her eyes wide. It was clear she didn’t expect this revelation. In the truth, Giliad didn’t hear a single name she’d uttered. There was no doubt now. She was a Royalblood and a very old one. It was believed that Royalbloods could live for several thousand years although Giliad heard nothing of such an old Royalblood alive. She was the first and if she remembered someone the history called the Emperor of Sand and Blood as a peasant, how old it made her? Giliad knew only bits and pieces of Orin’s history. That man was unstoppable. He also ordered his generals to murder the entire population of the Fourth Region back then known as the Sand Empire.

“I’ve spent too much time here,” she said eventually. “It is clear that Etohay lied to me. I no longer will honor duty he charged me with.” All of sudden, her eyes flashed with murder. At this very moment, Giliad felt genuine fear. A woman’s face, although exceptionally pretty perfect, was twisted by madness.

“No more playing for you, toy.” She waved her open palm, offhandedly as if she swatted a slow-flying bug. The surface of the lake was broken and four blades made of water flew at Giliad. He dodged the first one, but his feet were still stuck in the water and there was nothing he could do to stop the next blade. Though it was water, it was razor-sharp. Giliad’s skin parted without resistance, which itself was astounding as his body was tougher than those of ordinary men. His blood gashed, splashing the water around. The third blade didn’t reach him.

The woman stood frozen, glaring at him.

“What’s the matter?” Giliad asked, ignoring the pain. The water blade cut through him but somehow, it didn’t split him in half. That’s some strange alchemy… It still hurt like hell.

“Kin?” she asked.

She was mad. And insanely powerful. Giliad’s speed turned out to be unimportant. And she somehow controlled water. What kind of alchemy does it?

“Are you one of us?” she repeated her question with a bit more force.

“If…” he hissed as the sudden surge of pain exploded inside his chest. Something is moving … through me. “…you mean us, Royalbloods, then I do think we are similar.”

Her eyes widened, then they narrowed and she frowned.

“You think I’m an Arcani? Or as you call it now, a Royalblood. I am not, but you are more than an Arcani. Why? What are you? Why are you similar to me?”

“You’re mad, woman.” Giliad dropped to one knee. The pain became unbearable. He squeezed his jaws shut and clenched his fists. He wouldn’t lose to this weirdo.

“Mad? You have no idea what madness is. You seem to not recognize my kind. Strange. We were feared and respected long before that peasant Orin became an emperor.”

“Your … kind?”

“Yes. I am Akame’ye Accia, Awakened Spirit of Water.”

Giliad’s vision swam, then blurred. He lost the battle with the pain.