His message comes, just as Karma knew it would. It’s been only a few hours since she healed Million, which was enough time to make just a bit more progress down the river. Hunts explained that villages nearest to province lines are not allowed to establish rest stops within two miles of the boundary, so if they were to find a boat to rent, or steal, they would have to travel back inward for a short while.

Karma, irritated with the development, had wondered out loud why they didn’t visit one of these villages before making their way to the river, and was promptly told that the southern Shal settlements are known to be hostile to outsiders.

It’s not as if she can’t handle hostility.

Her throat closes off, her eyes widening as air is blocked from where it needs to go. Karma’s hand flies out, as if to steady herself, as she coughs. Sensing her lack of progress, the group halts.

Million is at her side before she can count to three. He pounds on her back. “Are you choking?” Fingers splayed, Karma attempts to both push him away and beat at his chest. Something scratches at the meat within her throat, cutting at her as it forces its way up instead of down.

The blond boy positions himself behind her, his arms gathering around her body. And just before he can get his first squeeze in, Karma is hacking up the form that was just tearing her throat apart. Fingers unfurling slightly, she reveals to herself a sharply folded piece of parchment, now stained with her purple blood. “Good gods!” She coughs again, splattering a healthy dose of blood onto the crook of her arm.

Karma attempts to steady herself, but the trembles that rock through her are far too powerful. Her legs give out before her brain can send the message to the rest of her body, and she’s falling into the arms of Million soon after.

“What the fuck was that?” Mallie and Hunts form a circle around her, but she closes her fists before they can get a good look at what resides within them.

Karma hacks, the tears in her neck stretching. Was there no other way he could have delivered this message? Her eyes roll. Of course, there was, but this is Karmic. He always finds the most painful paths to take. That’s just how he is.

She lifts herself off the boy, her empty hand pressing against his chest. Wiping her mouth, she shoos the others away. “I’m fine, keep moving.” They all eye her, Hunts the most suspicious of them all. But with no real reason or way to force her to open up, they go about continuing their journey, Mallie taking the lead this time around.

Karma falls to the back of the pack, her eyes narrowing as she catches Million watching her out of the corner of his eye. She tilts her head. The what written clear as day on her face. He turns, giving her just a small amount of privacy.

With a deep sigh that hurts to choke down, she unfurls her fingers and unfolds the letter. Her father’s impeccable and fine script reveals itself.

‘The dearest of all my children’ It starts. She rolls her eyes.

‘I will keep this short, as I’m sure you have found personal travel more difficult than our normal methods. As you’ve requested, the capital has been put on lock down. There will be no travel in or out until you have alerted me of the next phase in your plans.

And as I have kept my word to you, you must keep yours to me. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal has cost me more than originally planned, and as such, I require a higher payment. See below for my new list of terms and know that I await your first report.

-His royal majesty’

Her fingers slide to hold the curling parchment. Below his paragraphs, Karma finds the new list of terms. She scowls, her cheeks heating. This will not do.

It seems the king has thought to extort her. Karma folds the note and slips it into her bag. She will have to craft her reply when the others sleep. For now, she will focus on moving forward and figuring out how to word the reply to her father. The slightest undercurrent of an attitude, and he might very well lodge the next letter in her lungs.

Squinting doesn’t help to focus her vision. “Hey, does anyone else see that?” Karma points to the left of the small path they’ve been traveling on. Against a cluster of bent and huddled trees, she swears she sees something that could be of great use to them. Hunts pauses, his own eyes squinting.

A smile lights up his face soon after. “Good eye.” It appears Karma is right in her observation. They veer off their path, twisting into the overgrown grasses, until they make it to the poorly hidden treasure. Tucked up against the trees are three small canoes.

Karma steps away from the group to scan the area. There’s no way anyone would just leave their boats unattended, especially this close to the river. That would be incredibly stupid.

Though she supposes it is within sourcer nature to be stupid, at times. She withdraws her dagger, just on the small chance that this is a trap laid out to capture wayward travelers. Million whistles. “One of them is damaged beyond what I can repair, but these other two only have a few mild scrapes and small holes on their sides. They’re no paddles, though.”

Karma responds while she looks into the grasses that lead further into Shal. “Can’t we just take some of the branches from these trees?”

“The branches we can cut through with minimal effort aren’t wide enough. Besides, these trees are rotting.” Hunts squats next to Million as they thoroughly examine the canoes. Karma can’t stop the feeling that’s trickling up her neck. It’s not that she feels as if she’s being watched, but she feels paranoid. Like there should be someone skulking within the grasses, waiting to ambush.

She doesn’t understand it. And she doesn’t like that she doesn’t understand it. “Can these be moved right now, without damaging them?” She asks, her eyes darting from tree cluster to tree cluster. Her chi is extended, and she doesn’t feel anything outside of the small pinpricks of tiny insects, but she will always trust her instincts.

And right now, they’re telling her that choosing to stay here for a moment longer would be a grave mistake. It seems that her gut has also served as a reliable asset to the group. When they see her urge to move, they understand that she sees something that they don’t. And they all now know better than to doubt her senses.

The boys share a look before each gravitating towards a separate canoe. “Everyone grab an end.” Taking one last look towards the land beyond her senses, Karma sheaths her dagger and squats to pick up the end of Million’s boat.

They lift. And they move away from the eyes that they cannot see.