"Aya watch out for that grass-snake!" Shassii warned, pointing out hesistantly.

The snake slithered past before stopping as it let out a long hiss.

"Close one eh" I murmured out, spotting it abruptly.

Quine came close grabbing it by its tail and flinging it afar from the group.

Kairui made her way through the long grass. Slashing past the everglades of grass with her dagger. Sannu fell behind, enjoying the breeze as he contemplated his loss of Rachel. A rose petal and withering dandelion in his hand.

He took the atmosphere in.

It was a bright blue sky with white puffy clouds. The air was cool, with a nice soft summer's breeze.

Kairui's long black air flicked around as the morning breeze swept in.

Aya, Ussu, and Shassii stood still with their baskets full of herbs. Taking in the fresh breeze as the dandelions flew past. Quine, Yannu, and Sannu stood opposite them.

Ravens and eagles flew past us, pursuing their prey.

Every moment was magical.

We stood on an isolated hill elevated from the ground. From afar the two rivers gyred around the Canyon tops. Deer raced past them, skipping to the bushes. Birds chirped past, it was like a whole other continent and land. Nature was at peace and everything was unscathed. For a few moments, the siege of war was absent from the collective's mind.

On the other side of what seemed like hell.

Tannol was dragging Klossi through the town square. Waving at the General.

Reaching at the steps he lifted him up by his head. Degrading him in front of the public.

The crowds squirmed and flinched at the sight of the bruised man.

"Oiii, Caciccaci man translate…!" Tannol rudely told him, while spitting and poking his ribs.

Klossi let out two coughs as the punch penetrated his ribs, two blood spats left his mouth.

The commander spoke out again, this time with a sharp menacing grin on his face.

"Ladies, Gentlemen the name is Commander Nidd"

"We are here on a simple expedition. We are looking for this body of water. This lake!" he said as he pointed at the map.

The crowds were shocked to see an outlined map, highlighting their location as well as the neighboring unheard and never before seen nations. For many, it was the first they had learnt of an outside world.

The commander's pale skin itself caught them off guard. It was the first they'd seen these estranged people in a near millennium. Even Caciccacian's in multitudes were rare but they had a long history of them. Merchant envoys, scholars, and tradesmen. Visited them all the time from the north. Residing in the city of Eein mainly.

These new people were totally new, and they had met them by the sword. Not by invitation or trade.

"We descend from the Great Empire of Tal Morenn. Your neighbors in Rhiniss got to meet us much earlier than you did. Along with others. It has been a long Journey to get here. Make our stay easier, co-operate, and lead us to the lake".

"Translator translate" he urged, eager to get a response.

Tannol punched Klossi in the ribs again signaling him to start. With a spit of blood, he began translating what Yidd had said. In the translation, he warned of how they would all be slaughtered if they found the Sel'nijj.

"Keep them Guessing the location or act like it's mysterious, no matter what they do to you!! Don't give it up. They dragged me from Caciccaci to their seas and cold wintery lands, with mountainous endless planes of grasslands. They are restless and hurt all whoever they've encountered"

"If they gain, the power of the Śeinq you will all go into slavery. Sold around the greater world.... the realm past...."

Klossi cried out in frustration, with passion bracing every word that he uttered.

"Wait, and keep your strength until the Eein army attacks or sends help"

"They will enslave and sell you all!! They've sold some of us to distant lands, they want to take over the land as well! They don't come in peace or cohesion. They want to indoctrinate you and steal the power of the crowd wept and panicked.eingtt" he instructed them diligently, issuing out warnings.

The crowd jeered and thanked him. Cheering him on, singing him praises, spewing out insults at the foreign army.

The army doubled its forces as the crowd pushed forward, vowing to free the imprisoned man. They all had felt his plea, to them it was a call to arms. Seeing their Caicaccian brother tied up, hurt their mind. Knowing the same fate and destruction of their world awaited them instructed anger and revolt in the hearts of the elders and youth.

A tall elder asked for his name, gaining the attention of the crowd. Who echoed his request so they could etch it into the records.

"Klossi kil'ai"

"Klossi Uun Caciccaci" he humbly responded.

The elder froze for a second. Like he remembered the name from somewhere. The name rang a bell.

The crowd wept and panicked as the revelation was revealed.

"KLOSSI KIL'AI!!, KLOSSI KIL'AI!!, KLOSSI KIL'AI!!" a chant slowly grew, gaining volume as the people championed him. Even those afraid for their lives repeated one after the other.

"Śeinq Uun Caciccaci!!"

"Sanni' ajja Śaqhl Klossi Kil'ai Uun Caciccaci, Eein" They sang out.

Klossi fell compassion as tears fell from his eyes. The praises they sang of him. He understood half as some was in the old language but he pieced it together.

Seeing this the General Shouted at Tannol to return him to his cage immediately.

Seeing him dragged viciously on the ground. The women and elders' side by side gave way. But all knelt to the knees. Sending blessings to his name, the women showered him with flowers as they celebrated him. Some even lifted their kids to see him, to some this was the first they had seen a Caicaccian in their life. He was a hero to them, a real incarnation of the consecrated Śeinq living. They had hoped their children will grow to be brave like him.

Tannol dragged him quickly through the crowd. To stifle any support for him. That was growing as the crowd, grew rowdy and rowdier.

Landing back at the cellars.

He opened the door and rushed him down the stairs mocking him.

I saw them arrive back here in the cellars after what seemed like fifteen shinns. To my surprise, my tongue had healed but my mouth was filled with the taste of dry blood.

It seems my suicide attempt had failed. The Śiekhl refused to send me off to the Linniq I guess.

The door to the cellar sprung open once again.

Two figures emerged.

I grew weary, hoping it wasn't those two evil men again.

Seeing him return I felt relieved.

"Get moving, fucker you think you smart. Getting those people roused up. You'll regret that by tomorrow evening. Believe me".

"Ajill" he mumbled under his breath as he smiled at me.

Tannol kicked him into the cell. Spitting and punching him in the face.

Tannol fled back up the stairs and conversed with Frinist before heading out.

Their voices disappeared into the background following a loud slam.

"What happened out there?" I questioned.

"Urrghh"

"Ohh, you mean the noise out there. The people love me as to be expected darling" he replied cockily switching back to Eein dialect.

A big smirk and a flirtatious proud look kissing his face.

Chainik simply gasped laughing internally.

"How'd you piss them off?".

"Men at work! Dear, Men at Work!" he arrogantly boasted.

We laughed as we both groaned in pain.

"I warned the people! Thankfully, they don't have the other translator here" he suggested in a serious tone.

"Where's he??".

"With the rest of the army, I presume" soon to come in.

"How much did you tell them?"

"Enough so, no one squeals about the Sel'nijj. Not yet at least".

"I hope they don't know about the Telling of Śeikl"

"Ohhh, that's going to bring trouble to you. To us when he gets here"

"Yep it will, but don't worry I'll protect you" he mocked.

"You… just love the attention, don't you?".

Klossi flexed his muscles and tattoo's.

"Huh, you say something... Comes with the man".

I giggled while covering my mouth. As he posed twisting his body from left to right. Jerking his eyebrows up and down.

Extending my finger through the bars I poked his ribs. Causing him to collapse in pain.

"URGH URGH"

We laughed and sniggered as he lay their animated rolling around.

I never thought for a second, in this horror moments of companionship and laughter could be formed. The advent of pretending everything was fine was a way for him to blanket the pains we'd suffer together later on.

Resting place

All meeting up on the other side of the lake deep in the forest. A tall waterfall set the scene. We all gathered to discuss what we had found. Baskets on the floor, filled with medical herbs. Sannu and Quine had taken over this expedition. Being the most versed in herbal practices and which were best to consume.

We spent roughly six hours at the waterfall covering an area of around three hundred meters. With Ussu, Me, and Shassii gathering herbs. With Yannu, Kairui and Sannu focused on building firmaments, a camp and defenses. The heavy lifting basically. This was to be our second camp in case the soldiers found us. Kairui found it for us and explained how it would be a good vantage point.

Honestly, it seems like she knows her way around the area and survival being a wanderer. That's what the backstory she told us was anyway.

Quine would step in command when she left.

Supervising the gathering of the herbs, we gathered while Sannu and Yannu lifted and set up spikes and booby traps. Eventually, I left Ussu and Shassii to fend for their own. Shassii had opened up more after confirming I was alive. I hadn't got round to telling her our dad's fate yet ummm…

Confidently speaking am still afraid. I still stray away from the topic. Everything's still a blur like a horrible nightmare. I remember him in pain but anything afterwards it's always a blank in my mind.

I made my way to Quine who was barking out orders to Yannu who was lifting a log with Sannu.

"Take it over there, Keep it in the enclave under that waterfall".

"Okay, okay… give a woman a small amount of power and they become a tyrant" he muttered under his breathe.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY??" She shouted. Her face like a disgruntled parent.

"Nothing, nothing. Hehe," Sannu replied in place of Yannu.

"Got the guys on their toes I see," I said to her.

"Yeah, somebody has to. Or those muscles they claim to have will soften and go weak" she responded confidently in her theory.

I laughed.

"Do you ever think of Chainik or Jasi and the others??" Quine switched topics. Showing concern wasn't her normal attitude but I guess the change of atmosphere and safety lessened her guard.

"Unfortunately I do. Especially Chaini…."

"What'd she say to you at the bridge?" Quine turned to me. Intrigued.

"To go home. That I wasn't to blame but really I am. Shassii still cry's in the night about it. You know".

"It's sad but there was nothing we could do for her. I wish…. There was… but there was…. No time. You made… the right choice! Never forget or Question that!".

Quine looked down at her notes.

"Jasi and the others made it. They must've! That's just what we have to believe" she reaffirmed positively.

"We'll see them again soon. In the future!".

"Did you see and settle things??"

"With your … um fath…"

Aya turned away quickly brushing off her question.

Quine noticed.

We stood silent for a while before she spoke out again.

"When my parents died… I riddled with life and death. I thought of only myself for most of my life, why, mostly because I had nothing. Their last words were don't blame us. Contrary to that I did the opposite for a while, for leaving me in this world alone. Then I blamed myself, hated myself for abandoning them. Then I came to terms there was nothing I could do to help. I was weak, defeated… It's best to not dwindle on thoughts of what if and just act. If it's best for you, that's all that matters at the end" she narrowly put it.

"That's my so-called philosophy…anyway....what do i know....." she anxiously joked.

"My situations different...my fath.....dad.....no just no....".

Although I disagreed with some parts of what she said. I realized were more alike now, more than ever.

This was her philosophy or way of thinking. Something she had arrived at, to help and keep herself together. Now that my dad was ummmm.... would I eventually arrive at the selfish conclusion she deduced. Maybe if I lost Shassii too but not now. But Quine has nothing but us and has always been by herself for a long time.

Shassii was an orphan too but she had me and my dad as her family for years. Maybe it was a matter of perspective, either way, I don't really know.

I contemplated deeply at what she said.

Leaving me to my thoughts I saw her move on.

As she raced to the waterfall to harass Yannu and Sannu again. Lost in my own thoughts, Shassii came and dragged me back to the group.

"Yannu, I said position it like th…." The cave stopped Quine in her words.

Taking it all in. It was a wide spacious cave. Enough to host approximately twenty to thirty people and seemed to have a narrow shaft that leads deeper into it. On the cave walls were markings and a large signature logo.

"Pity, we don't have a fire" she spoke out. As her voice volleyed across the cave making an echo.

The trio froze listening to the sound ricochet down and eventually ease down.

"The Gateway to the Linniq. Best we leave now… The Śeingtt's Resting place shouldn't be tampered with. Pay your respects and leave" Sannu advised.

They all bowed and chanted a prayer.

"Sanni' Sai Śeingtt"