Eli sat up in bed with a start, stretching and looking around for what had awoken him. If it wasn’t for Manasight, the room would have been pitch black, but with it, he could clearly see the walls and furniture. The colors in the wood were perhaps a bit muted, but the faint glowing walls were nice and clear. Their illumination made it hard to differentiate more than a few rooms away in any direction, the additional layers making things blurry. At least the people around him didn’t seem to be a threat. There were maybe a dozen human-shaped bright lines in the nearest rooms, and no one seemed interested in him.

He blinked before flipping on the lights, toggling the ability off. The room was suddenly filled with light, and he shook his head, trying to forget what he’d just seen. One thing to remember about staying in a hotel – using Manasight meant he saw everything the nearby people were doing. Whether alone or with two or more others joining in, apparently, some people didn’t need much sleep either.

His HUD’s clock told him he’d barely slept, which didn’t feel right. He’d noticed much the same since resetting Guide and his evolution, and he still wasn’t used to it. For most of his life, he’d be lucky to get six hours of sleep a night and feel like death warmed over until he had a couple cups of coffee. Now he woke up feeling refreshed after barely three hours. He could only think that Wolf and Dara had been right – having more power somehow meant he didn’t need as much sleep anymore.

Since the town’s gate wouldn’t open for a few hours, he considered what he wanted to do in the meantime. He could always go over his notes again, but he’d already done that last night. He’d also finished up his observations for the day at the same time, which was why he’d been up so late.

Well, if he wasn’t going to write or study, did he dare try an inscription? He trusted Madwen’s word that failure wasn’t as dangerous outside the simulacrum and had been itching to practice once he’d realized the box’s nishati properties. He had hundreds of sheets, but he was concerned about not having a way to replenish them if they were wasted. What if he limited this session to only a few tries? That should give him enough for testing purposes and time to reflect on anything he learned.

Excited by the idea, he summoned the box. It snapped into being in his hands, and he chuckled at seeing Madwen again, even if it was only a picture frozen in time. Still, he liked to imagine she’d be happy he was getting in some practice, just like she’d suggested.

***

Eko was reading through the short report for the third time, hoping another try would reveal something he’d missed. A similar report was lying beside it with timetables and quantities for easy correlation. All the material deliveries inside the warehouse and residence matched up, but what had come out was far less than what went in. It was as if hundreds of kilos of resources had vanished into the ether without anyone noticing. Unfortunately, another review didn’t change the results, and like so much of what he’d examined lately, there were only more questions and not enough answers.

Feeling his frustration building, he got up from his desk, considering the problem. The supply angle seemed like a dead end with no way to resolve it, not without some new data. He’d already wasted too many days on it, though he’d been using it more as a distraction after sending yet another team north to follow up on suspected sightings. The missionaries from the other directions had already returned, but none looked promising.

He shook the thought away, not wanting to dwell on it when Malitea’s group wasn’t due to report in for days. Needing another more immediate distraction, he walked over to the nearby window. With his squad’s offices placed a respectable distance up the slopes of Bisala Parabat, he had quite a view to appreciate. Below, the old city and its warren of streets, buildings, and monuments spread out until stopped by the ancient white walls. Speckled throughout, tall towers and mighty structures climbed into the sky, marking the powerful families, guilds, and associations that called them home. Beyond the thirty-meter tall walls, buildings were often much smaller, two or three stories, only ending at Bishal’s secondary walls built barely a century ago. Outside the city limits, hundreds of farms, groves, and plots covered the land, with a handful of smaller towns peppered between.

Movement caught his eye, and he smiled in appreciation at a couple of airships slowly moving in the distance. One was a sizeable dark ship descending to the east, likely on its way to the nearby airfield laden with resources to feed the hungry city. Beyond it, a small and sleek ship climbed up towards the thinning clouds. With its design, it no doubt served as either a messenger or personal transport for the powerful and wealthy families that inhabited the grand buildings below. Looking at it all, he had difficulty believing how much had changed for him.

Barely two weeks ago, a mere twenty-eight days, he’d been living a somewhat content existence in sleepy Herria. It had been a quiet life, much of the excitement coming from dealing with the occasional bandit or monster attack. Still, most of his time had been spent watching over his guards and the gate that was his post. He’d needed that kind of welcome reprieve after the horrors of Bailemor, of seeing so many of his friends and companions die before his eyes. His old fire had left him, and he was no longer the warrior he’d once been.

Then, things started to change when he met a mysterious giant with a strange accent outside Herria. The memory was still embarrassing, with the hopeless duo, Veti, and Seb, managing to insult both the giant and his beautiful Gifted companion. When the giant had released his overpowering aura, and a feeling of death washed over him, Eko had thought he’d failed in his sworn duty to protect the town. But instead of going on a rampage or demanding heads for the grave insults he’d suffered, the powerful giant had spared them all. And with little more than a verbal warning, he and his Gifted companion had peacefully taken up a room in the local Lodge.

After such a momentous event, Eko had tried to return to his sleepy life, but a nearly forgotten twinge in his quintessence had stirred. Somehow, his danadas was waking up, something he thought he’d lost on the twisted fields of Bailemor. The urge to act grew until he’d finally decided to at least look into the pair, wondering if they were the source of his gift’s returning strength.

He’d started by making a few discrete inquiries, but the pair had already left the Lodge by then. Head Ute had been unwilling to talk beyond the basic pleasantries, but Eko had expected as much. Some coins dropped in a few of the guests’ hands soon revealed the story, and it was an interesting one. Apparently, some assassin had tried to attack the pair but had instead been thrown bodily through the Lodge’s reinforced stone walls, killing the attacker rather messily in the process. Even more surprising, the witnesses reported that the giant man’s eyes had glowed with a steady, white light.

Eko had followed up the leads from the Lodge and talked with the other gate guards, revealing that the pair had gone west. Besides General Easone’s small fortress, Wolf’s Manor, there wasn’t much more than bare hills, a few rivers, and eventually the great ocean Firmore in that direction. Still, his gift had continued to urge him on, and he’d started planning a short trip at least as far as where the road ended at the foot of the military installation.

However, before he could do so, an unbelievable message arrived from that exact place: the scourge of the north and Demon of Eld Forest, Boruta Dunmaru, had been slain. For a being who had haunted Northmarch for centuries and consumed Dia Danu and the Lost, such a feat should have been impossible for any but the Gods themselves. Instead, it had only taken a few Gifted, plus the help of a mysterious giant who’d appeared mere days before.

The victory did come at a cost, with many of the manor’s guards either killed or wounded. General Easone himself had also been injured, and while he was expected to recover, his command staff had been gutted. He’d already lost renowned Loremaster, Gifted Slana, only days prior, making more than a few wonder at the suspicious timing. The famous Radiant Giant, Jasper Tanca, had fallen in battle against Dunmaru. And the Burning Warrior, Yur’et Ghlan, was said to be gravely injured and unlikely to survive. But while the loss of such heroes was painful, they were doubtless with the ancients now, enjoying their well-deserved rewards.

Surprisingly, news of Dunmaru’s death was soon eclipsed by the spreading legend of the mysterious giant, Velia’Tala. It was a well-known challenge, separating rumor from reality, but too many survivors had witnessed the man’s actions. In the days after the incredible story broke, more survivors brought additional word about what they’d seen. Some even went so far as to make oaths to the Oververse to verify their unbelievable tale; Velia’Tala, his eyes filled with a shining white light, had utterly destroyed the monstrous demon with a single blow. Sadly, the resulting explosion had torn the giant man into pieces. Yet, before any could approach his mangled body, he’d vanished as if the ancients had called him back after fulfilling his purpose.

Rumors and whispers followed, some saying he was actually the Harbinger from legend, here to either save or doom their world. Others said he was only a sign of the Harbinger, an agent preparing the way for the end. A less popular tale had him as the Lord of Decay, the mythical creature said to presage the end of time. But throughout the stories, they all agreed on the man’s towering height, glowing eyes, strange accent, and an overwhelming power filled with impending death.

Finally realizing who had spared him and his men outside Herria’s northern gate, Eko’s returning strength overwhelmed any lingering doubts. Feeling like a veil had been lifted from his eyes, he’d looked around at the person he’d become, hardly recognizing himself. There was so much more he could do, and wasting away in Herria no longer held the same allure it once had. With his family’s ancient gift singing in his mind for the first time in years, he’d known that it was time to return to the warrior’s path. And as if the honored spirits had heard his prayers, Fist Ardamas found him in Herria the very next day.

A knock interrupted his wandering thoughts, and he turned just before Jomon’s grizzled face appeared at his open door. “Commander, there’s a Talent Delesta to see you.”

“Show her in, and close the door. No one is to interrupt us for the next hour.” The veteran saluted before stepping aside as a young woman entered, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Nice and punctual, Talent Delesta. Or do you prefer Reva?”

“Reva, commander,” the woman replied in a soft voice.

“Would you like water or tea? It might be early for anything stronger, but I know how dry the road can be.” He gestured at the small table with various bottles and cups along one wall.

“No, thank you, commander,” she replied in the same soft and wooden tone, just as he’d expected from reviewing her background.

“Have a seat,” Eko said, pointing to one of the chairs before sitting behind his desk. He leaned back, hands interlaced in his lap as he studied the woman.

She sat rigidly in the proper academy pose, her eyes staring blankly over his shoulder. It was evident that she was fresh from the road with her fiery-colored hair plastered against her skull as if she’d only removed her helmet minutes ago. Still wearing her travel leathers, she was covered with a fine patina of dirt and grime. At least she’d found some time to clean her hands and face, removing the worst of the road from her skin.

“Why are you here, Talent Reva?” he asked, curious to see how she’d reply.

Her emotionless exterior shifted minutely, her eyebrows scrunching together for only a moment. “I’m here because General Easone ordered me to report to the new squad commander, Gifted Eko, in Bishal.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her words, thinking her gift might be as strong as the reports stated. “Nice and literal, Talent Reva, but let me rephrase: why do you think you, in particular, were asked to report here?”

Her expression didn’t change this time. “I believe you and your squad need a sagruda, and this is an interview for that position.”

“Why do you think that?” He caught the slight frown as if she were annoyed at his games, but it was gone just as swiftly. “List them in descending order of confidence.”

“Of course, commander,” she replied in the same quiet voice. “First, I was the highest ranked sagruda in my graduating class at Westfall Academy and have had previous offers to join a squad. Second, I have worked with the powerful and common alike and have comported myself well, earning consistent top marks from my commanders. I have heard that such is expected from the Fist’s squads, who often deal with all levels of society. Third, I most recently survived the,” and the woman paused, picking up the thread a heartbeat later. “I survived Boruta Dunmaru’s assault on Wolf’s Manor and earned a commendation. At the time, Gifted Eyonne advised me I would likely receive additional offers in the near future. Fourth, Fist Ardamas spoke to me on three separate occasions while visiting the manor. While he asked different questions each time, there was a commonality running through them with four specific-.”

“Enough,” Eko chuckled, cutting her off. If he hadn’t, she’d no doubt continue listing another twenty or more points that supported her original theory. “Release your gift, Talent Reva,” he tried next, curious to see how she’d handle it.

In response, her wooden demeanor immediately dropped, some life and emotion seeping into her expression. It was impressive to see, as many strong sagrudas struggled with such control, which only reinforced her ability.

Sitting up with a sigh, he knew how badly the squad needed her help, but he wasn’t sure how to convince her to accept his offer. But then, an idea popped into his head, and he followed the urge. “Those are all solid reasons, Talent Reva, but you’re missing the most important from my perspective, though it’s entirely understandable.” He smiled at her questioning look. “I requested you.”

“Commander?”

“I’m guessing you did your own research when General Easone gave you your orders?” he asked. Gratified at her nod, he continued, “Good. Then you know how seriously I take these little urges that most others might ignore. As for the explanation, after Fist Ardamas recruited me, he gave me a generous list of candidates to fill my new squad. Of course, I immediately reviewed them in detail, my danadas active with all the power I could give it. But when I got to your name and read that you had personal experience with Velia’Tala, my gift screamed that you were essential to our success.”

Reva’s expression clouded before going wooden again, and he realized he was losing her. “Don’t misunderstand me, Talent Reva. I don’t give a torc’s dung heap about the politics, prestige, or status countless others value in pursuit of their path. I want results, and for some reason, my gift tells me that you’ll help me get it. Even more, though,” he said but hesitated at admitting something he hadn’t told anyone besides Ardamas. He buried the worry, though, trusting his gift. “I believe I met Velia’Tala in Herria, just days before the battle with Dunmaru.”

That got Reva’s attention, and she abandoned her strict posture for the first time since she sat down. She leaned forward slightly, her hands tight on her thighs, though she still didn’t look his way.

“Weeks ago, I encountered a giant of a man with overpowering strength, and in his company was a Gifted woman. I’ll just say that mistakes were made, and he showed us mercy. Sadly, they didn’t reveal their names,” he continued, gratified to have recaptured her attention. “Then, the day we received word about the battle, Gifted Daralis arrived in Herria seeking additional aid for the survivors. Imagine my surprise when I recognized her as the giant’s companion. That, plus how closely the other descriptions match the man I met, make me certain in my conclusions.”

He smiled, warming up to the subject as her eyes remained locked over his shoulder, the tiny twitches in her expression telling him that he was on the right path. “And you can see how my life has already changed since meeting the two of them.” He gestured, vaguely referencing the office, post, and city they were both in. “My gift first led me here, Talent Reva, and now it's telling me I need your help. I don’t know why the connection with Velia’Tala is important, but it is.”

“Eli Tal,” she said in almost a whisper.

“What was that?”

“His name wasn’t Velia’Tala. The first stories got it wrong, likely assuming he was named after one of the Mad Islanders. I believe his corrected name is spreading, though, since I heard it used in Pasca only yesterday.”

“Eli Tal?” Eko asked, slowly sounding out the unusual name. He suddenly shivered, his gift reacting to his words.

“I accept,” Reva said firmly, her eyes finally turning to meet his. “I will join your squad, commander.”