“Friends?” Nicanor repeats, his eyebrow cocked. “Did you not accost us unawares with the intent to ingratiate yourself with my student? That hardly seems like the action of a friend.”

  “A most uncharitable characterization, Sir. Quite false, I assure you,” Yuvaan replies smoothly.

  “Which part? Accosting, or ingratiating?”

  Yuvaan grins, transforming his craggy, lined face into a beaming visage of sheer joy. “Single-minded purpose! The spear suits you. I am here first of all to pay my debts. I have gifts for the team and an offer of transport. Whether or not Master Nuri will entertain my other pleas is a secondary matter.”

  Nicanor flicks a glance my direction, and I nod fractionally. He sighs, pressing his lips together, and takes his time before replying. “Tell me more about this debt, wagon-man.”

  Yuvaan graciously takes the petty insult in stride. I’m sure he’s heard worse disparaging comments about his profession. “For many years, the Barrens were ruled by an iron fist: Totten, the tower master of Halmuth. His tyrannical policies and mismanagement of resources led to the tightening of trade routes. He allowed a monstrous city-eater to harass Halmuth for many years, refusing to commit enough of his [Hunters]—two-bit enforcers for his regime not deserving the title of monster hunters—to end the threat.”

  Here Yuvaan pauses, turning to spit into a pot holding up a spiked cactus. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, wipes his lips, and smiles tremulously. “Forgive an old man his vitriol. Long did we suffer under Totten’s ill-begotten reign.”

  Nicanor regards him impassively. At length, he shrugs. “Nuri’s propensity to upend the local powers that be is well-known. You’re hardly the first to benefit from the fallout. Yet you feel justified tracking us down. Why?”

  “Because, Commander, I have not yet discussed the debt. It is rather personal in nature, you see,” Yuvaan says softly. The raw vulnerability in his voice seems to bring Nicanor up short, and he gestures for our host to continue.

  “A young man without prospects or family petitioned me for work several years back. Despite no Class or caravanning Skills, I gave him a chance with one of my subsidiaries. For a few years, I put him out of mind. Yet he took to the trade like a hawk soaring the skies. He soon outgrew the smaller villages on the edge of the Barrens, and wanted to try his hand at the big leagues, to prove my faith in him was not misplaced. I agreed to provisionally bring him onto the team. And that led him straight to Totten.”

  The words twist at the end as Yuvaan’s voice cracks. He works his jaw.

  Clearing his throat, Yuvaan resumes his tale. He no longer meets Nicanor’s gaze. His eyes glitter like cut gems in sunlight as he stares off into the middle distance. “Trade in the Barrens runs through Halmuth. Full stop. So when Renjie wanted to move up the ranks, he had no choice but to go to Halmuth. He lasted all of two months before the Oletheros claimed his life in an attack, along with eight of his companions.”

  “You told us you were hoping to hire him,” Avelina says, her voice guarded. “Now you’re saying he worked for you?”

  Yuvaaan nods at her. “Good memory. He ran a caravan for a smaller company I invest in, but I was hoping to hire him full time in my own caravan. This was his test run. His very first chance at moving up in the world.” Yuvaan hisses out a pained release of air between his teeth. “Look what cutthroat kindness I offered.”

  “That is guilt, not a debt,” Nicanor cuts in. His voice is steel, but there’s no animosity to his tone. He knows better than any of us what it’s like to lose those following his lead. The Army is a meat grinder like none other.

  “Indeed,” Yuvaan agrees remorsefully.

  “If I may?” I raise a hand to draw Nicanor’s eye. He nods once, and I intercede for the [Caravan Leader]. “Without Yuvaan’s assistance, our requested glass donations would have slowed to a trickle, and we wouldn’t have been able to take down the beast. This is before fixing my core and channels, so I needed help with raw materials. He stepped up and helped us when no one else had the courage to try.”

  “Sounds like your ‘debt’ is already paid. That has nothing to do with us,” Nicanor says. He straightens in his seat, and his presence fills the room. He catches Yuvaan’s eye and holds the man in place with the force of his attention.

  “Paid? Only if the cost of a life is nothing but shiny trinkets spilled out on the sand,” Yuvaan spits back, his face twisting from a charming host to a mask of rage and sorrow. His right hand hovers over the handle of a knife on the table.

  Instantly, Nicanor’s guards stand up and loosen their swords in the scabbards, preparing to draw them for real. Their weapons are only ever sheathed unless they intend to kill.

  “Stand down,” Nicanor commands. Quiet as his words are, the pair of [Honorbound Bodyguards] slam into their seats as though he shouted at the top of his lungs.

  Tangled snarls of significance weave between the two men, angry and raw, like an open wound pulsing red. Then Nicanor nods, and the bonds connecting them grow quiescent. “For the first time today, I believe you. Very well, [Caravan Leader], I will relent.”

  Yuvaan swallows whatever biting words appear to have been on the tip of his tongue. He chuckles, bitterly at first, but mellowing out into a warm, companionable laugh. He sips his tea and inclines his head toward Nicanor, then echoes his earlier statement. “So. Friends?”

  Nicanor dabs his chin with a cloth napkin and smiles. He folds the cloth meticulously and launches into a short speech that’s so personable and unlike his terse communication style that I’m almost convinced it’s the product of a social Skill at work on his behalf, though I don’t see any evidence of such structures in his core.

  Maybe he’s just well trained in diplomacy when he wants to turn on the charm, and he simply doesn’t bother most of the time. Certainly not with me. Plausible, I suppose. He works with high-ranking bureaucrats regularly.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Nuri vouched for you, so we don’t doubt your sincerity, [Caravan Leader] Yuvaan. That I didn’t take him at his word reflects poorly on my trust—and on your hospitality. Please forgive my probing; I only sought the truth. I regret the offense. I assure you I am simply exercising an overabundance of caution in light of recent events. Skepticism only seems fitting given the trouble that often comes knocking on Nuri’s door.”

  “Admirable commitment to your duty,” our host replies easily, his earlier frustration and anger forgotten. Once more his old eyes twinkle with mischief as he beams at Nicanor.

  Abruptly, Yuvann’s kind features harden. He turns a stern gaze my way and speaks in an admonishing tone. “You ought to learn to not answer the door for everyone, Nuri, and for trouble least of all. An open invitation does you no favors, my friend. Stop making extra work for these fine gentlemen.”

  I nod meekly. “Yes, Sir. I will try to be more conscientious of the way I affect others.”

  “You’ll try? Peh! Well-meaning intentions only get you so far. Do better,” Yuvaan says as he leans over and refills my cup of tea. Steam curls up from the scalding brew and dissipates into the air.

  I nod. “Well said.”

  Mikko looks up from his plate for food just then, finally finding the courage to join the tense conversation. “You would get along well with my father, [Caravan Leader] Yuvaan. Good advice.”

  “I look forward to introductions. He has raised a fine son,” Yuvaan replies smoothly.

  “Two sons, though I’m not sure that I qualify as fine,” I say reflexively. “He took me in when I had no one else. Much like you and Renjie, I suppose.”

  Yuvaan’s cheek twitches just below his left eye. “I would call him a wise and generous man, but I hope you don’t think I’m merely flattering myself after you compared us.”

  I raise my tea cup, moderating it with [Greater Heat Manipulation] to cool it to acceptable levels, and drain the cup. It’s a bold, rough blend that instantly reminds me of the Barrens: life stubbornly finding a way in the face of an inhospitable land. Hidden waters, creeping vines, the thorns and thistles clinging to rocks, surviving against all odds—it springs to mind so vividly that I’m certain it’s imbued. I’ve never heard of a tea master who could impart the vision behind the imbuing instead of the higher order concept itself.

  I sigh in satisfaction and plunk the now-empty mug down on the table. “I’ll drink to that!”

  “A man of conviction, as I always thought,” Yuvaan says with a quiet laugh. “Not many travelers will drink the Desert’s Thorns without blanching or passing out. An excellent portend for our journey together. Coming here was the right choice after all.”

  “Let me repay your gift of tea,” I say, reaching into the folds of my robe and withdrawing my final cake of dried tea from Ozana. “Do not waste a drop. You may discover a revelation, if you listen to the thrum of the world.”

  His eyes widen as one of his Skills activates. Based on the runic arrays I pick up, it looks like a heavily ranked-up appraisal Skill, though some of the runes are new to me. He swallows hard, then breaks into a grin. “Kingly indeed is this gift! I will treasure it.”

  “All right, the interplay is going way over my head. Let’s speak plainly. Why are you out here, anyway? This can’t all just be about Renjie. What gives?” Avelina demands. Motes of fire dance around her braided hair, and she glowers at our host with her arms crossed.

  “As expected from a soul of flame and beauty such as yourself,” Yuvaan says. His eyes glitter with amusement, shifting from coal-black to a warm orange-brown. Simultaneously, the room feels more welcoming, less hostile. “I came here to find you, obviously. It may come as no surprise to discover that my time in the Barrens is at an end. We hear whispers of your deeds, even from little old Halmuth, and the winds have shifted. Sand has buried Totten.”

  “He’s dead?” Avelina blurts out.

  “No, no! Simply a figure of speech, I assure you. All I mean is that his time has come and gone. He gambled and lost when he opposed you. The [Merchants] of Halmuth do not wish to be blacklisted for his crimes.”

  She scowls. “So, your masters sent you to make amends, and like a good dog you jumped at the chance to obey?”

  Yuvaan looks hurt at the bite to our [Flamerworker]’s accusation. His weathered face creases more deeply, transforming his skin into a map of criss-crossing crevices. “Please. I am here of my own volition. This is mercy, nothing more. Sinister motives belong to others; I am a true son of the Barrens.”

  “Peace, Ava,” I murmur.

  She arches an eyebrow. “He’s not lying?”

  I shake my head slightly.

  “Telling the truth,” I confirm. “I will consider your request, [Caravan Leader] Yuvaan. Kindness goes a long way with me.”

  “I’m honored,” he replies.

  Across the table, Nicanor’s honor guards exchange glances. Disapproval echoes clearly through my Domain. It’s a familiar refrain with them. They don’t like that I gave so much away for free. The ability to pick up on lies and intent is more powerful if it’s kept hidden, after all.

  “Something to say?” I ask them.

  The injured guard meets my eyes. “With respect, Commander Nicanor is our priority. Your choices are irrelevant, except for when your behavior reflects poorly on him.”

  Innovation and sharpness both activate to aid my comprehension. Instead of blurting out a response, I take a moment to consider the implications. “Apologies. I’ll try to keep that in mind going forward. I’ve been thinking too selfishly until now. Your name?”

  The ghost of a smile touches his lips. “Call me Net.”

  I smile back. “Is your partner named First?”

  “How’d you guess?” Net replies mildly, but his grin is sharp as knives.

  “Safety first!” Nicanor cuts in, grinning broadly, which changes my entire perception of his sense of humor. Have I overlooked some hidden depths? The [Spear Commander] is more than his taciturn disposition, unless this is the extent of his grim humor. Maybe it’s the way he makes fun of having an honor guard in the first place. They’re not yet into Gold, after all. He’s likely more dangerous than the two of them put together.

  “Well, First and Net, since good ol’ Nic here hasn’t seen fit to fill you in, I can sense the emotions around me. In fact, I can see and hear everything that happens within a few dozen paces of me through my [Arcane Domain].”

  Speaking of my Domain, I sense Nicanor’s approval at vastly underselling the range of my abilities in front of Yuvaan. I don’t mind sharing secrets, but holding back some strength is an attractive idea, even though I generally trust our new travel companions.

  The [Caravan Leader]’s face lights up. “Domain, right! Your ability to combat the Oletheros! Rare indeed that a man gains the power of abyss-spawned beasts. Fighting back on equal footing is one thing, but besting such a creature? Ah! You’re marked by fate, I perceive.”

  I wave off Yuvaan’s over the top proclamation. “Not sure I believe in fate. And I owe my current reputation to my team and their efforts. I’ve grown strong, but I can’t claim all the credit.”

  “The quality of friends you attract is another kind of strength,” Yuvaan replies. The vivid spark of amusement never fades from his dark eyes.

  “Loyalty is more precious than gold, but Nuri has proven his worth,” my teacher Nicanor weighs in, nodding toward me.

  My heart warms at the unexpected praise, though it seems out of place. I've never seen the taciturn [Spear Commander] so congenial, especially not after he was so antagonistic at the start of our meeting. If I didn't know for a fact that Yuvaan isn’t charming us all with an advanced Skill, then I would suspect foul play.

  “Thank you. Sincerely,” I say, my vision glimmering slightly with unshed tears. I blink them away and smile at my companions. It’s good to be with friends.

  “Wonderful! Our journey will be a grand adventure,” Yuvaan declares, clapping his hands together and smiling all around.

  I return his smile. “Glad you found us, Yuvaan. I look forward to a fruitful partnership.”