Kalen looked back at Dorvel.
Most of the messengers had already gone their separate ways. Only he, Lior, and a handful of others remained together, large sections of the communication device strapped to their backs.
"Where are we going?"
"Maulec," Lior replied. "We'll stay there and send word to Headquarters about what happened."
"What do you think happens next?"
"They'll either assign us to another vacant town willing to host the messenger guild..." Lior paused, his gaze drifting across the savannah.
"But if you want my opinion... it'd be better if all of you joined them in Maulec or found another line of work."
***
"He was last seen at the western gate."
"He's no longer in the vicinity."
"Combing the western district."
"Moving on to the next zone."
The chatter crackled over the radio as Acrantha waited for word on Jarek's whereabouts.
A soldier stepped inside.
"They've been brought in."
Acrantha's head turned toward him.
Without another word, she walked past, heading for one of the vehicles stationed outside.
Three soldiers sat inside, two of them with heavily bandaged legs.
The moment Acrantha climbed into the rear compartment, they stood as best they could and saluted.
Her gaze lingered on the two trembling as they tried to keep weight off their injured legs, before settling on the third soldier, the faint bruising around his neck still visible.
"Who did it?" she asked.
The soldiers exchanged puzzled glances.
"Who fired the first shot?"
Silence hung in the vehicle.
"It was me."
The wounded soldier slowly raised his hand.
"Why?"
"We were in a bad position. It was the only way I could think of for us to prevail."
"Did you... prevail?"
"No, ma'am."
"You discharged a firearm in a location that is not yet under Solax's jurisdiction... and still came back empty-handed."
...
"Do you understand what happens if this becomes public and we fail to capture the fugitive?"
The soldier opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
"I'll answer for you."
"If we don't have him, then we have no concrete evidence that we didn't violate the current peace treaty."
She reached into a pocket and withdrew a folded handwritten letter.
"Return to Solax."
She handed it to him.
"Give this to the first major or higher-ranking officer you see."
"You are hereby reduced to the rank of recruit."
"It seems your field training was insufficient."
The soldier silently accepted the letter, his fist tightening around it.
"Why are you still here?" Acrantha asked.
"I told you to leave."
"R-right now... on foot?"
"I don't intend to repeat myself."
The soldier gave a quiet nod and limped out of the vehicle.
The other soldier, the one with bruises around his neck, handed him a crutch before he left.
Acrantha watched him limp away.
She drew in a slow breath, then let it out before stepping out of the vehicle.
"How long has it been since we arrived?" she asked the soldier walking beside her.
"Two hours and thirteen minutes, ma'am."
"Have the messengers cleared out?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. I don't want any more complications."
KRRKSH
"Ma'am, we have word on his whereabouts."
The transmission crackled through the radio at the soldier's waist.
Acrantha's eyes narrowed.
***
Jarek slammed a soldier's head into a wall again and again.
Another threw a punch.
Jarek weaved past it.
A third struck the back of his knees, sending him crashing to the ground.
A boot came down toward his head.
He rolled aside just in time.
He sprang back to his feet—
THWACK
A knee crashed into his face.
He caught the woman's leg, yanking it out from under her before leaping in the opposite direction.
Another soldier nearly slipped over her as she hit the ground.
THUD
A kick slammed into Jarek's side.
His injured arm was too slow to block it.
Another soldier rushed in.
A flurry of blows followed.
Some he blocked.
A few he dodged.
The rest landed cleanly.
Jarek drove forward, body-checking one of them to the floor.
As another swung at him, he caught the man's arm, twisted sharply—
CRACK
The shoulder dislocated.
The soldier drew a knife with his free hand and drove it into Jarek's thigh.
"Agh—"
Jarek shoved him away and tried to run.
The soldier he had tackled still held the knife.
With a swift pull, he ripped it free from Jarek's leg before driving it into his calf.
Jarek fell again.
He twisted his leg violently, loosening the blade, then skidded toward the man, trapping his neck between his legs.
"Sorry."
CRAAACK
His neck snapped.
Jarek was met with a kick straight to the head.
He rolled, his vision blurring.
The woman moved in, cuffing one of his wrists in a single motion.
He shoved her away, staggering back to his feet.
Another woman rushed him, throwing a punch.
Jarek leaned back, then swung his cuffed arms over her head.
His wrists locked around her neck as he pulled her against his shoulder, choking her.
She glanced at the wound in his calf.
Then she kicked it.
Again.
Again.
His grip weakened.
She forced his arm off her neck, drove a kick into the back of his knee, then planted a boot between his shoulders.
Jarek hit the ground face-first.
She yanked his restrained arms behind him.
Panting heavily.
Jarek struggled beneath her, his injured shoulder offering little resistance.
Another soldier rested a boot against the side of his head, breathing just as hard.
"For... an old man... you're pretty good."
"I'm only... forty-two... I think," Jarek shot back, his head still throbbing.
The soldier dropped to one knee and gagged him.
Another restrained his legs.
Finally, they bound his arms against his torso before hauling him into one of the vehicles.
***
"It's been one hour and thirty minutes. Can we go now?" Ria asked, sounding exhausted despite having done nothing.
"Fine," Faelan sighed.
He searched around the large door behind the vehicle until he found the handle.
The heavy door groaned loudly as he pushed it upward.
It's actually staying up...
He returned to the vehicle.
"Alright then... let's do this."
Ria climbed in with surprising enthusiasm.
Faelan turned the ignition key.
The engine roared to life.
"Right pedal..."
VRRO-DDD
The vehicle lurched forward, nearly slamming into the wall ahead.
Faelan's breathing quickened.
"So... softer then."
He shifted into reverse and backed away.
It took five more attempts before he finally managed to line the vehicle up with the tunnel entrance.
"You are terrible at this," Ria remarked, her expression full of disappointment.
"Well... I still did it, didn't I?" Faelan shot back as he drove toward the exit.
SKRRR-THUNK
The side of the vehicle scraped against the doorway on the way out.
The impact sent the heavy door crashing shut behind them.
"Well... at least we don't have to bother closing it," Ria added.
Faelan shot her a look.
From inside came the sound of something expensive collapsing.
Considering the damage he'd done just getting out...
He had a feeling he now owed Jarek a small fortune.
"So... where to?"
"East. Veictrid Harbour," Faelan replied.
He guided the vehicle through the foul-smelling tunnel.
There was little light, most of it coming from cracks and narrow slits overhead. The interconnected passages formed a sprawling network beneath the town, linking into Dorvel's sewer system.
It wasn't long before they found their way out, though that may have been more luck than skill.
The tunnels were large enough for someone to wander through for hours.
They emerged several kilometers from Dorvel, the town steadily shrinking behind them.
"We covered a lot of ground in a short time," Faelan remarked, surprised.
If only these weren't so expensive. They'd be invaluable to messengers.
They'd save so much time...
His eyes drifted to the road ahead.
...They'd save a lot of time, and...
The thought finally clicked into place.
"...That's why they cost so much, huh?" he muttered.
"Did you say something?" Ria asked from the back seat.
"No... nothing at all."