The sun blazed down like it was personally offended by everyone standing beneath it. Sand whipped through the air, stinging cheeks, slipping into armor, and turning every breath into a mouthful of grit. Yet Rokhen stood firm, flanked by Amara at his side. Behind them, barely a hundred warriors gritted their teeth, getting their weapons ready and wounding their nerves tightly like drawn bowstrings.Across the dusty span of land stood Varohn—more smug than a snake in a silk robe—with his usual flair for theatrics. Behind him? A chaotic mob of swarming, jittery and loud thugs. They hooted, swung their weapons in the air, and howled like desert dogs tasting blood.Varohn raised his voice over the howling winds."As you can see, honourable leader," he called, oozing sarcasm through his tone, "turning back isn’t an option for us... not until we get what we want!"Rokhen squinted but said nothing.Amara leaned sideways, adjusting the weight of her mallet with a grunt. "What did he just sa

Rokhen didn’t pause to admire the chaos he’d just witnessed. The blue flames still hissed on the sand where half of Varohn’s men had fled, a sickly, otherworldly trail that steamed and smoked in the dry air. For a moment, Rokhen simply took it in—the stench of singed cloth and fear and the way the wind dragged the smoke like someone trying to erase a bad memory. That was enough. His boots pushed off the sand, and through a clean, controlled burst that sent grains skittering in his wake, he launched himself forward.He hit the ground in a low, controlled roll and sprang up again as wind teared at his cloak. He didn’t hesitate. The chained women were his priority. He ran straight toward the cage, throbbing the rope of his sword at his side and moving like a man who’d practiced this single motion a thousand times in his head.Now standing still at the middle of the chaos, Serakai still tried to breathe. Chains clinked around her wrists; her lungs were stabbing for steady air, but her

Moments ago…The wind was pushing the desert’s dry heat right into Kaelen’s face, the kind of heat that dried your lips and made your eyes sting. His horse’s steady gallop kicked up swirls of dust as he followed the faint tracks of scorched carving through the sand—fresh enough that the sands from the wind hadn’t yet swallowed them below.He tugged the reins lightly, slowing the pace as the trail led him to a distant shape on the horizon. The caravan.He pulled up, making the horse come to a smooth but restless halt, while swaying its body slightly beneath him. From here, it was a long, tense scattered line of wagons and riders, all squared up like they were bracing for a storm.Kaelen leaned forward a bit, squinting and tracing his gaze along the defensive line until it landed on the cage in the back. A cage that sat still, guarded… and inside—yes. The silhouette was unmistakable.“Yeah… the old man is definitely in there,” Kaelen muttered, as the restless snort of his horse half-

“So…,” Kaelen carried a soft voice that sounded like a steady hand on a fraying rope, “you don’t have to bother your already bothered heart about my memories… or even worry about me getting separated from you ever again.”Then his head tilted forward, locking his eyes squarely with Sahen’s — two hard points of light, unwavering. “So yes, um… sire…?” His gaze sharpened, constricting his pupils.“It’s Sahen,” the man snapped, drawing out his other dagger with a whip-fast flick of the wrist. Metal hissed as the twin blades caught the light. His feet slid apart into a predatory stance, and he bent his knees just enough for the launch.“Ah… yes… Sahen,” Kaelen echoed with the faintest nod. “I lost part of my memories — you’re correct about that. And about the part where you declared you’d beat the crap outta me a second time…” He let his lips curl into a small, humorless smile, dropping his tone into something lower and heavier. “… I’d really like to see you try.”The air in the tent see

“You expect me to just… tell you that?” Varohn’s voice was a low growl, pulling his brow tight until his eyes were nothing more than burning slits. Kaelen tilted his head, almost casually. “Sure… why not?” He shifted Sahen aside slightly, dragging the man’s weight in his grip like a sack of grain. “You’re the all-powerful, ruthless guy that’s been causing a whole lot of problems. I mean—” his gaze flicked past Varohn, “—look at what you did.”His chin jerked toward the canyon at the far side.Varohn followed his line of sight. The jagged cliffs looked like something a god had taken a bite out of—half the canyon wall was completely pulverized, and the rest was hanging jagged and raw. Dust still clung to the air, as the smell of scorched stone still rode with the wind.“What about it?” Varohn’s voice came dry, almost bored.Kaelen turned back to him with climbing eyebrows. “I mean—seriously. What did that canyon ever do to you? It was just standing there, minding its business, not butt