It had seemed not all that long ago when Tayla and her siblings had first been introduced to the Clanless Twins that made their home in the outskirts of their kingdom. Her father Wren had made it a point to instill in his children the importance of respecting those that lived in isolation from their society. Tayla had witnessed how they lived, scraping by with hard honest work while still offering their share of crops and goods for the Empire’s yearly tithes.

  While they had no central governing body, the men and women that lived in the Coral Highlands lived by a strict code. They didn’t see themselves as above the ruling family, they merely respected their privacy. The hermit-like people had welcomed her father as best they could, they could not afford to throw lavish parties or meals; instead they offered Krak’un plates and cattle as tribute.

  Even compared to the cramped corridors that Tayla called home the caves of the Highlands were bordering on claustrophobic. Yet her father had made it a point to visit every year to each of the main halls throughout the Highlands to pay his respects to the elders. In turn they revered their humble king and were some of his most faithful followers. When he died the Clanless sealed themselves in their caves for months to mourn his passing. It only ended when Alnur had ridden out on his own to share in his new subject's grief. There had been a storm of rumors surrounding what had happened in those caves, what Alnur had done to convince the clanless to end their mourning.

  Tayla knew all too well what transpired, she had watched through her brother’s eyes as he was forced to undergo the many trials and hardships that the Clanless demanded of him. Each elder brought impossible tasks in the hopes that Alnur would fail, a bizarre display of loyalty to their father that seemed to hold the notion that so long as they didn’t recognize his heir their true King would live on. Their mistake had been underestimating her brother's resolve.

  Alnur returned covered in bruises and injuries, behind him he dragged the many trophies he had earned during his stay with the Clanless. From that day they had nothing but respect and admiration for their rightful king.

  “Are you alright Tayla?” Cyrus said as he rode beside her, the two were heading deeper and deeper into the outskirts of the Coast.

  “Yes. I am just trying to convince myself that this isn’t the most insane thing I have ever done.” Tayla said as she scanned the surroundings for the dozenth time that hour. The two were riding in the dead of night into the Highlands at the behest of her uncle. He had mentioned that in these trying times that Tayla would need every soul she could trust.

  It had been nerve wracking trying to sneak out of Navalia without the Empire noticing. Their guards now patrolled the city in force as their golden ship sat docked in one of the nearby fields. The damage from them landing that behemoth of a vessel was monumental. The fields they had chosen to land in were next in line to be planted in the coming spring, the soil they had painstakingly shipped in from elsewhere had been contaminated with who knows what kind of radiation or contaminants from the landing gear and jetwash of the ship.

  Thankfully Tayla had been able to use some old service tunnels that the Empire was unaware of to get out of the city proper. From there they had found a pair of Volburn that had been left in an unoccupied shed for them by a member of the House of Whispers. The six legged horse-like creatures were the only reliable mounts when it came to traversing the Coral Highlands. Though Tayla was still in awe at whomever had managed to break such unruly creatures, they had a reputation for being stubborn till their last breath.

  The two were dressed head to toe in black leathers and cloaks of mesh, the bumpy material helped conceal their shape in the night.

  “We can still turn back.” Cyrus cautioned.

  Tayla had been weighing the options since the public execution; she needed to be sure that if things turned south that the whole of her nation would stand united against the very Empire they had sworn to serve. Even now she couldn’t believe she was considering having to take up arms against the Court and its Gods. She prayed that the Nightfather would watch over them if it ever came to that. Will the fourth bell ring as it was foretold? She pondered.

  Shaking her head, Tayla spoke with steel in her voice. “No. We need the support of the Clanless. Without Alnur to muster them I have to be sure they will answer my call if the need arises.”

  Cyrus nodded in agreement.

  The two rode in silence, the revelation of Cyrus’ true nature was still fresh but after Tayla had time to contemplate the facts she came to understand why her uncle and Lillian had done what they had. Her hatred and anger had turned into a throbbing pain that she had never been trusted with the truth, that her father had seen fit to carry that secret to the grave. Somewhere in her mind she felt the coaxing of the link. A gentle pulling in the back of her mind.

  When was the last time she had spoken with her brother? She found herself wincing as she struggled to remember. The conversation had been about Alnur’s struggles while waiting to be given the all clear to return home. Tayla had been hesitant to reveal too much to her brother, lest he be swept up in Nel’Dorn’s fury. The two seemed to be keeping secrets from one another, and yet neither seemed willing to be the first to open up.

  Twins were meant to be two halves of the same soul, yet here they were being pulled apart. Lying to one another. Tayla sighed as her thoughts turned to Fel. Where are you?

  Fel had been last seen in Fulcrest some three weeks prior according to the reports, but since then there hadn’t been a peep. Not since the city was attacked by some monster or the like.

  Tayla lowered her head as she drew on the Tranquility. A gentle numbness spread through her veins as she felt her eyes roll in her skull. In an instant the buzzing and turmoil was gone, replaced with blissful silence and peace. Her mind shifted into its natural state, her problems became simple logical equations that she could step back and tackle one by one. Alnur and Fel were minor issues for the time being, they would be fine so long as they had a home to return to. That required Tayla to focus her efforts on keeping the kingdom from being torn apart by the Empire in the meantime.

  As she rode she plotted and planned. The total men and women she could call on to serve, the weapons they had stockpiled, the defensive patterns they could utilize to protect their home from invaders. With the power of the Tranquility it seemed like a simple math problem to solve. There was even a part of her that enjoyed the challenge.

  Alas, no matter how she crunched the numbers she couldn’t help but come up short. The only way they would have a fighting chance was the power of the Clanless Twins. Tayla looked forward with grim determination. Her father and brother had managed to sway the hearts of these reclusive people, they would find Tayla to be no less stubborn.

  ◆◆◆

  The trip took a couple hours, the whole time the pair kept an eye over their shoulders, fearing that at any moment the golden ship would come to life and find them. It never happened though. The pair made it to the Coral Highlands as Cyrus guided them to an entrance. The highlands never ceased to amaze Tayla, the maze of ravines and narrow passages, the walls of strange coral that had been formed when the All Mother had brought the Black Coast up from the ocean floor almost a thousand years ago. The coral had the power to regenerate itself, acting as a perfect cage to keep the Twins at bay in their small corner of the world as they were forced to fester and ponder on their part in the deaths of the All Mother’s children.

  From a logistics point it meant that there were only a few safe paths through the highlands, which added to the pain of importing and exporting goods. From a symbolic point, it was a clear and ever present sign of their shame and pseudo imprisonment.

  The Empire had tried to scour the highlands at first, but quickly realized how futile it was. The maze-like honeycomb of trenches and ravines were filled to the brim with fauna and flora that had no qualms with killing any that trespassed. The Twins had spent centuries learning everything they could about the highlands, and even they were still surprised by what secrets it held.

  As the two found a breach in the spongy rock wall they nodded to one another before entering the darkness within. Twins had been given many gifts by the Lifeweaver when he had forged their genetic makeup, one of those gifts was the ability to see in almost pitch darkness. Even with that power, Tayla struggled to pierce the murky blackness before her.

  Navigating the highlands was already a daunting task by daylight, under the cover of darkness it was all but impossible. Somewhere in the distance Tayla heard a rumble of thunder. Perfect, just what we needed. A storm.

  Cyrus led them back and forth through the passages despite them both having the same depth of vision in the dark; her uncle seemed unphased as he made his way deeper and deeper.

  “How are you seeing the path?” Tayla finally asked. Even with her emotions dampened she couldn’t hold back her curiosity.

  Cyrus shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t wanna know.” He mumbled

  Tayla raised an eyebrow. “Well now you have to tell me.”

  Even as Cyrus readied himself to argue he sighed in defeat. “The path is marked.”

  Looking around in surprise, Tayla glared at every rock and reed of kelp. “Bullshit!”

  “The marks are made so only Faceless can see them.”

  “How?”

  “We can see polarization.”

  Tayla continued looking around like a fool, hoping that knowing the trick would miraculously grant her ability to see the markings. “Couldn’t the Empire check for that with a scanner or something?”

  Cyrus laughed. “The equipment to do that was rare even before the regression. Plus, they never thought to study us enough to realize we can do it.”

  Tayla felt a surge of joy that came only from learning new and useless information. The Tranquility eased its grasp as she allowed herself to smile, but even as the corners of her mouth creased she felt a bitter rush of guilt. Once again she was letting herself feel happiness while her people suffered. She clamped down on her emotions once more as a thin sheet of ice formed on the reins in her hands. Her smile was snuffed out as she focused once more on the task at hand.

  “How much longer?”

  “Uh, it won’t be long now.”

  True to his word the pair came to a stop in the middle of nowhere not long after. Cyrus dismounted his Volburn as he guided the beast to a thin crack in the coral wall. Tayla followed close behind.

  Cyrus leaned towards the crack as he whistled into the dark crevice. A moment later the sides of the wall groaned as the coral broke away in chunks, revealing an opening big enough for them to enter.

  Tayla had never seen that trick before, at least, not when she had come as a child. The pair walked into the narrow tunnel. Behind them the coral shook as the wall regenerated back to its original shape. Even through the Tranquility Tayla had a nagging thought. Perhaps following a Faceless alone at night into a dark tunnel where no one would find her wasn’t the best idea. Then again, she wasn’t some helpless damsel. Her hand came to rest on the holster of one of the several guns she had hidden on her person.

  The tunnel winded back and forth as Tayla guided her Volburn through the space, the creature for its part seemed unphased by the cramped passage. Tayla began to wonder just how far the tunnel went. Her internal compass told her that they were approaching the edge of the Highlands, any further and they would be underneath the great lake of wraith.

  As if on queue the two made it to a wider multi floored circular chamber. The walls of the room were coral that had been somehow shaped into hovels and nooks, braziers lit with green fire hung from chains mounted into the cavernous ceiling, washing everything in a pale green hue. One the bottom floor was a wider fenced off chamber that housed Volburn and other cattle. Tayla watched in surprise as their Volburn walked themselves to one of the open stalls in the stables and closed the gate behind them.

  But the most alarming thing was what laid in the center of the room. A wide pool of water filled with bioluminescent algae that was about ten feet in depth. There in the water was a small group of Krak’un resting in place. Their kelp blades floated along the surface as they gently swayed back and forth.

  “What in the name of the Nightfather are Krak’un doing here?” Tayla asked aloud.

  Before she could get her answer Cyrus turned and offered a slight bow to a group of approaching figures. There were a dozen of them, each dressed in handmade fabrics interwoven with Krak’un plates and trophies. Judging by their older age and their demeanor they were obviously the elders of the Clanless. Tayla turned to face them as she straightened her back.

  The group came to a halt as they regarded her, none of them made an effort to bow or show her respect. They weren’t even trying to hide their animosity as they stared blankly at Tayla. Cyrus seemed to grow angry on her behalf as he took a step forward. It was odd seeing the gentle giant of a man that had helped raise Tayla trying to be intimidating. “Where is your respect for your Queen?” He demanded.

  The elders shuffled back and forth before giving the slightest of nods.

  Before Cyrus could lash out once more Tayla stepped forward. “I know you all respected my father, I know that you tested my brother and found him worthy. I come to you now as an outsider, ignorant in your ways, but if you give me the chance I will prove to you that my priority is the safety of my people.” She allowed herself to grandstand a little as she walked slowly around the elders, letting her voice grow as she had learned alongside her brother. “We are faced with a threat unlike anything we have ever seen. None can question our devotion to the All Mother, but these imperial lap dogs do not act in her name.”

  Others throughout the cave began to look towards Tayla as she raised her voice further. “We are the Twins of the Black Coast, blessed children of the Nightfather, servants to the All Mother; we are not easily cowed or broken!” The lessons she had been forced to learn in public speaking as a child came to her as she spoke. “After seven-hundred years of thankless work we have been slapped in the face by these false charges, and I for one will not stand by as my home is put to the torch by these invaders!” The passion in her words was carefully modulated as she gauged the reaction from the crowd and adjusted her pitch in real time.

  Even Cyrus had been pulled into her speech as he nodded along with zeal in his eyes. Tayla turned to regard the elders again as she lowered her voice once more. “Will you help me defend our home? Will you stand by my side to protect those we love and hold dear?” With a gentle nudge she let the Tranquility slip enough to allow a single tear to fall down her face.

  The elders shared uncertain looks as one by one they stepped forward to bow their heads in respect.

  Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? Tayla thought to herself as she resisted the urge to smile.

  Each of the elders held their heads low in a formal bow, except one. An old tall gangly woman with deeply sunken eyes. She held her arms crossed as she regarded Tayla with a withering stare. “Your false words will work on the others, but not on me. I can see your calculating nature in your eyes as plain as the sun and moon.” She hissed between clenched teeth.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The elders seemed to back away, judging by their nervous looks they held a deep respect for the old woman. Tayla would have to win her over if she wanted to count on the Clanless. She walked toward the woman as she raised her voice. “If you don’t believe my words, then let my actions speak for me. I demand the rite of trials, if I succeed you will bend the knee.”

  “And when you fail, you will return to your castle with your tail between your legs like the bitch you are.”

  Tayla reached her living hand out with her palm raised. The woman reached her dead left hand out and covered Tayla’s. Cyrus gnashed his teeth at the sight. It was a tradition to show each other their living hands as a sign of good faith and respect, by using her dead hand the elder was saying clearly that she thought nothing of Tayla.

  Lucky for Tayla her mutation wasn’t like other Twins. She clenched the woman’s dead hand as she channeled the Tranquility into her own living flesh. The elder looked shocked as ice began to form around her blackened fingers, the shock quickly turned into panic as the ice crept up her arm as her flesh blistered from the cold.

  The woman didn’t break though, she narrowed her eyes as she clenched her jaw. After what felt like an eternity the elder bowed her head slightly, that was enough for Tayla to release her. The elder pulled back her shaking arm as she tried to summon the green flames of the Nightfather, her face went pale as she stared in disbelief at her dead hand. “Why won’t the gift activate?” Her voice trembled with a slight note of fear.

  Tayla loosened her focus as the ice vanished without a trace. The woman’s hand wrapped itself in the warm flickering of green fire as she let out a sigh of relief.

  “Now. Enough of this, name your trial so I can prove to you that I am here to save our people.” Tayla said, careful not to show the smile on her face.

  The crowd of elders and onlookers seemed to regard the interaction with a casual demeanor. Twins were once a race that valued honor and warfare, while they might have had to pick up farming they still retained that deep sense of respect and honor. Sometimes you had to butt heads or throw fists to settle a dispute, but the point was never to go too far. With that in mind Tayla looked at the elder and saw a newfound respect in her eyes. It wasn’t much, but she gave a nod that conveyed that she had been in the wrong and the two could move forward from there without the worry of grudges.

  “Tayla Ebontide, you are blessed by the Nightfather it would seem. A rare and unseen gift indeed. For your trial I task you with breaking one of our captured Krak’un.”

  The assembled elders and even many of the watchers gasped. Cyrus held his hand to his head. “Of all the… You ask the impossible elder Varla.” Tayla made a mental note of the elders name.

  Varla waved a dismissive hand. “The rite of trial is for me to decide, and I have spoken.”

  “When you say ‘breaking’, what do you mean exactly?” Tayla said.

  “I want you to tame it.”

  So much for not holding grudges.

  Tayla glanced at the pool of water and the passive Krak’un. She had heard rumors that the Clanless knew how to tame the beasts of the Highlands, the exact method was a secret that they held even from the royal family. Killing a Krak’un was dangerous enough, let alone trying to tame it somehow.

  “Alright. Show me the way. There is no time to waste.” Tayla sighed as she began following the group of elders.

  One of them slowed his pace to walk beside her as he lowered his voice. “My Mistress of Shadows.” The man’s voice and that title sounded familiar.

  With a sudden realization Tayla snapped her fingers. “Ton!” The man looked at her from below his hood with a weak smile. He had been the man who represented the Clanless when it came to their request for salvage from the great hunt. Tayla had traded the remains of the elder Krak’un as was her right to secure food and supplies for the people of the Highlands.

  “It is good to see you again, my Queen. I must apologize for the harsh welcome. I promised you that we would sing songs of your generosity, yet you have been treated unfairly.” Ton cast his gaze downwards.

  “I knew convincing the Clanless to join my cause would be a challenge, but I am still glad to see at least one friendly face here.”

  Ton nodded. “My Queen, you would be surprised by how many are willing to take up arms for the person that provided salvation in our time of need. The elders don’t mean disrespect, they are simply trying to consider their people's best interest at heart.”

  Tayla sighed. The schism between the Clanless and other Twins may have seemed absurd to an outsider, but there was a deep history that had led them to being the untrusting hermits they were now. Long ago Tayla’s ancestor had tried to force the many inhabitants of the Highlands to bend the knee to the crown; it had ended in bloodshed that left their people reeling for generations. Her father had been the one to finally try to bridge the gap and heal the ancient scars that had divided his people. He came not as a conqueror, but as a friend.

  It was up to Tayla to continue the work her father had started.

  “Our people stood apart for almost two hundred years, these twenty years of peace haven’t erased all of those generations of hate. My family murdered your people, butchered them for their disloyalty. I will do whatever it takes to restore your faith in the crown, and in me.”

  Some of the other elders must have overheard Tayla’s words as they nodded their heads in response. Even Varla looked back with something close to respect.

  They arrived at a steel gate, the hinges fused with the stone of the cavern. Varla gestured at the heavy doors. “Inside you will find a juvenile Krak’un. Should you fail to tame it you need only knock on the door three times and we will open it. When that happens, you will leave our lands.”

  When that happens? Not if?

  Tayla approached the door. “How does one tame a Krak’un?” Despite asking the question she assumed they would give some half baked response before brushing her aside.

  To her surprise it was Varla that spoke up. “You must tap into the power of the Nightfather, hear the unspoken words and commune with the creature's spirit.” Tayla was shocked, that was almost downright helpful. It was insane gibberish that meant nothing to her, but it sounded helpful at least.

  With a nod Tayla opened the gate as she walked into the circular chamber. The ceiling was only seven or eight feet high, the diameter of the room was forty feet or so. In the middle was a motionless Krak’un that sat bound in place by chains.

  The door closed, throwing Tayla into darkness as her eyes shifted to allow her to see in the pitch black room. Even as her eyes focused again she saw the kelp-like blades that ran along the back of the Krak’un launch at her. She narrowly avoided the barrage as she stumbled to the side. The wet stone was hell to walk on as she fought to keep her footing.

  The Krak’un raged against the chains that held it at bay as it threw yet another onslaught of its razor sharp blades. The long strands flowed and moved like water until they were called on to attack, at which time they could dart and fly through the air with the speed of an arrow in flight. Tayla pulled out her thresher whip as she lashed out with the barbed leather. The whip wrapped around the base of the kelp blades as she pulled taught to arrest their movement. One of the blades came to rest a few inches from her face as she let out a sigh.

  Hunting Krak’un was already deadly when there were teams of Twins working together, the idea of facing one in single combat in a cramped space while trying not to kill it seemed damn near impossible. Tayla’s breath froze in the air as she channeled the Tranquility through her whip, the Krak’un clacked its fanged maw on its underside as its back was covered in a layer of thick ice.

  That should stop those blades for the moment. Tayla thought as she let out a nervous chuckle.

  Varla’s words rang in her mind as she tried to figure out their meaning. The Nightfather’s gift was connected to her emotions, but she had never heard of it being used to influence a creature or animal. Sheepishly she raised her dead hand as she tapped into the power. A green flame licked along her fingers as she tried to focus her mind on the Krak’un, but nothing happened.

  Frustrated, she ran her dead hand through her hair. “The hells am I supposed to do here?” The Krak’un reached one of its four claws up to a frozen part of the chain, it tapped the cold steel and without warning smashed its claw down. The chain shattered into tiny pieces as the monstrous crab stood to its full height.

  “Oh fuck.”

  The Krak’un launched forward as it snapped its claws out. Tayla let go of her thresher whip as she pulled out a pair of revolvers, she aimed at the joints in the crabs legs as she fired a couple rounds. The armor of a juvenile Krak’un was weaker, but still strong enough to not be broken by such an attack. It did however have just enough kick to bend the joints to the side as the crab buckled under its own weight and crashed to the ground.

  Tayla ran forward and leapt over the rolling beast as she instinctively aimed her guns towards the gaping maw of the Krak’un, inside she could see the soft membrane that if struck would destroy the creature's central nervous system. Her fingers tightened around the trigger as she fought the urge to put the beast down. In a heartbeat the window was over and she rolled to her feet on the other side of the thrashing crab.

  Somehow she would have to survive long enough to figure out the secret to taming the thing. Killing it seemed like a walk in the park in comparison.

  ◆◆◆

  Tayla panted as she leaned against the cold steel door. Her dead hand clutched her side as she struggled to hold back the torrent of blood from where she got clipped by a kelp blade. She was covered head to toe in bruises and cuts that painted a vivid picture of her battle with the beast. Spots had begun forming in her vision as stars danced across the darkness in the corners of her eyes. If she didn’t finish this soon, she would die.

  As she held her head to the door she watched the Krak’un, she was currently outside the reach of its blades, the beast for its part seemed content with waiting for her to succumb to her wounds. There was no need to risk approaching her, it merely waited as it clacked its fangs together. Tayla closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the frantic pounding of her heart in her ears. Her mind wandered, drifting through herself until it came to the place where the link sat idling waiting.

  Tayla imagined herself laying a hand on the link, she wanted nothing more than to open it, to hear Alnur’s voice. It felt silly that she allowed herself to drift so far from her brother, they were meant to be two halves of the same soul, but now they didn’t even reach out to one another. All it would take was a thought to mend the divide, yet it seemed like an impossible task.

  Suddenly she heard something. Like a distant knocking, or the beating of a drum. She could feel it through her head as it was pressed against the door. Just as she was about to open her eyes and pull away from the link she paused. The beating sound seemed to be coming from the link itself. Some part of her knew instinctively that it wasn’t her brother. It reminded Tayla of how Dee had spoken to her, a way to connect to the link like a radio antennae.

  Opening her eyes she looked at the Krak’un. The beating in her head was in time with the clacking of its teeth. Tired, desperate, and missing a worrying amount of blood, Tayla swallowed as she grabbed hold of that drum beat in her head. Her mind cleaved open as the link howled in protest. She screamed a soundless wail as she fell to her knees in pain. The thoughts pouring into her mind were alien and wrong, a primal stream of base emotions that threatened to consume her. With a frantic thought she tapped into the Tranquility, the two forces clashing in her skull as she fought to hold onto her sense of identity.

  Tayla finally found her voice, and with it she raged. The roar she let out was deafening as the cave shuddered from the force. Her eyes narrowed on the source of the attack. The Krak’un was shaking violently as it clacked its war beat louder and louder. Every beat was like a punch in the temple as Tayla slowly stood on her shaking legs. Step by step she dragged her numb feet forward as she made her way towards the beast.

  The Krak’un raised its kelp blades, preparing to strike her down. But Tayla grabbed hold of the beast's mind and held it fast. The blades shuddered in the air helplessly as she finally made it to the Krak’un. She placed her dead hand on the shell of the beast as she closed her eyes once more. The thing's mind was lashing out, thrashing against her grip as it fought to break free.

  Tayla squeezed. Part of her wanted to kill the Krak’un, to make it pay for the pain it had inflicted on her but she kept her composure. Instead she loosened her grip, she allowed the Tranquility to pour through the connection, it felt like she was trying to douse an inferno with a garden hose. The flames of the beast's rage were unbearable, she could feel her skin blister from the heat as it washed over her. Just as Tayla feared she would be overwhelmed by the flames, she heard a knocking from behind her.

  The heat vanished, the Krak’un’s mind grew still and quiet. Tayla could feel something behind her, a presence that loomed like the moon above. She dared not turn, lest she be consumed by the unknowable thing.

  Just as quickly as it had come, the feeling disappeared. There was only Tayla and the Krak’un. She seized the chance and poured her thoughts into the beast's mind, her dead hand erupted in flames as she channeled the Nightfather’s gift. There was little resistance as she felt the creature heave one final time before it relaxed.

  Tayla opened her throbbing eyes, before her sat the Krak’un, a creature capable of feats of violence unparalleled by any such predator, and yet now it stood idle. She ran a hand over its shell as it gently cooed from its maw. The kelp blades danced to her as they poked and prodded. The beast was blind, but it still seemed intent on imprinting her to memory.

  For the first time in what felt like hours Tayla looked around the rest of the chamber. The sight was unbelievable. Every inch of the chamber was covered in thick frost, icicles grew from the ceiling and floor in twisting fangs.

  There was pounding from the encased door.

  Tayla wondered how she would remove the ice from the door, and no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the Krak’un stood up and brought its massive claws down against the frame. The force was enough to shatter the ice and buckle the thick steel frame.

  There were cries of shock and surprise from the other side as Tayla approached the bent metal. “I’m alright!” She cried out.

  A moment later the door was pulled away to reveal the shocked faces of Varla, Ton and Cyrus. Each one looked to Tayla, then to the calm Krak’un, then back to Tayla as their jaws hung open.

  Tayla raised an eyebrow. “Why do you look so shocked? Did you think I wouldn’t complete your task?” She balked as she willed the Krak’un to pick her up on its back. I need to keep this momentum, I need to wow them into following me. She thought to herself, though in truth she feared her legs were about to give out and that could jeopardize how the Clanless would see her.

  Varla and Ton shared a look before the older woman managed to speak. “No, it’s not that. I’ve just never seen someone with this much control over a Krak’un.”

  Ton nodded. “Normally the bond lets you coax them, but you seem to have complete control of the beast.” There was a creeping of awe in his voice that he did little to hide.

  Cyrus for his part narrowed his eyes. He was scanning the room, and sure enough it didn’t take him long to notice the pools of Tayla’s blood. “Enough. The Queen needs to rest, we should return to the Keel before the Court notices that she’s missing.” The other Clanless elders nodded in agreement.

  Tayla loosened her hold on the connection with the Krak’un, yet even after she did she could feel it there in the back of her mind. It was like the link had grown a new branch, another avenue for her thoughts to cross. The giant creature seemed calm on the surface, but underneath she knew it was ready at a moment's notice for her command. She compelled it down the hall, a thought occurring to her as she saw an opportunity present itself.

  The Twins that were assembled made way as Tayla lumbered down the halls on the Krak’un’s back. From now on, you shall be called Magnus. She sent. Magnus for its part seemed to shudder in approval of the new name. The pair made their way into the common area once more, drawing the stares of all that were gathered. Tayla stood on Magnus’ back as she spread her arms, making sure to show the wound on her side.

  “The Nightfather has blessed me, with his favor I have tamed this mighty animal. Henceforth its name shall be Magnus, it and I are linked from this day onwards.”

  The room filled with murmurs as the Clanless looked on in shock. To Tayla’s surprise it was Varla who raised their voice next. “Where is your honor?! The child of the unifier has proven themselves, just as their brother had before them!”

  One by one the room erupted in chants and cheers. Dead hands were raised in the air as they bathed the chamber in the green glow of the Nightfather. Tayla had succeeded in winning the hearts of the Clanless, she would have her army. From the corner of her eye she could see Ton speaking to several Clanless, they looked at Tayla with a burning faith that worried her.

  Cyrus and Tayla rode through the early morning as fast as they could. The sky above was a twisting storm of thunder that was so dark it could blot out the noon day sun. The pair were lucky for the cover, if not for the storm they would almost surely be seen by the time they arrived at the Keel. As they rode Tayla allowed herself to pause from time to time and inspect the link. Through it she saw as Magnus did. The loyal beast was ever ready at a moments notice to come to her aid.

  As she rode she was struck with sheets of rain that slammed into her face, the cold was enough to trigger her skins dermal layer which helped her continue on without concern for the frigid temperature. It also had the added benefit of sealing her wound nicely.

  Cyrus held a hand to stop as the pair pulled on the reins of their Volburns. The steeds dug their coral hooves into the mud as they skidded to a stop. Above them hung a patrolling craft that was lazily drifting along a predetermined path. It scanned the area in a futile effort to pierce the raging storm, but mother nature seemed to be winning that fight as the craft passed overhead without alarm.

  Tayla offered a silent prayer to the All Mother for their good luck as she and Cyrus took off once more. As they approached the Keel she saw something, or someone in the darkness to her left. She snapped her head to look and found nothing. Chalking it up to a trick of the eyes she continued to the stable where she and Cyrus could hitch the Volburn.

  The two made it back to the Keel from there uneventfully as they entered the side hatch. A pair of servants were already waiting with dry clothes and medical supplies. The House of Whispers never fails to impress me. Tayla thought.

  Without a word the servants helped Tayla and her uncle change and rid themselves of their soaked outfits. With that the pair left to their chambers, sticking to the hidden paths of the Keel as they hurried to be back in their rooms before dawn. As they approached the junction where they had to split up they gave each other a nod.

  Tayla had to hold herself back from sprinting to her room. She was on the verge of collapsing but she needed to make it to her bed first.

  Her mind was reeling from the night's events, but even as she tried to process everything she oddly found herself thinking of her last conversation with Dee. The strange being had all but vanished and refused to answer her calls. While she was relieved that she wasn’t sharing her head with another person anymore, she also felt a tinge of regret. For all of his many many many faults, Dee was a wealth of information, and a resource that Tayla was in dire need of.

  He was also handsome, and cunning, and frankly the most brilliant-

  Tayla froze. Those thoughts weren’t hers.

  From the corner of her eye she saw the flaming shape of Dee emerge. Where once he was a skull, now he had a skeleton to call his own. The man wore an absurd outfit, a wide straw hat, a floral print button up shirt, a pair of sunglasses and what looked to be a necklace of flower petals.

  “Hey Taytay, I know that things got heated last time we spoke, but what we have is worth fighting for, and I for one am willing to put all of that negative energy from the past behind us. New day, new me; as I always say.”

  Tayla tried to speak but was struggling to find the right words. Eventually she managed to mumble. “I’m sorry.”

  She turned to her chamber door before Dee could respond, reaching out to the keypad before stopping. The pad to her room was flickering. A strobing of light that would be unnoticeable to anyone who had not spent their entire life around the Keel. She reached for her guns as she hit the button to open the door.

  The door slid open in a flash as Tayla saw a robed figure dripping from the rain in her room. Before she could speak the figure raised a lone hand as it reached up to remove a tattered hood.

  “Sorry to barge in unannounced. I don’t really have anywhere else to stay.”

  It was Thoren.

  Dee sipped his drink loudly. “The drama!”