Chapter 18

Afew days later, we gather what resources we could find beneath the piles of burnt rubble: laser cartridges, water flasks, and some dried food cans that somehow survived the destructive blaze, and just enough fighting equipment to give us an advantage against any foe who’s likely to cross our path as we make our way back down to Opal City.

With heavy hearts but steely resolve, we stick to the lesser-traveled roads that once connected the south to the north, courtesy of a resilient buggy that can climb across red sand dunes and down along the rocky riverbed before we take a sharp turn west.

More than once, we take shelter beneath the sprawling canopies of rogue blackwood patches as Sky Tribe vessels fly above—fighter jets and drones— headed farther south before going east and north again to Ruby City.

“They’re looking for us,” I say, watching a group of ten drones buzzing up toward the Sun River Plateau.

“It”s not just us. They’re surveying the area for that long-range laser,” Fadai reminds me with a grim look on his face. It’s only a matter of time before they find it.”

“They might assume the weapon was mounted on a buggy somewhere close by,” Jewel surmises.

“But there were no tracks that would lead them to draw that conclusion,” I say. “Besides, a weapon that powerful would be too big to fit on an all-terrain vehicle. Shaytan knows that much. No, they’re looking for a stationary source.”

This only serves to underline the urgency of our reaching Opal City first.

Once the skies are clear again, we jump back into our buggy and rumble farther south. To my surprise, Diamond City seems particularly quiet, even from afar. There are no plumes of black smoke rising from its slums, no buzzing of rogue marauders traipsing around the city’s outer limits, and not even a traveling merchant headed to or from along any of the dirt roads we’ve crossed so far.

“They must’ve mobilized all of their troops,” Jewel says, somehow guessing my thoughts. “It’s way too quiet for that place.”

“The question is, where are they sending those troops?” Fadai asks.

We all know the answer: Sapphire City.

“They’re spread thin, even if they do concentrate the majority of their forces in Sapphire City,” I reply from behind the wheel, shaking my head slowly. “On top of that, Shaytan and Blaze know we’re not stupid enough to go there after everything that has happened.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jewel says. “They want Sapphire City back. And they’re mounting a big enough operation to keep the Fire Tribe distracted while they focus their most precious resources—namely their engineering techs—on launching the starship. And they’re probably sending whatever smaller contingencies of troops they’ve got left back up north along the river just to make a point to any Fire Tribe chieftains who didn’t move to Sapphire City with the others.”

“They’re planning one simultaneous strike across the board while they launch the starship,” Fadai mutters. “They’re clearly determined to see this through.”

“But so are we,” Jewel says. “I’ll manage the long-range laser guns. We just need to figure out where they’re launching the damned thing from.”

“We’ll have to focus whatever resources we can on Opal City’s defense,” I say. “Shaytan will spare the brunt of his nastiest fighters for that, not for Sapphire City. He’ll send the larger numbers there, but he’ll bring the prolific killers down here. He’s no fool.”

Upon arriving in Opal City, we can tell the atmosphere has changed—and not for the better. The locals are even more fearful, choosing to stay indoors and away from us as we make our way through the main streets leading to the palace.

There’s no welcoming committee this time, although the guards all nod politely and allow us passage wherever we wish. Our Kreek soldiers are manning their positions, too, but they’ve clearly heard the news about what happened to our settlement.

Their grief is almost palpable, as is their muted fury. We’re all out for blood, yet we cannot attack Shaytan directly because it wouldn’t end well. If anything, it could cost us the war.

Solomon’s widows are particularly aggrieved as we meet inside one of their more private council chambers. All three are wearing bright red velvet robes and have spun gold woven around their horns. Rubies and diamonds twinkle around their slender necks and dangle from their pointed ears.

“Please accept our condolences,” Leela says, her brow furrowed while her hands rest on an open map of the continent. She and her sister-wives have been scanning the whole surface of the map, marking various territories in different colored ink.

My guess is that they’ve been trying to devise a way to protect their people if the Sky Tribe descends on the city in greater numbers.

“May the suns carry your fallen soldiers to brighter flames and endless glory, Kreek brothers.”

“You are far too kind,” I say as I politely bow and take a seat beside my brother and Jewel. “Thank you for allowing us to return.”

“You are always welcome in Opal City, Yossul,” Sarin replies. “For as long as our doors remain standing, they will be open to you, especially in these trying times.”

“Thank you; you’re taking a great chance with us here,” I say.

Sarin offers a soft smile. “We are allies. We swore our allegiance to your cause in return for the freedom to choose our path once we win this war against the Sky Tribe. The enemy would never grant us that. The risks we take are worth the sacrifice. How are the three of you doing? It is my understanding that the Pearl City mission did not go as planned.”

Jewel, Fadai, and I exchange nervous glances. “We hit a few snags,” Jewel says. “But it’s done. One starship remains. We just need to find it.”

The widows have already learned about the attack on our settlement and how it may have come to pass. The more we talk about the events of the past couple of weeks, the clearer it becomes that the Sky Tribe is making bolder moves than ever.

“Word is coming from your spies through that telegraph point,” Neya says after the teas and biscuits are brought in. “There are troops headed for Sapphire City by land and air. Your scouts estimate there are about five thousand Sky Tribe warriors going that way.”

“Sapphire City will be under siege in less than a week,” Sarin adds. I don’t know how that will go, considering your own troops are scattered across the continent. Will they make it back in time?”

“One can only hope,” Fadai says. “We’re not letting anyone leave Opal City in the meantime, however. Our Kreek boys will stay here and man the labyrinth walls. Have you seen increased activity in Sky Tribe drones in the past day or so?”

The sister-wives collectively nod. “I assume they’re close to figuring out where the laser came from,” Sarin sighs, lowering her gaze. It was bound to happen.”

“We should consider evacuating the civilians, at least,” Leela replies. “It’ll give the soldiers less to worry about when the Sky Tribe mercenaries do arrive.”

“It will be less trouble for any support troops that we might be able to bring down here from across the realm,” Fadai says in agreement. “With Sapphire City under siege, we’re spread thin.”

“So is the Sky Tribe,” Jewel says, then looks at the widows. “Is there any news of the last starship?”

“Nothing concrete, except there’s talk of a launch within the fortnight,” Leela says. “Your spies have yet to discover the location, however.”

Jewel thinks about it for a moment, her eyes wandering across the map. “Where could it be? Dammit, they’ve tightened their comms, and we can’t figure it out. There isn’t enough time for us to go out there and look for it ourselves.”

“The Sky Tribe is likely screening every single road north of here,” I tell her. “If we manage to get some of our people out of hiding, they could do the searching for us. They know what to look for better than anyone. It’s what we’ve been working toward all these years.”

“What about Amber, Cynthia, and Alicia?” Jewel asks the widows. “Any word from them?”

“Yes. They’re all safe but still in Sapphire City,” Sarin replies. “I understand there are heated discussions about evacuating them and the children before the enemy gets there.”

“They’d never go for it,” Jewel scoffs.

I’d say it’s reckless, but the human women have proven themselves enough times already to make the Sky Tribe’s fiercest fighters worry about them. Jewel alone has inspired tales of horror among the enemy’s campfires. Cynthia’s contributions to the taking of Sapphire City are still the subject of many conversations in Ruby City. Alicia’s more of an unsung hero these days, but it’s thanks to her that we got Opal City. And Amber… why, Amber was the force that brought the Fire Tribe closer than ever before. Her voice still echoes among us, reminding us of what we’re fighting for.

“They’ll pull through,” I say. One way or another, they will pull through. The most we can do in the meantime is keep our ears and eyes wide open. Our main goal is to find the last starship and destroy it. Alas, we can only do that from here, and we’ll need all the help we can get when Shaytan’s people do come knocking.”

Fadai can’t help but chuckle dryly. “You make it sound so mundane.”

“It’s anything but, yet these are the facts,” I say. “How many soldiers do we have in Opal City,” I ask the wives, “including your royal guards?”

Sarin, Neya, and Leela look at one another and then at the map. “About a thousand,” Sarin says. “Maybe more if some of the younger men pick up arms and join the defenses.”

“Let’s say eleven hundred,” Neya replies. We’ll summon all those aged sixteen and over. These are dire times, and we must protect the city and the laser weapons.”

We know what we have to do and how it needs to be done. What we don’t have is the necessary manpower to withstand an attack from the Sky Tribe, should they figure out what’s happening beneath the black cloud and beyond the labyrinth walls.

Shaytan has surprised us before with his attacks, particularly his most recent incursion. I fear he may find a way to surprise us further by attacking both Sapphire and Opal City at once.

“We’ve seen more drones flying in the area,” Leela says, bringing the conversation back to our biggest fear. “They never get close enough, though. They always venture farther east.”

“What about ground troops? Rogue marauders? Passing merchants? Anyone?” I ask.

The wives shake their heads at us. “Nothing. There used to be more of them before, but the labyrinth traps stopped them. Recently, however, our lenses haven’t picked up any curious folks looking around at all.”

“Well, that doesn’t feel right,” Fadai mutters and crosses his arms, then sits up and stares at the map for a while. I follow his gaze and find him focused on Opal City and its surroundings. “We should have eyes on what lies beyond Kaos Volcano, too. This entire western ridge is currently visible. If Shaytan wants to take Opal City, he’ll notice this and take advantage of it.”

Leela nods once. “We’ll send drones out every other hour just to get a bird’s eye view of the region. We still have sensors mounted down that ridge, though. Alarms would have gone off if there were any trespassers. Solomon was particularly paranoid about the western flank.”

“The military base is vulnerable without cover on that side,” Jewel says, then looks at me. Do you think we can spare a few of our city-based boys to watch that ridge and let us know if trouble comes?”

“Of course,” I say. “A dozen would do.”

We review the map and agree on the steps to take if an invasion occurs. We agree to keep the military base protected and the escape tunnels clear. The residents of Opal City can take refuge in the ancient catacombs beneath Kaos Volcano—it’s hot as balls down there, but at least they’ll be safe and out of sight.

It’ll give our soldiers enough room to focus on keeping the Sky Tribe away from the base and its laser weapons. In the absence of additional troops, this is really all we can do.

By evening, we receive new messages from Sapphire City. The widows are with us, gathered around the dinner table on the upper floor of the palace while the night settles peacefully over the city’s black, glistening towers.

The triple moonlight bounces off the opal-plated roofs, dancing across the obsidian facades of the ancient temples peppered throughout the northern district and glazing the entire city in a milky hue. From where I’m sitting, close to one of the windows, it seems so peaceful and quiet. It’s as if the rest of the universe doesn’t know or care about our woes.

Shaking the thoughts away, I try to focus on Jewel’s voice as she reads Amber’s message aloud.

“No word on a location for the last starship just yet,” she says, “but Binzen and Izzo sent their best people out there to gather Kreek survivors and as much intel as possible. Turns out the locals in Pearl City are, in fact, extraordinarily pissed about what happened, but they’re not blaming the Fire Tribe. They hold the Sky Tribe responsible.” Jewel pauses to give me a wry smile. “Told you.”

“You called it,” Fadai chuckles.

Sarin pours herself another cup of red spiced wine. “Can we trust the people of Pearl City?”

“Not at this point in time, no,” I say. “But they can at least be swayed to withdraw their support for Shaytan. That’s what Binzen and Izzo will tell our agents to do once they get there. Shaytan and Blaze are too busy trying to launch their last starship, looking for us and the long-range laser weapon, and also planning to invade Sapphire City. To say they’re overwhelmed would be an understatement. It’s the perfect time to sow the seeds of discord in Pearl City. Just enough to turn the tide in our favor on the information side of things, at least. They may not fight for us, but at least they won’t fight against us. It’s better than nothing.”

We’re hoping to gather enough intel before the siege on Sapphire City begins. If we can get a line on that fucking starship, we can point the long-range weapons and destroy it as soon as it takes off. We don’t have the resources to pull off what we originally wanted to do in Pearl City at this point. But frankly, I don’t care. I no longer care how many more people suffer before the last starship comes down. After watching our funeral pyres, I have little to no sympathy left until it’s over.

“For years, the Sky Tribe used propaganda to portray us as savages,” I say after a long pause. “Mindless beasts who never had Sunna’s best interests at heart. We only wanted the women to ourselves. Screw education, they used to say. Screw science and evolution. Screw the arts and literature. Do you remember, Fadai?”

My brother smirks. “How could I forget? I kept asking our father why they were calling us savages when they were the ones snatching our women from their huts and forcing them into bonds they didn’t belong to. I remember Alla and Sheri, our cousins, screaming when the Sky Tribe mercenaries raided our village while our father and his fighters were away, screaming when they dragged them out by their bare feet, kicking and wailing while we had to hide because they would’ve skinned us alive if they’d found us. We were mere boys of ten and eight, and they would’ve flayed us and left us to rot in the sun so our father would have quite the sight to return to.”

“And the people believed those lies,” I say. “They were afraid of us. Granted, it did work to our advantage in certain aspects. It was easier to rob their convoys. Rumors of our prowess did seep back into the Sky Tribe garrisons, and I did enjoy watching those bastards piss themselves when they saw us coming. But don’t you think it’s time we start spinning tales of our own about the Sky Tribe? We’ve got plenty of material to work with.”

Jewel understands what I’m thinking. “A propaganda campaign designed to discredit the Sky Tribe in the eyes of those already doubting them. Yes. Their incompetence. Their greed. Their recklessness. Their desire to breed with women outside the solar system instead of protecting and cherishing the ones they still have here.”

“You could add rumors of a cure for the plague,” Leela chimes in. “You’re already working on one, aren’t you? Solomon’s research brought you farther along.”

“Of course. We’re so close to nailing that damned viral strain,” Jewel exclaims. “Here we are, the Fire Tribe, reaching out to the people, testing vaccines, and developing a cure for the plague, while the Sky Tribe is busy chasing stars. Their loyal subjects are impoverished and miserable, victims of increasingly more violent marauders coming out of Diamond City. Warlords and corrupt politicians. And then the starship in Pearl City. The explosion, the damage it left behind… it’s unforgivable!”

Fadai knocks on the table. “We’ll draft the messages and send them over to Amber and Alicia. I’m sure they’ll add their own twists to each until they’re ready for print. We should spread the fliers across the realm before the end of the week.”

“Desperate times call for taking a page out of the enemy’s playbook,” I say. “Before their armies can reach Sapphire City, the whole of Sunna should be rumbling with dissent and indignation over what happened in Pearl City. If they lose the people’s support, it will cost them in the long run, even if they do manage to take Sapphire City back.”

If they lose the people’s support, it should get us intel on the starship before they launch it. Alicia used to tell us about using propaganda against them. We never really considered it because we believed honesty and righteousness to be the better policy. While they were employing dirty tricks and ruthlessly hunting us down, we figured we’d simply beat them in the traditional way, with weapons and wit on the battlefield.

But after so many years and particularly after the last blow they delivered, all bets are off. I will fight them righteously, and I will fight them dirty, too. They deserve to die screaming and writhing in agony, just like our brothers and a handful of surviving girls died the other night.

They deserve to see their whole future in ruins, their starships melted, and their dreams of a superior race of Sunnaite crushed under our bare feet. The more I think about what the Sky Tribe deserves, the more creative and darker my imagination gets.

I should stop, so I pour myself another glass of wine, gulping it down to temper my angry soul.

Jewel reaches a hand across the table and covers mine. “Are you all right?” she asks in a low voice while Fadai and Solomon’s wives continue their conversation about methods to employ against the enemy in the coming days.

“I’m as all right as I can be,” I tell Jewel. “I’m trying to keep my composure.”

“You and I both. Fadai, too. Look at him,” she whispers.

I do look at him, and I see a young and fierce warrior with grief in his eyes and fury burning within him. Unlike me, however, Fadai stays calm and seemingly soft while his sharp tongue spins words, his sharp mind spins thoughts, and his soul spins the universe on its axis—that’s how strong and determined my younger brother is.

I dare not claim his youth is an advantage. He’s been through the grinder just like me. He’s just as tired.

“Relentless, isn’t he?” Jewel asks me.

“He is, yes.”

“What about you?”

“Jewel, my love, I will destroy this entire planet in order to be with you,” I reply, my voice low so only she can hear me. “Do not talk to me about doing the right thing for our people anymore. Not with two hundred of our brothers’ ashes still cooling. That’s not what drives me anymore. It’s you. You drive me. Fadai, too. Don’t think for a second he’s the nobler type.”

She blinks a few times. She wasn’t expecting such words from me at such a delicate time. But I’ve had so many hours on the drive over to put my thoughts in order. To accept my nature and the strength of my deepest desires. And the truth is precisely what slipped from my lips just now.

I’m doing everything for Jewel. For Jewel and Fadai and me. Sunna can thrive with us when it’s all over, or it can die for all I fucking care.

I never asked to be a part of this war, yet I fought honorably. The price I paid for my honor, however, is too steep for me to accept my position as a martyr. It’s not worth it.

It’s also not something I’m willing to shout from the rooftop, but I am done taking the honorable path in the future.

No, I will fight dirty and do everything in my power to get what I want—what I deserve.

What Fadai and I deserve in return for what we’ve lost.