The desert sun really was no joke.

She had started sweating the moment her feet touched the ground at Novan's Crossing. In the time it took for her to jog from the outpost to the Kaidan Mine, the back of her tunic became thoroughly drenched. Even now, as she knelt in the shadow of an outcrop, she could feel sweat beading along her hairline and trickling down her face.

However, she supposed it could be worse as she glanced at her friend Aerys, who was sweating just as much as she was as he crouched beside her. At least she wasn't suffering alone in this spying mission, and the sooner they finished, the better.

The heap of odium was easy to spot, a patch of green in stark contrast against the background of brown. She hissed between her teeth at the size of the odium stock, and as she looked on, a Mamaki Kobold wheeled over a cartful of the mineral and dumped it onto the larger mound. A second one followed suit, then another and another. The trail of Kobolds led from the odium stock to a large wagon parked in the middle of the mine. More Kobolds were stationed around the wagon, moving the odium inside to smaller carts for others to add to the growing pile.

She made one brief and final scan of the mine for more odium but saw none. Aerys had also seen enough, so the two of them crept out of their hiding spot and climbed down the slope of the outcrop, making sure that they wouldn't be seen by the guard at the entrance to the mine. They waited until they were safely in the Outpost Ruins before either of them uttered a word.

"That was a lot of odium," Aerys said, "The rumors only said that the Kaidan started gathering odium, but it looks like they have been hoarding it for a while now."

"The Kaidan didn't use to have any odium. Where do you think they're getting it from?"

Aerys slowed his pace and cast a cautionary glance behind them. "Anywhere, really." Upon seeing nothing suspicious, he quickened his steps to catch up to her. "The Balaur, the Lepharists, maybe they have another mine somewhere else and they're shipping everything here. General Telemachus will probably want to find the source."

They passed through Novan's Crossing and breathed audible sighs of relief as the trees of the Manduri Forest shielded them from the harsh rays of the sun.

"Let's hurry back and make the report," she suggested, breaking into a light jog.

"Yeah."

The Manduri of the Manduri Village pressed their faces up against the wooden fence as the two Daevas passed, chittering and howling in a cacophony of noise. She grimaced and covered her ears with her hands, although that did little to stifle the shrieking. "They're so loud," she muttered. Aerys said something back, but his voice was buried beneath the shriller ones of the monkey-like creatures. At times like these, Milotia couldn't help but long for flight transportation, but she also needed to save kinah for her family in Verteron. Aerys refused to leave her alone to handle the Manduri, so they dealt with the boisterous primates together.

The sound of the Manduri faded as she and Aerys continued to follow the dirt path. As the ground changed from cracked earth to cobblestones, they came upon a patrol of three Elyos, whom they exchanged brief greetings with before continuing on their way.

Eltnen Fortress, a fort carved into the surface of a stone structure, stood tall at the bottom of a hill. Sheer cliffs rose up around it on three sides, caging the fortress in a pit. Streams of water cascaded from the clifftops and pooled together at the base of the fortress in a crescent lake, and trees stretched their branches over the top of the stronghold, casting dancing shadows on the sturdy stone walls whenever a breeze should happen to pass by. A bridge protruded from the entrance and connected the large boulder to two smaller floating boulders in a cross. Six hoops surrounded the main structure, and a blue stream of aether connected them in a winding path for Daevas to practice flight.

She and Aerys unfurled their wings at the same time, kicking up a gust of wind that cooled them down after the sweltering heat of the desert. A downwards sweep of the wings carried them off the ground and into the air, and the feathered appendages continued to beat with a steady rhythm to lift them higher until they hovered over the bridge. Aerys dispelled his wings and dropped onto the deck first, then moved out of the way so she could land. She mimicked him, and they headed inside to meet with General Telemachus.

"Arieluma," a centurion greeted as they passed each other. She and Aerys returned the greeting as they made their way up the stairway that led to the second-floor balcony. From there, they climbed another set of short, curving steps before arriving in front of a tall doorway occupied by two guards in silver armor.

The room beyond the threshold stood as the tallest and longest room in the fortress. Windows of painted glass stretched several feet high on the walls. A red carpet had been laid down on the floor, leading from the entrance all the way to the back of the room until it reached the foot of a plain throne. The general sat upon the throne, reading something from a scroll, but he looked up when the centurion beside him murmured something in his ear.

"Assassin Aerys and Songweaver Milotia," he said, "Welcome back. What have you found?"

General Telemachus had Ascended young, and his appearance was the most vernal of the three generals stationed throughout Elysea. Despite his looks, his battle prowess could compare to those of his seniors. As a result, he was promoted early and stationed in Eltnen, where desertification and the Krall continue to be constant headaches for the Seraphim Lords.

The pair of guards in the doorway acknowledged them with nods as she and Aerys stepped into the room. The two of them approached the throne and stopped a few feet before the youthful general, bowing their heads and crossing their right arms over their chest in identical salutations. Aerys responded to General Telemachus' inquiries, "The rumors are true, sir. The Kaidan and the Mamaki at the mine have begun amassing odium."

"How much have they managed to gather?" the general questioned.

Milotia raised her head. "Enough to fill an area as big as Agairon Village. We suspect that they have outside assistance, possibly from their headquarters, or the Krall in Heiron, or even the Lepharists."

"I see." General Telemachus leaned forward, resting his chin in one hand and furrowing his eyebrows in thought. Milotia and Aerys stayed quiet, waiting for their superior to make a decision.

"How many leaders did the Kaidan have?" The general suddenly asked.

Milotia tried to remember, but to her embarrassment, she hadn't paid close attention to locating the leaders at the mine. All of her focus had gone into sizing up the odium reserve. "Apologies, I was not careful enough to take note of their leaders," she admitted, bowing her head again to hide her shame.

"They had five leaders," Aerys answered. Milotia breathed a silent sigh of relief. Aion bless the assassins and their keen eyes; Aerys would always be around to make sure she didn't lose too much face.

"Are you certain?"

Aerys nodded. "With the Krall, only leaders have tents, and I counted five of them."

"I see." The general leaned back. "I will assemble a team to handle this matter. You two will be part of it, so remain on standby for now."

"Understood," they replied in unison.

"Here is your pay for the reconnaissance." General Telemachus waved a hand, and one of the centurions stepped forward with two bags of kinah, handing them to the pair of Daevas. "You are dismissed. Thank you for your hard work." With that said, the general turned to one of his centurions and began to converse about other matters. Milotia and Aerys bowed once more and retreated from the room. The pair of guards in the doorway saw them off with another nod.

Milotia waited until they were out of earshot before voicing her complaint. "I can't believe we'll have to go back out there in that heat."

"It's just one more time," Aerys laughed as he fanned his face to cool down faster.

"One time too many," she mumbled.

They headed back downstairs, and Aerys gestured outside. "I'm going to relax for a bit by the water. You coming?"

Splashing some water on her face after facing the desert heat sounded like a great idea, so she followed Aerys back out onto the bridge. They jumped off, one after the other, and spread their wings once more. The refreshing air rushed past their faces, ruffling their hair as they glided over the water. Milotia glanced down at her reflection and dipped her fingers into the liquid, smiling at the cooling sensation that greeted her skin.

Milotia swerved to the side and flapped her wings a few times, landing on a dirt patch near the edge of the water. There was a flat stone sitting in the water, and she did not hesitate to hop on and kneel. She cupped her hands, scooped up some water, and splashed it onto her face. A deep sigh escaped her as she basked in the feeling of relief, and she wet her hands again to wipe at her neck.

When she was done, she stood and looked around for Aerys. The assassin was crouched on the lake's edge with his hands submerged in the water. His gloves lay on the grass beside him. Milotia jumped off the rock and sauntered to his side, drying off her hands on her tunic.

"Let's get dinner after this," Aerys said as she sat down, "I'm craving some crestlich soup."

"Sure," she agreed as she weighed her kinah pouch in her hand. There should be enough kinah to support her aging parents for a while. If she held off on using flight transportation for another week, then she should be able to save up even more.

Once Aerys had finished soaking his hands, the two of them flew back up to the fortress. Instead of heading to the main structure, they made their way to one of the smaller boulders attached to the end of the bridge. The smell of food greeted their nostrils as they neared the doorway, and Milotia's stomach let out a quiet growl.

The cook glanced up from a pot and smiled at Milotia and Aerys as they walked in. "Hello, you two!" she called, "Mission go well?"

"Yes, but it was so hot out there," Milotia said as she approached the counter.

"Would you like a glass of ice water then?" the cook asked.

"Some ice water would be great," Milotia answered while Aerys nodded, "But only a little ice, please."

"Sure." The cook grabbed two cups and rummaged through the utensils scattered across the counter. After searching for a few seconds, she picked out a wooden box the size of a person's fist and popped it open. There was a rattling sound as the cook tapped a few ice cubes into each glass.

In Elysea, where the climate is warm all year round, it was difficult to freeze things for preservation or even have cold drinks, so sorcerers had charmed boxes with ice magic to give them the ability to keep their interiors at low temperatures. These freezers were especially useful in Eltnen, where the sweltering desert heat made people crave cold refreshments all day long.

The cook filled the cups with water and handed them to the two Daevas. "Can I help you with anything else?"

Milotia took a sip of her drink. "Could I also get the roasted basilisk with a side of bread and steamed ruta?"

"Of course." The cook turned to Aerys. "And you?"

"Crestlich and rubashi soup, please."

With their orders placed, the two of them sat down at a table to wait. It didn't take long for the cook to prepare the food, and she carried the dishes to them on a wooden tray, placing the bowl of soup in front of Aerys and the plate of basilisk meat before Milotia. Then, she laid out utensils for them and retreated to the kitchen after bidding them to enjoy the meal.

Feeling her stomach rumble again, Milotia picked up the fork and stabbed it into a slice of basilisk, stuffing the piece of meat into her mouth and chewing vigorously. The basilisk belly meat oozed fatty oil as she bit into it, filling her mouth with the savory taste of roasted flesh. She took a bite out of the slice of bread and crunched on the steamed vegetables that had been laid out on the side.

With her hunger quieted, Milotia let her attention wander around the room. Most other patrons were keeping to themselves, talking in low voices or eating without a word. However, the table next to her caught her eye. One of the Daevas seated there was gesturing with her hand as she spoke to the person sitting across from her. Judging by the polearm leaning against the table, Milotia guessed that the Daeva was a gladiator and picked up on the conversation.

"It's a really cursed place, I'm telling you," the gladiator said, taking a long sip from her mug.

"Why is that?" Her companion – a ranger, judging by the bow slung across her shoulder – asked, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on the edge of the table.

"There's undead everywhere. At least half of Heiron is swarming with them, all thanks to that Krall invasion we had a long while back." The gladiator gulped down another mouthful of her drink. "Speaking of which, there was a second invasion just a few years ago. Those filthy beasts really don't know when to stop."

"Oh, I think I heard about that!" The ranger nodded. "Were you there when it happened?"

"Nah, I was in Verteron when it happened, but I spoke to a Daeva who was there. He said it was shit, even after a prestigious sorcerer arrived to help, and the thing is, he also said that that sorcerer died in the battle and never resurrected at an obelisk."

Milotia stopped chewing and exchanged looks with Aerys, who had paused with his spoon in his mouth. Despite their immortality and their ability to bind to and use obelisks for resurrection, Daevas still faced the threat of Vanishing. As far as she knew, the two main reasons a Daeva would Vanish would be because they died too far away from their obelisk or because the bond between their soul and the obelisk became too weak. However, this occurrence was rare in Elysea, and most Vanishings happened to Daevas who were stationed in Balaurea, so to hear that someone had Vanished out in Heiron was unusual enough for Milotia to jump into the conversation herself.

"Ah, excuse me?"

The gladiator and the ranger started and turned to stare at her with wide eyes. Milotia smiled and clapped her hands together in apology. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation, but you said that a Daeva Vanished out in Heiron? Do you know why?"

"Oh, no, I don't." The gladiator shook her head. "I've heard others say that the sorcerer was most likely out of range of his obelisk though."

Milotia supposed that was reasonable. After all, it was far more common for a Daeva to move out of range of an obelisk than to forget to reinforce the soul-obelisk connection. She asked another question. "Do you know the sorcerer's name?"

"It was Odissius Aetherborn," the gladiator replied.

Upon hearing that name, Milotia couldn't help but feel that she was familiar with it. She frowned, trying to remember where she had heard of Odissius Aetherborn before, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't recall anything. The gladiator was still waiting for a response, so Milotia thanked her and withdrew from the conversation.

Aerys met Milotia's inquisitive gaze and shrugged, indicating that he was as clueless as she was. They returned to their meals, and by the time they finished eating, the Vanishing of Odissius Aetherborn was pushed out of their thoughts. The Kaidan Mine was a more pressing matter. Since General Telemachus had told them to remain on standby while he arranged for a raid, Milotia expected to have nothing to do for the next couple of days.