Sunlight had just begun to peek through the window when Ester awoke, sensing the absence of the warmth that had been by her side all night. Javed was getting dressed, and the bed felt empty without him. "Javed? Where are you going this early?"

He flinched when she spoke. "I need to get my orders. I'll be back before you have to get up." Ester hesitated, then nodded. Javed kept stealing glances at her, in a way that made her reflexively want to cover up. Then she remembered that she didn't have to, feeling emboldened as she let the sheets fall to her waist. She relished the reaction on Javed's face.

Part of her wanted to see if she could make him stay. But she sighed, knowing that she couldn't, in good conscience, interfere with his duty. "Go, Javed," she said, giving him a level smile. "I'll be here when you return."

Javed paused for a moment, then swiftly approached her side. Ester started, thinking that he was actually coming back to bed. He dipped to one knee, and pulled her in for a soft, passionate kiss. Ester's thoughts flew away, and she leaned into him, clutching at him, wanting more. But Javed backed away, and caught her eye. She could see into him, his desire for her, and more. Clan, comradery, lust, apprehension. The same things she felt for him. Then Javed left, and the moment was over.

The Dromoka sought closeness among all members of the clan, but this was a level of intimacy Ester had never known before. At times, she and Javed were almost one soul. Nothing in her experience could have prepared her for this. And she didn't want to give it up…or share it.

Ester winced at the thought. There it was. That selfishness. She had been warned about that. It was just another trial to overcome. It was why not everyone was chosen for this assignment. Only the most exceptional, the most loyal of servants were entrusted this way. Because selfish desires would rear their head and try to pull one off the path of duty, of clan.

She shook her head. Just let those feelings pass. They are common, but I can't allow sentiment to cloud duty. She remembered the other female soldiers who had given her advice on her assignment. A female soldier on breeding assignment bore much more responsibility than her male counterparts, so most exceptional female soldiers were assigned this duty later in life, but before such an assignment would be unfeasible. This also allowed a soldier more opportunity to prove herself worthy to breed. The clan didn't want to spread inferior blood after all.

But there were instances of younger soldiers, like herself, being assigned. Sometimes they only did it once, before focusing on their other clan duties for the rest of their life. Or they might be assigned again and again, if their temperament and health suited the calling and they were approved. But attachment was a danger, so they were always assigned with a different partner. The others told her it got easier. What never got easier, they said, was giving up the child. Some had gotten emotional, but they all praised Dromoka and the clan, and somehow got through it. The children were taken to other aeries, and the women who bore them were left to wonder about their fate. But that was life.

Ester could remember her childhood, being raised with other humans, ainok, and aven. They had all been treated the same by their caretakers, some of whom were also breeders whose children had been taken away. Ester wondered if she missed her birth parents. She couldn't find any sentiment like that. She had never really thought about them until now.

Ester had never really thought this much about the process of breeding before. It had never mattered. While young, the children were taught about sex, and its role in procreation. They were also taught that unassigned pregnancies were a drain on clan resources, and an act of pure selfishness. Those were punished, at least by the death of the mother and child, and the father and any who helped cover it up if they were known. In addition, their coed training kept them busy enough. There had been a few incidents that she could remember, but they had been made public examples. Most youth imbibed the teachings, either through idealism, or fear of punishment. Some indulged in interspecies relations, as those could not result in pregnancy. Ester had never done it, but she knew comrades who had. It wasn't a clean fix, but it was something.

Ester let her mind wander. It was still early. She had training at 8:00, but she didn't have to attend early morning workout. Then she heard someone enter their dwelling, and Javed's voice called out, "Ester?" She pulled the sheets over her chest in case someone else was with him. He entered their room, wearing his chest plate, more out of formality than need. She smiled, expecting him to come close and sit on the bed, but he hesitated. Her smile faded.

"Javed?" she asked.

"Ester, I've been assigned a special mission before I begin my Foremost training. I must travel to the aerie of Raz, starting this morning." He spoke slow and haltingly, peeking out from downcast eyes.

"What? But we still have a week left in our assignment!" Ester protested. It didn't make sense that their schedule would conflict so.

Javed sat down next to her, shaking his head in empathy. "I know, I'm sorry. They didn't consult me either." They sat in expectant silence for a moment, before Ester perked up.

"I'll just ask my officer for the time off to accompany you!" Javed eyes widened and his gaze darted to her face. Ester smiled. It was an easy enough solution. Ester was already to be put on leave from active duty, so she would definitely be able to get the time off to finish her breeding assignment. It would be easier than rescheduling her future assignments.

Javed blinked, and then shuddered. Ester was surprised. He looked pale and sick. "Are you ok, Javed? You don't look well."

Javed smiled, and then he looked like himself again. "I'm fine, Ester. I'm just glad that we don't have to be separated." He trailed his hand softly over her thigh. Ester focused on her breathing. This would probably be the last stretch of time she would be able to spend with him, with all of their duties. And though it might be just an assignment, she wanted to be able to remember him.

Yet there was something niggling at her mind. She remembered Mirza, the vulture aven, exonerating Javed from any wrongdoing. But Javed had been acting weird, both last night and this morning. As she thought about it, she could pick out moments where Javed had appeared nervous or distant. It's nerves, she told herself. He was soon to ship out and begin his training as part of the Foremost. Everything was going to change. And she had not exactly been welcoming for most of their joint assignment. It all made sense, except something still felt off.

Ester trailed her hand along Javed's arm. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted to comfort him, in any way she could. She wanted to remember him after he was gone. And, at least in a little part of her mind, she wanted to clear his name. Or perhaps it was to clear her conscience.


It was a three day's hike to Raz. Both of them were physically robust, so they made good time. At night, they camped, in a canvas tent designed to keep out the desert sands. And when they rested, they could not resist the opportunity to explore each other, to be close. The physical affected the mental and emotional, and the mental and emotional fed back into the physical. They steadily grew closer.


Arriving in Raz, they met with the local trainer, a gruff hound ainok, who checked Javed's papers and pointed them to the local couple's quarters. A runner led them to an unoccupied dwelling, and they settled in.

Javed took in their new surroundings. It was new to them, but shared the same sparse sensibilities that all Dromoka dwellings did. Ostentation was not needed, and therefore not desired. He turned to Ester, who was likewise appraising the dwelling. She noticed his gaze and quirked an eyebrow. Javed blushed, but met her look.

Their trip had continued what their first night together had started. He felt selfish at first, but her touch was ready and eager to meet his whenever he reached for her. In a life of duty and discipline, the lowering of boundaries was welcome. They had explored each other together, and their friendship and comradery only deepened. At those times, Javed could see the trust in her eyes, and feel how close they both wanted to be.

In those moments, he pushed his fears and doubts aside. He was just…alive. Present, in that moment. During the day, he tried to maintain that focus. Because if he allowed himself to take that step back, and look at what he was doing, he would have a nervous breakdown.

Ester wasn't supposed to be here. He had wanted to leave her behind, not for himself, but for her sake. She didn't need to be involved. Well, honestly, it was self-preservation to an extent. After she had told him about the Clan's investigation, he had almost run out of the room screaming. And though he was ostensibly cleared, and he usually would have no reason to question that, he also usually would have no reason to question that his comrade on a breeding assignment was also a spy assigned to watch him. But there had been no way to leave her behind without arousing suspicion, and thereby inviting a deeper level of inquiry than he felt comfortable withstanding.

It would have been too much to deal with, but other considerations were holding sway. Looking back, he could see Ester's reticence in a new light. He actually felt sympathy for her. She had been put in a hard position, and he hadn't known. But with that explained, he could see why she had been acting strange. Since then, it had been just like old times. Except, not at all, but Ester wasn't acting strange anymore. She was completely open, in a way that sometimes scared him.

Javed wanted her, craved all of her, but he feared that he would be required to pay some price. Even though he was continuing on his course, he was torn between two lives, and that stress transferred to his feelings for Ester. Which stress melted away when they came together at night, and that then fed back into his feelings of guilt. Just because Javed could identify the problem, didn't mean he felt capable of addressing it.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Ester approached, idly wrapping her arms around him, holding on lightly. Javed marveled for a moment at the wonder of this intimacy. He wanted to protect this moment. He wanted this to be his duty. This moment, this feeling, this…woman.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I'm just thinking about what I've got to do here," he replied.

Ester smiled comfortingly. "You'll do great, Javed. I know you can do it." Javed returned her smile. Even though he was keeping things from her, he cherished her support. It felt like the only real thing in his life right now, and even that could be taken away from him.


Later that night, they lay in bed, entangled with each other and breathing softly. Javed focused on keeping his breathing as natural as possible. Ester was quiet, her breathing steady. Javed felt the hairs on his body stand up, as he tried to sense whether she was asleep. He waited, lying still, trying to measure an appropriate amount of time.

Finally, Javed decided to make his move. He would need time to get to the meeting place, hear whatever Anafenza and her group had to share, and still make it back before the sun rose. First, how to get untangled from Ester?

He decided to embrace her tighter, and use the hug to roll her over onto her side of the bed. He purposely overolled a bit, allowing him to extricate his arm that had been under her. He paused a moment, then softly rolled back to his side. Lying still for a moment, his ears strained for any change. The night was so quiet that even barely audible noises felt loud.

Ester's snores didn't vary, and she stayed on her side. Javed cheered internally. Stage 1 complete. He gently removed the blanket from his body. Then, gradually, imperceptibly, he shifted his weight. He went by feel, balancing between being slow and methodical, and also trying to move as quickly as possible. This was the vulnerable time. If he could get off the bed and get out of the building, then things would get easier.

He rolled over, letting his knees touch the floor. He still had his upper body weight on the bed, and gently eased that pressure off, watching intently for any notice from Ester. Finally, he was completely off the bed. Ester didn't move. He lowered himself to the floor, and crawled out of the room. He had left his breastplate and sword in the front room earlier, so that he could take them without disturbing Ester.

In the front room, he ignored the door, and clambered out the open window, after checking for witnesses. It was deep night, the stars and moon bright, lighting up the ground. Everything felt surreal. Javed could imagine he was stepping into a dream.

In the street, he glanced around. He still didn't know where the meeting place was, though he had been shown the location by Anafenza. He didn't want to be out in the open like this, but he had to wait for her to guide him.

Hey.

Javed stifled a yell. He glared at Anafenza, who had approached from behind. She returned the glare, holding a finger to her lips, before breaking into an apologetic smile. Sorry, she thought into his mind. Javed sighed, trying to will his heart rate back to normal. He motioned for her to lead out. Anafenza led him through the aerie, guiding him down empty streets en route to their destination.

Eventually, they approached the aerie wall. Javed glanced at Anafenza questioningly, and she held up her hand for him to wait. Anafenza furrowed her brow in concentration, and then her eyes began to glow. The sand around him began to stir, then a sudden gust of sand blew him off his feet. He felt the solid earth fall away from him, saw the wall passing underneath him. His upward momentum slowed, and after a moment of agonizing weightlessness, he began to fall.

Javed didn't even have time to feel afraid. He was just beginning to accept that he was going to hit the ground, hard, when he stopped. Another gust of sand slowed his descent, and Anafenza was right there, almost as if she had caught him. He was back on solid ground again.

"Thanks," he managed to get out, still dazed by what had happened.

"No problem," Anafenza smiled. She was a lot more agreeable tonight than she had been the last time they spoke. Javed didn't know what had changed, but he was grateful. The only reason he was even here was because Anafenza had been gently guiding him. He hoped that was the truth, and there wasn't a crueler reality.

"Oh, Javed, you're bleeding!" Anafenza remarked. Javed looked down, and indeed, the sudden sand bursts had scraped his legs. "Sorry about that," she apologized, and knelt down in front of him. He could have used sun magic to heal himself, but Anafenza had already started. A subtle glow appeared, and she began running her fingers along his skin. Though he could see her touching him, expecting to feel her, there was no physical sensation. But he did feel her presence, her feelings and thoughts. She was sorry, sorry for a lot of things, sorry for being rude before. Appreciation, for his efforts, his sacrifice, his trust. Anafenza looked up at him, and her eyes pierced his.

In that moment, Javed felt a surge of guilt. He wanted to be there for her, be what she wanted him to be. But he also wanted to be there for Ester, and be what she needed from him. Was that even possible? Was he fooling himself, or was this the only way? After his assignment with Ester, he might never see her again, duty to clan pulling them in separate directions. And if he turned back now, there was no guarantee that Anafenza would have any reason to work with him again, even if she didn't silence him.

This was the only way. He needed to follow Anafenza, hear her people out, and judge for himself. Javed swore that he would do what he thought right, even if it killed him. In the end, that was all he could do.

"There, all done," Anafenza said, floating back up to a little above eye level. "Come on, we're almost there." She motioned into the desert. Javed started walking.

As he did, Anafenza floated closer, mingling right at the edges of him. He could feel her giggling. This was strange. Anafenza was being unusually chipper.

I knew you would do the right thing, Javed, she thought. Even though you are torn, you need to know the truth. That's what's so good about you. I know when you hear what we have to share, you will see the purpose of our struggle.

Javed started. Of course! While she had been healing him, she had been able to feel his thoughts as well!

She laughed again. Simple, pure Javed. What a thing to forget! But it just proves what I…admire about you. I'm glad it was you. He couldn't see her, as she was hovering over his back, but he could sense that she was shy about that last part.

She continued. I know it must have been difficult to leave that warm bed, and Javed saw an image of himself and Ester lying in each other's arms. He felt a sudden shock.

"Were you watching us?" he marveled.

"Of course!" Anafenza exclaimed, a bit defensively. "I was always watching, to make sure that you didn't give us away," she explained. That made a little sense, but Javed still wasn't sure how to feel about it. She continued. "I must admit, it was…fascinating." Javed's eyes widened. "Javed, I'm a spirit! I can't interact the way you two can. I never will."

Javed felt all of the shock and offense drain out of him. Anafenza continued. "Though spirits can use magic and interact in limited ways, we are very aware of how we differ from the living. There are things we can do that you can't, and there are things you can do, that we can't."

Javed considered this. "Did you ever…?" he trailed off, though he couldn't stop a quick image of Anafenza in a certain state.

Anafenza laughed sadly. "What do you think, Javed? I was a Foremost, my duty was there. I couldn't take time off to bear a child, so there was no need for me to be assigned. Maybe if I had lived to active retirement…" and Javed felt her go silent.

Javed didn't know what to say. I'm sorry, he thought lamely.

There was a brief stillness. I know. Anafenza sent a light surge of feeling through him, so that he could sense her status. He walked on in companionable silence, with her tagging along on his back.

Then she floated ahead, and Javed couldn't read her anymore. "We're almost there," she informed him. They had approached one of several larger oasis in this area. It was isolated in the Southwestern corner of Dromoka territory. Anafenza motioned him to continue into the trees.

"How do you keep this place hidden?" Javed asked.

"Very carefully," she responded, winking. Javed groaned.

As they proceeded further into the grove, the light from the stars and moon were almost completely blocked out. In return, Anafenza began to glow, easily lighting their path. Javed was amazed by…everything about her. Spirit worship was forbidden, considered evil, but almost all of Javed's experiences with Anafenza had been positive. He wondered, What harm there could be in communing with those who have passed on?

Then he saw another person. Javed's eyes widened in surprise. As he took them in, Javed saw others. They noticed him, but kept to their tasks. Some were watering the trees. Others were digging large holes, with large long bundles nearby. Some were scratching words onto the trunks of the trees. Javed's brain tried to take in all this new information, but he couldn't fit it together in context.

They're burying our dead, Anafenza thought into his mind. We give our bodies to the trees as sustenance, and our spirits go into the tree and live on. Javed reflected on that as they passed the others working.

Then Javed saw a spirit. At first he thought it was Anafenza, but she was floating nearby. He did a double take and noticed that there were other spirits floating around, both male and female, with aven and ainok as well as human. He drew closer to Anafenza. Though his experience with her had been comforting and positive, he still felt uncomfortable around these new spirits. For their part, those he passed would give him and Anafenza a glance, and then move on.

Anafenza seemed to notice his discomfort, and floated back to his side, mingling over his shoulder. This attracted more attention from those around them, but Javed could sense it was different. More open, welcoming.

"Anafenza?" he began.

"They can tell you're trusted. It will put them at ease." And you as well. She sent another wave of reassurance.

As they continued through the grove, Javed began to see more and more spirits. The trees had carvings on them, carvings of names. Buckets were set up around some, collecting sap. The air felt heavy, and he could hear a multitude of whispers that he couldn't quite understand.

Finally, Anafenza sent him an impulse to stop. We're here.

Javed look around him. The trees here were towering and wide. Their trunks bore many names. Some names were different than the others, in a dialect that was unfamiliar to him. A fog fell over his mind. This place felt ancient. It felt alive. And it felt…oppressive.

"Is this the one, Anafenza?" Javed heard a voice, coming from all around, but he could not see its source. He steadied himself, preparing for a spirit to appear.

"Yes, ancestor, he is the descendant of Daghatar," Anafenza replied. Javed cast his eyes toward her at that, but she had moved behind him, presenting him to this unseen audience. Daghatar? He had never heard that name, though by context he could tell it was going to mean something here.

"Well done, daughter of the Abzan. This is a big step towards redeeming yourself from your failures." Javed bristled at that. Failures, redemption, what? He wanted to ask Anafenza what this meant, but he felt that he wasn't free to speak at this point. "We will leave it to you to continue to guide him as he realizes his destiny."

"Yes, ancestor," Anafenza replied, and there wasn't a hint of ego in her voice. Javed could hear the submission and devotion. More than anything, he wanted to look at her, and take stock. He wanted to share feelings like they had been up to this point. But he was on his own right now.

"And you, Javed of the Dromoka, Descendant of Daghatar, what have you to say?"

Javed hesitated, a jumble of thoughts running through his mind. "I don't…understand."

The voice let out a sound of annoyance. "Anafenza, what have you been teaching this boy?"

"He knows," Anafenza replied, humbly as she had been since this conversation started, "but he doesn't know, not yet."

"Hmph," the voice said, and then several spirits glowed to life in a semicircle in front of him. Javed started. He had not expected more than the voice speaking. There were several humans, aven, ainok, and even an…orc? The shock troopers of the Kolaghan? Javed's head whirled.

"Are you in awe, boy?" the foremost human spirit, a warrior woman, asked. "Understandable. We are your ancestors, from the time of the fall of Abzan. We have existed for as long as those usurper dragons that pretend to rule this land."

Javed gaped. Could that be true? Spirits that could remember a time before the dragonlords, over 1000 years ago? This was what he had come for. To find the truth. To see for himself. Just meeting Anafenza had awoken things in him that he could not deny. And being with Ester, knowing that things could be different, that he could have her by his side, not at the whim of a dragon. He had to know. Now, more than ever, he was stranded between two lives. The one he had known all his life, the one that had given him Ester, and his dragonlord and the scalelords. Everything he knew, every good thing, had been found in the Dromoka, in this life.

But Anafenza had opened his eyes, opened his heart, and he couldn't close them again. Javed carried with him the upbringing of the Dromoka, but he couldn't deny this. He needed to know. What she had taught him rang true, felt right. And he wanted to believe. But he needed more, in order to make his decision. He didn't want to think beyond that. He was comfortable with this being where he died, if he needed to defy this group. Even Anafenza. It was harder to think what would be required if he joined them officially tonight.

"Yes, I see you understand," the spirit continued. "My name is Reyhan. I was the last khan of the Abzan, before we were subjugated beneath the draconic oppressors."

"You know what happened, back then?" Javed couldn't help asking.

"Yes," Reyhan replied. "I saw the arrival of the dragons, from the dragon storms. I saw the fool Daghatar bow the knee to them. I took up his mantle and led the loyal remnants, after he cravenly abandoned them. And I died when the last alliance of Khans was betrayed by that traitorous coward, Tasigur." She spat. "Fortunately, he got his reward. He yet hangs, dried and preserved, from the Dragonlord Silumgar's neck." Pleased with recounting that fact, she continued. "My body was brought back to Abzan lands and buried here in secret. It was thanks to that I was able to continue in service to my clan, even after my death."

Javed took this in, and bowed his head. "I am honored to hear your story. Your life and death honor both you and the Abzan."

Reyhan eyed him, and nodded approvingly. "It seems that fortune has favored us. After Anafenza fell, I wasn't sure that we could find a suitable candidate, who could also fulfil the prophesy."

Javed hesitated. "I apologize, but that is what I still don't understand. I have no knowledge of any prophesy, or how it could involve me." Or Anafenza, he thought.

"Hmm, yes," Reyhan began. "It is indeed time for you to be instructed in our cause…our hope." She paused, letting the silence stretch. "As you know, we are the ones, the few, who have kept alive the old ways. Remembering the tenets of our ancestors, our blood. Though Dromoka tried to wipe out our beliefs, blood is thicker than water. The Dragons use fear and violence to cow our people. Loyalty can only be assured through familial bonds, which the dragons have destroyed."

Reyhan gave Javed a meaningful look, and he wondered how much she knew of his struggles, his desire, for Ester. But he put it out of his mind. She didn't appear to know much of his life. Maybe the desire for blood relations was more universal than he thought.

"For now, we exist in hiding," Reyhan continued, "but we have reason to hope. A prophecy has been handed down from generation to generation. It is to this prophecy that we direct our hope. 'For as by Daghatar did the Abzan fall, so by Daghatar will the Abzan live again.'" She paused again to allow Javed to reflect on that. "Daghatar was the fool who surrendered the Abzan to the decrees of the Dromoka. Because of him, our people would not fight. Only a few defied him and followed me. If we had continued fighting, we might have had something. But alas, things happen for a reason."

Reyhan continued her speech. "The prophecy states that by Daghatar the Abzan will rise." Reyhan scowled. "But he died over a thousand years ago. And though those who held to the old ways deigned to give him a proper burial, due to his betrayal of his people, his body was dug up and cast into the wastes, so that his spirit would not know rest." Reyhan smiled cruelly. Javed got the impression that she may have had something to do with that.

"Even if he were here, the spirits of ancestors cannot initiate change in the world of the living. We are only allowed to counsel, support, and aid our living family. The prophecy must be fulfilled by a living soul." Now she trained her eyes on Javed. "And that person, in this case, must be a descendant of Daghatar."

Javed's eyes widened. His jaw worked, trying to speak, yet he had nothing to say. "H-how do you know who I am descended from?"

Reyhan smiled in a way that Javed supposed was intended to convey warmth, but felt domineering. She floated towards him. She was arrayed in battle armor, even wearing a helmet, showing her focus as a warrior. Up until now, her words had been clipped and measured. But now, when she spoke, it was honeyed and sweet. "Though the mothers may forget their children, yet will I not forget." She circled Javed, raising her hand to trail along his arm and shoulder. Javed was beginning to realize that spirits had a different concept of personal space. "Javed, we who linger in service to our clan, exist only to serve our descendants. We have no ulterior motive, other than making life as good as possible for our bloodlines."

Though he could tell she was attempting to be nurturing, he almost felt oppressed by her close presence. Her will was apparent. She stopped, directly behind him, and he felt her touching his shoulders, holding him in place. His body tensed up. But a part of him wanted to relax, to let her guide him. Just let go, of self, of identity. Let her in…

A shudder ran through his whole body and he jumped forward a step. He whirled around, the hairs on his neck standing up, and saw Reyhan, who quirked an eyebrow at his sudden start. He quickly bowed his head, and even went to one knee. "I apologize, my revered…predecessor?" though he could not tell what he was apologizing for.

Reyhan fixed him with a calculating gaze, but she must have judged him harmless, because her expression changed to one of bored disinterest. "Very well, you now know the prophecy, and your place in it." She floated back to stand at the head of the other spirits. They seemed content to let her lead this interview. In fact, a few in the back had their eyes closed and seemed to be…sleeping?

Javed rose to his feet and faced Reyhan. "But what are my duties? How is the prophecy to be fulfilled? What is our goal?"

Reyhan gave an embellished sigh. "So many questions. Anafenza will answer those for you. I assign her to be your sponsor and guide. She found you, and has helped you get to this point, and she will continue to do so." Her expression of feigned disinterest fell, and was replaced what Javed was coming to see as her trademark shrewd look. For all her age, and experience, she was fairly blunt and easy to read. Javed didn't know how to feel about that.

Reyhan smiled again, this time in parting. "We are glad to have met you, Javed," she said, gesturing to the other spirits. "We believe that you will fulfill the prophecy, and bring the Abzan back to their rightful place. We have agents in each aerie, who will be able to give you assistance as needed. And finally-" here her smile fled and her gaze turned cold, "remember that we will always have our eyes upon you," and she gestured past him. He turned and saw Anafenza, who looked down, but glanced up to catch his gaze. He had trouble reading her expression, but he knew the score. She may not want to do it. Hell, he knew she wouldn't. But he also knew that she absolutely would stop him from revealing the secrets of the Abzan. Far from disturbing him, it reassured him. If they didn't believe that much, then he couldn't have been expected to either.

Javed bowed. "Is that all?" he asked, preparing to take his leave.

Reyhan smirked. "Not all. Anafenza, come." Javed turned and watched Anafenza float up to him, her gaze brushing across his, studious intent and questioning for him in her eyes. He smiled confidently. He knew she was worried about how he was taking this. The distance between them was hard to deal with after being so close, so he wanted to make sure he expressed something she could read.

Anafenza gestured him to follow, and moved towards Reyhan, who floated aside to let them past. Anafenza went right up to the large tree that the spirits had been gathered around. Among its roots, Javed could see mounds that represented graves. He could see ancient names carved into the bark. Anafenza brushed his arm and pointed to a pruning knife that lay on the dirt. He picked it up and looked to Anafenza questioningly. She then pointed to a wooden bowl on the ground. He quickly picked it up. Javed felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Was this a test? He had no idea what to do here.

Anafenza whispered into his ear, "Pierce the tree, allowing its blood to flow forth. Catch the blood in the bowl, that it does not touch the ground." Javed understood now, but still felt the pressure. He could feel the eyes of everyone on his back. The warm desert air, in this grove, was heavy with humidity. Javed's tunic was soaked in sweat. He raised the blade, pressing it against the bark. His brow furrowed, and his muscle tensed as he forced the metal into the wood.

Javed was amazed to see sap begin to flow out of the cut like blood from a wound. It came in spurts, as if responding to some unseen heartbeat. He quickly raised the bowl to catch the sap. Javed wondered if it would continue to pour and overflow, but the sap clotted as he was thinking about it. A male aven approached, face impassive, carrying a jar with a ladle in it. Javed looked into it, trying to ascertain its contents.

"Water," Anafenza whispered. "Pour in the sap."

Javed glanced at her, then tilted the bowl into the jar, the sap slowly flowing out. Once he did, the aven held the jar out to him and took the bowl in turn, retreating to the edges of the clearing. Javed looked at the jar in his hands. Water and tree sap, huh?

"Stir the sap into the water," Anafenza prompted. Javed took the ladle and stirred the contents. He lifted the ladle out, trying to see what it looked like. But the low level of moonlight that filtered through the trees didn't allow him to discern finer details. This drink could be poison for all he knew. And yet, he knew what was coming next.

He turned to look at Anafenza, expectantly. She was staring at him, into him. Javed was pierced by her, and though they were not in contact, he could feel her energy moving around him. The atmosphere had changed suddenly. He wanted to look around, to see how the others were reacting, but he couldn't. He felt, rather than sensed, that to break her gaze, to break this moment, would be momentous. The anticipation was similar to what he had felt with Reyhan earlier. But while his experience with Reyhan had felt overbearing, he trusted Anafenza. Even if there was still much he did not know (and that did make him uneasy), he knew her. If he had to bet his life on that, he would.

"Now…drink."

Javed lifted a ladle full of the concoction, and as he did, Anafenza's impassive mask began to slip. Her lips parted as she watched Javed lift it to his. Her eyes darted, from his gaze, to the ladle, to his mouth. Javed, for his part, kept his eyes on her, watching her, memorizing her. Her composure slipped more and more as he brought the ladle to his lips, replaced by an ecstatic anticipation. He paused for a moment, watching her, and then drank deep.

Javed immediately coughed as the drink burned down his throat. It was bitter! The most bitter thing he had ever tasted! He swallowed it quickly, then gagged. The ladle and jar fell from his grasp, and the thought crossed his mind that he'd been poisoned. He looked at Anafenza, and she was smiling. He wondered what he should be feeling right now, when his brain began to sputter. He felt his equilibrium go haywire, and when he tried to correct, he went too far and slammed to the ground. There was no pain, and Javed barely felt the impact. As the world began to fade out around him, the last thing he heard was Anafenza's voice.

"Don't be afraid, Javed. I am with you." He felt her project her calming essence, and his vision cleared just long enough to see her kneeling over him, reaching out for him. Then everything went dark.


Through closed eyes, Javed felt heat and light emerge upon him. His eyelids fluttered, squinting against the…sun? It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and then he could see the whole of Arashin spread out hundreds of feet beneath him. Beneath him?

"Aaaggh!" Javed screamed, and flailed, trying to find something to hold onto.

"Javed!" He heard someone call his name, and started whipping his head around, desperately looking for help. Wait, someone was there, floating a few feet away. He looked again, and recognized Anafenza. His flailing slowed, though his heart was still pounding in his chest.

"Anafenza! What?! How?!" Javed's brain still couldn't piece many words together.

Anafenza tried to hold in her laughter, but failed. "Javed, focus on me!" She floated closer. Javed reached out for her instinctively, but his hands passed through hers. That brought Javed up short, and he remembered that he was dealing with the supernatural.

"Good, Javed, good," Anafenza soothed. "We are in your spirit dream world. The essence of the sap is transmitting information to your memory."

Javed quirked an eyebrow. He looked down at Arashin, and gestured to it with a sweep of his hand. "What do you mean? I know Arashin. I mean, I've never seen it from this angle, but that's not-"

"Do you know Arashin?" Anafenza interrupted, smiling. She pointed at the city.

Javed sighed and looked again. Then he frowned. There was something wrong. The buildings were smaller, and some were missing. And he noticed that the roof openings in the Aeries were…missing. For that matter, there were no dragons in sight. Which was the most strange. In all his life, dragons had been a part of it. Whether among the people, or flying overhead, they were always around.

"What's going on?" he mumbled, more to himself than to his companion. But Anafenza heard him.

"You were half right. We are in Arashin." Javed looked at her quizzically. "But the Arashin of a thousand years ago. Before the dragons came."

Javed gaped at her. "What? How is that possible?"

Anafenza smiled. "Through our rituals. When we bury our dead among the groves, not only do their spirits gain the power to linger on, but their memories and power can be transmitted to the sap that flows through the trees. We drink the distilled sap to draw upon the wisdom and power of our ancestors. There are other uses as well. In your case, the sap will help you to see what we have, until now, only talked about."

Javed marveled at the intricacies of the Abzan spirituality. It was magic. It was amazing. And it wasn't evil. Dromoka was wrong about this. And if she could be wrong about spirits and ancestor worship, what else could she be wrong about? His mind flashed to Ester, and their tenuous arrangement. Such intimacy, such depth of emotion. Should it really be subject to the whims of the scalelords?

"Come, Javed," Anafenza said. "We still have much to see." Rather than moving from their spot, the world whirled around them and changed. Now they were in the city itself. Javed could see the people going about their lives. It was similar to what he was used to. Many soldiers, but also normal people going about their lives. Humans, Aven, Ainok, and Orcs.

Javed turned to Anafenza. "What does this mean?" he asked, waving towards an Orc guard.

"The Abzan practiced 'Krumar'. In battle, when they would slay their enemies, often there would be orphans left of their children. Rather than leave them to die, they would be taken in to be raised as foot soldiers, as Krumar. By law they were to be treated as Bond-kin, almost family, and many ended up being adopted into the families they served. The orcs you see are krumar, although humans, aven, ainok, and other species could be Krumar as well."

Javed watched the orc as it saluted a passing company. He felt surreal. In the real world, the orcs served the Dragonlord Kolaghan, and they were bloodthirsty ragers. He felt a twinge of sympathy. If only the orcs could be krumar, they could be saved from their awful fates.

"Look, over here," Anafenza said, motioning him over. They stood together, looking upon a market place. People shopped and traded below them, as they floated above the scene. In the center of the square, there stood an Abzan ancestor tree, down to the names carved into the trunk. Four soldiers stood guard around it, but even small children were allowed to go up and look at the names on the tree.

"These "kin trees" were a central part of life for the Abzan," Anafenza said. "Family was the heart of Abzan society. Whether by blood, oath, or krumar." She turned and looked at him. "To be ritually disowned was one of the greatest punishments imaginable."

Javed breathed in deep, trying to memorize…this, all of this. This life, this world. It was so different, so similar, and yet it felt right. It felt good.

Anafenza sighed. "Even though I am a spirit, I am from your time, Javed. This world is foreign to me as well. But this was our heritage, and it was destroyed. And the memory of it was almost lost to time. Due to the invaders!" As she spoke, the sky grew dark as multitudes of dragons appeared, attacking the City. Javed's view zoomed out and he could see the long term conflict between the two sides continue and grow. The dragons possessed aerial superiority, massive strength, and their lethal breath weapons, but Javed was amazed to see the Abzan putting up a good fight.

The Ainok called upon the sand magic that Javed was familiar with, but since the dragons had taught humans the power of Sun Magic, there were no Sun Mages. Instead, they used spirit magic, to call upon ancestral spirits to attack and defend, and to strengthen and fortify the living warriors. They also possessed admirable teamwork, bringing down many dragons, even as the dragons laid waste to many brave warriors. The battle seemed to be even, though the toll was terrible on both sides.

But for every dragon that fell, more would take its place. Javed looked around, and reacting to his unasked question, the dream showed him their source. Swirling storms of magic, and from them, fully grown dragons flew forth! Javed's eyes widened. He had never known how dragons reproduced. He had assumed that there was some sacred, secret nesting ground, but now he realized, he had never even seen an adolescent dragon before!

The onslaught of dragons wore away at the Abzan. For all of their bravery and passion, they were outnumbered. Javed looked away.

"What happened? How did it end?" Javed asked, remembering what Reyhan had told him earlier.

The scene changed again. Now they were in a cave, standing behind a man, dressed in the manner of the Abzan. He held a mace fashioned out of Amber, and Javed could hear the whispers of spirits emanating from it. Javed felt, rather than heard, the name "Daghatar". So this was the Khan who had betrayed the Abzan.

Then Javed heard a sound rasp forth in draconic, and his eyes widened. He knew that voice. As he looked further into the cave, he could see her, the Dragonlord Dromoka, sitting and eying Daghatar. Javed couldn't believe it. Though he had been told, he had never wrapped his head around the fact that she was over a thousand years old. Here she was, smaller than when Javed had seen her, but still towering above Daghatar, and even the other dragons of her brood. An aven translator stood by Dromoka.

Javed realized they were talking, and listened.

"Why?" Daghatar asked. "Why are you destroying our people? What is our crime, that you slaughter us without question or reason?"

Dromoka adjusted her wings, and growled out in draconic. Javed could make out parts of it, but the aven translated. "The Great Dromoka says there is much to be admired about your people," he said. "She admires your focus on clan, on family. She admires how you work together. She admires how you survive in this inhospitable land. But there is one thing you do, that she cannot overlook. That horrid sin of Necromancy!"

Daghatar stepped back at the outburst. Then he gathered himself. "What you call necromancy is our ancestor worship! We don't desecrate the dead like the Sultai do! We honor our dead! They help us, their descendants!"

Dromoka let out a sharp breath, which echoed in the cave, then growled her response. "The Great Dromoka says that what is dead should remain dead! Playing with the forces of death is abhorrent Necromancy, and it will be punished. If your people continue to practice this abomination, the Great Dromoka and her brood will destroy you from this world, so that it can rest from your sin."

Daghatar caught the "if" in that statement. "And if we do abandon our ancestor worship?"

The aven waited for Dromoka to consider, and then respond. "Then you will be spared,saith the Great Dromoka" he replied. "She says she will take your people under her wings, bind up their wounds, and watch over your children."

Daghatar paused in thought. Javed could hear the whispers in the amber mace Daghatar held getting louder. Fool. You will not let this opportunity pass you by. You are not here under a banner of truce, and this beast has promised to kill us all. You will never get this close again. Raise me up. Strike your enemy down, now.

Daghatar bowed his head, and Javed heard the words, "Forgive me." Then Daghatar raised the mace high, slamming it down on the rocks and smashing it into pieces! The whispers raised into a wail, then faded away. Daghatar bowed the knee to the dragon.

Javed scowled. Even seeing what he had, seeing the enormity of the threat, he didn't like this surrender. He could understand where Daghatar was coming from, as the leader responsible for his people, but he didn't have to like it.

The scene changed again. He saw ten kin-trees appear, and then nine were uprooted, each replaced by a dragon's scale. The last tree stood alone, surrounded. Images passed through his mind, of groves being cut down and burned, of families crying as they were forced to give up their way of life for survival. He saw Reyhan, last Khan of the Abzan, head north into Jeskai territory, for the purpose of forming an alliance of Khans. But she did not return. With that, the last tree fell, and the Abzan were no more. Except for those few who kept the traditions alive, in secret. If any were found, they were promptly executed. And yet, somehow, the traditions were kept alive, down through the years, for over a millennia.

The years flew past, moving too fast to discern. Finally it came to the present day. Once again, he and Anafenza were standing in the air above Arashin. In the current day, dragons owned the skies. It was all familiar, but it felt foreign now. Distant. He turned to Anafenza.

She spoke first. "So now you see the responsibility you bear. The weight of the ages, and all those lives, the ancient Abzan, and the Abzan that may be to come. That weight is on you." She smiled bittersweetly. "I'm sorry to put all of this on you. I know it's a lot to ask of anyone. But we are all here to help you. I will never abandon you, Javed."

"I know, Ana," Javed replied, affectionately. She blinked at that. "I welcome it." His voice grew stronger. "I feel it, the weight of the ages, the prayers of my people, waiting for deliverance. If I can be the key, the relief that they seek, even if it cost me my life, I will not shrink."

Anafenza glowed with joy, and sped to him, stopping only a few inches from his face. Neither one touched the other. Neither one needed to. Their thoughts and feelings were totally in sync. They could feel each other. "Thank you Javed. Thank you," Anafenza whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Javed could feel the unspoken words, see them in her eyes. I love you.

Then the scene fell away, and Javed awoke with a start. He was lying on his back, staring up at the trees. He sat up, looking past the living helpers who had come to his aid, looking for her…there. Anafenza was floating just behind the two people who were waiting to help him to his feet. He smiled at her as he let himself be helped up. She returned the smile. Nothing else needed to be said.


It was still dark and quiet as they began their journey back to the aerie. Javed was coming down from his high in the grove. He had been given a skein full of the distilled tree sap, with the understanding that Anafenza would begin to train him in the use of Spirit Magic. He and Anafenza travelled in companionable silence. Javed was feeling more confident in his cause than ever, but he did have concerns. While he empathized with the plight of the Abzan, he didn't want to destroy the Dromoka. While he desired the Abzan to return as a clan and a force, did that have to mean the fall of his old clan?

Probably, he thought glumly.

They reached the edge of the trees and continued onto the desert sands. Then Anafenza froze and stared into the distance. Javed caught her expression and followed her line of sight. He saw someone walking in their direction over the sands. As the figure crested the nearest dune, the moon illuminated them. The figure stopped and looked at Javed.

"Javed?"

Javed's heart stopped. Cold sweat broke out over his face and neck, even running down his spine. He felt every muscle in his body seize up for an instant, and his breath was stolen from his lungs.

"Javed? What are you doing out here?" The voice was a mix of questioning, accusing, and pleading.

Javed's brain wouldn't function. One thought overrode all others. Fix this, fix this, fix this, FIX THIS! But he couldn't. Couldn't think, couldn't speak, could do nothing except live his worst nightmare.

Ester stared back at him, her gaze switching between him and the spirit by his side. Realization dawned across her face. Javed wanted to wipe that realization away, rewind time, tell some amazing lie, do SOMETHING!

She was shaking her head. "No…Javed… Oh no…" She started to turn away and retreat. Then Anafenza moved between him and Ester.

"What?" Javed began, but then there was movement on either side. Two spirit warriors made for Ester. "NO!" he screamed. "Ester, Wait!"

She turned back, and there were tears in her eyes, pain on her face. Then she saw the spirits advancing towards her, and fear blossomed on her face. She pulled out her sword.

"Wait! I order you to wait! She's with me!" Javed screamed. I can do this, he thought. I just need a moment. I can talk to her, kidnap her, whatever! She doesn't need to die!

But the spirits didn't slow down at all.

Ester took a combat stance, readying her scimitar. The fear had disappeared, replaced by a thousand yard stare. Her lips were pressed together, her brow furrowed. Javed's senses became more sensitive as time slowed. He could even see a few droplets of sweat on her neck.

"ESTER! NOOO!" He heard the sound as if someone else had said it. He wondered if anyone could hear him, for all the heed they were giving him. But Ester heard him. He saw her eyes turn to his. And in that moment, he saw the slightest change in her expression. Her face relaxed the slightest bit, her eyebrows easing. And in her eyes, he saw the sadness. She knew.

The spirits slashed their spectral swords like the whip of a scorpion's tail. Ester countered with a swipe that would have countered their attack and given her some breathing room. But their swords passed right through, not impeded at all.

"ESTER!" Javed felt a blood vessel burst in his eye as the swords cut through Ester. He instinctively flinched as if he were the one being cut down. There was no blood from her wounds.

He felt himself sprinting across the sand. Why?! Why couldn't he stop this?! Why couldn't he have been smart enough, strong enough, GOOD ENOUGH to stop this from happening?! He had killed her, as surely as if he had slipped his sword through her ribs while she slept.

He skidded to the ground as he came to her side, throwing himself across her still body. "Come on, come on!" he muttered. He gently gripped her face, searching for signs of life. She didn't move. He tried to summon the mana to charge a healing spell, but it flickered and went out. "Damn it!"

"Javed."

He ignored it. He forced down his grief and agony. His feelings didn't matter now. He needed to be good enough! Ester was counting on him! He managed to focus enough to call the warming glow and channeled it into her body.

"Javed…"

It wasn't working. Her body wasn't taking the light, it wasn't accepting the healing. He placed his ear on her mouth and nose, stilling his beating heart, to listen for anything. Nothing. Lower, over her chest. Nothing.

Her body was still warm in places, but it was cooling. The places where the swords had hit her felt like ice. Javed sat back up, taking in her peaceful repose. Her face was gentle, like she was sleeping. Javed's face crinkled, tears flooding his vision. He leaned down, cradling her in his arms.

"Don't leave me. Ester, please…don't leave me." His voice was wavering. "T-take m-m…" he stopped. If it were possible, he would gladly trade his life for hers. But his life was a poor trade. He was worthless. Realization started to flood through him. He clutched her tighter, as if he would keep the world from taking her away.


"Javed, we have to get out of here. We're going to draw attention, and people will notice that you're missing." Anafenza tried to get his attention. "Plus, we have to figure out how to explain what happened to…" she placed her hand on Javed's shoulder, and immediately had to recoil from an intense wave of hatred, like a roaring flame. "Javed?" she asked quietly, her voice betraying a hint of fear.

Javed turned slowly, inch by inch, to face Anafenza. His face was scrunched in the most horrific visage. One of his eyes was turning blood red. She had never seen him look like this, and indeed, couldn't recall seeing anything like it in all her days. She knew he was in pain. She could intellectually understand that he was experiencing some terrible emotions. But seeing his face made her realize that she…had…no idea.

Anafenza knew that if she were able to, she would have been bawling like a baby. It wasn't even Ester, although this was…a tragic misunderstanding. (And one that could have been prevented, she couldn't help thinking, though she banished that thought as soon as it appeared.) No, she was only worried about Javed. And not just because he needed to fulfil the prophecy, though that was a big part of it. No, she realized that she cared about him, a lot, and wanted him to be happy. And seeing him like this, Anafenza knew that she had failed. She had let him be hurt, and in the cruelest way. Physical torture would have been preferable to him. Anafenza ached for the release of tears that the living had access to.

"Javed, I didn't want this to happen," she said truthfully. Javed didn't react. "I know you're hurting," she groaned. "I know you're in pain. Please! Let me help you! We'll get through this!" She was pleading with him, in a way that she had never done in her life. Even when she had been executed, she had faced it with a sense of sacrifice and duty. What was different here? The spirit guardians had done their duty. They had protected the grove from an outsider. And Anafenza knew that Ester was not one of them. Anafenza had been teaching and working with Javed, and he still had hesitations. Ester would probably have reported them, or attacked them outright. But none of that mattered right now.

"Javed, please…" She floated close again and tried to embrace him, only to be buffeted with a painful wave of negative energy. She caught the murderous look in Javed's eyes. "Javed…?"

"Don't…touch me," he spat out through gritted teeth. "Leave…me…be." He was struggling to get the words out between a living rigor mortis that affected his whole body. He gathered Ester's corpse into his arms, rising to his feet. He looked towards the grove, then turned and looked towards the Aerie in the distance. Then he looked out into the desert, facing north. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, he began trudging out into the wastes.

"Javed!" Anafenza yelled, trying to snap him out of his trance. But he didn't respond. Her shoulders slumped. It was over. She had failed. Again. She looked back at the grove. While the others believed that the instruments were interchangeable, she knew how difficult it had been to find someone, of the line of Daghatar, with the appropriate training and temperament to fulfil the prophecy. If only she had not died, she would never have had to get Javed involved. If only she were smarter, stronger, GOOD ENOUGH!

She couldn't face Javed now. The hate flowing through him, it was too painful. Especially after the closeness they had shared. Anafenza had truly thought that…that they were connected. Closer than anyone she could imagine. Javed had let her in. She had made herself vulnerable to him. So it hurt even more for him to lash out at her.

Anafenza watched him leave. She knew Javed didn't know what he was doing. She knew she would need to follow him, if only to stop him from getting himself killed. Javed was still the lynchpin for their plans going forward, regardless of what the ancestors thought. And Anafenza knew now, despite suspecting it before, that she was a fool. A fool for ever believing that she was special.

She was just a dead woman, a spirit, a tool for the glory of her people. That was all she was, and that was all she needed to be. Her feelings subsided, soothed. Anafenza could still feel pangs as she watched Javed leave, carrying the corpse of his dear friend. But now she could put things in their proper place. She would serve Javed as his guide. She would bring him back. And she would help him to fulfil his destiny.

After a moment, she began to follow him into the wastes, keeping her respectful distance.