The Diplomat

The rain persisted, falling in cold sheets as the Lunar Storms began to wane. It would still be hours before the sun rose. Daenys sat quietly behind Tengri on the horse, the rhythmic sound of hooves lost under the downpour.

His silence gnawed at her. Perhaps he disapproved of her choice. Why wouldn't he? Tengri had said nothing to condemn her earlier decision, but what if he was lying to spare her feelings? She had taken a man's life for an alliance with a Gahkar who viewed people as little more than tools. Of course Tengri remained silent—what else could he say to someone so compromised?

Words burned in her throat, but when she tried to speak, they refused to come. Akash would've done better, she thought bitterly. He would've refused Augustus outright, bashed the man's head in for even suggesting such a demand. Akash would have forged his own path, unshackled and defiant. No one told him what to do.

But Daenys wasn't Akash.

The sound of the docks finally broke through her thoughts, a chaotic din that mingled with the rain. Water sloshed over warped wooden planks as they approached the war camp of the Impalers. Calling it a "camp" would have been generous.

The Impalers had fortified the docks, encircling crumbling houses and stained salt-worn stones with makeshift barricades. There were no guards to meet them, no challenges called out as they passed the first homes. It felt as though the camp itself watched them—silent, expectant.

One building stood out. Filthy burgundy bricks lined its walls, grime and moss thick in the cracks. The noise inside—the chaotic clash of voices and tools—confirmed it as their destination. The Red Docks.

Daenys and Tengri swung down from the warhorse, landing with practiced ease. Impalers began to emerge from the rain and shadows, their silhouettes monstrous. Each wore swirling hunks of metal strapped to their arms, armor that looked unwieldy but purposeful. Tubes snaked from their backs, connecting to packs that hissed faintly with pressure. Their faces were obscured by heavy metal helms, the thin slots hiding all but shadowed eyes.

Daenys felt their attention linger on her and Tengri, unmoving as they crossed the mud-slick ground. She couldn't see their expressions, but the weight of their gaze was palpable.

"Where is your Gahkar?" Daenys demanded as they stepped into the dimly lit building.

One of the Impalers, his helmet flashing faint light from its cracked visor, tilted his head. "Kanna is fishing. On the edge of the docks."

Daenys almost sighed with relief. They hadn't called her Heartrender. That boded well for negotiations.

The Impaler pulled off his helmet, revealing a face as pale as a dead fish's belly, his eyes lifeless and glassy—Mirak's eyes. Daenys suppressed a shiver. The man grinned faintly, though the expression was chilling.

"We hope for a bloody fight," he said, voice gravelly. "These docks have been quiet. Boring, even. Ships sail in, we crack their hulls, we take their coin… Where's the fun in that?"

"I didn't come to fight," Daenys said sharply.

The man's brow furrowed. "You bring us an Enlightened and do not come to fight? Curious."

Impalers began to gather around them, moving as though drawn by the scent of blood. Some leaned against their metal-wrapped arms, others simply stared. Their presence prickled against Daenys's skin like nettles, but she forced herself to ignore them as she strode toward an open doorway. Beyond, the dock stretched into darkness.

At its edge sat Kanna, Gahkar of the Impalers.

What will he be like? Daenys wondered. Wen had been easygoing yet sharp, Augustus cold and calculating. Both had presented their challenges. Would Kanna be as brutal and impossible as the others said?

A headache tugged at her temples as she considered it.

Clearing her throat, she called out, "Kanna of the Impalers. I would have a word with you."

The man remained still, unmoving as he held his fishing rod over the water. Minutes ticked by, the only sounds the slapping of waves and the distant hum of rain.

Daenys hesitated. To act now would show force, but it could also alienate him. Yet waiting would display weakness. What to do…

Frustration boiled over. She stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder. "I said I would have a word with you."

Kanna's fingers snapped around her neck before she could react, pulling her toward him. His grip was iron, strong enough to bruise but not to strangle. He turned, black hair falling over his face, and she nearly gasped.

It was Mirak. No—not Mirak. Kanna's scarred lip set him apart, but the resemblance was uncanny.

"You annoy the fish with your prattle," he growled. "I've lost my temper. Leave, before I decide to crush you for good."

Daenys clawed at his arm, forcing herself to rasp out, "Do not start, Tengri."

Her bodyguard had already moved, blade half-drawn. He paused, his six eyes locked on Kanna. "Unhand my Gahkar," he said flatly.

Kanna smirked, though he didn't loosen his grip. "An Enlightened? Rev must have given your warband some importance on the landbridge. Unlike me and my lot. We're given scraps."

"Tengri," Daenys managed, her voice straining, "stand down."

Tengri's tone turned cold. "You will die if you harm her further."

Kanna studied her for a moment longer, then shoved her back. She stumbled but caught herself, glaring up at him as she gasped for air.

Kanna laughed harshly. "Good. She doesn't know what you gave to stand at her side, does she, Enlightened?"

Tengri didn't respond.

Kanna finally turned back to the water. "The Nervan is approaching," he said.

"Yes. Likely a few months after the siege of the Pickette," Tengri replied tersely, his focus on Daenys as she straightened herself.

Kanna cast another line into the waves. "I'll need a proper fight for the festival."

"Ask one of the Deadites," Daenys snapped. "They'd love to gnaw on you."

"Rabid dogs," Kanna said dismissively. "Their blood is weak. I want a real fight. An Enlightened fight." His dark gaze flicked toward Tengri. "Your kind calls itself duelists, yes?"

"Then ask a Deathless," Tengri said, disinterested. "Your commander trades blows with them often enough."

"Deathless use spears. They're soldiers, not swordsmen."

Daenys pushed the conversation back to its purpose. "This is a waste of time. If you won't join an alliance, we'll leave."

"I decide when you leave," Kanna shot back.

Daenys's patience cracked. "The Impalers are as much trouble as I expected. Perhaps attacking me every time I speak is your way of declining."

Kanna grunted. "I'll approve the alliance if the Enlightened fights me during the Nervan."

Her ears caught the word immediately. "Approve?"

Kanna smirked. "It'll still go to a vote after the Pickette. But for now, I'll lend you the Impalers. My men live for a fight, and the steel-plated bastards in that tower will do nicely."

Daenys crossed her arms. "And I'm to trust your word? You attacked me without cause."

"You don't have much choice," Kanna said simply, his grin sharp.

Daenys hesitated. To agree meant putting Tengri's life on the line for the chance of Impaler support. Why did she hesitate now? She had given the order to kill Augustus's man readily enough. But Tengri… Tengri was one of her last remaining friends.

Before she could speak, Tengri broke the silence. "I'll fight you at Nervan—if my Gahkar allows it."

Kanna laughed, low and guttural. "Then you have the Impalers at your side. A Heartrender and the Conqueror of the Twelfth Heaven. It'll be a sight."

"We fight tomorrow," Daenys said firmly.

Kanna turned back to the waves. "Aye. My Impalers will be giddy to join the fray. But don't mistake me for one of your pawns."

"You can order your men as you wish," Daenys allowed. "I only ask that you follow the outlines of the plan."

"What plan?"

"We let the other Gahkars weaken the Pickette. Then, in the last hours before sunset, we strike when the Lunar Storms rise. They won't expect us."

Kanna grunted. "Clever enough. A slaughter, then. My kind of battle."

Daenys extended her arm. Kanna clasped it firmly, sealing the agreement.

"If you join, I'll tell you the name of the alliance," Daenys said.

Kanna grinned, dark and predatory. "Then I'll look forward to hearing it."