The Horse; The Meeting

Leon and Kai met outside the stable soon after. "I like this one," Leon announced, pointing to a massive brown steed. It was noticeably larger than the other horses, reminiscent of a warhorse.

"Are you sure you can handle something that big?" Kai asked, eyeing the stallion warily. Both brothers were over six feet tall, but the horse still looked imposing, even for them.

Leon's eyes gleamed with excitement. "It'll be fine. It looks so cool."

Kai turned to the stable's caretaker. "Tell me about this horse."

"It's a mountain horse," the man explained. "We find them wild in the mountains. They're big, strong, and have incredible stamina. I'd dare say they rank just below the Rulin warhorses."

"Oh?" Kai narrowed his gaze. "Then why aren't they used by the Rulin? They're bigger, and by the sound of it, they could be stronger."

The man gave an awkward laugh. "They're difficult to tame since they're wild. They're aggressive and territorial, which causes problems in battle situations."

Kai let out a quiet chuckle, understanding immediately. Not every horse could handle—or be handled by—every rider. "Leon, pick something else," he said, shaking his head. "I don't have time to tame a temperamental horse that could kill you with a single kick."

Leon pouted but relented. "Fine. But you should at least check out a mountain horse for yourself. You're the one aiming to be a Rulin, right?"

"Sir, if you truly plan on becoming a Rulin, I'll give you a discount," the caretaker added eagerly.

Kai's brows drew together. "You're pushing these mountain horses pretty hard. Why is that? Having trouble selling them? Something you're not telling me?"

The caretaker grimaced. "Well, not exactly. But… this one is extremely territorial. It scares the other horses away, and it refuses to leave."

"Why not put it down?" Kai asked bluntly.

"Easier said than done," the man said with a sigh. "A bow and arrow barely pierced its hide, and if you fail to kill it outright, you might as well flee. It's strong and stubborn—only someone with Rulin-level skills could manage it."

Kai noticed a deep cut on the horse's flank, yet it seemed unbothered. "So, you're hoping I'll take it off your hands," he said dryly.

"I can't force you," the caretaker said, voice subdued. "Let me at least show you the other horses." With that, he turned, beckoning Leon to follow.

Kai lingered by the fence, studying the giant brown stallion. Lonely, huh? Fighting everyone and living in solitude… He gave a small sigh. Slowly raising a hand, he waved.

The horse, still chewing grass, lifted its head and stared at him. Its size was even more impressive close-up—it could almost double Kai's height if it reared. Muscles rippled under its coat, and faint scars marked its body.

"Come here, boy," Kai coaxed, extending his arm.

The horse hesitated a moment, then ambled over. Kai's smile softened. "You're covered in wounds," he murmured. "Guess you've had some battles."

The stallion simply stood there, eyes alert but calm. Kai lifted his bandaged right arm. "I'm hurt too," he said with a small laugh. "Got these scars protecting my brother. They still hurt."

The horse tilted its head, seemingly curious.

"May I pet you?" Kai asked, inching forward.

The animal didn't resist as he gently rubbed its muzzle. A wave of warmth flickered through Kai's chest. Maybe I should take you…

He spoke quietly, voice low and thoughtful. "If I'm really going to be a Rulin, it'll be tough. Lots of enemies out there. A strong partner like you would help."

The horse neighed, a deep, resonant sound closer to a roar than a whinny. Kai chuckled. "That settles it. You're coming with me."

Without further hesitation, he hopped the fence and cautiously laid a hand on the stallion's flank. "Mind if I get on?" he asked softly, though he doubted the horse could really understand.

When the stallion didn't shy away, Kai climbed up using the fence for balance. The horse neighed, stepping away at a slow walk, allowing Kai to settle without any real tack or bridle. We'll need proper gear, though, Kai thought, gripping the coarse mane lightly.

"Kai, where are you?" Leon's voice echoed from the stable's entrance. He emerged with the caretaker, both scanning the area.

"Over here!" Kai called.

Leon spotted him atop the large horse and gaped. The caretaker stared in disbelief. "Sir, that's dangerous!" he cried. "It could throw you off and trample you!"

"He's pretty docile to me," Kai replied, patting the stallion's muscular neck.

Docile? That monster? The caretaker could hardly believe his eyes. He'd barely managed to feed it for a month without getting attacked, yet now Kai was riding it.

Leon folded his arms, feigning irritation. "You stole him from me. I wanted a mountain horse."

Kai gave a mischievous grin. "He liked me better, I guess." Then his expression turned curious. "So, did you find one for yourself?"

Leon brightened immediately. "Yeah! Not as huge as yours, but it's pretty awesome—completely black with streaks of white in its mane. Seems quick, too. It's another wild horse, but we hit it off right away."

Kai dismounted, landing lightly on his feet. The stallion followed, snorting softly. Kai turned to the caretaker, smiling. "All right, we'll take them both. Prepare saddles. I'll give you specifics about what I need."

The man's shock lingered on his face. "Y-yes, of course. I'll have them made right away."

Kai handed him a slip of paper. "Also, please arrange a monthly shipment of feed to this address."

The caretaker blinked. "That's… the Tryan Estate? So you're the folks who moved in out there?"

"It's the Zharun Estate now," Kai said calmly. "We bought it from them. Since you know where it is, send enough feed once a month for both horses."

"As you wish." The caretaker nodded. "For now, I can provide temporary saddles so you can ride them home. We can deliver Leon's horse, but I'm not sure about yours, sir. It might attack us if we tried."

Kai chuckled, glancing back at the towering brown stallion. "That's fine. We'll ride home ourselves—it's a long walk otherwise."

Leon grinned. "So, we have the horses. What's next, Bro?"

"Come here for a moment," Kai said, motioning Leon over. Once Leon stood before him, Kai placed a hand on his brother's head and closed his eyes. Purple wisps of Nafs energy began to swirl, seeping directly into Leon's head.

Through his Nafs, Kai could sense the internal condition. Amid the usual warmth of Leon's psyche lay a faint black stain in his brain—the source of Leon's constant visits to the Sahalim. No matter how hard Kai tried, he couldn't remove it.

All he could do was use his own Nafs to keep the black spot from sprouting tendrils; yet those tendrils always grew back, each time stronger than before. His attempt to contain it was tiring—and only partially effective.

"It's bigger than before," Kai thought grimly, noticing the subtle spread. "And it's sinking in deeper, too. This is… not good." A jolt of panic coursed through him at the realization that the dark spot was expanding.

"You finished?" Leon asked abruptly, snapping Kai from his thoughts. Leon frowned at Kai's sweat-soaked brow. "Why're you sweating so much?"

Kai shook his head with a rueful chuckle. "This is more exhausting than it looks," he admitted, wiping a bead of perspiration from his temple. "I'll try one more time before bed, okay?"

Leon nodded. "Got it. How's your arm doing?" he asked, glancing at the bandages wrapped around Kai's right arm.

"Better," Kai answered, keeping his tone neutral. Inwardly, his mind raced:

I have to get stronger, and fast. At this rate, my Nafs won't keep up with the black spot's growth. Even if a Sentinel could help, it's not guaranteed. A Sentinel's only one rank above me in Nafs, and mine's already considered powerful. I need to unlock my Latifa, become a full-fledged Rulin, and protect everyone. Then maybe… I could even go to Shumara to figure out what's really going on.

His gaze hardened as he thought of Shumara, the domain of the Zhull. That cursed land might hold the key to saving Leon. If there was a solution, it most likely lay beyond the borders of everything they knew.

Back where the Rulins were, the meeting stretched on, yet the Supreme maintained a calm, inscrutable expression from atop his throne. One by one, Sentinels rose to deliver their reports.

"Division Four Sentinel, what is your report?" the Supreme asked, his voice resonating through the chamber.

A man with deep scars marring his face stood, wearing a gray robe with a bold number 4 on its back. "Supreme," he began, "the Tenebraith called 'Krag the Spider' has amassed a considerable force of Murkspawn. We've established a border, but some still slip through. For now, Division Four remains on standby, with two of my Guardians on rotation in case another breach occurs."

He sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "We lost a Guardian and two Vanguards during that initial breach. We did kill five Murkspawn, but it hardly dented their numbers."

The Supreme nodded in acknowledgment, showing no overt reaction to the heavy losses. His gaze shifted toward a woman seated closer to him.

"Division Two Sentinel, your report?" he prompted.

She rose gracefully. Her robe, though primarily gray, was accentuated with pink ribbons matching the pink streaks in her hair. Despite her bright appearance, her face was solemn. "We located the Hanyue tribe in Lanyue but haven't made contact," she explained, handing a stack of papers to an attendant, who hurried them over to the Supreme. "We split into three teams for the mission—each led by a Guardian, with three Vanguards and about a dozen Weavers. Teams One and Three are currently unaccounted for. We suspect they encountered a Qashir."

"I see." The Supreme's tone remained measured, revealing none of the concern that might be expected from such grim news.

Sensing his neutrality, the Second Sentinel's brow furrowed. "Supreme, we're already stretched thin handling Shumara. Shouldn't we refocus our efforts there rather than on Lanyue?"

The Supreme handed her documents to his own attendants without so much as a glance. "Continue the mission," he said simply. "Make contact with the Hanyue as soon as possible."

"But Supreme—" she tried again, only to be cut off by his raised hand.

"Enough," he intoned, his voice calm yet suffused with authority. "Follow my orders."

"Yes, Supreme." She lowered her gaze, taking her seat with a resigned sigh.

Each Sentinel rose in turn to give similarly grim updates. There was little in the way of good news. Like most recent meetings, an undercurrent of desperation weighed on the room, reflecting the Rulin's dire predicament.

After hours of tense discussion, the meeting adjourned. The Supreme stood and descended the steps, disappearing into thin air the instant his foot touched the last stair. The Sentinels let out a collective sigh of relief once the oppressive aura of their leader vanished.

As the Sentinels began to leave the chamber, murmurs of discontent and uncertainty filled the air.

"What is the Supreme thinking, splitting our forces like this?" demanded a small-framed woman in a standard gray robe, the number eight on her back.

A towering man, his dark skin patterned with tattoos, rumbled a reply. "Careful, Yuri," he warned, spotting the eight etched on her robe. "The Supreme doesn't tolerate open dissent." The numeral six on his own garment marked him as the Sixth Sentinel.

Yuri scoffed, pushing a lock of hair away from her face. "You know everyone's thinking it, Lest. We're losing this war. Why spread ourselves thinner?"

A delicate hand tugged Yuri's ponytail from behind. "He's under more pressure than we can imagine," said a pink-ribboned woman—Division Two Sentinel, known as Ray. "He has his reasons."

Yuri crossed her arms but didn't press further. "Fine. But let's be honest: aside from the Supreme, only Jin and Erin can handle a Tenebraith one-on-one."

Ray nodded, lips pursing thoughtfully. "Isn't that why we're trying to make contact with the Hanyue tribe? If they join us, this conflict might finally tip in our favour."

"Or get worse," a low voice interjected. Division Four Sentinel Jin stepped into view.

"What do you mean, Jin?" Yuri asked, brow creasing.

"The Qashir… they're more dangerous than the Tenebraith," he stated grimly.

Ray's pink eyebrows lifted. "How so? The Qashir are so rarely seen. Even in Lanyue, there's limited information."

Jin's gaze wandered, distant. "Do you remember the Lanyue mission five years ago? Division One led that expedition."

"I recall the report," Ray replied. "They mentioned encountering a young Qashir—slain in the end, but the data from it helped Division Seven's research."

Jin shook his head slowly. "It wasn't as the reports claimed. I was a Guardian in Division One back then, in charge of that mission. The official statement was sanitized."

He pulled aside the hem of his robe, revealing a ghastly butterfly-shaped scar across his abdomen. "A newborn Qashir—barely a few hours old—nearly wiped us out. We lost half our forces: two Guardians, six Vanguards, and at least ten Weavers. The survivors only escaped because I held the front line long enough for them to flee. Even so, that was barely enough."

The Sixth Sentinel, Lest, let out a low whistle. "Someone like you struggled? You, who was famously strong, even picking fights with the Sentinels." Though shocked, he couldn't help but laugh loudly. "I heard you challenged the Supreme once—and got flattened."

Jin gave a hollow snort. "I wasn't weaker than any of you back then. But yes, I still lost against the Supreme, as anyone would. The point is, the Qashir wasn't fully formed. It hadn't even reached its human shape yet, and still, we were nearly annihilated."

A heavy silence followed. Slowly, Jin turned to Ray, his gaze intense. "Listen carefully. The Supreme may want you to contact the Hanyue, but be very cautious. If you encounter a Qashir—or worse, if it escapes into our territory—several Divisions might not be enough to stop it. The lives lost would be unimaginable."

Ray set her jaw, swallowing. "Understood. Sealing the entrance is probably our best move, but…"

"Small teams, infiltration, do not let a Qashir roam free," Jin stressed. "We'll lose more than this war. We'll face extinction."

With that, he vanished in a manner much like the Supreme, leaving the others standing in uneasy silence. One by one, they exited the chamber, the weight of Jin's warning pressing heavily on their minds.