Chapter 4 - The Blood of Nobility

A horn sounded, and drums started beating in the far-off distance towards the horizon, where the Imperials made camp. 

"Let her off your shoulder." Sula carefully sat the girl down behind him, curtly meeting her gaze and then moving away as he reacted to the sound of hooves meeting sand. 

A dust cloud hid the number of cavalry, but it was best to think that the Akat guards were outnumbered. The head guard looked at his master for assurance as the horses now came into view of the torchlight. They were not just grossly outnumbered, but these were muscled steeds, heavy cavalry. The Rhia Empire spared no expense. 

The head cavalry knight wore a helmet with a gold dragon statue. Behind him was another calvary knight on a pony. His was a silver dragon statue, and he was a head shorter than the lead. 

The younger cavalry knight spoke to the knight with the gold dragon helmet in a language she didn't recognize. They bickered like a father to a son, but the head cavalry knight finally got off his steed and walked towards Sula. 

"I don't wish you to butcher my language, so let's do this in your primitive one." There was a military authority distinct in his dialect.

"I am Ipek of the Kul Family of the Five of Akat. Your military is camped within relative-" 

"Our military is going to invade your city, take your people for slaves, and kill the leaders." The red-eyed girl watched as the Elder Ipek tried to stand firm.

"You will kill our blacksmiths, who are the only ones in all the world who can create our weapons. The farmers who create our specialized incense. Disrupt the trade that your border cities depend on." Elder Ipek stood next to Sula, watching the knight's emotionless expression. 

The child on the horse removed his helmet and hopped off his pony. His kind mahogany eyes and optimistic, youthful face revealed that he looked no more than twelve. He stood by the head knight, whispering in their language as the head knight coughed. The entire cavalry heard whatever the child whispered as they erupted into laughter. 

This dynamic actually startled all the guards, Sula and Ipek, as if they were ready for their deaths to come from a frenzy of insane butchers. 

"That famished thing you have behind you, why drag her to a battlefield?" The first sign of emotion graced the eyes of the head knight. "My Nephew would like to know." 

"Oh. OH! YES YES! This girl, of…seven…six….this girl! Is our gift in addition to our finest incense and one…two Akatium blades!" Ipek sounded absolutely joyous at the change of subject. 

The Knight peered around, then turned his back, then back around to Ipek. "This…girl…famished, underfed, malnourished, however many words you have for it. This….girl. Is a gift to…..spare your city from my forces? This girl?" His stare would've scared her in the past, but she was emotionless; a singular objective had already tainted her mind. "Are red-eyes in fashion now? She will die on the first day of our trip back. Why does she have dried blood all over her? Is this how you give gifts? Are all your gifts this dirty?" 

Ipek didn't let this deter him, smiling slyly, proud that the knight had fallen into a mental trap Ipek had taken the time to design. "YES! She has a source. A powerful source! Imagine the benefit to your armies!" 

"A source is within…that?" He mumbled quietly to his nephew. 

"H-how about a deal. Working with one family. My family. We could make you wealthy and stabilize the Tianz on this border section. There are Five, but how about one?" The Five was mentioned again. The girl stood on her feet, but she wasn't entirely stable. 

'The Five will receive.' 

It was something her father said. It rang over and over in her head as she peered at the Elder and saw a jeweled piece of equipment shining against torchlight. 

"Let's-"

It was too late; she was quick. She wasn't strong, but neither was Elder Ipek. She lunged as everybody's back was turned, and their attention remained on this calvary leader. Mina's hands gripped the jewel-encrusted hilt, pulling the dagger and releasing it from its sheath before the Elder could even react. 

'So light.'

It was a noble weapon, sharp, not heavy, even for a famished street urchin. She grasped it, then proceeded to stab the Elder in the center of the spine, taking time to pull out the blade, then again stab him in the area just behind the hip. Watching as red liquid began to stain the silks he was draped in. Ipek screamed death, his arms trying to reach backward, trying to get at the child.

Flashbacks of her father's wounds made her go again. She couldn't, though. A strong hand held her arm from pulling the blade back out. 

"You little wench." The Elder collapsed to the desert ground, polluting it with red as he tried to look dignified. "Sula." Blood spewed as he coughed. "Don't kill her, use her….my family…"

The Guard held a firm grip on the urchin's hand until she dropped the dagger in pain. 

"Your family will be fine. Thank you for your service." The cavalry and the guards froze, startled at the sudden turn of events. "Your lucky day girl." Sula's eyes met the Cavalry Leader's. "I am Sula. The deal remains." This again showed surprise on the calvary's leaders face. As pure horror crept onto his nephew's face. 

Mina wanted to run, but the grip was too tight; she didn't even cry, once again, accepting death. She only thought about how she didn't stab enough. The Elder was still coughing blood.

"So a crazy source-user-"

"H-h-her…." Deep breaths seemed to pain the Elder. "F-father…we killed." 

"The Elder is trying to say that we killed her father." 

"So a sad source-user famished little girl, incense, blades, and a single-family ruling Akat as a puppet." The man turned towards his men, talking in the Imperial tongue, as a single messenger rode quickly towards the imperial camp. The nephew went through the calvary bag on his horse, found a simple red blanket, and handed it to his uncle. 

"This is for the girl. Wrap her in it." 

"It is a deal then?" Sula knew that with confidence, even as their lives were now on the edge. For even Sula knew that their lives hinged on this deal. 

"We wait for the calvary to come back with parchment. Send a Guard to get Ipek's heir. Rather this not be in the dead man's hand writing." The head cavalry spoke that last part as Ipek coughed up blood in response. "Apologies for talking ill of the not-yet dead." 

The girl was thrown by Sula, so she was on the ground between the heavy cavalry and the Akat Guards. He cared not to have her near the bleeding Elder but also was careful not to offend the Imperial Soldiers. With a snap of his fingers, a guard started running back towards the trade gate. 

Mina wrapped herself in the blanket, feeling exposed on the desert sands between two opposing forces. Everybody was watching eerily as the guard ran towards the gate. This was another hidden test that would establish if Ipek's family had the strength to rule. Sula pretended not to care, but his expression was on edge. He was one of three who knew there was internal unrest within The Five. There was a question about who the guards at the Trade Gate were loyal to.

Mina tried to push the thoughts of escape as far away as possible. Too many life-changing events were happening in quick succession for her to even figure out a method of running away. 

"Girl." The Calvary leader called out.

Mina sheepishly looked at him. Her energy quickly drained from all her emotions. 

"What is your name….my Nephew wants to know." The boy beside the man waved at her with a face of fear and curiosity.

"Mina of the Mud." She said softly.

"Our healers will need to tend to you." 

A man flanked by two dozen guards poured out from the Trade Gate. The quickness confused Sula, who turned to confirm. As the man came closer, Sula gave a low bow.

"FATHER!" The young man ran towards the Elder. "Sula, why haven't you at least put him out of his misery." The Elder smiled at that. 

The Imperial messenger returned and pulled out nicely formed parchment from a satchel etched in gold with the imperial seal. It was passed to Sula. 

"Quick….s-son…sign the deal." The Elder attempted to look dignified but delayed the inevitable by clinging to life. 

The Tianz Desert was renowned for its temperatures. It was a cursed place, insanely hot during the day and frigid during the night. It was the frigidity that she now felt, thankful for the noble blanket, trying to stay wrapped as a piece of parchment was signed with blood. 

A Calvary guard returned the parchment to their commander, who looked it over quickly.

"We will send fifty of the Endless Legion and a Diplomat with you; consider the deal done." The others spoke in Hu. The nature of the language vastly confused her. In her language, the Cavalry Leader sounded quick and authoritative. In his own language, he spoke in long pauses and changed the conversation into something of wisdom. 

"The Elder looks dead." Sula reacted to this in sadness. 

"Our deal is done. You may have the girl as the first set of our payments." The young master snapped his fingers as his guards carefully lifted the Elder's corpse from the ground. The man wanted to glare at her, wanted to take the dagger on the ground and stab her, but he was taught to withhold his emotions well. Even Mina was surprised by the control. 

The boy in armor walked awkwardly towards her, unsure if he should pick her up, help her, or prepare for an attack. He came to a resolution as his expression twisted into bravery.

She allowed herself to be brought to her feet by the Nephew, not entirely processing the transaction, but this day had had her be coated in two layers of blood. The desert air smelled of rot, the desert ground felt of mud, and as she attempted to walk with the Nephew, she fainted upon the Desert Sands. 

A couple of forms could be seen watching the events keenly from a dune in the far distance. One was an academic with a beard, and the other was a rather portly individual drinking an unknown liquid from a flask. 

"Shouldn't we help her? I could eradicate the cavalry. After all, she might just be the Malik Deus." The Academic was logical, not even valuing the fact that he had just stated that he would kill close to fifty heavily armored imperial soldiers. 

"Finally, some emotion from the emotionless; what a time to have bloodlust, you old dusty bookworm." There was a static of mana gathering in the environment as the Academic gathered the power around his arms. "Stop! Your power would probably turn her into fucking bloody dusty particles in the process of trying to kill the Imps. Plus..." The fat man seemed apathetic to the situation on the ground. "I think she is safer with the Imps for now; too many blades in the Desert and too many traitors on this side of the Tianz."

The Academic quickly halted his power with a smile. "We follow her then... we need to find a new Dune. Lest the Mage Killers-"

"The fucking Mage Killers would have definitely sniffed you out, but even they know not to fuck with the creatures that inhabit the Tianz at night." The fat man unsheathed a green glowing blade as the guttural hungry sounds of demons began to come closer. He sighed a bit, stretching his arms, readying for a simple workout. "Damn, my job sucks."