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“Yeah, rambling about how she escaped from the mad King Kriseri up north. Attracted quite a bit of attention, but she disappeared after an hour or so.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“No,” the bartender says, raising his eyebrow. “But why do you ask? Do you know her?”
He must think I’m a guard from Yadat. I better de-escalate this and get his suspicions off of me.
“No, not at all, it’s just that there are rumors of Kriseri sending down spies from Yadat. Word is that he’s been using humans for his bidding.”
“Is that so?” he asks, becoming wide-eyed. “That isn’t good if I served one. Gods, she didn’t even pay for anything.”
I slap some money down on the counter. “I better be on my way, keep the change.”
I rejoin Scout outside, offering him what’s left of the water before mounting the beast. Now that I have eyewitness accounts of Maya’s arrival in the city, I have to keep moving.
I spur Scout and move to the nearest secret campsite, hidden in an abandoned residential space tucked away in a forgotten part of the city.
Some men catch my eye as I approach. I do not know their names but recognize them as men from the palace. They are dressed in regular civilian clothing.
They, too, recognize me, immediately sheathing their swords as I rear my head up at them.
“It’s Captain Selliss! What are you doing here?”
I tend to my job of checking on their progress. Finding it hard to concentrate, my mind keeps wandering to the thoughts of Maya. I ask the men about any suspicious activity in the city, and apart from an increase in Lodra’s guards, there’s nothing to report.
“Very well then. Send word to Yadat if there are any changes. It’s expected that our assault shall commence any day now, so be ready for anything.”
“Yes, sir!”
The truth is that I’m giving less and less of a damn about Yadat versus Lodra as each hour crawls by. I have no choice but to maintain interest in front of the men, but the reality is that I’d rather just focus on finding Maya.
In the strangest of ways, I hope that she has gotten herself caught by Yadat’s undercover soldiers. If she’s being held anywhere, it’d be in any one of the four campsites stationed around the city.
My time spent at the next two outposts takes me more than a few hours. I painstakingly listen to the reports of men who have uncovered quite a bit of intel regarding the city’s guards and military capabilities.
The captain in me from before I fell for Maya would have been impressed. The men are undoubtedly doing their part for Yadat and are more than committed to the cause, so I congratulate their efforts and give them the same warning in preparation for the upcoming offensive.
By the time I’ve wrapped up my visit at the third campsite, night has fallen over the land. Hints of fatigue begin to clamp down on my energy, yet I refuse to give up.
I can feel that she’s close. Scout and I make our way to the fourth and final campsite in the region.
It’s easy to spot, thanks to the obvious smoke rising from the tree line. The captain in me grows frustrated by how easily they are giving their position away.
“Who goes there?” a familiar voice calls.
“It’s me, Dransa. Show yourself!”
“Captain Selliss, we were not expecting your presence tonight. What brings you here?”
He and several men emerge from the trees, sheathing their swords.
“I’m the one who’ll be asking the questions. Why on Protheka is there a lit fire so close to the populated areas of the city? Put it out immediately! You were supplied with lamps and plenty of oil for a reason.”
Dransa gestures for one of the soldiers to put out the fire.
“Sorry, Captain,” he says.
“I expect better from all of you. You’re lucky I will not report such a thing to King Kriseri.”
