Saijew stayed in the medical room and watched over the recruits and the injured scholars. Celina was still recovering, and several healers moved around her bed while they treated her wounds. Magnolia lay completely unconscious on the bed beside her. The faint golden light that had surrounded him during the battle was gone, and he looked like the same small boy everyone had known before the mission.
After a long moment, Saijew turned to face both squads.
"Everyone stays here. We wait until the woman has recovered and Magnolia wakes up."
Valentina nodded at once and stayed beside Magnolia's bed, her eyes never leaving his face. "How long do you think that will take?"
"I don't know," Saijew said, glancing at Celina, who was resting quietly under the healers' hands. "But until both of them are ready, nobody leaves Babylon."
Poison crossed his arms and looked at the General. "What about the scholars?"
"Yeah, what about the archives?" Ren added. "The eastern scholars were supposed to deliver their records there."
Saijew stayed silent for a moment, then looked at the eastern group. "Then they should still deliver them."
Ren thought it over before speaking again. "We could send Squad Two with them. The archives are probably safer than the streets right now, and the scholars should finish what they were sent here to do."
Saijew considered it for several seconds, then nodded. "That works." He turned to Squad Two. "You heard him."
Poison pushed himself off the wall and adjusted the weapons hidden beneath his clothes. "So we're going to the archives?"
"Yes. Stay together, protect the scholars, and don't get involved in anything unnecessary."
Sofia gave a small smile. "That sounds simple enough."
"Nothing about this mission has been simple," Saijew replied.
Her smile faded as Saijew turned to Ren. "You suggested it, so you're responsible for keeping everyone organized."
"Understood," Ren said.
Saijew then looked at the western scholars. "Hekai, Nefru, and Darius, you stay here with her until she's stable."
Hekai nodded. "Understood."
"Menes, Seshat, and Tarek, you three go with Squad Two."
The three eastern scholars stepped forward. Menes held his records close to his chest as he answered, "Yes, General." Seshat glanced at Tarek before quietly following the others, and Tarek adjusted the bag on his shoulder and went after her.
Squad Two slowly filed out of the room, but Ren stopped at the doorway. He looked at Magnolia, then at Celina, and finally back at Saijew. "Be careful."
"You too."
Ren nodded and left with the others. The door closed softly behind him, and the room became much quieter.
Valentina stayed beside Magnolia while Emma stood close by. Matthew and Kibo waited near the back of the room, and Amelia kept organizing the medical supplies around Celina's bed. Saijew turned his attention to Magnolia again. The boy hadn't moved and his breathing was steady, but something in his expression had changed. His brow was tight, as if he were in pain. Saijew stepped closer, and then he heard it. A voice, so quiet he almost missed it.
Magnolia's lips moved. "Fire…"
Valentina looked up at once, but Magnolia was still unconscious. His breathing grew heavier, and his lips moved again. "Everything…"
Emma frowned in confusion as Magnolia's fingers twitched against the blanket. "Hatred…"
Nobody in the room said a word. Magnolia repeated the words, this time in a different order. "Fire… hatred… everything…"
Saijew narrowed his eyes. He had heard something like this before, though not from Magnolia. He had heard it on the battlefield. He stayed completely still while Magnolia whispered the words again, each one carrying more strain than the last.
Saijew turned to Valentina. "You said he changed after the woman was injured."
"Yes," Valentina answered quietly.
"Then he didn't awaken because he wanted to become stronger. He awakened because he lost control."
Amelia looked up from her supplies. "You think his emotions caused it?"
"I think his emotions triggered something," Saijew said, his eyes still on Magnolia. "The anger, the fear, the guilt, the need to protect everyone. It all hit him at once."
Emma lowered her eyes. "He thought he failed. He kept saying he was supposed to protect everyone."
"He blamed himself for what happened to her," Valentina added.
Saijew didn't answer right away. Magnolia's lips moved again, his voice weaker than before. "Hatred… fire… everything…"
Saijew finally understood. Magnolia wasn't just remembering the battle. He was still trapped inside it.
Amelia broke the silence. "Why isn't the Pharaoh dealing with this?"
Saijew glanced at her. "Oh, you haven't been informed, have you?"
Amelia blinked, and Valentina's attention sharpened. "Informed about what?"
Saijew looked around the room before answering. "The Pharaoh is hosting a ceremony to honor the previous Pharaoh."
"His father?" Valentina asked, her expression softening.
"Yes." Saijew folded his arms. "He was murdered around six years ago, and nobody has ever found the killer."
The room fell silent. Emma looked at the others. "We didn't know."
"You weren't supposed to," Saijew said simply. "The Pharaoh doesn't talk about it often."
Matthew stared at the floor as something clicked in his mind. "Wait. The current Pharaoh took the throne around six years ago. So he became Pharaoh after his father was killed."
"Correct."
Kibo frowned. "And nobody knows who did it?"
"Not officially."
Poison narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"
"It means there are theories," Saijew said, pausing for a moment. "But theories aren't evidence."
Valentina looked back at Magnolia. "And the ceremony is happening now?"
"Yes. The Pharaoh wanted to honor his father in person."
Amelia glanced down at Celina. "And we're just supposed to stay here while that happens?"
"We have enough problems already," Saijew answered. His gaze moved to Magnolia. "And until he wakes up, we're not leaving him."
Valentina nodded without arguing, and nobody else argued either.
•••
Several streets away, Squad Two made its way through Babylon with the three eastern scholars. Ren walked at the front while Poison stayed near the back. Luna kept close to Seshat, Sous and Sofia watched the streets around them, and Abraham walked beside Menes, studying the records the scholar carried.
The Babylonian archives stood deeper inside the city, surrounded by large stone buildings and guarded entrances. When the group reached the final street, Menes pointed ahead. "That is the archive."
Ren looked up. The building was far larger than he had expected. Rows of stone columns surrounded the entrance, and several Babylonian guards stood watch outside.
Poison scanned the area. "Looks peaceful."
Sous glanced at him. "You sound disappointed."
"I prefer knowing where the danger is," Poison said with a shrug.
"Maybe there isn't any," Sofia suggested.
Poison gave her a flat look. "After today?"
Sofia didn't answer.
Ren walked up to the guards and held out the documents Saijew had given him. "We are Egyptian soldiers escorting scholars who were assigned to deliver records."
The guards examined the papers carefully before stepping aside. "You may enter."
Inside, hundreds of shelves filled the enormous hall, and scholars moved between them carrying tablets, scrolls, and books. Luna looked around with wide eyes. "There are so many."
Abraham adjusted his glasses as he studied the shelves. "This place is larger than most Egyptian record halls."
"Babylon takes its history seriously," Menes said with a faint smile.
"So do we," Poison said. Then he paused. "Usually."
Ren glanced at him. "Focus."
Poison shrugged again.
The scholars began speaking with the Babylonian archivists while Squad Two waited nearby. For the first time since the attack, nobody was fighting, running, or bleeding. Yet Ren couldn't relax. His mind kept returning to the battlefield, to Cyclone, to Saijew, and to Magnolia. He looked toward the entrance and felt certain that something was wrong, even though he couldn't say what.
•••
Back in the medical room, Saijew stayed beside the recruits. Magnolia moved again, his fingers curling around the blanket. "Fire…"
Saijew watched him closely as the boy's voice grew weaker. "Everything… hatred…"
They were the same words in a different order. Saijew lowered his eyes and wondered whether the order mattered. Maybe it did and maybe it didn't, but Magnolia had repeated them so many times that Saijew was sure they were tied to something deeper.
Valentina noticed his expression. "What are you thinking?"
He took a moment before answering. "He's afraid."
"Magnolia?" Valentina asked, frowning.
"Yes. He doesn't understand what happened to him."
Emma looked down at her hands. "He probably thinks he hurt everyone."
Saijew nodded. "And that's the problem. If his power responds to his emotions, then the stronger those emotions become…"
He trailed off, and Valentina finished the thought quietly. "The stronger his power becomes."
"And the more dangerous it is," Saijew said.
Nobody spoke after that. The silence lasted until a messenger entered the room and bowed to Saijew. "General, the King has requested your presence."
Saijew gave Magnolia one last look. "Understood." He turned to the recruits. "Stay here."
Valentina nodded as he walked out.
•••
The palace was unusually quiet. Most of the royal guards had been assigned to the ceremony, and the rest were patrolling the city. Saijew walked through the empty halls until he reached the throne room. He stopped outside the large doors, then pushed them open and went in.
Belshazzar was waiting inside. The Babylonian King wore flowing royal blue robes embroidered with gold cuneiform, and a mantle depicting the Hanging Gardens rested across his shoulders. Silver strands ran through his black hair and beard, and his warm amber eyes settled on Saijew as soon as he entered. He held a clay tablet in one hand.
"You're Saijew."
"Yes."
Belshazzar set the tablet down. "I've heard about what happened outside Babylon."
Saijew's expression turned serious. "Then you already know why I'm here."
"I know there was an attack."
"Two attacks," Saijew said, stepping forward.
The King's expression shifted slightly. "Explain."
"One Greek attacked the western recruits and their scholars. He used a large axe, and I don't know his name. The other attacked the eastern recruits and their scholars, and he was extremely fast."
Belshazzar's eyes narrowed. "And you don't know his name either?"
"Not yet."
The King was quiet for several seconds. "The attacks happened at the same time?"
"Yes."
"And both groups were escorting scholars."
"Yes."
Belshazzar walked slowly toward the large table in the center of the room. "Then this was coordinated."
"That's what I believe."
The King placed both hands on the table. "Were the scholars the targets?"
Saijew shook his head. "They were attacked, but the Greeks seemed more interested in the recruits."
"Why?"
"We don't know," Saijew answered. "But they tested them."
Two royal guards stood near the throne, and they had listened to the whole conversation without a word. One of them was a woman who stood 5'7", with sun-bronzed skin and long chestnut-brown hair tied into a high braid. Her amber eyes stayed on Saijew. A sapphire scarf rested around her shoulders, and twin crescent daggers hung at her hips. This was Samira Nadin, the Desert Falcon.
Beside her stood a much larger man, Naram-Sin, the Lion of Babylon. He was 6'3" with a broad, athletic build and bronze skin marked by only a handful of scars. His shoulder- length black hair was tied into a warrior's knot, and his trimmed beard framed a stern face. His golden-brown eyes were fixed on Saijew, and a long spear rested against his shoulder. The weapon, Mashkan, was nearly nine feet long.
Neither guard interrupted.
Belshazzar looked up from the table. "Was anyone killed?"
"No." Saijew paused. "But an unknown woman was nearly killed protecting a recruit."
The King's expression grew more serious. "And the recruit?"
"Alive. Unconscious."
Belshazzar nodded slowly. "Then your soldiers were lucky."
Saijew didn't respond. Luck wasn't the word he would have used.
•••
Samira finally stepped forward. "How many soldiers do you have with you?"
"Enough."
She smiled slightly. "That doesn't answer the question."
Saijew stared at her for a moment before answering. "Twelve recruits divided into two squads. One of them is unconscious."
Samira's eyes widened. "Children?"
"Yes."
Naram-Sin frowned. "And they fought Greeks?"
"They did."
The Babylonian commander said nothing more, and Samira turned to Belshazzar. "How long are they staying?"
Saijew answered before the King could. "Until Magnolia wakes up and the woman recovers."
"Then use the time," Samira said.
Saijew raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"Training. Their first mission was interrupted before they could understand what happened. If they're going to fight people like that again, they need more preparation." She looked at him directly. "You have a squad sitting in a medical room waiting for one unconscious child to wake up. You could spend that time training them."
Saijew turned to Belshazzar, and the King thought about it before speaking. "She has a point."
Saijew nodded slowly. Naram-Sin looked at Samira. "You're volunteering to train them?"
"Someone has to."
"You already have too much work."
Samira shrugged. "I run faster than you."
"That doesn't mean you have less work."
"It means I finish it faster," Samira said with a smile.
Belshazzar watched the two of them for a moment, then turned back to Saijew. "Train them while they remain here."
"I'll arrange it," Saijew said, and he moved toward the doorway. "Thank you, King Belshazzar."
"Keep your soldiers alive."
Saijew stopped. "We intend to."
He left the room, and Samira turned to Naram-Sin. "You heard him."
"What?"
"We have recruits to train."
Naram-Sin sighed. "I heard him."
Samira smiled and walked to the palace windows. Her gaze drifted out to the distant city, and her smile slowly faded. Something about the attack bothered her. Babylon was far too large for two foreign soldiers to cross unnoticed, which meant someone had been watching them. And if someone had been watching them, then someone knew they were here.
•••
Far beyond the city walls, two figures walked along the outskirts of Babylon. Alexzander carried his battle axe across his shoulder as he crossed the dry ground, and Cyclone followed a few steps behind. Neither of them entered the city. They only watched.
Alexzander studied the enormous walls. "They're organizing."
"Of course they are," Cyclone said, narrowing his eyes.
Soldiers moved along the walls and through the streets. Guards changed positions, and messengers hurried in and out of the palace. Alexzander's eyes followed several of them. "They're expecting something."
"Maybe they're expecting us."
"No." Alexzander lowered his axe from his shoulder. "They don't know enough yet."
Cyclone smiled. "Then we still have time."
Alexzander kept his eyes on the palace. "What do you think the boy was?"
Cyclone grew quieter. "The light?"
"Yes."
Cyclone thought about what Alexzander had told him of the battlefield: the golden body, the speed, the heat, and the overwhelming power. "I don't know."
"Neither do I," Alexzander said.
Cyclone looked at him. "That bothers you?"
Alexzander was silent for several seconds. "Yes."
They kept watching Babylon without moving closer and without attacking. Inside the city, soldiers continued preparing for whatever came next. Somewhere inside the palace, Magnolia still lay unconscious, and his lips moved again.
"Everything…"
His fingers tightened around the blanket.
"Fire…"
His breathing grew heavier.
"Hatred…"
The words came again, and again, and again.
•••
Saijew returned to the medical room several hours later. The recruits looked up as soon as he entered, and Valentina stood. "What happened?"
"I spoke with the King."
Matthew rubbed his chin. "The King of Babylon?"
"Yes. He knows about the attacks."
Poison looked at him. "And?"
"He understands the situation." Saijew paused. "More importantly, I have an idea."
"What idea?" Valentina asked.
Saijew crossed his arms. "We're going to use the time we have here."
Kibo raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"Training."
Kibo grinned. "Finally."
"Don't get excited," Saijew said, and Kibo's grin faded. "You'll still be training."
Emma looked at him. "While Magnolia is asleep?"
"Yes," Saijew answered, glancing at the unconscious boy. "And until she fully recovers."
Valentina nodded. "That makes sense."
Saijew looked over the whole group. "You've all fought your first real battle, and some of you nearly died." Nobody spoke. "You learned what your abilities can do, but you also learned what happens when you don't understand them." His eyes moved to Magnolia. "We're going to fix that."
The recruits looked at one another. For the first time since arriving in Babylon, they had something to focus on besides the Greeks, the attack, and the mystery surrounding Magnolia. They had training.
Saijew turned toward the doorway. "Get some rest tonight." He looked back at them. "Tomorrow, we start again."
•••
Outside the room, Samira stood in the palace corridor with her arms crossed. She had been listening from a distance and watching the recruits through the partly open doorway. A small smile spread across her face. The recruits didn't know it yet, but their time in Babylon was about to become much harder, and much more important.
•••
Far outside Babylon, Alexzander and Cyclone were still waiting on the outskirts. The sun sank slowly beyond the horizon, and hundreds of lights began to glow across the city. Cyclone gave Babylon one last look. "Tomorrow?"
Alexzander nodded. "Tomorrow."
They turned away from the city. Neither of them had entered it, and not yet.