(Ereshgal POV)
The next moment, Kisaya's expression shifted. It was subtle, but not enough to escape me. There was something cracked behind her eyes.
Was that… sadness?
"What's wrong?" I asked.
She doubted, just a blink. Then she answered too quickly.
"Nothing… Can we make a fire first?"
A fire?
The question lingered in the air. Had something else happened, something she didn't know how to tell me? I almost told her not to waste time.
My chest tightened.
But then I looked again, really looked.
She was preparing.
So I turned my gaze to the side, toward the base of the trees. Branches, scattered and dry, waited like bones on forest floor.
I nodded once. "Let's make one."
She didn't say a word. Just began to move, focused on the task, avoiding my eyes.
We worked in silence, gathering what the night had left us—dry leaves, crooked twigs, dead wood.
I already knew I couldn't control the strength in my hands, so I had to think through every movement. Even then, a branch split the moment I touched it, another cracked before I could set it down.
Kisaya glanced at me, just for a second.
There was surprise in her eyes, but she didn't ask. She turned back to her work as if nothing had happened. I forced myself to move slower, to treat every twig like it might crumble, but the sound of breaking wood kept following me. Still, between the two of us, the pile grew. By the time we finished, we had enough for a fire.
Once everything was set, just as I was about to ask how we were going to light it, Kisaya reached into her sack and pulled out two stones.
I looked up.
The stars felt too close. Too bright, like they weren't content to stay in the sky.
I didn't think I'd ever grow tired of this. It was so clear, so bright… almost unreal.
The sound of stone striking stone echoed as she worked.
Then came the crackling, clearer than it should have been.
I looked down.
And light exploded into my eyes.
It was blinding.
I turned away, hand covering my face. Heat flared across my vision, the white of it scorching.
It was the brightest thing I'd ever seen.
Unfiltered.
Piercing.
"Are you okay?" Kisaya asked immediately.
I kept my eyes shut, nodded. "Yes. Just… too much brightness at once."
She didn't answer, but her focus was steady, unmoving, and I could feel the quiet concern in her gaze
Little by little, I opened my eyes. Let them adjust, the world bled back into shape—slowly, slowly.
The fire in front of us pulsed. Each spark felt like a heartbeat, the flame didn't flicker randomly. It moved like it was breathing.
It was beautiful in a way that made it terrifying.
We sat in silence.
Then Kisaya let out a deep, heavy sigh before finally speaking.
"When we thought you were gone… I pulled away from everyone." she said. "I threw myself into training, into battle, accepting every mission that involved killing something hostile. Creature or man, it didn't matter. I killed it."
Her words were calm and firm.
"That was the only way I could keep going. That's how I became a captain within two years."
She stared at the fire, avoiding my eyes, as if looking at me would make it harder to say.
Captain.
I studied her from across the flame: strong, silent, composed. That meant she was nineteen then, maybe twenty when she earned the rank.
How many missions?
How much blood?
How many bodies did she stand over before they gave her that title?
I didn't ask.
I just nodded.
Her hands moved slowly, as if dragging the words into the open.
"I didn't ask about politics or the council. I just kept fighting. Kept surviving." Her voice colder now.
Silence stretched for a moment before she spoke again.
"So even if I'm a captain… I don't actually know much. But I'll tell you as much as I can."
Then she added.
"About a year later, word reached me, your father had been stripped of his title. No explanation, just a message. One day he was king… the next, he wasn't."
Her eyes fixed on the fire.
"Looking back, I think it was part of Kudur's plan."
My body went still.
"What?" I asked.
Kisaya didn't flinch.
"Because right now… he's the regent of Uruk."
Regent.
That word didn't feel real.
Kudur.
I always knew he had a plan… but to take it this far?
I closed my eyes. Forced the fire out of my vision.
"So… my father's imprisoned?" My voice was lower now, cold.
"I'm not sure" she said. "But it'd be a safe guess to say it was also Kudur's doing. Probably the same reason your mother locked herself away. She barely leaves the palace anymore."
A tremor shot down my arms.
My knuckles cracked like stone under pressure.
If I could, I would march into Uruk and rip out his throat with nothing but my teeth.
…What?
The thought froze me. Clearly, he deserved death for his betrayal. But… I pictured tearing his throat out with my teeth. Why did I even think that? My chest tightened, a flicker of panic rising before I shoved it down.
I pushed the feeling aside and forced myself to focus. There was something more important I needed to ask.
"And Ennari?" I asked. "Do you know where she is? You said earlier my father sent her with Ishtal, right?"
Kisaya nodded.
"She's in Sippar."
Sippar, of course.
The city of Shamash, the god of light, justice, and truth.
The one who chose him.
It made sense. That was where most of his followers gathered. A place where laws were scripture, and judgment was sacred.
"If I remember right" I muttered, "Sippar's about a week north of Uruk by cart."
Kisaya nodded, her eyes still on the fire.
"But from here… we're much farther. Two weeks at least. Maybe more, depending on the terrain and how fast we can move."
There was a quiet calculation in her voice, the kind that came from experience.
I turned to look at her. "You came in a cart, right?"
"Yes" she said.
"But the mercenaries and Darek need to head back soon. They've already stayed longer than we planned. If they don't return on time, Uruk might get suspicious. They'll probably send guards to investigate."
She paused for a second, then added.
"We can't risk that."
I frowned. "So you're going back with them?"
She didn't answer right away. No shift in her posture, no flicker of doubt.
Only the fire crackled between us before she finally met my eyes.
"I just got you back" she said.
"After five years, you're standing in front of me again. I'm not walking away from that. Wherever you go now, I go too."
Her voice didn't waver. It wasn't a question, or a request. It was a fact.
I stared at her. "Won't that raise suspicion? You're a captain."
She shrugged like it meant nothing.
"Let them question me if they want. I'd rather deal with that than lose you again."
A pause.
"Besides" she added, glancing toward the forest edge, "I spoke to Darek. He'll come up with something."
Her voice shifted, lighter, but not without fire.
"And… we don't need carriages."
I frowned. "Why not?"
She raised one finger.
The moment she did, pure violet light gathered at her fingertip. It condensed, layer by layer, growing more focused, more dense. Her hand stayed steady. The air around the point of contact vibrated softly, reacting to the concentration.
"…Eh?"