Find me a master of himself, and I give you a great man
Southern Proverb
Mirin deserved its reputation as a lawless city. Tez' Mu had reckoned that the crime rate would have reduced due to Keolyor occupation, but if anything, it had only worsened the situation.
They hurried through the city as quickly as they could, only stopping twice to eat, one time at a roadside stall, and the other in a fancy inn. The sun had set, casting the city into shadow. Sari sniffed suspiciously, and turned his head left and right. Night patrons of the inn bustled around them, occasionally bumping drunkenly into their table. He growled.
"We can't travel through the night, ke. Let's stay here; and set out early tomorrow."
Tez' Mu shook his head. "No. This place reeks." They had attracted many unfriendly stares as they passed through the city. "A lot of gangs have set their sights on 'our stash' already. Let's get out of this place as fast as we can."
"Then leaving now will be offering ourselves on a silver plate to them. Also, we've warmed up to the hiarmak. Let's put him to good use."
"How?" Tez' Mu raised his eyebrows.
"We can go stay at the governor's house."
"What? And go back the way we've come?" Tez' Mu snorted as he set the goblet in his hand down. "Waste of time."
"Ke, it's the best idea." Sari pressed. "Not one bandit will dare come near us. That's what they say—use a thief to catch a thief."
Tez' Mu opened his mouth to protest, but just then, his eyes landed on a group of thugs swaggering through the door. His words died in his throat.
The waiter that had served them earlier approached their table, fidgeting nervously. He took off the towel slung across his shoulder and wrung it in his hands, stammering.
"What is it?" Tez' Mu frowned.
The waiter looked down at his feet, shuffling them. "One of your horses is dead, duoner," he said, using a more respectful term than before.
"What!?" Tez' Mu rose abruptly, sending a few empty plates crashing to the floor. "Which one?"
The waiter's fears had come true. "Your—yours, I think, my lord," he scurried back a few steps.
Sari stepped in, grabbing Tez' Mu's arm just before he could lash out at the waiter. He turned to glare at the cowering man. "Wasn't your inn supposed to ensure the safety of our mounts? Bring us to the place!"
Shivering, the waiter bowed and led them downstairs, opening the back door to the stables. Tez' Mu felt stares on the back of his neck. He turned, locking eyes with two large men leaning on the banister, leering down at him. He frowned and turned his face away.
There were twenty booths in the stable, all filled with snorting stamping horses with mountains of hay in their feeding troughs. Three horses were kept per booth, but Tez' Mu and Sari's mounts were placed separately, as per their request.
The horses were restless, ears flicking, eyes wild, and the stable was filled with the noise of loud neighs, as if the animals been frightened. A sudden, overwhelming stench hit Tez' Mu, crawling up his nose until bile rose in his throat. His hand went to his mouth as his stomach churned.
The waiter led them to the only empty booth. On the ground, there was a clump of matted mane fur, deep impressions in the packed earth in the shape of hooves and human feet, and, splattered along the wooden beams above and the walls, fresh dripping blood.
"This is how we found it, duon," the waiter spoke to Tez' Mu directly now, "I'm sorry, but things like this happen frequently here, when someone has offended the damesh."
Tez' Mu was tired of hearing western dialect words. "Ancestors curse the damesh!" he swore, grabbing the waiter by the collar, "If you don't produce my horse—"
"It's been killed, duon," the waiter raised his hand defensively, framing his face. "If you want an explanation, go see the—" He stopped himself as Tez' Mu moved his hand to grab his neck. "The gang bosses! They did this! You must have offended them!"
"Enough." Sari had been examining the booth, his brow furrowing as he rose. He held a pinch of the bloodied fur between his fingers, sniffed it, then frowned.
"It's all good," Sari said calmly, tossing the fur aside. He turned to the waiter. "Now, tell me, good sir," he narrowed his eyes, "The governor of the city has, what, even the smallest control over these damesh, doesn't he?"
"I—I should think so," the waiter stammered, rubbing his neck and smoothing his clothes as he took gingerly steps away from the fuming Tez' Mu. "But now, with the Keolyor in charge, it's the hiarmak you want."
"Very good," Sari smiled coldly, "We happen to be friends of the hiarmak."
They found themselves hemmed in before they could even make it a hundred paces from the inn. Sari had placed an unwilling Tez' Mu behind him on his horse, and the nervous waiter had seen them off. The moonlit streets of the city grew darker as they passed through a narrow alley, the towering buildings looming overhead. Two hooded thugs cut off their return path, just as three more emerged in front. Weapons of every kind hung from their belts: curved blades, wickedly sharp knives, and axes designed for close combat. Above, two more shadowed figures loomed, perched on the rooftops like vultures, silhouetted against the moon.
"Well met, fellows," Sari inclined his head, "Which one of you is the leader?"
Tez' Mu leaned close to him. "I hope you have a plan, sage," he hissed in his ear.
One of the men in front chuckled, stepping into the light. On his back was a large broadsword, its edge gleaming coldly. His scarred face twisted into a sneer.
"Why would our leader bother with trivialities like these? Ours is to bring the loot home." As he moved, the two next to him strode forward as well, keeping flanks.
From above, a woman's voice called out, sharp and mocking. "No loot is shared here, Mo. We take it all."
"Ah, senior," Mo grinned, "Better words from you would be wise."
He struck suddenly, his broadsword sweeping toward Sari's mount with crippling intent, glinting as it left its sheath. The animal reared, but Sari mastered it, his left arm flaring with energy as the air around them crackled. A thunderous boom hurled the thug into a pile of crates, just as the hooded mercenaries charged. Sari yanked the horse sideways as a blade slashed through empty air where his chest had been.
"Off!" He barked.
Tez' Mu didn't argue. He leapt off the stirrup and let himself fall, rolling smoothly onto the dusty street. The moment his feet found purchase, he flicked his wrist, runes flaring to life between his fingers. A translucent barrier shimmered just in time to catch the first volley of darts from the rooftops.
Sari stayed mounted just long enough to drive his heel into the horse's side, sending the beast rearing up. Hooves lashed out, striking one thug square in the chest. The man crumpled with a choked grunt. Sari swung off the saddle, gritting his teeth as his right hand throbbed—useless, sluggish. He reached across his body to draw his sword left-handed just as another attacker closed in. His first parry was slower than usual. The broadsword's weight sent a shock up his arm, rattling his bones, but he adjusted fast—twisting his body to deflect rather than meet the force head-on. His opponent, expecting a direct clash, stumbled forward.
Sari took the opening.
He ducked low, letting his sword's momentum drag him through the movement, and slammed his knee into the attacker's stomach. The man gagged, doubling over—Sari followed up with a brutal elbow to the back of his head. The body hit the dirt.
Across the street, Tez' Mu dipped to dodge two arrows and flicked his wrist hard. Two metal pellets shot out with deadly speed, the first tearing through the air toward the rooftop archer, hitting him square in the throat. He choked, toppled over the edge, and landed with a sickening crunch. The second archer barely had time to react before the pellet slammed into her wrist, the shock of the impact forcing her to lose her grip. Her crossbow clattered to the ground.
Sari, locked in his own battle, gritted his teeth as he fended off two thugs at once. His blade danced, parrying strike after strike. One opponent mis-stepped and Sari capitalized instantly, slashing across his thigh and sending him crumpling to the ground. The other skirted around to come at him from behind, but before he could bring down the blow, Tez' Mu rushed forward to crash into him. A jet of fire roared past Sari's shoulder, forcing the would-be attacker to stumble back, singed and cursing.
The remaining damesh leapt back and surrounded Mo as he rose shakily, spat blood and glared. "Kill the fire mage first!"
Tez' Mu scoffed and leveled Moonfire at the three of them. "Try."
They rushed him at once. Tez' Mu moved like water, sidestepping the first, catching the second with a sharp knee to the gut, and twisting his momentum into a precise strike that shattered the third's nose.
Sari had had enough. He dropped to a knee and pressed his limp right palm against the ground. The air hummed as the dirt started to tremble beneath their feet. Then, with a deafening crack, the street split open, jagged rock erupting between Tez' Mu and his opponents. Two of the thugs lost their footing, stumbling back in horror. The third charged from the side. Tez' Mu barely had time to shift—
Steel met steel as Sari intercepted. His right hand screamed in protest as the shock of impact jolted through it. He hissed but didn't let go. Instead, he twisted his grip, using the ax's own weight against it, guiding it off-course just enough to expose the man's knee. A sharp kick sent the brute staggering. Sari didn't give him a chance to recover. He slammed the pommel of his sword into the back of his skull. The man went limp. His body hit the dirt.
The remaining thugs lay scattered across the street—moaning, unconscious, or dead. The scent of scorched cloth and blood thickened the air, mingling with the dust that still hovered from the split earth. Only the female archer was left, her breath ragged as she stumbled to her feet. Blood dripped from her cuts, mixing with the mud at her feet. She turned to run.
"Not a chance," Tez' Mu made to lunge after her, but Sari's hoarse grunt stopped him in his tracks. His rage faltered. He turned quickly and faced his servant. Sari stood panting next to his horse, his right arm hanging loosely at his side, blood seeping from his sleeve. His face was pale, sweat dripping down his forehead as he strained to stay upright. Tez' Mu swore under his breath.
Behind them, the archer's footsteps faltered. She dropped to the ground in exhaustion, her body finally giving way. She barely managed to lift her head, a defiant rasp of breath escaping her lips as she shouted after them.
"You'll be dead soon. The damesh never forgets."
Tez' Mu's patience thinned. He turned, eyes narrowed. Raising his hand, a wave of fire erupted from his palm, swirling toward her with lethal intent. It engulfed her, and she screamed, the fire biting into her skin, searing her face. When the flames receded, she was gasping, clawing at the scorched remains of her face. The scent of her own burned skin filled her nostrils, and she choked on it.
Half of her face was gone, charred away in an instant.
Tez' Mu stared down at her, watching her writhe in the sand. She raised her face to glare at him out of her remaining eye. "Remember my name," she croaked, voice barely more than a wheeze. "Esna. You'll see me again. I will make you regret this night."
Tez' Mu gave her a long, slow look. Then he swung himself onto his horse behind Sari, his red hair catching the moonlight as he turned away.
"Then remember this," he said, voice light with mockery. He tapped his hair.
He dug his knee into the horse's belly, and yanked the reins.
***
It was quiet. Too quiet.
"You sure we're on the right track?" Tez' Mu asked. They were riding through the dark, empty streets on their way back to the governor's house, the only place in Mirin where their safety was guaranteed. They had passed by the estate during the day, marveling at the length of its walls, which bordered the main road for about seven horse paces. The streets had been filled with commuters; legitimate and illegitimate shops and stalls conducting business side by side. Tez' Mu expected the same when night fell.
The city slipped past them, silhouette upon silhouette of buildings and crude structures rising up suddenly one after the other, out of the gloom. There were no lights outside, nor in any of the windows of the buildings they passed by.
"Do you have a feeling we're being watched?" Tez' Mu whispered after some time.
"By who? The Keolyor or the damesh?" Sari's voice came from behind him.
"Does it matter? They're all the same," Tez' Mu rolled his eyes, but he did not ease his grip on the reins.
"Wrong," Sari murmured. "The Keolyor are good news, while the damesh are not. We're still carrying booty in our spatial rings."
"I wish we weren't," Tez' Mu sighed. Riding double had its drawbacks—especially when your companion was sweating through his robe from poison withdrawal. "Who said we should pretend to be Miyuan? What happened to random refugees? If Kal' Yu and the others are still waiting for us, I hope they're not thinking we've been taken by the hiarmak."
Behind him, Sari's breathing hitched.
Tez' Mu tensed. "Are you alright?"
Sari took a couple of quick staggering breaths. "I suppose it's that damn nahyar sap. It's not fully out of my system."
"You can enter cultivation mode and expel it out when we arrive at the governor's place," Tez' Mu said, peering through the gloom. He spotted pinpricks of lights in the distance. "I think we're here."
As they approached the gate, the sharp clang of iron rang out as two guards stepped into view, their spears crossed in front of the entrance. One wore Keolyor armor, the other a battered mail shirt, which might have once been silver.
"Who are you and who do you seek?" The first guard barked, as Tez' Mu and Sari dismounted.
Tez' Mu rolled his eyes. So much for illegal occupiers.
"Will you do the talking or should I?" He asked Sari, who waved a shaky hand. Tez' Mu turned to the guards.
"Is the hiarmak here? We're friends of his."
The guards narrowed their eyes. "Declare your identities," the first growled.
"I'm Auren, and this is my brother Artar, Miyuans of House Il. Now open the ancestors-forsaken door."
"That information is not enough. Do you have documents to prove your identities?"
"No, but I have this: the hiarmak's name is Nerak ez Hoy, and I don't think he'll hesitate to take your heads off when he finds out I stood outside his door longer than I should have."
The guards hesitated, then uncrossed their spears, taking a few steps back to push open the gate. Tez' Mu caught Sari just as he was about to keel over again. One hand held his servant upright and the other dragged the horse's reins, as they stepped over the threshold. Behind them, the gates slammed shut.
A simple cobbled way led them to the main house. Tez' Mu left the horse in the front yard, and then walked up to the open entrance. Inside, a group of Keolyor commanders sat around a center table, cheering as they dug into what looked like a feast of pheasant dishes and surplus wine. At the head of the room Nerak was sprawled on a long sofa, drinking deeply. A teenage girl sat next to him, keeping his goblet filled. Her hair was down, and Nerak was idly twisting her hair tie around his fingers.
He looked up.
"Look who it is!" Nerak slurred. "If it isn't our Miyuan friends!" He was dead drunk.
Good, Tez' Mu thought.
"Good evening, duon," he said, inclining his head. "Forgive our lack of courtesy."
Ever since he'd learned of his Miyuan heritage, Tez' Mu had studied the way of life of the eastern kingdom's people more carefully. He had never imagined himself pretending to be one, but his knowledge came into good use here.
Nerak laughed, hiccuping twice. He gazed at them out of heavily lidded eyes. "Why would I be angry? Anyone's welcome here."
The girl beside him stiffened.
"Well, we're grateful for your graciousness. Could you send someone to tend to the horse I left in the yard? It's been a rough day—for it and for us."
After gaining entrance, Miyuans became demanding on their hosts. The girl threw him a glare. Tez' Mu just smiled.
"What's wrong with your brother?" Nerak drawled, leaning forward and draping a heavy hand over the girl's shoulder. He was squinting at Sari.
"He's just tired," Tez' Mu replied simply.
"Ah," said Nerak. He clapped once. A servant appeared.
Nerak gestured. "Show these duoner to a nice room. Serve them well." He hiccuped again.
"Yes, my lord," the servant bowed, exchanging a significant look with the girl before he turned away. Tez' Mu frowned. There were undercurrents in this house that he did not want to be part of. He hoped coming here did not turn out to be a bad idea.
"Finally," Tez' Mu sighed, stepping out of the enclosed bath in clean, warm clothes. "A safe place to lay our heads tonight."
Sari was seated cross-legged on the red rug, hands on his knees, sweat beading on his forehead. His eyes were squeezed shut, his breathing harried.
"Not to lecture you, Sari, but it'd be better if you calmed down or regulated your breathing first," Tez' Mu said, walking past him to grab another pheasant thigh. "Otherwise, your cultivation's going nowhere."
A nerve jumped on Sari's forehead.
"I'd be dead if I was cultivating at all; you're so noisy."
Tez' Mu tore a chunk of meat from the thigh with his teeth, chewing loudly as his gaze wandered lazily around the room. A pair of wing-backed chairs flanked a burnished brass brazier, its coals humming with lazy heat. The bed was massive, carved from redwood lacquered to a glossy shine, with a mattress so wide it could have hosted a small duel if it were made of stone instead of stuffed with drake feathers. Clearly, this house had hosted more than a few noble backsides.
There was a knock on the door. Sari opened his eyes and frowned.
"Who's there?" He called, his tone unfriendly.
"Open up," came an equally irritated voice.
Tez' Mu traipsed across the floor and pulled the door open a crack. The girl who had been sitting next to Nerak stood there, carrying blankets folded in her arms.
"Good evening," she said, as if it physically hurt her. Tez' Mu blinked. Her voice was hoarse, not matching her pretty face at all. If he were blindfolded and asked who just spoke, he would have said an annoyed fishmonger.
"Hello," he responded. Her hair was still draped around her face, a detail that distracted Tez' Mu. She looked like a person who had been unwillingly dragged from the embrace of her bed in the wee hours of the morning.
"I brought you blankets. The last occupant of this room had warts," she said flatly.
"Oh. Thanks?" Tez' Mu reached for them, but she didn't budge. Instead, she fixed a hard stare at him.
"When will you be leaving?"
Tez' Mu raised a brow. "We'll impose on the commander as long as he can tolerate us."
She spat. "You Miyuans and your annoying ways!"
Tez' Mu stifled a chuckle. "Do you have a problem with me?" He had not intended to get on her nerves. What if she took the blankets away? Ancestors' innards, he did not want to get warts!
"Yes I do! Auren." She threw the blankets at him. He caught them, startled. Auren? Had the guards at the gate told her his name?
The girl turned on her heel, not sparing him a second glance. Tez' Mu slammed the door shut.
Sari flinched. "Ke!"
"No 'ke's! Our every move is being watched!" Tez' Mu snapped. Sari sat frowning. His breathing had steadied, his pallor back to normal—whatever cultivation he'd managed to scrape together had patched the worst of it.
"Who was that?"
"The girl pouring Nerak's wine earlier. You didn't see her, did you? You were out of it," Tez' Mu was by the bed now, gingerly stripping off the sheets and tossing them as far away as possible. "There's something going on here."
***
By midnight she was back. This time she knocked on the window.
"Damn," Tez' Mu sighed as he crawled out from under the blankets he'd pulled up to his head, groggily tottering over to the window. He pushed it open. A figure dressed in all black flashed past him.
"Hey!"
"Quiet!" her earlier rasp was gone. Her eyes now blazed like torches, brighter than the low lamp flickering in the room. "I want you to do as I say, or you'll die."
Tez' Mu snorted despite his grogginess. "Not sure who should be threatening who, in these circumstances. You just interrupted my sleep. My first reaction to that is murder."
"I'm not here to banter with you." To drive her point home, she pressed a cold dagger to Tez' Mu's exposed throat.
"Alright, I'm listening," Tez' Mu yawned.
Her gaze flicked over to the bed. Sari hadn't moved once.
"Wake your brother," she snapped, pressing the dagger closer.
Tez' Mu reached to rub his crusty eyes. She flinched. "Easy, I thought you had me in your clutches," he sniggered. "Sari. Up."
"I'm awake," Sari grumbled, "Do you realize I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while?"
"Alright. Listen," the girl pocketed her knife. "First, I want silence."
"We're silent."
"No, I mean I don't want any noise from you two later." She glanced between the bed and Tez' Mu's slouched posture. "I'm taking this mansion back tonight, and I don't want you two ruining it."
Tez' Mu raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you were filling the hiarmak up with so much wine he wouldn't be able to see his own feet?—OW!"
She had poked him with the tip of the sheathed blade.
"Yes. But that's none of your business. I don't want you butting in."
Tez' Mu shrugged. "I know you don't want my input, but do you really think some wine alone will make seasoned commanders like Nerak and his men putty in your hands? I'm sure you've got some moves, but that's a far reach."
She scowled. "Why do you care? I'm doing what I can! I have to get him gone! My father's still being held prisoner somewhere beneath our feet!"
Tez' Mu drew in a sharp breath. "You're the governor's daughter?"
"Who else would I be?" She scoffed, crossing her arms and lowering her head. A low hoot sounded nearby, and her expression shifted almost immediately. "It's time." She looked out the window. "Remember, I don't want you helping that man," she said as she turned around.
"Alright, alright!" Tez' Mu raised his hands as he traipsed back to the bed, where Sari was now lying on his back, frowning at the ceiling. "Miyuan guests were asleep," he yawned for effect. "Fast asleep! We didn't hear a thing!"
"No," Sari countered. "We'll help."
Tez' Mu turned to gawk at his servant just as the girl's hand went to her knife.
"What's wrong with you?!" Tez' Mu finally found his voice. "Are you out of your mind?!"
Sari sat up, looking the wary girl straight in the eyes. "We'll help you."
"You'll help me?!" she cried, half-amazed and half-wary.
"Still crazy," Tez' Mu cut in, grabbing Sari by the shoulders. "Enough, Sari! This is not our fight. She wants us to stay out of it!"
"I wouldn't mind if you were fighting on my side," the girl said at once, hopeful.
Tez' Mu glared at her. "That's betraying Nerak, and he's the one who gave us a safe place to stay tonight, not you. I'm not going to gamble away his trust with a pointless squabble leading nowhere. He's a commander. That's not a fancy title—he has troops outside the gate. A lot of them. When they don't hear from him in a few hours, they'll come searching. You might have taken your house back, but they'll take you. And trust me, what they do to traitors is a pretty sight."
"I don't care!" she hissed, fury clouding her judgment as she advanced on him. "It's not you who will tell me what to do! Sheltered as you've probably been your whole life, you don't know what it's like to be at someone's mercy, do you? I do! And I won't live like that anymore! I'll take back what's mine!"
The hooting outside grew louder, more frantic. She turned to Sari. "Are you still with me?"
"I am." Sari rolled off the bed.
"Sari!" Tez' Mu called out with exasperation. Sari turned around to face him.
"She's right, ke. You don't know what it's like to live at someone's mercy."
Tez' Mu laughed dryly. "You know I do."
Sari smirked.
Tez' Mu got up reluctantly. The girl was already barking orders, sharp and clean like someone who'd rehearsed them a thousand times in her head.
"There are seven guards between us and Nerak. Auren, you're with me. We'll take them out," she said, unsheathing her dagger. She then pointed at Sari. "The butler knows where my father is held. Your job is to free him."
Before Tez' Mu could say anything else, she was already striding toward the door. Sari followed without a word. Tez' Mu hesitated for a heartbeat longer—then sighed and fell in step.
They slipped into the corridor like shadows. The butler—the servant she'd shared a look with earlier—beckoned to them from behind a pillar. The girl stepped up to him and said a few words, then waved Sari over. After a brief exchange, the butler and Sari set off together.
The girl returned to Tez' Mu and led the way toward a low, vaulted passage behind the main house. The walls here were rough-hewn stone, slick with condensation.
"You can call me Kan' Ya," she muttered without looking back.
"Tez'," he replied.
She shot him a glance over her shoulder, an eyebrow raised. "Aren't you called Auren?"
"No."
They were moving swiftly now, their breaths shallow. A boot scuffed against stone ahead.
Tez' Mu yanked Kan' behind a massive porcelain vase, its cracked glaze painted with faded herons. A guard rounded the corner, his lantern casting long wavering shadows across the walls.
Kan' didn't wait.
She slipped forward like a bolt, her dagger flashing. The guard barely had time to gasp before she hooked a foot behind his knee and slammed him face-first into the floor. His nose crunched against the stone. He grunted, and swung around, catching Kan's arm.
Tez' Mu was on him in an instant, driving a knee into his ribs and clamping a hand over his mouth before he could cry out. The man thrashed, then went still as Kan' cracked the pommel of her dagger against his temple.
Tez' Mu dragged the limp body behind a tattered velvet curtain.
"So you're Ochelon?" Kan' whispered as they resumed their sprint.
"Yes," Tez' Mu flattened himself against the wall as they reached the final stretch. He grunted at the reek of spilled wine and sweat. "Let's wait. Listen."
Kan' touched shoulders with him. There were low murmurs coming from within the room.
"I thought he was asleep," she hissed. "Did he wake up?"
"Shh!" a weight had dropped into Tez' Mu's belly. He'd heard a familiar name just now.
"What?" Kan' asked after two minutes of silence save the low conversation coming from the room. Tez' Mu's brow was furrowed. Had he imagined it? He'd thought for a moment that he'd heard one of the men talking say 'Keiran' Ru'. Why would her name crop up here? The Keolyor had nothing to do with the Ru army…yet.
"What's happening?" Kan' pinched Tez' Mu's arm. He was jolted rudely out of his thoughts.
"Nothing. There's…two men in there, plus Nerak, I guess. His voice is not among those speaking."
"Great. So what do we do now, Sharp Ears? We didn't envision people in his room!"
Tez' Mu turned to fix her a withering stare. She shrugged, not backing down.
He tilted his head. "We can't take them both head-on."
He pulled a thin metallic coin from his sash and tossed it hard against the far wall. It clanged, sharp and loud. Inside the room, voices paused. One set of footsteps approached the door cautiously.
As soon as it creaked open—Tez' Mu lunged. He slammed the door into the man's ribs hard. A crack rang out, followed by a gasping grunt. Kan' was already there, slamming her dagger's pommel into the man's temple. He collapsed like a bag of bricks.
The second man jumped to his feet.
Tez' Mu darted in, veered left, then twisted back and slammed an elbow into the man's jaw. As he reeled, Tez' Mu grabbed the back of his head and smashed it against the wall. Blood smeared the plaster. The man crumpled, twitching once before going still.
Kan' stood frozen in the doorway.
"That was… coordinated," she said slowly.
Tez' Mu wiped blood off his knuckles. "Not my first illegal entry."
Kan' stepped past him and peered at the two bodies.
"Are they dead?"
"Of course not," Tez' Mu muttered, breathing hard. He stared at the blood on his hands. "You have no scruples killing people, do you?"
"Wait till you see what I do to Nerak," she replied ominously, striding toward the man sprawled across the bed. The wine had done its job—his breath was shallow and thick with drink. He didn't even stir as she approached.
Kan' stood over him as she slowly unsheathed her dagger. "For my father," she whispered. "And for every night...you made me pour your wine."
She raised it high, and plunged it right into his heart.