He ran urgently using the jūryovā speed technique, if not with a slight lingering stumble. Sheathing his sword, he softly swore, trying to even out. He wasn’t badly injured, not externally. From what he could gather, he wasn’t internally injured at all.

Why won’t you say something?

When the voice again remained silent, he glanced up to look for his raven. It soared far overhead as it normally did, but...

What’s wrong?

With hesitance and tightly pursed lips, he focused ahead.

He took in the sights of the destruction left in the wake of the indrahti pyromancy. Judicial soldiers searched smoking debris of buildings and businesses for the surviving or remains of citizens. Soldiers from both their sister 21st Bracket and their own 22nd Bracket were also searching. His expression worsened from a simple frown into a full glower, and he mentally cursed the indrahti for the umpteenth time in his life.

He ran through the broken district into the once-green forest nearby. Running through the half-burnt path between tall trees and out to the land of Faifeleth Country, he spotted a larger military ship beginning to land among those that were already grounded. His lips tightened.

The Sanyerō is here…

There was a makeshift infirmary station at the foot of a 22nd Bracket ship. That was his destination, and he slowed as it came into full view.

A distant croak turned his head in the direction of the forest behind him. The large raven sat on a tree branch croaking a few times. Shoulders lowering, his eyes lingered on the bird until it flew deeper into the forest. It doing so only made him feel worse, even more confused.

He came to a complete stop at the infirmary.

“Vadeen!”

Raising his gaze, he made a small smile at his older brother. “Abramu.”

“Are you alright?” Before he could respond, Abramu frowned and came closer. “No, you aren’t…”

His shoulders couldn’t lower any further and he raised a hand to brush Abramu away. “Ginī, I’m fine—”

His brother smacked the hand away and placed both of his on Vadeen’s shoulders. “Don’t lie. What happened? Or should I get Lanad?”

Grimacing, both from his brother’s words and from a dizzy spell, Vadeen leaned forward with a hand on his forehead. “Fuck…I don’t…I don’t know. I’ll talk about it later—with Lanad. Maybe Qīkā, too…”

Abramu’s grasp briefly tightened, but his hands slid down after a moment. “Alright. I’m holding you to that.”

Vadeen nodded, looking away. He half-listened, half-ignored his brother as he checked over his body for injuries, his mind busy with questions and confusion.

What did that woman mean, I seem faifethi enough…? His lips pursed. He felt that he knew what she was talking about.

Somehow, he intimately knew what she meant. He locked his jaw and brushed his hands up and down his arms.

Before he could think of anything more, a surge of forōs brought his attention to a nearing presence. He all but scrambled to slide down and kneel, one hand in a fist on the ground. Beside him, Abramu did the same, as did all capable soldiers in the vicinity.

“Sanyerō!” they chorused in unison.

He sensed the General Commander appear alongside four others and recognized them as the captains of the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Brackets along with Captain Zafahr’s lieutenant.

“Rise.”

Glancing up, Vadeen slowly moved to stand. General Commander Khamila Wukai stood with her hands behind her back, the black, gold, and tanzanite tassels dangling from her sash indicating her rank. She appeared as she always did, impassive with teal eyes keenly scanning the soldiers before her. The difference this time was the near-tangible aura of anger emitting from her along with her simmering forōs.

“Have you nothing to say?” she demanded the captains, all three of whom appeared thoroughly mollified.

“There isn’t much to, Sanyerō,” Captain Wasihl gritted out, her large shark teeth on display as she spoke through them. “Two attacks at the same time, in the same city, by two different groups; that is all we know, according to the Isrid.”

The General Commander’s eyes narrowed intensely. Vadeen knew it was in his best interest to ignore the conversation happening not twenty feet from him, as the other soldiers were, but he couldn’t. He wanted to know what made that indrahti woman different from the others.

He watched as the General Commander brought the silver-white mask from behind her back, looking at it in her hand. She said and did nothing for a few seconds, then her body rose and fell in a heavy huff. “Jonē’i-Bū is happening in two days, sebuani, and you had better hope nothing happens then. I will relay this to the Tenk’ha.” She turned around before disappearing, taking her overwhelming power with her.