"My ass is killing me! These damn nags will be the death of me!" Beret bellowed.

I instinctively placed my hand on my mount and stroked it gently, hoping to chase away Beret’s insulting words.

"Once we reach Goneblood, we’ll release the horses and they’ll find their way back to Vileblood on their own. These 'nags' are the finest in all of Blood, trained by the purebloods of Vileblood. Your ass is just too delicate. Let’s hope your legs aren’t just as fragile," Selene said with a mocking smile. "The road is long."

I was pleasantly surprised that he knew how much care we gave our mounts. The horses we trained in Vileblood weren’t meant for labor or pulling plows—they were bred for parades and great races. They were the fastest and most enduring of all, noble and robust. Our horses never got lost; they knew every path that would lead them home. Beret was an idiot.

"Well, I hope marching through the forges of Darkblood has sculpted my legs enough to keep up with you! You're a mountain, Selene! One of your steps equals two of mine—and three for poor Anela!" Beret laughed.

"I wouldn’t be so sure," Fratera chuckled. "If there’s one person who can keep up, it’s Anela. Vileblood doesn’t just have its horses as noble beings. The purebloods of Vileblood are sturdy, swift, agile—far more than we’ll ever be."

"Then how about we show each other our strength in a few friendly fights?" Beret suggested. "Once we arrive, while we wait for Vyl to join us—why not have some fun?!"

I had the unpleasant impression he only cared about having fun, and I was about to steer him back onto the right path and remind him of the gravity of our mission. But I held back. Mara’s death—and the others’—seemed to weigh more heavily on me than the losses from my other Triads. Not because I loved one more than another, but because the more I lost, the less my heart could bear it.

Yes, the situation was worrying—but I realized I’d been too harsh.

I could learn to appreciate Beret, as Fratera seemed to. We had a long road ahead of us, and making it heavier with my own bitterness was… unpleasant, to say the least. So I sighed quietly, relaxed my shoulders, and glanced toward Selene. He, too, seemed calm despite the situation; I was the only stain on this otherwise peaceful scene. Maybe a bit of sparring, a bit of fun, would help me loosen up and be more pleasant—to find what Mara’s death had torn from me.

"Why not," I murmured. "I suppose it won’t hurt anyone."

"Huh?! You agree?!"

Beret nearly choked. Feeling more relaxed after this shift in thought, I let out a soft laugh and tilted my head back to look at him.

"I plan on making you take back those disrespectful words about 'my pretty little face.'"

A huge, delighted grin spread across his face, highlighting his strong jaw. I looked forward again, but under Selene’s sharp gaze, I turned toward him. Truth be told, I wanted to fight him. I wanted to see if what people said about him was true. I wanted to see how such a massive frame could move like a ghost.

I was eager—but first, something far less pleasant awaited us.

We continued on for over an hour before the shapes of Goneblood began to emerge.

"Put on your blindfolds. We’re close. The horses will guide us," I ordered.

I took my red blindfold, sewn with one of the finest laces, and slipped it on. Our steeds led the way, and when their hooves struck the soil of Goneblood, the sound changed. It was no longer the soft rustling of leaves, but the crackle of charred wood. Fratera and I had been here before, but not Beret. This land bore a heavy past, and we were bound to honor the dead who once lived here.

"Rodel, loving god and our father, may you remember your children who died here. May your song and the knell that accompanies it resonate in the tormented minds; may Blood’s future catch up with its past; may the blood that was shed not be in vain," I prayed.

"May the ashes that rest here not be the cradle of your children; may your voice heal the wounds and sorrows left by this massacre," Fratera continued.

"May you still believe in the strength of your children, in their good will and their conviction to make today’s world as it once was in your mind," Beret added.

I waited patiently for Selene’s voice to rise, but nothing came for several minutes, during which only the sound of hooves broke the solemn silence we had created. And then, when I no longer expected it, he spoke. His voice was like a whisper carried by the wind, and a shiver climbed my spine.

"Rodel, loving god and father of many beings, guide the steps of those who are lost."

And silence returned. I shook my head instinctively, wondering what had made me react that way. In the end, the silence did me a world of good. I found myself alone with my thoughts and my prayers to my God until the horses came to a stop. I then removed my blindfold, folded it carefully, and tucked it away. The other Dukes did the same, and the scene that unfolded before us was utterly disheartening.

Goneblood had, just a few years ago, been the twin city of Vileblood. We had fought side by side before it faded away, and we could do nothing to stop it. I wondered whether our battles were welcome in a place where such a terrible tragedy had taken place.

"Our laughter and joy won’t harm this place," Fratera assured, as if he had read my mind. "There has been enough crying and sorrow here."

"And we blindfolded ourselves, as tradition demands, so our sight wouldn’t deceive our hearts. We spoke with open hearts," Selene affirmed.

I gave a brief nod and dismounted. I immediately began removing everything I would need for the journey: food, animal pelts, weapons. And when I was done, I let my hand slide along the horse’s flank, up to his head where I rested mine.

"Thank you for the journey. Now go home."

I stepped back a few paces and he turned around with a neigh, followed by the others. I sat down on the ground and Fratera did the same. We had nothing else to do but wait for the sunrise and for Vyl. The ashes stained our clothes, a somber reminder that nothing lived here anymore. Beret and Selene excused themselves and went a little farther away, likely to relieve themselves. I then felt Fratera’s kind gaze on me.

"I’m glad to take this journey under your command," he confided. "I saw you grow up and become the Duke you are today. I admire you greatly."

"You’re not under my command," I countered. "And you shouldn’t be glad about that. I’ll be your downfall."

"Oh come now, Anela. Maybe Beret and Selene will never say it, but we all know that if there’s one Duke the others will listen to, it’s you. You have nothing left to prove. If Beret and Vyl were so relaxed about this journey despite its importance and danger, it’s because they knew you would be there."

Lost, I searched his face for the truth. He didn’t seem to be lying, but then... was Beret and Vyl’s confidence because of me? That was reckless—terribly reckless!

"And if I may say so, Selene is no different. He looks at you like I’d look at a good meal. You don’t leave him indifferent."

"I admire him too."

"Anela," Fratera chuckled, "I wasn’t talking about admiration—but other, more... intimate things."

I raised an eyebrow. What exactly did he mean? Amused, he was likely about to clarify when Selene returned at that very moment. He dropped beside us, and for some reason I couldn’t explain, Fratera’s mischievous look made me uneasy. I cleared my throat awkwardly and gave Selene a shy smile, who seemed puzzled by the sudden, uncomfortable silence. I prayed for someone to pull me out of this situation, and when a sound broke through—just after Beret’s return—I perked up.

Beret drew his sword, ready to strike, but I signaled that it was unnecessary. It was the sound of hooves, and after all, we were in Goneblood. The enemy no longer reached this place thanks to Vileblood, not since the massacre.

"That must be the Duke of Whiteblood. I mean... Vyl."

Beret joyfully sheathed his sword and stepped forward to greet Vyl, but surprise etched our features when we saw a child riding one of my homeland’s horses, accompanied by one of my own men. I quickly got to my feet and rushed to meet the one I recognized as Rake, an archer and messenger. I cast a doubtful glance at the young girl. What was someone so young doing here?! Rake didn’t have a child!

"Duke Anela," Rake greeted with his wrist pressed over his heart, "I’ve come to inform you and the other Dukes of something important. Here is a letter from Duke Vyl."

I grabbed it, and upon seeing Vyl’s seal, I opened it hastily. I felt Selene behind me, peering over my shoulder while the others waited. My eyes scanned Vyl’s handwriting, and the more I read, the less I liked what I was understanding. I clenched my jaw as the last words sank in. I looked up at the young girl, dressed like my comrades and myself. She barely dared to meet my gaze.

"Anela, what’s going on?" Fratera asked.

"Where is Vyl?!" Beret burst out in his gruff voice.

Things were starting off very, very badly. I didn’t like where this was going. I searched Rake’s eyes for the truth, hoping this was just some tasteless joke, but all I found was regret. I handed the letter to Selene so he could pass it to the others, and Fratera read it aloud.

"‘Dear Dukes, if you are reading this, the illness has claimed me. Upon returning to Whiteblood, a terrible plague struck my land. I had only seen such a curse once in my life. The monarchs cast it upon Whiteblood. It only took a few hours for many to leave us. Our blood, for one day, was no longer our own. Before I join our father Rodel, I write to you to attest that the new Duke of Whiteblood is, and shall be until death, now a Duchess: Pero. I beg you to take great care of this child. She is young, but it wouldn’t be the first time a child has amazed us.’"

"Wh—How could that be possible?! He was still here yesterday!" Beret protested. "No! Hey, kid! How?!"

"The curses of the monarchs work like that. It wouldn’t be the first time a monarch managed to weaken the purebloods. Look around you and remember," Selene said soberly.

"Like the Dukes, the monarchs are seven as well, and just as we answer to Asmerion, they answer to Od, the blasphemous child of our god Rodel. Have you forgotten, Beret, that their role is to lay their cursed hands upon us, to kill us, to strip away our hope and strength? Be it through disease, like the late Vyl, or through chaos, like here in Goneblood," Fratera reminded him with a pained voice.

As for me, I couldn’t take my eyes off the child. I saw myself, years ago, burdened with the title of Duke just as my youth had barely begun. I’d been thrown into the arms of monsters before I even knew how to hold a sword properly.

"She’s just a child!" Beret yelled, beside himself with rage. "I... I know the rules well enough, but couldn’t Asmerion have made an exception for the quest that lies ahead of us?!"

At least I now knew that Beret truly understood the danger.

"As Vyl said in his letter, it wouldn’t be the first time a Duke—here a Duchess—was named so young. Pero, how old are you?" Fratera asked.

The little one swallowed and briefly met my gaze.

"I am fifteen springs, Duke Fratera. And... it is an honor to meet you all."

He had been a year younger than I was when I’d been named Duke.

"Fifteen?! Oh, please! Duke Selene, surely you can’t agree with this?! I refuse to let this child join us!"

"Was it Asmerion’s request?" Selene asked.

Rake, my archer, had likely accompanied “Pero” here to teach her the essentials. He answered Selene.

"Yes. Asmerion explicitly said that his request would not change. Pero, Duchess of Whiteblood, must accompany you."

There was definitely something I wasn’t understanding. Asmerion clearly wasn’t seeking strength or efficiency in this expedition. What was he hoping for? What did he expect from this child? She would only slow us down. I didn’t understand Asmerion. And judging by Beret’s fury, neither did he. Fratera and Selene remained much more discreet if they truly disagreed.

I was unable to move or say a word, and I noticed Rake’s concerned gaze directed at me. I would’ve preferred a thousand times over to take him with us rather than this young girl. The poor thing had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fifteen springs… That meant only children were left in Whiteblood, the generation of tomorrow. And so, as my body refused to obey me, Selene stepped forward and approached young Pero.

He slipped his hands under her arms and lifted her from her mount as if she weighed nothing. Selene then kneeled and set her before him. The girl seemed frozen with fear.

"Hello. I’m Selene, Duke of Harshblood. This is likely going to be difficult for you, but I’ll watch your back and my companions will watch the others. Welcome, new Duchess of Whiteblood, Pero."