Chapter 12: Tekira (Part 2).

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  Captain Tekira rose, but her boots did not turn toward her dormitory. Instead, they carried her up the main street, past the carved statues of past queens and the towering monuments of Kalista’s victories. Her path led not to comfort, but to the one place that still held answers: the palace.

  The limp made the journey long, yet she pressed on. When she reached the palace gates and slipped inside, the familiar corridors guided her to the hall where the attack had unfolded.

  She froze. Scored walls, shattered tiles, and dried blood still stained the marble. The faint scent of smoke, steel, and something sour -poison, perhaps- clung stubbornly to the air. Her arm throbbed as if remembering the blade all over again.

  Tekira turned away quickly and took a narrow side passage to escape the memories. At its end stood a dark iron door sealed with wax, three crimson stamps of the Security Agency pressed along its edges.

  Wenari’s quarters. Princess Uquoia’s assistant. The only confirmed traitor.

  Gone… without a trace.

  The earlier searches had turned up several suspicious items: Solhara herb, Kassal lily petals, and a splinter of foreign wood. They were all objects found only under the sun of the surface world and likely gathered from different regions. Unlikely and illogical possessions for a Drakvari worker.

  The commander had dismissed the room afterward, satisfied with the neat conclusion. But Tekira’s bones rejected it. A tension pressed beneath her ribs, as though the walls themselves were holding their breath.

  She inhaled, stepped into the middle of the cluttered space, and closed her eyes. Memory replayed itself: dust coating every shelf, books stacked in uneven towers, the faint scent of ink and stale air. Yohui thumbing through an old journal, blowing dust off brittle pages. Another officer tapping floorboards for hollows. Tekira herself lifting the bedframe, checking for compartment seams. Fingers trailing along walls, hoping for a loose stone or concealed latch.

  Knock. Knock.

  Tekira’s eyes snapped open at the soft knock against the iron door. She braced a hand on the wall as she turned, and pulled the door open. She had to lower her gaze to see the smaller figure waiting outside.

  Worker Qilani stood in the doorway -Princess Sulaye’s new assistant- clutching a worn gray handbag made of worm-silk, its fabric aged but carefully kept.

  “Captain,” she said in a low voice. “I was told I’d find you here.” She extended the bag with both hands. “The princess asked me to bring you this. It belonged to former assistant Wenari. Princess Sulaye found it.”

  Tekira lifted the bag with careful hands, holding her breath as though any sudden movement might erase whatever evidence it held. She opened the worm-silk flap and examined the contents one by one.

  A worn hairbrush, strands of dark hair still trapped in its teeth.

  A small copper mirror so well-polished it caught the light like a coin.

  A handful of trinkets, buttons, a ribbon. Ordinary things.

  Nothing that could help ease this mystery.

  Beside her, Qilani leaned in, gaze flicking to her own reflection in the copper mirror before shifting to the items laid out.

  Tekira set aside a folded piece of paper, dismissing it as trash, when Qilani leaned forward. “That’s… a map of the sewer system. Why would former assistant Wenari still carry something like that?

  Tekira’s eyes went wide. “A sewer map? That’s what this is?”

  “Uh… yeah,” Qilani said after a pause. “It’s not complete, but it’s definitely a sewer map. I know because I’ve been down there. I worked the tunnels a couple of times.” She tapped the page with her finger. “See this? These lines here? That’s right under the palace.”

  Tekira stiffened. She and her fellow warriors spent their days training and practicing with their weapons. But unlike them, workers like Qilani went everywhere, into the gutters, the drains, the city’s filth. The kinds of jobs no warrior ever thought about.

  Tekira recalled glimpsing papers similar to this one before, rough sketches with no clear form or anything written, but she and her comrades had dismissed them as meaningless.

  Tekira dug through the shelves, shoving books aside. A loose page fluttered to the ground. Qilani caught sight of it and nodded. “Another map. Look …. see how it matches?” She slid it toward the first, the pieces locking together.

  Tekira kept searching, and soon unearthed a third page, then a fourth. With Qilani’s guidance, they arranged them into a larger whole. At its western side, circled in red, was a location, but not beneath the palace, where the assassins had tried to flee. This was somewhere else.

  Tekira narrowed her eyes, pointing to the mark. “What is this place?”

  Qilani remained silent for a moment, “It’s a control center,” Qilani explained. “That’s one of the places where the water flow is regulated.”

  Tekira frowned. “Why would they circle it?”

  Qilani shifted uneasily. “Well… if someone wanted to disturb the city through a flood, it could be a target.” Her voice lacked conviction, even to her own ears.

  Tekira tapped a finger on the shaded area beside the mark. “And this? What is it?”

  “Nothing,” Qilani said quickly. “Just the ravine outside Kalista. That’s where the waste is dumped.”

  Her gaze sharpened, suspicion cutting across her face. “Can the city be reached that way? Through the ravine, rising into this control center?”

  Qilani shook her head. “No. There are locked gates and a strong current. It wouldn’t be possible… not unless someone… several people on the inside helped them.”

  Tekira’s fingers closed on the hilt of her sword, lifting it from the table. “You’ve done well,” she said. She opened the iron door and crossed the frame, ready to walk away, until a thought crossed her mind. She stopped and looked back at Qilani. “I'm not as familiar with the sewer system as you seem to be. Any chance you can guide me to this spot?”

  Qilani inclined her head and followed at once.

  They moved as quickly as Tekira’s limp allowed them to, her legs still heavy from the venom. From behind, Qilani’s voice broke the long standing silence. “Have you heard anything about Zulanah?”

  Tekira glanced over her shoulder. “Your friend, the one who escaped with a relic?” She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I haven’t.”

  Qilani gave a faint, crooked smile. “Maybe that’s for the best. Perhaps she’s safer than we are.”

  A half-smile tugged at Tekira’s mouth, though she didn’t turn. A similar thought had crossed her mind the moment she saw the circled spot in the map.

  What if Princess Uquoia was never the true objective?

  A false assassination, carefully staged, would rally outrage, draw soldiers to the wrong front, leave the city hollow and exposed. A perfect diversion.

  The worker girl beside her seemed to have followed the same trail of thought, eyes obscured with the same uneasy understanding.

  “Perhaps,” Tekira said grimly.

  For now, it was just a gut feeling, the kind that had either set her on the right path or misguided her before. God, she wished she was wrong with this one, yet she would have to confirm it with her own eyes. They pressed on through Kalista’s narrowing corridors until they reached a heavy iron door, set into the floor with a ladder leading down.

  They slipped through the narrow door. Qilani moved with ease, but Tekira, burdened by her size, the numbness and the weight of her armor, struggled to squeeze through. Qilani led the way down the dark and narrow corridor, only to halt suddenly. She drew back, pressing herself into the wall of the tunnel.

  Tekira froze. Faint voices drifted from ahead, many of them. She lowered her voice. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Qilani whispered. “There are a lot of people. Some kind of camp.”

  Tekira pushed past her, her broad frame forcing the smaller worker against the wall. From the tunnel’s mouth, she finally saw it: the open atrium of the control center.

  Hundreds of warriors, armed to the teeth. A few workers hauled supplies. Weapons piled like firewood, relics lying unceremoniously across the ground. Not one of the faces was familiar. They were definitely Drakvari too, but none of them resembled the familiar features of the daughters of Queen Kalista.

  Tekira’s breath caught. An invasion?

  She stepped back, voice low. “We need to leave. Quietly.”

  Qilani only nodded, without making a sound.

  Although it was Tekira's order, moving quietly came easier for Qilani than for Tekira. Together, they retreated down the narrow tunnel with slow, discreet steps, praying silently to Auron that the camp would not notice them.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Once they emerged back to the narrow street, Tekira led Qilani a few steps away from the sewer entrance, down a deserted alley shrouded in shadow. She placed a hand on the young worker’s shoulder. “Please, return to the palace and find Princess Sulaye.” She hesitated, her voice softening. “And… thank you. You did well.”

  Qilani nodded, though worry lingered in her eyes. “What about you, Captain?”

  Tekira’s grip tightened briefly before she let go. “I’ll think of something. Just stay at the princess’s side.”

  With that, Qilani turned away, walking in a hurried pace back to the palace. Tekira stood for a breath, then turned back toward the security station. She couldn’t face this alone. She prayed the agency had not rotted through with corruption. But now, more than ever, she knew: this betrayal came from high within Kalista’s hierarchy, from the very top. There was no other way to hide this. And with such a force already within the city, their next move would come soon, especially now that Princess Uquoia had marched away with half the army behind her.

  The thought twisted her stomach. How simple it would have been to blame the Haksari, the familiar villains beyond hills and rivers, than to face betrayal here, in the very marrow of Kalista's bones.

  By the time she reached the station, her subordinates were almost ready to leave work. At the sight of her, they straightened, saluting sharply. Yohui, her second in command, stepped forward. “Captain, I thought you would be absent today.”

  Tekira gave no reply. On another day, she would have smiled or joked, but not now. Her face was carved in stone. Yohui hesitated, faltering beneath the weight of her captain’s unmoving expression.

  Tekira leaned closer, her voice low but edged with authority. “Trust your instincts.”

  Confusion rippled through the room. Yohui blinked, unsure, but forced a nod. Around them, the others traded uncertain glances.

  Tekira moved past them without another delay, heading straight for the commander’s office. She didn’t bother to knock.

  “Commander.” Tekira’s voice was iron. “I discovered something about the attack on Princess Uquoia's life.”

  Behind the desk, Commander Selanna looked up sharply, lips parting in reproach. But when her gaze met Tekira’s, the rebuke withered unspoken.

  Leaning back, Selanna’s face hardened into caution. “That case is closed. Lord Creese gave the order, the assassins carried it out. And thanks to you, now we know that the princess’s former assistant aided them. What more is there?”

  “There’s more,” Tekira replied. Her voice did not waver. “Much more. I’ve just seen them myself… a large group of armed strangers. They’ve made camp inside the city.”

  Selanna jerked upright, eyes widening. “What? Are you certain? You may be mistaken.” She hesitated, confusion flickering across her features.

  “I’m not mistaken.” Tekira’s tone cut through her doubt. “I don’t know who is to blame for helping them yet, but we must act quickly. They’ll strike soon. Princess Uquoia left with half our army only days ago and much of the remaining force is scattered throughout the region. This is their moment.”

  The commander’s silence pressed heavy in the room. Tekira filled it, her voice steady. “If we don’t act now, we’ll have no chance later.”

  At last, the commander’s composure faltered. Her posture, once rigid, had begun to sag beneath the weight of revelation. “What do you need?” she asked.

  “As many officers as we can spare,” Tekira said firmly. “Civilians must be moved to safety, and we need someone watching that camp at all times.”

  The commander gave a curt nod and rose from behind her desk. Without another word, she fell into step beside Tekira as they left the office.

  The commander raised her voice, cutting across the station. “Everyone, ready your gear! Fast! Move, move! I want you in the briefing room in ten minutes!”

  Tekira’s gaze swept the chamber. Amid the armored figures, one small assistant stood, nearly swallowed by the crowd. “Send word to the other stations,” Tekira ordered, her voice firm.

  As the flurry of motion began, commander Selanna singled out one officer, one that unlike the rest of the unit, was a worker, not a warrior, her smaller frame honed for covert work. “Not you, Ayara. You’re going to the sewers. Watch the enemy camp. Make sure they never see you.”

  Ayara nodded once, determination etched into her face, and walked quickly out of the station.

  Around them, chaos reigned: warriors strapping armor, runners shouting orders, steel ringing in the air. Tekira turned toward the commander, who was barking orders left and right, and spoke loud enough for the officers to hear.

  “Tell me, Commander. Was Princess Ashani the one behind this invasion and the assasination attempt?”

  Though Tekira’s words were not shouted, the provocative question drew the entire room's attention like thunder. Every heart skipped a beat as they turned toward them.

  The thought had hardened in Tekira’s mind as she limped through the streets. Ashani alone had the charm and influence to rally Kalista’s people in secret. Ashani alone gained the most from Uquoia’s death. And Ashani alone could bend metal to her will, just as easily as she lifted the metallic soap vessel in the clinic, she could use the gold necklaces to strangle her hired assassins before they spilled her dirty secrets.

  “Of course not!” Selanna snapped as she pointed a finger towards her. “That accusation alone is treachery, Captain.”

  Tekira lifted her sword, its point meeting the commander's accusing finger.

  Selanna stepped back, but her voice stayed steady. “What is the meaning of this, Captain?”

  “I never mentioned the camp was in the sewers. How did you know that’s where it is?” Tekira asked, her voice edged with defiance.

  Every eye in the room swung toward the commander.

  “I…I just assumed,” Selanna stammered. “Where else would a band of strangers planning an invasion hide?”

  Tekira’s lips curved in a thin smile. “Strange. I only hope poor Ayara doesn’t lose her way, since the only directions you gave were: ‘Ayara, go to the sewers and watch the enemy camp.’” She let the silence hang, then added, “The sewers are so large one could easily get lost… or perhaps she already knew exactly where to go?”

  Selanna’s jaw tightened. Her teeth ground as she lashed out. “Arrest her!”

  But the officers only shifted uncertainly, glancing at one another. None moved.

  Yohui was the first to break the silence. “Prove it, Commander. Show us you’re telling the truth.”

  Another voice rose from the ranks. “Yes! Use your blessing. Let Auron judge you.”

  The commander’s eyes narrowed. “Do you fools not know? To falsely accuse someone of lying is a crime, punished harshly by Auron. Are you prepared to pay the price if you’re wrong?”

  The room stilled, until Tekira’s voice cut through. “I am.”

  She placed her longsword on the desk. At first, it lay still, then the desk began to creak, hardened mycelium bowing under invisible weight. Splinters burst free before the entire structure collapsed, the sword crashing through to split the stone beneath.

  This was Chenek, Tekira’s blessing: a sword that could shift its weight at her command, bound to her so long as she obeyed Auron’s law.

  She extended her hand. The weapon rose, light once more, sliding into her grip as if it had never left.

  Tekira’s gaze locked on the commander. “Your turn, commander.”

  The commander drew a hammer from her back and swung without warning. Tekira staggered sideways, her limp nearly betraying her, but the blow hissed past. She answered with a heavy arc of her sword.

  Selanna braced, but the sheer weight of Chenek drove through her guard, sending her sprawling to the ground.

  Tekira clumsily moved forward but her head was high and proud. She leveled her blade. “I know I can’t match you, Commander. If you made use of your blessing from Auron, you’d crush me.”

  “Why don′t you?”

  She raised Chenek and brought it down. Selanna rolled, and stone burst apart where the sword met the wall, rubble raining in her side.

  This time, the officers moved as one. They seized the commander, forcing her down, pinning her arms against the floor. Tekira straightened to her full height, her sword still in hand.“It seems Auron has stripped you of your blessing. Liar.”

  Selanna laughed, the sound raw and bitter. “It doesn’t matter. You’re already too late. We're already inside the gates.” Her eyes swept the room. “And there’s nothing any of you can do to stop us.”

  One of the officers snarled, grabbed her by the hair, and slammed her head into the ground. The laughter cut off, leaving her unconscious.

  Tekira stared down at the fallen former commander, long enough to feel the shape of the trap tightening around the city, then turned on her heel.

  “Princess Ashani can control metal,” Tekira said. She needed no further explanation; everyone knew the relic well enough. Neráqai, a famed artifact in the shape of a necklace, once worn by former Queen Serani. A powerful blessing from Auron, allowing its bearer to command metal as if it were an extension of their own body.

  “Swap,” Tekira ordered. “Now. Non-metal only. Worm-silk, mycelium, leather, bone. Cut the metal off if you have to. No rings. No buttons. No pins. Nothing metallic, unless it’s a blessing from Auron.”

  Steel began to hit the floor.

  Without another word, Tekira and her unit left the station once they were ready, one of them carrying the prisoner over her shoulders. From the streets beyond came the first sounds of war, chants rising in unison, the steady clash of steel clapping together, a tide of voices moving closer.

  “It’s faster than I thought,” Tekira muttered, her face tight with worry.

  “Ayara must have been working with the commander, she must have alerted them that we were coming,” Yohui added grimly.

  “Where are we going?” Yohui asked again.

  “To the palace.”

  “And the invaders?”

  Tekira’s jaw clenched. “As much as I hate to admit it, Comm… No… Selanna was right. We can’t stop this, not now. Our duty is to protect Princess Sulaye, Queen Kalista and as many civilians as we can.”

  As they advanced, her warriors cried out into the streets. “Invaders! Invaders! Take refuge in the palace!”

  Panic spread like fire. Workers locked themselves in tunnels, others poured into the avenues, rushing toward the one place they still believed safe. The palace guards at the gates struggled in vain as the flood surged past them, bodies pressing forward in desperation, desperate to reach the fortress walls.

  The squad pressed deeper into the palace, workers clinging close behind them, desperate for safety.

  When they reached the end of the main hall, Tekira slowed. The once-brilliant chamber of banquets lay in ruin. The translucent ceiling had shattered, leaving cracks through which rain poured in torrents, soaking the marble floors. Pillars lay toppled, furniture splintered and overturned. The chamber looked less like a palace and more like a battlefield.

  At the far end, Princess Ashani stood, straining to clear a path through a collapsed tunnel. Beyond that rubble lay the throne room, and Queen Kalista’s chambers.

  Ashani turned, a dozen guards with her, the rest lying dead across the hall. “Captain,” she said, her face tight but hopeful. “You’re here. Please, help me break through, the queen is on the other side.”

  Tekira stared at her in defiance.

  Ashani’s relief shattered.

  “Captain. Don’t waste time. The queen …”

  “Did you order Princess Uquoia’s assassination?” Tekira cut her off.

  Ashani blinked, stunned that such words had been spoken aloud. “Is this a joke, Captain?” She swallowed, her face full of concern. “This is hardly the time and …”

  Tekira remembered the moment she had first heard of the promotion from the princess’s lips. It had felt like a gift for her hard work: sweet, warm, almost undeservingly so.

  Perhaps it had been.

  Now, as she held Princess Ashani’s gaze, the truth settled in her chest. Commander of the Eastern Camp. Far from the palace. Far from the case. Far from anything that could expose the shadows behind this rebellion.

  Of course Ashani would choose that post for her. In a single stroke, she would appear as a princess who rewarded merit, a ruler who truly cared for her people, and, most importantly, she would remove the one officer too stubborn to accept a convenient story.

  Tekira cut her off again, already knowing she could say goodbye to the promotion. “Did you order Princess Uquoia’s assassination?”

  The princess turned around fully, this time with an angry expression. “How dare you, Captain? The mere accusation ….”

  “Answer the question.” Tekira interrupted once more.

  The princess’s wings spread wide. A terrible beauty unfurled, so fearsome that even hardened warriors faltered, instincts pulling them backward. The patterned wings filled the hall with dread. Steel rattled on the floor, swords, daggers, spears, rising from corpses and splintered mycelium furniture to float around her like predators.

  “You should′ve taken the day off like I told you, Captain,” Ashani spat.

  Qilani's Campaign.

  Chapter 12: Tekira (Part 3).

  Thank you very much for taking the time to read my story.