One Last Trick

The Raven leader stepped into view.

My fingers dug into the leaves.

If he was here, then Zaw...

"Father..."

Pain stabbed through my chest.

"Ah—!"

(Don't talk!)

But Zaw—

(I know.)

His voice went quiet.

Neither of us finished the thought.

I didn't want to.

The Raven stepped farther between the trees with half his cloak burned away, blood running down the side of his face and one arm hanging awkwardly at his side.

Zaw had definitely done something to him.

But the bastard was still standing.

And Zaw wasn't here.

My stomach twisted.

What happened to him?

(Fourth.)

What if he's—

(Don't.)

...

Right.

The Raven's eyes moved toward the leather sack at my waist.

He extended one hand.

"Give me the orb."

My fingers tightened around it.

(Fourth.)

No.

(Give it to him.)

No.

(Zaw told you to.)

I KNOW.

His words immediately came back to me.

If they catch you... give it up.

Don't die for it.

I knew what he'd told me.

But looking at the burns covering the Raven and remembering how much blood Zaw had lost just to keep this thing away from him made surrendering it feel impossible.

He nearly got himself killed protecting this.

(He nearly got himself killed protecting you.)

...

Shut up.

"The orb," the Raven repeated. "Now."

Every breath hurt, and even shifting my arm sent pain through my ribs. Beside me, Amachi was still struggling to keep his trembling legs underneath him.

There was absolutely no reason to fight.

(Fourth, please.)

No.

(This isn't worth dying over.)

Then what was everything Zaw did for?

The Raven took another step.

My hand slowly moved away from the sack.

His eyes narrowed.

My other self noticed immediately.

(...You're not seriously thinking about fighting him.)

Just once.

(Fourth.)

I know.

(You're barely conscious.)

I know.

(And if it doesn't work?)

I raised my trembling arm.

Then I'll give him the orb.

A pause.

(...Fine.)

Pain ripped through my chest.

"Ah..."

Pale blue Orka gathered weakly around my palm.

The Raven looked at it, then at me. His expression barely changed.

Amachi glanced between us.

"Fourth...?"

I gritted my teeth.

(Aim farther right.)

I know.

(I'm making sure.)

Despite everything, I almost smiled.

The Raven sighed.

"Don't."

I aimed beside him.

Then fired.

FWOOSH!

The beam sailed past his body and slammed into the dirt.

BOOM!

Soil burst upward.

The Raven glanced toward the impact mark, then slowly looked back at me.

His expression turned bored.

Exactly what I wanted.

(Good.)

Yeah.

The Raven stepped forward.

"I'll ask one last time."

My fingers twitched.

(Now.)

"Give me—"

The dirt beside him suddenly shifted.

Then it shot upward.

FWOOSH!

Straight into his face.

SPLAT!

"Gah!"

The Raven staggered backward as dirt filled his eyes and one hand flew up to cover them.

(IT WORKED!)

Were you doubting me?!

(YOU CAN BARELY BREATHE! OF COURSE I WAS!)

True.

But there wasn't time to celebrate.

"AMACHI!"

He flinched.

"What?!"

"RUN!"

His eyes dropped toward his trembling legs.

"I can't—"

"THEN CARRY ME!"

...

He stared at me.

"AMACHI!"

That finally got him moving.

Amachi forced himself upright, his knees shaking so badly that for a second I thought he'd collapse again, but somehow he stayed standing.

He grabbed my arm.

The moment he pulled—

"AAAAAGH!"

Pain tore through my chest.

"Fourth!"

"GO!"

"I'm hurting you!"

"JUST GO!"

Amachi ducked beneath my arm and hauled me onto his back.

My entire body screamed.

"Ah—!"

(Easy! Breathe!)

I'M TRYING!

Amachi stumbled on his first few steps, but he kept going.

Behind us, the Raven coughed violently.

"Dammit..."

I looked over Amachi's shoulder.

He hadn't followed yet. He remained where we'd left him, bent slightly forward with one hand covering his eyes.

Good.

That gave us a chance.

"Keep going."

Amachi tightened his grip around my legs and pushed deeper into the forest.

Branches whipped past us, and every uneven step sent another pulse of pain through my chest.

"Ah...!"

"Fourth?"

"Don't... stop."

Another sharp pain forced me to clench my teeth.

"Just keep moving."

(And stop trying to talk.)

Everyone keeps telling me that today.

(Because apparently you refuse to learn.)

At least he sounded slightly more normal again.

Amachi kept moving, though calling it running would've been generous. His legs were still trembling under both our weight, and every few steps his knees threatened to give out.

Somehow, he kept going anyway.

I glanced behind us.

The Raven was nowhere in sight.

For the first time since we'd left the village, there wasn't an attack immediately following us through the trees.

I let out a shaky breath.

Huge mistake.

"Ah..."

(Slow.)

I know.

My fingers tightened around the leather sack.

The orb was still there.

Somehow, we'd gotten away with it.

At least for now.

(Fourth.)

What?

(That was stupid.)

...

It worked.

(Those two things are not mutually exclusive.)

Fair.

I rested my forehead against Amachi's shoulder. My chest hurt too much to argue.

"Fourth..."

His voice was quiet.

"What?"

"...Where do we go?"

...

Oh.

Right.

That problem.

I lifted my head enough to look ahead.

Nothing but trees stretching deeper into the forest.

Wonderful.

(Keep going for now.)

For once, that actually sounded reasonable.

"Deeper."

Amachi nodded and continued forward.

I glanced behind us one more time.

Still nothing.

But I knew that wouldn't last.

The Raven was alive, he knew we had the orb, and a face full of dirt probably wasn't enough to make him give up permanently.

He just wasn't chasing us yet.

My thoughts drifted back toward the village.

Toward Zaw.

My stomach tightened.

Please be alive.

My other self didn't make a joke this time.

For a few seconds, he said nothing.

Then—

(He better be.)

I closed my eyes.

Yeah.

He better be.