Chapter 14: Loss

They pack up their camp in the forest early the next day, ready to head out by the time the sun rises fully over the horizon revealing the pale blue morning sky. Shou stops Asa suddenly with a hand on her shoulder before they depart. “Do you trust us?”

Asa blinks at him, her furrowed brow betraying the tension still simmering in her body from another restless night. “What is this about?”

“We should arrive long before the sun sets, correct?” Shou asks. Asa nods.

“Then,” he continues, “there should be plenty of time to investigate.”

She sighs at this, realizing what he’s asking permission for. “...I trust you all. Do you not trust me anymore?”

Shou shakes his head. “That’s not it. I just need to know if your bias will get in the way when we investigate. If anything we find is incriminating for your ally…”

Asa huffs and shrugs his hand off her shoulder. “If we do find something, how could I deny it? At present, however, we have nothing but speculation. I’m free to believe in her without your constant scrutiny.”

Shou lets her move away. “That’s true. If the next village is abandoned as well, we promise not to disturb anything sensitive.”

“...thank you. Is everyone ready?” Asa calls out, looking back to find the group gathering their things.

“Just about, Asa!” Hoen calls back.

Asa nods and turns to Shou once more, hesitating before she says, “I know what we are here for, so I will not stop you all from investigating nor will I hide anything from you…”

The rest of the group gather around them, approaching curiously upon witnessing them in the midst of conversation. Asa, however, notices their gazes and stops herself. She turns and begins leading the way. “Let’s go. We should arrive around noon.”

The group follows behind her, Hoen in particular watching her carefully, noticing how on edge she’d been since they got to the mountains. He adjusts his pace to walk just a step behind her to her side, offering his support via his presence even if he doesn’t say anything. Asa acknowledges him with a glance and he smiles at her. She falters at this and looks away, struggling to get her thoughts together enough to voice them.

Shou notices her inner conflict playing out in her expression and speaks again. “If you will not hide anything from us, then what did you mean yesterday?”

Hoen studies Asa with open concern before looking back to Shou with a frown. “...you and Asa were talking about Bam again?”

Shou simply nods, not a hint of guilt or surrender in his blank expression. Though, his eyes stay on Asa, observing her reaction to his questioning. Toge takes the opportunity to add his thoughts. “I’m not saying your friend is involved in the fires or Naiténoza or anything, but I do think your behavior yesterday was strange. If there’s something else you know, we should know, too.”

“Only if it’s about Naiténoza! If it’s just personal then you definitely don’t have to, Asa!” Jaemi interjects quickly, remembering his misstep with Asa yesterday and wanting to avoid her glare again at all costs. Wen nods along with Jaemi, silently sharing his discomfort.

“...I’m sorry,” Asa mutters, “I shouldn’t have expressed my anger like that yesterday. Truly, I apologize–I just…” Asa stops in her tracks still facing forward away from the group, at a loss for words.

Hoen puts a hand on her back gently, stopping the group momentarily to comfort her. He speaks softly, trying his best not to upset her more. “Do you know something about Bam that’s related to our investigation, Asa?”

“...no. It isn’t related,” Asa replies, her voice strained.

“Then you need not share it. We seem to have gotten overzealous in our curiosity–my apologies on everyone’s behalf,” he says as he casts a cold glance behind him at the others. Jaemi and Wen flinch and cast their gazes down and Toge has the mind to avert his gaze guiltily. Shou, however, meets Hoen’s gaze. “I was only being thorough.”

“This is clearly hard on her,” Hoen says, his voice stern and authoritative, “and while I appreciate your work ethic, you’ve gone too far, Shou. Back off.”

Shou nods, bowing slightly. “I understand. I apologize, Asa.”

Asa doesn’t respond, trembling slightly as her throat tightens. Hoen notices her struggle and speaks in her place, his tone a bit softer. “We’ll get all the information we need eventually, let’s not get impatient. If Asa suspected Bam was involved somehow, even she wouldn’t forgive her. Right, Asa?”

Asa nods softly, her expression hidden as her head hangs lower.

“Right,” Hoen continues, “Any suspicions we or Asa may have towards Bam aren’t necessarily connected to our investigation. Their conflict is strictly personal as far as we’re all currently aware, Asa included.”

Toge huffs, throwing up his hands. “But the timing is just too close to be a coincidence! She appeared at the same time everything in the Inei’s palace went down saying she’s been keeping an eye on Asa!”

“And that isn’t enough to prove or disprove her involvement. She could’ve been bluffing for all we know. What we do know is that she was there. That is all,” Hoen huffs in frustration, running a hand through his hair, “Instead of going back and forth about whether she may or may not be involved, let’s continue the journey so that we have enough time to investigate and ascertain any suspicions we have. End of discussion.”

Toge opens his mouth again to speak but closes it again just as quickly, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest. Sensing the conversation has come to its close, Asa begins walking again without a word and the others follow behind. Hoen sighs, shaking his head, “For goodness sake, you’d think we all had greater trust in Asa by now, but it seems only I do.”

Jaemi mutters loud enough for everyone to hear in the quiet forest, “Well, not everyone has spent as much private time with her as you, Hoen…”

Hoen casts a quick glare back at Jaemi to which Jaemi responds with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, it just came out…”

Wen clears his throat awkwardly and speaks after a deep breath. “Ahem. Hoen is right. We need more information before we can come to a conclusion about the fires, the events at the palace, and about Bam. Right now, they’re still separate issues, even if we suspect there’s a connection. We’ll just need to be thorough once we get to Ba’atan…is that right, Asa? Is the village called Ba’atan?” Wen asks carefully, as if the question is his version of a peace offering.

Asa nods, speaking weakly. “Yes. We left Takip Ba’atan and are going to Ba’atan, the biggest village at the center of the rest. Ba’atan is the heart of the mountains to us…”

She trails off and Wen nods, sensing she will not continue. “I see, thank you…and Asa? I hope fate was kind enough to spare your people, even if we discover more ruins…” Wen regards her hesitantly, wondering if he’s overstepping.

Asa falters, but takes a deep breath and continues walking, willing herself not to cry as she nods. She says shakily, “Thank you, Wen.”

He lets out a breath of relief that his words were taken well and the group settles into a more easy silence as they continue their hike onward. They take a brief break in the forest, snacking on their rations, a few hours before they reach the bottom of the stone steps leading up the mountain to the village proper.

“Wow,” Wen breathes out in awe, “Were these slabs carved from the mountain, Asa?”

Asa speaks with a hint of pride despite her weariness as they ascend the path. “There is a mix of natural rocks and carved stone. We have a legend of a Gifted mason who built the village path and the Great Hall at its end single-handedly. Ascent up this path is a treasured Ba’ata tradition as it leads to the heart of the mountains where Ba’atan was founded–everyone from every mountain village must walk this path at least once in their lifetime.”

They all ascend the steep steps embedded into the mountain dirt that grow more detailed and uniform the higher they get until the forest floor and trees give way completely to rock and the stone steps. The forest opens up into a small clearing and the entrance to Ba’atan reveals itself. Asa’s heart sinks as she sees the damage done to the cabins and huts at the bottom of Ba’atan, a repeat of Takip presenting itself to her. Hoen and his aides slow down to take in the damage but Asa’s steps quicken down the stone path that cuts through the center of the village up to the next level of Ba’atan.

“Ah–Asa!” Hoen quickens his pace after her and his aides follow suit. The next tier of the village is much the same, the wooden homes and huts that once populated the clearing all burned down. However, the few stone buildings in the clearing toward the end of the path before the next set of steps remain standing. Asa runs to one and checks inside and the others follow her lead, quickly entering the stone buildings and inspecting them for any evidence.

Asa finds that the interior of the home appears without damage, most of the personal belongings that make a home surprisingly present and intact. However, she finds no evidence of anyone having been here recently. This village, too, was likely abandoned. She exits the home and enters the next one where she finds Hoen, Toge, and Jaemi are searching carefully, taking care not to disturb the state they found the home in. Jaemi notices her first and shakes his head. “We haven’t found anything here. No one’s home, either, as you can see.”

Hoen and Toge turn to the door where Asa is, as well, and they all exit the home to meet Wen and Shou. Hoen asks, “Anything?”

Wen and Shou both shake their heads and Hoen sighs. “Alright, let’s search the rest of the homes here–” Before he finishes, however, Asa huffs impatiently and turns up the stone path toward the steps to the next village tier, capturing his attention. “Asa?” Hoen asks.

“I’m going to the Great Hall,” Asa responds before hurrying up the steps. Hoen sighs and turns to follow her.

“We’ll stay with her for now,” he says. The others voice their understanding and they all hurry after Asa once more. Asa runs up the stone path, the unease smoldering in her chest only slightly soothed by the sight of the stone buildings unharmed. She doesn't stop to check any this time, though, going straight down the path to the large structure at the path’s end instead. She flies over the steps in her hurry and sets her sights on the altar. The tiered basins in the courtyard are grown over with vegetation, proving no one’s been around to tend to them for quite a while. She passes them and goes around the front wall of the entrance to the inner cavernous space of the Great Hall. Her heart stops, as does she.

Even in the dim light coming from the front of the building, Asa can see that the displays and shelves are all empty where rows of pieces of Ba’ata history and daily life once sat, only a few trivial items left behind. The unlit hearth at the very back makes the space feel even lonelier. For the first time since Asa descended the mountain, she feels truly alone–no lingering warmth from her memories of Ba’atan could comfort her anymore. Her home truly is gone–all the people and things that made Ba’atan a home are gone, and to where Asa doesn’t know. Despite the fact that Bam was right and despite knowing Bam wasn’t in the wrong for challenging her in Naiténoza, Asa can’t help but feel now that she was cruel keeping her in the dark about the details. If only she had known, maybe seeing it with her own eyes wouldn’t be so devastating.

Bam had told the truth, but is this a betrayal? Asa feels so, but also thinks not. She hadn't lied at the very least, and had Asa’s mistake not come first? She had thought before that her mistake could be forgiven but she knew now that she should’ve never left the mountains. The pain in her chest rather than her logic is what guides Asa out of the Great Hall back onto the path where Hoen and his aides are standing before the altar in the courtyard, the beginnings of rainfall pattering against the stone. Seeing her gutted expression, Hoen steps forward with wide eyes.

“Asa? What did you see?” he asks, his arms extended carefully to catch her in case her haggard steps falter. Asa’s steps falter indeed, and she collapses to her knees before reaching them. The others quickly round the basins to stand around her. Hoen kneels down to her level and places a hand on her shoulder.

“Asa, can you speak? Are you alright?” he questions worriedly. The others watch them with varying levels of concern evident in their expressions.

“...everything is gone,” she says.

Wen’s eyes widen at that and he bends down to look at Asa, his voice soft. “Everything is gone? You mean in that building?” Wen asks, glancing up at the Great Hall behind her she just came from inside of, “Most everything seems to be in place in the homes we’ve checked thus far, though…”

Jaemi also kneels to look at her at her eye level, frowning gently as he observes her with care. “What’s meant to be in there, Asa?”

Toge and Shou watch carefully from behind the others, both looking contemplative and worried in their own ways–Toge’s arms crossed over his chest with his brow pinched and gaze softened while Shou’s fingers tap anxiously at the hilt of his sword at his hip.

Asa’s mouth opens and closes, though she fails to get any words out before a sob rips out of her and her head ducks, hiding her expression from view. The tears that drip down to the stone below are more than visible, however. “...I shouldn’t have left. I’m sorry…” she sobs softly.

The group simply watches quietly as they gather around her, both curious and showing silent support. After a beat of somber silence, though, Shou’s gaze suddenly whips up toward the Great Hall. His gaze hardens and he unsheaths his sword quickly, stepping forward until he’s in front of the group. Toge quickly follows his lead, his own sword raised as he yells, “Who goes there?”

This catches the attention of the others and they all stand and look up at the Great Hall. Asa tearfully looks behind her from where she’s kneeling mournfully, her heart beating as a glimmer of hope shimmers in her gaze. Maybe one of her allies had returned after all. Maybe they hadn’t all abandoned their home–and more importantly, maybe they were all alive and well. There’s a moment of silence where no one moves and then a face familiar to them all appears from behind the Great Hall, grinning widely.

“Do you understand now, Asa? I was right, wasn’t I?” Bam announces smugly, walking confidently slowly until she stands square between the others and the Great Hall. To everyone’s surprise, she appears carrying two ornate, immaculate looking weapons–ones that are far too familiar to Asa. A beautifully engraved hilt appears from the detailed scabbard at Bam’s hip and the trident mounted on her back looks more like a decoration than a practical polearm, the glint of the metal at the trident’s points showcasing a pristine polish.

Hoen mutters to himself, “Relics…?” Wen glances at Hoen, hearing his murmur, and mutters back, “It’s likely.”

To Asa’s particular surprise, though, four others whom she’s never seen before also appear from behind the Great Hall, coming to stand in a row behind Bam. They seem to watch the impending confrontation impassively, though their weapons are impossible not to notice, creating a menacing atmosphere on the mountain’s peak. Why had Bam escorted them here? And why did she carry the Moon and the Sun relic with her while with these strangers? Asa stands shakily and finally turns to them, though she doesn’t move from behind Shou and Toge quite yet.

“Bam, what does all of this mean? Where did everyone–everything–where did it all go? Please…” Asa pleads hoarsely, her voice shaking a bit despite her trying to stand strong and assured as she always does.

Bam just rolls her eyes, however, her cheshire grin unfazed by Asa’s rare show of emotion. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s gone. Can’t you see the evidence?”

“Gone where? How?” Asa yells at her, “Stop being so vague and just tell me everyone hasn’t perished!”

Bam’s eyes suddenly narrow at Asa, her grin remaining but taking on a more sinister quality. “Don’t you have something to say to me first?”

Asa flinches at that, knowing exactly what she means. Bam chuckles, seeing Asa’s clearly caught, and she continues, “You got off easy last time since you won, but I’m not talking this time until I hear something from you. You know what I mean.”

“...I…” Asa hesitates, swallowing thickly, her eyes glancing toward the strangers behind Bam.

Bam notices and scoffs, “Oh, please. You were just crying in front of those outsiders and now you’re embarrassed?” Bam gestures brusquely to Hoen and his aides surrounding Asa, “What’s a few more, huh?”

One of the women behind Bam sighs and rolls her eyes but remains silent otherwise. Bam pays no mind to the woman’s apparent boredom or impatience, staring at Asa intently.

“...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left Ba’atan,” Asa admits.

Bam sighs dreamily, satisfaction written all over her face as she takes another step forward. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have. And you shouldn’t have left me to clean up the mess you caused.”

Asa hurries to explain herself, stammering over her words. “I–I haven’t abandoned you! I only meant to amend my mistake! I left a letter–” However, Bam seems only all too pleased to cut her off.

“You meant to amend your mistake with another mistake, huh?” Bam says, “Some Crown you are.”

Then, she takes the trident from her back and displays it tauntingly, waving it back and forth in front of her. “Wanna know where everyone is? Come and take this and prove you deserve to know,” she declares, taking a step back with a cheeky smirk. At the same time, the group lined up behind Bam step forward, unsheathing their weapons silently. Asa finally steps forward.

“Wait–these aren’t Saishu. Why are you with these people? Who are they?” Asa questions. Hoen and his aides stand on guard, Jaemi and Wen standing behind the others.

Bam steps back again, keeping the same distance between her and Asa. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you. Your friends, however–they might,” Bam says with a shrug.

Asa frowns and draws her own sword. “I told you, you can’t hurt them before, didn’t I?”

“And didn’t I tell you?” Bam responds easily, “They may not be your enemies, but they are mine. They’re outsiders in our mountains. I have every right to get rid of them.”

Toge scoffs, “Get rid of us? We won’t make it that easy, kid.”

Asa adds frustratedly, “And that’s right of a Saishu, which these people are not. Answer me! Why did you bring them up the mountain if you don’t want outsiders here?”

“Because they’re helping me and I’m helping them. Simple,” Bam replies with a coy tilt of her head.

Asa huffs, “You aren’t making sense. Can’t we just talk? I’m sorry I disappeared, but you’re–”

Before she can finish her sentence, however, Bam takes off, running away from Asa back behind the Great Hall.

“Hey!” Asa yells, sheathing her sword and taking a step forward before she halts and glances at Hoen and the group. She hesitates for a moment before she says, “I’m sorry.”

Hoen shakes his head and gestures towards where Bam ran off. “We understand. Go.”

Toge nods, adding quickly, “No worries, we ain’t dying here. Not even close.”

Jaemi yells from behind them, “We better not! And you better come back soon, Asa!”

Asa nods and takes off at full speed away from Hoen and his aides and past the group of strangers to the back of the Great Hall, finding Bam a bit further down the slope to the west. Bam smiles and runs again, leaping down the craggy rocks with ease and disappearing into the forest at the bottom of the slope. Asa follows close behind, catching up easily as they both dart around the trees effortlessly. Just as Asa closes in to grab Bam, however, she darts to the left to evade her and Asa is ensnared in a net. Bam snickers at her misfortune. “Be careful, Asa. Who knows what other traps might be here.”

Asa groans in frustration, flustered and angered at once as she struggles to untangle herself. “Enough of this! If you want to punish me, I’ll accept any punishment at the hands of the Saishu. Tell me where everyone is!”

“What if I told you I don’t know?” Bam asks innocently.

Asa throws the net off and stands off against her, her chest heaving as the rain falls harder. “I’ve had enough of you evading my questions! Takip is destroyed! Ba’atan is destroyed and I haven’t seen a single Saishu–let alone Ba’ata–besides you since I left! Please, Bam, just tell me if the worst has happened!”

Bam studies her before she shrugs and turns around, weaving around the trees. “That’s all you’ve seen, huh? I would’ve thought you’d have discovered more by now.” She turns back around a couple yards away, her hands on her hips and all traces of amusement gone from her face. “The worst has happened, Asa.”

Asa narrows her eyes at Bam before she glances down to the forest floor, dividing her attention looking up and down and up again as she tries to follow Bam’s path through the trees exactly, careful to avoid another trap. “Be specific. What happened?”

Bam shakes her head, her expression souring more by the minute. “It’s not just Takip and Ba’atan–it’s everywhere. Ulo, Ilog, Pa’a, Huli–they’re all gone, too. We thought they’d come for Takip first, the way they always had been, but Naiténoza was sneakier than we’d anticipated.” Bam’s face screws up into deep scowl as she continues, “Takip and Ba’atan were evacuated in anticipation of a larger conflict, but those lowland cowards were already in the mountains–they were only diverting our attention with those pathetic soldiers from the east all that time while their hidden forces learned the mountains covertly.”

Bam turns and keeps walking slowly through the trees with a huff while Asa follows her path carefully, listening intently. “While Saishu were concentrated to the east around Takip, Naiténoza set fires all around the mountains starting from the south and destroyed the villages,” Bam explains bitterly, “We ended up fleeing our homes for nothing.”

Asa’s expression goes blank as realization sinks in. The soldiers came from the south, not the east. No wonder no one in the Midlands had seen Naiténoza enter the mountains; they entered via the southern peninsula through the jungle. Naiténoza has been in and out of the southern peninsula for decades without issue, of course no one would suspect that activity. However, to make the trek from the south all the way up the mountains where Ba’atan is takes serious persistence and planning. Ba’atan and Sehchoh had clearly underestimated Naiténoza.

Bam suddenly turns again with a vindictive smile, her voice dripping with scorn and making Asa freeze. Bam practically spits the words out at Asa, “You haven’t seen the worst of it. I have. And I had to see it all by myself. Do you know why, Asa?”

Asa swallows thickly, dread washing over her as Bam’s explanation sinks in. Bam had been keeping an eye on her, just like she’d said in the palace. She nods and murmurs, “I made a mistake leaving alone. I should’ve…”

Bam ignores her and continues, “I couldn’t be here to help defend our home because I was tasked with finding you. And giving you this.” She lifts the trident again, wiggling it mockingly. “I came home as fast as I could when I saw the fires on the mountain with no trace of you at all to find out my friends and family were gone. Even Chui is–” Bam huffs and cuts herself off, shaking her head.

Asa stiffens immediately upon hearing his name and a chill runs through her, making her shudder. “No…no, you don’t mean that. He can’t be gone.”

Bam sneers and chuckles, though her act comes across as more of bitter huff than a mocking laugh now. Her voice is severe, her eyes hard and cold as she regards Asa. “He is, Asa. Gone. On the frontlines and taken by surprise. And I couldn’t be there to help him because of you.”

Asa suddenly feels sick, doubling over with guilt and shame and grief–too many emotions and sensations to count rack her body and bring her down to the forest floor. Bam scoffs. “Stand up. You don’t get to stop here. You haven’t even seen it all yet.”

Asa trembles viciously on her knees, her arms clutched around her stomach. “...I can’t–”

“You can and you will,” Bam interrupts harshly, “I had to, so you do, too, Asa.”

Asa takes a shuddering gasp and shakily gets to her feet, full understanding of Bam’s reasoning and actions washing over her. This wasn't just a test of her loyalty–she was being punished, personally. Bam hadn’t lied and hadn’t betrayed their home–she’d betrayed Asa for what she saw as a betrayal from Asa. What could Asa say now to persuade her otherwise? Her mind goes blank as she follows Bam’s order.

Bam, seeing Asa’s distraught state, sighs and shakes her head. “...come with me.” Then, she turns and walks without looking back to check that Asa was following, but Asa was indeed, each footstep pounding into the earth as if her boots were made of lead instead of leather. After a while, Bam breaks into a run and Asa falters slightly before she forces her body to follow Bam’s pace. Eventually, they arrive at a deep ravine, just downstream from a waterfall where the village gets its water–or used to. Bam stands at the edge of the ravine and holds the trident up over where the water rushes below.

Asa gasps, “Bam–”

“Our home is gone, Asa. There’s barely anyone left…but you’re still here. So tell me, do you deserve that over Chui? Do you really need some old relic anymore?” Bam asks coldly.

Asa chokes on her words, taking tentative steps forward. “I–I don’t. I know, but don’t–don’t drop the–”

Bam smiles, ready with a retort but then lightning strikes nearby to the north and causes a tree to fall. The noise and worsening storm momentarily distracts Bam and Asa desperately lunges toward the trident to stop Bam from dropping it. Bam, however, notices her move and lets go of the trident instinctively, watching with wide eyes as Asa slips due to the rainfall and catches the trident but loses her footing and falls into the ravine, disappearing into the water below.