The return journey began the next morning.
The southern ridge settlements disappeared behind the caravan one wagon at a time.
Five wagons had arrived.
Five rolled back toward Durnfield.
One still carried scars from the ridge attack.
Fresh boards covered its shattered side. New rope reinforced the damaged frame.
The supplies had been delivered.
The hardest part should have been over.
Kel didn't believe that.
The scouts from the pass stayed in his thoughts.
They had attacked once.
Watched Roku respond.
Watched Solara raise her barrier.
Watched Unit Seven scatter and reform.
Then they had vanished.
Too cleanly.
By nightfall, the caravan stopped beyond the ridge country in a shallow basin surrounded by dunes and broken stone.
For the first time in days, several guards relaxed.
Too much.
Armor loosened.
Weapons rested beside bedrolls.
Laughter moved between the fires.
Luno laughed with them.
Kel didn't.
He sat near the edge of camp.
Watching.
The wind had stopped.
That bothered him first.
The Badlands wind was always doing something.
Whispering through cracks.
Dragging sand over stone.
Moving through clothing.
Tonight—
nothing.
Kel looked toward the nearest dune.
Still.
The ridge beyond it.
Still.
"Luno."
Luno looked over.
"What?"
"Check them."
The smile disappeared.
He reached beneath his cloak and studied the jar.
Every insect had pressed itself against the bottom.
Not moving.
Not following him.
Hiding.
Kel stood.
Deep beneath his ribs—
the quiet current stirred.
"Stay close."
Luno looked at him.
"You feel something?"
Kel stared into the dark.
"Yeah."
Across camp—
Solara's head turned.
---
Roku stood beside a wagon speaking with two guards.
"Quiet night," one said.
Roku glanced toward the darkness.
"Don't say things like that."
The guard laughed.
"Superstitious?"
"No."
A faint spark crossed Roku's fingers.
"Experienced."
Solara stepped toward him.
"Roku."
His expression changed immediately.
Her Soul Qi spread outward.
Soft.
Controlled.
The warm presence Kel had felt in Welther moved beyond the fires.
Across bedrolls.
Past the wagons.
Into the dark.
Solara's eyes sharpened.
"Something's out there."
Roku turned.
"How many?"
"I can't tell."
A pause.
"But too many."
Roku inhaled.
Then shouted—
"WEAPONS!"
The first arrows fell.
---
The night exploded.
THUNK!
An arrow buried itself in a wagon.
Another struck a shield.
A third tore through a guard's sleeve.
"CONTACT!"
"FORM UP!"
Bandits rose from behind the dunes.
Dozens.
More shapes moved behind them.
Kel grabbed Luno.
"Wagon."
"I can help."
"You will."
Kel pointed upward.
"Eyes."
Luno understood.
"Everything?"
"Everything."
He climbed.
Kel turned toward the incoming wave.
Roku was already moving.
Wind burst beneath his feet.
Lightning flashed.
CRACK!
Three attackers collapsed.
"CENTER STAYS CLOSED!" Roku shouted.
"DON'T CHASE!"
Solara raised both hands.
Golden light spread around the central wagons.
Arrows struck.
Ripples rolled across the barrier.
Kel's eyes moved across the attackers.
Then he understood.
The scouts hadn't tried to defeat them in the pass.
They had learned them.
Roku at the front.
Solara at the center.
Unit Seven at the rear.
And now the bandits were striking all three points at once.
"Kel!"
Luno's voice cut through the noise.
"Left side!"
Kel looked.
The left flank seemed strongest.
Too strong.
Then Luno shouted—
"They're not pushing!"
A distraction.
Kel's head snapped right.
Five bandits moved low through the darkness.
Toward the rear wagon.
"RIGHT!"
Kel ran.
---
The first blade came high.
Kel stepped inside it.
His forearm smashed the attacker's wrist.
The current flickered beneath his skin.
Foot.
Leg.
Core.
Elbow.
CRACK!
The man folded.
Kel caught the dropped weapon.
"LOW!"
Luno shouted.
Kel ducked.
Steel passed over his head.
He drove the stolen shaft backward into a knee.
The attacker stumbled.
Kel turned.
Fist.
Jaw.
Down.
Another came.
Then another.
His breathing settled.
The nights in the courtyard returned to him.
Balance.
Breathing.
Don't force it.
The warmth moved.
Not enough to glow.
Not enough for Kel to understand.
But enough.
A step came faster.
A strike landed heavier.
A block hurt less.
For the first time—
the current wasn't merely appearing during danger.
It was following him.
---
From the wagon roof, Luno stopped seeing individual fighters.
He saw movement.
Timing.
Repetition.
The left flank surged whenever the archers reloaded.
The rear group waited for shouting before advancing.
Three men near the center never charged.
One wore a red scarf.
Every few seconds—
his hand moved.
Then another group attacked.
Luno's eyes narrowed.
"Kel!"
Kel ducked another blade.
"Red scarf!"
Kel looked.
"He's directing them!"
Kel didn't question him.
"ROKU!"
Lightning flashed across the front line.
Roku turned.
Kel pointed.
"RED SCARF!"
The man's hand moved again.
Roku vanished.
Wind exploded through the basin.
The commander barely turned before—
CRACK!
Blue-white light filled the night.
He flew backward.
Everything changed.
One group charged too early.
Another hesitated.
The left flank collided with men trying to retreat.
Luno grinned.
"There!"
Kel turned toward Unit Seven.
"NOW!"
A younger guard froze.
Kel grabbed his shoulder.
"Together!"
Three more joined.
Unit Seven surged forward as one line.
The confused bandits broke.
---
Solara's barrier flickered.
Too many arrows.
Too long.
Her knees bent.
Roku landed beside her.
"You good?"
"Yes."
Too fast.
Even Kel knew that meant no.
Solara lowered one side of the barrier.
"Finish it."
Roku smiled.
"Finally."
Wind wrapped around him.
Lightning spread across both arms.
Some bandits ran immediately.
The rest waited one second too long.
Roku slammed both hands forward.
BOOM!
Wind and lightning ripped across the sand.
Not after the fleeing men.
Across the space between the caravan and the attackers.
Sand erupted.
Bodies flew backward.
Weapons scattered.
The surviving bandits broke.
"LET THEM GO!" Roku shouted.
The guards stopped.
Mission first.
Again.
Within minutes—
silence returned.
---
Kel stood breathing hard.
His hands shook.
Luno climbed down from the wagon and nearly stumbled.
Kel caught him.
"You good?"
Luno nodded.
"We held them."
Kel looked across the camp.
Broken shields.
Wounded guards.
Arrows buried everywhere.
But the wagons remained standing.
"Yeah."
Roku approached.
"You two called the commander?"
Luno nodded.
"I saw his signals."
"You saw that from up there?"
"He touched his wrist before every push."
Roku looked at Kel.
"And you trusted him."
Kel frowned.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Roku paused.
Then nodded once.
"Good."
He walked away.
Luno stared after him.
"I think that was a compliment."
Kel wiped blood from his knuckles.
"Don't get excited."
Luno grinned.
"You sound like Harven."
"That's worse."
---
Dawn crept over the dunes.
Solara moved among the wounded, using small, precise bursts of Soul Qi.
Roku stood near the edge of camp studying tracks.
Solara joined him.
"They knew the formation."
Roku nodded.
"The scouts."
"They watched us in the pass."
"And came back with enough people to exploit what they saw."
His eyes moved toward Kel and Luno.
Luno crouched in the sand, drawing the attack pattern for two guards.
Kel helped bind another man's arm.
Roku crossed his arms.
"Those two shouldn't be this useful yet."
Solara smiled faintly.
"Yet?"
"You know what I mean."
"Luno found their command structure."
"And Kel didn't hesitate."
Solara's eyes lingered on Kel.
"He felt them again."
Roku looked at her.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
"And when my Soul Qi reaches him…"
She paused.
"Something answers."
Roku studied Kel.
"He doesn't know what he's doing."
"No."
Solara's expression softened.
"That might be the interesting part."
Roku glanced toward Luno.
"And him?"
Solara looked toward the jar beneath Luno's cloak.
"I don't think we've seen his strange part yet."
---
At the edge of camp, Kel stared at his trembling hands.
He didn't feel powerful.
He felt exhausted.
Bruised.
Awake.
But something had changed.
During the fight—
the current had followed him.
Not perfectly.
Not every movement.
But enough.
Luno sat beside him.
"The bugs knew."
Kel looked over.
"They hid before the attack."
Kel glanced toward the jar.
The insects were moving normally again.
Luno stared toward the distant dunes.
"Something scared them."
Kel followed his gaze.
Far beyond camp—
high on a broken ridge—
a single figure stood watching.
Too far away to identify.
Still.
Silent.
Kel narrowed his eyes.
The figure stepped backward.
Gone.
Kel stood.
Luno followed his gaze.
"What?"
Kel stared at the empty ridge.
The current beneath his ribs stirred.
Yesterday, Solara had told him what to do when that feeling returned.
Trust it.
Kel's eyes hardened.
"Someone's watching us."