He could see the smoke from miles away. If it was just a single stream of it rising over the trees his heart wouldn’t be as anxious. But there wasn’t. He counted eight. Some weren’t as dark or as thick or as wide. His home was on fire.

Iltasha was burning.

Casper rode his steed fast, his long coat captured by the wind. It was unusual for the road to the coastal city to be this quiet. Vacationers should be coming and going. The way should be congested by wagon loads of lumber, produce, fresh fruit.

Only he was moving. Perhaps in the wrong direction.

There were a dozen ways in and out of Iltasha. With the city, a blaze Casper expected to pass people fleeing. The emptiness around him did little to calm his fears.

Maybe he missed the evacuation. Caira must have gotten everyone out as soon as trouble started. But what was the trouble? Iltasha sat on neutral territory. Could it have been attacked by one of the two biggest kingdoms in the world?

“Whoa, boy!” Casper said, bringing the horse to a stop.

A convoy of soldiers blocked his path. The capital’s flag fell listlessly on one of the men’s polearms.

“This is not good,” Casper said. He dismounted and walked the horse in the soldiers’ direction. As he approached, two of the three soldiers turned their attention to him.

“That’s far enough,” a soldier ordered. “The city is off limits right now.”

“I’ve been away for several months,” Casper said. “What has happened?”

“You live here?”

“Yes, of course.”

“It's unfortunate that I have to break the news to you. The governess committed suicide.”

“Caira? Suicide? I don’t believe a word of it.”

“Our emperor saw a need to appoint a new governor as soon as possible for the better of the region. Some of the citizens didn’t agree with that and this is what happened.”

“The city is under complete unrest,” the second soldier chimed in. “For your own safety, we can not allow anyone to enter.”

“For how long?”

“Who can say?”

“I would like to check on my property. You see, I’m in the business of...”

“We’re ordered to arrest all civilians entering or leaving the city,” the soldier interrupted. “You’d better move along.”

“Of course,” Casper said. He took one long look at the smoke-filled skyline of his hometown then turned away.

“Just a minute,” the third soldier called, holding a fistful of papers. “What did you say your name was?”

“It’s...Casper.”

The soldier flipped through his papers. “And this business of yours?”

Casper climbed onto his saddle. “Apparently I haven’t one anymore. Good day to you.”

Casper rode back the way he came, lost in thought. Why would Caira end her own life? She was enthusiastic about her role as a governess and quite attractive. It didn’t make any sense.

The emperor must have found out she hired people to locate Rebirths, that she wanted to defend the city from his army with them. So he made the first move. That had to be it. Casper wondered exactly how much the power-hungry old man knew of Caira’s plans.

Was he aware of how many Rebirth hunters she employed? Or who they were?

Casper hastened his horse.

Amara

Ninety percent of the island country of Tasmand was covered entirely by a harsh desert. Out of the four cities on the island, only one of them was built in the middle of the hot sands.

She held a compass in the light of the moon. She was still headed in the right direction. Her toes dug into the warm sand. It’s too hot to travel by day. The land is only slightly cooler at night. She knew she had to keep moving.

She kept her infant son wrapped tightly to her chest, his legs dangled freely. He was easier to feed and carry for miles this way. Amara wished she had time to sleep as soundly as him.

The first light of a new day breached the horizon. Soon the sands of the Empty Dessert would be too hot for even a snake to cross.

Her knees wobbled as she removed a backpack from her shoulders. If she didn’t make camp now, it would be far too late. She dropped several canteens from her belt. All but one of them was empty. Lighter on her feet, Amara unpacked her supplies quickly.

Four foldable stakes and two worn tarps made a crude shelter. She grabbed a hammer and some rope and got started. She wasn’t even sure if she was building it right. Her husband was better at these things.

Thinking about how she found his lifeless body watered her eyes. Amara wiped a tear from her cheek and kept moving. The sun would be up soon.

As she unfolded the tarp Amara noticed something shimmering in the distance. She stood and watched as the light came closer. It was a lantern of a schooner. She smiled with excitement.

“Over here!” she yelled, waving her arms overhead. "Stop, please!"

A covered desert schooner was a rare sight. The few that did navigate the sands carried supplies and provisions where they were needed. This one was likely headed for Gedroso.

The schooner slowed to a stop next to Amara. “Well, what are you doing way out here?” the driver asked.

“You’re on your way to Gedroso?” Amara asked, catching her breath.

“Yes.” The driver looked around the area. “Are you all alone out here? Why, this is no place to go camping, miss.”

“Gedroso is dead. Don’t bother going there.”

“What? How do you know?”

“I was there more than a week ago. It’s all dried up. Everyone’s abandoned it.”

“Good heavens! What of the king and his rune?”

“Gone. Both are gone.” Amara ran over to her backpack and grabbed a few books from it. She returned to the driver, still trying to comprehend what he heard. “Can we ride with you?”

“Of course you can. I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out here. I suppose I’ll have to go back the other way now.”

“Thank you.” Amara climbed on board the schooner and sat in the passenger seat. “You can go on ahead to what’s left of Gedroso if you want.”

“No, no. I’ll take your word for it. You can tell the others your story when we’re back in Sincarla. They’ll know what to do from there.” The driver turned the team of horses around. He stopped and looked over the woman’s camp. “What about the rest of your things there, miss?”

“I’m Amara.” She looked down at her son and rubbed his dark brown hair. “I have all I need with me. The desert can have the rest.”