The sight of a newcomer entering the room took Esmeralda’s breath away. The woman was tall — taller than Edda; hell, she was almost as tall as the shaman! Bright crimson eyes stared down at the group from an elongated wolfish snout; her fur was as white as snow, and where the Wolfkins had restrained aggression in their every move, the woman stepped in with an elegant grace, holding an oversized golden spear on her shoulder. A black scabbard concealed the blade of the spear.

Ice Fang! An actual, living, breathing Ice Fang! She and Eddi had wanted to see one ever since they met the Wolf Tribe. Stories told that the Ice Fang Order and the Wolf Tribe had served the Reclamation Army as brothers and sisters until a schism occurred and Commander Wyrm Lord banished the Ice Fangs into the service of Commander Devourer. The woman before her had a regal bearing; even without saying anything, her appearance and noble posture betrayed her as a person accustomed to immediate obedience.

Dressed in peerless silken white shirt, black linen pants, brown shoes, and a long, heavy golden cape, the Ice Fang made a bow, spreading the edge of her cape with the shaft of her spear.

“Are you in the middle of something, Interrogator Eduardo?” she asked in a honeyed voice.

“Nothing of sorts!” Eduardo jumped off the bench, trying to hide his siblings behind him. Eddi and she shoved under his arms, glaring shamelessly at the unusual guest. “Just a little family spar.”

“My apologies for interrupting the reunion, then.” The Ice Fang had golden amulets woven into her fur all around her neck, leaving her scarred face bare. Jade earrings adorned her round ears. “She is awake. You may begin your questioning tomorrow, but exercise care. She is not to be treated as a criminal and is rather weak.”

“Thank you,” Eduardo said. “I trust you will be present?”

“Alas, no. Sage Wilhelm will attend in my place.” The Ice Fang raised her weapon as if admiring a lover. “Elegance and I have been reunited anew, and its blade thirsts to be tested. I shall be leaving forthwith. The Oathtakers had made some progress in restoring peace in the local lands, but the charade of lawlessness had gone on long enough. Some foreign scum have dared to raid outlying hamlets, no doubt emboldened by the rumors of the Chosen Prince’s return. People hunger for deliverance, and my troops are capable enough to assist the local police forces.”

“And so it will be your household that gets the contracts for roads’ construction, instead of the Voidrunner household that has already snatched up contracts to supply all-terrain vehicles. Am I right, Sword Saint?” Eduardo smiled.

“I wouldn’t know what you may be implying, interrogator.” The woman returned the smile, not showing her fangs like the Wolfkins. “The great Dynast deemed it fit to send humanitarian aid to these lands, and any bandit daring to stand in our way shall be hewn, trampled, and forgotten. If this wins us the honorable task of paving new roads, all the better. Few can match my household when it comes to taming rough terrain.”

“A Sword Saint!” Esmeralda gasped.

She and Eddi pushed closer, examining the woman. She only saw Warlord Ashbringer outside the power armor during the honoring ceremony, and Ashbringer wore a hooded military coat, hiding every inch of her body. The ceremony didn’t last long. The warlord snatched the medals, wished everyone fertile lives, and stormed off on all fours, her pack streaming after her. Still, the differences and similarities between the two groups were striking! The two could easily be sisters.

“From which household are… Wait, don’t tell us; I can guess…” Esmeralda thought hard and sniffed a faint perfume in the air. “Is that a glacier lily? A flower growing in the snow — you must be from the Wintersong household! No, it can’t be true, I saw Camelia Wintersong on TV once; her hair is longer…”

“I can tell you the answer…” Humor flashed in the crimson eyes at the twins’ furious protests.

“Give them a sec, they’ll figure it out.” Eduardo patted his siblings.

“The stones!” Eddi pointed to the two brown orbs serving as pins to hold the cape. “These are the rare minerals found at the tallest peak in the south of the Reclamation Army. Flowers capable of growing at high altitudes, minerals from the same height, you must be…”

“Bertruda Mountaintops.” They jumped together, and the Ice Fang nodded. The excitement overlapped her and Eddi, making them one again. “You are the one who cut down the escaped bioweapon and saved a border town! The chainbreaker, slaves’ rehabilitator, peaks’ climber, and hero of the war against the Gilded Horde! But we heard that your weapon of choice is a two-handed axe…” they stumbled, splitting the unison.

Sword Saints! These people were closer to the superheroes than anyone else — noble leaders and peerless warriors all, shrewd politicians who often ensured peaceful reunification and toured over the Reclamation Army, sparking the spirit of unity in many of its people. Despite the horrid atrocities done by the Gilded Horde, Sword Saint First Sunblade hosted the national athletic games in their lands, easing the distrust others felt toward the conquered and propping up the new allies.

And movies! She wasn’t a fan of stupid cartoons and comics like Eddie; none of them were real. No Ice Fang ever left the planet to fight against a cosmic serpent, as the “Return of the Black Sword” portrayed it. But their dramas were something to behold, and she cried her eyes out at the sad story of a house rivalry that left two nice Ice Fangs dead. Eddie called her strange afterwards, but what does he know? He acts like a child!

No one knew exactly why the Sword Saints and Warlords, their counterparts in the Wolf Tribe, grew to be bigger and tougher than their peers. Some scientists theorized of a power linking all members of the Wolf Tribe — a sort of passive boost speeding their physical growth as a reward for victory. If so, why haven’t more Wolfkins reached a Warlord’s level? And even if the Wolf Tribe had this power, what was the Ice Fangs’ excuse? Hundreds of autopsies performed by various specialists found no trace of power in their bodies, and in a few cases, when they did find one, it was an individual power, the same as with every other Abnormal. 

“Duty won’t be hanging on a wall for too long. My sons have already begun to compete in the fortress.” Bertruda raised the spear, letting it catch the light. “For too long, we have been separated. Duty has served as an excellent tool of trade, but Elegance is a part of my soul itself.”

A sleeve of her jacket and shirt slid down a bit, and Esmeralda saw a bracelet. Compared to the jewelry the woman wore, it looked downright poor — simple figurines carved from wood, each representing a different deity.

“Do you believe in the Spirits, too?” Eddi fired up the question before she could stop him. It isn’t right to pry into something so private.

“Too? This implies you are fellow believers, little one.” Bertruda tilted her head, and they showed her their own bracelets, cut out of rough stone. “I wasn’t aware of any official belief in Spirits in Iterna.”

“There’s not!” Esmeralda tried to explain. “Well, not a large one anyway; a few chapels were opened, but it isn’t how we become believers. Eddie and I met a shaman on one of our field trainings; she told us stories — so many stories, like, for example…”

“And later we found an online group of others who were interested in the Spirits,” Eddie interrupted her, stopping his worried sister from trailing off. “Dad was worried that they might be some creeps…”

“Like we couldn’t handle them!” Esmeralda put her fists at her sides.

“Yeah… Anyway, our parents checked, and the believers were legit, so our Mom drove us to a meeting place outside of Iterna’s shield. There on a moonless night…”

“There was a moon!” Esmeralda interrupted Eddie. “Don’t listen to Edward; he likes to spice things up! Anyway, we gathered there, a group of seventy people. We built a fire, roasted some marshmallows, and thought no one would show up.”

“It was an amazing adventure.” Eddie clapped his hands and stepped in front of his sister. “You know how in the Ravaged Lands you can’t take a step without a protective suit or you’ll get burned? Mom had contacted someone in the Intelligence and here we were: three people sitting in combat armor sitting next to the coal-skinned fellows from the far south who took the heat in simple body armor and black robes, and there were also pale looking Pearlians who took the heat the worst of all, even in full suits; also several locals came by in cheap assembled suits; and even a Malformed, from a civilized kind, not the one born in caves. We shared tales. Mom was worried that the fire might attract insectoids, but she was wrong…”

“She wasn’t wrong, silly!” Esmeralda pushed ahead of him. “Wolfkins have secured the area. Mom found several carcasses of predators nearby. Then…” Her eyes beamed at the memory. “… It happened! Two shadows drew themselves high, standing huge as you are, both clad in the Wolf Tribe’s power armor, their crimson lenses burning like stars, and they let out a chilling howl heard for…”

“It wasn’t chilling, and it wasn’t a howl. They simply shouted so as not to frighten us! Stop being so dramatic, Esmeralda,” Eddie interjected. “The two came closer, introduced themselves as Scarred One and Earless One, asked us if we really wanted to accept the Spirits. We said yes, and they led us all to a secluded prayer den, a simple cave punched in the slope of the nearest mountain, where we all accepted the faith…”

“Mom didn’t. She is a Planetarian, so she waited outside,” Esmeralda corrected her brother, who shrugged and continued.

“And they handed us prayer books, used insectoid blood to anoint us, asked the Blessed Mother to keep us safe and talked at length, telling stories…”

“Wait a minute, hold your words.” Bertruda raised a finger, bathing it in the light of her bright eyes. “Scarred One, you said? Pray tell me, was Warlord Janine Ironjaw there, too? She is a Wolfkin of impressive renown, an honorable and loyal comrade; a metal prosthetic replaced her lower jaw, or so I heard, and she wields an axe large enough that it makes Duty look puny.”

“No,” Eddie replied, and Esmeralda used her power at a change in Bertruda’s eyes. She caught guilt, regret, and deep sadness and cut off the connection, unwilling to pry any further. “You’re worried about this Janine, right? Why not call and ask how she is?”

“What happened between the Order and the Wolf Tribe?” Esmeralda asked.

“What does the Wolf Tribe say about it?” Bertruda asked instead of answering.

“Well…” Eddie scratched the back of his head. “There is a mention about the rift in the Lament for Ravager tale.” He elbowed Esmeralda. “My voice sucks. Do the honors, please.”

She coughed and pressed a hand to her heart, feeling it beat faster. Singing wasn’t her forte, and she desperately envied trainees like Lizzie, who were bold enough to dare and perform in front of a crowd. Eduardo put a hand on her shoulder and shrugged, giving her the courage to try.

“It’s not really a song,” she said shyly. Her cheeks flushed. She’d rather face a hundred battle drones instead! “And I don’t remember it well. Here’s the best I can do.”

Esmeralda closed her eyes and started singing, trying to imitate the crude and guttural voice of Earless One.

“Little ones, be wary whom you trust!

In the dark days, in the bloody days, we fought together with white and gold.

Eyes of blood, our Mother’s snout, their honeyed tongues claimed kinship.

Ever we fought at the fore of battle, keeping them safe at the Blessed Mother’s behest.

Mad and tyrants, we hunted together, baring our necks in respect.

Black and rust, a fury incarnate, to break through the tallest walls.

White and gold, a breath of cold air, a paw to assist in hard times.

Yet in Houstad’s direst hour, the white and gold charged headstrong, leaving us behind and breaking the Mother’s command!

First betrayal, one we forgave so easily, for who wouldn’t forgive a stupid and clumsy brother botching up a first hunt?

Fools we were, placing our trust in unworthy!

Four sisters cleaved a path through the gilded sea, bringing the Dynast’s justice to the invaders rescuing the one we called a brother.

Woe was our reward! A false cry of help ringed through the battle, and three sisters answered.

Great they were, legendary in their might and fury, each a speck of the Blessed Mother’s divinity.

Janine, the bull slayer, Terrific’s ending.

Predaig, the one who stood at the birth of us all, bearing the very first cubs.

And the dim-eyed Eled, ever ready to learn all things new.

Three sisters, three hearts bound by friendship and blood. Three packs, strong and mighty, full of fertile females and potent males.

Two sisters lost in the dark; their remains violated and later eaten. Our daughters dead; our males wasted.

Second betrayal it was, little ones, and still we trusted the white and gold!

One last time it was one last mistake we came to regret.

The brutish Janine raced to save the traitors’ cubs, leaving her own cub in their care.

They neglected him and maimed he was; poisoned by the cursed Brood Lord!

The little one, mutilated for no other reason than a surge of sadistic glee and not a hint of white and gold in sight to shield him.

Drunk on his success, Brood Lord sought the cub’s mother, bringing his horde to Houstad.

Mad, ambitious, greedy, wicked had gathered in his wake, jeering and challenging the warlord.

Thousands versus few and no white and gold by her side.

And she answered.

Houstad endured.

White and gold we trusted, allured by their false nobility, lulled by the oaths of kinship.

White and gold, the blood price remained unpaid, the trust broken, our sisters abandoned, our tribe left despoiled.

Betrayed, the Blessed Mother left to hunt the darkness by herself.

Sisterhood broken, brotherhood unforged, faith inverted.

Those we thought weak, slow, and in need of protection shielded us in the following days.

Normies saved us, standing guard by our side when no white and gold would.

To them we owe our fealty, to them we dedicate our eternal servitude!

Little ones, choose wisely whom to trust!

Trust in deeds, not in words; judge by actions; and never be misled by appearance!

Wyrms and Normies are not our kin; there is no blood or resemblance between us.

Yet the Golden Child and Great Dynast have earned our loyalty.

White and gold are furs of our cousins, red as blood are their eyes.

Our reflection they are, sharing the Blessed Mother’s love.

And yet we shall never hunt together again.”

She stopped, calming her breath and struggling not to look like a fool.

“Bravo!” Eduardo clapped. “Bravo sis! Always knew you had an enchanting voice; I am sure our parents will enjoy hearing it, too!”

He wouldn’t! She whirled to him, spotting a thin terminal dangling in his hand, out of her reach, and a mocking smile on her elder brother’s lips. This skunk! He… he recorded everything! Esmeralda bellowed a cry of protest and leapt at him as his finger pressed a button, sending the video not only to her parents, but to the group chat as well.

Esmeralda crashed into Eduardo, and the two rolled on the ground as she desperately tried to grab his blasted terminal and delete the video before anyone could see it. To her horror, she saw the read marks showing up on the terminal’s display.

Augustus sent a thumbs up.

Mom and Dad replied with smiling emoticons and Love you, honey.

Thanks, I needed something to relax. You should try singing. Elina typed.

I am suffering, and yet you choose to torment me with your throat singing? That’s it; I’m sending it to the Academy’s talent show. Carlos punched up a message.

“NOOOOOO!” Esmeralda howled, closing her hands on the laughing Eduardo’s neck. “Stop laughing! You ruined me! Now everyone is going to be laughing at me! First, I’ll choke the life out of you, and then it’s Carlos’ turn! Why… why aren’t you choking out?”

“Plenty of people have tried to strangle me with a garrote.” Eduardo tugged at the shirt’s collar. “My clothes are elastic enough to prevent such trifles and sturdy enough to rebound bullets.”

“Thanks for the heads-up, asshole!” She closed her hands on the unprotected area of his skin.

“Ah! I give up! I give up, sis! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“Cubs of all kinds have a similar habit of trying to end each other,” Bertruda joked.

“So what is your problem with the Wolf Tribe?” Edward asked.

“No problem,” the Sword Saint answered quickly. “Everything they say about us is true.”

“Oh, come on!” Esmeralda rolled off her brother and pointed a finger at the tall woman. “You act as if we’re dumb. Scarred One specifically told us to trust the deeds, and yours doesn’t paint your order as bad guys. You brought supplies to Stonehelm, helped in rebuilding… Abyss, your brave warrior died saving the Oathtakers! And we heard notes of longing in the shaman’s tale. They, too, grieve for what could have been. If you had somehow hurt them, why not ask for forgiveness and try to work things out?”

“Because asking for forgiveness is to place the burden of decision on another person.” Bertruda saw confusion in their eyes. “It is pushing them to say yes or no, and trust me, little one, when someone pushes the Wolf Tribe, they push back hard. Houstad was a bloody affair, and in our arrogance we have ruined the relationships built by the Twins overmonth. It is already a miracle that the Blessed Mother found in her heart love enough to spare both groups of bloodshed. We can’t earn forgiveness; there is no set amount of good deeds for our Order to perform to be forgiven. But we can do our duty, laboring for the state like our distant cousins, and hope to see a day when our younger generations will give cohabitation another try. And maybe on this day, we too can be forgiven and reunited with our friends. But that is for the future. For today, I bid you all health and happiness.”

“Um…” Edward said, and the Sword Saint stopped before the door. “Can you show us? Sword Saint’s skills? Please?”

Bertruda smiled, and Elegance disappeared from her paws. A surge of wind hit the trio, turning over a bench. The Sword Saint slowed down her swing, spun the weapon, and turned it into a fluid strike with the end of her spear. She continued, thrusting and stabbing, returning the weapon in a slicing motion across the shoulder of an unseen foe. Dressed in civilian clothes, she stepped lightly and gracefully, never tangling in her long cape or shaking the mats like a warlord would.

They saw the difference between a Wolfkin and Ice Fang. One would strike first, weather a counterattack and bite off a neck, maim an opponent’s body with a wide swing of claws, kick or shoot an enemy. An Ice Fang style kept the fighter safe while at the same time opening up the opponent and landing deadly attacks at the exposed parts of a body. A flick of Bertruda’s wrist sent her spear from one paw to another, and even though she held back, a wave of blur had hidden the Sword Saint from their eyes.

She used the spear to both pierce and cut, adding the unusually brutal blows from the shaft or the lower end, and in those moments her controlled fighting style was broken and a hint of brutality crept in, betraying some sort of spiritual connection with her cousins. Bertruda ended the display with an overhead slice, stopping the sheath, hiding her blade over the cheering twins’ heads, and ruffling their hairs with a gust of wind.

“Amazing! Our turn, our turn!” They cheered and extended their hands. Bertruda arched a brow, chuckled, and dropped the weapon into their hands.

It was heavy! She and Eddie pushed all their muscles, and Eduardo quickly joined in, and despite all this, the spear still went down, threatening to turn their fingers into pancakes lest they’ll let it go. Esmeralda couldn’t wrap her head around it. What exactly was making the spear so heavy? Its surface glittered with gold and some other unknown alloys; it was long and covered by buttons, but she and Eddi had helped Jumail lift a car once. Yeah, their fingers hurt afterwards, but they weren’t weak. And no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t even lift the thing.

A paw slipped under the weapon, relieving the group of their burden.

“Do not be discouraged,” Bertruda told them. “When I was your age, Elegance almost squashed me. It takes strength of mind and body both to master this picky mistress, but perfection is seldom found elseways. Edward, Esmeralda, it’s been a pleasure to meet fellow faithful. May the Twins and Mother always keep you safe. Interrogator Eduardo. Take care. Not all games befit the dignity of your status.”

“Phew.” Eduardo put his hands on his siblings’ shoulders when the Sword Saint left. “Thanks for the quick thinking, Eddie, Esmi.”

“What are you on about?” Esmeralda frowned.

“You made the Sword Saint slip a bit more than she had planned. Warlord Janine. Why mention her?” Eduardo wondered. “Is it because of some old bond, or could it be the girl she actually cares about?”

“Who?” Esmeralda tugged at his coat.

“No one. Everything.” Her brother winced. “Could be nothing, could be all, could be a false trail. The Wolf Tribe seems a bit too lonely on the Reclaimers’ side, don’t you agree? And it is our duty, as enlightened people, to guide the less fortunate to their proper lives, where they can be happy and prosperous under Iterna’s wing.”

“Draw one away and the other will follow,” Eddie said.

“Or some of them,” Edda said. “Humans are not monoliths. The Intelligence gathers all sorts of wedges for all kinds of purposes. At least I left the Sword Saint with a gift of my own — something to always know her whereabouts since Sword Saints almost never part with their weapons…” He lifted his terminal, punched in a code, and mumbled. “And it’s gone. Clever girl. Well, the negative result is a result in and of itself. The lady wasn’t known for being bright, nice facade she kept up all this time…”

“Edda… Did you use us to plant a tracker on Bertruda?” Eddie asked.

“He what?” Esmeralda exploded. The sudden visit, their sparring in the empty hall, away from prying eyes, and if something happened to the cameras here, no one would bat an eye, since the brave agent had just sent an update to the rest of her team and Bertruda was here… “Edda, you skunk!”

“I knew she would follow me here,” Eduard said seriously. He dropped to one knee and embraced his siblings. “Yet I merely capitalized on the situation. I would never put you in danger.”

She clenched her fist, angered at being involved in a scheme. He didn’t say he’d never use them. Her fist trembled and unclenched as she and Eddi suppressed the anger and let go of the bitterness. It was part of Eduardo’s job, whether they liked it or not. And despite it, he was still their brother, the silly boy who splashed in the lake and piggybacked them back to the car after a fishing trip. They just have to trust that he really has the best interests of people at heart.

“I forgive you. This time,” Esmeralda said. Whatever happened, he was her brother, and this stunt… Well, it didn’t seem to hurt anyone, and Bertruda was the one playing him for a fool. Nevertheless…

She didn’t need to unite with Eddie. An idea came to them both, and they acted on it, grabbing Edda by his arms and throwing the surprised big brother over themselves. They were in the training hall, so it’s time to sweat a little and knock some sense into him!

The agent laughed, landing on his hands. His legs met the incoming punches, using the fists as a foothold to propel him into a roll. Once at a safe distance, Eduardo jumped to his feet and met his siblings head on, their laughter filling the hall for over an hour. The world never stood still, and even family members were often separated. But the opposite was also true, for there were many roads in life, and the three enjoyed their reunion.