Tears. It always began with tears. Before they plead for justice, asked anything, spoke of the important burden on their heart, wailed about the wrong they endured, or asked if the travelling pair were who they believed, they showed up with streams ready to burst from their eyes. What could anyone expect? They were in pain, heavily laden with suffering. It was only right to cry. To hold in these emotions would make them no longer human. Jai shook his head with a thin grin. These poor folks that seek us out, do they think we’re human? Or do they believe they existed on a plane that mortals couldn’t reach? he wondered, knowing that answer would always be outside his grasp.

  A gaggle of weeping women and children crowded around them. At the center, along with the pair, was a hunched old man hunched, eyes filled with hatred. His eyes kept blinking to hold back his own tears. None of the men of the village made an appearance. No doubt they sought to hide their own weakness. Pride was a garment of shame to those that couldn’t sort out their own problems.

  Jai stood in silence, nodding in feigned sympathy with the old man’s plight. It was no different than most requests. A stranger killed someone they loved. All they wanted was the scum’s head, so all could see the justice fulfilled. In return, they would give their avengers anything they wanted. He struggled to hide his grin. This was not the first time such a reward was offered, nor would this be the last time no such gift was received.

  At the end of the man’s pleading, they took their leave, knowing that the matter would need careful consideration. Jai wore threadbare breeches and a shirt. They were stained brown from their long travels. His tanned muscles dripped sweat beneath the hot sun. He kept his long bright hair in a tight horse’s tail. Beside him was Eislyn, matching his pace with each footstep. Her red hair swayed behind her in a series of braids. She dressed in a similar fashion. Her only difference was that a cloak hid her feminine form. The world was a safer place for women when they didn’t flaunt their sex. On their backs, they held all their belongings. Each carried a patched waterskin, weary from years of use. Neither could remember where they got them from. They bore deerskin packs, earned by their time farming up in Levant. Inside, they carried what little food that remained: half a salted rabbit and less bread. It had been a long time since their stomachs were full. Each wore straw sandals, a present from an old woman. They were not the most comfortable shoes, but it was better than walking barefoot again.

  When the crowd was out of earshot, Eislyn turned to him, crossing her arms. “What do you want to do?” she asked.

  Jai could not meet her eyes. He knew by the tone in her voice that she had decided. It was now a game of wearing his strong will down into agreement. “What do you think?” he asked instead.

  She made no attempt to hide her emotions. Anger flashed in her eyes. Her fists clenched, longing to pummel a foe she had not found. “That monster deserves to feel the same pain he gave them.”

  “Remember, we bring justice, not revenge,” he answered, his voice level and calm.

  Waving him off, she replied, “I know that. Doesn’t change that he needs to pay for his crimes.”

  She’s right, he admitted in his heart, but he could not bring himself to say it aloud. “They have nothing to give us,” he exclaimed. Throughout their plea, the village hadn’t offered an advance to hire the pair. At a glance, he knew they were poor. It was not uncommon for such villages to seek out their generosity rather than make good on their promised payment. “If they can’t pay us at the start, they might have no intention of paying us later.”

  She shook her head. “They are good people.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “And you can’t prove otherwise. Besides, does a man’s coin have to be the answer to everything?” she asked. Before he could answer, she added, “Jai, you do remember why we’re out here?” He glanced at her, annoyance flashing. How could he forget? She reminded him every other day. The Dancing Spears. That is what the world called them. Warriors for hire. Ready to fight for any cause. They should have joined the empire’s military. There were riches for the taking and the king’s justice to deliver to the rebellious heathens. That was a simple enough plan. One they could never follow.

  “No, but we can’t keep doing this.” This was the fifth job in the last half year that she wanted to take for no pay. If it was easy, there was no problem, but this task could never end. The murderer’s trail was long cold by now. Wasting time for potentially no pay was a good way to end up destitute. “And what are we supposed to do if we can’t find him?” he asked. One man was hard to find in the wide world. He could think of a handful of wanted criminals that evaded capture thanks to innumerable wonderful hiding places.

  She paused, thinking it over. “The same thing we did last time. Go about our way and explain everything when we pass through again.” If they failed, this would be the third job where their client needed an apology. That is if they remembered hiring the pair at all by this point.

  With an exasperated sigh, he turned away. There was no point arguing. When she made up her mind, it was easier to argue with a tree. She had no intention of ignoring this job. As far as she was concerned, they were hot on the enemy’s trail. “Fine,” he agreed. With a shriek of excitement, she pulled him close, her arms wrapping tightly around his chest. Flushing, he blurted, “But this is the last time I’m doing this.”

  Days later, he cursed his weakness as he watched a rabbit peek out of its hole. On the road, hunting was a priceless skill. Those that could not feed themselves had to have coin for meat or go hungry. Since his chosen profession did not pay well at the moment, he needed the land to provide for him. The grey hare slipped from its home, hopping over to nibble on some grass. It never saw the raised spear ready to strike.

  Spear throwing was a hard skill to master, one he spent most of his youth getting wrong. Many stags escaped him. If the village relied on him then, everyone would have starved. His free hand pointed toward the unsuspecting rabbit, where he wanted his spear to bury its end. Taking a deep breath, he drew back. He released. The spear flew true, skewering the rabbit through the head. Upon examining his kill, he nodded with satisfaction. The meat would last them a few days more. Regardless of the meaninglessness of their current task, they would not go hungry.

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  As he walked back to camp, he considered his pitiful threat. With Eislyn, every new adventure began with his oath that this was the last. Time proved him to be a liar. No matter what he said before, he gave in. A mocking laugh taunted him in his memories. You gonna let that little girl call all the shots, a man laughed, sitting on his stump. His balding hair swayed with his shaking shoulders. A spear of intermingled blue and black metals rested on his knees. Disappointing. Did I raise you to be a weakling?

  “Go away, old man,” he muttered, shaking his head to hurl the memory away.

  The old man, his father remained, his laughter growing louder. Spoken like a pathetic dog, the lean man chastised. Go lick your wounds. Salvage what little pride you have left. Let another control your destiny.

  “Leave me be,” he ordered.

  A thin smile slipped from the corner of his mouth. If you want me to leave, he challenged, fingers tightening around the spear. Make me bend to your will. Break your father’s pride. Humiliate me. Prove that you are worthy of your legacy.

  “Stop tormenting me,” he yelled.

  “Jai,” Eislyn called from the distance. A fire blazed, ready to cook their meal.

  At once, the image faded, but his father’s voice tarried. Run along boy. Hide behind her skirts like the coward you are. His voice became distant as if he stood at the end of a long tunnel. And don’t worry. Father is always watching. His bitter laugh reverberated through Jai’s mind until all was silence.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. Jai blinked. Everything came back into focus. Eislyn sat beside a fire, blanket wrapped around her. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

  “Yes,” Jai lied, cursing himself. It happened again. He could not remember how long he struggled with the haunting, mocking memory of his father. It was laughable; he struggled to recall much about the old man. Jai was not sure if the recurring image displayed who his father was or if it was a reflection of how Jai viewed him. Either way, he disappeared a long time ago, hard to remember when. In truth, there was little proof the man was around to begin with. When he spoke to others considering his progenitor, they acted as if they just remembered he existed at all; though they had a hint of doubt. All Jai had in remembrance was a spear.

  Whatever the truth, he had not told Eislyn. His shame held his tongue.

  Days after, they sat around the fire once again, warming up the remains of their rabbit. Two spears rested to the side. Conversation was sparse. They had searched for their quarry for the better part of a week. So far, they hadn’t found the slightest hint that they were on the right path. By now, if they were not hot on the trail, it was a waste of their time. Sitting across, his beautiful companion ate her share of their meal, a grin stretched out across her face.

  “Eislyn,” he asked. “Tell me. Why do you keep accepting these jobs?”

  She rolled her eyes at the question. “I told you,” she started.

  “I know what you said,” he interrupted, catching a glare. He ignored it. “But I don’t believe you.”

  For a long time, she said nothing in reply. When Eislyn refused to talk, there was nothing anyone could do to convince her otherwise. Huffing, Jai tossed a rabbit bone into the fire. “Fine. Don’t answer.” Running his hands through his dark hair, he spat, “You know we’re supposed to be a team. Part of that is clueing me in to whatever’s on your mind.”

  When he did that, the tiniest flash of pain glinted in her eyes. “I saw it in the bones,” she replied at last.

  There it is. The art of future gazing passed down her mother’s family. They were great readers of bones. Years ago, when the world was far more superstitious, her family gained much wealth and fame from the practice. It was said that one of her ancestors was a fortune teller for the emperor. However, those days were long gone. Most considered her family’s skills as mere tricks used to frighten fools out of their coin purses. Living in disgrace, the family line dwindled, fading away from the memories of mankind. If Eislyn had any family out in the world, they would never admit it.

  She approached Jai. Her hands pressed against his arm. The warmth made his heart pound with a sudden aggressiveness. Fingers sliding along his skin, she reached up, rolling back his sleeve. A terrible brand of a leviathan reared its ugly head greeted their eyes. He winced, averting his gaze. “Don’t forget,” she warned. “That mark means something.”

  He found it best not to dwell on it. Too many horrible memories. Even now, he felt the searing agony, haunting him from that ill-fated day. A day that cursed his soul. “What did the bones tell you?” he asked, hoping to change the direction of their conversation.

  For a time, Eislyn said nothing. He hated her silences. They always meant one thing: she was about to say something that would pierce his heart with pain. All she had to do was open her mouth. Instead, she sighed, “One day, you’ll rid the world of a very dangerous man. The fate of the world rests on this. If you fail, the forces of darkness will run rampant, consuming the souls of mankind.”

  Just as thought, the same prophecy she kept repeating since their childhood. Jai wished he’d never asked for her to tell his fortune. On many nights where sleep eluded him, he cursed his childish curiosity. Did he ask because he didn’t believe in her family’s power, foolishly asking for a curse to fall on his head? Worse, had he asked because he had believed? Was he a silly child longing for more in his meaningless life and ended up with far more than he hoped? Not once had he uncovered the answer nor did he wish to find it. Whatever answer he’d find would leave him sick.

  What he knew was that Eislyn had tormented him with that prophecy for most of his life. In the darkest corner of his mind, he wondered if his life would change for the better if he ignored her fortune-telling and lived as he saw fit. Though tantalizing, he knew he could never bring himself to do it. He witnessed the truth in her prophecies long ago. Like it or not, he was bound by them.

  “Did the bones tell you where to find our quarry?”

  To this, she had no answer. Jai wasn’t sure if he hated having answers or pondering all the ones he lacked.