Alice had realized, they were going to need to stay longer in the room than expected. She though it was going to be over quick. But Aden had more than she had imagined. Killing him, she realized, was farther and farther away from being an option now.Alice watched as Lyle pulled Aden’s suit jacket down to reveal a complete batok tattoo on his arm. As Lyle carefully examined the ink, Miko came out of the shadows as well.Alice moved closer to see the tattoo clearly. There was no doubt about it. As she read the symbols marked across his skin, she tried her best not to show any intrigue in the tattoo. After everything he told them, she still felt disapproving of the help he was offering. She had not forgotten one bit. This was her husband’s assassin. Unless they wanted a replay of what happened months ago, she was going to keep him here.“Nukasuni,” she read. Her sight crawled up to the symbol just next to it. Like a subtitle. &ldqu

The air was calling. Like whispers upon whispers, beckoning them to come closer. Aden had heard this before. The wind’s call. And he had understood it for far too long. With the flow of the air came the soft rising of drums in his ears. Although, he knew, they weren’t really there. The light from the early morning outside lighted the first few steps for them. But after that, they were on their own.Aden and Nukasuni stood, at the mouth of the cave, staring into the god hound’s solemn abyss. Nukasuni took the first step. Aden watched him, no doubt the god was eager. The dragon. They had been here before, he knew. But this was far more different. Like all things that had recently happened, this was feeling like another beginning.Soon, Nukasuni walked past the final inch of the light touching the farthest point it can inside the cave. Nukasuni and Aden stepped their first step into the cave darkness.But, as expected, the torches lit. In his left

“I’m going back to the void,” Aden said. His eyes stared and glinted at Kadlum for a moment. Nothing but a hint of determination and resolve.Kadlum tipped his head to the side and looked intently at him. “Well,” said Kadlum. “You have done it a couple of times…”Nukasuni nodded. “He will lead us to her. And we can end this. I promise,” he said.Kadlum nodded back at them. “So, that’s it then…” he said. “An alliance is formed?”“An alliance is formed,” replied Nukasuni promptly.By now, late into the meeting, and about to end…. The dust from the ancient rubble had surely settled. Through the cracks on the ceiling was a light now unmarked by little freckles of particles floating around. And now, in the room, they were passing around a small cup.The same chalice used years ago by Alice’s father to form the alliance with t

Aden couldn’t do anything. He helplessly watched their enemies come closer to the villa while he laid motionless on the ground. Shots were fired and one by one, he watched the guards fall to their knees with bullets stuck in their chest. Everyone was shouting all around him, or was it the guns firing?Aden’s eyes widened, when he saw another man—walking towards him with a grenade launcher in hand. That was what caused the explosion, he thought. As the numbness faded away from his body, he tried to crawl towards the villa with his elbows. But the man was already getting closer. His enemy, the one just coming closer and closer to him, had finally gripped the launcher---and it was now pointing at him.Aden’s vision cleared, and he was starting to regain more of his senses. The ringing stopped, but he was still staring at the man with the launcher. They locked eyes with each other, a glint in the eyes of the man against the starting fire. Then, just

There was a growing source of chitter and chatter as another group came, from just outside the town. With them were black cars, a few vans, and whatever else they could salvage. Outside the town, The Kadlum were pretty much in disarray. They arrived one day after another, some hours after the previous group came. But, soon, Alice suspected they were going to be complete. Like caravans from the outside world, the scattered members of the clan would come in and meet with Alice and the others and share a drink or two. Some have left for the other safehouses around Manila, making sure they could still operate. But, this town, was ultimately the rendezvous point. A place where they could build, after everything that has happened. If the town was this generous to them, then Alice and her family must’ve had an incredible mark with its people. In fact, Aden wondered if it was a town at all. It seemed more like a splinter community hidden from the outside world. A society the