Page 19 of Barbarian Daddies

Sapphire City rests on the easternmost point of the shore. I’ve seen drawings of it in the Tallas territory archives.

“It’s one of the ancient cities of Sunna,” Dahlen tells me as we continue our daylong trek across the mauve fields, the mountains growing larger and darker ahead. We’re careful to hide in the nearest patch of trees when we hear jets flying nearby, not wanting to be noticed so early and so close to enemy territory. “Sapphire City was actually one of the first ever erected. The ancients carved it into the giant rocks of the shoreline. Those were wild times.”

“How so?” I ask, but steal a glance at Maur and Kai at the same time, noticing their stifled smirks.

“The sea was restless, way worse than it is in this era,” Dahlen replies, completely oblivious to his cousins’ wry expressions. “There were monsters as big as the Sky Tribe’s starships roaming those waters, beasts that could walk the earth too. And they would often wade into the developing city, plucking people from the streets to eat them.”

“Those are folk tales, Dahlen,” Maur cuts him off, laughing lightly. “The sea was fine. The ancients simply did not possess the knowledge or the technology to build cities like our grandparents and great grandparents built before us.”

“They’re real. They were real!” the young Sunnaite insists, slightly aggravated while looking at me for some kind of approval.

Sometimes, I think the boy likes me a little bit more than he should, and while I am flattered by his growing attention, I’m certainly unable to reciprocate. To his muted dismay, I can’t exactly support his argument here either. All I can do is shrug.

“Sorry, kid, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I reply.

“Dahlen still has some growing up to do, obviously,” Kai shoots back.

The words seem to hit the boy deep, but he swallows his reply and keeps his eyes on the path ahead, the purple grass undulating before us.

By evening, we’re settled beneath a thick canopy of blackwood trees. The sky has turned from its usual reddish orange to an almost black, sprinkled with stars and Sunna’s three pearly moons—Em, Ket, and Essa, each more beautiful than the other and featuring slightly different shades in their glows. Yellow, orange, and pink. A wonder to behold, though I often find myself missing our moon.

We get a fire going, and soon meat is roasting atop the flames, amber tongues licking at the flesh and giving it a pretty, dark brown hue. It smells fantastic. Dahlen unwraps some of the fruits he packed for the journey and passes them around so we each get a piece. Tomorrow, we’ll pluck some fresh fruit from the wild orchards growing atop the hills, about three miles farther from our camping spot.

“Dahlen, you’ll have two of the guys with you and Cynthia at all times while you’re in the city,” Maur says, stripping the meat off a bone. “It’s imperative we stick to the plan and make every second count.”

“There is no room for error here,” Kai adds.

Dahlen nods slowly. “Yes, cousins, I know.”

“Then you will know to follow our orders to the letter,” Maur replies bluntly. “Do not let Cynthia out of your sight. And at the first sign of trouble, the two of you will hide. The fighters will only intervene as a worst-case scenario and only for the purpose of giving you and Cynthia the opportunity to leave and meet us back at the rendezvous point. On time.”

“Yes, Maur, I know.”

“You knew to follow our orders the last time we took you out in the field with us,” Maur reminds him. “And you blew it.”

Dahlen lowers his gaze, but he still glances my way. I kind of feel sorry for him, given the way he is constantly berated. He’s trying his best, and his youth does put him at a disadvantage among the other fighters. I’d advise more patience with him, but at the same time I’m reminded of the innocent traveling merchants who died when he disobeyed his cousins’ direct orders.

There is no room for failure or rebellion in these missions, and Dahlen learned the hard way. Now, he has those poor men on his conscience. Perhaps that is punishment enough.

“Okay, so what are we expecting in the next few days?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

Kai gives me a soft smile, then glances at his men. They’re tired and getting ready to sleep under the trees for the night. Two of them are up in the canopies, however, taking first watch. “We should reach Sapphire City in two days, provided the weather is good. It rains quite a lot in these parts, and we need to cover our tracks.”

“Should we encounter bad weather, we’ll camp on the spot and out of sight. We’ll only move when the ground is dry and firm enough to not leave any tracks,” Maur says. “Crossing the mountains should otherwise be a breeze, even if we take the lesser traveled paths and hike through the woods covering the southern ridge. Which is what I would advise, anyway.”

“Why the woods?” I ask.

“Because the Sky Tribe will be keeping an eye on the mountain passes. We’ll be easier to spot out in the open, so if we have trees hiding our tracks and movements, we’ll have a better chance of reaching the shoreline undetected,” Kai replies.

I look around, noticing the elongated shadows of the trees around us as the fire begins to dwindle, its light dancing across our faces. The fighters are huddled beneath two of the largest blackwood trees, the scouts sitting up top and surveying the area. Behind me, the woods stretch for at least another half a mile, thickening and darkening to the point where I can’t see anything anymore. The Sunnaites can see better than me in these conditions, so I dare consider myself safe.

A low hum makes Maur’s pointy ears twitch. He looks up. I follow his gaze, though I can’t see much on account of the trees’ rich crowns.

“Put the fire out,” he hisses.

Dahlen jumps to his feet and does as he’s told, tossing water over the campfire and a blanket on top to stop the smoke from spreading upward. My heart jumps as Kai swoops me off my feet and up one of the trees. I’m practically weightless in his arms, nearly crushed against his muscular chest as he keeps me close and hidden. Maur soon joins us, while Dahlen climbs up last on a lower branch.

The hum gets louder, and I hold my breath as I look up again.

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