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Kol wasted no more time and launched himself at Quin. Quin and Kol fought for some time while neither managed to throw the other off their game. Sometimes Kol would seem to get the upper hand, then Quin would counter and Quin would seem ready to win. Then Jhan and Ba Re’ both joined them, and the battle that ensued could only be described as a melee. After almost an hour’s constant beating on one another, the four childhood friends fell onto each other, laughing, sweating, and gasping for breath.

Kron walked up to them and looked down on them. “This is a spectacle I’m glad I missed,” he said, his hands on his hips.

“Like you could have beaten us,” Kol said.

“I’m pretty sure I can,” Kron answered.

“Oh, yes, now that we’re exhausted and tired from the real battle, you show up,” Quin said.

Kron laughed. “I just got off duty, otherwise, I’d have shown you all a thing or two.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Jhan said, forcing himself to his feet. “Better yet, tell them. Who wants to fight Kron?”

“I will!”

“No, I will!”

“Me, too!”

Jhan laughed. “I think you’ll be busy for a while.”

“Well, come on then. Why am I still standing here alone?” Kron called, inviting whoever wanted to spar to the middle of the circle.

“And I will take some, too!” Quin said, getting to his feet and raising his hands in the air. “Come. Let’s make a memory of the day. Who will join us?”

Kol got up and offered Ba Re’ a hand to pull him to his feet. “It is good to see you here among us, cousin.”

“It feels good. I’m not going to lie and say that I remember everything. But I know where I belong, and it’s among the three of you.”

“The humans have a legend called the Four Musketeers. It started out to be three, but they weren’t truly whole until the fourth joined them. You’re our fourth, and we aren’t whole without you, Ba Re’.”

Ba Re’ nodded and patted Kol on the back. “It is good to feel like I belong.”

“You always have belonged. We were just waiting for you to realize it.”

Ba Re’ smiled.

Quin fended off a kick and circled around to grab Ba Re’ around the neck, hugging him close for a split second before ducking a second kick from his opponent.

Ba Re’ grinned at Quin, then looked around the training arena at all the males fighting, trying new techniques, training together. He stood in the middle of them, and instead of feeling alone as he had since returning except for the time he was with Rokai, he felt like he was a part of something that had existed formuch longer than he could remember, or even cared to try to remember.

“Brother!” Jhan shouted as he took on three warriors.

“I’m coming!” Ba Re’ shouted in return, bellowing his battle cry as he instinctively jumped in to assist Jhan.

And in that moment, all that came before to change and sculpt who they once were into who they were now, was forgotten. The four childhood friends, now a Sovereign, a General, an Assassin, and an Elite Warrior, rediscovered the unique balance that made them brothers by choice. All was right between them once again, and always would be.

Chapter 34

“You must be mistaken,” a bulbous-eyed male said, his words melding together like one long word.

“I assure you I am not!” Mir’ Ahn said, pointing his finger in the face of the male he was speaking to.

The male’s eyes crossed as he tried to focus on Mir’ Ahn’s finger.

“I’ve lived my whole life there! I knew every single room, every single corridor! I even know the secret passages that would give us easy entry into the palace. I’ve got friends on the inside. They’re waiting for my return. And I’ll be triumphant!” he thought about what he’d just said and a sudden thought lit his drug clouded eyes. “It’ll be a triumphant return!”

“If you know all there is to know about the palace, and you have friends on the inside, why did you leave?”

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