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"You're covered in blood," Aspheera said. "Is it yours?"

"Why are you still here?" said Aura, pulling Krux with her as she approached the two serpentine. Her eyes flicked up to Tezrus and back to Aspheera. "I thought you got out!"

"Where to?" Aspheera gestured at the palace gates. "The capital is full of humans!"

Tezrus nodded at her. "Even if the guards have vacated the palace, I doubt the rest of the city will let us go peacefully.

Aura swore under her breath. "We can't stay," she said. "We'll–we'll just have to run. Krux, how do we get out of the capital?"

Krux stared blankly at the cobblestone, his head spinning. His clothes were stained with the emperor's blood, the man's final words repeating over and over in his mind. His mother wanted her twins to live. She bore them, she named them, she gave her life in the hopes they would survive. What would have happened had the emperor not been there? If twins were not considered the root of all evil?

"Krux!" Aura snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "You know the capital! How do we escape?"

He found words. "We went by boat," he said, remembering when he fled the palace with Ray and Maya. "But we don't have the Master of Water with us."

"That's all you have?" Aspheera hissed.

"It might be enough," Tezrus said. "My soldiers were hidden in the port. Our base would have been abandoned when I was captured, but there's a chance it was not discovered."

"And how lucky do we have to be?"

Tezrus looked at Aspheera and back to Aura. "We will be lucky, or we will be dead."

Krux had no memories of his mother. He knew her face only from paintings. What would she be like had she survived?

Aura slapped him.

"Focus!" she shouted, grabbing his shoulders. "Do you know how to get to the port?"

Krux put a hand to his cheek. "Yes," he said. "It's–it's been a while, but–"

"You need to remember." Aura stuck her hand out without looking. "Tezrus, take my hand and hold onto Aspheera. We have to all be in contact for this to work. Krux, I need you to think very carefully about the way."

The palace faced the sea. Krux thought back to him, Ray, and Maya, weaving through the buildings.

Aura grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the gates, Tezrus and Aspheera on her other side. "We're going to run," she said. "Krux, you have to lead. Are you ready?"

Krux snapped out of his daze. Nothing his mother did would matter if they didn't make it out of the capital alive. "Yes."

"Then run!"

He forced himself to move.

The buzz of Aura's power surrounded them, and without warning, they were at the port. Krux stumbled and fell hard on one knee. He had the faint memory of leading Aura, Aspheera, and Tezrus through the capital, but it had happened in a split second.

Someone screamed. "Serpentine!"

Aura tugged him to his feet. Tezrus motioned down the coast; when Aspheera didn't react fast enough, he scooped her up and slung her over his shoulders. Aside from an indignant yelp, Aspheera didn't argue.

They ran. Krux's hand was sticky with sweat and blood. He clung to Aura and kept running. Tezrus led them this time, ducking into alleys and weaving through shipments and stalls. Most humans there fled out of the way when they saw him. He slammed his tail into the few who didn't, knocking them out of the way.

The building was dark and jutted out over the water. Tezrus ripped the boards off the door with one hand and shoved it open. A clamor rose from inside.

Tezrus stopped. "You idiots are still here?" he roared.

"General!" someone shouted–Krux could barely see them, but they did not have a human silhouette, and neither did the others in the dim light. "We thought–"

"Shut it! We are leaving!"

Someone grabbed Krux's shoulder and pulled him away from Aura. "Sir, the humans–"

"Allies," Tezrus said. "One was raised by the Anacondrai and the other saved my life."

"And the Hypnobrai?"

"Eat my dirt," Aspheera snapped.

"We will not leave her to die." Tezrus adjusted his grip on her. "Where is our boat?"

Krux was released, but in the clamor around him, he didn't know where to go. Someone, not Aura, took his hand and pulled him forward, down a flight of stairs. The floor shifted beneath his feet on the last step, pitching up and down with the waves. He stumbled and fell towards the edge. Lucky for him, there was a rail. He clung to it with numb hands.

"Aura," he said. "Aura, where's–"

"I'm here."

She crouched down beside him. As the boat moved, he could make out her face in the approaching morning, as well as those of the Constrictai soldiers. Tezrus was the largest by far. He wasn't holding Aspheera, but Krux spotted her huddled on the other side of the boat.

Aura smiled. "We were lucky," she said.

Krux slowly nodded. The boat cut through a wave and caught him in the spray. He could barely feel it. "We were lucky," he repeated.

Aura glanced down the boat. They had already sailed quite a distance from the shore. "Master Chen will certainly hear of what we've done," she said. "We'll return to his camp when we can."

"We've finished the mission." Krux closed his eyes and struggled to open them again. His side ached where the guard struck him. He grimaced.

"You're injured," Aura said. "You said it wasn't bad?"

Krux pulled up his shirt instead of answering. Aura hissed air through her teeth at the sight. "Looks nasty," she said, "but you'll live."

He nodded again. The sea air was pleasantly cool against his bruised skin. He closed his eyes again.

"Are you tired?"

"I slept in the dungeon," Krux mumbled.

Aura laughed. "You're tired," she said. "Then sleep."

Krux shook his head and gestured vaguely at the boat around them. Aura understood. "We wouldn't be here if these Constrictai wanted us dead," she said. "Go to sleep, brother."

How could he sleep on the rocking boat, surrounded by unfamiliar serpentine, being taken to an unknown destination? Still, he couldn't fight his exhaustion forever. Krux lay his head on the wooden deck and reached for Aura's hand again.

---

He fell asleep quickly, but staying asleep proved difficult. Every unexpected noise roused him, and more than once he couldn't tell if he was awake or not. Did Aura bring him below deck when the sun grew hot? Did serpentine glance at him while they whispered urgently to each other? Did colors dance in the sky as he drifted in and out of dreams?

Eventually, Krux woke up and stayed awake.

He was below deck. His head rested on a folded cloth. Krux rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling.

"Huh," a voice said. "Is he waking up?"

Krux raised his head. Two constrictai looked down at him from a few feet away. "Sure is," one said gruffly. "Morning, human."

"Morning, serpentine," Krux mumbled. He sat up rubbed his eyes. "What time is it? Not actually morning, I'm sure."

They weren't the only three there, and the others had noticed their guest was awake and were gathering around. Krux eyed them warily. He didn't see Aura among them.

"So you're the one who saved Tezrus' life?" the first constrictai said.

"Yes." Krux paused before continuing. "I am still in debt to him. None of us would be alive had he not helped us."

The serpentine tilted their head. "You and Aura are twins, correct?"

"Yes."

"You are very different. You were not raised by the Anacondrai."

"No. I was raised in the human capital."

The other soldiers murmured to each other, though Krux couldn't make out the words. He got to his feet and found the blood on his clothes had dried into a crust, with bits flaking off as he moved. The floor rocked, and he put his hand on the wall to steady himself.

"You are suspicious of me," he said. "That much is obvious."

"You are our general's guest," the serpentine said, "but yes, it is unusual for a human to be our ally." They grinned at him. Unlike Aspheera's fangs, their teeth were wide and blunt. "You say you're indebted to him? It'll be good to remember that."

Krux nodded. "Am I allowed on deck? I'd like to know where we are."

The group of soldiers laughed and gave him enough space to walk to the stairs.

Above deck, it was daytime. The sun was high in the sky, though clouds frequently obscured its rays. He spotted Aspheera by herself, staring out at sea, and Aura standing with Tezrus at the bow. The two cut their conversation short when they saw him approach.

"Krux," Tezrus said. "Master of Time."

Krux nodded, eyeing his sister. Aura's expression was neutral, but her posture was tense. "Should I use your title as well?" he said to Tezrus. "I didn't know you were a general."

"It isn't needed, no." Tezrus looked out over the water for a moment before turning back to him. "I was discussing with your twin where to bring you and the Hypnobrai," he said.

Aura took a slow breath. Krux paused before speaking. "Did you come to a decision?" he asked.

"It is my understanding you and the Anacondrai are working for the human who calls himself Master Chen." Tezrus' narrowed his eyes. "I not aware of this."

"We're not–" Aura began to protest. Tezrus' tail twitched and she stopped, her teeth bared.

Krux inhaled sharply. "I cannot speak for the Anacondrai," he said. "but it was my understanding that Chen's intentions were to stop the war. Is that not a worthy cause?"

"It sounds like it, doesn't it?" Tezrus laughed. "But who does he expect to win?"

"There are no winners in a war," Aura said. "Master Chen has allies in the human and serpentine kingdoms both. It's in his best interest to keep them both intact, not to have one damaged beyond repair."

"You have no idea what Chen is interested in," Tezrus growled. "I ought to have Arcturus tried for treason."

"You wouldn't–"

Krux raised a hand to stop Aura. "We don't want to cause trouble," he said. "If you are unwilling to take us further, we can disembark at the earliest convenience. But…"

He stopped. Tezrus tilted his head. "Do you have more to say?"

He didn't intend to continue. Krux was far out of his element among the serpentine, and had little idea of the values and power dynamics within the tribes. He swallowed hard.

"I don't know Arcturus well," he said, "but I spoke to him once or twice. He appears an honorable man. Er, snake. I mean–"

Aura snorted. Krux's cheeks burned.

"Continue," said Tezrus.

"Right." Krux took a breath. "He is honorable, but from what I see, his honor has put him in a predicament. He is at odds with Chen, but cannot go against direct orders." He paused. "Chen was insistent that Aura did not need to be extracted from the capital. It took both Arcturus and myself to convince him to send me, and it's likely he only did because he recognized our relation."

Aura made a small noise. When Krux glanced at her, her hands were clenched into fists. She met his gaze briefly and looked away.

Tezrus' expression didn't change. "You have a point to make," he said, "and it is not that Arcturus is honorable, because anyone with honor would not work for Chen."

"He isn't a fool," Krux said. "He knows Chen isn't trustworthy. For that matter, Arcturus barely trusted me, even if I was his daughter's twin. He… he made me swear to defend Aura with my life." He stopped to breathe deep. "If you deemed him a traitor," he continued, "I believe Arcturus would meet that fate with dignity. But from what I see, he is doing what he believes is best for his family, and for those he is responsible for, and I think that's worth respecting."

"What I think," Tezrus said, "is that I could incapacitate you easily, if not kill you outright."

Krux floundered for a response, but Tezrus just laughed. "That's what you're trying to avoid, isn't it?" he said. "If Arcturus was deemed a traitor, of course his human daughter would be condemned with him. And of course, you, sworn to defend her, would want to avoid a fight you know you would lose. Believe me when I say I have no wish to fight you.

"But you are a human, and your defense comes from a place of ignorance." Tezrus lowered his voice. "Were it any other general, I would look the other way, but Arcturus has responsibilities beyond his family. I will give you enough time to warn him, Aura, but if he is working for a human such as Chen, he is no longer fit to hold the Fangblade, and the council must be informed so they can reclaim it.

Aura's expression darkened. For a moment, Krux thought she was going to attack him, but she let out a slow breath and released her body's tension. "Fine," she said. "How long do we have?"

"All of tomorrow, and all the next day. When the sun rises on the day after, I will tell the council, and they will take swift action."

"And we'll reach Master Chen's camp today," Aura said, more to herself than Tezrus. "I accept those terms."

Tezrus nodded. "Then we have reached an agreement. You may go."

Aura grabbed Krux's arm and dragged him across the boat. Once they were out of Tezrus' earshot, Krux coughed. "I think I'm missing something," he said. "What's a Fangblade?"

"That's not for humans to know," Aura said.

"But you're–"

She glared at him. "I was raised Serpentine," she said, "and I will not break my oaths to satisfy your curiosity."

Krux shut his mouth and nodded.

Aura dropped his arm and sighed. "Pisses me off that Tezrus thinks my father would," she muttered, leaning back on the rail. "You're right that he's honorable to a fault. What else do you think of him?"

"Uh," said Krux. "We barely spoke, but… he was one of the few Serpentine who was willing to speak with humans. I first met him in a conversation with Ryou, the former Master of Earth. None of the others would say more than a word to me, not even the other twins."

"Oh, the two fangpyre." Aura shook her head. "Of course not. They have no memory of being human, with how young they were turned."

"They didn't get a choice?"

"It was a matter of survival. It's far easier to feed an infant serpentine than an infant human."

Krux nodded. "You… seem to have managed."

Aura rubbed her wrist and looked away. "I survived because of my father's high rank," she said. "He had the power to seek out humans to trade with for the care I needed. Even so, he didn't have much luck at first. I barely lived past a week."

She fell silent. Krux rested against the rail next to her and waited to see if she would continue.

"Have you met Master Chen's wife?" Aura said suddenly.

"Lark?" Krux shook his head. "No. I'm told she's ill."

"She doesn't have long left," Aura said. "She never recovered from Skylor's birth, and the last winter was hard on her. I may never see her again."

"You knew her."

Aura smiled. "When my father approached Master Chen, they were mourning their first child," she said. "She had died hours after birth. Lark was a mother with no child." She caught her finger in her sleeve and toyed with the fabric. "And I was a child with no mother."

"She raised you?" Krux said in surprise.

"Arcturus raised me," Aura said, "but Lark was the closest person to a mother I had. She stayed with the Anacondrai until I was weaned. When I grew older, she would send me letters. I wish I had written more back."

Krux stared at her. Aura didn't meet his eyes. "What was your father like?" she asked.

He turned away. "He was not a kind man," he said. "He was cruel to me and would have been worse to you."

"And you didn't know your mother."

"I was told she died in childbirth," he said. "I wondered if she hated me for killing her. Now–" His voice caught. "–now I know. She loved us so much, she chose to die so we could live."

"Why did you look for me?"'

Krux sniffed and willed his tears to dry. "I didn't have a family," he said. "Not many friends, either. When I found out I was a twin, it meant…" He rubbed his eyes. "I don't know. That I wasn't alone."

Their conversation lapsed into silence, broken only by Krux's muffled sobs. His cheeks burned in shame. He hadn't cried like this in years, and there he was, embarrassing himself in front of his sister.

"We'll be back at the camp soon," Aura said. "After this is over, where do you want to go?"

Krux wiped his eyes. "I don't know," he said, staring at the ground. "I'll find somewhere."

"I'm certain you'll be welcome with my father and the Anacondrai, if you want."

When he looked up, Aura was smiling at him. Through a new wave of tears, Krux managed to smile back.