I couldn't believe what I had just read. The words 'Zadio Valimenati' kept ringing in my head. Herald wasn't making matters easy, walking briskly like he was running away from something. It wasn't until we were back in the busy area, where people wouldn't pay so much attention to us, that he stopped, sprayed the potion and we were back in Asterion, near the riverbank.

"What have you learned?" He was facing away from me, fists clenched, eyes focused on the flowing water ahead. Slowly, he used his legs to take off his sandals.

I buried my hands in the pocket of my trousers, too nervous to even admit the truth. "That... That the Zadios are... They're..."

"The entire community, our Asterions, they are the Zadios, Emery. That is why it is important that you tell us where they are."

I glanced at the seemingly never-ending array of sand. Further down were those bricks, those disguised bricks, that the Royals had never figured. I felt this tinge of proud in my spine. I had only been involved with Neba a few weeks ago, and yet, I knew the secret they had been trying so hard to discover.

"Did Zadio name his opposition the Zadios? Was he the beginning of it?" I asked.

Herald puffed out as he walked to the river, sat beside the water and ran his fingers along the river. "Ez, every community is born with their special netal, what gives them the upper hand. In Bhishon, it's their insight and knowledge that makes them better than everyone else. The Nesylone Waters of Bhishon is considered sacred. You can only fetch water from it at specific times.

"For the Elakkis, as you know, it's our wealth. We have everything with worth, we supply them to the rest of Neba.

"In Neymen, it's their literacy. Most of them are educators, have been to top Cirile countries for further study: Krah nad Dregyhjyn.

"Asterions are fighters. No one dares to challenge an Asterion, not even a Royal. You can die from the slap of an Asterion, they're invincible, you see... Come, sit."

My legs were giving in anyway, so I made my way to the bay and sat on the sand. Moving my fingers across, it made a glowing trail. It was a sign of the presence of my fire glowing with me.

"Asterions don't have money. But they're blessed in an extraordinary way. During the winter," Herald explained, "when food in other communities is scarce and water has frozen or dried up, the Waters of Asterion remains warm and fresh and all the fishes migrate here and the Asterions gather them and sell sometimes. It's an irony, is it not, that the winter is a period of harvest?"

I nodded lightly. Most of these things Herald was saying did not matter to me. Why had Tevessa lied to me? Bihak's father was killed in a battle the Zadios had forced them to be engaged in? There had never been such battle! Heck, Asterions were hiding at that time.

And, the Royals had called no battle. It was the Zadios instigating senseless wars and killing people.

"Crypta's told me that the Uktamas are against him. Why's that?"

Herald chuckled. "They're against his means rather. Uktamas are what you may call lawyers, journalist, businessmen and pocketed elites. They form the council that holds Neba together. If a thief was caught, he is tried by that council. Ez, the Uktamas work work with intellect not fists."

"Why did the Zadios start such a senseless feud?"

"Senseless, you say?"

"Isn't it? I mean, what do they stand to gain, other than the seat of the royals being passed to the Valimenati household?"

"Who has told you that?"

"Teve— uh, no one." I turned my face immediately so Herald wouldn't see the truth in my eyes. I hated that power that they had. He and Crypta, they were fond of using it on me. Tevessa wasn't and neither was Tujan nor Nilsa. They preferred to listen to what I had to say.

They were good people.

Herald shook his head. "You'll have to tell us, someday. Crypta will find out, you know?"

"When he does, then we'll see." I pressed my lips. "You have not answered my questions."

"Zhun. I was telling you that most part of Asterions aren't as financially stable ad other parts of Neba. Now, because they had great martial skills, as tried by the Uktamas, they were considered fit enough to put their talents to practice, and be paid for it. This was in January 1858, two days after the birth of Zadio Valimenati.

"Zadio Valimenati was a special boy. He was born with the carving of the Asterion sword on his left hand, and the symbol of Neba on his right. The Royals took interest in this man. Sengba Domroyante, the then Elera, adopted him, because his wife had only given him daughters. She was pregnant at that time, yes, but Sengba shunned her, saying she would bear a kyelma, as always.

"Zadio's real parents were sad to let him go, but who were they to defy Elera? Elera is how a King is addressed, especially by the commoners."

I nodded at his explanation. Herald rummaged his hand through his hair as if searching for more information. Then he brought his hand out and put them in the water.

"Sengba treated Zadio like his own son. By this time, most of the Asterions were doing the hard labour already. They became servants and the girls, maids. Doing laundry, standing by doors, acting as bodyguards to Elera while he played with his...son. Five months later, Trehina bore an elma, a beautiful boy. Sengba called that child Laiasona.

"Sengba loved both dearly. But as the children grew, the debate on who was to take over came up. Zadio was older, they argued, but Laiasona was the real son. The brothers weren't taking it easy on themselves either. To say that they despised each other was putting it nicely. They were on each other's necks all the time. Both were rash, just, wise and qualified enough to lead Neba.

"Laiasona was a bossy person. He put all servants and maids through hard labour. Treated them inhumanly. Even raped, and finally got married to, Yvelcha Sirghasu, an Asterion whose mother had come from the Valimenati blood. He was only eighteen. With a wife, Laiasona had a leverage. Neba can only be ruled by a man and a wife; an Elera and his Kyelera.

"Sengba was still alive but he gave up the position to let Laiasona rule, before Zadio could come up with any plan to dethrone him. When Zadio found out what his father had done, his heart was scarred, he felt betrayed. To worsen it, he learned that all the servants and maids working in the palace were his blood. He was filled with rage. He sought revenge.

"So Zadio eventually killed Yvelcha before she could bear Laiasona a son. Then, he secretly started a group, and they escaped the palace, leaving Neba defenceless. When he learned that he had killed an Asterion to save other Asterions, he felt guilty. Zadio was a just man. He went back to apologize but instead, he found out that the Uktamas had cut out the Asterions for their bad attitude to the Royals. They had to fend for themselves, or return to Neymen and work as servants. This time, without any pay.

"At first, the Asterions tried to endure it, but most people were fed up with being hungry that they surrendered themselves to Neymen. It was better to work as a servant and eat the remains of the Royals, than to eat nothing at all. Those who turned themselves suffered even harder labour.

"Zadio tried to do all he could to provide enough before all his people turned to the Royals. His friends advised him to take a wife. After all, Neba requires you to rule with a wife. He eventually married in 1890 but decided to have a child two years later, on January, at the same day he was born, 34 years ago. He called his son Demeanor. He soon had another, five years later, a kyelma. He called her Pani."

I blinked, realizing I hadn't done that for a long time. Herald forced a smile and turned to me. He had been staring at the water while speaking, as though it gave him comfort or an assurance. Maybe, somehow, he was connected to the water. I didn't want to ask him though.

From the look on his face, he was broken. Seeing a happy Herald--who was fond of teasing me with his knowledge of inguil-hi-- sad and shattered killed me. It reminded me of Sandra, who behind her breezy look, was a bunch of emotions I couldn't decipher all the time: jealousy, disappointment, fury, she had them all.

"His name is Tevessa," I released the information. "The person who's currently in charge of the opposition. Maybe not him exactly, his Rika, the entire family, the Valimenati family."

Herald sighed. "Where are they?"

I turned away. "If I told you, what will you do?"

"I won't lie to you. I'll tell Crypta, we'll surround the area, have them outnumbered and... You know what happens then, don't you?"

"What if I don't want you to harm them?"

"Crypta is a difficult person to get through. You can't convince him otherwise. He has been training for sixteen years."

Crypta Domroyante had told me that part. He'd equally told me what Neba jad told him about how many ribs he would break. The battle was inevitable and his crystal, he had said, was a clear evidence of how much the battle was his.

"And Crypta, he's the new Laiasona."

"Why do you say so?"

"Zadio and Laiasona. Crypta and Tevessa. This is history repeating itself." I shook my head. "What happened after the war?"

The falling look in Herald's brownish-green eyes gave him away. "The Zadios lost. They always lose. It was after that battle that Demeanor named to group."

"Even with their so-called strength?"

"Not all Asterions were with Zadio. Did I not tell you, that they surrendered to the Royals? Most of them, in a bid to please Laiasona, tipped them off about some of Zadio's strategies. Some even seduced their way into The Elera's heart. Yes, after the death of Yvelcha, he didn't marry another, as is Neba's customs. Instead, he had many, many mistresses."

"That's... awful."

"Not in Neba, it is not. So you see, the Zadios lost. The war was in 1920, Zadio was 62. He looked older than he really was, but that was as a result of malnutrition and stress."

"Where did he stay? How did the Royals not capture him before the war?"

Herald gave me a stern look. I moved back consciously. "That is the bit that you know. Wherever they are now, it was Zadio who brought it up. With the help of the mechanical knowledge of the Chinese, they developed the place and, in exchange, he gave the Chinese fish and water. And then, he ordered them never to reveal their whereabouts, using the threats that if they did, Bắc Ninh's men will find the Chinese and kill them."

"Who's this... Bắc Ninh?"

" I heard that he led the Taiping rebellion. The crisis that Jia Mùchén had been running away from. It was Jia's grandson who wrote the book you read, alongside my grandfather Tessoline."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"What?"

Herald stood up. "Emery, it is important that you reveal the Zadios hideout. No matter what your intentions are, you and I both know that the battle is an inevitable one. So, why not save us from the stress? Or, do you not want to get it over with so you can have an amazing life on Earth?"

I, who wanted to be in anywhere, but on Earth.

"I—"

"Let's go home. I wish you will think about everything and do the right thing."

He sprayed the potion as I got up and wore my shoe.

Yes, Herald was teaching me much more than how to control my pyrokineses. He was showing me just how important the war was to Crypta, and how much the Zadios were determined to defeat the Royals. But both of them, Royals and Zadios, were similar and yet so, so different.

.

A/N

Tell me, how are you taking in all that info? Shocked, surprised, what-the-fuck-is-going-on-rn? Drop a vote and let me know ;)