The Trail of Secrets & Blood 1

The resonant sound of the combustion occurring in the insides of the moving train echoed on the lengthy city roads. As the vehicle passed through its repeated path, grey smoke exerted from its chimney spraying the clear sky with it.

Atop one of the tallest buildings it scraped by on its road, a man with his hands behind his back was observing the scenery of the vibrant city of Zararias from the highest possible level.

He gazed through the enormous window shade placed before his desk which was piled up with paper sheets, while deep in thought, like a strategist planning his next attack on the enemy’s stronghold.

Some time had gone by since he started ruminating until he got interrupted like a train making a stop at a station after a soft voice called out to him while opening the door to his wide office.

“Bahia, we are all here as you’ve wished. Shall I call everyone to your office or make the meeting at the conference room downstairs?”

Bahia Salva slowly made a complete turnaround to face the voice directed at him and spoke in a lighthearted manner.

“Logan! That’s good, tell them to meet me in the conference room in 5 minutes. We will be going out anyway, so they don't need to come all the way up here.”

Logan Uriah made a short bow while answering “as you wish” and made his way toward the lower level of the building through the stairs that circled in the middle of it.

Bahia followed him suit after a brief moment as he gently walked down the stairs to the space underneath his office, only to find 5 individuals seated around an ellipsoid table behind the glass doors.

Nearly everyone moved their mouths to form a tiny smile on their face at the sight of Bahia. On the left side, a dark brown-haired man around 38 years of age had his feet on top of the table. He chewed a small piece of a wooden stick as he moved his chair up and down like an impatient little child.

Next to him, an exotic woman with long, blonde hair was seated comfortably on her chair wearing a light blue dress cut on its sides where her pale thighs were, uncovering them slightly.

On the opposite side of her, a man with a serious look on his face stared outside of the room and only turned around after Bahia had entered the space. His short dark-grey hair paired with his black eyes gave off an intimidating aura.

On the seat near him, a woman with very long brown hair having it tied in two separate meatball-like shapes on the top of her head had placed her elbows atop the table and interlocked her fingers between them as if making a prayer while patiently waiting.

Lastly, near the door in which Bahia entered a man with azure hair and eyes was standing, waiting for him to be seated in the middle chair of the table and close the door behind him so that the conversation stays private.

Bahia placed his open palms on the table and after he stared at each and everyone one of them directly, he inhaled a little bit of air and let it out together with a calm voice.

“I am glad the whole Evanescent Trail could make it here today. Because I have some good news and some even better ones to share with you today.”

“Haha! Yeah, right! That’s quite the rare occasion to happen. It’s a sight to behold for all of us to be simultaneously gathered here. We shouldn’t let that go to waste, let’s go celebrate!”, Bruni Metris, the man with the long dark brown hair said in a loud voice.

“That’s indeed true. Never mind the celebration, it sure must be some exciting news to gather us up all here, Bahia. I can’t wait to hear it oouuuut!”, the golden hair girl, Maeve Howler, spoke up teasingly.

Then, Logan, in a manner like it was his turn, went near Bruni and decided to express himself in a slightly raised voice while waving his azure hair back.

“I have heard about the good news, but I believe I am not aware of the other ones, that’s interesting; and Bruni, take your shoes down from the table!”

“Yeah, yeah. Why don't you ever let a man relax?”

Aimil Fionn let go of her fingers and chuckled a bit at their sight while all of a sudden the gray-haired man, Reio Ibani, took his turn to speak in a slightly discouraging voice.

“So…What’s the news anyway? You wouldn’t bring us all here if they weren’t both important. Or scratch that, if at least one of them wasn’t.”

Bahia lifted his head and looked at Reio while clapping his hands once and then bringing them behind his back.

“That’s right…and also not. Of course, I wouldn't gather the whole of Evanescent Trail if you weren’t all needed for a request. But this time though, both of the things I will confer to you would need your participation.”

Then, Bahia moved his right eyebrow up along with his head, as if signaling Logan that it was his turn to speak.

“Right, at least for the one thing that I am aware of, we all have a mission to complete together.”

“Together? What is it that it needs all of us?”, Aimil questioned softly while tilting her head sideways.

“OHOHOYY, we’ve got that big of a catch? Speak about good news!”, Bruni said while pressing his fist toward his left open palm.

“Wait till I finish. It is a dangerous mission yes; but not for us. Meaning that it’s not likely that we will encounter any difficulty because of some large prey. It’s just that this needs complete discretion and also has a higher complexity for a normal fighter.”

Reio then stood up, crossed his arms, and made a look as if having understood everything.

“So, we need to be dispatched at a place and swiftly take care of the Dwellers there without us or them getting caught on by other people…but they are also probably in large numbers so it's better for all of us to head there, is that correct?”

Logan moved his head up and down exaggeratedly, agreeing to the words Reio said.

Maeve then placed her right hand under her chin and look in the direction Bahia was standing with a pondering look on her face.

“And what is the good news exactly in that? Or have I missed anything?”

“The good news is that it’s been some time since we all got to work together on a task!”, Bahia said in a fascinated voice.

After hearing him out, Aimil stood up and take her shot as well on the discussion.

“So then, the even better news is…?”

After a brief moment of silence in which everyone was hanging on Bahia’s lips, he said in a mysteriously filled voice.

“You’ve got a little reward coming when you succeed on the mission.”

“A reward?!”

Everyone spoke out simultaneously in the same surprised tone.

This is a side story featuring the main cast from my work-in-progress novel, "In The Ashes of Forgiveness", originally published on Medium.

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