Chapter 28 Burden

• Arika could see the queen's eyes glazed, and compassionately she finally asked the Why question. Lilit smiled, "I carried them for nearly thirty-nine weeks; each was close to my heart and left their imprint in my bones. Death may separate us physically, but it cannot erase that imprint I will always carry until the end. No regrets. Trust me; you were giving this task not out of punishment but because you're strong enough to endure." Then Lilit said nothing else for the rest of the trip, through the jagged roads that didn't slow them down until they reached the path leading down to the caves below.
• Lilit stayed on her mount, for she stayed where she couldn't be seen. If danger were to occur, she would be the one to defend her people. The general of the queen's men stepped forth, giving the signal to everyone to listen. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone's energy brought chills to Arika's spine. Kamen's words were like ice and steel, "We dismount now; you three stay here and be our lookout. The rest of you, we got a job to do."
• That was all he said and what needed to be said. Baudric reached for his hood to be placed over his head and pulled up his mask just as Arika had done. For it was the way of the agents of the North Star, for only their eyes were to be seen, and the armor set was to conceal their bodies, enhancing their abilities. The North Star emblem would be the only mark that was the last thing their foes would see.