[Edanian Journey] Aal

Chapter 2: Redstar Scouts

Near the temple, I found a group still fighting. The Hashashin were being driven back by Aal's soldiers, so I stepped in front of the exhausted fighters and raised my weapon.

Their leader, <b>Ayawaka</b>, thanked me. He said that without my help, none of them might have survived. They were the <b>Redstar Scouts</b> of Hakinza Sanctuary, here to seek the truth from Aal himself.

Kuntur, Ayawaka's second-in-command, said the Sanctuary had fallen into chaos. The Scouts had not come merely to beg for salvation, but to understand the meaning of the path they had followed all this time. The bodies scattered along the way belonged to brothers who had set out with them. Fewer than half of their original number remained.

Antay said Aal's soldiers seemed to feel neither pain nor fear, and their fighting style was disturbingly familiar. They appeared to be imitating the techniques of the Hashashin.

I told them that I needed Aal's wisdom. Ayawaka said that while our goals differed, we were seeking answers along the same path. Having served Aal for ages and lived by his laws, the Scouts offered to guide me.

I agreed to move forward with them. Seven remained: Ayawaka, the twin brother of Wariyana whom I had met at the Sanctuary; Kuntur, his second-in-command; the brothers Urku and Antay; and Amaru, Zaidan, and Bassam.

Together, we entered the temple.