Fifty Steps

**Angro's POV**

When we left Zuwua, we followed Omawit’s trail, alert to the idea that he had gone ahead to find the bird that had been shot down by one of the weapons Chief Owan had acquired from the Eteri. Although I didn’t know where Chief Owan got those weapons from, and preferred not to meddle in matters that didn’t concern me, I had to admit that they were the means we needed to equalize the fight against the star travelers, who surpassed us in technology and weaponry.

It wasn’t difficult to follow Omawit’s tracks and those of his followers, who moved carelessly, confident that no one was following them. When I realized we were about to catch up with them, Zania found a trail that puzzled us.

“Here, Angro, look,” she said, pointing to the tracks left by Omawit and his men. “They’re veering toward the path that leads to Sagoria.”

Omawit’s trail split into two. In one direction, it went deep into the jungle, toward where I had found Shaira the day before, but the steps then returned along the same path, heading in the direction Zania had indicated.

To Sagoria? Why would Omawit go there? I wondered at that moment. I only knew of one person who had also set out for Sagoria that day.

“Shaira,” I exclaimed. “Omawit is going after her and has tried to mislead us.”

That was my fateful conclusion at that moment, one that could now doom us because Omawit had indeed gone to where we estimated the bird had fallen, found it, and took the proof he needed to claim Shaira. So he doubled back, surely because he had also tracked her down and knew she was heading to Sagoria, accompanied by a single man he could easily overpower to reclaim her. Now that his initial plan had been thwarted by my intervention, he decided to flee, and I had to hurry back to Zuwua to present the evidence he obtained from the downed bird.

I had to be faster than him, or we were all doomed.

“We’re almost there, Angro,” Zania said when I could barely keep air in my lungs. “Omawit’s trail is getting fresher. We’re about to catch up.”

Zania was right; we were almost upon Omawit, but also very close to Zuwua. If the village came into view before we caught up, we could consider ourselves condemned.

“Let’s go. Let’s pick up the pace,” I said, pushing myself to the limit.

My legs protested with pain; I could barely feel my body from the effort I had put in during the latter part of the day. At times, I felt dizzy, on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, but Shaira’s life depended on me catching Omawit.

This time, I couldn’t fail her.

“There, I see him,” I said, almost out of breath.

Zania had pushed herself to the limit as well. She was pale, her body trembling at times, her chest beginning to rattle, yet she kept pace with me. It pained me to see what she was doing, how much she was pushing herself to prove her worth to me. But what hurt the most was knowing that I couldn’t reciprocate the dedication and loyalty she was showing.

I tried to stop her.

“I can handle this alone, Zania. You know…” my breath was failing, and I had to conserve it, “Omawit is a coward. He’ll be scared. You don’t have to be there… please rest.”

“Don’t ask me that, Angro,” Zania protested fiercely. “I’ve come this far… I’m with you on this.”

I knew it was futile to insist. Nothing would convince Zania not to follow me to the very depths of hell, even if I didn’t ask her to. But...

What would I do when Zania asked me for what I knew she wanted most?

Maybe that day would never come, but just seeing how Zania turned away when she saw me with Amaria, knowing that this was how I repaid her sacrifice, well, it ate me up inside.

My eyes were fixed on Omawit’s silhouette, which faded among the trees at times, only to reappear later, getting closer and closer. I just needed one last effort and for him not to notice my presence.

When I was less than fifty steps away from catching him, Zania stumbled, exhausted from the effort, and fell.

“Go on, fool, catch him…” she whispered with her face pressed to the ground.

I decided to continue, so her effort wouldn’t be in vain, but then I saw she had lost consciousness. I couldn’t leave her there, unconscious, lying at the mercy of any beast that might descend from the mountains for an easy prey.

The other warriors who had followed me were still far behind, by my orders. I had instructed them to maintain a slower pace while I went ahead with Zania.

I looked in Omawit’s direction, who, unaware of how close I had come to stopping him, continued on his way, and his silhouette soon disappeared into the tall trees leading to Zuwua.

I bent down and only then realized, as I lifted Zania, just how tired I really was. In my condition, even if I had caught up to Omawit, I wouldn’t have been able to fight him. I had pushed myself too hard, and now Zania’s life was also at risk because of me.

It was already too late.

Omawit had reached Zuwua without even suspecting that I had followed him and had been fifty steps away from catching him, though even then I wouldn’t have been able to stop him.

It was my first decision that doomed us, the one where I hadn’t considered the possibility that Omawit had indeed found the downed bird and obtained the evidence with which he would now condemn Shaira to slavery and me to death and perpetual disgrace.

In the end, the truth would come out, and Omawit would have triumphed.

I carried Zania through the streets of Zuwua, followed by a group of curious onlookers who quickly dispersed when they heard the news that Omawit had brought something unusual from the jungle, an object from the bird that had been shot down the day before—a relic of the Eteri, a helmet that had belonged to a star traveler.

“Shhh, calm down, rest,” I said to Zania when she woke up, lying in her bed with only me by her side. “That’s what you need most right now.”

“No…” the words were stuck in Zania’s chest, which needed rest. “You didn’t… you didn’t catch him, did you?”

I shook my head.

“But that’s not the problem right now, Zania. Don’t worry about that; I’ll figure something out, just like I did yesterday at the interrogation. Right now, you need to focus on resting and regaining your strength, nothing else.”

“No, Angro, no…” Zania tried to get up, but she didn’t have the strength even to support herself on her elbows. “No, Angro… it can’t be.”

Tears flooded Zania’s face as she realized I was doomed, and that Omawit, triumphant, would bask in glory with my blood and Shaira’s freedom.

All I could do now was hope that Assu could hide her and, with some luck, return her to her people so that at least she would be a free woman because I was already condemned.