Chapter 156 - The Net Tightens
It had been weeks since the Shadow Guard had received their mission: root out spies attempting to infiltrate the growing Kingdom of Nuri.
From their hidden base nestled in a mist-veiled forest between mountains, Naliaka and Ndengu directed the effort like two hands of the same mind. Sixteen Shadows had been deployed across Nuri, each commanding fifteen of the Mkono wa Giza. Some went to the capital, others to the border towns swelling with new arrivals, and many were stationed at the ports—now crowded hubs where merchant ships and freed people alike arrived daily.
Only fifty agents remained at the base, guarding the brain of the operation.
Inside the command chamber, a broad room of timber and stone lit by oil lamps, the air was thick with unspoken tension.
Naliaka, seated at the map table, brows furrowed, scanned the most recent field updates. Across from her, Ndengu paced slowly, arms folded.
"Well... so far, we haven’t found anything truly noteworthy," he said, exhaling. "A few suspicious travelers, some inconsistencies in speech or tokens—but nothing solid. It’s harder than we thought. We’ve got too many people flowing in and out of Nuri each day."
"That was always going to be the challenge," Naliaka replied, not looking up.
Ndengu moved to the window slit, gazing out over the courtyard.
"Still... I’m not convinced we should’ve sent so many into the field. Two hundred and forty Mkono wa Giza. The base is almost empty. If something were to happen here—"
Naliaka finally looked at him. "You’re worried."
"Of course I am. We’re exposed. We spread our wings wide before knowing the winds."