The Tribute Gate

Mehran stood at the edge of the forest, and his heart pulled in two directions at once. One road led to Koh-e-Siyah, where the fifth piece lay locked inside Qahhar Shah's tribute vault. The other road led back to Zarnabad, where his mother and his little sister stood alone before a spy. He pressed his hand to his chest. Inside the pouch, four golden pieces lay warm and heavy, like four small hearts beating.