The Ninth Prophecy

The tired army of Baan Senicore accompanied by the commoners who were lucky enough to escape, approached the gates of Nox on the dawn of the third day of their march. The gates opened, inviting them inside. A horn announced the arrival of the convoy. Coming through the gates, the Senicorans looked around. The guards on the walls look back silently. Sounds of relief spread through the long row. Their ordeal was over. For at least a while they could feel safe and in no fear for their life…until they meet the army of Karos the next time.

Lord Spero rushed out to hug his daughter. Hadera felt rather uncomfortable to have her father spill out his emotions like that before her comrades. She hugged him back, gently pushing him away. As the two lords shook hands, the worried faces of the commoners of Nox going about their business witnessed the sincere meeting of the army leaders. The word of the superiority of the army of Karos had already spread throughout the kingdom. Only the most enthusiastic believed that Nox could survive the attacks of Septors, Sciprians, Koprites and horions, among other ordinary troops. The appearance of the worn-out Senicorans didn’t help in changing the perspective.

After the obligatory procedural introduction, Spero rushes the party inside: “Come, come, we have warm food and covering for your men, Yon. We shall dine in my dining hall. You must be starved.”

- “Thank you, my lord. You are right. Your thoughtfulness is most appreciated,” Yon replied.

As the party got seated and started eating the commoners being taken care of by other servants at the court. Spero took the opportunity to get a clearer picture of what had been going on in the previous days: “Tell me, my noble Senicorans, what has been of Baan Senicore? I hear that you lost the city but that Daors is not overwhelmingly happy with how the battle was played out.” Between bites, Yon took the time to brief lord Spero on the matter: “The fact is that Daors has presumed full control over the city. Most of the population is here however, so they will have great trouble in managing the city and keeping it running. It is our estimate that they lost about every third man. We managed to injure several horions. If it hadn’t been for Aegor’s betrayal, I am confident that we would have held them back.”

- “Yes, but betrayal is essential content of all warfare and Daors is the master of harnessing human desires. He rarely relies only on the brute elements in warfare, on the raw force. His strategy is to try to ensure a victory before the battle occurs. The battle for him often represents just the final act of a well set play he controls. That’s how it was seventeen years ago, that’s how he thinks and works now. Remember: the men on the battlefield are pawns. The cunningness of the horses which skip fields and of the bigheads and the towers that move across the land swiftly resolves the battle to the liking of the lordship. The only way of ensuring a victory is by thinking two steps ahead, at least.”

-“I have heard of the peculiar game of figurines I believe you are referring to. It is remarkable that the Illuminators managed to recreate it from the books of the knowers they recovered. I am glad that the Illuminators are showing a skill only in deciphering and recreating the frivolous games and no true knowledges lately. Their metal and the improved weaponry do give Karos great advantage on the battlefield, regardless of their tactical approach. However, just like the Illuminators, if we are to distract Daors with some less important matters, we could throw him out of balance. We must see how we can do this. I think that we should organize some scattered attacks, just to confuse him.”

- “I agree. Nevertheless, whatever we do, an attack on Nox is imminent and our priority must be organizing the defense of the city. We shall talk of the steps we are to take during a council meeting which we are to hold jointly tomorrow at noon.”

Before all went to rest, Spero invited Yon to his chamber for a short private talk. As Yon was shown his way in by lord Spero’s guards, Spero didn’t waste much time and got straight to the point. “Lord Yon, what is your expectation in this conflict?”

- “Lord Spero, I expect us to prevail with your help and contribution. The events at Baan Senicore have showed us that we can defeat the enemy. We just have to prepare and exploit all their weaknesses.”

- “You know that I support your claim to the throne. You must take the initiative. The people expect you to do that in your father’s name and in your own.”

- “I am aware of that and that I will do. Evil will not prevail.”

- “Let us not forget that darkness often lurks from within. We must not allow it to conquer our hearts. Defeating the enemy is defeating only one kind of darkness. Yon, I will recognize your kingship, but are you ready to recognize Hadera’s right to your bed? Will you wed her? Of course, it should be done at the end of the war. This is no time for marriage ceremonies.”

After a short pause, Yon replied: “I accept. It is a fair agreement and Hadera is more than a fair girl. It is I who benefit in both cases. You are most generous, lord Spero.”

- “All right. We can keep the details of this agreement to ourselves. It can be disclosed once we triumph, with the help of The One. You know, Hadera is a little…sensitive about these matters. By the end of the campaign I am sure you will have won her heart anyways, so the agreement will be easier to execute.”

- “I agree.”

The next day, Yon, Faris and the rest of the Senicoran council were patiently awaiting councilors of Nox in the lord’s judgment chamber. As none were appearing, Faris grew restless. “What does this mean? Have they changed the hour?” Hadera then walked in and standing at the door invited the Senicorans: “Come on, we have a council meeting to attend to!”

- “It’s not here,” Faris asked.

- “No, it is going to be held in a nearby village. My father likes organizing council meetings around the midlands. The council always meets at a different place. It’s good both because of safety reasons - not to have your enemy know where you meet - and it’s good for the morale of the commoners. Sometimes the council would meet in the city square; it would be open to all, to hear how the land is ruled. Of course, it can’t be done now in the time of war.”

- “That’s an interesting concept,” Dokal commented.

Arriving to a nearby village, the party was welcomed by the local host who lead them through the densely built huts to one of the prominent locations, an inn at the opposite end of the village.

The council of Nox was seated around a massive round wooden table. They were mostly raw warriors, most of them with tenths of summers of commanding experience. Three were women – Akari, woman of wisdom, Setha, the commander of the border guard and Qali, councilor on the matters of the northland. As the Senicoran council joined the group, Yon briefly introduced his companions and apologized for their late arrival. Spero spoke first on the subject of war: “My councilors, my fellow Senicorans, it is an honor to have lord Yon, king Yon attend our today’s session. We are all well aware of the situation. The Karosians are knocking at our doors. We have been openly named traitors since we ‘harbor fugitives’ as Daors proclaimed it. However, the prophecies don’t speak in his favor…”

- “My lord, the prophecies don’t speak in anybody’s favor. It is up to us to make them favorable and affirmative for our cause,” Akari interrupted.

- “Precisely so, my dear Akari. We have to make the most out of the situation. Baan Senicore has fallen into the enemy’s hands, but there is little luck in this for Daors. They lost a great number of their soldiers, their horions are severely battered. It will take them several weeks to recuperate, another moon or so to prepare the offensive. This tells us that we have some two moons to prepare for their attack, because they will strike as soon as they reassemble their army. What are we to do?”

- “My lord,” Setha spoke, “we are well aware of the strength of the enemy. Once they mount an attack, the odds will be against us no matter how well we prepare. What we must do is make the most of what we have. We have to enlist all able men.”

- “I agree Setha; there’s a lot we should do. But first, I would like to hear our king Yon. We all would like to hear what he has to say. What does our lord think of the new lord imposter in Baan Senicore? What should we expect from the south and from the north?”

- “As for Baan Senicore, I hear that Aegor has ordered all male villagers of proper age to come to the city. He needs manpower to rebuild the city and to revive its capacities and its trade. If Baan Senicore is to contribute in this war any further, he needs the city functioning as soon as possible and he is aware of it. He will do all he can to impress Daors and to become a permanent lord of a city, Baan Senicore or this one. After all, this is what drove him against us in the first place. Needless to say, bringing villagers to the city is a great gamble. If the war is to last no longer than the next battle, then he could profit from it. However, if the war is to last longer, he will face problems. Having villagers dwell in the city means that the fertile land is unattended. If the land is unattended long enough, there will not be enough food. Hungry subjects mean a lot of trouble for the lord.”

- “So, pretty much all we have to do is reject the attack on Nox and the south will fall?” Qali tried to summarize Yon’s presentation.

- “It’s not going to be all that simple, but it will be a whole lot easier than conquering Karos, that much is sure.”

Faris sat back and, playing with his knife, explained: “The issue here is not what we believe could happen after the battle. What we must do is prepare for the battle. If we want to win, we must explore all options. We must surprise our enemy just like they surprised us with Aegor’s treason. Surprise is the best ally in battle. If Aegor hadn’t betrayed us, my fellow men of the Fraternity would have finished them off. Even when they charged against the odds, they brought more harm to the enemy on the field than we did behind the walls. That’s all just because my comrades managed to surprise the enemy.”

- “Yes, brother, this is an important aspect of the battle and we will have a lot of time to address this matter later on. Another matter we must address is our fallback routes. We have seen in Baan Senicore how important it is to have a backup solution. We don’t have many such options in Nox, do we?”

- “You are right, my king,” Taal, the general of the Nox city guard responded and continued: “Our only escape route is through the Snake’s Throat into the caves which on the other end open up towards the wasteland, the land of the shadow people. The Throat is, as you know, a narrow passage between two mountains set on the western side of the city. It is bordered by steep cliffs on each side. It is spacious at its beginning behind the city walls. It gets narrower and narrower as you approach the caves. Finally, it ends with one small door-like entrance into the caves through which people can enter only one by one. So, it would be a slow fallback. Even if we make it to the caves, the caves themselves are made of tenths of intertwined paths and finding a way out is tricky business. On the other side of the caves lies the wasteland, land of the shadow people. That is not a place where you want to find yourself looking for shelter.”

- “All right, this means that both the army and the commoners can’t exit through it. Besides, only grim faith awaits all who enter the land of the shadow people, so there is not much fortune in going there regardless of all. We must consider alternatives, especially for the army which will be the prime target, although they won’t spare the commoners either. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, but we have to deal with this matter efficiently. It will take up a lot of our preparation time,” Yon concluded on the matter.

- “We must reorganize our defenses. The enemy is ruthless and so must we be. Mercy is a weakness and none may we show for none we will get. The enemy will exploit our mercy and turn it against us. This is what I told my siegers in the first battle and we must repeat this to all. It is good that many of the siegers have survived. We must remember one more thing: the enemy will also learn from their mistakes and they won’t repeat them once again. We must act accordingly. They must be smashed at our walls just like the waves of the sea smash against the towering cliffs, for this battle will be decisive, one way or the other,” Hadera spoke her mind.

- “I couldn’t agree more. The siegers gave an impressive display of their skill in Baan Senicore. I have no doubt that they will do the same once again,” Yon added, much to Hadera’s liking.

After all councilors exchanged their thoughts, the meeting was adjourned.

The next day, Yon woke up in his room feeling exhausted from the experiences of the previous days. After having a modest breakfast, he walked out. Other senior officers were already at their positions. Hadera was yelling at the siegers who were adjusting the catapults and estimating the firing distance. Darion was overlooking the movement of the few troops outside, practicing for one of the possible scenarios. Faris was pointing outwards and explaining something to Spero. Masons were reinforcing the walls at the gates. He approached his brother and hugged him: “What do you think Faris, can we pull it off?”

- “I think we can, but we need some help.”

- “What did you have in mind,” Daors asked Faris.

- “I’m not sure. Maybe we could check with the Dabors, maybe we can pursue them to help us.”

- “No, there’s no way that’s going to happen,” Yon said, keeping Faris’s hopes low, “not much can you expect much from those small, hairy creatures.”

- “Well, that’s just about what all your girlfriends looked like and you didn’t seem to mind,” Faris snapped back at him with the joke.

- “Oh, that’s inappropriate. That’s a very inappropriate thing to say to a king,” Yon responded in a cheerful tone while looking around. All others looked aside as they battled to suppress laughter.

Just at that instant, a voice from the watchtower came: “Rider!” As all looked over the wall, they could see a rider dressed in red, the horse beneath him galloping towards the gates. “Open the gate!” Spero shouted the order. The bunch was obviously very eager to find out who the mysterious red rider was. As he rode in rich red robes, there was something unusual about him. It was a pale man with extremely smooth skin. He appeared to be in his early fifties. He looked around, taking off the gloves: “I ask for the king!”

Surprisingly, the two guards who approached the man took him to Yon right away, without asking a single question. As he climbed up the stairs, he came straight to Yon, although none of the guards told him which one of the men was Yon.

- “I am Axion. I have come to join your cause,” the man spoke without saluting the king or giving any other introduction.

- “Who’s Axion,” a soldier accompanying Darion asked.

- “Oh, shit! We just got the leverage we needed!” was Faris’s answer.

Axion is one of the three prophecizers. He is known as Axion the Tamer. All three of the prophecizers had certain specific skills. Although the prophecizers would come out of the Tower of Five Fires only on rare occasions, they all had a reputation. His was that of being the tamer. Axion was called the Tamer because he was said to have a skill of almost seducing and hypnotizing people and lowering their alertness. The other two were Valir the Healer and Thyon the Empowerer. Valir, as the name said, had special healing skills and Thyon had been known to project great energy onto others, making people more endurable, powerful or skilled in whatever way. Of course, all of these names were more attached to a myth than to experience, as few were known ever to see a prophecizer, let alone to experience any kind of interaction with them.

Yon was clearly shocked by what he had just heard, just like all others were, but he managed to sober up and respond: “Axion, you say? What proof do you have to support your claim?”

- “I need no proof; I am Axion the Healer, one of the three of the Chosen, barer of knowledge of the time to be. If you are a true king you will know that I tell the truth.”

- “Yes, indeed. You are Axion. I remember seeing you as a child,” Yon confirmed the man’s claims. “What brings you here? What made you come here?”

- “Your just cause. Triumph of the darkness must not be allowed. Lies, deception and blinding ambition have become Daors’s closest companions. I could not stay there and calmly watch the destiny unravel.”

- “Are you saying that your arrival means that we will win the war? ” Darion asked the man.

- “No. My arrival means that I am with you. The two other prophecizers remain in Karos. I cannot tell who shall win. Future is a riddle. We, the prophecizers, can only see outcomes as vague dreams, shattered pieces of an image which the destiny is to assemble.”

- “All right. With what purpose do you join us then? ” Hadera asked openly.

- “It is yet to be seen. I am merely playing my part in the story set before us by The One. I heard destiny call me to come here, just as loud as my heart spoke of the same. Destiny will reveal its intentions when the time comes.”

Spero then invited Axion to go inside with them: “Axion, please join us in my chambers. That’s the proper place to continue our conversation.”

As the group entered the chamber, the servants rushed to prepare the seat and the table for the unexpected guest.

- “Noble Axion the Chosen, why do you join us now?” Spero asked the man.

- “For long enough I have wrestled with my demons. I didn’t choose the time; the time chose me. For seventeen summers a fire had been burning inside me. Since the time when Valir and Thyon outvoiced me on the matter of the destiny of the noble king Damius had I wondered of the destiny which lies ahead and of redemption it would offer. Finally, the moment has come.”

- “It is great encouragement to all of us, nevertheless,” Yon commented. Darion, however, wasn’t all that pleased with the answers. He wanted to see if there was any practical use of the man’s support: “But, you are called the Tamer. Could you, let’s say, in case of an enemy attack, stop their attack and hypnotize them?”

- “No, I’m afraid not,” said Axion with a smile on his face and continued: “We can apply our skills individually, and the effect is always temporary. I cannot tame an army, unfortunately. I can’t tame anyone, for the matter of fact, unless the subject has the power to control itself within it.”

- “What news do you bring us from Karos, noble Axion the Chosen?” Akari asked for practical information, trying to make the most out of Axion’s arrival.

- “The emotions are mixed in Karos. Generally, the population supports Daors. What causes unrest are Koprites and their argorites who roam about. The people are not used to that. There have been several incidents involving straightwalkers and Koprites but Daors doesn’t allow it to get out. Several lords had favored Yon. I know that they were willing to openly proclaim their affiliation upon Yon’s arrival to the high council meeting which sadly never occurred. Daors played the game wisely. He didn’t even ask for their support in the campaign on Baan Senicore. After he has taken over the city, now they are all more than willing to offer their services to Daors for the upcoming campaign. That includes even those who were most inclined towards supporting the Kulins. You know, everybody wants to be on the winning side and at the moment their estimate is that Daors is that man. The lords are not to be blamed. After all, Daors controls everything but the small part of midlands. Even the Xelons and the Dabors who control large pieces of land in the midlands are loyal to the realm. For them, the center of the realm is Karos, you know that better than I do. However, Daors is very angry with Tibor. He sent him to the dungeon for disobeying his orders at Baan Senicore. Little is known about the destiny of his younger son Damius. He hasn’t been seen with the king, although he left with him to Baan Senicore. I sense that he is still alive, but far away. He might be at sea.”

- “At sea, why?” Faris asked.

- “I don’t know. Aegor has been promoted as the new lord, as you all know. He always thought he was done injustice because you were delegated as lords of Baan Senicore and not him, the eldest of the Kulins at the time.”

- “I wasn’t aware of his jealousy,” Yon commented, looking surprised at what he heard.

- “Few were. Now, he is finally a city lord. He has support even with some of the Illuminators, or so I have heard and sensed. Who knows what will become of him. There is a possibility that few of the Illuminators will support you, king Yon. They are loyal Karosians before all, but I sense some struggle there, too. Whatever occurs, always be alert and never fully trust them. Knowledge is blessing, but knowledge is power too.”

- “When we take Karos all will get what they justly deserve, I swear. Justice will be executed even if it was my father on the other side,” Yon vowed before them all.

Faris grabbed his hand: “Be cautious my brother. Tomorrow, if we win, they will be your subjects. You can’t treat them like enemies! Not all are the same. Besides, we are far from defending ourselves here. Having Axion with us is great but let us not get excited over our heads here. It is us who are pinned down in a single city, not the alliance. We can’t just hope that the favorable outcome will occur. Destiny is fulfilled not by itself, but with the deeds of men.”

- “Let me worry about that, brother. The destiny is ours to take,” Yon spoke confidently. Axion observed saying nothing.

- “Thank you for the information you shared with us, wise Axion. We can continue in the afternoon, after the lunch, if you’re not too tired?” Spero proposed.

- “The Chosen are not familiar with the concept of tiredness, and we eat very little as well. I will be ready when you are ready.”

- “All right, Faris and Yon will of course be joining us, as well as Hadera. We might even do some hunting, what do you say?”

- “It sounds like a most welcome distraction from everyday work,” Yon welcomed the proposal. Before they could finish, a horn was sounded. The horn generally announced arrival of the enemy at the city gates, so Yon, Spero and others were more than surprised.

“What’s happening,” Spero asked one of the guards who were guarding the entrance to his tower.

- “A Sciprian. It seems to be a single rider. He is at the gate. Our marksmen have him laying on the ground targeted. They are waiting for your order.”

- “Bring him in. He might be lost. Maybe we can get some useful information from him.”

As two guards brought in the man who was shouting, he seemed awfully familiar to Faris. One of the guards punched the Sciprian in the stomach and, as he bent over, his helmet fell off his head.

- “Stop!” Faris yelled, running towards the man. He grabbed the man’s cheeks with his hands and exclaimed with joy: “Maedur, my dear Maedur, you are alive!”

The two hugged. The guards stepped back.

- “Who is this man, Faris?” Spero asked.

- “He is Maedur, my right-arm’s-man!”

Exhausted, Maedur was taken in. Given food, he showed great skill in devouring large amounts of it in short time. Faris just observed him. After he noticed that his assistant had slowed down, Faris asked: “What are you doing wearing a Sciprian uniform?”

- “My lord, when all others left Baan Senicore, I stayed behind. A piece of rock hit me in the head as enemy catapult projectile hit a nearby building. When I woke up, I saw tenths of Sciprians, Septors and Koprites charging, running over dead bodies and over the debris. In the commotion that followed, I just grabbed a helmet of a dead Sciprian and put in on my head. I stepped aside and I managed to get my hands on a piece of Sciprian body armor too. Then I simply slipped out of the city unnoticed.”

- “Today seems to be a great day for us. First we got Axion and now you’re back!”

- “Yes, Axion told us of the news from the north. It would be useful if you could tell us more about what has been happening in the south since the fall of Baan Senicore,” Spero said leaning forward, eager to hear more news.

- “Well, I can tell you that Daors had expected the war to end in Baan Senicore. He’s very angry with Tibor for not listening to him. He threw him into a dungeon for several days because he didn’t wait for the drifters.”

- “The drifters?” Yon said.

- “Yes. Didn’t you hear? Daors had made an arrangement with all the major drifter captains. They were supposed to keep you docked. In return, they would ransack the city first. But Tibor struck too early, before the drifters could assemble a fleet and reach the city. They were very angry when they got to Baan Senicore and realized that the city had already been looted by the alliance troops. The rumor has it that after he sent his younger son to renegotiate the terms with the drifters, their captains skinned the boy. The others say that he was taken prisoner by the drifters.”

- “I think the second option is more likely,” Yon added. Faris then invited Maedur to join them in the afternoon ride, but not before he answered the question about the state of the enemy troops, which Hadera demanded to hear.

- “Well, they lost many men. The attack of the Fraternity was the most severe, along with siegers ripping them apart at the walls. They lost many, but they still have just as many. Also, it is said that they will be joined by new Koprite hordes soon. Many of the horions are injured, too. They are said to be recuperating at some nearby locations. Daors is said to have paid for the best healers in the land to do the job properly and fast enough to have them join the campaign in the midlands.”

- “And what has been of our brothers, Maedur,” Faris asked nervously.

- “Almost all died at the battlefield. However, few managed to get away, along with the older members who stayed at the premises. Aegor is hunting them down but our men know how to hide. He is also retaliating by killing the families of our brothers. Many have left their homes and are hiding in the woods and in the caves.”

- “We will let you eat now, boy. We’ll talk more in the afternoon,” Spero concluded.

That afternoon, as the riders set off into the woods and the fields of the midlands, a breath of hope could be felt in the air. The group stooped at a small creek, allowing their horses to drink some water. They sat down on the grass. By this time, Hadera had already caught a hare and Yon got a bird of some kind. Faris opened up the discussion: “You know, yesterday at the council, we started talking about our options. We must find them; we must find Daors’s weaknesses.”

- “We all agree, but what can we do now, brother?”

- “I don’t know, but just those damn horions seem to do enough to defeat an enemy. Those hunchback creatures.”

Axion then got involved: “Hunchback? Oh, no, the hunches you see are not the flesh of the horions. Those are riders laying on their bellies on horions’ backs. They are covered with one unified coating of armor so they seem to be a hunch on the back of the creature. They control the creatures and direct them. They are specially trained Koprites, the best of them.”

- “Wait, so you’re saying that horions don’t strike on impulse but they actually have jockeys,” Hadera spoke in disbelief.

- “Something like that, yes. However, once in the air they are a lethal tool. Nothing can be done about it.” Faris thought about what he just heard. After a couple of moments, he turned to Maedur: “They are a lethal tool in the air, indeed. But on the ground…Maedur, didn’t you say that the animals are recuperating somewhere?”

- “Yes, but no one knows where and who are the healers who tend them.”

Faris took a pause, stood up and looking all excited he turned towards Yon and Spero: “Yes, they are getting the best attention they could. Think about it people. At which place can you find everything as long as you can pay for it, from ships to horion healers?”

- “Venegor! ” Spero said raising his voice.

- “Yes, Venegor!”

- “So, what are you suggesting my brother?”

- “I suggest that we go there and eliminate the threat!”

- “We can’t do that. We barely got out of Venegor alive the first time. We can’t send an army back there! We would leave Nox virtually unprotected.”

- “I am not suggesting we send an army. Only few men can do the job. I would lead them. I know my way around that area. I often went to the Venegor market and traded the goods on behalf of the Fraternity. We would sneak in, terminate the beasts and their masters and we would get out before they know it!”

- “The animals are kept in large round metal containers. That’s the only way to keep them from destroying everything around them. They only allow the riders to come near; I have witnessed this in Karos. The healers must be tending them accompanied by the riders and they need lots of space to be contained in. I don’t think we’ll have much trouble locating them, if they are in Venegor. Of course, I should be going too. After all, I do have the skill of calming down creatures. It might just work with the horions as well. I probably wouldn’t be able to keep them appeased for long, but if I do succeed…even if it gives us a couple of seconds, it might be just enough time to kill them,” Axion again provided useful insight. Yon, however, wasn’t supportive.

- “We must not get carried away. You said it yourself, Faris. Going into the enemy territory to steal the horions is nuts! You’ll die. It’s not a simple task. If it is to be done, then we all must play a part. I suggest that Darion and I lead another group which could create a diversion in the harbor. While the city will have their eyes turned towards the harbor, you can finish off the horions.”

- “First of all, we won’t steal them, we’ll kill them and, second of all, we won’t get killed. No one will be expecting us there. This is not about me feeling lucky or carried away by the arrivals of Maedur and Axion. We must do this if we want to stand a chance in battle. We have the opportunity to eliminate the most fearsome threat. We must seize it!”

Hadera made the final proposal: “Second of all, your idea of a diversion is not too bad either, but it has to be a small mobile group. You must be able to slip out of the harbor before anyone realizes what had happened. I will go with you, too. My sieger skills can be of help in preparing the distraction.”

All agreed that the plan should be executed in the manner proposed. They were to send few insurgents first to locate the horions. Two small groups of ten, led by Faris and Axion on one side, and by Hadera and Yon on the other, are to do their part then.

- “It is essential that we keep this secret,” Hadera commented. Yon and Spero looked at each other, as this statement reminded them of another secret arrangement they had made recently.

- “Then it is agreed. Tomorrow we will go about our business as usual,” Spero said, getting back on his horse.

- “And we will discuss the possibility of finding new allies,” Faris added.

- “What new allies, brother?”

- “Well, just look around us; possibilities are everywhere – the Dabors, the Xelons, even the shadow people.”

- “Ha-ha-ha-ha! You really are crazy my brother, do you know that? Maybe, just maybe after you return, we will discuss the matter, but don’t get your hopes too high!”