I don’t know how to describe this. This night I was in Eresath, walking around the centre square observing the patterns of power around me for pulses. Three or four pulses passed by me and disappeared before I had the time to react. The fifth I was more successful. From the distance it came towards me and just as it passed, I placed my hand on the line of power it was surging through. And it took me across the ocean

“Let us begin with a simple question,” queen Saliha said expressionless. “What is your name?”

Kneeling in the middle of the throne room surrounded by some of the most important people in Odera, the man did not seem fazed. He had regained his confidence and arrogance once the shock of his capture had faded and was grinning. If wickedness could take the form of a man, Samos considered, it would look and act like this one.

He licked his lips. “I am called Cahen, oh noble queen. At your service, whichever service that might be.” His sly wink gave sufficient hint on the kind of service he was implying.

Queen Saliha did not react to the provocation, remaining regal without losing eye contact. “Where do you come from? Your features make you a Masenian, but the accent is lost on me.”

“I was born in Masenis,” Cahen confirmed, “but I was raised in San Masori after pirates kidnapped me from my parents.” His grin widened. “Best day of my life when they took me away.”

“And why is that?” the queen insisted.

Cahen laughed. “Life was boring, your majesty. Not that the likes of you would understand, but the day I was mercilessly thrown into the adventure called living, was the day I was really born.”

Samos turned to Ralph, the two of them standing at the side of the throne room, invisible to Cahen. “Why the casual questions?” he whispered. “How is this helping us discover who the Warbringer is?”

“The queen’s making him feel comfortable,” the answer came. “Cahen might think he’s just having a casual conversation, but every answer he gives is a piece of information that can be used. Cahen doesn’t strike me like the type of person to see through her true purpose. He’s a man of action, the true meaning of words is wasted on him.”

The interrogation continued. “You became a pirate then?” queen Saliha inquired.

“Not immediately,” Cahen admitted. “They had me working the docks of San Marino for a while. When I turned sixteen, they finally allowed me to join their crew.”

“They?”

“Captain Aramos,” he answered, causing a few murmurs around the room.

“How long did you sail with Aramos?”

“About fifteen years, your majesty. Right up until I met him three years ago.”

“Him?” the queen asked, leaning forward in anticipation, showing emotion for the first time. “The Warbringer?”

Cahen nodded. “We were on a raid in Cartna Bay. Fifteen ships, your majesty, we thought we were invincible. But all it took was one man.” He glanced to his side, his eyes suddenly staring right at Ralph. “One Son’Sha.”

Ralph gave no reaction. “Lies,” was all he said. “There has been no Son’Sha but me in the last hundred years.”

Cahen snickered. “Correct,” he admitted. “But then again, you Son’Sha can live exceptionally long. No, my dear Son Aëron, the Warbringer is someone you know, at least by name.”

Samos could hear but a whisper of a name escape Ralph’s lips, his eyes widened in shock.

“Ethel…” the whisper came and Cahen laughed aloud. All eyes were fixed on either Cahen or Ralph now.

“Lord Aëron,” the queen insisted, “do you know who this madman is talking about?”

Ralph nodded and stepped forward into the middle of the room, facing Cahen. They locked eyes for a brief moment before Ralph turned towards the queen.

“Over a century ago, there lived a man called Ethel Hallwell. He was the nineteenth Son’Sha, my predecessor if you will. He was loved by many, but his ideologies and worldviews were twisted. He believed mankind could only progress through war, using the growth of the Order following the defeat of Gherald the Traitor as an example.

“He was eventually cast out of the Order after trying to ignite several wars using the Order’s influence. He departed from Eresath and as far as I’m aware, that was the last the world ever saw of him. Many believe him to be dead, but there had never been any proof of that. If we can believe the words we have just heard from Cahen, it appears that Ethel is still alive and finally setting his plans in motion.”

The throne room grew silent. Many, including Samos, had no idea who this Ethel Hallwell was. But if he was indeed a Son’Sha, and over a hundred years old apparently, then things were looking grim.

Cahen chuckled. “One by one he took our ships out, jumping from one deck to the other, only killing those who attacked him. Aramos fled the scene before Ethel would have the chance to board his flagship. So far for the bravery of one of the ten great pirate lords.

“I only looked on in amazement, in awe of the sheer power his man put on display. Those of us who still lived once he was done were given the chance to join him, which I did in a heartbeat. He trained me, unleashing the power that had been lying dormant inside of me all those years. He’s the one who granted me true freedom.”

“Killing innocent people on his command is your idea of true freedom?” the queen asked in a despicable tone.

Cahen shrugged. “I made my choice to follow and obey him. I’ve killed innocents before. The strong survive, the weak die. It’s how the world works.” The sheer factual tone he spoke with made Samos realize this man truly believed what he said.

“All that to get to me,” Ralph remarked. “All this effort. Why?”

“As I told you before,” Cahen sighed. “You’re dangerous. Probably the most dangerous person in the realm right now. The way you captured me proofs that plenty.”

Samos felt as Cahen was holding something back, but could not think of what that could be. Ralph squatted down, coming face to face with Cahen. Not a sound was heard as they locked eyes, silently staring at one another. One with a wicked grin, the other solemn and calm.

Ralph’s lips moved in a whisper. Involuntarily, Samos enhanced his ears and the words reached him.

“It’s not me he’s after.”

The words resounded clear as day in Samos’ ears, but besides him and Cahen nobody had heard them. Cahen’s grin only widened in acknowledgement of Ralph’s conclusion. Ralph stood up and turned to face the queen, his eyes resting on Samos for a split moment.

“If this man it to be believed and the Warbringer is indeed Ethel Hallwell,” he began loud enough for the entire room to hear, “then I must insist that no action is taken just yet. No doubt he has gathered many powerful men and women during all those years of hiding and no force, no matter how great, will be able to take them on without the sufficient support of the Order.

“I will relay this same message to the other kingdoms of Odera and Titrith as fast as I can. We need a united army and fleet consisting of enough Enhancer, Sealers and Healers to counter the forces that Ethel has gathered. This will take a long time. I must ask you to be patient.”

With that, he bowed to the queen and made for the exit, motioning Samos to follow him, murmurs trailing them as they left the throne room.

“Go get Yara and Faye,” he instructed the moment they were out of hearing range. “Meet me in my room.”

Ralph nodded and went running, wondering if he should tell Ralph he had heard the whisper he had spoken to Cahen.

¥

Minutes later the three of them found themselves facing Ralph at his desk. Yara and Faye were obviously still shaken by the events that had transpired only hours ago, their expressions solemn.

Ralph placed a small chest on his desk and eyed the three of them. “I called the three of you here because I need the strongest Sealers I can find and you three are the only ones I can trust without a doubt.” Yara and Faye shuffled uncomfortably, not sure if to feel praised or confused.

He took out four leather wraps. “What we’re about to do is known to be possible only to a very few select people. If the council at Eresath found out I was showing this to you, there would certainly be repercussions, Son’Sha or not.” He unravelled the contents of the leather wraps, showing four small, purple rocks that were glowing softly.

“Taen…” Samos whispered and Ralph nodded. The worth of those four small rocks could buy an entire estate, Samos knew.

“Each of these four rocks is linked to a counterpart with a Connection seal I placed on it and binded off. If I were to reduce one of these rocks to ashes, its counterpart on the other side of the realm would do the same. Instead of destroying them though, we’re going to use them to relay a message.

“I will speak the message out loud and we will capture the sound using an Entrapment seal. Normally, this would be far beyond your current level, but with the aid of the taen rocks this will work. Once you’ve caught the sound, you will send the seal through the taen towards it counterpart.”

“Where are the counterparts?” Faye asked, her face showing uncertainty on whether this would work or not.

“The closest one is in Paros,” Ralph answered. “That one will be Samos’ task as it will require the least effort and he is currently furthest behind with his Sealer training.”

It didn’t sound reproachable and Samos understood. Yara and Faye were way better than him at forming and controlling seals.

“The second one goes to Acir, capital of Masenis. That will be Faye’s task. The third one is yours Yara, to Sikama of the Triut Dreyn. I will take care of the fourth one, the one linked to Idaphin, capital of the Asatori Empire.”

“How will they know to be ready for a message?” Yara inquired.

“They will know,” the answer came. “The moment we connect two stones, they will start glowing brightly. The time it takes for the message to arrive will be sufficient for them to prepare. They have someone watching the stone day and night.”

Something about his answer peaked Samos’ interest. “Time?” he asked. “How long will it take us?”

Ralph shrugged. “Depends on the distance of course, and how powerful you are. Ready?”

He eyed the three of them and they nodded. One by one, they were handed a piece of taen. It felt warm in his hands, filling him with a sensation similar to the tingle before a fight. Similar to his sword, Samos felt the taen pulling on him, drawing his power in as if it fed on it.

“Ready your Entrapment seals,” Ralph instructed. They sat down and held up their arms, palms forward aimed at Ralph who did the same. With a nod, he gave the signal to begin.

Without the taen, Samos had no doubt he would never be able to form a seal of this level. Yet when the moment came and he formed the word in his mind, the warmth of the little rock in his other hand increased and power filled him as if it was drawing from the earth itself.

White lines formed before him, circling around each other until they took the shape of a circular cage. In the corner of his eye, he could see Yara and Faye form the same seal.

“This is a message from Ralph Aëron, Twentieth Son’Sha of the Order,” Ralph began. Instinctively, Samos pulled the sound into his cage. To his amazement, thin white lines, barely visible to even a trained eye, floated through the air and made their way to the four cages as they split.

Ralph continued. “The lost Son’Sha Ethel Hallwell has gained control over the pirate fleets of Nokoroy and has laid siege to Eresath. Please do not engage this fleet, the Order will gather and unite the forces needed to confront this assault. Alone, you are not powerful enough to face this threat. Be patient.”

It was silent for a brief moment. When the last of the lines were caught, Ralph spoke again. Only one word this time.

“Send.” He whispered and his rock of taen exploded in purple light.

Not wasting any time, Samos gripped his own rock tighter and somehow sent the Entrapment seal into it. In an instant, it sucked the seal in and the same purple light erupted from the small piece. Samos closed his eyes, blinded by the sudden flare.

The moment he closed his eyes, the world changed. He was no longer Samos, no longer a human person. He was power. And he was moving. Fast.

He raced across the dusty fields of Ashana, leaving Sandos behind in less than a minute. Over barren hills and brown slopes he went, absorbing his surroundings as they passed by him in an instant. Slowly, the earth around him grew greener, grass replacing dirt slowly but steadily.

He crossed a river. Had he swam across it or simply floated above? It didn’t matter, the concept of swimming was non-existent to him now anyway.

The mountains that had been visible far to his left began to grow closer, their peaks reaching into the skies above them, trying to prick through the clouds floating above them. The human that Samos had once been knew these were the Owein Heights. Somewhere on those slopes the Second Swords lived, working their legendary forges to create blades like the one he used to wield.

A grand port came into view and even though it looked beautiful in the setting sun, Samos knew it wasn’t important now. North he was called and north he went.

For what felt like ages, the mountains continued to accompany him on his journey. The shadows were growing longer, the sun disappearing behind their ominous peaks. Three more rivers he crossed until he felt like his destination was nearing.

Another city came into view, its walls high and mighty. The bells hanging in the guard towers reflected the last rays of sunlight onto the fields below them. The gates were closing, but Samos knew it would not stop him to reach his destination.

Gates were made to stop humans. He was human no more.

As he reached the city, time seemed to slow. Without warning, the city faded away as did the roads any every other manmade structure he could see. The landscape changed. The grass grew more present and trees appeared everywhere. The coastline came into view and in the bay drifted three ships. A sloop was let down and about ten men boarded it, sailing to towards the coast where the docks of the city were supposed to be.

Samos neared the men as they made land. They looked around as if they had never seen the place before.

“This is it, Owein,” one of the men said to their captain, who nodded.

“Definitely. It will begin here.”

The men faded and the city and all its structures re-appeared. Samos was pulled back, he had gone too far. Through the city he raced, people ignoring him as he turned corner after corner until finally he made his way into the palace.

Without hesitation he traversed the palace corridors and hallways, knowing exactly where to go. Finally, he burst into a room full of people, all gathered around a small, purple rock that was placed on a small stand. Its glow almost blinded him. Knowing what to do, he touched the rock.

With a blink and a sudden turn of his stomach, Samos found himself back in his own body in Ralph’s study. He jumped up away from the desk and moved to the side, where he bent over and emptied his stomach in an empty bucket.

Yara, Faye and Ralph still sat with their eyes closed. Were they making the same journey he had just experienced? His head spun trying to comprehend what he had just gone through. He hadn’t felt human. He had been power. He had travelled to Paros and delivered a message to the king there.

Where those people there now, listening to Ralph’s message? It seemed impossible yet it had just happened to him. And why had the city disappeared for a moment? Who were those men with the ships?

And who was Ethel really after?