As the loud male entered Sada exchanged a calculating look with Amon. “Wearing robes, makes a dramatic entrance, gives me a slight hint of insanity, must be a mage.” He said as he took another bite of fish. “Have you figured out what kind of herbs they use? This fish is delicious.” Gilroy and the other one stood up and walked over to the mage. “You’re keeping an eye on him?” Lapidos nodded. “If he’s going to pull a knife I will put one of my own in him faster than he can chant.” Sada nodded, repressing the urge to lay her hand on her sword hilt.

“If he starts casting don’t hesitate. Amon, you take the leader’s bodyguard, I will vanquish the big one out myself.” As she spoke her eyes went over the crowd. There were no real warriors there, but her eyes lingered on the youth that had been staring at her all through the meeting. He was smaller, but he looked a lot like the leader of this village. “Is he going to be trouble?” Amon asked as he pretended to fully be focused on the fish in front of him. “I think he is the son of the leader. If I take the leader out he might retaliate.”

Amon glanced upwards briefly, before turning his attention to the tankard in his hand. “He’s no match for you. He’s muscled, but his hands lack signs of swordsmanship. These people have no real warriors among them.” He calmly took a sip. “This stuff is really good, we need to assimilate this people as soon as possible, their food culture alone is worth having to look at their ugly furry heads.” As the mage, the leader and his bodyguard approached the table the three Visius tensed, but they sat down in front of them.

The three men had a short conversation which didn’t seem all that friendly. The mage then introduced himself with exaggerated gestures as William Soles. “Two names? Fancy.” Amon casually remarked. The mage’s head snapped towards Amon and Sada didn’t like the look in the man’s eyes. The strange eyes of the natives were hard to read, but this man’s hatred for them was clear. The mage turned back to Sada and started talking. She just shook her head. The mage nodded, then started talking again. This time however it sounded differently. Not that she could understand him, but she got what he was tying to do and shook her head again.

The process repeated itself four more times, but each time she shook her head. The mage threw his hands up in frustration and barked something towards the leader. The fur on Gilroy’s face moved downwards, which was a fascinating display, and he growled a response. The two men stared angrily at each other until the mage was brought a drink, which he downed. “Angry creature, this mage. Might be the madness induces rage in him. A mage I served with suffered from the same problem.” Lapidos calmly said.

Ɏ

“You have no clue what they’re talking about.” William Soles said, angrily. Gilroy sighed. “Your hatred for them is unfounded. So far, they’ve been nothing but polite.” William shook his head. “You’re a fool Gilroy, you haven’t been out in the world. Foreigners with swords are never a good sign and these aren’t even real people. Have you looked at them? They’re monsters!” The tense atmosphere was back and everyone around the table was uncomfortable. “I agree, they look a little different from us, but we’ve been drinking and eating with them and they’re not bad people.”

William let out a harsh laugh. “So, you had a drink with them and now you trust your boy to be in the same room.” He smirked at Thomas. “Gilroy you’re naïve. These creatures are already plotting how they’re going to take down each and everyone of us. You should have kept your family at home, where they will at least have a chance of hiding.” Gilroy frowned. “William, if you’re going to be like this I’m going to ask you to leave. We have guests and your hostility is making them uncomfortable.”

The sun priest looked up, a haunted look in his eyes. “We should send them away now Gilroy and call for the army. Had you seen what I’ve seen, you wouldn’t hesitate.” He stood up and cast another look at the assembled people. “Mark my words ladies and gentlemen, this won’t end well. Our holy emperor once thought that it wouldn’t have consequences to leave a mercenary army within the capital and many paid the ultimate price for that mistake.” With a flourish of his robes the priest left the tavern.

“I guess the temple isn’t going to be busy this Sunday.” Steve casually remarked as the door was slammed shut in William’s wake. “You know, I’ve always felt pity for that man’s wife and son.” Gilroy’s eyes were scanning the assembled crowd for reactions, but there seemed little sympathy for William’s position. The sun priest wasn’t a beloved figure in the village. “Imagine having to share a name with that twat, poor boy.” Steve said as he downed his own mug.

Gilroy turned back to his guests, who had been very quiet throughout the whole thing. “I ehm, am sorry for this situation.” He accented his words with hand gestures and the riders seemed to understand. The one with the injured face made a few gestures of his own, which Gilroy didn’t catch, followed by one he did understand. He grinned and nodded. “What did the one with the fucked up mug say? I wasn’t paying attention.” Steve said, as he not so subtly tried to check out Sada. “He asked me if William had all his ducks in a row.” Steve snorted. “What did you say?” Gilroy arched his eyebrows. “What do you think?”

Outside William shivered. The robes weren’t as thick as he would like them to be and it was getting cold. Quickly he made his way to his house were a warm hearth awaited him. As he turned the key in the lock something distracted him. From the corner of his eye he saw something move. He turned around. There was nobody there. “Must have been my imagination.” He mumbled. He opened the door, but then froze. The thing he had seen moving, wasn’t on the ground. A shiver ran down his spine. He didn’t want to look up. He had learned during the war that if you opened your eyes to the truth all the time you would go mad. Better to lock some memories and sights far away. Better to not see those sights at all.

Slowly he pushed the door open the warmth inside greeting him. He heard his wife sing in the kitchen. She always sung when she cleaned. It was one of the many things he loved about her. If he looked up he would have to leave her behind to go report what he had seen in the capital. If he looked up he would lose this, at least for a time. He stepped inside and locked the door behind him. Sometimes it was better not to see.

Ɏ

A few hours later the Visius rose from their side of the table. Many words had been exchanged between the villagers and the strangers, few of which had been understood. Both sides however felt that something had been accomplished. “William was talking from his arse. These are a fine people.” Steve slurred, leaning heavily on Gilroy as they walked after the straight backed Visius. Outside salutes were exchanged, followed by good natured laughter as Lapidos stumbled over his own feet.

“Where are the guards?” Sada asked as they made their way towards their camp. “I send them away when we started drinking. I saw no reason to keep them around.” Amon answered. The drink was making Sada feel warm and comfortable and she just nodded. “Speaking about drinking, where did that bottle of kepach come from lieutenant?” The words were earnest, but her tone betrayed that she didn’t truly care. After all, the exchange of gifts was a good way to establish a friendly relationship with the locals.

“Not to worry captain, I’ve been sanctioned by command to carry a bottle with me on account of my injuries.” Amon casually said. An awkward silence fell over the three officers. It was only lifted by sentries challenging them. “Do you want to debrief now captain?” Lapidos asked, a slight slur in his voice. Sada looked at him, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “Tomorrow at dawn lieutenant, don’t be late.” Lapidos made a slightly sloppy salute, unlike his regular crispness and took his leave.

Amon chuckled. “He’s going to feel that in the morning.” They were standing in front of Sada’s yurt. She looked up at him. He was still handsome, even with his injuries, but things weren’t like they used to be. They were no longer students, fooling around in the halls of the academy. And yet, he lingered. She slowly raised her hand, but before she could touch him he saluted stiffly. “If that is all captain?” He asked as she lowered her hand. “Yes, that is all.” She turned around and marched into her yurt, which was in more than one way quite empty.

Ɏ

General Benroy smiled as the cold wind cut into is face. This high up in the sky he felt truly at peace. It reminded him of his ancestral home, Araram. The unreachable sky fortress which his great grandfather had built before the conquest. However, it wasn’t just the joy of flying Iskar that caused his good mood. He leaned forwards in the saddle to affectionally pet Iskar below the wyvern’s eye, where the skin was scale less. “We’re going to expose Yifat’s little secret tonight.” He said to the beast. It didn’t understand him of course, but it could sense its master’s good mood and released a wave of heat from its mouth.

Yifat was arrogant to believe that nobody would find out about her claiming territory for herself. Stupid too. In her position he would have reported the existence of the natives immediately and claim the right of first battle. Then again, back on Camerak Yifat’s family didn’t hold any proper territory, so her greediness wasn’t strange. He sneered. Lower nobility, disgusting. Filth without proper bloodlines that crept up the moment you turned your back. The old queen at least had understood that. Queen Yeshara should have purged the noble ranks when she ascended to the throne, like her mother had.

His nostrils flared as his anger built up inside of him. He should have been given the honour of leading this campaign. It was thanks to him that the civil war had ended in the crown’s favour. It was his wyverns who had opened the way to Kerach. He had accomplished where Yifat had failed. His soldiers were the first to have breached Kerach’s walls since the city was built. His brother had personally put Mordechai in chains. But instead of being awarded for his glorious success the new queen had been persuaded by the lies of Kerach’s lord and now he was forced to follow that traitor’s orders.

Iskar shivered as the rage of his master poured over him. Benroy breathed in deeply, trying to bring tranquillity back to his thoughts. A sharp mind was a commander’s greatest weapon and sharp minds weren’t ruled by emotions. Yes, his situation was unjust, but sadly that was the nature of life. He would have his chance when the crownlands were established. Already he had grasped what others hadn’t. This world was vast, far bigger than Camerak, which could be circumnavigated in sixty days on wyvern’s back. He would conquer territories twice as big as the ones his family currently held.

But, first things first. He had to shut that incompetent upstart up. He spurred Iskar on and they increased in speed. The wyvern was going to eat a month’s supply of food for today’s journey, but that was acceptable. As they flew over mountain chains and valleys the anger bled out of him. Apart from his family and their vassals very few knew what it was like to travel like this. Wyverns were going extinct and the secrets of breeding and domesticating them were closely kept by his family. In the distance he saw a sea of lights appear, the main camp.

As he closed in on the camp he started his descend. A big smile was hidden by his visor as Iskar folded his wings and let himself fall. It had taken years, many broken bones and torn wings before they perfected the move. He watched the ground approach rapidly and just before they crashed Iskar spread his wings and they landed safely. He suppressed a boyish laugh as he climbed out of the saddle. As he landed on the ground Iskar turned his massive head towards his master, scaring the living daylights out of an attendant. Heat washed over Benroy and he petted the wyvern again. “Make sure he is fed properly. He deserves it.” He said as he removed his visor and tossed it at the attendant.

“General Benroy?” Benroy turned around and was greeted by a kneeling messenger. “Yes?” He said, his voice once again stern. “The field marshal summons you for an emergency meeting, my lord.” Benroy frowned, an emergency meeting, at this time of night? “Did the field marshal mention what it was about?” The messenger shook his head. “No sir, just that it is very urgent.” Benroy nodded. “Tell the field marshal that I will be there as soon as possible.” The messenger got up, saluted and ran off.

“Cloak, sword and helmet.” Seconds later the items he requested where being handed to him. Resolutely he marched towards to the newly raised structure where the general staff met on a daily basis. He was briefly challenged by the armours flanking the entrance, but when they registered his sigil they let him through. Inside the others were already gathered. They were standing around a table which had been set up in the dead centre of the room. As he got closer he could see what the rest was looking at.

“Ah, General Benroy, so good of you to join us on short notice. I hope your flight was pleasant.” Field Marshal Mordechai said in a soft voice. He briefly glanced at Yifat, his lips curling into a smile. “It was informative.” A ripple went through her eyes, but she was good at hiding her emotions, so the black pools remained just that. “Wonderful. Now, I would like to draw your attention to the trophy General Lazar retrieved from the western frontier.” He gestured at the head lying on the table. Benroy studied the creature and came to the conclusion that he wasn’t fond of its aesthetics. The pointy ears especially he found unattractive. “As you can see it grows fur on its head, like most creatures we’ve encountered so far. This species however is intelligent and hostile. General Lazar if you would?”

Lazar stepped forwards and pointed at the, as of yet crudely drawn, map. “My scouts have been pushing west these past few weeks and we’ve discovered a large forest in this sector. Upon entering it they’ve been repeatedly attacked. On several occasions there were small skirmishes with the natives, but they have proven to be elusive, choosing to pepper our forces with arrows from a distance. We’ve been unable to contact the natives and any attempt to reach out to them has been met with violence. I have thus concluded that these natives are too aggressive to be assimilated and can only be seen as enemies of the empire.”

Mordechai shook his head. “It is a sad day when a people prove themselves to be unfit for assimilation.” There were nods all around the table. “In accordance with the assimilation act, as has been created by king Sasson the second, we will purge these creatures from the empire.”