Part 1

The further they went the more the lands in Kligira to the south turned barren and lifeless, dusty and dry as far as the eye could see. Atop a small hillcrest, they paused, gazing over the lands of Kligira. To the north, they could just make out the trees and mountainous lands of the Tykin border. East was also a barren wasteland, the soil brought no life, dust storms could be seen in the distance.

The Xerian party was just south of the fortress Pekris, it was hidden beneath their sight but Henry knew from his study of his maps that it was there. He looked down at the map in his hands once again, noticing a large patch of land that seemed to be green and rich with life due to the rivers and lake in the middle, where several small towns made their homes. Henry had gone through a bit of trouble to obtain this map, which was color-coded, with graphs and legends. It was a rough estimate but so far was fairly accurate. Nothing out of the ordinary had given him reason to doubt the map.

The librarians in Xerixes were hesitant on lending the map to him but ultimately relented as Cassius gave him free rein in the massive libraries. Henry took only what he thought he would need as he left many of his books there. One such item was this very map, which proved to be useful.

For now, he would trust the map, green represented grass and forests, blue was water and brown was the bleak dusty parts where they now were. According to the map, the land past Yidor was rich and full of forests and rivers which always struck him as odd and inconsistent with the rest of Kligira, as was the land between Fenon and Devrish where a large lake and small cities resided, according to the map.

Henry sighed, wiped his forehead clean of sweat with a cloth, and urged his horse forward, catching up with the party and coming alongside Durlan. The heat became overwhelming during the days, forcing them to pause for several hours to escape the hottest part of the afternoon. Ideally, they could travel most of the night and sleep during the day but there was so little escape from the scorching sun it made it near impossible to sleep while the sun was up. They slept for three hours during sunset, woke then traveled most of the night then slept for another three before sunrise. Whenever possible, and any sort of shade could be found they would rest, if sleep came it was a blessing but it rarely did during the day.

Henry glanced up at the sun, his lips were cracked and he tasted blood from his lips. He scowled and took another sip of water, careful not to drink too much in fear of running out.

The sun was their enemy now. They had been ill-prepared for it, even though they had taken measures to do so. Plenty of food wasn’t the issue but rather their skin and the rapidly diminishing water supply. Henry was somewhat unfazed due to his skin already being dark but his friends were cooking like tomatoes. Everyone’s lips were cracked and constantly thirsty. They all were now wrapped in a layer of thin cloth covering their entire bodies, as hot as it was, the extra layer was necessary to keep them all from being cooked alive.

Each night was a relief as the sun went down, giving them the sweet respite of cool air and the hope for a peaceful sleep. Exhaustion was their second most concern, keeping this pace and little sleep would drive them to madness. When Kyburn announced they would sleep the whole night, there was an audible sigh of relief from them all. Kyburn was the least affected by it all as he had done this very thing in his younger years. Henry couldn’t imagine fighting a war in this unforgiving heat and these desolate lands.

Kyburn’s words broke Henry from his thoughts. “We have another four days, give or take, to go by my best guess.” another sigh of relief followed.

“Once we reach the mountains there will be more shade and water. Food will be scarce so we’ll stick to our rations for now. If we’re careful, our food supplies will last us till Riqun. We are still running low on water. We’ll have to cut back on water rations again.” groans of complaints came from his last statement. “Our journey is nearly over. Bear with it men.”

“Yes, sir.” half-hearted mumbles responded.

That night, Henry flopped to the ground onto his bedroll and tried to sleep without a word. People buzzed around him for several more minutes when they quieted down and went to sleep themselves. Two guards were on watch at all times, rotating shifts each night. They were all so exhausted the camp fell completely silent in a matter of minutes and Henry drifted into the sweet embrace of sleep.

Part 2

After several more grueling days of intense heat and thirst, they arrived at the base of the mountain where they found a small stream. It was like finding frostrium steel, the relief and joy of finding water was a boost to their morale. At this point the Kligirian soldiers were in clear sight, watching them gather water from a distance.

“They're still following us.” Henry groaned, unsurprised.

“Kligirian’s are relentless, I’ll give them that.” Erik murmured.

“They haven’t made a move against us yet.” Arne said, the captain crouching next to them, filling his canteen. “I doubt they will pose a problem for us now.”

“Saddle up men!” Kyburn shouted. “We move out in two minutes.”

“He’s pushing really hard.” Henry groaned again. “I wish we could just rest for awhile.”

“He’s pushing us because he doesn’t like being out in the open.” Erik said to his right. “The sooner we get to Riqun the better. We will have plenty of time to rest once we get there.”

“I know.” Henry sighed. “I’m just so tired is all.”

“We all are, son.” Arne sighed. “But Kyburn knows what he’s doing.”

Henry didn’t know Arne well but he seemed to admire Kyburn. The captain obeyed his every order without question or hesitation. He was tall but slim, he had the build of a man who seemed to be extremely spry on his feet but judging by his build the same could not be said for his physical strength. His sword was much slimmer and lighter than most which gave him more control and accuracy than a heavy sword. He was young for a captain but Henry guessed he was in his late twenties, close to Erik’s age.

Blonde hair blues eyes gave him the face that any girl would fall for. He was tall, handsome, and a captain. It was the first time Henry really spoke to him and he wondered why he was chosen for this mission. Xerath must have his reasons for doing so. Regardless of why, Arne was a decent fellow and he was a good soldier, Henry trusted him enough to believe him.

“Make sure you fill all your canteens.” Arne shouted to everyone. “Bix, Will, and Zeen, get those bags filled and back on the horses, quickly.”

Everyone gulped down water and hurried to do as they were told, while Henry kept drinking from the stream. He was glad to have a position that was important but not to the point where people looked to him for leadership. As a perk, he was never assigned duties unless it was necessary so he leaned back and enjoyed the short rest as everyone busied themselves.

Durlan increased his pace as he went back and forth, collecting water and attaching them to the horses.

They set out at a swift pace but slow enough not to push the horses to death. Water from the streams filled the horse's belly with fresh water and the party alike. The mood had changed for the better, unworried about running out of water now, and judging from Kyburn’s predictions they would shortly arrive in Riqun within two days.

Henry longed for a bed to sleep in with cold water and fresh food. They had been living off of dried meat and dried fruit for over a week.

Passing over rough terrain, the ground turned lush and habitable. Grass grew and thick but small clouds provided brief bouts of shade which they all counted themselves blessed after that. It looked to be almost over, their journey was nearly at an end. Riqun could be seen sitting halfway up the mountain and Henry then knew why Kyburn said it had never been taken by Tykin. Its location was nigh impregnable. Narrow pathways led up the mountain to the very gates of Riqun. Steep cliffs on the east side made it impassable without going through the fortress itself.

It was a sight to behold and Henry took in the beautiful landscape with awe. He made a mental image that he would sketch later. Sasha would have loved to see it. Henry tried to remember every detail for when he saw her again.

Kipath was another fortress to their left as they passed, their northern border was extremely well fortified, similar to Riqun. At first, they thought they would be stopped by a patrolling Kligirian scouting party but they veered clear of them when they saw their fellow soldiers following behind them several miles back.

The north was not a populated area for good reason. Tykin was a threat on a daily basis. Most if not all civilians lived to the south, the greatest population living in either Slulor, Yidor, or Aetoth. Aetoth was the Kligirian capital at the very tip of Dragonhead Pass as far south as the continent would reach. The further north people went, the more danger they were in from Tykin. Small raiding parties would often slip through the cracks and burn and pillage innocent villages.

This was all new to him, even Erik looked to be genuinely surprised by the brutality of the Tykin forces. Henry trusted Kyburn’s word but he thought perhaps Erik took the information with a grain of salt. It didn’t stop Kyburn, however, from telling them stories of their history and the crimes that were committed on a daily basis.

“No wonder the Kligirian’s hate us.” Henry muttered. “We sit behind our walls as they suffer.”

“My question is, if Xerath knows of this, why doesn’t he do anything to stop it?” Erik asked no one in particular, though it was more than likely for Kyburn.

Arne audibly scoffed, as if he knew something they didn’t but Henry was curious to hear the answer. “Why didn’t Xerath do something to stop the constant killing?” he thought to himself.

“Because,” Kyburn started, answering Erik’s question. “If Xerath were to intervene then Tykin would not take kindly to it. Would you have us risk another war?”

“Not to mention, the Kligirian’s are too prideful to ask for our help. Even if they wanted it.” Arne added. “Regent Trygve would never admit such weakness.”

“It is true. Kligira is too proud and quite frankly I can’t blame them.” Kyburn said. “It was Xer who threw them into such disarray in the first place. To ask for our help would be like cutting their own arms off. Further relying on someone else to solve their problems. And on top of that, we were the ones who… removed their leaders.”

The irony wasn’t lost of Erik as he too realized the stupidity of his question. Of course, Kligira would want to solve their own problems. It was Vulkira and Xer who destroyed any semblance of structure in their once great nation. Granted, Kligira were the ones to start the war, but the past had such a lasting impact that the future generations were the ones to suffer now.

An uncomfortable feeling rose up inside Henry as he thought of the complexity of the world. So much death and suffering in a country he didn’t know. To Henry, the war was a distant memory in the books he read, but to Kligria, it was constant and very real.

He knew little of King Darius, only that he was a drunk and cared little for his people, that much he knew. “What do they gain by such hostility?” he wondered.

“What does Tykin have to gain by constant fighting then?” Erik asked the question he was thinking. “Darius is no fool. If he were to outright invade Kligira, surely he knows that we would back Kligira and not him?”

“Perhaps.” Kyburn shrugged on his horse. “But Darius knows Xerath doesn't’ want to enter another war that doesn’t concern him. If you take that into account, only Vulkira would be a possible ally to Kligira.”

Again, Erik shut his mouth, thinking it through and fully understanding the implications. Vulkira and Kligira would never be allies and even if they were, they wouldn’t accept such help from their former enemies.

Xer had already entered a war seventeen years ago that didn’t involve them and it cost countless lives just for Cara’s hand in marriage. He could see why Xerath would never allow his country to enter into such a conflict such as that ever again.

Granted, the marriage had all but in name consumed Vulkira after Cara left. Only through Erik himself did the country stay afloat and not be merged into Xer.

Games. The world was a game, Henry believed that now more than ever. It was all about wealth and power.

Greed and pride bred so much violence.

“I see.” Erik said solemnly. “I understand.”

“It is easy to point fingers.” Kyburn said. “I too wish we could help Kligira but I fear that another war would consume Isulia. If we were to defeat Tykin, who would take its lands? Who would take the place of King Darius? Who would suffer the most and who would stand to gain the most? We would fall back into a bloodbath of chaos the likes we haven’t seen since Galton the Butcher. I for one, am not confident we would be able to set our differences aside for peace. The lust for power would be too great. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Henry recognized that phrase from one of his history books. Xerixes said that the day he had won the war against the Zata Empire. That must have been the reason he split the kingdoms into four instead of holding onto power. He too must’ve feared the pull of such greatness, an overwhelming control of human life in the palm of one's hands.

With that, the party of soldiers fell quiet, everyone mulled over the conversation, keeping to themselves as they rode toward Riqun.

Henry saw two small villages in total on their journey to Riqun. There were very few people this far north apart from a strong military presence.

After passing Kipath, Henry sighed in relief, in fear of being stopped, questioned, or attacked. The group behind them posed enough anxiety for him, let alone entire armies at their backs.

Suddenly a soldier shouted up their ranks informing them of approaching riders.

Henry whipped his head around to see three men on horseback catching up with them. He could only recognize one of them. The man with the thick black beard, Hazam.

Kyburn urged his horse back toward the end of the line along with Arne and Erik. Henry turned his own horse to follow behind them but kept a short distance, placing a firm hand on his steel sword.

Hazam rode up, stopping two horse lengths from Kyburn who sat waiting for him. Hazam’s men waited a quarter mile back waiting for their leader to speak with the Xerians. Henry took a deep breath, praying nothing would go awry. He listened carefully, straining his ears to hear as Hazam spoke.

“I lead you here.” he said casually. “Follow.”

Kyburn’s horse shifted and leaned right, trying to eat grass off the path, but he pulled the reins, readjusting his horse. “We can find our way from here as you can see.” Kyburn gestured behind him to the fortress that was Riqun. “We thank you but do not need your guidance.”

“Not request.” Hazam said coldly. “Follow.”

All three men raised their eyebrows in disapproval. Arne looked worried but Kyburn and Erik were more relaxed and unperturbed. They hid their emotions well.

“Very well.” Kyburn said after a moment of silence. “We will follow you.”

“Wise.” Hazam sniffed. He raised his arm in a strange gesture and his men retreated back toward the desert, only the two that accompanied him remained.

“Where are they going?” Erik asked.

“They go home.” Hazam gazed at him. “No more question. Follow.” he repeated for the third time.

Hazam dug his heels into his horse and his two men followed closely behind him, passing Kyburn and his men.

“That… was odd.” Arne commented.

“Indeed.” Erik said. “I don’t trust them.”

“Neither do I.” Kyburn pursed his lips. “Let's play along for now. There’s not much else we can do about it. Besides, I’m curious as to what Regent Trygve has to say.”

“Does Trygve know why we are here?” Henry asked. Every Xerian here knew the reason for their visit but not every detail had been revealed to them. “You know, research?”

“Your guess is as good as mine I’m afraid.” Kyburn chuckled at Henry’s attempt to be inconspicuous. “Though, I wouldn’t put it past Trygve to let all his men know the reason for our visit. Kligirians can be that way.”

Henry’s anxiety shot up for a moment, unsure why that bothered him. He forced himself to calm down and keep a cool head.

“Come on.” Kyburn grinned with amusement. “Follow.” he said with a fake accent then winked at them.

Part 3

The rocky path led up the mountain with one side protected by the mountain itself whereas, on the other, a sheer drop would assure death. Henry stayed as far over as he could, fearing the edge that dropped off into the ocean.

The path was wide enough for nearly three wagons to pull alongside each other but it was steep, horses had no problem climbing it, however, and soon they rode up to the gates of Riqun. The air was warm but the welcoming ocean breeze brought the temperature to a tolerable level. It looked as if it would rain soon, which Henry wished it would. A pouring rain would cool them all down and clean them of their stink and sweat. He was just happy to be in a place where it would rain and with clouds overhead.

Hazam’s two men had rode on ahead, most likely to inform Regent Trygve of their arrival. The bearded man waited in front as the gates slid open with a loud squeak as the hinges scrapped against each other.

Inside Riqun were large stone areas where the stables lined in a semicircle around them. It smelt of horse manure but they dismounted, waiting for Hazam to lead the way.

He was talking with several guards in a heated discussion. Their voices raised and arms flinging toward them more than once made them all nervous. Dozens of Kligirian soldiers lined the walls looking down on them, weapons at the ready and bows nocked casually at their sides.

Their party stole the glares and attention of every soldier in sight, each guard keeping a close eye on them diligently.

Kyburn’s men stood nervously in the middle of the cobblestone clearing as the Kligirians argued. Finally, Hazam shoved a finger into the chest of the man arguing with him, which seemed to end the conversation and he scurried off into the fortress.

Hazam turned to them and pointed at Kyburn. “You, follow.” he tilted his head.

There was a hesitation from everyone as Kyburn stepped forward, tensions growing. Hazam only wanted Kyburn to join him as the rest of them stayed here which didn’t sit well with his men.

“It’s alright.” Kyburn said. “Wait here. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Arne looked annoyed but huffed in defeat without a word. Erik leaned against a hitching rail, still relaxed and seemingly unfazed by being left outside. Henry didn’t know how but the king had mastered looking calm in stressful situations.

“Why are you smiling?” Henry leaned up next to him, whispering.

He shrugged. “I’ve learned that there’s no use in worrying over something that hasn’t happened yet.”

“How can you say that?” Henry frowned. “What if they are taking Kyburn to kill him. Then kill the rest of us. Who knows what they will do to us.”

“What if they don’t kill us?” Erik pursed his lips. “What if they are in there talking about what they will feed us, huh?”

“Okay… I see what you mean.” Henry admitted. “But how can you be so calm?”

“Practice?” Erik shrugged again. “I may have my-” he paused, thinking. “misgivings with Kligira and Kyburn, but I hate worrying about things that are out of my control. Whatever happens, happens.”

“You’re hopeless.” Henry scoffed. “You have been acting very strange these past few weeks.”

“I’m a strange man.” Erik commented. “Relax Henry. That doesn’t mean don’t keep your guard up but rather stop stressing over it unnecessarily.”

“He’s right.” Arne admitted though he looked nervous himself.

“That’s easy for you two to say.” Henry said. “I’ve got my whole life ahead of me.”

“Are you calling us old?” Erik looked at him with a blank stare. “Is that any way to talk to a king?”

“No… uh.” Henry said frustratingly. “I’m... sorry.”

Erik chuckled along with Arne and a few others over teasing him. He lightly punched Henry in the shoulder, “Relax, I’m messing with you.”

“Oh.” Henry blushed slightly as he realized the joke. He loved teasing and having a good time but also hated it when he didn’t pick up on it.

“Kyburn is many things, but he is loyal.” Erik admitted. “Trust him, Henry.”

“Your right.” he shrugged. “I just can’t help it sometimes.”

They did their best to keep one eye on the Kligirians surrounding them as they chatted, never fully relaxing. It was only later that Henry realized they were doing it to distract him from the seriousness of the situation.

“What changed?” Henry asked out of the blue. “Back in Calchester, you were confident and sure of yourself. Is it because of everything that’s happening?”

Erik pursed his lips again, thinking deeply, “I’m definitely out of my element.” he admitted. “I’ve never been here, only heard the stories of their greed and lust to destroy my kingdom. I was only a child. But now that I’m here, seeing first hand that not all is as it seems and perhaps my childhood memories have warped my perception of these people, it is a hard fact to face.”

“Were your parents really assassinated by Kligira?” Henry asked cautiously.

“I’m afraid so, though now I doubt the assassins were directly connected to King Armin.” Erik scratched his unkempt beard. “It’s quite possible he had nothing to do with it. At that point, he had already been killed in Yidor and the war was over. Perhaps out of revenge, spite, hate, who knows. The assassin was never caught.”

Though Arne and Durlan weren’t directly involved in the conversation they listened intently to his words. A few glances told Henry they didn’t miss a thing.

“My sister knows more than I, as does Jebbin, but they hide the details. No doubt to protect me of course.” Erik mused openly. “Much has changed this past month. The Vog now controls my kingdom. What is it all worth? Titles, wealth, power, it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of it all.”

“Do you have someone to share it all with?” Henry asked. “Life doesn't seem all that great if you don’t.”

“Hm.” Erik chuckled to himself. “I suppose it doesn’t. I might have someone, though I’m not sure where it will lead.”

“Amira?” Durlan interrupted. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She’s strong, educated and she’s beautiful.”

Erik gave him a stare that shut him up, he obviously didn’t want to talk about Amira but Henry was intrigued and didn’t miss that fact.

“Who’s Amira?” Henry asked immediately, with a grin of pure curiosity.

“Huh.” Erik sighed, now glaring at Durlan. “I met her in Nolvis. She,” he paused, “Helped me. But enough about me. What about you Henry?”

“Yeah.” Durlan tried to save himself by helping steer the conversation away from Erik. “Who was that redhead girl you were holding hands with, in Xerixes?”

Henry’s cheeks grew hot and he wished to Hashem they didn’t show on his face. As the men around him laughed, he knew it wasn’t so.

“She’s a childhood friend of mine. From Zulin.” Henry began. “I’d rather not talk about it either.”

“Good man.” Erik grinned, still chuckling at his embarrassment.

The laughter died down and their momentary fit of humor with it. As stares continued to put them on edge, Henry wished Kyburn would hurry. The all too present threat gazed down at them.