Part 1

“Can’t you stay longer?” Sasha pleaded, knowing he would deny her request but tried anyway.

“I’m sorry, Sasha. I have to do this, nothing has changed, this was what Kyburn needed me for from the start.” Henry said as he packed several items. “And until I do, I must go.”

Sasha sat on his bed, legs folded and arms on her knees, watching him pack. Her red hair was pushed to one side over her shoulder, waiting for him to finish. She had come from the city to visit him in the palace because he had been in several meetings with Erik and Kyburn most of the day. They had spent the evening together but it didn’t feel long enough. Feeling left out she had waited for him in his room when he returned.

It was early morning and Henry was to leave before midday. Sasha had hoped to spend more time with him before he left, which is why she was sitting on his bed watching him buzz around his room carefully packing books and clothing.

“I made this for you.” Sasha reached over the bed and picked up a small basket she had brought in with her. “It’s not much but I hope you like it.”

Henry stopped what he was doing and turned to her. She held out her arm, the basket dangling in the air. “What is it?” he asked, stepping toward her.

“It’s lemon cake. Your favorite.” Sasha smiled. “I made it so you’d think of me on the road.”

“Thanks. I love lemon cake.” Henry grinned. “How’d you make it?”

“The innkeeper's wife let me use her kitchen,” she said. “I made it last night.”

Henry carefully packed the cake into his satchel to eat later, gently folding it into the pouch.

“When are you leaving?” Sasha said, her voice solemn.

“In a few hours.” Henry sighed, feeling guilty for leaving her. “I’m sorry.”

“I know. I am too.” Sasha replied. “Just promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”

Henry walked over to her, still sitting on his bed, and kissed her gently on the cheek. “I promise. I’ll come to see you the moment we are done. Will you be staying in Xerixes?”

“I’m going back to Zulin in three days,” she replied. “Taking back supplies we can’t get in Zulin for grandmother.”

“I see. Well… I hope you have a safe trip home.” Henry said awkwardly.

“Thanks,” she murmured, folding her knees into her chest. “Do you remember when your parents died?” she asked out of nowhere.

“How could I forget.” Henry went to sit beside her. “Why are you bringing this up?”

“I thought you were going to die, or worse, hurt yourself.” Sasha recollected. “Those first couple of days after finding you, that terrified me, Henry. I don’t ever want to feel that again.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Sasha. We will be well guarded and have the royal seal for diplomatic immunity.” Henry tried to dampen her fears. “Nothing will happen.”

“You don’t know that. What if you died, Henry? You were almost killed just a week ago by those bandits. How can you sit there and tell me everything will be okay?” her tone increased in intensity. “I couldn’t bear it if you died. I just won’t be able to, Henry.”

Henry leaned back, taking in deep breaths. Her fears were warranted but at the same time, she couldn’t expect him to never do anything that involved even the slightest danger. They lived in a dangerous world, people died every day. He didn’t know how to help her contain her fears and manage them properly. Henry hardly knew how but she was worrying herself to death over something that was unavoidable in his mind.

“I understand. If you were ever harmed or god forbid taken from this world, I wouldn’t be able to bear it either but I can’t stop everything I’m doing because you worry over it.” Henry tried to explain logically but confused himself in the process.

He put himself in her shoes and fully realized how his reaction would be of a similar nature if she were the one running off into danger.

“Please. I need your support.” Henry gave up. “You are my reason for living and I need to know that you trust me and believe in me.”

“I do believe in you. And I trust you but it's the people in this world that I don’t trust.” Sasha said. “But you have it. Do what you have to do and come back to me.”

“I will.” Henry leaned and placed his arm around her as she leaned into him, her head on his chest, legs, and arms still folded around herself.

“I know you don’t want to disappoint Kyburn, as he is as close a father to you as any but I can’t help but be angry with him for dragging you away from me,” she mumbled.

“Kyburn has been training me to fight. I won’t be useless in combat anymore. I can protect myself far better now than a week ago.” Henry said. “And yes, Kyburn treats me like his son and I’m glad he does. He is someone I strive to be like, strong, loyal, and kind. If I wasn’t so invested in being a Historian, I’d want to be just like him when I grow older.”

“You look up to him, I get it, Henry,” Sasha said. “I hope your bond will grow as you journey together. When he says he needs you, I trust that he means what he says. You are the most intelligent person I know.” she praised him.

“Thank you,” Henry smirked from the complement. “And you are the most beautiful.” he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

They sat together for several hours, occasionally speaking of old memories together and their time in Zulin as if it were a distant memory. Time flew by and it came time for Henry to leave.

Kyburn and Erik were waiting outside in the street for him, accompanied by twenty soldiers. A sizable amount considering their task of going through a foreign land. Henry held Sasha’s hand as they went down the steps heading for his horse, which was saddled and ready for him. To their surprise, king Xerath and Cara stood close, speaking with Erik and Kyburn, at this distance Henry couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“There you are.” Xerath turned to look at Henry, glancing at Sasha at his side.

“King Xerath,” Henry bowed, Sasha following suit an instant later. “Queen Care. I wasn’t aware of your arrival.”

“We only just arrived,” Cara answered.

Xerath walked up to Henry, arm outstretched. “I wanted to thank you personally for undertaking this task. I know it will be rough but I pray for your safety.”

“Oh. Um. Of course your majesty.” Henry said awkwardly, taking the king's arm, clasping it. “I am honored you trust me with such a mission as this.”

“You must be Sasha. Kyburn spoke of you.” Cara walked up to her. “Our soldiers will take good care of him, no need for worry.”

Sasha curtsied and addressed the queen politely, slightly blushing from the attention of royalty. “I am flattered, your highness.”

“If you’d like, I will have a room prepared for you in the palace, until you wish to leave that is.” Cara offered. “Henry is a special young man and we will take good care of his wife for him while he is away.”

Henry and Sasha blushed visibly, turning bright red. “We… we aren’t married.” Henry stuttered.

“Oh. My mistake.” Cara smiled. “Still. You are welcome in Xerixes, Sasha.”

“Thank you, your highness.” Sasha curtsied again in respect.

“Alright then,” Xerath smirked from the exchange. “Good luck, Henry.” he nodded at him.

“Thank you, lord.” Henry bowed again also.

“Shall we?” Kyburn said impatiently. “We haven’t got all day.”

Henry was too shy to hug or kiss Sasha in front of everyone so he squeezed her hand instead. They had already said their goodbyes but this was a last gesture.

Flipping onto his horse, he gazed at Sasha, her sad green eyes, pierced him, making him doubt himself but her face turned into a smile and she waved. That alone, gave him a boost of confidence and hope, she gave him strength.

“Move out,” Erik shouted and the band of soldiers pushed forward, leaving the city.

Xerath stood in place, Cara’s arm looped in his, watching them disappear behind buildings. Henry looked back one last time, catching Sasha standing alone looking after him as he rounded a corner.

Part 2

They made good ground, crossing the Oromis River within hours of leaving Xerixes. Their pace had been swift and hard, heading to Unari where they would enter Kligira. Only when they hit patches of the forest did they slow their pace. Henry had gotten used to riding but his backside still grew sore from the long rides without breaks. Eventually, they exchanged fresh horses at a small village in between Unari and Xerixes where they stopped to rest for a full day.

Stopping had done wonders for their strength and morale. A good night's rest and a hot meal should never be underestimated.

Each night before bed, Kyburn would train Henry with a sword, Erik would watch carefully and give him tips occasionally. To his surprise, Kyburn gifted him a fine steel sword, crafted for his size and build, which worked perfectly for him. The sword wasn’t fancy but it did the trick, their sparring swords were adjusted to its rough weight to give him a better feel when practicing.

Henry’s skill grew slowly but progressed at a steady pace, enough to feel comfortable with swinging a deadly weapon. His small frame didn’t make him an ideal swordsman but his body grew accustomed to it and his muscle tone grew with each lesson. His reflects grew sharper along with his mind.

His wiry build would never allow him to become a master but Henry gradually became a confident but novice swordsman. Years of training would further his skill but he doubted he’d get that far nor want to train with such dedication.

Nearly two weeks passed when they reached Unari. Bordering the Kligirians, the city was as large as Calchester, its massive walls connecting to the even larger wall of the border. The gates were already opened to them, and they entered the city quickly, not many noticed them as they rode up to the castle within the walls. To Henry’s dread, they only stayed one night before passing into Kligira unchallenged.

Kligira was a vast country but very flat. Only in the far distance did he see mountains of any kind, forests and lakes were not common. His gaze fell on the mountains ahead of them, so far he could only see the tips of a mountain in the distance, it’s peak blurry and unclear from this far.

“Over those mountains, is where we will find Riqun.” Kyburn commented. “Riqun sits on the east coast of Isulia on the Tykin border. It has many natural defenses, making it near impossible to take without a prolonged siege. Tykin has never been able to take her from Kligira.”

“What makes it so defensible?” Henry asked, unfamiliar with Kligira’s geography.

“It is protected from the south by the ocean and protected from the west by the mountains. The north and east side of Riqun is one of the most heavily fortified castles in Isulia.” Kyburn responded. “And for good reason it seems, they have hidden the Ancients ruins below the city for hundreds of years, maybe longer.”

It had been another two weeks of traveling, still, no Kligirian had approached them. Kyburn had mentioned it as extremely odd and worrisome.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Henry said excitedly.

“Another week or so and you will. If-” Kyburn cut short, jerking his head sideways.

“What is it?” Henry whispered.

“I saw something on that hillcrest over there.” he pointed, turning everyone’s attention.

A moment later a rider in brown clothing poked up over the hill, revealing himself to them. “We’re being followed it seems,” Erik commented. “Probably for some time.”

“Are they Kligirians or bandits?” Henry asked.

“Kligirians.” Kyburn said. As if on cue a dozen more riders popped into view several miles off.

“We should probably make ourselves known to them before they attack us,” Erik suggested. “Xer only holds so much protection. We can’t count on complete protection, as all of Kligira hates us.”

“They will intercept us if they wish to speak,” Kyburn said. “My guess, from them, revealing themselves, that will be soon.”

“Should we stop?” Henry asked, shifting in his saddle.

“No. We should keep going.” Kyburn said. “We aren’t a threat to them, a royal seal proves our purpose is lawful and a personal invitation from Regent Trygve allows us to travel into their lands.”

“If they approach us during the night, it won’t be good,” Erik said.

“Sir,” Arne said. He was the captain of the soldiers assigned to Kyburn and Erik. “Shall I send a messenger to them?”

“No,” Kyburn said calmly. “We wait till they come to us. We may yet avoid them altogether.”

The Kligirian’s sat motionless for several minutes, gazing at them. Their yellow armbands gave them away as soldiers of Regent Trygve. It was a menacing sight, with their brown capes flowing in the wind, watching them like hawks.

After the death of King Armin and Queen Brinna, along with their son, Zegren, Trygve was appointed as Regent of Kligira for the past seventeen years. Not much was known of Trygve, only that he complied with Xerath’s demands and fought a constant war with Tykin, which lasted over ten years and still continued to this day.

Tykin had bullied Kligira for many years until they fought back and kept the fight at the border, which Xer sat back and watched as they fought it out. As long as the skirmishes stayed away from Xer and Vulkira, Xerath allowed Tykin and Kligira to needlessly fight among themselves.

Those soldiers on the hill watching them cross their lands, made Henry shiver, unsure what they would do. He loathed the idea of a battle with them, his objective was to awaken the Ancients, if he never saw another fight in his life it would be too soon.

Finally, after twenty minutes of trotting and constant glances to their sides, the Kligirians disappeared, leaving them unwatched and alone. They picked up their pace, eager to find a good place for a camp, in case of an ambush, which Henry dreaded but saw the necessity but ached from the speed.

Night fell quicker than they’d liked but they were fortunate enough to find a reasonable campsite. “No fires tonight,” Kyburn yelled to the men.

Henry groaned from the thought of the chilly air as he laid out his bedroll in preparation for sleep. He used his backpack as a pillow and pulled out Sasha’s lemon cake from his satchel. The sweet-smelling delight, drowned out his worries as he bit into the delicious dessert savoring the flavor. Henry immediately thought of Sasha and his heart ached a little, more than he cared to admit but he missed her dearly. He longed to hold her again.

He stuffed the last piece into his mouth and readied himself for bed, wrapping his body in the bedroll.

“You don’t waste any time.” Erik chuckled, spreading his own bedroll next to him. “No training tonight?”

“Kyburn said it was too dangerous right now.” Henry yawned. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m glad the Kligirian’s showed up, means I don’t have to get my ass kicked by him with a sword.”

Erik chuckled again, taking off his boots. “Alway look on the bright side, I suppose.” he shrugged.

“I want four men on watch at all times tonight,” Kyburn shouted. “We don’t want any surprises.”

“No. No, we don’t.” Erik whispered under his breath.

Part 3

“Henry.” a hand shook him violently awake. “Wake up,” Erik whispered. “We’ve got company.”

He sat up quickly, pulled his legs out from under his bedroll, and scrambled to get his boots on. It was dead quiet except for birds and other animals making noise in the night. Henry silently pulled his sword from its sheath and looked around in the dark. The moon overhead gave a faint light, just enough to see shadows and the glow of metal glinting off steel.

Several figures moved in and out of sight, it was an open plain, no grass, no trees, just dry dusty earth, and tiny hills like lips were as much cover as you could get. Whoever was creeping up on them had been spotted approaching from all sides, their moment slow and fluid almost unnoticeable but they were there.

There were far more than twelve shadows surrounding them, flowing clothes gave them away as the soldiers from before. Over thirty Kligirian soldiers silently skulked in the shadows, growing more and more clear the closer they came.

Every man was at the ready, Kyburn’s sword was drawn and he knelt near him, whereas Erik stood, unperturbed by the enemy, flashing Frostmoon in the moonlight made it glow a gorgeous deep blue. For a moment the Frotrium steel stole his attention, admiring its blue hue, but pulled away focusing on the Kligirians once again.

They had chosen this spot to give themselves ample warning of any who approached but by the time they had risen, they were completely surrounded. Underestimating their numbers had been a grave mistake, deliberately showing only twelve of themselves earlier that evening had thrown them off guard. Henry knew they were ill-prepared for such a force, even if they managed to defeat them, there would be heavy casualties.

His heart pounded in his chest, his ears throbbing as if a constant booming noise was in his head, the silence drew to a close however when a man near them shouted. Henry turned to the voice, surprised by how close he was, making him even more nervous when he got so close without him noticing.

“What Xerians do in Kligira!” the Kligirian shouted. “You not welcome here!”

Kyburn stood and shouted back. “We are here under the protection of Xerath himself. A sealed letter from your Regent allowing us entry and safe passage.”

His voice boomed in the night air then was replaced by silence. It was so quiet that Henry’s ears rang, unsure what would happen he started sweating from crouching for so long. It felt like an eternity waiting for a response from the Kligirians when another voice shouted back at them.

It was a different man who spoke. “I speak with leader. You make aggression, my men attack. Understand?”

“Approach!” Kyburn yelled into the darkness. “You have my word no harm will come to you.”

A spark of light drew Henry’s attention and a torch-lit the face of a man who looked ragged and worn. He had a long beard and his brown skin shimmered from sweat, glistening from the torchlight.

“Henry,” Kyburn whispered. “Take it.” he handed him his sword and approached the man, unarmed.

No one else moved or said a word, only watching the two men come to a stop three steps from each other.

“My name is Kyburn.” he said to the Kligirian. “I am lord over Zulin and am here on the personal orders of king Xerath.”

The bearded man looked him up and down. “Kyburn from battle of Yidor?” he spat to the side. “You kill our king.”

Henry noticed Kyburn’s body tense in preparation, as did the Xerian soldiers, wincing in anticipation, Henry worried that the man would attack Kyburn then and there but he didn’t make a move. Erik still stood motionless, with the tip of his sword in the ground, hands on the pummel, eyes toward the exchange.

“I am,” Kyburn responded. “I have no quarrel with you. Only to see my king’s business completed.”

“I am called Hazam,” he said a moment later. “Show me. I see seal of Regent.”

Kyburn cautiously pulled the letter from his coat pocket then revealed it in the light. He didn’t hand it over but kept it close enough to retract it from the man if he reached for it. Instead, the bearded man leaned forward to get a look at it and pursed his hairy lips.

“This is Trygve seal,” Hazam confirmed. “Why you here?”

“This is a diplomatic mission. I cannot divulge that information.” Kyburn calmly responded. “Will you let us pass peacefully.”

He stroked his beard, thinking, staring at Kyburn. “We let pass.” he finally said.

“Thank you.” Kyburn nodded. “We do not wish to disturb your lands, only to go to Riqun where we are to meet Regent Trygve.”

“You go Riqun, yes. We follow.” Hazam said with his thick accent.

“You follow us?” Kyburn asked.

“Yes. Make sure you not lie.” he tilted his head at him. “No trust Xer. No trust kingslayer.”

“Very well.” Kyburn shrugged.

Hazam turned suddenly and shoved the torch into the ground, extinguishing it, and walked away. The shadowy figures around them slipped away into the night in a fantastic movement that Henry could only admire. It was so slick and fluid it was difficult to see them move but the moonlight shown just bright enough for him to see them disappear over the small hills.

“Well, that went well.” Erik shifted, sheathing Frostmoon. “I half expect all of us to die tonight.”

Henry gulped, “You did?”

“He’s joking, Henry,” Kyburn reassured him.

“Do you think they will pose a problem?” Arne asked Kyburn. “We don’t have the numbers to take them if a fight comes.”

“I know,” Kyburn said. “Worry about it when the time comes, for now, we aren’t in a position to do otherwise. We leave before the sun rises, I want to cover as much ground as we can before the heat hits us.”

Kyburn walked over to Henry, arm outstretched for his sword, “Don’t worry, Henry. Keep your guard up and we’ll be fine.”

Henry knew Kyburn was lying to him to make him feel better and he appreciated him attempting it but he also couldn’t help from worrying. He handed Kyburn his sword and did what he could to fall asleep but wasn’t able to after that exchange. The Kligirians were out there, he knew, watching them, waiting. This was going to be a long and sleepless journey.