Silvia, Sidney, Katherine, Master Aerolyso, and I arrive at the gates of Magali half an hour before the assembly starts. To enter the city, we have to pass by two armored inquisitors posing as security guards. The two eye everyone passing by with hawkish, suspicious stares. Upon seeing us, they find us particularly suspicious and halt our entrance by blocking us with their bodies. “Hold it right there,” says a guard with the visor of his jar-shaped helmet up. “You folks don’t look like ordinary travelers. Who be ye?”

The fact that the guy doesn’t recognize one of the world’s most famous mages doesn’t say much for him. Yet Master is never boastful about his identity. Rather than be offended, he simply smiles courteously. “I am Arch Lord Aerolyso Aeon of Winterspring Academy. This is my apprentice Souladonis, his apprentice Katherine, my other apprentice Silvia, and her sister Sidney. The girls are all citizens of Âme Kingdom. The lad and I are visiting.”

The guard bends forward at the hips and takes a closer look at Master’s face. “Ya don’t say, the Arch Lord of Winterspring? Well then you’re in for a real treat milord. You may have the world’s top mage academy, but we have the world’s top military. Even you’ll be impressed. I guarantee you that.”

Again, Master smiles and nods his head to show respect to the otherwise lowly and anonymous security guard. “Yes, I’m expecting a spectacular showing.ˮ

With a proud return nod, the guard steps aside to allow us to enter. “Enjoy the assembly milord.”

We walk into the city with the Arch Lord taking point. Silvia and I follow behind his left and right shoulders. Katherine and Sidney follow behind us. Gazing about, I see that the late afternoon sun reflects golden off the city’s tan cobblestone pavement. In every direction I observe that the golden streets are filled with an array of both commoners and nobles. Many of them are citizens but others must be curious travelers who have come to witness the war proclamation like us. Following the Arch Lord, we stroll down the main street that leads from the city gate to the town center and eventually to the castle. Contrary to the suggestion of the buzzing chatter that fills the air, there’s no actual fanfare taking place at the moment. The commotion is simply the natural result of a densely-packed collection of people all gravitating towards one general direction.

When we finally manage to reach the town square, we find that the military has already set up an ad hoc platform that will serve as a stage for the assembly. The stage is surrounded on all sides by a perimeter of armed inquisitors. Naturally, the silent guards all have their swords sheathed, but the crowd gets the message that it’s not to come too close to the stage. Settling into position, we and all the spectators pack in tightly from inches away from the guards to 50 yards into the distance. Having arrived roughly 15 minutes before the big event, we find ourselves neither in the front nor the back of the group. Rather, we’re scrunched somewhere in the middle of the crowd about 25 yards from the stage.

While the people wait for the assembly to begin, they chat boisterously with their neighbors and the city of Magali becomes a noisy chat festival. Our group is less talkative. We have in our midst the only descendant of the Yugalla tribe in all of Magali and probably all of Âme Kingdom. Katherine, who’s normally outgoing, is silently lost in her own thoughts. I’d say something to her, but I don’t know what to say. I could try to tell a joke to lighten the mood. I could even try to assure her that the guard at the gate wasn’t right about the Aimé army being the most powerful military in the world. But it is. And if the highly trained military force of the world’s wealthiest and most technologically advanced nation attacks a nation of tribal peasants, then the outcome is a forgone conclusion. Katherine knows that the impending words of the king could mark the death of everything that her father ever held dear and sacrificed his life for. It would be as if he never existed.

I stand by Katherine’s side, not looking at her directly, but always keeping a watch on her through my peripheral vision. For her part, she has her eyes turned downwards as if she were visualizing something in her head. Probably various strategies and contingency plans for what to do if we’re unable to nip this thing in the bud. Or perhaps, she’s reflecting on the worst case scenario – the total obliteration of the Yugallan people. Either way, I don’t have the heart to break her from her concentration. I merely wait and observe the environment.

At 5 o’ clock, accurate to the very second, we hear the sound of military trumpets blowing from the direction of the castle. The crowd reacts with cheers and applause as their beloved king and his assembly of soldiers parade towards the town center. I’m not from Âme Kingdom, so I’m afraid I have to admit ignorance when it comes to recognizing the primary movers and shakers of this country’s military and government. However, I do recognize King Barthalamos when I see him. He’s six feet and five inches tall, he wears extravagant golden armor, a blue cape, and a crown of jewels. He’s roughly 52 years old and he has neck-length grayish red hair and a thick beard to match. Attendants on either side of him raise his coat of arms from tall poles.

Directly behind King Barthalamos trails the only other man in the assembly that I recognize. It’s Chief Inquisitor Rupert Des Chevaliers. He and I once fought over him rudely bumping into Katherine without apologizing. I barely survived that fight. Then, a few days later, we fought together against my former teacher, Master Simon, who turned out to be a death mage. I barely survived that fight too. But more importantly, I know the Chief Inquisitor to be man of justice and integrity. Furthermore, I know that he regards Shaman Terranostra as a good man because he said as much when he allowed Katherine to keep her father’s wand after she stole it from a museum here in Magali. Considering that he fought in the first war between Âme Kingdom and Ouroboros as a young man, he must have some strong thoughts on returning now that he’s older and in a position of authority. The only question is whether he’s in favor of a second war or against it. I’d love to know, but it’s not like I can ask him at the moment. All I can do is continue to watch the assembly and listen to what the king has to say.

Behind King Barthalamos and the Chief Inquisitor comes a series of generals and other important dignitaries. They, too, have their banners and coats of arms waving in the air. I don’t recognize any of them. Behind the distinguished people comes the blue and gold river of the rank and file soldiers. They’re a well equipped and highly disciplined force. I’d hate to have to fight them.

Once the king’s ostentatious march to the stage is complete, he climbs the stairs of the platform so that he can address his people. In a loud voice, he declares, “Countrymen of Âme Kingdom, I, Barthalamos, on this third day of December, hereby declare war upon the dark and foul nation of Ouroboros. Eighteen years ago our great and noble land faced the villains of Ouroboros only to be thwarted in the end by the ungodly black magic of their heretic leader, Shaman Terranostra. While we did manage to bring the wicked shaman to justice by severing his head from his shoulders here in this very town square, the rest of his evil tribesmen continue to pollute the earth from their swamp kingdom in Ouroboros. These people, who call themselves the Yugallans, are a backwards and irredeemable people. They engage in the foulest of practices such as human sacrifice, wife sharing, cannibalism, and the worship of snakes. They even go so far as to feed human babies to the large snakes that they worship.”

His last line causes his gullible subjects to fill the air with gasps of horror. The people of Magali are about as educated as the masses come, yet few of them have enough experience with interacting with people from foreign lands and cultures to recognize the blatant lie of the king’s words. It’s easy to think of people outside of one’s own country or social group as “other.” Even other enough to believe that they could be collectively and characteristically evil to the point of feeding their own babies to snakes. Yet as a person who’s traveled to the four corners of the world, I know that that’s complete nonsense. The human beings in every country are essentially the same. They all just want to be happy and take care of their families. That’s it. There’s no variation from this. The king of Âme Kingdom would undoubtedly know this, but he’s playing the us-and-them card to make his people believe that their side is good and the other side is bad. It’s a classic and simple method of nationalistic propaganda. Were his people not too busy buying it wholesale, they’d recognize it for the affront against their intelligence that it should be.

Yet alas, they don’t object and he continues, “While the Yugallan people may be utterly worthless, their swamp kingdom is not without its merits. Their land is somehow blessed with rich, bountiful resources such as mana sand on the beaches, orange and red mana plants, a treasure trove of bamboo, beautiful songbirds, cerulean, whitewood, and crystallized trees, and even precious stones like opal and turquoise. Our brave soldiers will commandeer these resources after they finish eradicating the Yugallan pests. This will not only pay for the war, but also advance Âme Kingdom into an even greater era of prosperity than the one we’ve enjoyed for several decades now.

Truly, it is an act of divine justice that we should smite the Yugallan heretics where they live and put an end to their accursed bloodline forever. To this end, we must put to death by sword every man, woman, and child of the Yugallan race. For this noble act of service to mankind, our land shall be blessed with unending peace and prosperity.”

Again, the people erupt into cheers. I lower my head and pinch the bridge of my nose in disdain. I want to scream “morons” at the top of my lungs, but that won’t do any good. My grudge is with the king and not the Aimé people. I can’t blame them for presuming that their leader is telling them the truth. Yet he’s not. What he calls “commandeering resources” is a euphemism for international armed robbery. That was the cause of the first war. He wanted the wealth of the land. This time he wants the wealth of the land AND he wants revenge against the Yugallan people. But to say that every man, woman, and child of their tribe needs to be put to death by sword is inhuman. I’m not going to let him get away with this.

Concentrating my power, I create a shell of mana around myself that emits small pulses of outward pressure. I use this pressure to force my way through the crowd without injuring anyone. I then emit one extra strong pulse when I reach the front of the crowd and zip to just a few feet away from the stage. My forceful appearance at the bottom of the platform visibly frightens the king and his guards. His men quickly gather their wits, draw their swords, and surround me. I stand unmoved at the bottom of the platform, pointing my staff at the king. “You liar!” I shout at him.

The king’s face flushes red. It would seem that I spoiled the rich kid’s party. He looks at me and then he looks at the crowd’s reaction. He appears to be more concerned about his public image than anything else. However, I care nothing for his power, authority, or image. I’m going to call him out on his hypocrisy. I yell, “Your every word about the Yugallans was a lie! You only want to justify carrying out your petty grudge match with the Yugallans because you’re embarrassed that a pacifist like Shaman Terranostra put your army to shame last time. You’re nothing more than a blackguard and a coward!”

“How dare you!” he snaps back. His thunderous voice causes the heavens to tremble, yet I hold firm in my place, staring him directly in the eyes without relenting. The king is the first to break stare. He turns his gaze to Chief Inquisitor Des Chevaliers, who stands on the platform behind the king with the other military leaders.

Frantic, he asks, “What are you doing Des Chevaliers? Defend your king’s honor!”

The Chief Inquisitor takes a wide step forward. “Souladonis! Stop this at once!”

I ignore his command and yell all the louder, “Shaman Terranostra was a good man! He gave his life for his people! Would you do the same for yours, you spineless imitation of a king?”

Now his face contorts into a scowl and his flesh becomes scarlet. “Des Chevaliers, are you refusing my order? Kill this man!”

The Chief Inquisitor hops down from the stage to ground level with me. He hesitates momentarily and then draws his oversized broadsword. Keeping both my staff and my eyes trained on the king rather than Des Chevaliers, I advance forward.

“Des Chevaliers!” the king shouts once more.

Suddenly, as I start to take another step, two arms stretch out from behind me and wrap me in them. The arms twist me to the side so that I can no longer stare down the king. From behind me, Arch Lord Aerolyso stretches his palm towards Des Chevaliers to halt the situation. “I’m sorry King Barthalamos. This is my knucklehead apprentice, Souladonis. He’s an idealistic lad who hates the thought of war. He does tend to get carried away though. You know how difficult impulsive youths can be. It won’t happen again.”

The king furrows his bushy red brow at my Master. The sight makes me want to grab him by the hair, spin him around, and toss him to the moon. Even worse, in a coup of arrogance, he dares to threaten the Arch Lord of Winterspring. He growls, “See to it that it doesn’t happen again Aerolyso, or next time my army will march north.”

Master humbly bows his head. “Yes, I understand. Thank you your majesty. Come Souladonis.”

He drags me away from the stage and back into the crowd. We return to our place in the distance with Silvia, Sidney, and Katherine.

“What in the world were you thinking?” Master scolds. “Did you not see the hundreds of guards with swords ready to kill you?”

Frustrated, I press my lips and pound my knuckles. “No, all I saw was an ugly liar who needed to be slapped.”

The Arch Lord places his hand on my right shoulder. “I know that you want to help the people in Ouroboros Souladonis, but this is not the way.”

Burning with both desperation and rage, I gaze my eyes into his. “Well then, what should I do?”

He suggests, “If you want to help them, then the best thing you can do is go to Ouroboros and find the Yugallan chief, Hekima. Warn him that the Aimé army is attacking again. He’ll have to figure out a way to defend his people without Shaman Terranostra.”

For lack of a better idea, I flop my arms through the air and agree. “Alright. I’ll go to Ouroboros.”

“No. I’ll go,” Katherine interrupts, breaking her long silence. I twist to look at her. She has the same determined look in her eyes that she gets whenever she decides upon something. At that point, she becomes dissuadable. She continues, “The people of Ouroboros have nothing to do with you Master Souladonis. This is my fight.”

I step close to her and lift her left hand with my left hand. “Katherine, you know full well that your fight is my fight. We’ll go together.”

She nods in agreement. I then pivot to ask Arch Lord Aerolyso a question. “Master, can I use your portal stone to get to Ouroboros? I’ve never been there before.”

Master Aerolyso scratches his head. “Sorry, but I’ve misplaced many of my old portal stones over the years and they’ve never been found. That includes the one I marked with the location of the Yugalla tribe in Ouroboros. I don’t know how you can reach them quite honestly.”

“I do!” Katherine says, raising her hand. “My father gave my mother a map of the Ouroban rain forest. She used to show it to me when she would tell me stories about him when I was little. We can use her map to find our way to the Yugallans.”

“Then it’s settled,” I say. “We’ll go after the assembly ends. I want to see who the leaders of their war party are.”

With our plan set, we pay our full attention to the assembly. King Barthalamos introduces the generals who will be leading the attack on Ouroboros. First is Valiant General Ferdinand d’Allégresse. He’s a man somewhere in between his late 30s and early 40s. From his sheathed swords, I can tell that he wields twin rapiers, as is traditional for the acrobatic Valiant class. They’re a very skilled class and having one for an enemy sucks to say the least. Next, King Barthalamos introduces the second general, Lionheart General Caroline d’Allégresse. Caroline is only a teenager, maybe around 15 or 16. Similar to Ferdinand, whom I presume is her father, she wields twin side swords, which are cut and thrust weapons that are like a cross between an arming sword and a rapier. Yet distinguishing her from Ferdinand, she’s called “Lionheart General” rather than “Valiant General #2” or something to that effect. I’m not sure what the distinction means, but considering her age, they’re probably just sending her out to get some field experience. I don’t think she’ll be much of a threat.

Finally, King Barthalamos declares that Chief Inquisitor Rupert Des Chevaliers will serve as the supreme commander. It’s interesting that he hesitated to attack me earlier. Perhaps he secretly feels conflicted about this blatantly unjust war. If only I could speak to him in private, I could find out. But then again, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how he feels. He has his orders and he’s a duty-driven sap. He’ll do whatever the king tells him, so I had better prepare myself for another battle with the Fortissimo Colossus ultra class knight.

The assembly, with all of its unnecessary theatrics, concludes a little after seven in the evening. Katherine and I thank Silvia, Sidney, and Arch Lord Aerolyso for attending the event with us. They return to Winterspring while Katherine and I use the Portal spell to warp to Belle Forest where her mother lives. Advancing my relationship with Katherine has taken a sudden and unexpected drop in priorities. But then, on the other hand, the two of us are never closer than when we’re facing a disaster together. Having the warmongering king of the world’s most powerful nation order the death of every single member of her father’s tribe counts as a pretty big disaster. Perhaps, the biggest we’ve ever faced. I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge, but for Katherine’s sake, I’m more than prepared to fight the entire Aimé army by myself. Granted, I’d never win. I would swiftly be killed. That said, however, Shaman Terranostra did manage to find a way to thwart the Aimé army by himself. I just have to find a way to repeat history, minus the self-sacrifice part.