Like any good tree, Sparrow had grown wiser and stronger in his years in the forest. The earth cultivation that he’d gained was a slower, less flashy type of cultivation compared to the stone and fire he’d used previously.

He found that by simply planting his feet to the earth, he could draw in all the nutrients he needed to survive - food was no longer necessary. The earth magic also made his stances unshakable. Once connected to the earth his feet were as unmovable as the roots of an old pine.

But…

Even though he no longer needed to even eat food, there was one thing he craved as he wandered through the endless expanses of forests.

Bread. Hot, steamy, fluffy, bread straight from the oven. It made his mouth drool every time he thought about it.

Eventually, the forests gave way to a large plain. Sparrow climbed one of his tree-brothers and peered out. Right on the edge of the plain was a large stone castle. Flags with dragons on them hung from the ramparts and even from a distance he could see that people were rushing around in a hive of activity.

Carpenters were strengthening the castle's doors. Soldiers were drilling, preparing for battle. As he got closer he heard the sounds of blacksmiths turning out swords, arrows, and spears.

Sparrow slipped on his belt, tightened it and waited until he found a cartload of flour, that was headed into the castle. He jumped on the back as the oxen dragged it through the castle gates. A slight wind caught the cart and he breathed in the beautiful smell of flour.

The flour cart wormed its way through the streets which were packed with people and animals and products and soldiers drilling for war.

As they passed the forge he spotted boys carrying bundles of swords and arrowheads on their shoulders. Beside the forge entrance, a sooty blacksmith was lying on his back smoking tobacco. His shirt and hair were drenched with sweat. The man exhaled a long luxurious cloud of smoke just as another blacksmith came out of the forge.

The blacksmith on his feet prodded the smoking man with an iron bar.

‘Get up ye bastard.’

‘Huh?’ said the man lying on the ground, ‘I been going 13 hours straight.’

‘As have I,’ said the other blacksmith, ‘But da emperor needs more weapons.’

‘I must’a crafted hundreds of swords in the last month,’ the blacksmith lying down grumbled as he heaved himself up, ‘Sometimes it feels like I’m jus throwing all dat work into a big hole, ye know?’

The other blacksmith wiped a line of black snot onto the equally black sleeve of his tunic, ‘That’s war fer ya.’

Sparrow’s wagon jerked on, past tailors suiting up five cultivators in fine silk fighting robes.

Finally, Sparrow’s nose - and the stopping of the cart let Sparrow know he was at a bakery. There the baker and his assistant unloaded the flour and Sparrow watched golden loaves slowly rising in the oven.

A boy about Sparrow's age came into the bakery, he asked for some loaves for the palace. The baker nodded and handed him 13.

On the chest of the boy's shirt was the symbol of the Dragon River Region Emperor.

So this is one of his castles, Sparrow thought and then smiled. Maybe I'll go thank the man for opening up education. Sparrow went outside, loosened his belt, found a semi-nice looking robe on a washing line, grabbed it and then walked into the Baker's store with his head held high. Like someone who worked in the Emperor's court.

'More loaves for the palace.' He called to the baker, and the baker's eyes opened wide.

'More loaves! they've just taken in 56.'

Sparrow shrugged, ‘That’s war fer ya.’

The baker hummed, ‘You’re right lad. War ain’t good for business is all…’ he scratched his belly, ‘Mind you The Horde getting in here and slicing open our throats ain’t good for business either.’

The man continued to grumble to himself while he took 13 fresh loaves from the oven. Sparrow's mouth started to water as the smell drifted toward him. He loaded the loaves into a basket that the baker gave him and then set off through the city streets.

He decided he was going to see the emperor - right after he finished a little task. Sparrow popped into a small alleyway, then hid behind a bunch of barrels and tore into the loaves.

The bread was everything he expected it to be and more. Soft on his tongue, it made his belly happy and warm. Made the smile on his face spread even wider.

Sparrow ate three loaves and then picked up the basket again and headed into the Emperor's palace.

The palace was massive - the largest building Sparrow had been in, in his life. People scurried about through the hallways. Eventually, he came to a staircase. He started walking up it, then found himself behind three men carrying a giant crossbow bolt taller than two men.

‘C’mon Jas. Enough gossip. Put yer back into it.’ said the man in front.

‘I wasn’t gossiping,’ said Jas, ‘I was just saying that this siege isn’t going to last forever, we just gotta last till the king’s men arrive.’

The man beside him nodded, ‘I heard they’ll be three days.’

Jas shook his head, ‘I heard they’re already here - hiding under the castle He’s hoping to lure The Horde in. Teach them a lesson.’

‘Enough gossip,’ the man in front puffed.

They walked a few more steps before Jas started up again, ‘The horde ain’t nothing. Everyone’s just scared of them because they’re green.’

Sparrow laughed and Jas looked back at him, ‘Aye, I bet you could even take them on little lad.’

Sparrow smiled at him while the man in front grumbled.

‘What’s that?’ Jas asked with a grin on his face.

The man in front sniffed, then said; ‘How come the emperor isn’t with his army? If he was there they wouldn’t be attacking us.’

‘Because the emperor rules the entire Dragon River Region. He’d been visiting our corner to arrange the construction of a new dam,’ A voice said from above, ‘And The Horde is launching a surprise attack in order to crush him.’

The three men carrying the giant crossbow bolt stopped and looked up - on the stairs above them was a man decked out in military regalia.

‘The Horde will be here in two hours.’ The man said, ‘As for the king’s army, they’ll be here tomorrow, when the sun is at its highest.’

The man stared at each of them, ‘Our emperor’s army is three times the size of theirs. We just need to hold until they arrive.’

Sparrow slipped away from the men and wormed his way back down the stairs. Eventually, he found the kitchens and handed the bread to the head of foodstocks.

‘Bread comes in thirteens,’ the man said, ‘You eat some?’

Sparrow shook his head, ‘The baker ran out of flour.’

The man just shook his head and told Sparrow where to put it.

After that Sparrow wandered the castle. He found a window, climbed out of it, then flew to the top of a turret. There was a small garden at the centre of the turret with a magnolia tree planted in it. The tree’s leaves were brown and its branches were sagging. Sparrow touched its trunk. Felt the tree’s sickness.

‘I’m sorry friend,’ he said.

It’s life. The tree replied.

Sparrow touched the bark again and nodded. Then he turned and looked out from the turret.

He could see the front gate of the castle which was all boarded up. A pile of rubble had been stacked against the wood creating a solid ramp of stone.

On the plains in front of the castle, a black tide was moving.

The Horde seemed to number in the thousands. It was a tide of anarchy. No true leader or formations, just thousands of individual goblins of all sizes and shapes charging in with one common goal.

Kill the emperor.

The first goblins to hit the castle walls were lanky, big-legged screamers who beat their bone axes against the door and let out high pitched shrills that forced the nearby guards to drop their weapons and hold hands over their ears.

Sparrow heard a door open behind him. He turned, and felt his jaw slacken.

Standing there in silk and bone armour was Princess Jade.