There was a small chamber in the mountain, carved by the passage of time, formed by the elements. Compared to the council room, this small chamber was barely a fifth of its size. However, the small chamber held more dignity and sophistry than any other room.
There was a small bed on one side of the room, along with a wardrobe, a small table and a chair. On the other side, there was a slightly rger desk surrounded by shelves of books, scrolls, and parchments. Behind the elegant desk that was engraved with the stories of the Lavan, sat the leader of the Lavans, the Priestess.
“You asked a great deal, Lord Henry,” said Iluna.
“I’m aware but you pardoned Sarynn, why not Kiera?”
“The Azure Serpent, despite our past conflicts, is still a child of Ulrum. She was born of this pce. Even if we have our differences, a part of our hearts is united by the love for our home. The Magus is no such thing. And unlike the Azure Serpent, Magi are a far more votile bunch.”
“So, that’s a no, huh.”
“I have not given my answer, Lord Henry.” Iluna smiled. “You are our god. Your word is w We cannot defy you.”
Henry sighed. “Look, I’m not some kind of idol. And you are your own people, not my thralls or sves. You won’t defy me but that doesn’t mean you won’t harbor resentment in your heart. I don’t wish to force my will upon you all without taking your opinions and feelings into consideration.”
“Lord Henry, I am in the same position. I lead my people. I give them council. I don’t force my will on them but sometimes… I have to, for all of our sake. The Lavans will never agree. But of course, they will not outright admit so. Perhaps… they don’t need to. Not right now, at least.”
“What are you implying?”
“My lord, I heard you and Lady Rayne had quite the hostile and antagonistic retionship, but look at you two now. You are the Overlord of Ulrum. You are not one of us, Lord Henry. You are something greater. Humility can only get you as far as your fortune allows.”
“So, you are telling me to just force my will upon you all?”
“I’m not telling. I’m advising. Things can change. People can change. And you will be there to watch over the changes. I don’t believe the Magus will be beneficial to us but I believe in your judgement, Lord Henry.”
“I only ask that the Lavans give Kiera a chance to prove herself. We have a common enemy ahead and she will definitely be of huge help to our cause.”
Iluna nodded silently with a complicated smile.
****
“What are we doing here?” Kiera asked as she strode alongside Henry through the forest that id before the mountain borders of Ulrum.
“It’s the only pce that we can talk without being… disturbed,” Henry answered.
“Disturbed? By who?”
“Are you intentionally pying dumb?”
“I am not. I didn’t take you for someone who would be overly concerned about his subjects’ opinions.”
“I am not concerned about them. I’m concerned about you. Your kind was a catastrophe to Ulrum. They are afraid of you. Until you and I can prove that they have nothing to fear from you, we will remain out of their sight and mind.”
Kiera sighed. “I’m starting to regret my decision. I’m being treated no differently here. My power frightens them. People fear the mighty.”
“They don’t fear me and I’m far more powerful than you.”
Kiera cast a side gnce, irked.
“The people here fear you for a good reason. The humans fear you for hypocritical reasons. If they had your strength and ability, they would definitely use it to oppress others.”
“If that’s your way of comforting me, it isn’t working.”
Henry shrugged. “Can’t fault a person for trying.”
“Has anyone told you that you speak in a very odd manner?”
“There has been and I’m aware of it myself. Do you have a problem?”
“They say a man’s speech can reveal plenty about a man’s origins. I suppose the same can be said for… dragons. You sound different from the Lavans. In fact, you sound as if you were from a nd far far away.”
Henry snickered. “You are not wrong about that.”
“Are you perhaps an outworlder?” Kiera asked.
The unexpected question prompted Henry to almost freeze in surprise. But then, he remembered the hero he had fought. Outworlders might not be such a huge secret to the ones in high pces.
“Your silence says it all.”
“And your tone says it all too. You don’t sound surprised.”
“I had my suspicions. The Kingdom pays very close attention to Ulrum, as close as they can. No one heard anything about the appearance of a Dragon or even a clue that suggests it. And out of nowhere, you just appeared. It can only mean one thing. You came from another world. Although outworlders are nothing new, they have always been humans. You are the first beast that came from another world.”
“Surely there are other creatures who came before me, no?”
“There might be but we wouldn’t know. We have no way of knowing. You are the first of your kind, an intelligent beast from another world.”
“Huh… That’s good to know, I suppose?”
“Putting that aside, what is it that you wish to speak to me about?”
Henry had to fight down a flush that nearly showed on his face. He had forgotten the purpose of this walk. “Tell me everything you know about the enemy that is at our doorstep.”
“Why aren’t we in the council chambers for this kind of discussion?”
“They’re not comfortable around you.”
“Not even the Priestess and her council?”
“You are severely underestimating their fear towards you. If you so wish, you can obliterate them with a snap of a finger and there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.”
“But they were very accommodating before.”
“Because they were afraid that you would destroy them if they weren’t.”
“Ah… I see.” The magus had a wry smile. “I genuinely thought they were simply accommodating.”
“I hope so too.” They walked until they were before a vast clearing. They stopped at the edge. On the side was a gentle slope that spanned quite a distance. The camp of the kingdom soldiers could be seen from here. “Well, out with it. What should we be extremely cautious of?”
“You have to be more specific than that.”
“What are the primary caution that we should be aware of?”
“Primary? Their greed, of course. They are very willing to sacrifice their own to fulfil their greed.”
“I know that much. What else?”
“The Syers. They are guards for most times but in times of need, they can be a deadly assault force. The Lavans wouldn’t stand a chance if there were even just a hundred of them.”
“How likely will they deploy the Syers to the front lines?”
“When they have run out of other troops to send.”
“A st resort,” Henry mused under his breath.
“They might not be aware of your existence entirely but they most likely have a good estimate of what they will be up against. If news from the capital has reached the camp, they may also be expecting me.”
“They somehow arrive at the assumption that you’re a turncoat for Ulrum?”
“As you said, it is what they would probably do in my shoes.”
“And what about the war machines?”
“Their destructiveness is unquestionable but they are unreliable. The elements and the terrain are huge hindrances and obstacles for the war machines. The one thing you should be really careful about is the mages. More specifically, the enchantments they cast on the war machines and also on the troops.”
“On the soldiers directly?”
Kiera nodded.
“Is that even possible?”
“At the expense of the soldiers’ lives. If they are lucky, they will die. If they are not, they will live on as cripples.”
“This is monstrous… How are they even—”
“You don’t become one of the most powerful nations on the continent by being nice and benevolent.”
Henry sighed. “It will be our loss even if we win but suffer too many casualties.”
“But that’s not even the most important thing to be worried about.”
Henry frowned. “If it wasn’t, maybe you shouldn’t have led with that.”
“It just came to my mind. And I don’t even know if it’s… any true.”
“Just say it.”
“The court has a new advisor and the winds whisper about his origins being of another world.”
“It’s no whisper of the winds. It’s true.”
Kiera widened her eyes. “How do you know something about the inner court that I don’t? Do you have spies in the inner court?”
“I don’t but a certain someone does. An ally, for now.”
“The vampire,” Kiera muttered. “It’s her, isn’t it?”
“I suppose you would have heard of her.”
“The whole kingdom knows about her. She caused quite a great disturbance to the whole kingdom. Her strength and speed were on par with a Syer. She even knew blood magic, a knowledge which was believed to have been lost to time. If she hadn’t been revealed as a creature of darkness, a vampire, the kingdom would have coveted her power.”
“Does the kingdom have some sort of taboo against dark magic or creatures?”
“Not the kingdom but the Holy State of Nyrin. A nation of the rgest and most powerful faith on the continent. The Argon Kingdom does not wish to antagonise a nation that rivals its might.”
“But I reckon they still covet the vampire’s power, albeit secretly, no?”
“I reckon so but I’m not fully certain of it as I was not made aware of it.” Kiera took a deep breath as if to prepare for the words she was about to speak. “If this new court advisor is truly from another world, the Argon Kingdom might rise higher than its rivalling nations in the future.”
“I agree but first, we have to deal with the enemy that's currently right in front of us. Any weaknesses that you know of?”
“The fuel the golem carriages use is highly votile but you already know that. The soldiers’ morale is low. Their obedience stems from their fear of the mages and the Syers. We may be able to convince them to turn against their leaders.”
“How?”
“I know a spell or two. It could work… no, maybe not, now that I think about it. It’s useless since we won’t be able to get close without being discovered. Your exploits have put them all on high alert.”
“Well, I expect this much from them.”
“They have erected a spell barrier that has a two-mile radius. It protects from any form of magic. However, it’s useless against any attacks that aren’t Murux in nature.”
“Like a hail of arrows?”
“Or a hail of stones. Heavy ones, but not too heavy for you.”
Henry’s face brightened. “That’s delightful to know. But… would that even do anything against them? I trust that they would have long known about this weak spot.”
“Imagine countless rocks and boulders in their path. Even if it doesn’t cause much damage, it would still be a huge hindrance to them.”
“Oh, that’s smart.”
“After being in countless battles, these things come naturally to you. If you want to avoid casualties, don’t let them get close. Ruin the paths they would take. Filled them with traps. With you and your… wives, it would be a breeze, I imagine, to alter the terrain.”
“I thought of that but… wouldn’t it be too obvious? They can’t be that retarded, would they?”
“They’re desperate. You have driven them to a corner. Even if they don’t fall for it, it will still slow them down. They can’t keep the barrier up forever. Force them into a battle of attrition. Your side will definitely win with little to no casualties.”
“What about reinforcements?”
“You and I will make sure that there will be none.”
Henry’s expression lit up with the epiphany. “Just you and me?”
“You can bring others, so long as they know how to be quick and stealthy.”
