Chapter 8; Darkfall (Click here to access Chapter 8)

Chapter 8; Darkfall

/Unith

‘Where is your base?’ Pires screamed at Izaak. Shen watched with a keen eye from the corner of the room, with his arms folded. They were in the small, stuffy storage room, where Isolde had told them to put him, and all the while Connor was cleaning up Isolde’s room. The newly recruited, tenth spy of Rean was undergoing his training. Cleaning was a useful ‘apprenticeship’ Isolde had found for Connor.  

‘Where is it?’ He screamed. Pires had been going on for a twenty-fourth or so, no luck yet.

Pires took a deep breath. Do what you can… No. I won’t. He thought.

‘Where, is it?’ He screamed, louder. Izaak seemed intimidated to an extent. He was frowning in fear, on the brink of tears.

Shen walked out of the room. 

Do what you can… 

Pires punched the vicer on his gut. He was gasping for breath.

Pires punched him on his gut again. Izaak shed a tear or so. Pires was not a soft hitter.

‘Aargh!’ Izaak screamed, ‘Please! Don’t.’ He said.

‘And why, M'ro. You aren’t telling me what I want to know.’ Pires said.

‘They’ll kill me if I do. I can’t! I CAN’T’ Izaak cried.

‘Er… He’s a wreck. Leave him to me.’ Shen said, entering the room, seeming to have something in his hands. He had a composed frame of mind; it seemed like he was going to do something odd, but it also seemed like he knew what he was doing.

‘No I am quite fine trying on my own M'ro.’ Pires said, punching Izaak on his gut again.

‘I see your methods are not working very well. By the time you are done the vicer won’t be alive enough to answer your questions either way. may I try?’

Pires was about to punch him on the gut again, but he refrained from doing so. He was looking at Shen, figuring out whether to let the Nithronian do what he wished to. He let go of Izaak. The limbless man was stood up forcefully by the hook upon which his arms were tied. It was so high up that he couldn’t even jump to try and escape. Besides he saw no point in doing so because he wouldn’t be able to run.

Pires backed off into a corner. Shen slowly stepped up to Izaak.

‘In my country…’ Shen said, ‘there is a sport, M'ro, called knifehead,’ he was speaking to Izaak. His tone was very odd, sort of flat, as if there was something going on. His tone of voice and the way he spoke conveyed more than just the words. At some point in his sentences, excitement, at another point in the same sentence, sadness. 

‘Now, in order to play this game, there must only be two men at a time. Both of these men, they get knives. Follow, M'ro?’ He asked. Izaak nodded. He did not respond at all to Pires, but he was fully attentive now, to Shen. Was it his odd looks? Or was it because he saw Pires watching from the corner with his keen stare?

Shen reached out his hand to the back of his leggings, just on the waist. He pulled out a knife, about the same length as the one he held. He cut Izaak’s rope loose. Izaak was tied to a highly placed hook. Izaak fell to the ground as his right leg hit, but he wasn’t able to balance himself. Shen offered a helping hand. He helped the massive vicer up, then gently pushing him against the wall. He was able to stand. Shen was acting very kindly. 

Pires watched, all the while waiting to see what Shen was going to do. He had an expression worn across his face, one of kindness, but Pires knew that was not the case here, that Shen was not going to act kindly. 

Nithronians… they’re ruthless. Wildcards. Shen may not have been born or raised up there, but I say it runs in his blood. He thought. Izaak looked at Shen, waiting for him to continue. Izaak saw the knife he had just put down on the floor. He looked at it with a feeling of oddity. Why was he offering him a knife? He didn’t dare to try and use it. 

‘In this game, which is very simple, actually, two men hold knives, in their right hands. One man lunges forward, with the knife in his hand, and the other, lunges back, but he can’t move to the sides. Then the man who lunged backwards, tries to lunge forward as soon as possible, and tries to hit his opponent, and yet the man who he tries to hit, can only move backwards, not sideways. Understood M'ro?’

‘Yes,’ Izaak said, ‘but I can not jump back.’

‘Well is that MY FAULT OR YOURS BASTARD?!’ He screamed at the end of his sentence, losing his cool.

‘Grab your knife and play!’ He screamed, prolonging the word “play” in a strangely obsessive manner.

Shen then sighed and looked to the doors. 

‘I hate D’Wani leagues. It does things to me.’ He said, in a fashion of just shrugging off his unorthodox behaviour. He turned back around. Pires just ignored him. 

Shen looked at Izaak, who was nearly crying, offering the knife to Izaak, ‘Do you want to tell me now, M'ro?’

‘Please… don’t—’

‘DO YOU WANT TO TELL ME OR NOT YOU FEKHA?’ He said, screaming at the top of his lungs.

‘I can not—’

‘Well then you play with me.’ 

‘No—’

‘Izaak, make up your mind before I cut your other leg off!’

Izaak lowered his head. Should he tell them or not? What would they do to him afterwards? For sure if they let him go, he would be hunted and killed if he were to give the information. But if he wouldn’t, maybe Pires and Shen wouldn’t hurt him. They need this information desperately, yet they could easily find his fellow vicers.

‘Playing, M'ro?’ His heart skipped a bit. What should I do…

‘I will not play.’ He said. ‘I will tell you.’

‘Good.’

‘We are in the Bremingade.’ 

Shen widened his eyes in disbelief. He looked at Pires, who wore the same expression across his face. He looked back at Izaak. He frowned and breathed heavily, raising his knife, ‘Where, in the Bremingade?’

‘We are at Lord Sarrona’s farm, in the Bremingade.’

‘This can’t be.’ Shen said, keeping the knife on Izaak’s throat.

‘I always told you. Sarrona is a bastard, ‘e is.’ Pires proclaimed.

‘But he could not have done this!’ Shen said. He looked back around, at Izaak, ‘Is it true? What you said about all the Rolans dying.’

‘No… like you said, we came two hundred strong. We cannot do anything to your family.We do not intend to.’

‘Then why are you here?’ Izaak had already told him where they were, but should he say why? No, he could not. This was too fragile.

‘My masters, they don’t tell us.’

‘Oh stop it bastard! You came with no masters. Kaandorian vicers… you’re slaves, you do as you’re told by anyone who is not a slave.’

‘Anyone who is not a slave is a master.’ Izaak said. 

‘This one… he ain’t a slave. I can see it! M'ro, he carries pipe-weed with him!’ Pires said. 

‘Must you always blurt nonsense?’ Shen said. Pires was a ranking ahead of him in Rean, but it didn’t matter. They were friends outside of that.

‘Of course he’s a slave. He’s scarred. He’s a Kaandorian vicer. He has admitted it too,’ Shen said, ‘has he not?’ He tightened the press of his knife on Izaak’s throat.

‘Yes.’ Izaak obediently said. 

‘Good.’ He said. 

‘I have told you all I can. Masters just told us to come here. See things. He didn’t tell us why. I am sorry.’ Shen watched closely into his eyes. His narrow face poked into Izaak’s face almost as sharply as the knife on his throat. Izaak spoke with fear. He was not lying.

‘Very well. We will get word to Isolde.’

‘So we shall, M'ro.’

‘CONNOR!’ Shen screamed. 

A short, fairly white skinned man with short locks of grey hair ran down to the storage closet a few moments later. Beads of sweat trickled down his hair. He seemed to be overworked. 

‘Forget your current assessment and keep watch of this bastard.’ He said, pointing to Izaak.

***

Hvit stood with Theren outside her room. It was just at the break of dawn, two days after her unpleasant meeting with Muriel. She had been meeting each of the members of her team, finding out information about various matters. 

Her family stopped questioning why she would go out so often. They just assumed she was meeting her friends or something or the other. 

Hvit had spirited brown eyes that keenly scanned the environment around him almost always. Cornrows of a solemn black set of hair danced on his shoulders, bouncing up and down as he would trot about. His entire body language gave away his attitude towards everything—a man who’d find humour in many situations. She had rescued him and trained him, like almost everyone else in Rean.

‘The Triad, as you know, has been found.’ Hvit said, almost towering over Theren. Isolde was also in their company, along with Evan.

‘Well I hope we have been able to locate their whereabouts.’ Theren said. She was very demanding, but everyone listened to her. 

‘They are in Jutei, in a small hut.’

‘Altheas, Nesse and Qar? All three, correct?’

‘To my sources, Dek, Rob and Woura saw all three of them.’ Evan added.

‘That is excellent.’ 

‘May I add, I had commanded Rob, Dek and Woura to patrol the particular area, where the three were found?’ Evan proudly replied. He was a few rankings above them.

‘That is good work, but must you boast?’ She said.

‘Er, no of course not, m’lady.’ 

She nodded back to him.

‘When do you plan on going m’lady?’ Isolde asked.

‘Not today. We will find out more about them. Make sure, Evan, that you all find out more about them, where they go, and what time we can go there. Make sure this is looked into as soon as possible, M'ro.’ 

‘Yes of course.’ 

‘Evan and Hvit left the hallway, walking towards the large entrance.

Isolde stared at them leave, and then made sure no one could hear him. ‘Thank you m’lady.’ Isolde said.

‘For what?’ She asked.

‘Everything, of course. For giving me a life I’d hoped to have. Teaching me the ways of the spy, elevating my class.’ He said. She smiled meekly at him and put her hand on his cheek. Such smooth cheeks he had.

‘I thank you. You have serviced me greater than anyone. I have matters to attend to, you must exit when you can. Go.’ She said, smiling. Theren had specifically ordered the guards at the Rolan manor to allow her spies to enter, without notifying anyone about her order. It was risky at times, but Theren demanded their presence at the Rolan manor when she wouldn’t have the opportunity to leave. Isolde nodded and began to walk away. At the end of the long, wide hall; a guard came walking towards him. He was eyeing Theren, and said. ‘My lady, Shen awaits your company.’ 

Isolde looked back at Theren, and said, ‘He’s news about Izaak!’ 

Theren smiled. She was glad that they were successful in their mission. Well, she wasn’t entirely sure; but she did hope.  

Theren hurried across the large hall, and through the large, guarded door. 

She scurried into the common place between each of the Rolan’s halls. To her left were three large doors, one for Nathanial’s halls, one for Rothrin’s and one for Lothar. To her right was one for her parents.

She followed Isolde as he silently walked on. All of her family were asleep. They passed the great common passage, and then to the staircase. Everything in the Rolan manor was of massive proportion. They went down the two flights of green stairs, rolled out with crocodilian carpets. Through the stairs and down the rooms they went, room after room after room, the house was of epic proportion.

They finally exited the house, and through to the small path built to the way of the gate. Men were on horses, patrolling the grounds, the lawns on their sides were being watered, beautiful budding flowers and large, yet neatly trimmed grass lay as foundation for the lawns. The morning due was trickling down the trees, and the large path cut across all the green. The gardeners were on horses. The men believed that the hooves of a horse was good to increase fertility of the soil, just one of the many traditions of Loazian people. The wiola shined bright in the skies, its effect was not as much as Earth’s sun, or Layonas’ conqueror, which was purely destructive. Erhin had the weakest sun for it was the smallest planet. 

The skies were clear; a clear blue with thin wispy clouds, it was a very beautiful day. Isolde and Theren walked through the path, until they reached the gate. A Nithronian man rode a horse—clearly indicated by the narrow features of his face, thin cheeks with a sharp nose and wicked looking narrow but long eyes—and his entry was permitted. The horse trotted into the manor, and Shen the Nithronian steadied his horse and got off the beastly stallion. Theren had treated her spies well enough. Shen seemed to invest most of his money in his horses, he was quite a lover for the colt. 

‘Ah, m’lady.’ Theren raised her hand, and he kissed it.

‘Have you any news M'ro?’ She asked. Isolde was anticipating it. He gave the job to him, and expected it to be finished,

‘Indeed, but it is not news that your father will like. Sir Muriel will have to tell him, but your father is going to be very disappointed.’ 

Whenever matters got out of Rean’s hand, the trusted knight Muriel would have to convey the news to Lord Keran.

‘My father? Why so M'ro?’ She questioned. She’d always prefer investigations to be left out of her family, and to be handled only by her ten men.

‘Because the vicers have been sheltered at the Bremingade. Namely behind the manor and in the farms of Lord Sarrona.’

Her heart raced. Lord Sarrona? He is father’s most trusted ally! She thought. 

‘Krilin save me he could not have!’ She said, in her rage. The weather felt gloomy to her now. She was so happy, and now? Disgusted. Lord Sarrona was in father’s second ranking! He couldn’t’ve done this.

She looked around the gardens; the road looked like it went on and on into a never ending path. She turned back and looked at Shen. He stood at ease, laid back slightly, tightly gripping his colt. 

‘Alright. So be it.’ She said, at unease. ‘First, we discuss the arrival of the Triad. Surely they are in the commanding position of these vicers.’

‘My Lady Theren, why would they bring two hundred men if they plan to attack, and why would they bring two hundred even if they don’t?’

‘It is maddening. None of this makes any sense.’
‘But what matters is your safety, and your family’s, Lady Theren. I will make the utmost effort to guarantee it.’ Isolde said. She felt like rolling her eyes, but she refrained from doing so.

‘Make sure the matter concerning the Triad is looked into. We will discuss this afterwards.’ She said.

Isolde nodded, and he left with Shen. Isolde wondered why it was so urgent for Theren to look into the matter of the Triad as a bigger priority. After all they were only three men. Two hundred secret invaders, that too vicers, are a much more urgent matter to look into. How were they even able to enter the borders without being spotted?

***

/Break of dawn.

Five spies walked by the neighbourhood, in the streets of Unith just outside the D’Wani leagues. It was a place called Jutei, a small village a few leagues outside of D’Wani. Loazer truly was a large place.

Evan, Dek, Rob, Hvit and Woura were all in Jutei walking around. They knew where this hut was; where the Triad were hiding. They’d investigated it recently. 

‘But this war, as mighty as it is, is not needed at all, would you not say? This war on the Hothras river only saddens me.’ Hvit added to the conversation. It was an intense argument between Hvit and Evan.

‘No listen, I cannot agree more that the mad dairy farmers those Linteres are, but now, they have a cause to fight! Koralisar is too weak to rule Layonas, hell take me the planet is named after his ancestor! Layon, as mighty a beast he was, he forged the mantle of the snake, changed his house’s ren-call. Koralisar may have Layon’s blood, but very little of it. He is a terrible ruler. He is a boy! He knows nothing.’  Evan said.

’D’you know what? I think you’ve lost your fekhin brain! It’s the council that rules in truth!’ Hvit said, in anger.

‘Y’bastard, Koralisar is the head of it!’
‘But he has no power in the final voting of decisions! Besides that anyway, Evan, I disagree. Koralisar is a great leader, and he’s just following the mantle of his ancestor.’

‘You and Pires both are hell bent on making friend with Kaandor. We are allies with the Linteres! Say what you please mate, but we will never make peace with them. By Krilin I swear to you, I even share a name almost with our Linteres’ king. Krilin’s grave m’parents shoulda just named me Eswan!’

Hvit was about to say something to interject, but had no response, Evan was right, they were allies with the crazy, war driven men, which the Linteres were. How had Keran even attained peace with the Linteres? They were the wrong ones to try and attain peace with in the first place. They should have looked for it with Koralisar, and Kaandor. They’re far more powerful too. Well, at least they used to be. Hvit thought.

‘Ah blast it, you’re right s’always.’ he said to the middle aged man. Evan smiled a tad.

‘Layon may have carried Chronisc’s mantle forward, and a brilliant leader he was, what with forging the snake’s head and all that. But Koralisar? He is incompetent.’ Evan said.

‘But he means well! He never wished to start the Hothras War, either way you put it. Our allies are greedy, mad men.’ Hvit responded.

‘You could say that, but Koralisar will soon show his true nature. He’ll cause the chaos of a thousand pearls on the floor, I promise. Then, oh then we’ll need the Gr’Erhinians in hand.’ 

‘Nah.’ Dek said in his Southern British accent. ‘Kaandor are not going to wage war with us. Linteres’ will defeat ‘em and they’ll retreat. There’s nothing they can do. Linteres’ set camp on their borders too strong! If we come together with Linteres’, we can overthrow their reign and Erhin can expand to Layonas, making peace with Grenoria and Linteres’.’ Grenoria was the third major kingdom in Layonas. 

’What d’you know, Earthian?’ Rob said. He was a low ranked spy in Rean, so he felt jealous that an Earthian like Dek was a spot above him.

‘Enough t’be ahead a’you mate.’ 

Evan, Woura and Hvit shared a laugh at Rob’s embarrassment, and Dek walked on with a small cheeky smile worn across his face. Rob blushed in anger, ‘What the fekh’y say?’ Rob said, stopping. Everyone walked a pace more and stopped.

‘Nah mate, there’s no need f’that! I was just shitting around, by Krilin, Rob I love’y. Don’t get so mad.’ Dek said. He walked a step towards Rob, with his arms wide open, but Rob gestured him to stop. The four of them watched him. Oh, by Krilin I’ll let it be. Rob thought, faking a smile. Relieved, Dek took a step further and hugged him. A few groans and deep breaths were let out after the tight hug, but it compensated. 

‘I think we’ve pissed around enough, we’re half a league away. Get yourselves together!’ Evan said. Out of these five spies, he was the highest in ranking. He’d been longer with Theren, for four years, than any of the other spies present here. 

‘We’re spies! But you make me think we’re a band of fekhin hooligans from the East! So calm ye minds now!’ 

Everyone obeyed him. They stopped arguing. Evan had stopped walking, and everyone else around him did the same, only a moment after he did though.

‘Now listen, we’re not going to go in there together, of course. Here’s the plan,’

And it was a very elaborate one. It was morning time so they just seemed like a band of friends talking and chatting, but in truth they were going to execute this truly brilliantly. Evan had a great mind when it came to carrying forth these kind of jobs. Of course it was truly undeserving for him to be below both Shen and Pires in ranking, but they worked directly with Theren, so it was understood. In a way Rean was divided into two different teams.

***

A cold, sickening sweat trickled down the side of Hvit’s cheek. He was terribly close to the Triad’s hut. So close to Altheas. It sickened him to think about it. He did side with Kaandor, and with Koralisar, and so ultimately with the Triad, but all said and done they were just killing machines awarded a spot on the council of Kaandor. It disgusted him to think he was anywhere near one of these men, and now he had to follow them throughout their whole day, see what they were up to, when they would leave the hut; everything, like he did a day ago. 

He believed it was the Council that ruined everything Layon worked for, and what Koralisar, Layon’s descendent, tried to carry forth. He believed it was a lot to do with the work of these three Lords of Kaandor. 

By Krilin I swear it, three lords, Council-lords sneaking to another planet without guards or anything? Staying in Jutei? These are three very bold, dangerous men. Hvit thought. He was as frightened as he was the previous time he came here. 

He was hiding behind a small patch of shrub. He knew where the other two members of the Triad— Nesse and Qar—were, where the small hut was, and so he was just waiting for Altheas to exit. He spied from within this thorny bush, which was full of disastrous bugs and insects that crawled into his top shirts and legging. The filth and dirt of this world entered Hvit as his bravery and spirit left him. 

The hut was one made of wood; it was small and surrounded by this shrub on three sides, the other an open path. No one had cared to check who was staying here, most passers just thought it was a poor businessman living here. Jutei was not a very safe place, and it was one without properly regulated laws as well.

The door of the hut swung open, and out walked a tall, slender man, with a small metallic chain holstered at the back of his waist, which had a spiked sphere at the end. The mace at the end of the chain was made of metal, and it was wired metal, so inside there was something visible. It seemed like some sort of wires on its inside. The slender man had long and dark blue hair, only trademarked to a Weemlander, or an Easterner. But this man was no random Easterner, Hvit reckoned. This man had the distinct mace, and the distinct walk of a Tansha. 

This was Altheas.

Hvit shivered in fear, which created a small noise as his body moved slightly hitting the shrub. Altheas stopped walking towards the path. Hvit counted his heart beats as it skipped one. His face became red as he began to feel like his hair was falling off of his head and his skin was melting away into the rough insect infested shrub. Altheas looked at the shrub, hands folded behind his back. Hvit’s heart didn’t beat fast, but it beat so hard that he could feel it more than he ever had, pumping, and thudding. Thud, His heart went, and Altheas took a step back, blinking. He was headed in his direction. Tears welled up in his eyes.Thud, His heart went, hurting his chest. Altheas took another step towards the shrub where he was hidden, eyes wide open, hands behind his back and a red cheeked, unharmed face with luscious dark blue hair falling to the back. The birds chirped and the insects creaked. Altheas’s red shoed feet moved closer with every step, and with every step. Thud.

The tears fell down his face as he looked at Altheas in such shock as if wide eyes straight from hell looked down at him, staring right at his eyes. 

Altheas reached a hand out, and put it into Hvit’s chest. his fingers did not melt into his chest, but instead they repugnantly pierced their way into it. Blood poured with high pressure from the small spaces in the holes in which his fingers were in, but not for long. Altheas grabbed something and yanked it right out. The bone of that little intersection of his chest flapped off, and blood poured everywhere. Hvit looked up, and there was no shrub in front of him, just this tall, slender man staring at him, with a heart beating in his hands, and a wide cheeky grin worn across his face.

He blinked.

No man stood in front of the hut, and Hvit was still in the bush. He felt a sudden jolt of fear. He raised his arm as quickly as he could and touched his chest. No hole, no blood, no missing heart. Looking down at it, stunned, he looked back up. No one was there and it was him alone.
I…I can’t! 

He fled. He fled for his life faster than he had ever run. The bush scraped his skin but he didn’t care. He just ran. 

                                                ***

Nesse, of Layonas, walked somewhere out on the streets in Jutei. Dek and Rob had a keen eye kept on him. He was from a kingdom called Erron, which was a minute, disregarded kingdom somewhere far outside of Kaandor. There were many smaller kingdoms in Layonas, but the three ruling kingdoms were Grenoria, Linteres’ and Kaandor. There was no real distinctive look to Erronians, the only thing different about them was their oddly fluent accents, and how fast they spoke. Nesse was one of the members of the Triad. He was the Cutter, the knife bearer. 

‘Why’s he always out at mid-day?’ Rob asked.

‘Haven’t you seen? He’s been going to Haimar, discussing matters with only Krilin knows who, only Krilin knows what!’ Dek responded.

They were at a distant view, but could see Nesse. They were assigned to keep an eye on him. The plan was that Hvit would go directly outside the hut, into the shrubs, looking for Altheas. They had already spotted Nesse and Qar on the streets. Evan and Woura went out to locate and spy on Qar, and Dek and Rob spied on Nesse. Hvit was sent to the hut just to see if Altheas was there or not.  

Both of them had binoculars raised to their eyes, and they kept a close watch of Nesse. They knew where he was going, to the seventh building to their right, the greatly famed Haimar. It was a large building in which workers took care of all of the financial trading of this upper side of Loazer, where the capital, Kenneth, is, along with other cities and villages. Haimar was a very large building. It was made of great white marble and stone carved into hexagonal shapes. The marble was patterned mainly with Krilin’s teachings and had some small depictions of men with three arms, the men of the past, the Riders.

Dek and Rob were hidden behind a small bench of some sort, in a garden place. No one was there; most who were present were on the roads walking. 

Nesse walked into the building, and Dek and Rob lowered their binoculars. Rob looked at Dek, ‘Should we M'ro?’ 

‘What s’you?’ Dek asked.

‘Yeah.’

‘Right then,’ 

They both got up and stretched their limbs. They knew that they’d have to behave casually. They were at a distance of a few metres or so away from the building, and so walked through to their right and into the Haimar.

Dek and Rob walked up to the gate which was a large, wooden gate with a metal framing. There were a few city guards standing at the gate. Two of them stood proud in silver armour with broad shoulders, the other one on the side sitting on his great stallion. 

They condescendingly stared upon Dek and Rob, and said, ‘And who might you be, M’Ros?’

‘We have business on part of Lord Sarrona.’ Dek said. Rob cringed as the guard looked at him with suspicion. The guard who stood tall removed his helm, and with frowning eyes stared right at Dek. Dek didn’t feel nervous. He’d been trained.

‘What the fekh are you doing here, Earthian?’ He asked.

‘I am no Earthian. I’m a Weemlander. You don't know m’kind well enough. After all y’did kill em all, M'ro.’ Dek cheekily replied.

 A Weemlander was an Easterner—a person from Arlonar, which was once a great kingdom, but now a banished wasteland.

‘Y’bastard! Y’don’t have blues on you,’ the guard said, patronisingly caressing Dek’s hair. All Weemlanders had blue hair, it was a signature trait. There were only a few thousand left, most fled to Layonas. Dek had nothing to say, but he stared at the guard in a manner which made him feel like he’d done something offensive. 

‘Well, m’guess is not all Weemies have to be blues eh? Ah apologies, m’Lord, you’re Sarrona’s men, I meant no offence!’ The guard said in embarrassment. The one on the stallion just seemed to stare off somewhere else, whereas the third guard was just watching. This rude man seemed to be commander at the gate.

‘Do not ever call me a Weemy again. I am the coverlord of Sarrona’s bankers. Have you not seen me— no, of course not, a young bastard like y’self hasn’t been around very long, and yet you command? I’ll have you removed from your post immediately, if must be.’ 

‘No.. no m’Lord! I was mistaken—’

‘Ah just let us in and I’ll forget the bloody thing.’

‘Of course m’Lordship.’ 

The guard on the horse was signalled to allow them to enter, and so he pulled some sort of lever. The two guards walked out of the way, and pulled a lever on the other side. The gate began to swing open with creaking noises of wood on the hinges and the metal scraping against the stone floor was slightly jarring a noise.
The gate was open, and Dek and Rob walked in. Dek raised his head, as the guards stared at him, to see the majestic building. It was of great size, enormously tall: a great feat in the art of building for the Western kingdom. It was the biggest bank in all of Erhin- it was the biggest building too! All trading took place here. 

They walked into the complex, awestruck at the size of it. Soon after, Rob gave Dek a look of appreciation— he was still jealous— but he couldn’t work with Dek if he continued to display this attitude. Dek smiled back and they walked in.

***

‘The Knight of Ulke is among the bravest of men. Sir Qar is greatly regarded, and he is a dangerous man. A Knight? Where are his Cover-lords?’ Woura asked. They waited for Qar. They were on the roads, somewhere in Jutei, casually walking around. They were patrolling the area.

‘You idiot, he’s come here in secret! He’s not going to bring any Covers.’ Evan said.

‘But—what if some spots—’

‘No one will spot him, leastways not in Jutei. This place is more of a shit-hole than Unith.’

‘But that is without mentioning Haimar, otherwise anyone would agree.’  They indulged in conversation, but kept a keen and watchful eye for their target. They were speaking softly. 

Qar was one of the members of the Triad. He was a Knight of the City of Ulke, one of the greatest cities in all of Kaandor. Layonas was the largest planet of the three, its sun shone brighter than all, and the cities large. Ulke was the greatest wonder in any planet to be found.

To be The Knight of Ulke, was the greatest of honours in knighthood.

‘So he’s a bald man, short, but muscular, that what you said?’ Woura asked Evan. Woura was an Eaginysian man, from southern Loazer, the minor kingdom of Eaginys. 

‘Precisely so, M'ro.’

They kept patrolling the few roads, almost in circles. It was where they thought they’d seen Qar. The roads were curved on the edges and were unevenly built. Men and women walked about, treading in their own business, there were stray dogs, cows and all sorts of animals in the trees. Men carried haystacks and other men on carriages. Higher commanders or commoners travelling from far distances rode on their stallions. Jutei was a very common town, yet like Unith, both were close to the capital yet the laws here were not very well practiced.

The continued walking and talking on the streets, keeping their eyes out for Qar. A forty eighth passed, and neither of them had spotted him yet. They decided to split up, thinking it may speed the process.

***

A day later.

Theren and her ten spies were at Shen’s house. They were meeting in that same room; their meetings were never at a set office, it had to be too discreet to be at an office. It was always at one of the spy’s house. Luckily, they weren’t sitting in that stuffy green walled room as they were last time when they came here. There was an awkward silence at the moment, all were sitting. They could clearly see that Theren was anxious, and didn’t want to talk. Well, Muriel was different. ‘My Lady, well Lord Sarrona—’

‘I do not wish to speak of that. We look into the matter of the Triad first.’

‘But m’Lady, the vicers, they’re two hundred in— ’

‘What did I just say?’ Theren said. Muriel did not like to be ordered around.

‘Very well, my partners will mention to you just what we have.’ He said, with a wide smile. Dek, Rob, Woura, Evan and Hvit stepped up. Theren noticed that Hvit looked terribly anxious. Everyone seemed slightly anxious. Trouble was in the back of her mind, too. 

Hvit was staring down at the ground, as Evan broke a short silence.

‘My Lady, we’ve news. Hvit claims to have not spotted Altheas at the hut. Qar was out of sight completely.’

‘This is a disgusting report.’ 

‘But we have more, My Lady. Nesse was carrying out some kind of trades in the Haimar.’  Theren didn’t understand. Why were they coming to Erhin, why in times of war, in times of death? What did they want to do with Erhin that could concern them? ‘And so I had Dek and Rob follow him in, but as was the case with Qar, they couldn’t find him.

There was a momentary silence as Theren pondered.

‘My Lady, might I?’ Shen said, walking out into the middle of the circle, facing Theren. They were in a larger room now, in a more spacious area in his small home in Unith. Pires still stood too tall— his head would have hit against the ceiling if he wasn’t bending down. He was practically on his knees.

‘I think a wiser approach would be to not let the slithery snake slip right between our toes. I say we catch them with our heels, and then crush them.’

‘You are saying we go together? Our number is too large!’ Isolde said.

‘Did I ever suggest we go together? No, it is too obvious. We must go few in number.’

‘But that is dangerous. He is the Mace Swinger after all.’ Isolde said. He seemed against the idea, but he was open to suggestions.

‘We cannot take more time! Altheas will leave and we wouldn’t have found out a thing.’ Shen said.

Theren just stood at a spot in the small circle they’d formed, standing there in her red dress, as was traditional. Her dark hair was pinned up atop her head. She looked up towards Shen, thinking. Should they go?

‘We will not get another chance like this.’ Shen said. ‘And if they leave soon, In fact by Krilin’s mind we don’t know how long they’ve been here! If they leave, then they’d have a leverage over us that we wouldn’t know about.’

Isolde didn’t wish for Theren to go, but he knew there was probably no choice at this moment.

‘Three will come with me. We will go to the hut, and look for Altheas.’

‘It would be an utmost pleasure for me, My Lady.’ Muriel said, stepping into the centre. She absently eyed him, ‘I don’t think that’s the brightest of ideas,’ She said, condescendingly looking down at him. 

‘Very well, as you please.’ He said, backing up.

‘I will go.’ Pires said. He stepped into the centre a moment after Muriel stepped out. She nodded her head. Shen hurriedly stepped in, and she nodded her head, and of course, Isolde, as she expected. She smiled, and nodded.

‘Well, your entourage waits for your next command, M’Lady.’ Muriel said. 

 ***

Theren’s hair was tied atop her head in a beautifully intricate matter, with a rounding pattern above the small streaks that fell down her neck. Isolde kept her company, but Pires and Shen walked parallel to them. They were moving silently. Isolde wore a long, grey shirt and black pants which were woven by Unithian artisans, who were ironically the most skilled in Northern Loazer, considering the condition of Unith. 

Why is Unith so woefully poor? It is just outside Kenneth, Krilin but tell me! Theren thought. 

Isolde and Theren barely spoke, they were both quite tense. The Triad consisted of the three most dangerous warriors in all of the planets, all three of them were one-man armies, but Altheas would not kill Theren. They simply had too much history. Too much love.

After a sixth, two hours that is, they arrived at the hut. They were surrounded by bush on all three sides, and a small entrance at the front. Pires, Shen and Isolde stood with Theren now. There was no guard at the entrance of the barred metal gate. No guards? 

Shen walked up to the gate and tried to open it. It was locked from the inside. 

‘Krilin!’ He swore.

‘No need to worry.’ Isolde said. He walked up to the gate, and grasped an upper part of it with his hand, and got his footing ready.

He began to climb.

His foot had a grip on the gaps between the bars, and he was able to climb atop it. Unluckily enough, the topside of the gate was spiked, but Isolde manoeuvred his way around it by quickly jumping in. He was very sure footed on his landing. He opened the gate from the inside and welcomed everyone in.

Theren walked in, as usual dressed in red, and looked at the hut with a frown.

‘The bastard’s staying here.’ She commented. 

She felt like crying, but didn’t. She didn’t want to show her spies the true nature of her past affections for Altheas.

‘Stay put!’ Shen shouted. And he slowly opened the door. Isolde walked in front of Theren, Pires behind. All four of the spies were armed, Theren with a small dagger. Isolde entered, and then Theren and then Pires. Theren looked back, but she couldn’t see Shen. It was too late to call him now, or try to look for him, because all three members of the Triad could be here. Of course, Evan, Dek, Rob, Woura and Hvit had gone to the same places they did previously; to look for Nesse and Qar again. The hut from the inside had green walls. It was small, and only had two rooms. The room they entered had a small wooden table, and pillowed chairs around it. A quiet fire burned in the background, as the cold, sinking feeling of the room intensified. It was as if the fire wasn’t even heating up the room—the very air was disturbed. Isolde opened the next door in front of them. They knew Altheas wouldn’t harm Theren, and so they wanted an open confrontation. There were three small beds placed slightly away from each other. A tall, thin man sat facing the fire place. A spiked mace was kept on a table beside him. He had long, blue hair falling on his shoulder.

‘I’ve expected this for a long time.’ He said, with a very slow and creaking voice. It’d been like that since the fire, since his throat burned like Chronisc’s above. Theren hadn’t cared. She’d loved him for who he truly was.

‘Why have you come here?’ Theren asked, it was hard for her to keep her tears in check, and whimpered slightly while asking.

‘Why?’ He asked. Isolde stood alertly on her side, Pires behind. ‘Why? There are no answers as to why we’ve come here. Why two hundred of our rotten dogs are here.’ He got up and turned towards Theren. He saw Isolde becoming alert and grabbing the hilt of his sword.

‘I am not going to hurt her. She didn’t tell you that?’ He asked. He spoke in a beaten down manner. Tears too welled in his eyes.

Isolde lowered the grip on his sword, but suspiciously so.

‘Altheas, we are not enemies, why have you brought—’

‘We are not? You are the allies of our real enemy—The ones who caused the Hothras War! The fekhin farmers!’ He said, in an equally upset tone. Altheas and Theren both felt emotionally fragile in front of each other. They were once lovers.

‘I am not your—’

‘You burned all my people.’ He said to her calmly. 

Tear drops fell from her face. 

‘I was the fourth child of a butcher! A babe. I had no say in it.’ She said.

‘Your uncle seemed to.’

‘And you’ll blame me?’

Altheas took a deep breath, and let his tears dissolve into the fluid in his eyes.

‘But I am not here as an enemy to you, love,’ He said, ‘I come here to simply convey information.’

Theren waited a moment. ‘Whereof?’

‘The war. We’re losing.’

‘Yes, it’s evident, so why have you come to us? We do not side with you in this war.’ She said coldly.

‘No, but I have come to side with you.’

‘Then why have you brought your vicers?’

‘A decoy. An excuse to Koralisar to allow my men and I to come here. That child will never accept an amendment between Northern Loazer and Kaandor.’

‘And why should we side with you? Why should we betray our allies who have been with us as by treaty for seventy years? Why should we side with Kaandor, the soon-to-be lost kingdom?’

Altheas choked. ‘The dairy farmers don’t understand. This war needs to end.’

‘Why so? It will end once you retreat.’

‘Our “King” Rathor refuses, but he too is aware.’

‘Of what?’

‘Our planet, she rumbles, The waters are less stable each progressing month of the war. Sir Eswan refuses to acknowledge it. The lands get rockier, campsites fall. It rumbles like it did on Erhin, during the Eastern Conquer.’

‘That does not justify WHY YOU ARE HERE!’ She screamed in a burst of emotion. 

Altheas studied her for a moment. 

‘You’re still upset.’ 

‘Of course I am! Seven years they promised my marriage to you, seven years I waited.’ She said, almost bursting out. Isolde grimaced.

Oh what a fool I must look! She rubbed the tears off and took a more serious outlook.

‘Tell me please Altheas—’

A faint noise began to ring into Theren’s ears. An interruption. The rickety sound of a horse drawn carriage—metal to wood—sounded, followed by the sound of the hooves of a few horses beating against hard stone ground. Theren could not believe that they had company, for she believed the operation took place in complete secret. Was she finally going to get busted? On a whimsical visit to her ex lover? No, this could not be. She’d run her operations smoothly enough for four years. A door, sounding like from a carriage, swung wide open. Theren cocked her head around.

‘Ah. I see that your family want to pay a visit!’ Altheas said.

Theren’s heart pounded in fear.

It’s not possible. He’s wrong, how could they have found out? 

Isolde and Pires stood beside her, and the door to the hut swung open. She backed up a little bit, and next thing she knew, the door to the chamber opened, in came a fat, old man who went by a very recognisable name—Keran Rolan.