Divine Inheritance: Chaos

Ilda had already started moving towards Marcus when his wave of energy was sent out. She stepped forward into a run and when the blast from the energy subsided Ilda was nowhere to be seen. A very dense wave of snow flew past Marcus began to form in to the shape of a woman. Moments later Ilda appeared behind him. “Hahaha!” She laughed mockingly. “If this it was passes for the Empires generals the country will be ours with ease!” She mocked. Ilda raised her sword and bringing it down in a diagonal arc she released her Gust of Svell.

Zamir Lothbrok was in the thick of battle. Pulling his spear out of a soldier’s chest he raised his shield to block another that was charging. With a war cry he knocked him aside he left him to one of the men behind him. The battle for Carmila Sar had been raging on for hours. The sun was becoming low in the sky and neither army was showing signs of relenting. There was a loud crashing noise which Zamir had come to recognise as Ilda’s ice being formed. With another war cry he began cutting a path towards where the chief fought the Emperors dog.

 

A loud crash was heard through the halls as the double doors to the meeting hall were thrown open and Atticus stepped out. There was a subtle rage in his eyes that was well masked by an amused grin. The two new guards who had settled themselves on either side of the entrance jumped forward to catch the massive wooden doors, and each staggered at the sheer force in which they had been pushed. Atticus barely paid them any mind as he stopped in the doorway, spinning on his heel to once again face whomever was in the meeting hall. "Your master is truly a brave man to send you into my home to make demands of me."

"Oh, you misunderstand, sir." a smooth female voice answered from within just outside the guards view. The woman was mostly re-assembled though there was a large open mark across her cheek and ear that was full of ash. There was another in place of her left hand. Even incomplete, the devious woman carried herself with confidence. "It's an order." Atticus scoffed as Roxanne stepped into the hall after Atticus "Those traitors belong to our clan, not your silly country. And so my master orders that you apprehend them and return them to us to face justice among their own kind. And I would hurry. Their association with your daughter and whore will put them in more danger than their services are worth to you."

There was a notable change across Atticus's expression at the mention of 'daugher and whore' that Roxanne noticed. She cocked her head to the side with a sinister grin "Ah, you didn't know... did you?" she chuckled. "A fearsome woman, truly. I wouldn't mind another chance to kill her. I owe her-" she waved her ashen stump of an arm to complete her threat.

"Careful." Atticus warned, much more agitated than he had been a moment before.

"Hush your grace." Roxanne smirked and started walking down the halls away from the room they had just been in. "Think of this as another reason to make the deal exactly as we placed it." she paused, looking over her shoulder at the emperor. She despised the man. It took everything in her to not kill him right there. But now wasn't the time. When the emperor died, it would be later. When she could make it slow. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"About time!" Paige remarked, clapping her hands together in feigned excitement at having been able to get Kable's attention. "I was starting to think I'd have to come over there. You were so gone I thought you'd run into a tree." she laughed a bit. "Care to share with the class, Kable? Whatcha thinking about?" She spurred her horse a bit to more closely match the pace of her allies, pulling up between Kable and Oryx and closer to Voltair who had taken the lead.

The assassins are getting smart... there was some amusement in the creatures many voices today. The deal they proposed wouldn't be that bad would it? Whats the harm of giving them their terms?

"You know damn well." Atticus leaned against the wall inside the vault. The creature took the form of a young boy, hovering over the center of the well, which appeared to be filled with a highly reflective liquid.

Ah yes. You've invested a fair bit into their lineage. A soft whisper of a laugh filled the air behind the creatures words.

"And you know how much I hate a wasted investment." Atticus pushed himself off the wall, with crossed arms. He walked toward the edge of the well to look at where it's eyes should be. "Now, lets get to why I'm really here. I need your sight once again, friend. Show me my country and the affairs of my battles."

Just then, the creature hissed, "As you wish. Right on time, your general would like a word with you it seems...." the form of the young child disappeared and morphed into the shape of General Lucius hovering over the reflective surface which expanded to fill the room with an illusion of a shadowy phantom of Lucius's tent.

*******

Rising from a black miasma, the shape of Atticus was formed standing before Lucius. His features were formed from the black mist though shrouded by the shifting magic. "Lucius!" Emperor spoke with familiarity to his general.

Lucius turned to the shadowy form of Atticus. "My liege!" He bowed to one knee to salute. "I wish I could say I was sorry for the abrupt call, but I knew you'd want to know first hand what's happened."

"Nonsense! And stand up, man! Surely you're getting too old to abuse your knee like that." Atticus spoke in good humor. "Now tell me. What news have you of my city?"

Lucius stayed where he knelt for a split second before getting up. "The only one of us getting too old would be you, sir. When's the last time you used a muscle besides your writing hand?" Lucius barked out a rather large laugh that spooked the being transmitting the message.

Atticus's laugh was equal to that of Lucius. The Emperor rolled his eyes, "Ah, truly brother. It has been too long since I've seen a good battle."

"As for your city," Lucius allowed his smile to drop. "I wouldn't call it your city. The barbarians have got a tight grip on it and won't let go, even though I killed off their grand chief, Haldor. Plus..." Lucius looked Atticus dead in the eyes. "Princess Jaxx has somehow appeared in the city. Last I received word, she managed to escape from them and is currently making her way out of the city."

"Gah! That impulsive girl." Atticus hissed, still in good humor but also clearly annoyed by the idea of his daughter having inconvenienced the battle. "Has she managed to send you word of her status inside the city?"

Lucius shook his head. "No, the city alarms began sounding shortly her... spectacular arrival. I can fill you in on that later, but it can't be a coincidence. Jaxx may be young and inexperienced, but she is still powerful. Powerful enough to take on some bandits. As it is, I have men combing the hilltops casting their eyes for any signs of her. With luck, we can get her back and take the city in one fell swoop." Lucius felt his chest swell up in pride.

A soft chuckle cut through the fog, "That's my girl." Atticus spoke with pride. "She can take care of herself. Focus your armies on returning to Barisor. Without their king, now is the time to strike. And if they have replaced him already, kill that one as well. Leave the heads of two false kings of Barisor for their woman leader to find." he chuckled.
"As for my daughter, she will sink or swim on her own as we discussed."

 

Kable could only stare at Oryx in wonder and, dare he say, horror at the giant man's remark. "Oryx, you make a great ally in battle. But please, do not ever get the idea to rub me on yourself. It wouldn't end well for eother of us." Kable then turned his attention to Paige.

"And for your information, Nosy P., I was thinking about what happened earlier. We were caught off guard, and now we've lost the one reason we're even in this blasted mess." He looked to Voltair, who looked as if he couldn't care about anything happening behind him. "Call me moody or whatever you like, but at this rate, we won't make it back to the capital to take down Atticus."

------------

Lucius made a mental note as to why Jaxx acted the way she did. Clearly Atticus wasn't the most caring father to have been raised by. His casual disregard for his daughters safety showed that he only wanted the best in his empire and he would do anything to make that a reality.

"I will then redouble efforts to break through Barisor's walls. Their leaders shall cover the wall along with their fallen chieftain. And when that wretched bitch Ilda finds it, she shall join them as well."

 

There was an awkward pause between the group of companions at the image of Oryx rubbing Kable on himself like a bar of soap. However the silence was broken by Paige's laughter. "Ah you kill me Oryx!" she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Well we definitely won't make it back with an attitude like yours. You know that's how I always beat you to targets. I don't give myself time for doubts." she winked.

"That's the spirit!" the Emperor's voice bellowed through the blackened mist. "I look forward to celebrating your victory in Barisor before we both march on Ilda Ironside together. What say you, brother?"

 

Oryx enjoyed the company of his new companions, the comradery reminded him of the days when he traveled far and wide with his clan, fighting wars of justice against the evil of this world, but those days have long passed. Everything must come to an end eventually, sadly he felt his adventures with his family were short lived, that chapter of his life began to close when he became a Lord of Iron and the great battle between his clan and that of the wicked Valkyrie of Death... However this was not the time for sad thoughts, enjoy his new friends and his new adventure to save the lovely giantess princess and this strange weird land he found himself in.

"I must ask, how much longer do we ride until we reach our destination? My sword aches for battle and justice! My heart also aches for the lovely giantess princess! Oh how her blade has pierced my cold undead cursed heart!" Oryx exclaimed to Kable and Paige.

 

Kable had turned and opened his mouth to retort back at Paige, whose stunningly intense eyes danced with laughter at the sight of Kable becoming flustered. He was just about to compliment her on her bounty stealing, when Oryx suddenly announced his love for battle and Lilith. The cry was so sudden that even Voltair looks slightly surprised, but Kable couldn't tell any difference.

"Mate, I know how bad you want to get knocked around by Lilith again, but try to not be so forward with it." He chuckled, stealing a glance to Paige.

"On that note, I think we shouldn't have too much longer. Barisor can't be that far."

Lucius help back a sigh. While it would certainly make the battle easier to have the Emperor with them, Lucius would be disappointed that the glory could be snatched away from him. He wouldn't voice this concern, however, because it was his job to serve the Empire. If Atticus asked Lucius to bring Hades himself back from the depths of Hell itself, his only question would be if he wanted the devil dead or alive

Lucius wondered for the unknown time of what could happen in a battle between the two of them. Could he even hold his own? Lucius pushed the thought to the side. That was a question for another world.

"Ilda will not see it coming. Her forces will be cast out of our land for good and her head placed on a spike facing her homeland!"

 

Voltair chuckled to himself at Lilith and Jaxx being stubborn to the very end. Then he chuckled a little more at the idea of Oryx rubbing Kable all over himself. "Perhaps I should cause that to happen at some point..." He thought to himself as they rode.

"You're definitely right about not too long now. After all, given how these horses scaled those mountains earlier I'm mostly surprised you haven't gone on in amazement about how no other horse could manage such a feat. Oh yeah, about your comment earlier about not being able to make it to the capital. Aside from going to Barisor to recover Lilith, it is really important we get there. Once we're at Barisor, the public will officially know that Lilith is in fact alive and is gonna take back the throne from Atticus. We are going to rally the support of the people there by retaking Barisor from the invaders. Speaking of which, when we arrive let me do the talking. I've got a... huh, I wanna say fun but I doubt you guys will see it that way. Well, I've got a speech of sorts thought up that I personally find fun. Anyways I will get us through the gates. From there we can get Lilith and you all can fight to your heart's content."

 

Paige felt a strong, strange emotion from Oryx for a short time before his outburst. A combination of nostalgia and longing that could easily be put together as homesickness. For a moment, Paige could empathize with the outspoken giant. She herself also missed her home land. She thought of her mother and sisters in Valhalla every day. But with the state of the cosmos, returning any time in the near future would be out of the question. How would she be able to prove herself a true Valkyrie if all the warriors she sent never seemed to find their way to Valhalla? If where were they ending up if not there? These were troubling times both in the skies and among mortals. Nothing could be certain.

Paige noticed Kable getting flustered and took it as yet another win. She laughed but otherwise said nothing, allowing her companions to banter over Oryx's love of Lilith Newgate.

Voltair's words were as curious as ever to Paige. She still hadn't been able to read the man at all, even after actually trying to do so at some point. Either he simply had no inner intentions, or somehow she was unable to read them, which is something Paige had never experienced before. It was somewhat annoying, because it meant getting information about him would have to be done the old fashioned way. "You plan on getting us into the gates with words alone? I hate to break it to you, but we don't exactly look the part among the barbarian horde..." with a sideways glance at Oryx, she amended her statement ".... well at least most of us don't." she shrugged. "I don't know what stories you've heard about their kind. But from my experience, they don't take kindly to people from the enemy country waltzing into their war camp no matter how nicely they asked."
The sun was beginning to set. But Volair was right about one thing. At the pace in which they were travelling, they would likely reach Barisor by sunrise.

As Lucius finished speaking, his form shimmered out of view and was replaced by the faceless images of Marcus and Ilda Ironside fighting in the battle of Carmella Sar. The room was lit with the images of fighting happening all around them and the smoke of a distant fire raging. The creature's voices spoke as Atticus watched the contention.

As you see now, battle rages on the shores of Carmella Sar.

 

Kable did notice how the horses could travel across any surface on their way to Barisor, he just chose not to acknowledge it. The horses still unsettled him, or was it the magic that surrounded them? Kable couldn't even begin to tell anymore. All he wanted was to be done with the horses and find Lilith.

"I have to agree with Paige, Voltair. Words aren't going to get us through. Maybe we can send the wild behemoth here," Kable pointed a thumb towards Oryx, who was suprisingly continuing to rant of his love for battle. "If the Empire and barbarians are already in the mist of fighting, we might have a shot. Get Lilith and go."

________

Lucius watched as Atticus' reflection disappeared. He turned and exited the tent, leaving the messenger to leave of his own accord. As Lucius took a walk towards the hillside overlooking the city, he began to think up a plan. Anything to get himself into the city and to the ruthless child who hid among the heathens.

Lucius came to the crest of the hill. He could see soldiers running around in panic. They were prepping up for an assault, that much he could tell. What little they did would make no difference. Lucius would break though those walls like he broke Haldor, and he would finish the day with the replacements head on a stick.

You could bet on that.

 

Paige listened to Kable's suggestion and an enthusiastic grin crossed her face "Distraction by mass violence. I like it." she said clapping her hands together softly in mock applause. "I was expecting something boring like sneak and stab from you Kable." she laughed "You're getting more fun, I'm so proud." she wiped a fake tear of pride from her eye.
"While we're talking about it, what do you guys expect to do if Raven shows up with the murder twins and the prince? Do you think there's any chance they'll leave us alone to get Lilith of Jaxx is there? Because I don't."

 

(OOC: This post has been written so the story and move forward for everyone. @Become and I will possibly be revisiting the battle scene in flashbacks as we go along)

Ilda had been prepared for the general’s retaliation but in the same instant something caught the corner of her eye. Her attention momentarily drawn away Ilda cursed herself as it cost her dearly. The arm came free cleanly and dropped to the snow covered ground followed by a fountain of blood. For a moment the world seemed to stand still. Ilda broke the silence screaming her frustration and rage she smashed the edge of her shield into the general’s head and stepped back creating some distance between the two.

She watched momentarily as her silver blood flowed angrily from where her arm used to be. She felt a wave of dizziness hit her when she used her power to freeze the area and staunch her bleeding. The winds picked up and visibility dropped. With her head still swimming Ilda realised she had used her Wraith of Winter but in doing so lost track of her opponent. She began to turn wildly looking for the general when her foot caught on something and she fell to the floor. Looking at her feet she saw her own arm, still clutching the sword of Ysgramor it had quickly frozen in the cold. Another wave of disbelief washed over her. Or was it dizziness. Dropping her shield she tried to lift the sword but it had frozen in a pool of her blood and was stuck to the ground. Ilda became frustrated as she struggled to pick up the weapon. Her frustration threatened to turn to panic as she could see the silhouette of a man approaching her through the beating snow of the storm. Ilda gave up on the sword and drew a knife she kept on her belt. Her moment of weakness had passed; if she was to die today she would die fighting with a weapon in her hand.

The general finally came into view. He was bleeding from his head where she’d struck him. She allowed herself to smile; at least she wouldn’t die not having injured her opponent. As he came into view he muttered something that Ilda didn’t hear. His lips moved again and Ilda realised he wasn’t mumbling, she just couldn’t hear him. She shook her head allowing the general to take whatever he would from that, and raised her arm pointing the blade at the general. It didn’t take him long to give up on what he was saying, he stepped in and began raising his blade. A sense of calm washed over Ilda, she hadn’t thought to lose this battle let alone her life. And for it to be ended by this filthy cur was just insulting. As the general’s blade came above his head Ilda closed her eyes preparing herself for the last blow.

“Damn he’s taking his time” Ilda thought as she opened her eyes. Expecting to see the general Ilda was shocked to see he was fighting someone. Was that one of her men? “That damned pup!” Ilda cursed. She knew she would regret agreeing to marry the bastard.
-
Zamir knew he had been the reason Ilda lost her arm. As he climbed the wall of ice she had previously formed he had drawn her attention. It was enough to make a critical mistake. She had thrown up a storm after losing her arm but having known her general location Zamir had made his way towards her. When he came upon her she had had her back to him. It would have been an easy way to end things. With Ilda out of the way Zamir would have taken lead of the armies and led himself to riches and glory. The appearance of the enemy general had taken all thought out of his head.

Zamir’s spear flew true as he threw the weapon at the general. He was faster than he looked and had managed to sidestep the attack. Zamir having taken a run put all his weight behind his shield. His sudden appearance had taken the enemy general by surprise and Zamir smiled as his weight threw the general back. Retrieving his spear Zamir smiled turning to face his opponent. He felt his blood rise and felt the hot embrace of his battle state settle upon him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ilda sent out her Gust of Svell and froze Zamir where he stood. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed since his interference but both men stood beaten and bloodied. Approaching the frozen form of her husband Ilda had an overwhelming urge to shatter the wretch. Had her alliance with Haldor not depended on the cad she would have. “I’ll have you know!” Ilda shouted to the general. The blizzard had all but abated and while there was still pockets of fighting happening around there was an almost unspoken agreement on both sides that they would call off their attacks. “We do not honour those who interfere with another’s battle. This man will be punished for what he has done, but you and I have a score to settle!” Ilda seethed as she momentarily looked to where her arm had been. “However it would not be honourable of me to defeat you after the fight you just had and for that reason I am allowing you to call your men to retreat. Gather your strength general. For the next time we face, you will die” Ilda felt another wave of dizziness wash over her. It was all she could do to stay standing. She signalled to some of the men who surrounded her and a horn rang loud and long followed by two shorter blasts.

The man repeated the signal and it was soon met by others. Ilda’s army with no sense of urgency retreated back to the city of Carmila Sar. “Collect this bastard and put him on a ship. He can explain his craven act to his father. I am done with him!” Ilda commanded as she made her own way.

 

Atticus watched in silence as the illusion of the battle of Carmella Sar raged all around him. It was obvious that his armies had underestimated the might of Ilda and her invading horde. Though the battle raged long, and Colonel Marcus Maximus's strategical prowess held true for a while, it was a steady decline for the imperial army. The emperor watched in silent rage as his troops were slain by the hundreds with the chances of victory decreasing. Again, the image of Marcus and Ilda fighting was brought to focus. Atticus watched with anticipation as the frost bitch lost her arm. Atticus couldn't help but feel a small twinge of hope as Marcus towered over his enemy, prepared to strike her down. Enough so that even he couldn't have expected the surprised and enraged shout that escaped him when Marcus was intercepted by a stranger who blocked the killing blow, taking the battle on for himself.
That one movement was all Ilda Ironside needed to regain her strength and, in her rage, freeze both men in their tracks. At first, Atticus was sure that moment would be Marcus Maximus's last. However, it would seem Ironside couldn't even spare that one bit of honor for her enemy, having chosen to let Marcus with his life for the time being. Atticus waved his arm over the illusion in impatient annoyance.

Wow... who could have foreseen such an ending? So intense. The voice spoke in obvious mocking that only served to worsen the royal's foul mood. Atticus ignored the taunting and simply left the room. He made sure to seal the vault behind him before making his way to the throne room. Once there, he sent his squire to fetch one of the captain's of his military.

"Prepare your men. We leave first thing in the morning. That is all."

"Sir." the armed captain confirmed with a salute, "What about your guests?"

"Tell the assassins I wish to speak with them once more tonight. Then, they are free to leave."

"It shall be done sir. Might I ask where we are going?"

"East, soldier. We are going to Barisor."

 

"Y'know I can be very convincing. But if you guys really don't wanna go for it I suppose I could sneak us all in." Voltair spoke with an obvious sigh of disappointment. Thinking back, he probably did mention to Lilith that he wasn't going to fight all her battles for her. Only now though was it dawning upon Voltair just how boring that made things for him. Understandably, he couldn't fight all of Lilith's battles for her. That wouldn't help anybody, especially not Lilith. At the same time though, all this inaction got old quickly. He was fine postponing his own search when Lilith first approached him to ask for his help, but it seemed as though this journey of hers didn't go anywhere near what he expected it to.

"Depends if they want to go through the effort of capturing Lilith and me at that time." Voltair replied. "If you want a rematch though, go right ahead. They're gonna need something to pass the time while Jaxx is in our possession. By the way, what prince?" Voltair asked, feigning ignorance of Gerik's station. He knew it was something Kable and Oryx would've been unaware of due to Gerik himself never vocalizing it. He was forgetting if Kable and Oryx were aware of the extent of Paige's empathetic abilities.

 

Merrick had heard Raven as she left in the direction of the river. He hadn’t responded as disappeared from view. Looking over the group in front of him he watched Gerik for a moment before his watch fell on Claire and finally Tess. She met his gaze and offered a slight smile. Claire unhappy that Tess was seemingly ignoring her called her name until the assassin finally acknowledged her. She was patient with the child, but Merrick could tell the constant attention was wearing on Tess and he felt they probably shared the same thought of wanting to be on their own again.

Turning from his high position he looked in the direction Raven had wandered off in. It was barely visible through the trees but Merrick could make out a familiar glow that he had seen once before. Fusing into the shadows of the trees Merrick appeared at the edge of the tree line beside the river where he saw a sphere of water seemingly floating. Merrick carefully made his way towards it again the surprise of not sinking in the river impressed him. Entering the sphere he saw Raven as she performed her magic. Placing a hand on Raven’s shoulder the sphere wavered slightly as she turned to look at him. They didn’t exchange words but each gave a slight nod. A familiar image washed over Merrick as he saw both JaXx and Lilith both trying to stay awake. The two looked rough and each seemingly had suspicion in their eyes as they fought the tiredness that would soon engulf them.

The image began to pan outwards giving the two onlookers a better view of the girl’s surroundings. Merrick realised he knew the place the girls were hiding and with a look at Raven noted the recognition on her own face. The location made sense considering the direction the second bolt of lightning had struck. Releasing the spell Merrick and Raven sunk into the river up to their ankles. It took a moment for Merrick to realise he still had his hand on Ravens shoulder.

“Tess and I are making our own way.” He said removing his hand. “We work better on our own. “ He stated as he turned to walk away.

“Merrick” Raven called as he was almost at the tree line. He didn’t turn to face her but acknowledged her by turning his head to show he was listening. Unsure of what it was exactly she wanted to say a silence hung in the air. Turning away Merrick began to once again make his way into the trees. “About earlier...” Raven blurted out louder than intended. Merrick paused mid step but didn’t turn around. “What I mean to say” Raven said regaining her composure “I’m sorry for the way I reacted earlier. I understand you were trying to help.” The silence resumed as Merrick didn’t respond.

Merrick had never apologised to anyone let alone had someone apologise to him. Unsure of how to respond he stood near dumbfounded by what to say. He was grateful his back was turned as he was sure the confusion was etched on his face. “Forget it” he finally managed as he made his way unnecessarily quickly towards Tess.

“Come, we are leaving” Merrick said walking towards Tess. “What happened?” Tess asked standing up to meet him. A moment of worry crossed Merrick’s mind as he thought Tess knew of the situation that happened moments before. It was quickly replaced with the realisation that she wanted to know the sudden reason for setting off by themselves. “I know where they are” he responded, “And we are faster on our own”. Tess nodded and made to follow Merrick when Claire stepped into her path. “Aren’t we waiting for Raven?” She asked a look of confusion crossing her face. “You aren’t coming with us” Merrick stated. Tess gave Merrick a look which was met by him shaking his head. “Merrick and I are going on ahead.” Tess explained. Claire was becoming upset by the realisation that Tess would be going on without her. “You need to stay and look after Gerik” She soothed trying to placate the child. “He doesn’t know that land and needs someone to look after him” She said with a slight smile crouching down so her face came level with Claire’s. She was still upset but nodded solemnly. Rushing forward she threw her arms around Tess nearly causing the assassin to lose her footing. Tess tentatively returned the hug with one arm and then standing made her way in the direction Merrick had disappeared in. It didn’t take long to find him and when she caught up she saw he was wearing his armour. Tess knowing what it was he wanted to do quickly spoke some words and a blue flashed enveloped her as her own armour appeared. Placing a hand on his shoulder the two spoke an incantation and Tess seemingly disappeared. “You know I don’t like this” Tess said to Merrick through the connection of their armour. Its appearance had changed slightly as Merrick tested his movement. “It’s the quickest way” He spoke aloud. With that he fused with the shadow and the two made their way to Barisor.

 

A cold wind shook Kable awake as the sun rose up to chase the night away and welcome a new day. He took a swig from his canteen and took in the view as Barisor came onto view. It looked... "Like someone dropped an entire army onto the city." He said absently.

Soliders lined the wall of Barisor, attempting anyway possible to get into the city. Kable noted that the majority of them happened to be Imperial warriors, which had to mean that the Empire had not yet been able to seize the city. This is good, Kable thought. While they're busy killing each other, we can slip right through.

______

Lucius barely slept a wink through the night. He was too concerned with finding any way he could into Barisor. But every possible entry had already been blocked off, said his scouts. Barisor was officially cut off from the rest of the world.

A knock brought Lucius back from his thoughts. "Enter." He said, his eyes still set on the map laid in front of him.

"Sir, we may have found a way into the city." A voice said. Lucius turned in modest anticipation. He motioned for the man to continue. "One of the local farmers told us of a passageway that connected from his farmland to one of the houses inside. Guess it's how he sneaks his booze into the city to sell."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Who would've thought someone breaking the law could benefit us. Is he sure this passage way isn't sealed?"

The soldier nodded. "He says he just used it this morning. We happened to catch him by spotting him in both the city and his land."

Lucius considered the idea of using the passage for only a brief second. "Good, start getting some of the men to dress casually. Go into the city in pairs of two and spread yourselves throughout it. Then await my signal."

With a salute and a bow, the soldier turned and marched out the door. Lucius turned to his armor and weapon. His reflection shown in his armor. What looked back was a man who, while weary and tired, was still as enthusiastic about where he was in life than when he first joined the army. The seers prophecy rang in his mind again. Would this be where he found his rival?