Of the Start of a War

By Vampigato

1.

It’s a dark room. It’s always a dark room, the leaders prefer it this way, they don’t want us seeing their faces I guess, but just for once I’d like to see beyond my nose. Well I guess this complaint will do no good, and I’d better pay attention when the meeting begins, since all the Black Sun members are here --- it’s got to be important. One of the elders starts speaking, as always starting the reunion with the Orders motto and reciting a part of it’s history, this time he talks about the battles of yore, the enemies our ancestors conquered, which tells me what all this is about. Time to shut up and listen.

“To all present,” says one of the 5 leaders, the most respected one “I welcome you, and apologize for bringing you in such a hurried manner, but our goals are finally about to be fulfilled, all we need is the death of the last Regent of the Earthly Plane, and tonight I ask you to make it happen. Whoever brings the head of Liberty shall be very well rewarded.”

When the leader finishes his little speech a quiet murmur starts, not one of conversation but of thoughts spoken aloud. If everyone else is as excited as I am this lack of self control is quite justified, as I understand only one of our leaders, the one believed Immortal, remembers fighting the Regents, those oppressors, jealous guardians of all great things who claim to be protectors of our world, they give and take fortune and virtues as they please.

It is said among the Order that battles against the Regents only happen once every 500 years, that’s the time it takes to shape an adequate offensive with at least a minimum chance of succeeding. They must want to get this right, since they waited twice as much in organizing. It seems failure won’t be tolerated, I’ve heard about preparations for an attack but not even in my wildest dreams I thought it would be about this.

Fighting against the Regents is the dream of every member in the Order, and now I will have the chance to do it. The faces I can see around me, lit with excitement and the thought of the grand fight coming, seem to be thinking along the same lines, their enthusiasm only veiled by a thin layer of self control about to burst, but no one will allow that, not in front of the leaders. That would be seen as a show of weakness and with the most important battle in our plane at hand, neither they nor us can afford to be weak. My examining of those around me is interrupted by the powerful voice of he who gave us this grand task.

“You have your objective,” he tells us in a cool voice, like it was nothing more important than the weather, “and each of you is thoroughly trained in combat and tactics, use it well for there won’t be another chance.” As he says this I remember my first years in the Order, whole days doing nothing but learn an incredible variety of subjects. From the most mundane ways of fighting to the most sophisticated magic, then the groups started to separate little by little, each one choosing a more precise and arduous training in whatever he excelled (armed combat in my case), then the groups started thinning more and more, and while only the best of us were allowed to continue training and eventually be initiated, those who failed were not allowed to live with our teachings. Yes, many of them were executed, this was a great incentive for the ones that remained to be better then the rest, to hide our weakness and maximize our skills. And finally, after a long wait, our training was to be used to its fullest. “You may leave,” the orator continues. “And I don’t want to hear from you until the task is done!”

Slowly, the little but powerful members in the Order begin to leave, starting with those of highest rank. The dispersion almost finished, it’s my turn to go, and once out of the meeting room, the leaders are no longer watching us. Composure is no longer required, and a great rush to begin the task appointed takes all present, the magicians cast their speed spells, many of them exceeding their own expectations, and in seconds they can no longer be seen in the horizon. The scouts leave behind their horses, they would only slow them, and with the help of the earth itself, they go in all directions. Those of us trained as warriors cannot boost our speed without great toil. But we are patient, and when it’s about entering a battle we are more cunning and skilful too. I have waited half my life for this moment, and now it’s time to gather troops, to demand the paying of debts. It’s time to take control, and above all else, it’s time to start the battle.

2.

This has been the longest trip in my life, and it’s just beginning. I must travel through all that is land, from the birthplace of the sun to the land of its death, and I must be quick about it. I have already gone through a good part of the east region, and now I enter the Evergreen Lands, the most wonderful landscapes on the continent, where leaves don’t die along with summer. However, I’m not here to look at trees and fields, but to talk to someone, one of the most important in my trip and someone who could have a hand in the preservation or destruction of all life.

He is strong and skillful with the sword, swift and precise with his bow. A wise and powerful sorcerer. And above everything else, he is one of the ten Immortals. It is said in some places that the other nine of them follow this one, on account of his being the wisest and oldest of them. This makes him most important, for the help of Immortals will be critical before the end comes. But that sounds too fatalist, the end is not necessarily the destruction of all, only how my story ends, how this continent’s story ends.

I’m willing to give it a happy ending; for all the Races that share the land, for my lord and for my family, and most important of all, for me. I must stop this, I have wandered from the task at hand long enough, in very little time I’ll be able to see my target’s village. He could be a King or a god, but he chose a peasants life. Maybe he doesn’t want to be found; maybe he doesn’t want the peoples eyes upon him? I’m about to frustrate his plans in a spectacular way, and for the first time in this trip, I fear the destiny I may find.

For the first time I stare at death in its eyes, and I am afraid. I cannot die now. I cannot fail, not when I have chosen to take this task, there are very few people who know the end is coming, and even fewer who know they can make a difference, and only a handful who care enough to do something about it. I am especially worried about those who would like life to end with our story, those who know they can with a decision, with an action, change the destiny of the world, and want revenge.

Ah, but it’s time to stop worrying, now I must focus on what really matters, for I can see the village of the Immortal, and little by little (horses seem so slow when the end nears!) I get closer to it. But, something’s wrong, I can feel it; in the earth that shivers with fear, in the raging wind, and after a swift look at the land I can see what causes the unrest --- an army with black flags, with armors that have death itself painted on them, with swords that have not been cleaned of the blood from the last battle, and with faces who lust for blood will never be satiated. About fifty men of war near the village, with nothing but blood in their minds and a great surprise in their futures. I won’t be able to deal with the mighty Immortal after seeing his village razed and his people murdered by bandits, after his vengeance against the small army coming to him, he will take his rage to the great palaces until he gets a bloody war. But no one is foolish enough to attack an Immortal! This is not just destiny’s doing, even now hands other than mine show themselves, wanting to influence the Races. Destiny? My moves have been too slow, the years of lethargy have taken their toll!

But, no more, I will not be bested again!

3.

We’ve been traveling for a long time, and I’m sure it’s going to be wasted. I had to leave my beautiful house in the Swamps, it’s on one of the best spots, you know? I had to kill every other bidder so I could buy it --- my house and my great family, and I had to leave them both. But, the pay is good. With twenty mouths to feed one needs this kind of job, and since I’m guarding one of the highest ranking political figures of the Great Empire, if I die in this mission my family has guaranteed sustenance.

But, the risks are as high as the benefits, the diplomatic situation between the Great Race and the humans, those despicable beings, always wanting more land, and they never respect nature. Their fall is inevitable, but as the Wise Councilors have decreed it, death won’t be by our own hands. Therefore, we made an alliance, but those damned apes never get enough, and they made a move against our neighbors. This we cannot allow. Those lands are really not important to us, but what is important is their proximity, and the access they grant to our Sacred Lands.

Now we have to escort the ambassador to the lands of this strange race, so dry, so bright, so cold --- how can anyone live like this?! However, I must admit I have a grudging respect for their constructions, but I don’t approve of the material used for them. They have high buildings, made to withstand attacks for years, and effective against many of our troops, but very weak against our elite warriors. And, talk about their buildings, we are nearing one of them. I believe the apes call them ‘castles.’

Our caravan stops in front of its metal doors, those of wood are open and laying in the ground, I reflexively scan for swift ways out in case there is trouble. The first lesson in military school is “never trust your enemy,” but your instructors always? ALWAYS add “especially,” when he’s an ape. I see the castle surrounded by water. Excellent. One of their guards, wrapped in metal, comes near us, and with a somewhat rough voice he says to the group in general “Who are you and what do you want?.”

Since I’m the elite guard Captain, I get closer to him, and trying to hide my scorn I answer; “We are emissaries from the (I’ve said only five words in this damned language and already I hate it, it doesn’t have the subtlety or the beauty of our Empire’s tongue) “Great Empire of the Ssswampsss and we come to ssstart talksss of peassce with your leadersss, we demand immediate acssesss to this sscity!”

Upon hearing this he steps aside and opens the metal doors, they’ve been waiting for us, and that is itself, a two-edged weapon. Well, I gain nothing by worrying now; the best thing I can do is to be ready for anything and be as prepared as I can. As I direct the caravan to the most prominent building, I assume the governor will be there, instead of in an inconspicuous building, as it is proper for safety, but these apes are so full of themselves!

This will bring their doom. But why do I think words of war, when all this is about peace? Wise men say that for those thoughts people fail in their tasks, but I think what counts are actions, and not thoughts. What the hell, I must concentrate, we are at the palace and the guards, seeing the flag one of my soldiers carry, rush to open it’s doors (this one seems to know more about other lands than the other ignorant monkey). One of them after a brief talk with me, takes us to a large hall, where one of the apes is talking with what seems to be the Lord of the castle. Rather, as he was ending his talk, he drew his sword and threw it against the wall, sinking it on solid stone. He turned to leave before the guards could react.

I must admire his strength. He’s passing us by now; although his face is hidden by his long hair, I can still feel his hate. When it is our turn to go in, we are greeted by noisy golden instruments that alter my companions. It is local tradition, but why must we suffer it? The leader says in a somewhat authoritarian voice; “I salute you, Grand Ambassador of the Swamp Lands.” The ambassador answers with great politeness and grace, I note that the rough language of the apes strains him also, but he makes his best effort to keep his aplomb, this negotiation seems to be extremely important.

After exchanging a few formalities, the leader (the apes call him ‘King’) invites us to stay and continue with the peace talks in the morning. Of course, this is not so much an invitation as an order, so as courteously as possible the ambassador accepts his offer and another guard takes us to our room. Finally, I will get some rest, and perhaps I will be able to relax a little.

It’s a calm night; everyone sleeps in the Capital of the Provinces of the Great Human Empire. This is of course, if you ignore the shadow that nears the palace, perfectly silent, perfectly hidden, perfectly invisible. By way of the rooftops, it creeps toward the palace. Wait a moment, it’s not one shadow, there are other four on the streets! All are as silent as cats, fast as horses, and as hidden as tonight’s moon; totally covered by clouds, on this night it won’t bestow its’ light upon the earth. And still, the shadows move unstoppably, undetectably, now but a few meters off the palace they stop, drawing something from hidden bags in their clothing --- bows, and arrows with long ropes tied to them.

All five of them fire at once, driving their murder tools into the tiled framing of the palace windows --- and they start climbing. Slowly, silently, they reach the window and enter, starting their search like stalking tigers, expertly moving through the corridors of the palace, checking rooms without alerting of their presence. And at last, in the twelfth room to be checked, they find what they were looking for. The newcomers shall be their prey, and there lie all of them, asleep in the ground like the disgusting beasts they are, repulsive to the eyes of the shadows, who now draw knives made for quick, silent killings. After a brief battle, three shadows rush out of the palace, through the window, falling to the pit that surrounds the palace, leaving seven bodies behind.

I was wrong. I won’t be able to relax, not for a moment, I feel something’s wrong here, it’s all too calm, too quiet. Like the swamp animals silence before the dragons strike, something is going to happen, I can feel it. Wait a moment, what was that? It sounded like something being nailed into wood. Suddenly, I hear footsteps echoing in the stone hallways inside the castle. Doors being opened and closed on this floor, and they are nearing this room. I alert my soldiers, as they hear the footsteps also. We all siege the floor, facing the door.

The Ambassador wakes up, a bit startled; I calm him swiftly and tell him to expect the attack. I also tell him that we will cover him and if things get out of hand, he is to jump out the window, to the moat below. He nods and sieges with us. The intruders open the door, silently, but not silently enough to fool one of the Great Race. They near us with metal instruments in their hands, and so we are the targets, eh? The assassins draw near; more and more, carelessly, don’t they realize we are in fighting stance? Conveniently, they seem to think we are asleep. When they are about two meters from me, I pounce at the foremost one, and my soldiers do the same to his companions. I have to admit, they have better reflexes than I thought.

My prey didn’t even see me coming, a strike from my claws is enough to take him down. But the others are alert, and two of them meet my soldiers charge with quick strikes of their metal weapons, beheading one and splitting the others head in two, the other intruders only had time for a small fight, then with lightning strikes they are slashed and fall lifeless on the ground. The other two attackers turn around and try to escape, but my remaining companion and I grab them by the ankles and drag them back to the center of the room, where we tear their heads off.

They fought and died silently, that is good for us, this is an act of war against the Empire, when the ‘King’ finds his assassins have failed he will send more, so it is convenient to leave under the cover of night. The assassins managed to cut one of my arms, it will grow soon enough. My remaining soldier has no deep wounds, and with the Ambassador watching the window, he tells us there is no one around, and so now, it is safe to jump.

When we touch water I feel more at home, I even see crocodiles come near us. Finally, allies in this horrible land, but, after a short conversation, we grab them by the neck, and they take us out of the water with great speed. We head towards the castle doors and our new friends, with great strength, tear up the ropes as we asked them to. The castle doors crash open and the city guards, waking up, take their weapons and shoot at us with bows. Their aim is poor in the darkness, so only one of us is wounded by an arrow, with an injury that is nothing serious. The crocodiles then attack the guards, and this shifts their focus immediately. As for us, we were fast as snakes, slithering away from the castle. In this ‘peace-trip’ I lost two soldiers, my arm, and a lot of time.

4.

The King will hear what I have to say. He promised no one would attack me, that I’d be able to leave in peace like any other villager, a life full of peace and harmony, that I would not be bothered by bandits or armies demanding shelter, or any of that nonsense that is so common in war times. But, these bandits did attack, and as none of the peasants was a soldier, no one could fight. They were all slaughtered, and I wasn’t able to save anyone. Every man, woman, and child was massacred.

However, those bandits paid for it, for every death to our side meant two deaths of their own, and they all died, slow and agonizing. And yet, justice has not been served, and now, I must see that it is done. If the King will not listen to what I have to say, I will kill him and his family, and I will continue to seek justice no matter how many heads have to roll. It matters not how much blood has to be spilled to quench my thirst; I will avenge my people, my friends, my wife, and my children.

This goes beyond a mere offense to my way of life. This is a personal insult, and entire Kingdoms will pay for it. Across the continent, my name will be heard, along with the screams of those who dare oppose me --- their bodies will fester, their blood will be spilled, until I find whoever was responsible for this. Wherever the sun shines, those who hear my name, shall tremble in fear.

I can see the castle now, and my horse is all but dead, it’s been a long trip for him, and he won’t make it --- one more death to bring to my enemies door. The horse’s life finally gives, and he falls. The rest of the way I cross running, hate burning in my veins, giving me an impressive speed, even for me.

In the distance I see a caravan, I can make the shapes of Lizard Men, I have heard about conflicts among the Kingdoms, they must be here with intent to negotiate peace. But this is not my problem, all I want is to be heard. When I am about to enter the castle door, the guards are just realizing that something draws near. When they realize what it is that is drawing closer, and I am halfway to the palace, they ring a bell twice.

With the palace guards already waiting for me, for times like this, the King gave me some scrolls, so I could enter with no problems. However, I had no time to be bothered with formalities, and I have no time to talk with mere soldiers. When I reach the door, both of them try to stop me, but, they never even knew what hit them. I arrive at the main hall, and the King, realizing I am there gets nervous, but quickly regains his composure. After a brief pause he asks me in a polite voice, appropriate for a Lord: “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”

“What do you have to say about an attack on my village?” I reply by keeping my temper in check as much as I can, which is not much at this moment.

“I do not know what you talk about, Sire.”

“You promised a life with no further battles, yet delivered the razing of my town and my people merely ten years after your promise? I will shed blood over this, and if you do not take immediate action I will start with yours.”

“Do not dare threaten me in my own castle!” the King bellowed.

“Would you dare to command me, maggot?” I interrupt him in a menacing voice representing my best efforts.

“I apologize,” he says alter a brief pause, his tone dropping.

“But you must understand, it was outside our control, I shall start investigating as soon as I can, but for now there is nothing I can do, my armies are protecting our frontiers with the Lizard Men, and keeping peace in the outer cities.”

“If you have not taken action in twenty days I will return for my sword and use it against you.” As I finish speaking, I draw my sword and throw it against the wall, shaking it. I turn around and head toward the exit, on my way out I see the Lizard Men caravan I saw earlier, I half look at them and go away, with anger still hot in my veins. I won’t get out of town, not until twenty days have passed, and then I shall make good on my promise.

Five shadows near the palace. Shadows fight shadows, with a great silent fury. Three shadows jump out the window, falling in the moat. Three shadows rise out of the moat, riding crocodiles. They each attack the guards, as the crocodiles open the doors and get ready to protect the shadows. They speed away from the palace, as the crocodiles cover their retreat. The King is called at once to the former room of the shadows, with his military councilor in tow. Both of them ponder these recent events, with both of them reaching the same conclusion: war cannot be avoided now.

The councilor will alert the King’s troops the next morning, but now, he will send messengers to the outer cities to do the same. The Immortal wants a war and now he will have the chance to fight one. The King calls for the Immortal, proposes his plans of war against the Lizard Men. The Immortal does not care about those ‘reptiles,’ the Immortal wants the blood of his enemies. The King explains he won’t be able to investigate who his enemies are as long as there is a war to be fought, specially against such terrible foes.

The Immortal barely listens to the King, he says mortal wars are of no concern to him, he wants to take the life of his enemies before time does. The King promises his help once the war is over. The Immortal informs of the consequences of a second deceit. The King, now sweating, vows on his life, on his families’ life, he will not fail the Immortal. The Immortal says the lives upon which he swore will be forfeit if he lies, the King can only remain silent. The Immortal promises three thousand enemy heads before the war is over. The King promises a man investigating for every head brought. Neither of them knows they will never be able to fulfill their promises, they do not know their destiny.

One is blinded by rage. The other is simply stupid.

5.

The lizard emissaries finally get home, it’s been a long trying trip, and everyone is tired. They are welcomed by the soft and melodious music of their people, and bombarded with questions made by councilors and the Emperor. They cannot answer now, they can barely stand. They are given the chance to rest, and are taken to comfortable rooms, attended by various servants, who do nothing but watch over them while they sleep. When they finally wake up, they are taken to the War Room to speak about the result of their negotiations, to decide if war is to come. The Captain of the guard speaks, he is the only one to have caught his breath alter the long return march home.

“The apes set us up. They attacked us on our sleep, killed two of my men and tried to stop our coming back,” he says in a grave tone.

“This is sad news, we cannot leave such an insult unanswered,” the eldest among the Council of Wise said. “But, I would have preferred to avoid a war. Alert our scouts, have them double their patrols on the frontier of the Winged Snake lands. Call our soldiers, that they may sharpen their claws and remain alert, as we will not wait to be attacked.”

“It will be done at once, sir.” The Captain answers bowing deeply. “I shall depart immediately to watch over the troops.”

“Excellent, I shall speak with you when you finish your overview; we must come up with a strategy and decide if we will resort to our sky warriors.”

“Yes sir!” The Captain of the guard says, and as he turns around and prepares to leave, he throws a comforting look at the Ambassador who still looks worried. The Captain then exits the Hall and departs to the frontiers. “Again into battle, when I barely had any rest? I hope my body won’t fail me during a critical moment of the fight.”

The Captain reaches the frontier garrison, requests a Speed Lizard and rides it, makes a quick inspection of the installations and troops on duty in there and finds both please him. “Now, I have to check the grounds inside the Winged Snake lands, I must determine possible routes of attack and the best ways of defense,” he thinks as something in the periphery of his vision seems to pass quickly. When he turns around to check, all he sees is the Swamp landscape; as familiar, as empty, as always. The Captain will not forget that shadow, but he cannot attend to it at the moment, for now it is time to depart.

The voyage ahead will be long, tiring, and the weather in the Winged Snake lands is hostile for the Lizard Men. The Captain longs for the return to his home, but he will not let those feelings interfere with his current mission. Not even three hours have passed since he entered the neighboring Lands when he discovers what he believes to be the familiar hoof prints made by a horse. The Captain unmounts for a closer inspection, and quickly turning around, he knows what he will see; the only human face upon which he can look without feeling disgusted.

The Immortal says in a friendly voice, “Good day old friend.”

The Captain, excited, replies in a playful tone, “An Immortal calling me ‘old?’ That isss worrying indeed.”

“I wish I had more time to speak, but I am afraid I come to you with nothing but bad news.” The Immortal replied.

“I know there will be a war againssst humansss, I’m inssspecting the frontiersss to mount an Imperial defenssse.”

“The news I bring is more serious then that, much more serious.”

“Sssay them already then.”

“I will fight on the humans side,” the Immortal says, his voice heavy with sadness. The Captain doesn’t know what to say to such dire news. After catching his breath he only nods once, saying “Well then, try to be the one who sssinksss hisss sssword into my body.”

“I have come to ask you to stay out of the war.”

“You know I cannot do that, I have sssworn my life to the Empire. But nothing bindsss you to the apesss, why fight for them?”

“I am afraid now I am bound indeed, I promised the King my sword in exchange of men to investigate the hand which moved the puppets that attacked my village. They murdered my people and my family.”

“That isss sssad… sssuch a wissse Immortal blinded by rage like that? The only way left to usss isss to end our friendship on the battlefield.”

“Immortals do not make many friends in their lives, I ask you not to take another one from me.”

“I mussst,” says the Captain as he rides again.

6.

And the hunt continues. Much time has passed since the order to destroy Liberty was issued. Much time but not many actions, only a few Wizards move to undermine its’ great power, only a few warriors move to gather armies, and only a few assassins move to destroy the key players in this deadly game against divinity. The first step our predecessors took to destroy the Regents, as I have studied in the Order archives, has always been the destruction of their Avatars. I have started a battle against one, moving one of the pieces against him that he would have used himself.

By now he knows he has at least one enemy active, and he is wise enough to expect several others. I must take from him as many pawns as I can; I have to get him so nervous he will make a mistake and openly show his presence in the game. One of the first teachings in the Order is to “never show your hand in a battle, if your opponents don’t know who they’re fighting against they cannot fight effectively.” That one rule I learned by heart, I obey it every time a fight comes my way.

And now, the limits of my skill will be tested in this struggle against the Avatar and his Regent. For now, I must focus on the underling, I wonder what his next move will be? Avatars are beings animated for the sole porpoise of serving their master, but that doesn’t make them fools. This one in particular serves Liberty, so he will want to be able to move swiftly and silently, he will not gather an army, he will try to get incredibly powerful warriors, and generals with great influence who can move hosts of men on short notice.

If he has failed in his quest to recruit a warrior, I hope from the bottom of my heart that now he will want to test his luck with the generals, and I hope it will be with the Men generals. If this is the case, he will be easy to find; when one wants armies and doesn’t like questions, one goes to the Desert lands where entire tribes of mercenaries wait for clients that can meet their price, and for those who can present worthy challenges, the Avatar can easily meet both requirements.

But I don’t think he will want to meet them, as I rather think he’ll try to convince the mercenaries to join him in a far less conventional manner, by creating a debt maybe, with enough knowledge, it is easy to take hold of vital resources in the desert, by denying one of these resources at just the right time, such as at the end of a long trip, and having the power to offer said resource, it is easy to gain the loyalty of the bravest warriors, of the most treacherous mercenaries. Yes, I am certain he will follow that plan --- I only have to find a way to get ahead of him and frustrate it. Once the structure has been laid, it won’t be all that difficult to set in motion a series of events that will certainly see the Avatars lose control. After a long meditation, I set out for the Desert lands, hoping to have a clearer mind and lighter feet than those of my foe.

I have been riding as fast as my new mount allows me, sometimes driving it to its limit, some times only requiring a fair speed, but I have had no rest in two days. And I cannot afford to, as I do not know how many enemies have conspired against me and my cause. I am sure they will not rest until they have fulfilled their foul plans. Well, so be it, if they want a battle for the world, I will bring to them the worst they have seen in their lives, and they will wish they had never crossed me. But now is not the time for vengeance, now it is the time to fight for the future, and to enter into such an epic struggle I need allies.

I have tried seeking brave, powerful warriors for my cause, but my enemies foresaw that move. Now it is time to seek leaders of small but powerful armies, of people with no remorse that will enter any fight for no better reason then to spill their enemies’ blood upon their swords. And there is no better place to find such people then the mercenary tribes in the Desert lands, so that shall be my next destination, at full speed, nonstop.

I finally see the trees are few and small, the grass is ever thinner and its green is marred by the sun. In a few more hours I will be in the Desert, there I will have to leave my horse; as the poor beast cannot stand the incredible temperatures and the lack of shadow in which to shelter.

Excellent, I can already see the first dunes! They are impressive. The largest ones are as big as castles. Who knows what kind of animals hide from the sun inside of them, and go out hunting with the moon. I hope I do not find out in a long time, I pass them as fast as I can run and start looking for signs of encampments. Not much time passes before I see piled rocks, and near them blood spilled in the sand. The blood looks fresh, and the wind was blowing so it could not have been there for more then half an hour. Hoping I am not mistaken, I pick a heading and run as I never have before, as I must find those warriors and convert them to my cause --- and I will do it no matter what!

That damned Avatar will stop at nothing, he rode for two days and not caring about mount or rest he kept on, even so I have managed to get to the Desert lands before him, with the help of magic and a better steed. I left the horse on the edge of the desert so he wouldn’t be tortured by the weather.

I send him to look for water and food, he will need both soon enough, and I start tracking the mercenary tribes, the one nearest the border for I am sure that is the one the Avatar will go after first, since neither he nor I have time to lose by entering the Desert lands. I pass by some incredibly big dunes --- with the hope of swiftly finding warriors burning in my heart. I soon stumble upon tracks nearly erased by the wind, and that was enough for me, for it means that there is a caravan nearby. Being so close to the edge of the Desert means when the mercenary travelers return from completing a ‘job,’ they will be tired. But, will this mean that killing their leader to take his place will then become much easier? I certainly hope so.

Not much time passes before I can see them, and after that catching up with them will be easy indeed, I only have to speed up a little. After a few minutes, I’m only a few steps away from them, even as I shout loudly to call their attention, they all turn in my direction immediately. “You wish to die, don’t you, traveler?” the leader asks me in a rough, defiant voice, barely showing his wariness.

“That has never been my wish,” I answer, in firm defiance. “What I wish for is a tribe and the death of its leader.” That seems to anger him in a wild manner, he draws a huge jewel-encrusted sword, stained by the blood and girth of previous battles. I wondered who he had to kill to get them? but that is of no importance right now.

He comes near me and yells “so you want my blood?! I shall sever your head for that insolence!?” I replied to him in a calmed voice “I also want your men’s service. Bring forth the stones, I will take your head in a ritual!” The Order’s teachings about the different cultures come in handy at times like this, the giant barbarian seems taken aback by my knowledge of their costumes, but quickly taking hold of himself, he orders one of his men to bring out the stones, they put them in circle, forming a seal with a big ‘V’ in the center --- that must be the boss. Then, we both enter the circle, throw-down our swords, and the battle begins . . . 

He has a big body but little else, no combat training, no brains.

The battle is decided rapidly with a body charge made by him, I dodge this with ease, when he turns around to face me I make a full turn to gather speed and dig my foot in his throat. He breathlessly falls on the ground, and since this ritual requires the death of my foe --- I slam my knee sideways into his nose, which shatters on impact, the sound of cracking bone echoing throughout the Circle. Turning to match the direction of my blow, I extend my leg and using the impulse of the first attack, my tibia caves in his skull --- splattering his blood on the rocks and the sand.

The battle ends at that moment, and my opponents’ men pledge their loyalty to me. The stones are to be left where they are, travelers will see the owner of the seal has been defeated in battle, that he is not to be solicited for jobs again, they shall know his tribe has a new leader. Now I must go to the mountain in the center of the desert, where a seal of my own will be revealed to me by the Warrior Spirits, but that will come later. Now we keep our heading, waiting for a very important visitor, whose task has to fail, and with me on the lead no matter what test he sets for us, we will not hold this tribe in debt, and one more of his plans will be frustrated.

I’ve been running for quite some time now, I should reach the tribe any second now? And, any second is now, I can see them in the horizon, no more then three kilometers away, I keep on running, even faster now. When I’m a few hundred meters off something quite unexpected happens, from one of the great dunes emerges an impressively big creature, the men quickly take battle positions surrounding the beast, drawing their weapons and not stopping their movements. My luck is better than I expected, they will be tired and will not be able to stand my challenge. The fight ends quickly, no one gets hurt, I must admit they are much better organized than I thought --- I’ll never underestimate one of this tribes again. With this distraction, I’ll catch up with them in no time.

We haven’t covered much ground, and I can already feel something is wrong. Soon my suspicion proves right, as a great beast pounces from one of the dunes! This animal’s size justifies its large shelter, I give orders to my soldiers to take positions, we draw our swords and attack as one. With constant movement to confuse our prey, attacking and withdrawing, it has no choice but to fall back, and when it does I deliver a deadly blow to its head. As this ends, I can feel someone following us. I turn my head and see a familiar figure, the Avatar! But, if he’s just getting here, and this was not his test, what the hell is he planning?!

As I finally catch up with the caravan, the leader seems surprised to see me and judging by his expression I believe he recognizes me. Now as I take a closer look at him, I see something familiar, but I cannot quite tell what it is. When I am no more than fifty meters from them I say in a louder then necessary voice:

“Voyagers! I need a group of brave, strong men that can fulfill the task that comes their way, and I can see you are just what I am looking for.” Their leader, whom I now realize wears clothes that are somewhat out of place here, tells me in a rushed voice, as if he was trying to remain in control of himself and was barely succeeding. “We truly are such warriors, but with what currency will you pay us?” Smiling and only a few steps away from the group I look directly at him and say; “Your blood!” I draw my sword.

“Your blood…” says the Avatar as he draws his sword.

Against varied and strong enemies I have had to fight, it is an important part of the learning process of the Order. But, neither the deep swamps, nor the vast plains, nor the thick forests have prepared me for a fight against an Avatar. They are all but the most perfect creatures in our plane of existence, second only to the Regents, swift in their thoughts and deadly in a fight, and now, in the most decisive moment of my life, I know fear.

Death does not scare me, I have stared at its eyes on countless occasions, and lived through all of them, but I have never faced such a powerful creature, not in such a critical moment. If I can defeat this being, this could be the event that will decide the war against the Regent, he would lose one of his most powerful agents, and I would keep my group of mercenaries, the balance of power would tilt in our favor. But now I am afraid, I must survive and hope to win. “Very well traveler, be warned that coin shall indeed be expensive to get,” I say as I draw my weapon, for now the time has come at last for the most important battle of my life . . .

“Very well traveler, be warned that coin shall indeed be expensive to get” the warrior says as he draws his sword. On seeing his fighting stance I realize his words are true, for he appears not to be a mere desert mercenary, and he still seems very familiar to me. But I will have time to meditate about this after I kill him.

I attack as swiftly as I can, and now I am sure there is something very special about this warrior, he dodges my attack and immediately launches his, with a movement of one of his hands he throws the sand at our feet, with the other he moves his sword. The sand I block by moving my arm, I know magical arts too, and his sword I parry with mine, the force of his blow is such that sparks fly on impact, we both step back swiftly, I see the faces of my adversaries men, they are marveled and frightened at the same time, no matter who wins this fight they will gladly serve.

With his left hand, he makes a sphere of white light, one of the most basic attacks but very dangerous if properly applied. Holding his weapon in the right hand, he runs toward me, trying to split my head in two with a single move, I easily dodge but with his other hand, he thrusts the energy ball into my stomach! That is all I needed… I harden my skin as much as I can I to resist his attack, as I thrust my sword into the ground, passing through his arm. I felt his bone, that wound will be his undoing; I lift my sword as he screams in pain and with a circular movement I go for his head.

The bastard set me up, and I fell for it like a damned fool; he received my blow and counterattacked with a deadlier one. As his sword pierced through my arm I could not help screaming in pain. Then he takes his sword out and swings for my neck. I barely manage to dodge at the last moment, sheath my sword and throw at him one of the daggers I carry on my belt.

Apparently my magic was more effective than I thought, as he simply could not move fast enough to parry it with his sword, so he tried to dodge it. I could see that moving his abdomen seemed excruciatingly painful, but it does not matter. Summoning all the wind I can, I create a sand screen and apparently disappear before the Avatar. Helped by magic and more fear than I thought possible, I run so fast the wind hurts my eyes. I’m still not strong enough to defeat an Avatar… Does he even know that it was me who opposed him? I lost my arm, my secrecy, and various worthy warriors.

But I am still alive, and for this day, it will be enough.