CHAPTER 78 – SUMMONING THE BANNERS


    The Lion Kingdom had one of the largest and oldest military standing armies in all of MagnaThora. At full strength they could call over fifty thousand soldiers to arms, but that included the entire might of Port Caliber and Zepathorum. The rest of the major and minor houses of the kingdom accounted for about thirty thousand. There was not enough time to call every single house to arms. They would be forced to focus on the largest houses.


    Long ago, in order to create a balance of power, the liege lord aspect of the throne was separated and given to the lord of Castle Rosi. Together, the two pillars of the kingdom would rule. Over time the king’s army developed many layers, even a national form to deploy in aid of the Senate and other kingdoms. The way this war was waged gave them no other choice but to revert to the olden days. One simple fact of salvation remained. The liege lord must rally the banners of the kingdom in an emergency.


    Prince Axion charged the Casterosi House with fulfilling their liege lord duties, and so they set out on their mission. In the time it took them to ride out of Zepathorum City they already had a rough plan.


    “You are the faster rider, my son. You must make haste to Silona City and work your way back, don’t waste time, stop only for the major southern Serengeti houses, Ventrilles, Kalner, Brevitas if you can make it there. I will cover the north, House Leston, HyGard, maybe Trenoble.”


    “HyGard?”


    “Yes, if there’s time… We will meet at the middle and rally houses Arnastes and Miller. That will make for a bulk of the king’s army, not quite our full potential, but what I would consider a worthy host.”


    “Be wary of retrieving House HyGard. We are shackled by the loss of Port Caliber, father.”


    “I know.”


    “Not just by the city’s fall, but what it cuts off from the rest of us.”


    “I fear going north, but I know it is necessary. That is why I must go, and you take the safer road. You are the future of Castle Rosi and this kingdom.”


    “I will not fail you, father.”


    “We will see each other again. I promise.”


    Finally, beyond Zepathorum, they parted ways and Cipher turned east and then south. Mercinestor rode hard and true north. He would make quick work of the road leading from Zepathorum to Castle Rosi Island. It was hard to argue who had the tougher path ahead of them, both would be confronted by the darksiders if they were not careful. All that mattered was rallying the banners in time.


    Cipher Casterosi wasted no time crossing the Serengeti. He prudently reached Silona City and together with Lord Grastaris, sent riders to all the major and minor houses across the kingdom. Mercinestor headed north to reclaim his own house’s army. Back in the river region Castle Rosi Island was a center of influence over the many towns. He could easily rally eight hundred to a thousand in the river region alone.


    It had been a long time since Cipher was this far south. Maybe during his university years, he spent time in the halls of Silona. Truth was, it had been too long for him to remember their hospitality. Cipher left his horse at the southern city and took one of House Silona’s finest stallions. Being this far south, they had very good relations with the ShoreLands, even before one of the horse princesses married into the Pride.


    Before Cipher left he was stopped by Lord Grastaris. The Lord of Silona wore many rings on his fingers of all different colors: silver, gold, ruby, and diamond. He had long light brown hair and a thick red robe-like cloak.


    “Where will you go first?”


    “I was thinking Arunidawa, House Ventrilles has always been good friends of my father’s.”


    “The Zenfor archers are legendary, a worthy start.”


    “Thank you, my lord. Now if you’ll excuse me. I must be going.”


    “I beg of you one more moment.”


    Cipher wondered what could be so urgent from a man he hardly knew, in a land on the other side of the country. He should have realized. When things got this out of the ordinary, it would only lead back to one common denominator. News from the border guards to the south...


    “Reports have come in of a border altercation leaving multiple dead bodies.”


    “How does this concern me, my lord?”


    “You see, these bodies were special, young lord. Special for two reasons.”


    He held two fingers up, both donning the bulbous rings.


    “The first being their wounds. Some were said to have been mauled by a large feline predator…all signs pointing to a lioness.”


    Cipher looked at Grastaris twice.


    “And the other interesting detail is how my troops came upon the bodies. They were being hauled off. Not by their surviving counterparts. You see, there were no survivors. These were co-conspirators from an entirely different branch of a greater force.”


    “My lord, if I am hearing you correctly, and connecting the dots where I should…are you saying that Prince Mitakahn was potentially sighted and assassinated on our southern border?”


    “From what I make of all the information, it was a failed attempt by the golden syndicate. The lioness won the skirmish.”


    “What business does a gang from the Gorilla Kingdom have trying to kill Mitakahn?”


    “Ha, my young lord,” Grastaris chuckled, “spoken like a true northerner. No one calls the Plains by the names of old. You sound so basic. At this rate, the city may be equal parts gorilla kingdom, canine kingdom, and lizard kingdom, a true melting pot. There is no more a gorilla kingdom then there is a wolf kingdom. These are dead concepts.”


    “Be that as it may. This syndicate is from a city that has nothing to do with us. I fear the implications of these facts… the reach this dark lord possesses over MagnaThora could have disastrous consequences.”


    Part of Cipher wanted to drop what he was doing right now and head in the same direction Mitakahn was believed to be sighted. If he was this close, perhaps he left more of a trail, and they could get him back to the battlefront post haste. No, Cipher had to keep to the mission. The information he received was far too vague. This could have happened days ago and by now Mitakahn could be anywhere.


    “Please, young lord, take this information directly to the Queen.”


    “Prince Axion has returned.”


    Lord Grastaris smiled.


    “There is still hope for our kingdom yet. My host is waiting for you at the city limits. It is only three hundred spears. I’m afraid it is the most I could muster. Please apologize to your father at my behest. These are grave times.”


    “It is a good start. They will serve as the core of the army.”


    “We take our place in the everlasting glory of our kingdom.”


    “Praise be eternal.”


    Cipher gave orders to Commander Atrion to take the army up to Crescent Hills, while he rode ahead to Arunidawa, starting his sweep of the greater houses of the Serengeti, to see what he could muster. The dark cloud was growing in the North West, it was only a matter of time before he crossed paths with the dragon kingdom warriors. He could only hope that the other houses would be as cooperative and as ready as Lord Grastaris, not a fighter himself but keen to the idea of initiative.


    On the other side of the kingdom, the northern side, Lord Mercinestor finally reached the river region, he took the road as far as he could, with the darkness surrounding him in the west. At the end of the line there was something he did not expect. Mercinestor though the island would be gone. His island, his castle, his keep, his home, was staring him right in the face.


    Blessed Cipher must have done something spectacular. And he missed it! Mercinestor shook his head and then smiled, riding across the bridge, making the jump across easily on his mount, galloping through the broken portcullis. The lights on the draw bridge were no longer on. Not only that, but the bridge itself was fractured in half. It was only broken slightly, but there was a schism. The castle was abandoned. Now off the horse, he quickly made his way to the back. The Ignaleos Cor was still gone.


    The Lord of Castle Rosi Island grabbed what he could before leaving his ruined estate to fulfill his duty. The first stop would be Riverdale and then Burronese, both prominent river towns among the valleys. After that, it would be the difficult decision of whether or not to risk getting any closer to Caliber in the west. There was not much left up here in the north under the banner of House Casterosi. Even before all the travesties, most of the people were attracted to the two big cities. Castle Rosi Island inspired an entire settlement in the northern river valley, but if they really needed an army he could only muster it at the Serengeti.


    By the time Mercinestor reached Burronese he had mustered only two hundred cavalrymen. House Casterosi used to account for a decent share of the king’s army, but now his own forces were dwindled. Many fled in terror after the dark lord chewed up and spit out Castle Rosi Island. He would have to find the numbers elsewhere.


    Before he left for the Serengeti, he had to survey his remaining options up here. There were two more towns of equal proportion towards Caliber, and of course, North Caliber, the mini city Axion saved during the attack on the bay. Mercinestor knew House HyGard of North Caliber accounted for one thousand swords of the king’s army.


    They would be much needed, if still able to fight. Mercinestor had to make a quick decision. Send riders to North Caliber? Would he ever see them again? Maybe he had to go himself, to see to it that it gets done. Send the riders to Zepathorum, a few to help Cipher spread the word, and then one last ride against the odds. Was this the best plan Mercinestor could come up with?


    He had to be realistic, pragmatic. He had to run down the list of major and minor houses, cross-reference the largest numbers with the most easily accessible. The top of the list were: House Trenoble in Orbalis, House Leston in Quarry, House Miller of the Cubbet Downs, and House Arnastes in Crescent Hills. Together these houses were easily worth five thousand swords and spears.


    The downs and the hills ran together, the downs from north to south and the Crescent Hills from the edges of Lake Niobi to the very core of the Serengeti. He sent riders ahead already. His hopes being to recruit them on the way back, the closer they are to battle-ready the better off everyone will be. House Trenoble would be the hardest to recruit and not only due to distance. Orbalis is way out in the east of the Serengeti, a town so far into the MeadowLands, it’s been ruled by four different kingdoms over all the ages of MagnaThora. The Trenoble fancied themselves independent subjects of the crown, sharing blood with the Stag Kingdom who sometimes gave off an air of being above the Pride.


    House Leston was the safer bet. Of course, the Trenoble had the better trained army, being related to Stag bloodlines they shared certain genetic benefits and prowess in the field. Mercinestor was certain he could rally them to the cause. The only problem was if he had enough time. He could probably send more riders to Quarry. It seemed this was breaking down to whether he would go for House HyGard at North Caliber or House Trenoble in Orbalis. Mercinestor had to make a decision now and stick to it. The one thousand strong in North Caliber or the Trenoble paladins?


    The only real problem with North Caliber was the river. How would he cross it and how would the army cross back? The odds were against House HyGard, but they were the best and nearest relief. This was a tough choice and could decide the tide of the battle for Zepathorum. The time to make his decision was now. East or West? Mercinestor decided and stormed off in that direction, his remaining riders followed.


    The Lord of Castle Rosi remained conservative. He could not afford to take all the chances of getting to North Caliber. He prayed that House HyGard would take it amongst themselves to send aid. Mercinestor made his way to Orbalis. Mercinestor met with Lord Arsen Trenoble, who was more than happy to provide him with his full support of five hundred paladins.


    Hearing the scouts’ reports of dark rider sightings in the Serengeti was enough to be ready. Mercinestor was able to spend most of his time making the journey there and back, instead of debating or pleading for help. In that he counted his blessings and rode off to meet Cipher southeast of Lake Niobi.


    Cipher did not feel guilty laying into his horse along the Serengeti. He needed to fly across the country and this new Silona mount was a true war horse stallion. Cipher had experience around the pure breeds of the ShoreLands, the Arkenoirs being half Shorelanders and a big influence on his upbringing made him very much acquainted with horses. He knew a shore horse when he saw one. House Silona definitely had dealings with the Steed Kingdom. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Crossing over another ridge revealed the Last Prairie in the distance. Long ago, during the First Age and the time of the gods, the Lion Lorde Magnanimous, after bestowing his grace upon the Arkenorth and Casterosi houses, and the rest of the Pride, walked the Serengeti, and left this realm here. The Last Prairie or Arunidawa is a religious landmark for the devout. Before Cipher could even get to the city limits he was being escorted in by savanna lion cubs. Arunidawa was known for one other thing besides religion. This was the ancestral habitat of the native lions. You might come across a wild lion along the Serengeti, but this city was most likely where it came from.


    Cipher let the lions lead him in. They seemed to like him. They passed by a camp next to a monastery. This was clearly the archery range with practice targets lining the field next to the stone building with the belltower. The monastery had wings of rows, on one side the archery range and on the other a grid of tombstones, the cemetery. There were not many archers out practicing, but he could see them patrolling the borders. They were on high alert.


    Gathered in the courtyard appeared to be the command center, Cipher deduced. At their lead was a woman on a horse, with short black hair, uncommonly short like that of a man’s haircut on one side and bangs long enough to cover the front of her face on the other side. She was the only one on horseback, a magnificent bow of crimson and white gold on her back, and a white sash with crimson inlay running across her chest. That was Kara Ventrilles, daughter of Lord Ventrilles and the only one of her house to enter the ranks of Zenfor Archer. She was well known amongst the kingdom, especially since she took command of the archers.


    Cipher continued down to the main thoroughfare, where he saw an older male lion waiting for him. The lion’s mane was almost fully grown now, with some hairs fringed orange and white. It was the royal lion Maximus. He watched Cipher and waited. When Cipher approached, he slowed his horse to a trot. The royal lion brought Cipher to a stone palace built into a rising hill.


    Lord Jonovan and Kalina Ventrilles stood before the doors of the palace waiting for him. This was the home of House Ventrilles of Arunidawa.


    “Welcome, lord Cipher Casterosi, of the almighty’s chosen.”


    Cipher dismounted his horse and bowed back to them. Maximus walked up behind Cipher and nudged his back with his giant head. Cipher stumbled forward, but when the lion’s mane brushed past his face he felt a comforting sensation, almost refreshing, revitalizing. The royal lion walked by the Ventrilles and into the palace, the doors big enough to fit the lion and then some. They all turned and entered the palace as well. Cipher stifled a laugh at the fact that they were blatantly following the lion as if he was ruler of Arunidawa. Cipher always heard strange tales of this place, including rumors like they listened to lions, but this was something else.


    “He is taking you to the Orleop Threshi, my lord.”


    Cipher knew he did not have much time for this, but he felt the need to play along. He needed these people’s full cooperation. He was about to make a big request. House Ventrilles was very religious. It was true that their archers were legendary amongst the kingdom, and even held in high regard for the greater MagnaThora, but there was a catch. Their devoutness to the ancient Magnanimous ways made them non-violent. One of their vows was to help others and never do harm. These were complicated times. And that’s where Cipher would start his argument.


    Maximus took the three of them through the oldstone temple which led to the back of the building, the part of it that merged with the hill. Within this room was an opening into the earth, a cave. They walked through and from underground sprouted a stream. The cave was just as big as the back room, as they walked further into the hill the roof of the cave opened up to the size of a banquet hall.


    A natural path winded through the cave with the stream. The path stopped where the stream stopped, and that’s where Maximus took them. There was a very disturbing oddity of nature before them. Light shined through the floor beneath the end of the stream and lifted the water up the rock. It looked like a reverse waterfall with perfect rectangular corners at the top, a door of lightwater. Maximus stopped at the door. The light reflecting in his eyes, sizzling the edges of his fur. Cipher stepped forward and the door began to hum. The door seemed to grow bigger, but it was just the light emanating from it that got brighter.


    Maximus sat next to the Orleop Threshi and looked at the three humans.


    “Caliber has fallen, as you may know by now. The darksider army marches on Zepathorum, while making waste of the Serengeti. The Pride needs the help of your archers.”


    “We are passive people here in Arunidawa. We took vows of charity and tolerance.”


    “If we don’t make a stand, all will be lost. Right now, the dark riders already descend upon your town and the rest of the Serengeti. They could be here any second.”


    “We are prepared to defend ourselves.”


    “Then word from Caliber did not get far enough. I was there on the beaches. I know what haunts our nation and it is a force that cannot be underestimated. I beg you to reconsider.”


    “We cannot break our vows.”


    “Then what good are the archers?”


    “Zen Forgitee is an ancient form of meditation. The arrows center our presence in the here and now. The bow is balanced. A strong shot never wavers in the wind. Focus. Balance. Resilience. These are the ways of the Zenfor Archer.”


    “You train… to pray?”


    “When the Great Lion Lorde passed through this place he changed it forever, the proof right before us. Nothing in MagnaThora is even remotely similar. The books teach of Magnanimous’ eventual return, and on that day he will once again engage the portal he used to leave.``


    Cipher was beginning to put it together. They were prepared to die for the Orleop Threshi. The archers would fight when it came down to it. But that battle was to be waged in Arunidawa, not Zepathorum. This posed a major problem. The Ventrilles lacked the foresight of Cipher and Axion. The fight for the kingdom would be fought at Zepathorum, and nowhere else. That is where the forces were concentrated. Once gone, there would be nothing to stop the purging of the Serengeti. There would be no Arunidawa battle. It would be a massacre. There had to be some way to convince them.


    Maximus sat proudly and looked at them, but mainly Cipher. In fact, he was making eye-contact. And then as though the lion registered Cipher’s comprehension of the situation he nodded to him. It was more like the lion bowed his head to Cipher, just his head, no other bearing. What did it mean? Why would a royal lion bow to Cipher? He was no one special. Well, that was not entirely true. He was a Casterosi, and look at what he had done with the Ignaleos Cor. He was a champion of the Pride, and even regarded as a religious figure. He had some clout here. He needed to draw upon it for his persuading.


    “I understand the obligation of a holy plight. My family are not only direct descendants of Magnanimous-”


    At the very mention of the lion god’s name both Lord and Lady Ventrilles got down on one knee, nodding their heads, praising the lion lord, and returning to their feet.


    “Not only that, but we were the guardians of the Ignaleos Cor. One of the kingdom’s oldest treasures.”


    “What do you mean ‘were’?”


    “The same man that destroyed Caliber and marches on Zepathorum infiltrated the Corscape and with it the Ignaleos Cor, me and my father barely escaped with our lives trying to save it.”


    “The Ignaleos Cor has been lost?”


    “Yes.”


    Lady Ventrilles stepped forth and waved her hands. They were old incantations. After the Age of the Warlocks, rune casting and basic magic were adopted across the kingdoms of MagnaThora. The Ventrilles were using spell bindings to manipulate the doorway. Cipher was fascinated. It reminded him a lot of how he tampered with the Cor. What did it mean that his oblivious tinkering shared the same traits as warlock magic?


    “Threshi and the Cor have had a symbiotic relationship throughout history,” Lady Ventrilles said, “We felt those tremors the day you lost the Cor, and now we finally know why. I have always wondered…if I could reverse the pulse, perhaps a link can be formed. ”


    Suddenly something snapped in the atmosphere around her, and a translucent ring of air appeared before her.


    “I can see it…and…it is in danger. The Ignaleos Cor is suffocating.”


    The ring stood vertically, facing the door. Kalina pushed the ring forward, circle slamming against the rectangle.


    “This form of travel is very temperamental and untested. We have no idea what the cost in relativity is. We’ve never gotten this far before.”


    “What my wife is trying to say my lord, is-”


    “This won’t just bridge space, but time as well,” said Cipher.


    “Precisely.”


    “There is no other way. I will take the risk.”


    Something called to Cipher. He knew the right thing to do would be to spare the Ignaleos Cor and ensure the banners of the Pride are mustered for Zepathorum, to save all that he held dear. The Ignaleos Cor was Cipher Casterosi’s birthright. The elusive gem was in his blood, and it called to him.


    “I will keep the portal open for as long as I can.”


    The light water swirled in the doorway and all of a sudden different colors rushed inward. They mixed together, wild blue, reds, and yellows, clashing and blending into browns and tan. The tan brightened, dissolved into infinitesimal morsels, and grew coarse, while some blue remained in the middle and swirled into a sphere. There the Ignaleos Cor sat on a bed of sand. Without any hesitation Cipher stepped forward through the door and into the desert.


    “Wait!” the Ventrilles yelled, as they were cut off by the shift in atmosphere.


    He was in the SandLands, south near the Great Gate.


    The Ignaleos Cor was pale blue. The inside of it looked dried up as if about to crack. It did not budge off the sandy ground. Cipher had no water on him. Except, that is, for all the lightwater splashing together as it churned around the portal behind him. Cipher ran back over to the portal and tried to cup the bright water churning around the ring. It was roiling so fiercely it was almost solid and impossible to scoop off. His hand was barely getting wet, but down by the sand the light water was splashing the ground.


    He took a step towards the Cor and looked back at the portal. The other side was black. The portal was still open. But what were grays, browns, and a line of blue at the bottom of the portal before was now mostly just black. Cipher looked closer. He was wrong. There was not just blurry black on the other side of the portal but twisting reds. He panicked and rushed back to the Cor sitting in the sand.


    Cipher dug out the sand before and under the Cor so it would roll down to the dune back towards the portal. He ran down alongside it and at the moment of contact with the swirling light water Cipher kicked the Cor up off the floor and into his hands. Some of the light water splashed onto Cipher, even getting on his face and in his hair. He could feel it on him like a weight. Not much like a burden, but its gravity was different from everything else. He walked back through the portal and Lady Kalina Ventrilles clapped her hands together, closing the doorway. It dropped to the ground, no light, no reverse waterfall, just a regular stream.


    Lady Ventrilles dropped by the doorway. Shadows of fire could be seen down the cavern hall. What concerned Cipher most of all was that Lord Jonovan was nowhere to be found. That could only mean one thing. He was leading the fight against the enemy. Even Maximus was no longer in the cavern room. Lady Ventrilles coughed. He looked down, her side painted red. Cipher helped her get comfortable. She was clearly wounded. What happened here? How long was he away for?


    Cipher tried to clean the wound. He had no idea how deep it was. While he got more water from the stream he saw the dead darksiders along the ground leading back to the palace. They had gotten all the way into this room at some point. Chances are, it was a massacre outside. Cipher got back to Lady Ventrilles, and she was dead. The wound was fatal. Praise be eternal, she was able to keep the portal open through all that pain.


    Swords clashing and screams came from down the tunnel, back in the palace. He could hear the fighting and see the fires. Arunidawa was under attack. Cipher panicked. He no longer cared about how many reinforcements he could muster. He worried about getting back to his father alive. There was only one upside to all this, and Cipher was looking right at it…the return of the Ignaleos Cor.


    The drops of light water on his face and in his hair began to glow. Cipher screamed and fell over, catching himself before hitting the ground, struggling to stay on his feet. It burned immensely, whatever was happening to him. The light water seemed to be rejecting him. It merged together on his face. He clasped his own face with both hands. The light water migrated to his right hand and formed together around his wrist, perfectly around his wrist. Cipher stopped panicking and composed himself. Breathing heavily, he raised his right hand and opened his eyes. the light faded from his wrist revealing the wrist-switch he had created for the Cor.


    Cipher composed himself. He turned the switch on his wrist and the Cor vanished. He turned it again and the Ignaleos Cor reappeared in his hand. Cipher exhaled and threw the crystal blue ball up in the air a couple times. The last time he threw it up and activated the wrist-switch and it disappeared. It felt good to have it back amongst all this devastation. Cipher returned to Lady Ventrilles and closed her eyes, before laying a crimson and white cloak over her that he found amongst the frays. He drew his sword and left the Orleop Threshi room.


    Cipher got back out to the main palace, and it was just as unsettling as Port Caliber. The palace was on fire. He navigated through the rooms, trying to squeeze through broken walls without getting burned. The main hallway was wrought with burning cinders and collapsed ceilings. Out front of the palace Lord Ventrilles led some of own guard in a skirmish while the Zenfor archers laid waste to the approaching darksiders. Not only were there riders ransacking the town, but a regiment of the actual Dragon Kingdom army was settling Arunidawa ablaze. This was a focused attack.


    Cipher looked around. His horse was nowhere to be found, likely dead. He had to get a mount and get out of here as soon as possible. Mercinestor was most likely waiting for him at the rendezvous point. Cipher slowly made his way to where the archers were stationed. He watched Lord Ventrilles fight the good fight in the center of town. He expertly positioned the archers on the ridge for maximum cover.


    In between Cipher and the ridge of archers were two dark riders. One held a crooked sword. The other one swung a mace. They both kicked their black horses in Cipher’s direction. He held his sword tight and thought of a fight strategy. Before the riders could meet Cipher in the field and ferocious blur tackled them both off their mounts in an instant. Cipher capitalized. The one holding his crooked sword managed to stay on his feet, but it was not enough against the lion. Maximus swiped his claws clean through the acolyte’s body, his guts spilling the floor. The other rider tried to pick up his mace when Cipher’s foot caught him in the back of the head. The acolyte tumbled over, and Cipher brought down his sword in a kill stroke.


    Maximus lingered for a second and then looked at Cipher. With little hesitation, Cipher took the cue and mounted the royal lion. They engaged the skirmish with Lord Ventrilles, giving him and his troop a burst of renewed vigor. They fought bravely to the last man. Lord Ventrilles knew it was a lost cause. There were more enemy lines approaching from the northern hills.


    “Take them!” Lord Ventrilles yelled.


    “We must not lose hope. We can all get through this.”


    “Tell the would-be king that I was wrong to resist my oaths. I will redeem myself now though. House Ventrilles will play its part in the final chapter of this kingdom. My daughter Kara leads the Zenfor, tell her to leave with you, and we will hold them off. Take this.”


    Lord Jonovan Ventrilles took off his crimson and white cloak and handed it to Cipher on Maximus. He returned to the fight, looking back one more time.


    “Tell my daughter I love her and trust her to rebuild Arunidawa.”


    “May the Lion Lorde await you in the AfterLight, in eternal glory.”


    Cipher made his way to the ridge and with only a little resistance convinced Kara Ventrilles of her father’s orders. He presented her with the cloak, and she fell to her knees crying. Her men put the cloak on her, and she got back to her feet, not a tear in her eye. She rallied her remaining forces and withdrew from Arunidawa. It was the hardest thing Kara Ventrilles would ever have to do and she would never forget it. Kara would carry the burns of Arunidawa for her entire life. She regretted her parents decision not to heed Cipher’s warnings. So, she pledged herself and the might of her house to him, and in return Cipher vowed to help her return to Arunidawa, if they survive.


    After Arunidawa, Kallington, and Brevingdale, Cipher was no longer feeling that optimistic. He only mustered twenty five hundred so far, most of which from Arunidawa and Silona. The rest of the force would have to come from the north with his father, or central Serengeti, between House Arnastes and House Miller. Their two houses held dominion over several different towns in the respective regions. This made for good recruitment opportunities.


    By the time Mercinestor arrived at the Crescent Hills, his son was waiting for him. Their armies were still amassing, and it would take some time to organize everyone, but the final numbers were coming in. Already Mercinestor could see it on his son’s face.


    Something was deeply wrong within the kingdom. The people were scared. The fall of the king left a vast void, and now they were all paying the price. Mercinestor mustered two hundred from his northern region. Orbalis’ five hundred paladins coupled with an embarrassing five hundred each from House Leston, Miller, and Arnastes, added to twenty five hundred from Arunidawa to Silona. That was almost an army of five thousand soldiers total.


    If they waited longer Mercinestor was sure they could increase those numbers significantly. What he really wanted to do was give the vassals the opportunity to show their allegiance. He knew if he waited until day end they would round Lake Niobi ten thousand strong. The dark riders were running rampant through the kingdom causing people to flee or fight on their own.


    Once word got out that the army was forming, maybe that would change the tide. The times still seemed dark. The clouds from Caliber were now scattered across the Serengeti, even the fires of Caliber seemed to be spreading, none of which bode well for Zepathorum. Soon Lord Mercinestor Casterosi would have to make another difficult decision. He already regretted not going to House HyGard in North Caliber. Would he make the right choice on when to leave for Zepathorum? The survival of the very kingdom was at the hands of Mercinestor Casterosi.