Chapter 31

Year 163 – Summer – Quartus Mensis – 45th day

Velika Forest, northern Vale

It was a land of fire, a land where life was turning to dust in the incandescent maelstrom of burning leaves. So bright were the flames, yet so dark was the covered sky. No star, not even the moon, could be seen through the dense ash. As they gazed at the sky, warmed by the wildfire’s breath, 3,000 soldiers were waiting for their path to be cleared. A large and vast circle of ashes surrounded them to prevent the flames from reaching closer. Within a few days, a winter of white cinders would cover the horizon. The Silver Lining was looking at the piece of art at work before them.

Owen – “I guess the good point is that tonight doesn’t feel as cold as usual.”

Nelis – “To be honest, it just shows how bad this situation is.”

Lanaya – “Look at the silver lining: it will give us more time for your black powder to be ready.”

Nelis – “I suppose you’re right.”

Leo – “Couldn’t you use the heat of the fire to dry it faster?”

Nelis – “And risk it blowing up? I don’t think so.”

Lanaya – “It’s a bit sad, though. We can barely see the moon.”

Alphael – ‘’All I see are clouds of ash.’’

Nelis – “I don’t want to be a pain, but if the siege doesn’t work well, we’ll be pointed at.”

Owen – “We have ladders, don’t we?”

Jurren – “Yeah, they built them earlier today.”

Lanaya – “Don’t worry, Nelis, the odds will be with us, like usual.”

Nelis – “We can’t rely on that all the time, or the second we lose it, we’ll drown.”

Lanaya – “Besides, one of those who hated our faces is dead.”

Nelis – “Roberht wasn’t scary. Seeing a bull charging isn’t scary. What’s scary is walking while not knowing if a snake is on the ground.”

Jurren – “You have someone in mind?”

Nelis – “Hard to tell. We don’t know most of the people here. Even among the mercenaries, we don’t share many ancestors with the Northern folks.”

Lanaya – “Yet Egmond likes us, so that has a certain value.”

Nelis – “He likes us as long as we deliver results.”

Owen – “We found a slave trader.”

Nelis – “He could do the trade with him. He doesn’t need us.”

Lanaya – “Don’t worry, he needs both strong allies and a trader who can come and go to bring gold from outside the Union. Once he fights the Union, they’ll officially cut all trades with him. He needs contact with the East.”

Jurren – “You mean he needs contact with the Celestial Traders.”

Lanaya – “For that, he’ll need Rock Eden.”

Nelis – “That’s dumb. It’s impossible.”

Jurren – “I’m taking a nap. All of you should do the same.”