Arjun's Heair Part Three: Chiyo & Emory (complete)

    The cold ocean wind on my face awakens my senses, I take in a deep breath and my hands begin to shake. Odd claps his hand on my shoulder and I look up at him as he smiles at me. 

    "You don't have to go with us, Emory," Odd tells me. "I'm going with Dhaval out of my own gratefulness to him and the Rakshasa. You can stay here and help protect the border. No one will look down on you if you decide that." He squeezes my arm.

    "I'm going to Oriphin," I reply decisively. "I owe it to the Rakshasa, as well as Reginald." I grit my teeth and shake my head.

    "Calm down," Odd coaxes me. "Don't let that rage build up again, ok?" He flicks the tip of my nose and grins at me. "You're just like your dad that way."

    I sigh and allow my shoulders to slouch. "This is all for Dad."

    "I know, Em." Odd nods. "I know."

    "Are you almost ready?" Dhaval approaches us.

    "Yes, my lord," Odd replies with a stern voice. "Have you gotten everything in order?"

    "We'll be moving ahead through the off roads," Dhaval says. "Chiyo will be leading another troop and when we meet we will have surrounded the Oriphin Castle. Kitto and his navy will take hold of the coast, no ships in or out. We'll be leading the fight to cut off the Elamont mountains and hopefully drive them down towards us."

    "But Reginald will be there, won't he?" I insist.

    Dhaval glances down at me and he presses his mouth into a firm line. "Don't get your hopes up, Emory. We don't know who or what Sanguis has waiting for us there. It is best we prepare ourselves for any sort of attack. We can expect Drow, Minotaur, and Dragonborn to meet us." 

    A harsh wind blows against us, knocking heavy waves onto the shore. Dhaval turns, clutching his cloak around him. "We'll be meeting with harsh conditions. I suggest we make our way out now."

    I glance out over the ocean as we start to make our way to the caravan of soldiers. I watch the dark clouds in the distance swirl and buck. Lightening shimmers and snarls in the distance over the oceans. 

    "It's more than a storm," Odd murmurs to me. "You can smell it in the air. If we're lucky, we'll only have to fight in the rain."

    "That sounds worse," I grumble.

    "In Bastat, Sanguis created a storm," Dhaval says as we walk with him. "He made lightening that tore apart the place, and he had blood rain from the sky. I would rather it rained and blew us away than witness that again."

    Odd looks at me, checking my expression. "You can still protect the border, Em. I would ask you to do it for my own sanity."

    "No," I whisper and shake my head. "I'm going. I'm fighting. Even if I don't get to put my hands around Reginald's throat, I will fight his men."

    Dhaval looks at me. "You're the same age as my sister," he says. "Stay close to me." He bows his head towards me. "I want you by my side fighting, Emory."

    "Oh wow," I whisper. "Thank you sir!"

    "I appreciate your protectiveness, my king," Odd smirks. "It will make his mother happy to hear the Grand King took her son under his wing."

    "Grand King?" Dhaval scoffs. "Is that what they are calling me?"

    "Unfortunately," Odd sighs.

    We travel for several days, eventually making our way to the city limits of Oriphin. We have been chasing storms the entire way here, always on the tail end of their heavy rains and wild winds. They have come to rest in Oriphin just as we have. The thick foreboding storm clouds roosted over the entire kingdom, and the worst of their fury has yet to come. It is dread that makes them and they weigh us down with the promise that even if we have a victory, it is a small one. Because even in victory there is still defeat for everyone. There is death and destruction. Much as the storm brings needed rain, it also brings lightning. 

    Theodred appears before us, glowing emerald green in the rain. Green smoke smolders from around him and his massive jaws hang unhinged as he breathes in deeply. The Lich unnerves me, he makes something inside me stir and lurch. 

    "What is it?" Dhaval asks him.

    "There is blood magic here," Theodred snarls. "I can taste it. I can smell it!" He throws his head back like his spine is unattached. "But the Dragonborn is long gone."

    "Sanguis isn't here then," Dhaval whispers.

    "But Reginald is," Odd smirks. "I heard about the gift Sanguis gave him."

    Dhaval frowns. "You hear it?" He whispers.

    In the distance I can hear the sound of drums mingling with the storm. I then see that torches begin lighting all around the horizon. Lightning flashes over the ocean and I can see ships silhouetted before it. 

    The sounds of the drums are getting louder and louder. Soon standing before us is a line that looks more like a wall.

    "Stand ready," Dhaval whispers. The soldiers lined up before us all start kneeling and readying their stance. They raise their shields and they prepare their blades. 

    I take out my father's sword and squeeze the handle tight. I pray quietly, asking my father to stand beside Odd and me as we fight for his honor.

    Dhaval's strong hand claps down on my shoulder. "Remember, stay with me."

    "Yes, sir." I look up at him, marveling at how his eyes glow bright gold in the shadows. "I'll be your shadow."

    Dhaval smiles at me then turn his attention back to his men. I watch as Sanguis' men stand before us, also readying themselves for the charge. Suddenly, they split apart and a charging force of Minotaurs comes barreling through.

    "Now!" Dhaval orders.

    From above arrows rain down, striking the Minotaur and helping to slow their charge down so our soldiers can attack without worry. Above us, Chiyo and the troops she leads have been hiding in wait along the craggy rocks. They continue to rain down arrows as our attack pushes forward.

    I stay with Dhaval, as he commanded, even as I lose sight of Uncle Odd in the process. I fight with Dhaval, fending off god knows what. In the rain it is hard to see, and I have become grateful for the lightning. I am struck aside, knocked over one time and thrown into the mud.

    "I've got you!" Dhaval rips me from the mud and pushes me behind him, striking someone down in the process. "Come on, we're close."

    I stick to his side, rushing forward as we make our way to the gates. Already men are trying to force it open. Suddenly, the gate comes crashing down, knocking it with it several Drow warriors and crushing them.

    I look up, trying to see anyone in the shadows. I see Theodred, glowing brilliant green standing from the top of the gate. He roars out then disappears behind the wall.

    "Come on!" Dhaval drags me, pushing me inside where we stand in utter silence.

    I move back my hood, holding my breath as the silence engulfs me in a suffocating air. It's far to quiet. There should be soldiers here for us. 

    Dhaval is speaking to one of his men who has already gone up and down a hall. There were no soldiers where he went, but he was waiting on another to report back from the opposite end.

    "Impossible," Dhaval rips off his heavy cloak. "Why would they not have anyone waiting here?"

    I hear a low strange sound, a sort of guttural gurgling. It echoes through the quiet and reverberates off the walls.

    "What is this?" I hiss.

    Dhaval stands beside me and his tail twitches behind him. "It sounds like breathing," he whispers.

    There is a wet squelching, squishing sound like chewing. There is a snapping and crunching and then a horrible cacophony of hissing and screaming. Loud thudding and snapping follow and then the gurgling continues low and quiet.

"Stand behind me, Emory." Dhaval pushes his arm against my chest.

A large, dark shape appears in the hallway and I smell blood thick in the air. The creature that comes toward us goes still and it drops something from his horrible jowls. It's an arm. The creature steps into the light, it is fleshy and misshapen. Its eyes bulge out like those of a goldfish and it's massive mouth stretches outward, showing rows of gnarled and jagged teeth.

"Homunculus." The word escapes my lips and the creature screams like a banshee. It charges forward, tackling at Dhaval and I. I'm knocked aside, hitting my head against the wall while the Homunculus attacks Dhaval. It snaps and roars in his face, splattering him with viscera and blood lingering in its mouth.

I charge forward with a soldier, attacking it and ripping it away from Dhaval. Once he stands up more start coming down the hallway. We run, going down the empty corridor until we come into the courtyard. We fight off the Homunculus, slashing through several, but more only seem to keep on coming. 

I'm growing tired and my hands are beginning to shake. The rain pours down on us again and thunder booms like cannons overhead. Still, the Homunculus keep charging at us. We fight them off, managing to destroy each one. 

I have been bitten and clawed at several times on my arm. I drop my sword, unable to hold it anymore. 

"Emory," Dhaval comes to me as I fall on my knees. "Not now. Don't stop now."

"I can't hold it-" I rip the armor off my arm and Dhaval takes hold of my hand. The rain washes away the blood but the wounds are clear as day, even in this dark.

"Hold still, Emory, hold still." Dhaval grips hard on my hand. He holds his other hand over my arm and a numbness begins flowing from my fingertips and up my shoulder. "That's it. Keep still."

"Dhaval, what's happening?" I whimper.

"Almost," Dhaval's hand over my arm begins to tense and twitch. His fingers curl as he forces them to stay straight. He then lets go of me and falls to the ground. 

I clutch my arm to my chest, as the fingertips begin to tingle. The wounds are gone, every cut and bite mark has vanished without even a scar. Dhaval rises before me, flexing his fingers and watching me.

"Are you ok?" Dhaval holds his hand out to me again.

I take his palm and pick my sword from the mud. "How did you do that?"

Dhaval shakes his head. "You can't tell anyone," he whispers to me. "Promise me, Emory. Promise."

I go quiet as I look over his shoulder.

"Emory," Dhaval urges. He then follows my eyes and looks into the shadows.

"Awfully fat for a stray cat." His voice makes every hair on my body stand on end. It feels like a hand squeezing around my throat as my ribcage digs into my lungs. 

Dhaval's posture stiffens and he stands tall before me. "We have you surrounded, Reginald."

"Do you?" Reginald keeps himself in the shadows but I see something red glowing by his side. "You've been in here fighting Sanguis' new creations, how do you know what you have?"

"Have you seen your coast?" Dhaval taunts.

"In this storm?" Reginald laughs. "You are a fool for sending any ship out there." He steps forward and light crosses over his eyes. "I am not worried. You're here just as Sanguis wanted."

Dhaval remains quiet and still. Why isn't he saying anything? He should be saying something, doing something. I look back over at Reginald and my anger begins to grow. This was the man who killed my father. He's standing right in front of me. I taste blood on my tongue and my teeth have an edge to them I never noticed before.

"Sanguis wants a lot of things, he's going to have to learn how to be humble and be grateful for what he has." Dhaval steps forward towards Reginald. 

"We aren't afraid of cats here, no matter what titles they give themselves." Reginald inches forward and raises the source of the red glow. His arm looks like it has been shaped from ruby. It is sharp and jagged and glowing from within.

"I am not afraid of men who do the same thing." Dhaval replies. 

Reginald charges, he swings his arm at Dhaval and knocks him aside. Dhaval flies through the air and lands with a sickening thud in the mud. Reginald then comes at me and I grab his arm in my hand. I force it back, struggling with Reginald as he continues to press it down upon me.

Reginald chuckles. "Well, well, we have a fighter!"

I have to use both hands to keep his arm from coming down on me. My palms begin to burn and ache, slowly and surely his arm is getting hotter and hotter. It soon is like hot coals on my hands but I cannot pull away from me.

Dhaval charges forward, knocking Reginald away from me. I cry out in pain and force myself to stay upward. Dhaval fights with Reginald, striking him and bringing down his sword on his arm. The blade begins to glow red hot and Dhaval pulls it away. Reginald charges towards him again, hitting Dhaval in the gut and then striking him over the head.

I'm trembling and shaking as I watch Reginald. In my mind I imagine him standing over my father and forcing him into the way of the creature that ate him. I can feel my father's grief and rage. I am flooded by his confusion. I breathe in and when I breathe out sparks and smoke billow from my lips. My body aches and pulls as the change comes over me. I see red and only red.

I charge forward, knocking Reginald to the ground and standing before Dhaval. I roar, screaming in rage and agony as smoke and fire spews from my mouth.

Reginald stares up at me, a strange look on his face as he watches me from the mud. "What monster is this?"

I snort and I bring my hand down on his throat. I hold him there, watching him kick and struggle in the mud. He claws at my arm and then a pulse blasts thrown his ruby arm. I feel nothing but pain and I topple to the ground screaming. 

Dhaval comes up from behind me but is hit with the same attack from Reginald's palm. Reginald stands up and grabs Dhaval by the collar. He strikes him, over and over with ruby fist. I can barely breathe but I manage to claw myself up. I rise and drive my sword, my father's sword into Reginald's shoulder right before it becomes stone.

Reginald lets out a scream and turns to strike me but before I can Dhaval has his arm. He holds it and I see the red light from Reginald's arms flowing into Dhaval's palms. Dhaval's eyes begin to glow and he roars. Reginald suddenly thrusts his arm back and strikes Dhaval in the face. He falls to the ground and Reginald stands and clutches his arm as he starts to run away. I rush forward to grab him but he strikes me with his human arm and pushes me away.

There is an explosion beyond the courtyard and smoke takes over. I cough and wheeze, keeping myself over Dhaval incase Reginald attacks again. 

As the smoke clears I look around, but Reginald is gone. 

Dhaval coughs and chokes, clawing at my arm. I pick him up and carry him out of the courtyard and inside, away from the rain.

As I set him down a cold breeze tickles at my neck. I look up, seeing sunlight begin to break through the clouds. A fog hovers around the ground, covering the dead bodies of the soldiers and Homunculus. I then look back to Dhaval who is staring at the light as the storm ceases.

"Come with me." A Drow woman appears in the hallway behind us.

I take Dhaval's sword and hold it ready to fight her.

"Put down your weapon you fool," she spits. "More Homunculus are coming," she says. "If you want to continue fending them off I suggest you stay. If not, then follow me to Brachuss."

"Brachuss?" Dhaval leans forward and tries to get a better look at the Drow. 

I swallow down the lump in my throat. Behind me I can hear the squealing bellows of the Homunculus coming. "What do we do?" I gasp.

"We follow her," Dhaval grunts. He stands up, holding his arm to his chest. 

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Chiyo

    I reach back and find I no longer have any arrows in my bag. I cuss out loudly and look around me, I step back, moving through the soldiers who still have arrows and make my way down to join Dhaval and his men.

    The rain has made things near unbearable. I am used to dust storms, I am far from trained in how to deal with rain. I remove my cape and let it slap against the ground. The rain has made it horribly heavy, and I don't care what comes I am not dealing with that around my neck.

    I race down from the hillside, slipping and falling into the muck and mire. I'm used to cursing loudly these days. I start to get up when I see something standing before me. It;s waiting in the shadows, standing between two rocks in wait. We stare at each other and I notice their eyes are glimmering in the dark. I am used to eyes like that, lord knows I saw them during many nights when my babies couldn't sleep and Othet set up with them. But these are not the eyes of my husband, nor are they the eyes belonging to any other Rakshasa.

    I rise up and touch the rock beside me. The creature before me is tall and I can smell something lingering in the air. I wipe my face, smoothing out the water from my brow and around my mouth.

    I am not used to fighting in the rain but if I must I must. I take my scimitar from my belt but as I got to take it a dagger flies passed me, knocking the handle from my hand and slicing the side of my thumb. 

    "What is an old woman like you fighting in a war?" Their voice is raspy and pitched. No doubt one of Sanguis' new Drow. "You should have stayed on your hill."

    I suck my thumb and taste blood, another thing I am used to along with my cussing. "You should have stayed in your caves."

    The battle is mere feet before us. I wonder how long she has been hiding here and attacking soldiers who dare come down from the hills. I wonder if what she is standing next to is a rock or if it is a pile of bodies. 

    The drow chuckles. "I much prefer fighting women than boys." She lifts her sword and it reflects the lightning on its surface. "You look like you know a thing or two."

    It hurts to take hold of my scimitar now. Her blade cut me in just the right spot where I can still fight but it is cumbersome with the cut. The way the heel of my palm presses down I bleed and it makes my grip slippery. These Drow know a thing or two, if I wasn't ready to chop her head off, I would be deeply impressed. 

    Our swords clash as the thunder roars over the sea. Lightning blinds me for a moment. It strikes a tree just behind the Drow and a fire starts raging. I see her now, her white hair is slicked back and tucked under a dark helmet. Her sharp eyes glare out at me, shimmering in the shadows and vicious in the light. She moves like a snake on water, smooth and fast, elegant and precise. 

    I am proud of myself for keeping up with her despite everything that is against me. The rain the cut on my hand, my own night blindness. At least the fire is raging, but the Drow keeps her back to it. I push her back, trying to find a way to make her trip or stumble. She keeps her ground well and doesn't budge.

    The Drow strikes me and I fall to the ground. Standing above me I see her dark outline against the orange flames of the fire. She reaches down and grabs me by the front of my shirt and holds me in front of her. 

    "Do you know who you are fighting?" Her voice is a proud purr. 

    "I don't care." I wrap my hand around her wrist and press down tight.

    She chuckles. "You're a worthy foe, so I wanted you to know. I am Queen Viovrouh of the Drow in Ebonglen," she tells me. "And who are you?"

    I take a shuddering breath as I try to quell the anger inside of me. "Chiyo," I hiss. "Of Bastat!" I lift my legs and kick her dead center in the stomach. 

    Viovrouh releases me and she doubles over, nearly toppling onto the ground. She clutches her stomach and heaves before vomiting on the ground. I cannot see my scimitar in the shadows so I attack her with my fists. I strike the back of her head, then clutch my fists together and uppercut her chin. She grabs me by the throat, choking me and I slap mud in her eyes. I kick her in the side again and she lets go of me. I headbutt her, driving her back into the rock wall and I grab the sides of her head. I bash her head backward into the rock. 

    Viovrouh grabs me pressing her thumbs into my eyes. We're in a standstill. I hold her and she holds me. I can feel the pressure building, my eyes feel like their going to explode and shoot out through my nose.

    Suddenly, her arms are struck and I'm released. A sword is held at her throat and I gaze up at Odd who has a strange look in his eyes.

    "You alright?" Odd asks me.

    I'm shuddering and wheezing and I can barely see. "Give me your sword! Give it to me!"

    Odd pushes me back. "Stand down. This woman needs to stay alive."

    Viovrouh wretches and chuckles. "I am not…" she wheezes. "Going anywhere with you." She clutches the back of her head. "Let us finish what we started."

    Odd presses the blade to her throat. "We're taking you captive, your highness. That's how this all ends."

    "You're cute," Viovrouh sneers. "Thinking you can hold me." She grabs hold of the blade and starts forcing it back. 

    Odd pushes forward and Viovrouh's back is against the stone again. "Stay still, your highness," he snarls. "Keep your tongue and stay still."

    Viovrouh sits and chuckles as Odd turns to me. "Now tell me, are you-" he's struck upside the head and crumbles to the ground. 

    "My love, there you are," Viovrouh sighs. "What took you so long?"

    I move over to Odd and check his pulse, he's unconscious thank goodness. I turn and look back up at Reginald who is scooping Viovrouh off the ground.

    "What do you mean we are going?" Viovrouh lurches from him. "What do you mean we are going?" She shoves him. "I am staying to fight!" She grabs her sword and raises it then screams as it turns into a snake. She tosses the snake aside and Reginald stands before her.

    "I recognize that handy work." Green smoke wisps around me and rises up. A skull appears over top of my head that has green emeralds glittering in the sockets. "Balafelamona invented such a thing." The smoke coils out and wraps around Reginald's arm.

    "No!" Reginald tries to fight back but the smoke turns solid and holds him. The smoke turns into a hand around his arm and forces him onto the ground. 

    A figure steps out of the smoke before me and kneels down to Reginald. "It seems like someone has already gotten to this before me." He picks Reginald up off the ground and dangles him in the air. "They didn't finish the job though."

    "Let me go!" Reginald snarls.

"Reginald!" Viovrouh screams. She charges by the Lich knocks her aside and the ground. 

"Is anyone else going to say anything? Anyone want to charge at me?" Theodred turns and looks at me. "Get him out of here!"

"But what about Reginald?" I snap.

I heard a crunching and grinding and Reginald lets out a wail of agony. His ruby arm is disintegrating in Theodred's grip.

"I learned long ago how to fend off Balafelamona's magic," he snarls in Reginald's face before he hits the ground. 

Viovrouh swoops out and grabs Reginald.

"I knocked you out! Unfair!" Theodred tries to capture Viovrouh but she vanishes into the fire with Reginald on her back. 

"How the fuck-" Theodred snarls and shakes his head. He stoops over, picking up Odd and tossing him over his shoulder. "You, stay with me." He points a bony finger in my face. He then places Vivrouh's impressive sword in my hands. 

"We're up against the House of Scheer at the moment. They have the high ground but I believe Dhaval has them outnumbered." Theodred tells me.

"Where is Dhaval?" I snap.

"He's making his way to Arjun." Theodred clasps my hands over the sword and the cut Viovrouh gave me on my palm glows green. "You need to lead the charge against the fresh forces coming down from Elamont."

As I open my mouth to speak again I hear cannons off the shore. The ships on the horizon have begun their own defense as well. The shattering of wood and the ripping of sails echoes over the battleground. Suddenly, things go quiet for a moment.

"Kitto has taken the lead out there," Theodred whispers.

"What's happening?" Odd grumbles.

Theodred sets him down beside me and I put my arms around him to brace him up. The cannons fire again and Odd directs his attention out there. Up from the waves comes a massive creature. It bellows and sings as it rises and crashes itself down on two ships, dragging them into the waters with it.

"What the fuck was that?" Odd screams.

"The Cetus rules the waters, and we know more about our stars than our own oceans," Theodred sighs. "The Cetus have many allies we could never dream of."

"And what about you?" I turn and look up at Theodred. 

"What about me?" Theodred chuckles.

"What can you do for us?" I turn to him. "Dhaval wanted you Liches in his ranks for obvious reasons. Right now, all you've done is beat up one old man."

Theodred throws his head back and laughs before looking back down at me. "Turn around."

I glance back to the fire and see things moving in the shadows. They rise up from the ground and start marching forward. They're black skeletons with emeralds beset in their sockets.

"Holy shit-" Odd rasps under his breath.

Theodred's hand rests on my shoulder. "The Boiling Knights are my army. I suggest you go lead yours."

I stare up at him for a moment then nod. "Let's go, Odd."

All around us there are Lizardfolk, Kobolds, Rakshasa, and humans alike. All of us are fighting for the same purpose. It isn't just Ophirin we are fighting for, we are all angry and we are all wanting to defeat Sanguis. Above us lightning flashes and thunder roars. I can see the armies of the Houses rising against Arjun coming down from Elamont. I am given a horse and I ride it's back as I move towards the front. I will trust Dhaval in this moment, just as I always trusted Demir. 

A breeze strikes my face and I take it inside me. I can sense my mother, I can sense Chi. I can feel Demir holding my shoulders and urging me to go forward. As I open my eyes a beam of light casts down upon us as the clouds continue to darken over Elamont. 

I scream my command and our army surges forward to take Elamont. The terrain is rough so we allowed the armies of the Houses to push us back. We get as close to the coast as Dhaval commanded. By this point, Theodred has had his Boiling Knights come around the back. Not only that, the Cetus soldiers have started rising out from the ocean and have joined our ranks. The militaries belongs to the Houses of Scheer, Saunburn, Swaene, including all of Sanguis's men are surrounded. 

A still goes over everything as the dark clouds part and the rain recedes. Sunlight pours over all of us and a cool wind blows. 

I exhale and say a small prayer that Bastat is with me. I then raise my sword and swing it down through the air. The tides have changed, we now have the upper hand. The uprising armies are caught between us. Now with the Boiling Knights and the Cetus we overwhelm and we conquer. 

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Dhaval

    The Drow Hisede brings me into the throne room where I see Arjun standing with Brachuss. Arjun rushes to me and holds me tight in his arms.

    "I'm glad you're here," Arlan sighs with relief.

    "I'm not sure how I should feel," I snarl at him. "Am I captive too?"

    Arlan chuckles. "Far from." He nods over to Hisede. "Mairia and the children are safe. She got them protected by some of my men right away."

    "Then what was with the Homunculus?" I snarl.

    Arlan shakes his head. "Sanguis must have suspected one of us would betray him. I guess he wasn't taking any chances."

    Emory rushes over to the window, looking out as cannons continue to fire. 

    "Are my ships out there?" Arlan asks with a smile. "Could you believe Sanguis gave me those ships?" He throws his head back and laughs. "I was surprised they didn't blow up."

    "Sir, we need to get out of the castle," Hisede steps forward.

    "I know, I know," Arlan sighs. "I'm so glad Mythri read the letter."

    "She didn't," I scoff. "She was going to ignore it. She didn't believe she could trust you. I read the letter."

    "I suppose my act was way too good," Arlan shrugs.

    "It doesn't matter now!" Arjun snaps. "I need to get my family out of here and to safety. Then we can deal with the assholes who have done this to me."

    "Right as always, my lord. Here," Arlan offers me his arm and helps me. Emory takes the lead with Hisede as we go into the library.

    There, Arjun opens a secret passage in one of the shelves where we walk down a staircase that takes us into a wide room. Three soldiers are standing there with Mairia and the children sitting on old blankets.

    Mairia jumps to her feet and rush to Arjun, wrapping her arms tight around him. "I was so scared!" She cries.

    Emory goes over to the kids and picks up the youngest set of twins. Hisede takes one of the older girls while Arjun takes the other. We continue down a passage in the safe room that narrows into a tight 'one person at a time' hallway. The soldiers take the front, opening the tiny door in the ceiling. The lift out Emory and then Hisede. The two of them start pulling out the soldiers.

"I hope everything went as planned," Arlan whispers to me. 

"I'm sure it did," I say with a nod. "It has to."

Arlan turns and looks at me. "I'm sorry if I ever gave you reason to doubt me. All I wanted to do was save my people."

"It's ok," I swallow back a lump in my throat. "Once we get out of here, nothing else matters."

Arlan pushes me ahead and I am pulled out into the sunlight. "Where are we?" I ask.

"Just outside the House of Brachuss," Arjun replies. "Armand has been my closest ally for ages. I created this safety once the boys were first born."

Arlan is pulled out of the hatch and takes a key from his pocket. 

"What about all the military power Sanguis sent you?" I follow behind him.

"Oh that?" Arlan asks. "They died just before the battle started." He smiles at me. "Some people just can't hold their poison."

I stare at him in shock and awe.

"It was lunch," Arlan goes up to a rock wall where he jams the key into a hole. The rock opens into a door where we are taken into safety.

Once Arun, Mairia, and the children were safe and secure. I went back out with Emory and Hisede to take control of Ophirin. Chiyo and Theodred had done a wonderful job, and Kitto had kept the coast safe, using his fleet as well as his underwater connections to keep Sanguis' ships from leaving. 

Lords Scheer and Swaene were taken in as prisoner, but Lord Saunburn had somehow escaped. Arlen assured me he would be found and punished with the rest of the lords. Chiyo told me that Reginald and the Drow Queen had escaped as well, no doubt they were returning to Sothen.

Alexander was named as heir right away and was given Ophirin as Arjun had decided to step down from the throne. His eldest daughter by Tiye would be his heir if anything should happen to him. 

    I stayed in Oriphin for the time being, I helped Arjun and Alexander get things in order as well as oversee the trials for Scheer and Swaene. They had their titles stripped, their lands taken, and they were to be executed. I usually do not like issuing a death sentence, but under these dire circumstances I am not sure what else to do.

Arlen was given the Houses of Scheer and Swaene for his loyalty and help during the battle. The Houses of Mainer, Vaylan, and Osden were given the assets of House Saunburn to split amongst themselves for their remained loyalty.

As I was sending everyone home, I stopped Emory and Odd before they left. "I have something for you."

Emory looked up at me confused then his eyes widened as I presented him with my sword. "I know it doesn't mean as much as your father's sword did. But I did not want you going home without a fit replacement."

Emory takes the sword in his eyes and his eyes fill with tears. 

I put my hand on his shoulder. "You did was right in battle, Emory. You saved my life. That sword cannot begin to repay you for your bravery."

"Thank you," Emory looks up at me and smiles. "I don't deserve this. I did what anyone would do."

Odd laughs and pats his back. "Take the compliment, kid! You saved the king of everything! You're a hero."

"You really are. Your father would be proud of you." I hold my hand out to him. "Thank you for everything."

Tears trickle down Emory's cheeks as he shakes my hand. "My dad," his voice chokes up and he sniffles. "I could feel my dad out there. Like he was standing beside me. I just wish-"

"Reginald will get what he is due, I promise you." I put my hand on his shoulder again. "He will not escape again the next time we come across him."