It was the eight hour of the morning, a day after the surprising and infamous duel between Danios and his father Lord Mordian. King Lauihnio was having his breakfast, of boiled rice, beef stew and margerine and despite the alluring taste of the delicacy he was consuming, he began to have second thoughts concerning Danios duel with his father. He knew that Lord Mordian's loss to his son, who he (Lord Mordian) had underestimated was very surprising and he feared that his uncle would take it as a stain to his pride and perhaps demotivate him from being effective in the defense against the Quanians.Despite the relief that came upon him after Danios proved him right, by showing he was capable of infiltrating the Quanian camp, his worry began to overshadow that. This due to the fact that Lord Mordian was not just any nobleman of Bauthinia, he was his right hand man and second in command of the kingdom.Never had he ever seen any man outclass he uncle in a duel, however with this being th

As the weight of the golden necklace settled against his chest, Lord Mordian's heart was filled with a sense of purpose and urgency. The memory of passing on the necklace to his son, Danios, had stirred a newfound determination within him. He knew about the purposed concecretion and the journey his son alongside the seven selected Arab Azarian assassins that were to travel to were the Quanian army, led by king Brothlander had set up their camp.With a determined stride, Lord Mordian hurried out of his chamber and made his way through the grand corridors of the palace. His mind raced with thoughts of his son's safety and the mission he had undertaken. As he entered the bustling king's court, his eyes scanned the opulent chamber for a glimpse of King Lauihnio.However, Lord Mordian's keen eyes failed to find the king among the assembled nobles and advisors. Frowning, he approached a nearby guard and inquired, "Where is King Lauihnio? I seek an audience with him."The guard glanced at

Captain Valerius heaved a sigh. "Yes. The news of King Brothlander's army registered intense panic among the inhabitants in Vegia.""Same in Laoia captain. The news of King Brothlander's threat caused great uncertainty and disunity there in Laoia. Thank the gods the problem was resolved pretty quickly before we plunged into civil war.""You speak about the rebellious faction. Those bastards deserved their fate, fear of an unseen enemy made them turn against the crown. Such cowardice, they did not deserve to be called Bauthinians." Captain Valerius dimmed his eyebrow while he said that with a very serious look.The thought of how news of King Brothlander caused great panic among the people of Bauthinia caused Lord Mordian to begin to wonder how the Quanian king really looked like. He began to think of King Brothlander as a malevolent looking maniac who did not need deep thought to carry out his duties as King. He imagined him as a man ruled by his instincts. "They call him the mad kin

"Where are they?" Lord Mordian asked anxiously while he scanned the horizon."There they are." The soldier that had informed him of the news pointed at some emerging figures that was originally difficult to make sense of.Lord Mordian had to dim his eyes before he captured the frames of the emerging horsemen."This was very quick, very quick, quicker than I could imagine." Captain Valerius smiled satisfactorily proving that he was cocksure that the emerging horsemen were their Arab Azarian allies.Who wouldn't, however slowly but surely the mood amongst the sentries on the battlements began to light up as they looked ready to celebrate. They began to sing victory songs, while others began to hum in rhythm to the song that was sung.As the steady gallops of the horses continued causing the horsemen to surge forward, a smile began to form across Lord Mordian's face. He knew what the death of Brothlander would mean to the Bauthinians, he was sure that a great feast would occur tonight on

A surge of relief washed over Lord Mordian as he realized that his son's head was not among the macabre display before him. His shoulders sagged slightly, and a heavy breath escaped his lips, mingling with the cool night air. Yet, despite the initial wave of relief, a lingering tension remained, gnawing at the edges of his consciousness.His mind was a tempest of conflicting emotions, a torrent of thoughts that tugged at his heart and mind. As the soldiers stood by his side, their torches flickering in the night, Lord Mordian's gaze remained fixed on the severed heads."Were could Danios be?" he wondered, his voice a mere whisper against the backdrop of his racing thoughts. The question echoed in his mind, the uncertainty gnawing at his resolve.His eyes flicked to the horizon, as if searching for a sign, a glimpse of hope. The darkness that stretched beyond the fortress walls seemed to hold a multitude of secrets, each more chilling than the last."Did they kill him without severi