Five minutes after the first horn warning, it goes off again in the same pattern. More knights emerge from the barracks. They disperse toward the wall except for one guy. He looks at us for a long moment and then points at us.


    "Gods," I say with some disdain. "What now?"


    "What''s wrong?" Ulrika says.


    "I think we''re being summoned."


    "Oh," she says once she makes eye contact with the knight.


    The knight takes us to the top of the wall, where Rhyndac looks out into the southern desert. When she waves him off, he walks away.


    "Have you two made up?" Rhyndac says.


    "We have," I say.


    "Good. I can''t have my last best soldiers angry with each other."


    "Soldiers?" Ulrika says. "Kaio isn''t a soldier."


    "Is that so?" She scoffs. "If his past fights haven''t shown him as one, then this emanate attack will make him one."


    "What do you mean by that?" I say.


    "War has come to our home, Kaioson." Her serious tone turns my stomach. "Most of our Paladins are out there," she says, taking another glance in the distance. "I''ve sent Elred to the north. He awaits both of you." She sounds so defeated. It''s weird and sad to see one of the most positive people I know act like this.


    "Will you be joining us?"


    "No, I''m afraid. I need to figure out what is left of the Paladins."


    "Isn''t most of them at Nebulas?" Ulrika says. "We''re pretty much all that''s left." Her mentioning our dire situation reminds me of Coretha and her plan to gather champions. That goal is in the hands of Syren and Vahloin''s hands. It has been a while since I heard from them. I wonder if they have them all.


    "The Champions," I say. "There''s still Coretha''s champions."


    "That''s right! I forgot about them. We need to find your friend."


    "Hopefully, they''re here with everyone on that list."


    "Kaioson," Rhyndac says, gently gripping my shoulders. "Do you know where your friend lives?"


    "I do."


    "Take us there."


    Rhyndac slides a portal ring on my finger. I use the ring to open a portal to Syren and Vahloin''s homestead northeast of Kromagia. The portal opens at the front door of their main house. I can hear their nursemaid, Ceocrrya, humming a song beyond the door.


    "Ceoocrrya!" I say, knocking on the door.


    "Kaioson? Is that you?" Ceocrrya says from a distance.


    "It''s me!" She cracks the door open and peers her sapphire eye through the hole.


    "It is you!" The door swings open as she comes charging me for one big hug. Her lush blonde hair flies over my face. "It''s so good to see you alive and well, my friend!"


    "The gods continue to keep me alive," I say jokingly.


    "Pff. Your extraordinary skills are what''s keeping you away from death''s doors." Ulrika''s loud yet soft exhale reminds me of her part in my survival.


    "I have an angel keeping a watch eye over me," I say as I''m looking at Ulrika and wink to the get message across. "Anyways, Ceoccrya. Is Syren or Vahloin home?"


    "Sadly, no. They''re still gathering those champions."


    "That''s not good."


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    "Why? What''s going on?"


    "Zadione is about to engulf the Shemoreites under her thumb," Rhyndac says.


    "What?! How?"


    "She''s..."


    "Just too strong," Ulrika interjects. "And now her allies are approaching the north." Ceoccrya turns to her right to gaze out into the meadow.


    "Don''t worry," I say. "We will defeat her."


    "I shall pray for you, Zavi," Ceoccrya says and gives me a farewell kiss on the cheek. "And your friends."


    "Thank you."


    Rhyndac tells Ceoccrya to bring the champions to the north if Vahloin or Syren return. I hand Rhyndac the ring so she can take us to the right spot since all I can remember is standing on the mountains outside of the walls. Without Haleema''s special tent, we will most likely freeze to death at that altitude.


    Rhyndac takes us directly on top of the northern wall, directly behind the sentry. She runs off to speak with the leaders in charge of keeping this gate secured. Ulrika and I stay where we are. The sentry isn''t posing in front of the main gates like the other sentries. It''s standing several feet down the slope of the mountain, looking across the hill into Empress''s Tan Da territory. From here, I can make out several rows of her soldiers arranged in formation. The sunlight gleams off parts of their armor, creating a shimmering effect. Their numbers seem endless, almost swallowing the open terrain entirely.


    "Ulrika, what do you know about Tan Da''s military?" I say.


    "Unfortunately, not much," Ulrika says. "Their society is isolated."


    "When I was a drow, they were very curious about my appearance."


    "Makes sense. They''ve probably never seen an elf either."


    "Or the rest of the world."


    "Isolated yet powerful," she says slowly. "They are stupid to think that they can take up arms against Kromagia."


    No one to my knowledge has fought against Kromagia and won. We are the richest, most powerful, and protected nation. Xanlos, the primordial of this realm, needs to intervene before the existence of our nation becomes nothing more than a memory. Zadione is about to bring her force upon us. I don''t know how we''ll manage if she''s able to crack our defenses. If she gets within the walls, we will be limited to fighting space.


    I lean over the wall to hang my head down my chest. This war is taking a toll on my soul. How long can I endure this before I break? I''m barely getting by as it is. Now there''s an army assembling in our backyard, waiting for orders to strike.


    "Whatever you''re going through," Ulrika says, leaning on the wall with me, "I feel it too, darling." She rubs my back while cuddling me from the side.


    "This war is going to kill us."


    "Don''t think that. We''ll make it through. You made a vow, remember?" The reminder makes me smile.


    "Do you remember the names you want?"


    "Of course I do. Did you forget?"


    "No," I chuckle.


    "Well, tell me." As I''m about to tell her, I see my mother walking up to us. She''s wearing scaled armor. Parts of the armor around her breasts, shoulders, and legs are colored dark blue. The torso and arms are stained black. Around her torso is the Kromagian northern sigil of a four winged falcon.


    "Kai!" Thyrna says, opening her arms out to me. Ulrika steps away to let my mother embrace me. We squeeze each other tightly. "I missed you, my son."


    "I missed you too," I say.


    "I''m glad you two made it out of Nebulas," she says as she lets me go. "I heard Zadione took it over like it was up for the taking."


    "I don''t know how we can defeat her," Ulrika says. "It''s like she is too knowledgeable in magic and combat."


    "Ah," Thyrna says, tapping her lips. Ulrika mentions the black book that appeared when Zadione summoned a giant tree to attack the Paladins. I bring up the green book from Drake''s library and question its role with them. "Sounds like pure sorcery to me, guys. I''m not well-versed in incantations. I''m just a simple wizard."


    "How well is your knowledge?"


    "Tons," I say. "My mother knows spells I have yet to learn."


    "I alone won''t be enough," Thynra says. "From what I''m hearing, it''ll take an ungodly amount to subdue this woman."


    "The Paladins weren''t enough," Ulrika says after sighing. "If Coretha''s champions fail, we''re done for."


    "Pray to the gods that won''t happen."


    I look down at the army and then at the sky above them, trying to see through the bright blue canvas for a sliver of something hopeful.


    Nothing. Absolutely nothing.


    I feel as if the gods want us to suffer. I know some of them care, but there needs to be more support for us. Zadione might be days away from getting her damn wish. What will happen when she does? Will the gods finally send help and free us from a madwoman from their stock? Or does Xanlos still believe we can do it on our own?


    "Kai, why the long face?" Thyrna says.


    "It''s nothing worth discussing," I say. "Anyways, why are you in armor? Plan of fighting them?"


    "That''s right. I volunteered."


    "But you are a teacher now. Why would you abandon that?"


    Thyrna gives me a harsh yet insightful response. Nite''s attack near the southern gate is the reason she is taking a stance against all threats to Kromagia. Kromagia is her second home, and it has created the best memories for her. One of those is raising me.


    "I lived a long life," Thyrna says. "This place has given me so much joy," she says and stares down at the army. "I feel sorry for the Empress."


    "Why?" Ulrika says.


    "You''ll see once they make a move."


    As the hours go by, the northern tribes gather under the order of our king. Ulrika and I watch them from a bakery shop''s second-floor balcony. They assemble their soldiers, warriors, and warlocks to defend the northern border.


    "That''s quite the force," Ulrika says. "They look vibrant too. Their garbs are much more colorful than the South''s."


    Our northern tribesmen have a peculiar tradition. They like to try outdoing each other by seeing who can create the best designs. Unlike the south, they mostly have uniform colors depending on the branch. For example, Bearbolt is a special knight. Her armor looks better designed than the standard knights.


    "We should prepare for the worst," I say.


    "Train?" Ulrika says.


    "More than that."