ã€ŠChronicles of Genticus: Invasion of the Northã€‹


 Prologue

    Prologue:

    Navihm crunched through the blanket of leaves strewn across the forest of his homelands. The trees in the foothills of the Aura Mountains were always the last in the land to shed their leaves. The people of the First held onto summer like a mother to her firstborn. Such poetic thoughts were beyond Navihm at that moment, he was much more concerned with what his mother was cooking for lunch. Young boys tend to be that way. The two wayward girls Navihm was tasked with finding were taking every opportunity to drink in the last rays of summer sun, staying much later than they were allowed, shrieking and dancing through the trees. He could hear their play somewhere ahead. Navihm sighed. His mother was going to be upset if he was late for lunch again.

    Hitomi and Kaia were defeating dragons in their favorite clearing when the Aelurus attacked. Catlike and twice the height of the girls, Aeluri were known for taking down fully grown men. What one was doing so far down the mountain is a mystery. Kaia was the first to notice they were being stalked, the birds had gone quiet. She¡¯d peered into the darkness between the trees to see what might have caused it.

    ¡°Be quiet,¡± she hissed at Hitomi, who was still playing, heedless of the danger.  ¡°Tomi, walk towards me slowly¡±. The younger girl stopped her playing and stared at Kaia. She was acting really strange.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I thought I was supposed to flank the dragon while you distracted it.¡± Hitomi¡¯s mother had told her that girls start changing as they got older. Maybe Kaia was started to become a woman. Grown ups didn¡¯t make much sense and Kaia was certainly acting strangely staring off into the trees like that.

    Kaia took a quick step towards her and shoved her till she stood behind her. ¡°Tomi, I need you to get back to the village,¡± she hissed over her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t turn your back on me until you get into the trees. Then run as fast as you can and get help.¡±

    ¡°Is this another game? Are you going to be the distraction again?¡±  Yes, she was definitely becoming a woman, Hitomi thought, she was bossy like Mother.

    ¡°Hitomi, go now.¡± She did as she was asked, giggling and shuffling backwards until she pressed up against a tree. Kaia was edging her way around to the other side of the clearing, not daring to take her eyes off the prowling cat. Hitomi giggled and watched the older girl for a moment longer, following her terrified gaze into the trees. A flash of sunlight, bouncing off reflecting eyes and the smooth roll of fur wrapped muscle stopped Tomi¡¯s giggling. She took off into the trees, terrified of the beast she only glimpsed at. Kaia, knowing that the cat¡¯s instinct was to chase, presented herself as a much better target, taking off over open ground.

    The beast was much more terrifying in the open. The darkness of its fur helped hide its massive size and odd proportions in the shadows of the trees. Aeluri were almost skeletal, with muscles that hugged every rib and dipped in at the stomach to a third of the width of its powerful shoulders. With its short thick head and protruding muzzle, it looked more like a hellhound than a cat but its graceful movements were unmistakably feline.

    It yowled and took off after the bigger girl. She presented a much easier target and had more meat than the skinny infant that had taken off into the trees. Hearing the cry of the beast sent Hitomi into a full sprint into the forest, struggling to dodge trees through her tears.

    ¡°Help!¡± she cried desperately. Navihm heard the little girl¡¯s cry and took off running, dodging the trees efficiently. Hitomi called out again and Navihm adjusted his course and sped faster towards the girl. As he rounded a tree he almost charged right into the sobbing child.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Navihm said as he grasped her shoulders desperately.

    ¡°Aeluri,¡± she managed to gasp out between sobs.

    Navihm froze.

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    ¡°Where is Kaia?¡± The girl just sobbed louder. Navihm shook her slightly, ¡°Kaia. What happened to her?¡± At that moment, a shrieking whistle pierced the forest¡¯s quiet. It was Kaia, Navihm knew. He had taught her that whistle. She was still alive, at least for the moment.

    ¡°Go get help,¡± he said to the shaking girl, and he took off into the trees, following the sounds of Kaia¡¯s whistle.

    When he arrived in the clearing he saw the Aeluri first. Navihm had only ever seen a dead Alurus. Some men from the village had hunted down one the summer previously and dragged its body back to the village. The cat currently pacing around the base of a tree in the clearing was bigger than the dead one Navihm had seen. Navihm followed the cat¡¯s line of sight and noticed the small figure huddled in one of the lower branches. His heart leapt to his throat. It was Kaia. Kaia had her eyes screwed up and one hand outstretched towards the beast.

    ¡°Calm,¡± she said to the beast. ¡°You are calm. You aren¡¯t hungry, you are tired. You wish to return to your den and sleep.¡± Kaia was trying to send calming thoughts into the mind of the animal. She had shown great promise in empathy, especially with animals, but it didn''t seem as if she was having much success now. The Aeluri kept shaking its stumpy head as if to shake off the intrusion of calm. It snarled and attempted to climb the trunk of the tree. The deep scarring on the trunk suggested that this wasn¡¯t its first attempt. Kaia let out another piercing whistle and the beast shuddered and shied away from the high-pitched noise.

    This wasn''t going to work forever.

    Kaia wasn''t in control enough to calm the beast, she was too frightened. Influencing a beast as she was trying to do now required a certain level of concentration and it was difficult to send soothing thoughts without feeling calm yourself. Any minute now the beast would attack in earnest and rip the girl from the tree.

    Navihm added his whistle to Kaia¡¯s, sending the Aeluri reeling. That got Kaia¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Send it your fear!¡± Navihm shouted, thinking quickly. She couldn¡¯t make the cat calm, but perhaps she could make it afraid. She certainly looked frightened enough so sending it fear would be much easier than calming it. Kaia nodded and screwed her eyes up again.

    Navihm picked up a rock and launched it at the cat. He knew it couldn¡¯t do much damage but maybe, along with the terror Kaia was sending it, it would drive the animal away. He picked up another rock and shouted as he threw it. It bounced off the cat¡¯s thick skull, leaving a small gash. The Aeluri turned to face Navihm as he threw another rock from his end of the clearing.

    ¡°Scared. You are scared,¡± said Kaia. Navihm unsheathed the short knife he carried on his belt and waved it at the beast, shouting and whistling. The cat shook itself and yowled, bewildered by the strange noises and intruding feelings of terror. It took a confused swipe towards Kaia then turned back towards Navihm and snarled, the hairs on its neck rising.

    ¡°Run!¡± Navihm wasn''t sure if Kaia was talking to the cat or him. It didn''t matter, he wasn''t going to leave her. ¡°Get away! Hide.¡± The cat took a half step back, still growling and then suddenly launched itself towards Navihm. He didn''t have time to even move before the cat was on top of him, tearing into his shoulder.

    He screamed.

    His arms were pinned between his own chest and the beast but he kicked out blindly with his legs. He could hear Kaia¡¯s rising scream and he felt waves of her emotion wash over him as she lashed out with her empathy towards the Aeluri. Her terror fueled his own. He kicked out again and felt a bone in the animal¡¯s hip give. The cat faltered slightly and it gave Navihm just enough room to get one arm unpinned.

    He took a shallow breath and plunged his dagger into the beast¡¯s chest.

 Chapter One

    10 years later:

    Chapter One:

    The walls surrounding the Ianterran School for the Gifted rivaled any Navihm had seen in his 22 years. Not even the towns and cities he had passed through on his journey through the Lowlands had walls this impressive.

    ¡°Not quite what we are used to hey Equus?¡± Navihm said to his mount, patting his neck. The shaggy horse shook his mane, seeming to agree with his master. When they had first left Genticus he had encountered a walled city for the first time. At the time, Navihm had wondered why people would want to separate themselves from the world with brick and mortar. Now, craning his neck to see the guard standing on top of the wall, he wondered this again.

    The man shouted an enquiry down to the boy. Navihm didn''t quite grasp what the guard had said, a pang of longing for his familiar foothills had distracted him. Navihm shouted up for him to repeat what he had asked. Impatiently the slightly haggard looking man repeated himself, sounding somewhat irritated.

    "What business do you have here?" shouted the guard again. Navihm couldn¡¯t be sure he''d understood him correctly. He wasn¡¯t fluent in the halting, choppy tongue the Ianterrans insisted on speaking. It seemed the sort of thing a guard should ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see the dean,¡± he replied in the common tongue. ¡°He is expecting me.¡±

    The common tongue was the language used by traders and merchants when trading across borders became more common across the continent. Increased interaction between the Lowland countries meant that nowadays, most people spoke the common tongue. There were many different languages used on the continent,  even amongst the Lowlanders.

    The huge portcullis opened partially to admit Navihm into the school. A guard, younger than the first, was waiting for him just inside.

    ¡°Papers,¡± he said, bored. Navihm rifled in his pack hung on the back of his saddle before dismounting and handing the letters to the guard. The man gave the papers a cursory scan and waved Navihm in. Marching quickly over the courtyard, the guard droned out orders.

    ¡°You can put your horse in the stable over here. The dean won¡¯t be taking meetings for another hour or so, so you will have to wait. Do whatever you want, just don¡¯t get into and trouble and don¡¯t bother any guards or teachers. The dean¡¯s office is on the second floor, just up those stairs.¡±

    He was pointing to a narrow stone staircase on the other side of an opened door.

    Navihm was half listening, more concerned with taking in the sights around him. There were few people around and those who he did encounter usually walked past purposefully, giving curious glances at the guard and the travel-stained foreigner trailing behind him.

    Navihm entered the stable the guard had indicated and stabled Equus where other saddled horses were kept, either waiting to be ridden or were stabled only temporarily like Equus. Navihm loosened that saddle straps, making it more comfortable for his mount and eyed the other horses. They were all at least a hand taller than Equus and were shiny and sleek where his mount was shaggy and stocky. Equus was bred for hard work and for mountain conditions, these horses were bred for their looks.

    Navihm spent his time exploring the school.

    He wandered into a building that was separate to the main castle-like building. It was only one story and the interior walls were painted a stark white. Navihm had never seen anything like it. What was it used for? he wondered. A small girl, almost half Navihm¡¯s height walked past holding a tray full of small white cloths.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Navihm stepped into the room. The girl must not have seen him standing in the doorway because she squeaked and dropped the tray. It landed with a huge crash and the strips of fabric unravelled all over the white floor. The girl was staring wide eyed at Navihm, hands pressed to her mouth. She let out a string of rapid words in her language, most of which he missed. ¡°Sorry¡­.scared me ¡­  didn¡¯t ¡­. here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Navihm said in broken Ianterran. ¡°Didn¡¯t understand. More slowly?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect anyone to come in, you gave me a fright,¡± the girl still looked a bit frightened. She hadn''t moved since Navihm had spoken. She just stood frozen and wide-eyed. Navihm stepped towards her, her eyes went even wider and she shuffled her feet as if preparing to run. He bent down slowly, mindful of her skittishness and began picking up the fabric. After a brief hesitation, she bent down also, careful not to brush hands with the boy. Navihm wondered if she was this anxious around everyone or if it was just because he was a Genti.

    ¡°You name?¡± Navihm wasn''t quite sure that was how it was phrased, but he supposed it was close enough because the girl understood.

    ¡°My name? Oh yes, how silly of me. I didn''t introduce myself. My name is Millicent. Um, Millie. You can call me Millie.¡± She tucked her chin length brown hair behind her ear nervously. Her eyes wouldn''t quite meet his, instead, they kept flitting restlessly around the room, eventually coming to rest on his hands. She noticed that he wore three rings, on his thumbs and his right forefinger. They were just plain metal bands but they captured her attention. She was more confident staring at them than she was looking the tall foreigner in the eye.

    She was a shy little thing.

    ¡°I Navihm,¡± he said, placing the last of the material strips on her tray.

    ¡°Navihm? What¡¯s Navihm? Oh! Is that your name?¡± she stood. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a name like that. I suppose Millie is just as odd for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was hard for Navihm to understand the girl. She seemed prone to chatter and she talked quite quickly.

    ¡°Please, more slowly? Where is this place?¡±

    ¡°What place?¡± She noticed that Navihm was looking around the room at all the beds and white walls. ¡°Oh, you mean here? This is the school¡¯s medical ward. Like a hospital, but smaller.¡±

    ¡°Hospital?¡± Navihm was unfamiliar with the word.

    ¡°You know, where people go if they are sick or get hurt.¡±

    ¡°Oh, for healing?¡± She nodded. ¡°You have whole building for healing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Don''t you?¡± The idea seemed absurd until Navihm realised that the Lowlanders didn¡¯t have magical healers like in his home country. They wouldn¡¯t be able to heal people instantly, it would take time for them to recover. That explained the beds. They were interrupted by a skinny woman with deep frown lines.

    ¡°Millicent!¡± she yelled. Millie jumped and would have dropped the tray again if it wasn¡¯t for Navihm catching it.

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    ¡°What are you doing there, girl? Where are those bandages?¡±

    Millie turned back to Navihm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to go,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thank you, Millie. Have good day.¡± Navihm gave her a small bow and left the ward. It was just about time for him to meet the Dean anyway so he made his way towards his office.

    At the top of the stairs, a few people around Navihm milled about, talking amongst themselves. They lounged against a wall in what looked like a casual queue leading up to a door that read ¡®Dean Ambrose¡¯. This was confirmed when a bouncy blonde exited the room and the student next to the door entered. Navihm joined the end of the line and watched the blonde flounce past him. She made eye contact briefly and sniffed dismissively, eyeing his dark skin and road stained clothing. He supposed he would have to expect this sort of reaction from the students here. That response seemed common enough in town.

    ¡°Can you believe it?¡± said the boy on his left. ¡°They gave me a roommate.¡± The rest of his words were too fast for Navihm to understand. The young man on the receiving end of the angry boy¡¯s increasingly indignant tirade looked to be more interested in his nails than the spectacle the other boy was creating. He nodded along distractedly and occasionally rolled his eyes, unnoticed by the ranting young man.

    It continued much like this for the next half hour or so until Navihm was waiting by the door listening to shouting in the office. The door slammed open and a flushed, angry youth stormed out, glaring at anyone that looked his way.

    ¡°Next waiting, please.¡±

    Dean Ambrose was a short, blonde man in his early 50s, sporting a neat tuft of hair on his chin. He peered up over his glasses as Navihm entered and stood by the chair facing the dean¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Yes?¡± said the older man expectantly, raising one brow.

    ¡°I am Enfeitar Navihm of the First,¡± he said in the common tongue ¡°We have corresponded.¡±

    Dean Ambrose switched languages promptly. ¡°Ah yes, of course.¡± Noticing that Navihm still stood politely behind the chair he added: ¡°Please, sit down.¡± Navihm nodded gratefully and sunk into the chair. He¡¯d been travelling hard since sunrise.

    ¡°Now, down to business.¡± The dean pulled out some papers that Navihm recognised as the letters he¡¯d sent throughout the past few months. ¡°I''m afraid it was quite unexpected when you informed me in your last letter you would travel to us this month.¡±

    ¡°The school year starts soon and I was unwilling to wait. I made that clear from the beginning, Sir.¡± Navihm had been petitioning the Dean for admission into the school for almost a full season now. The constant protocols and formalities he¡¯d had to go through were becoming increasingly frustrating. Finally, Navihm had decided to streamline the process and made the two-week journey to the school. In his experience, it was a lot more difficult to say no to someone in person.

    ¡°This is quite unusual,¡± the dean continued. ¡°Normally acceptance into our school is confirmed a least a year in advance. This is a very prestigious institution, as you well know.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I explained to you in my letters about my bonding.¡± Navihm gestured vaguely to the braids decorating the side of his head. ¡°You know that it is imperative that I learn to use my elemental gifts as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. The school''s cultural advisor explained to me the significance of your braids. However, he was quite stumped when I explained to him your gifts for elemental magic. He was quite certain that was an ability unique to the Lowland countries. I was lead to believe that people from the tribal lands up north are only gifted with mind magics.¡± The dean sounded more than a little suspicious.

    ¡°That is normally true,¡± Navihm began, slightly awkwardly. ¡°My parentage is unique. I do have spiritual gifts from my mother¡¯s family, but I gained elemental magic from my father''s. He hailed from a Lowland country, we believe.¡±

    ¡°Ah, an interracial marriage. You don''t see many of those.¡±

    A slight shifting in his seat was the only outward sign of discomfort Navihm allowed himself.

    ¡°The situation is quite a bit more delicate than that.¡± He said lightly. The dean¡¯s eyebrows rose to almost touch his hairline. ¡°My mother was 14 when she was attacked in the forest near her home. My father was convicted of a number of-¡± he hesitated, ¡°similar crimes in the area. We believe he had fled to Genticus to avoid prosecution in the Lowlands.¡± The Dean cleared his throat and shuffled some papers on his desk, avoiding eye contact.

    ¡°Regardless, the situation is still highly unusual. We will continue to review your application and perhaps you can attend next year. If that is unsuitable for you there is another school in Hallasholm that might suit you better.¡± Dean Ambrose waved a hand, considering the matter over. He picked up a document from his desk and began taking notes in the margin.

    ¡°Sir, that is six week¡¯s ride away. With all due respect, I cannot wait to complete my bonding for another year. Even if this other school were to accept my application, I cannot delay it even six weeks. I must learn to use my elemental magic now if I am to complete my bonding and protect my people properly.¡±

    ¡°My boy,¡± Dean Ambrose said dismissively, looking up only briefly from the papers on his desk. ¡°The fact remains that this is the most prestigious school of magic in all the Lowlands, the children of nobles and royals attend these classes. I''m certainly not going to bend the rules for a bastard son of-¡° he glanced at one of Navihm¡¯s letters ¡°a teacher.¡±

    Navihm¡¯s eyes darkened and he clenched his jaw.

    ¡°Perhaps your cultural advisor can tell you what being a teacher means in my country. My mother is one of the most respected individuals in the whole of the First. She is Prophet and advisor to the King, as well as a teacher to his children. You will not disrespect her.

    ¡°As for the matter of my birth, we do not have nobility as you do here in the Lowlands. Status is not inherited by accident of birth in my country, it is won through good deeds and truly noble actions. I am an Enfeitar. That means I¡¯ve been graced with the highest honor that can be bestowed on my people. You have not only insulted my mother and my lineage, you have insulted my entire way of life.¡± Navihm stood, pushing his chair back sharply.

    ¡°If that is all, I wish you a good day Sir.¡± He gave a stiff, formal bow and exited.

 Chapter Two

    Chapter Two:

    Professor Ward was heading towards his office when the Dean caught up with him.

    ¡°Lincoln,¡± Dean Ambrose addressed him. ¡°Could I talk to you for a moment?¡±  Classes had yet to start but Professor Ward still had to finish the preparation for his Lowland Traditions Throughout History class. Still, he could stand to spare a few minutes.

    ¡°Of course, Ambrose, would you like to talk in my office?¡± They had arrived at the building which held the teacher¡¯s offices and rooms. They exchanged pleasantries over the few minutes it took to walk to the office marked ¡°Professor Lincoln Ward, Cultural Advisor¡±.

    ¡°What can I do for you today Ambrose?¡± said the professor, gesturing for the other man to take a seat.

    ¡°It¡¯s about that boy I told you about a couple of months back, the Northern one.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, I remember. Did you end up solving the mystery of the elemental powers?

    ¡°Yes, I did in fact. It turns out his father was a Lowlander. He told me this himself when he turned up at my office yesterday afternoon!¡±

    Professor Ward laughed good-naturedly. ¡°Somehow that doesn''t surprise me. I¡¯ve heard the People of the Tribes don''t have much patience for Lowlander politics. Likely he got tired of jumping through hoops.¡±

    ¡°It was incredibly rude.¡±

    ¡°Maybe to you to seemed rude,¡± Ward responded, smiling gently. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite an honour he decided to do business with you face to face; he is the son of a teacher after all. Travelling all the way here to meet with you means that he was affording you the same respect he would another teacher or prophet from his country. They are the closest the Genti have to a Noble class, so you should take it as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± said Ambrose, taken aback.

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± Professor Ward leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees. ¡°Now tell me a bit more about the boy, what¡¯s his name? What is he like?¡±

    ¡°His name is Navihm Enfeitar, or enfaytar, enfeitare?¡± he said, trying to figure out the inflection. He wasn''t sure how to pronounce it.

    ¡°Enfeitar?¡± Ward asked, putting less of an emphasis on individual syllables. The Tribes had a lilting language and they tended not stress any one sound. Rather, they let their words run together, more like music.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it; Enfeitar,¡± the dean said, copying Professor Ward¡¯s pronunciation.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t a name, it¡¯s a title. One earned, rather than inherited. My, my, that is impressive. He¡¯s only a boy you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, barely past twenty I would guess.¡± It was becoming very clear to Ambrose that he''d assumed wrong about the boy''s position. He''d made a mistake by insulting him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an Enfeitar so young. I really would like to meet this boy before classes start," continued Professor Ward, oblivious the dean''s distress. "He will be in some of my classes I expect, it would be the best way for him to learn about Lowland customs and the other students would learn so much from him.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Ambrose interrupted, avoiding eye contact with the professor, ¡°I expect he will be traveling to Hallasholm to receive his education.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ward was dumbfounded. It wasn''t like Ambrose to let a prize student like this get out from under his thumb.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m afraid there was a bit of a misunderstanding during our meeting. He wasn¡¯t willing to follow the proper channels applicants must go through.¡±

    ¡°Ambrose,¡± Professor Ward was unusually serious. ¡°It isn''t my place to tell you how to do your job, but if it was up to me, I would forego the usual channels and make a place for this boy. The Tribes and Lowlands are becoming more involved with each other every year, there is nothing we can do to change that. It is, however, in our best interest to take advantage of this opportunity. This boy is a very important figure in Genti politics, one that would make a good ally to the school and any future business we may have in the North.¡±

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    Ambrose nodded, inhaling sharply through his nose. ¡°I see your point. Thank you for your time, Professor.¡±

    Back at his offices, Ambrose penned a letter and made several copies. He sent these letters with several messengers to all the local inns where Navihm may be staying. It wasn''t long until he received his reply.

    Navihm was packing to leave when he heard the knock at his door. It was a boy of about eleven.

    ¡°Are you Enfeitar Navihm of the First?¡± he asked, struggling valiantly with the pronunciation of his name. Navihm nodded. The boy handed over a letter and disappeared.

    Enfeitar Navihm,

    I have reviewed your application and a place has been found for you, effective immediately. Your room number is 2b, dorm three. You may move in tomorrow morning.

    Regards, Dean Ambrose.

    The letter was more than a little abrupt, but Navihm could forgive that. He placed his packed bags on the foot of his bed and sat down at the small desk the inn provided. He began penning a letter to home, explaining what had happened, skimming over the unpleasant visit with the Dean.

    He would begin his schooling in the art of magic within a week.

    The next morning Navihm arrived at the school with very little hassle. The guards at the gate were familiar with him and let him pass without a word. Navihm had just finished stabling Equus in his new permanent stall when he encountered another boy around his age, perhaps a bit younger.

    ¡°Is that your horse?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Navihm pointed to his mount. ¡°Equus.¡± The boy made a face. He didn¡¯t understand what an ¡®Equus¡¯ was. Perhaps it meant something in the savage¡¯s language. Not that he particularly cared.

    ¡°Bit ugly, isn''t it?¡± Navihm wasn''t sure what ¡®ugly¡¯ meant, though it didn''t sound pleasant. He declined to comment.

    ¡°Suppose it¡¯s the best you¡¯ve got where you come from,¡± the boy continued. Navihm thought that he looked familiar. Had they met? The boy continued to make snarky comments about Equus, Navihm was focused on brushing his mane and tuned him out.

    Where did he know the boy from? Perhaps he¡¯d seen him in town.

    ¡°It is a good thing they provide a uniform, you won''t have to wear those rags anymore.¡±

    It was the boy¡¯s unpleasantness that struck a chord in his memory. He was the boy that had met with the Dean the day before. Now Navihm recalled how he¡¯d spent close to a half hour complaining about having a roommate.

    ¡°What is your name anyway, Savage?¡± Navihm continued to ignore him.

    ¡°Strong, silent type, hey? How about I start off the introductions. I¡¯m Karl.¡± Karl held out a hand. Navihm had seen this gesture before as he passed through town. He knew that he was supposed to shake it. Navihm chose to ignore the hand, not trusting Karl¡¯s sudden gallantry. He could not be bothered dealing with this boy¡¯s childishness. Back home, a man would never show another, especially an Enfeitar, such disrespect. Incivility was considered the ultimate mark of immaturity.

    Navihm packed away his grooming equipment, slung the last of his saddlebags over his shoulder and walked right past the boy¡¯s outstretched hand. If the boy was going to act like a child, that was how he would be treated.

    Dorm three wasn''t hard to find. The boy¡¯s dorms were on the north side of the school, closest to the main gate. They were numbered at each entrance. Each level was also numbered so Navihm proceeded to the second level and entered the second room. Two beds were set up, neither of them occupied. Perhaps his roommate would arrive closer to when classes started. Navihm placed his bags on the bed to the right and packed his belongings into the trunks provided at the foot of the bed.

 Chapter Three

    Chapter Three:

    Navihm¡¯s class schedule had been delivered to his room the night before by another student. It had been written in a Lowland script that Navihm couldn¡¯t read but he¡¯d gotten the messenger to translate. Navihm had spent the week in town, mostly around the markets, working on learning the language but so far he had very little practice reading it. The Interrans had a completely different alphabet than he was used to.

    He looked over his schedule, he knew where most of his classes were already thanks to the exploring he¡¯d done. His first class would be in Elemental Theory and History. It was an introductory level class that, according to the student who had delivered his schedule, every student had to pass.

    The classrooms were more like huge auditoriums. Navihm wondered how the teachers were able to properly instruct each student when a class was made up of almost two hundred people. Navihm was used to being taught mostly one on one or in groups of no more than twelve. Magic was a hands-on learning and in Genticus children would learn how to use their magic as an apprentice, rather than as a student.

    The students here were no younger than fifteen. When Navihm was fifteen he was almost finished the customary four years Genti youth spent as an apprentice learning how the channel their spirit magic. This was probably due to the differences between the magics. Spirit magic is present in every Genti child from birth and reaches full strength at around puberty. In the Lowlands, not every person was gifted with magic and those who were, were only able to use it usually around sixteen or seventeen.

    Navihm¡¯s magic had always worked strangely. He was never able to use his spirit magic consistently. His mother attributed it to his mixed heritage and Navihm had made his peace with it long ago. He''d always just assumed he didn''t have much Spirit magic because his bloodlines were diluted.

    At around nineteen his magic turned wild, affecting his surroundings bizarrely. Spirit magic usually only affected the immaterial. Navihm¡¯s magic had started interacting with the physical world in unpredictable ways.

    It was only years later when he encountered an elder during a trip to the Tenth that the puzzle of his magic was solved. This elder was knowledgeable in many different magics and suggested that perhaps Navihm possessed more than one strain of magic that were somehow interfering with each other. Navihm hadn''t known that was possible but once it was suggested he began investigating ways to master his elemental magic. If he became adept at using his magics, Navihm would better be able to serve his tribe and his family.

    Navihm arrived at his first class before anyone else. It was ten minutes to the hour and few people were about. Navihm tugged gently at the stiff collar of his uniform. The clothing the Lowlanders wore were much tighter than what Navihm was used to. They favored high, starched collars and long sleeves. Navihm usually wore soft cotton or loose silk shirts so the stiff material took some getting used to.

    Students began to file in. Almost everyone stopped to stare at Navihm, who was sitting in the front row. He ignored them, accustomed to the staring from his time travelling across the Lowlands.

    It was another fifteen minutes until the teacher arrived. He entered the room in a flurry of papers and rushed words.

    ¡°Sorry for the tardiness students. You know how it can be sometimes.¡± The vast majority of the students ignored him and continued their conversation. The Professor was not the only person late, students continued to wander in after him.

    Navihm ceased his tugging and rose from his seat, standing beside his small desk, as was customary when a teacher entered the room. No other student stood. Navihm supposed that it was not customary here. No matter, that was no reason for Navihm to do away with good manners so he continued to stand until the Professor greeted the class.

    ¡°Good morning class,¡± he said. Navihm murmured a polite greeting and took his seat, drawing even more attention to himself. By now, most of the conversation had died down, more to make way for gawking at the foreigner, rather than out of any respect for the Professor. The Professor awkwardly nodded towards Navihm, bemused by his actions.

    ¡°Right,¡± he said gathering his thoughts. ¡°Welcome to Elemental Theory and History. My name is Professor Prescott.¡±

    The lecture for the first lesson was on the basic concepts of elemental magic. Navihm knew that most of the other students would already have a good idea of the fundamentals due to their upbringing in the Lowlands, an advantage he went without.

    ¡°Elemental magic has been a part of you since birth,¡± the Professor began. ¡°Detectable levels of magic are present within a gifted individual at only a few weeks of age. Most of you would have you talents detected by a mage long before you were able to use them. Your magic flows through an individual¡¯s body their whole life but most won''t access it until they are fully grown. This is because your magic matures as your body does. At around seventeen, your elemental magic converges and forms a well of magic near your heart. This becomes the source of your magic.¡±

    The Professor had them meditating and focusing on their hearts, trying to sense their magic. Navihm found the well of power easily. He had been using magic all his life so, for him, it was second nature to sense it. The elemental power felt different to his spirit magic. It was tangible and sensing it was more like tasting or smelling; it was grounded in a physical sensation.

    When he felt for his spirit magic, it was more like the sensation of currents of air or water moving around; you felt its presence by the way it pushed and carried the things around it.

    ¡°Once your magic concentrates and forms this well,¡± the Professor continued ¡°the overflow will spill out and circulate through your body. In this class, you will learn to grasp a vein of power and use it to manipulate your surroundings. Later, when you become more skilled, you will learn how to draw your magic directly from the well of power in you chest. This will allow you to perform more powerful magic but is infinitely more difficult. It will be a long time before you have that sort of control.¡±

    The rest of the lesson continued much like this. The students spent a long time meditating and sensing their magic. By the end of class, more than half the students were successful in finding their well of magic.

    Navihm struggled through the first day. His teachers tended to speak much faster than Navihm could follow and they were using a lot of words he had never encountered. It seemed that his practice in town hadn¡¯t helped much when it came to academic phrasing. Navihm would just have to work harder on learning the language.

    By the time evening had come, Navihm had sat through hours of lectures. He had begun to learn the theoretics of accessing his elemental powers and basic spellwork but, so far, hadn''t had the chance to apply any of the theory. The next day he would attend smaller classes of about thirty where they participate in the practical side of magic. He hoped that he would prove more adept at that than he was at the theory.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Eamonn knocked on the new student¡¯s door. It was after the evening meal and he had been sent by Professor Ward to deliver a letter to the boy. The boy who answered the door was not who Eamonn expected. He was greeted with a bear chest, decorated with scars and tattoos. The most prominent scar twisted over his shoulder, the corded muscles knotting unnaturally. On the opposite shoulder was a tattoo that matched the coiling lines and deep punctures of the adjoining scar. Eamonn was stunned briefly. Eventually, he tore his eyes away from the captivating disfigurement and looked up at the man. He had to tip his head back quite a ways to look at his considerable height.

    He was Genti with bronze skin and shoulder length brown hair. On the left side, his hair was weaved into three thick braids that hugged his skull until the back of his head and hung to his shoulder. These braids were interwoven with coloured ribbon and decorated with beads.

    ¡°Um, hi,¡± said Eamonn, realising he had been quiet for a while. The Genti man just rose an eyebrow. He looked a lot older than most of the other new students here. Eamonn himself was only nineteen and had been at the school almost three years.

    ¡°This is for you,¡± Eamonn said holding out the paper he was sent to deliver. ¡°It is from Professor Ward, your Culture and Traditions teacher. It¡¯s probably just an invitation to meet with him, he does that for all the foreign students.¡± The other man took the paper and opened it, frowning at the contents.

    Eamonn was curious as to why a Genti was at the school. He knew a bit about their culture from his mother who also was from Genticus, though she wasn''t of the Tribes like this boy. Eamonn¡¯s mother was from a Nomadic clan that lived in the North. They had traveled from across the shallow seas from Pershus a few centuries back, fleeing persecution, and the Tribes had allowed them to settle in the desert of Genticus. They referred to themselves simply as Nomads, refusing to give up their heritage as a clan of Pershus and unwilling to adopt Genticus as their home.

    Eamonn had inherited his chocolate brown skin and dark eyes from his Nomadic mother and his elemental magic from his Lowland father. He wondered if this was the case for the new student. Was he a half-breed like him?

    ¡°I¡¯m Eamonn,¡± he introduced himself, unwilling to leave until he found out a bit more about the student.

    ¡°Excuse me. I Navihm,¡± the newcomer said, bowing slightly. ¡°You Nomad?¡±

    Eamonn noticed Navihm¡¯s difficulty with the Lowland tongue and so switched to the common language.

    ¡°Yes, my mother is a Nomad,¡± he said and held out his hand. Navihm took it and shook it enthusiastically, happy to see someone familiar. Navihm gave a rapid greeting in what Eamonn recognised as the Nomadic tongue, a mix of Genti and Persian. He shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said in the common tongue. ¡°I don''t speak much Nomad.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Navihm said in Lowland, ¡°no common, I learn.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that''s wise, all your classes are in Ianterran,¡± Eamonn said, switching languages again. All this switching between languages was giving him a headache. ¡°Are you fluent in Nomad?¡±

    Navihm nodded, then, deciding that was a lazy reply, he said; ¡°Yes, I is fluent¡±

    ¡°I am, not I is¡± Eamonn corrected automatically. Navihm, rather than getting offended, bowed in thanks.

    ¡°Could you teach me?¡± Eamonn asked.

    ¡°Teach what?¡± asked Navihm.

    ¡°Teach me to speak Nomad?¡± Since Eamonn¡¯s people moved from Pershus, their language had evolved. It could not longer be called Persian because of the vast amount of language they had adopted from their Genti neighbours. These days, people referred to the Nomadic dialect as ¡®speaking Nomad¡¯.

    ¡°My mother¡¯s family would love that, I plan to visit them after I finish school. I already know a little, my mother taught me some before she died.¡±

    Navihm bowed deeply.

    ¡°It would be my honour.¡± Navihm stepped back from his doorway, gesturing for Eamonn to enter his room.

    ¡°I guess you like to read,¡± said Eamonn looking around at the stacks of books and scrolls Navihm had stashed around his room. A few, mostly the scrolls, Navihm had taken with him from home or had sent for once he''d settled. The rest he had picked up in town or borrowed from the school library.

    Eamonn looked at the titles as he wandered around the room. A lot of the older, battered books were in languages he couldn¡¯t read, but some he recognised as books on elemental magic and Lowland history and geography. There were maps and scrolls on the Lowland alphabet and biographies on famous elemental mages. The covered the entire room. Eamon guessed that Navihm didn''t have a roommate. Navihm walked over to a stack of papers. He selected a handwritten bundle and handed it to Eamonn.

    ¡°Here, for practice.¡± Eamonn flicked through the hand bound papers and saw that they were translations of basic phrases in the common tongue, Genti, Nomadic, Persian and a few other languages he didn''t recognise. Some pages were written in a childish scrawl, some, on much newer paper, were written in flowing, slanted handwriting.

    ¡°My practice, now for you practice.¡± Navihm gave him a half grin.

    Eamonn laughed. ¡°That¡¯s very convenient.¡±

    ¡°My mother said I need it,¡± Navihm explained. ¡°She right.¡±

    ¡°She was right,¡± corrected Eamonn, flicking through the pages.

    ¡°She was right,¡± repeated Navihm.

    ¡°I could help you learn Ianterran,¡± offered Eamonn. Navihm nodded enthusiastically.

    ¡°Please. Yes. Class is¡­¡± Navihm struggled to find the word.

    ¡°Difficult?¡±

    ¡°Yes, difficult.¡± Navihm held out the note from Professor Ward. ¡°Could you?¡±

    Eamonn took it and begun reading it out for him without complaint. Navihm thought that he could become very good friends with this boy.

 Chapter Four

    Chapter Four:

    ¡°Navihm?¡± Professor Ward called from further down the hallway. It was almost four weeks since he had received Professor Ward¡¯s letter. It had been, in fact, an invitation to meet with him. The Professor had questioned Navihm quite thoroughly about his home country. Since then, Navihm and Eamonn had become close friends and his fluency in Ianterran had greatly improved, thanks to Eamonn¡¯s attentions.

    Navihm turned and waited for his teacher to catch up. He was on his way to Professor Ward¡¯s ¡®Culture and Traditions¡¯ class anyway.

    ¡°Hello, Professor.¡±

    ¡°Navihm, my dear boy,¡± said his teacher, slightly out of breath. ¡°I was hoping to catch up with you before class. I wanted to ask a small favour.¡±

    ¡°Of course Professor.¡± They started walking towards the auditorium where they had their lesson. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°As you¡¯re probably aware, Genti tradition is a part of the course structure for this quarter. I¡¯ve not had much hands-on experience with the Northern Tribes but as a Genti national, I suppose that would make you the expert.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m getting at, my boy is that I want you to give a talk on your traditions to the class. I think they will respond well to someone their own age who has personal knowledge on the subject.¡±

    ¡°You want me to teach the class, Sir?¡± Navihm asked a bit apprehensively.

    ¡°Exactly, my boy.¡± The professor grinned encouragingly. They had arrived at the classroom and stopped at the door.

    ¡°Well, I suppose-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Now, why don¡¯t you place your things at my desk and take your place at the front of the room.¡± Professor Ward breezed past him and into the room, grinning widely.

    ¡°Sir I-¡± Navihm cut his sentence short. Professor Ward had already walked away.

    Navihm was standing next to his professor at the front of the room, hands clasped behind his back. The other students were filing into the auditorium in twos and threes, talking quietly to each other. Much of their conversation appeared to revolve around the spectacle occurring at the front of the room.

    ¡°Class is going to be a little different today,¡± said the Professor. ¡°We are going to be learning about Genti customs and traditions so I brought in an expert. You all know Navihm, most of you would recognise him as a Genti national by his braids. If you have not realised this, you are probably failing this class and should consider keeping up with the assigned readings.¡± The Professor retreated to his desk and gestured towards Navihm.

    ¡°For the duration of this class you will treat Navihm with the respect you afford me, for all intents and purposes, he is your teacher for this lesson.¡± This comment sent a ripple through the assembled students, whispered conversations broke out.

    Navihm cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this lesson was thrust upon me quite suddenly, I haven¡¯t had the chance to prepare anything. In that light, perhaps it would be best to start with some questions. Would anyone like to begin?¡±

    There was silence for a few seconds, the students were looking around to see who would be the first to speak up.

    ¡°Perhaps you could start with an explanation of your braids,¡± the professor chimed in. ¡°Am I correct in saying that they hold great significance for your people?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, of course, Sir. All people of the tribes wear three braids from the age of 14,¡± Navihm began. ¡°It is considered as an ascent into adulthood and we wear them to honour our people. Each person''s braiding is unique and reveals a part of their history. You can tell where someone is from and who their family is by the coloured ribbons in the braids.¡± He turned his head to reveal the gold and blue ribbons in his hair. Pointing to the braid closest to his ear he continued.

    ¡°This is my Gen braid; the braid of my tribe. The gold signifies that I am of the First.¡±

    A cautious hand rose at the back of the room. ¡°What does ¡®of the First¡¯ mean?¡± asked the small girl.

    ¡°It refers to my tribe. The Genti are made up of eleven different tribes spread across Genticus. Mine was the first which then split making another tribe called the Second who then split and so on. Each tribe has a colour associated with it and one wears the colour of their tribe entwined in their braids. It¡¯s the same with various families. Each has a colour. We wear the colour of the family of our birth on our Kin braid.¡± Navihm gestured to his second braid which was wrapped with a blue ribbon.

    ¡°And the third braid?¡± the same girl asked.

    ¡°That is the Ib braid. It bears the colours of the family one gains when they are married.¡± Navihm¡¯s braid bore a gold ribbon.

    ¡°You¡¯re married?¡± exclaimed a boy in the front row. He was only slightly younger than Navihm and looked slightly sick at the idea of being married already.

    ¡°No, but I am, how do you say? Promised? Bound?¡±

    ¡°Engaged,¡± the Professor supplied.

    ¡°Yes, engaged. In my language I am amarra, that is, ¡®bound¡¯. When I return from my studies I will be heartbound; Ib¡¯amarra. My soul shall be linked forever to another.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful,¡± sighed one of the girls.

    ¡°If I were heartbound,¡± Navihm continued, ¡°the ribbon of my Ib braid would be wrapped around my braid, rather than entwined as it is now.¡±

    ¡°Why is your Kin braid wrapped?¡± the Professor prompted.

    ¡°That is because I am the head of my family, I am the oldest male. My mother, as the oldest female, has her kin braid wrapped as well. The Gen braid is also wrapped when one is the head of a tribe.¡±

    ¡°I suppose the beads mean something as well.¡± This comment was more than a little sarcastic and originated from Karl, sitting in the back corner. ¡°Let me guess, they can tell me what season you were born in and what you had for breakfast.¡± The beads Karl was referring to hung at the end of each of Navihm¡¯s braids.

    ¡°Thank you for bringing that up, Karl.¡± Navihm smiled cordially. ¡°You are correct in saying that they are significant. They are my Bo Accion. A virtuous action is required to earn a bead.¡±

    He picked up his Gen braid. ¡°This must be an act of loyalty. To truly be a part of one¡¯s tribe, you must be loyal to its people.¡±

    Picking up the bead hanging on the end of the kin braid and rolling it between his fingers, Navihm said thoughtfully, ¡°Family requires much selflessness, and so a great act of sacrifice earns this bead.

    ¡°Finally, the Ib bead is gained by bravery. For what greater act of courage is there than dedicating your life to another? A leader must have all three beads before they are able to rule.¡± Navihm continued to roll his beads between his fingers, lost in thought.

    ¡°It is the focus of all young people of the Tribes to gain their Bo Accion, a focus that often sends us travelling all over the country in search of adventure and people in need. Once all three are earned, one is given the title Enfeitar. Which translates literally to ¡®adorned¡¯. It is much like being a decorated soldier in the Lowlands.¡±

    Navihm let his braids fall back over his shoulder, all three beads clicked together softly. The cautious hand in the back rose again, this time even less confidently.

    ¡°How did you get your beads?¡±

    Navihm smiled gently.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we really need to discuss this,¡± Navihm hedged. He¡¯d never really felt worthy of his beads. Others had journeyed the whole country or dedicated years of their lives trying to earn them. Navihm had mostly gotten them by luck or simply reacting to the circumstances.

    ¡°Come on, please tell us.¡± This sentiment was echoed by students all around the room. Navihm was not swayed.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°It is not necessary for your studies and it is considered rude to brag about one¡¯s Bo Accion.¡±

    ¡°You would not be bragging,¡± said the Professor gently. ¡°You would be answering the questions of a curious student and enlightening them about your people.¡± His phrasing somehow suggested that by telling the students of his exploits, he would be honoring his people. Navihm recognised the gentle prodding and conceded to his teacher¡¯s harmless manipulation.

    ¡°Very well. My loyalty was tested when I was fourteen. I had just received my braids and was considered a man. Looking back now, I was anything but. I¡¯d had a falling out with my mother and decided to go up river to a close by tribe.¡± The falling out had been over his father. They¡¯d gotten word that he had resurfaced up river at the Tenth. Navihm wanted him found and punished for his crimes against his mother and he''d wanted to do it himself. Years of abandonment and resentment and conditioned Navihm towards hatred of his father.

    His mother wanted no such thing. She had long ago let go of her anger and she wanted Navihm to have nothing to with him, especially with his punishment. She knew that Navihm, in his anger, would be after revenge, rather than justice. Navihm hadn''t listened and went to find his father anyway.

    ¡°I stowed away on a ship which turned out to be owned by pirates,¡± Navihm continued. At the time, piracy had been a plague for traders travelling the North Sea. It was unusual to see them inland though so Navihm had thought himself safe. So too had the Genti merchants the pirates encountered.

    ¡°I heard the captain and his first mate discuss their plans for robbing a Genti ship and killing all witnesses and decided to take action. I cut every rope I could get close to, totally shredding most of the rigging. I ended up collapsing the boom and tearing through the sail. In any case, the ship was too incapacitated to attack. I was captured and held for several days before I was able to escape.¡±

    The pirates had taken their ire out on the boy, beating him often for almost a week before Navihm was able to take advantage of a sleeping guard and escape back home.

    He hadn''t disobeyed his mother since.

    ¡°To earn my second bead,¡± Navihm continued, ¡°I carried a message to the Ninth warning them that they would be overridden by invading Nomads. The Ninth is situated on the coast, far away from my home but without this warning, foreseen by our prophet, every man, woman and child would have been slaughtered that night. It was foreseen that if I made the journey, lives would be saved but it was unclear if I would survive it. I journeyed for two weeks to deliver the message and then helped with the evacuation.¡±

    ¡°And to earn the bead for bravery?¡±

    ¡°He probably rescued a cat from a tree!¡± Karl blustered. Navihm didn¡¯t react other than to clench his teeth and remain staring pointedly ahead, hands clasped behind him.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Navihm said easily.

    ¡°Well?¡± inquired another student tentatively. Navihm reluctantly relented.

    ¡°When I was a child,¡± he began softly, staring past everyone, ¡°two of the younger children were attacked in the woods. I had been sent to get them and take them back to the village and as the oldest, I was responsible for them. On my way to retrieve them I heard them screaming. The younger girl had run into the woods but when I got to where they were playing, Kaia was in a tree and there was an Aelurus trying to get to her. Aeluri are large cats that are native to the mountains and prey on other predators and large animals. They rarely migrate to the foothills where I am from but when they do the men of the village usually go out in large groups to hunt it. There wasn''t any time to get a group of men together, the cat was trying to climb the tree and would have killed Kaia.¡±

    The entire class was silent as Navihm told his story, each one of them riveted on the tale. The only sound was the occasional scoff originating from Karl. When Navihm hesitated to continue, a boy in the front row piped up.

    ¡°So did she get eaten?¡± he asked tactfully.

    The professor cleared his throat. ¡°Keep in mind that this isn''t just a story. Navihm knew this child, he probably grew up with her.¡±

    Navihm nodded.

    ¡°She was my best friend, her parents helped raise me and they had been the ones to ask me to retrieve her. She was my responsibility and she was about to die.¡± He closed his eyes briefly. ¡°She was only eight summers. I couldn¡¯t let her die.

    So I got the attention of the beast. It left Kaia in her tree and attacked me.¡± He moved the shoulder of his shirt to reveal an ugly, twisted scar covering his shoulder and parts of his upper arm and chest. ¡°I killed it.¡±

    The room was quiet.

    Karl broke the silence with his usual derision.

    ¡°If you ask me this whole thing is stupid. There aren¡¯t enough orphans in the path of stampeding horses or bear attacks or invading Nomads for everyone in the country to earn their beads.¡±

    ¡°You are quite right, Karl,¡± said Navihm to the surprise of the class. ¡°Not everyone is honored with the title Enfeitar, most only earn one or two beads in their lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Then how does every ruler get all three? There is no way every prince or princess earns them honestly. They probably just get given them for tieing their shoes or sharing their toys with the other children. Every child next in line to the throne would have their three beads handed to them by the time they are sixteen.¡±

    ¡°Actually, a ruler is not primarily decided by lineage in my country. It is actually quite rare that the son or daughter of a ruler inherits the throne. If there is no relative to a ruler with all three beads, the people vote amongst those who have earned their Bo Accion. These have even been chosen from other tribes in the past, though that has only happened once or twice.

    ¡°It is unlikely that will occur in the First. We anticipate the leader of our tribe to rule for many more seasons and our princess has already earned two of her beads. We are quite proud of her. If she earns her Bo Accion, it will be the first time in seven centuries that the same family will rule over three generations.¡±

    ¡°It is quite impressive that you have earned your Bo Accion, Navihm,¡± said the professor. ¡°I did not know that is was quite so difficult, or so rare. Tell me, how many others in the first are titled Enfeitar?¡±

    All eyes were on Navihm and it made him slightly uncomfortable so he  turned to face the older man who was still lounging at his desk.  ¡°Of the seven hundred people in my tribe, there are four women and eleven men including me.¡±

    ¡°And how old are they?¡±

    ¡°The youngest is twenty nine, but most are older.¡±

    ¡°And how old were you when you achieved your Bo Accion?¡±

    ¡°I was fourteen.¡±

    There was silence in the room as every student watched the byplay between student and teacher.

    ¡°Do you know who is the youngest Enfeitar in your history?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Navihm did not offer any other information.

    ¡°How old were they?¡± Navihm took a long breath.

    ¡°Fourteen.¡±

    Student and teacher locked eyes for a moment longer, the Professor nodding his head once in approval, then, breaking the moment he addressed the rest of the class.

    ¡°That is all for today, we shall continue this topic tomorrow.¡± The students all rose at once to file out of the room quickly, their excited chatter following them down the hall.

    Navihm went to exit but stopped at the door.

    ¡°With all due respect, Sir, I do not wish to continue teaching the class,¡± he said without turning around. ¡°My services are open to you if you wish to discuss or clarify anything to do with this topic but I think it would be best if you taught my fellow students.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

 Chapter Five

    Chapter Five:

    Navihm was making his way to the dining hall when he heard the shouting.

    ¡°Come back here. I¡¯m talking to you, foreign dog.¡± The voice was too far away to be addressing Navihm and there was only one other person that he knew of that could be called foreign.

    Eamonn.

    Navihm placed his writing books on a bench and went to investigate. As he followed the raised voices he checked to see if he still had his rings on. More than just decoration, his metal rings looked like a plain accessory, but the edge facing his palm sported a short spike, about the length of his thumbnail. Naivhm never went anywhere unarmed.

    He didn¡¯t have to go far before he came upon Eamonn being pressed up against a wall by Karl. A few of his friends were looking on. Eamonn wasn¡¯t in a great condition, sporting a cut above his rapidly swelling eye and nursing his arm painfully.

    ¡°Three on one?¡± Navihm rose an eyebrow. ¡°How very tough you are, Karl.¡±

    ¡°Shut it Navihm, or you will be next!¡± Karl pushed Eamonn harder up against the stable wall, getting a strangled grunt from him in response.

    ¡°We both know that you wouldn¡¯t dare try anything with me with only two dimwitted children to back you up.¡± Navihm narrowed his eyes.

    Karl still had his hands fisted in Eamonn¡¯s shirt and he was in no condition to fight back. Navihm figure he could goad the boy into leaving Eamonn and attacking him instead. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have to be worried about Eamonn getting hurt any more than he already was.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Navihm addressed Eamonn in the Nomadic tongue.

    ¡°Broken arm,¡± Eamonn responded, not as fluent and more halting in his pronunciation. ¡°Maybe broken ribs. Bruises. Can walk.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Karl jammed his forearm under Eamonn¡¯s chin, cracking his head against the stone wall in the process. He let out a pained groan.

    ¡°Now, now Karl. The grownups are talking. Shhh.¡± Navihm switched back to Nomadic ¡°Eamonn, when I tell you to, get clear. Don''t try to help, just get out of the way.¡± Eamonn nodded. Meanwhile, Karl was turning a brighter shade of red with every word he couldn¡¯t understand. He knew the two foreign dogs were talking about him and it was infuriating to be unable to understand.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± he demanded.

    ¡°We were just discussing the weather actually,¡± Navihm spoke in a deliberately condescending manner.

    Karl dropped Eamonn and took a threatening step towards Navihm. The two other tormentors took a cue from Karl and moved to surround Navihm. As soon as the boys moved, Eamonn picked himself up and ducked around the side of the building, giving Navihm a grateful nod as he went. He wasn''t worried, he knew that Navihm could take care of himself.

    ¡°Go back to you rooms boys, you don''t need to bother me.¡± Navihm was going to give them every opportunity to get out of a confrontation. He was not interested in revenge and now that Eamonn was safe, he didn''t see a reason to continue this pettiness. He turned to leave. One of the boys grabbed him by the arm.

    ¡°Running scared?¡± the boy said with a malicious grin.

    ¡°Let go of me, boy.¡± Navihm glared at him, refusing to be intimidated by his fellow student¡¯s foolishness. ¡°I¡¯ve faced much scarier men than you, Karl.¡± Navihm didn''t even bother to turn back around. ¡°You won''t frighten me with your tired tactics and childish attention seeking. I¡¯m bored with it, honestly. Just leave.¡±

    Karl didn¡¯t take Navihm¡¯s very good advice. Instead, he chose to rush the other boy, who still had his back turned. Navihm suspected Karl would react in such a way and countered with a swift elbow to his nose, probably breaking it. He then turned towards the boy still clutching his arm. Navihm grabbed the offending arm, taking care to sink the spike on the ring adorning his forefinger into the pressure point on his wrist. He cried out and immediately let go of Navihm¡¯s arm. Navihm didn''t let go, he just twisted his wrist behind his back and forced him to his knees, crying out in pain.

    The third boy rushed Navihm, fists raised. He battered the fist away with his free hand and sunk his ring spike into the fleshy bit between his shoulder and neck. The boy yelled in pain and dropped to his knees. He tore at Navihm¡¯s arm but was unable to rip it off him.

    Karl looked up from where he lay prone on the floor. He blinked away tears and saw that Navihm had subdued the two other boys.

    ¡°You broke my nose,¡± Karl said thickly through the blood running down the back of his throat.

    ¡°Yes, it does look like it. You will never be as handsome again.¡± Navihm couldn¡¯t bring himself to care all that much. Karl stood up and glared at him through the blood.

    ¡°You broke my nose!¡± He drew a knife from his belt and stepped towards him threateningly.

    ¡°Karl, I''ve sort of got my hands full here,¡± Navihm said looking meaningfully at the two boys he still held. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t attack a person incapable of defending himself would you?¡± Karl continued to advance, waving the knife. Navihm could clearly see that he had no idea what he was doing. He rolled his eyes. ¡°I guess you would.¡±

    He ducked the swipe aimed at his throat and kicked Karl solidly between the legs. Karl buckled and sank to his knees like the others. Navihm kicked Karl¡¯s wrist, knocking the knife away and, making sure to keep a firm grip on the other two bullies, he kneed the boy in the temple.

    The thump Karl made as he hit the ground unconscious was a satisfying one.

    ¡°Now boys,¡± Navihm addressed the two he still held prone with his rings. ¡°If I let you go are you going to leave me alone or are you going to end up like Karl?¡± The two shook their heads and pleaded to be released. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Navihm let them go and they scrambled off in the opposite direction to where Eamonn went.

    Navihm stepped over Karl and made his way over to where Eamonn had ducked around to the other side of the stable, absently wiping the blood off his rings with a handkerchief. Navihm found Eamonn a short way round the building, slumped against the wall.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Navihm asked, helping him to his feet.

    ¡°Been better.¡± Eamonn allowed him to sling his good arm around his shoulder and help him walk. Together, they made their way to the medical ward.

    They entered the building and Navihm called out to the small girl stacking the shelves with bottles.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a victim, Millie,¡± he called, almost cheerfully. ¡°Where should I put him?¡± Millie jumped, much like she had that first day and promptly dropped the bottle she held.

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± she said miserably, looking at the mess she made. ¡°Oh dear!¡± She had just noticed the state of the two boys. ¡°What happened?¡± She bustled them over to the nearest bed where Navihm gently unloaded a groaning Eamonn.

    ¡°I think the word you are looking for is patient Navihm,¡± Eamonn said through a groan. "Not victim."

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard about Lowlander healing, I think victim is definitely the right word.¡± Eamonn chuckled and winced. Navihm was busy inspecting the bottles on the shelves, interested to see how Lowlander healing worked. Millie was fluttering about Eamonn, inspecting his arm and placing extra pillows at his back.

    ¡°Dr. Adelaide,¡± Millie called. ¡°We have a patient.¡± The thin woman Navihm saw on his first visit came out of a back room, tieing on a white apron as she went. She didn''t look surprised at Eamonn¡¯s appearance.

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    ¡°More than one actually,¡± said Eamonn from his place on the bed. ¡°Navihm left the guy who did this to me in a heap behind the stable.¡±

    ¡°Millicent,¡± said the woman, ¡°make yourself useful and go fetch this other boy.¡± Millie nodded and fled the room. Navihm wondered how she would get the boy back to the medical ward but she was gone before he could ask.

    Dr Adelaide was poking and prodding at Eamonn¡¯s ribs. He winced. She only poked harder and began rotating the shoulder of his good arm.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Navihm. He was interested in her healing methods.

    ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if his ribs are broken,¡± she said dismissively.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Navihm placed a finger on Eamonn¡¯s hurt side and let a tendril of his magic trickle into him.

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly just bruising¡± he reported. ¡°There¡¯s a small crack on this rib here.¡± He placed one finger at the bottom end of his left rib cage. Dr. Adelaide blinked at Navihm in confusion.

    ¡°I have some healing talent. It''s a part of my spirit magic,¡± Navihm explained, waving vaguely at himself as if to make her aware of his foreignness.

    ¡°You can heal him?¡± she asked. Navihm was about to reply when he was interrupted by a flying man.

    It was Karl.

    Millie had him levitated in front of her in an incredible display of air magic. She placed him on the bed opposite to where Eamonn lay. A teacher Navihm recognised as Professor Blaise hastened in after the small girl. Professor Blaise was Navihm¡¯s trainer for his ¡®Practical use of Elemental Magic¡¯ class.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°There was an incident behind the stables, Professor,¡± Navihm explained. ¡°Karl and a few of his friends were attacking Eamonn and I put a stop to it. I¡¯m not sure of the names of the other two, but they shouldn''t be too hard to find. They will be the ones bleeding.¡±

    ¡°Attacking?¡± Professor Blaise was confused. ¡°Why would they attack another student?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that is something you should ask the students when I am finished with them here Professor,¡± cut in Dr. Adelaide. She turned to Navihm. ¡°On their own, these bones will take weeks to heal. It is my understanding that your people can heal them almost instantaneously.¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m not having fun here,¡± added in Eamonn, ¡°but ¡®instantaneously¡¯ sounds pretty good right now.¡±

    ¡°I know the theory,¡± said Navihm. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid it only works for me about half the time. Strange things tend to happen when I try to use my mind magics.¡±

    ¡°Professor Blaise could help you, though,¡± piped up Millie. Eamonn was quick to agree, smiling at the girl. She turned a brilliant red under his attention. Navihm sighed and eventually nodded.

    ¡°I would stand back if I were you.¡± Everyone took an immediate step away from Eamonn and Navihm. Navihm closed his eyes and placed one hand on his injured friend. He once again sent a trickle of magic into him. He could feel that Professor Blaise was closely monitoring his progress. When his magic reached the source of the break in Eamonn¡¯s arm, Navihm directed it to knit the bone back together. Nothing happened at first so Navihm increased the amount of power.

    There was a huge crash as the pot that held a small fern near the head of Eamonn¡¯s bed shattered. Millie let out a strangled shriek. The fern was rapidly swelling and digging its roots into the mortar and floor. Before long, the fern had tripled in size and dirt covered half the hospital floor, mixing in with the noxious liquid oozing from the bottle Millie had dropped earlier.

    ¡°Well that was interesting,¡± said Professor Blaise mildly. Eamonn let out a startled laugh, not taking his eyes away from the mutant plant.

    ¡°I think I know why you are having so much trouble Navihm,¡± she continued. This got everyone¡¯s attention. The entire school knew of Navihm¡¯s odd powers and his inability to control them.

    ¡°Navihm, when you direct your magic for a healing, are you drawing directly from the well of power or are you just skimming it from the overflow that runs through the rest of your body?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I usually just draw it out from whatever hand I¡¯m using to make contact with the patient.¡± Navihm wasn''t quite sure where the professor was going with this line of questioning.

    ¡°And when you are using other magics? Like your elemental magic and other mind magics. Where are you drawing it from.¡±

    ¡°I usually just pick a thread of it as it runs through my hands. That¡¯s the most natural, even though my other magics don''t need physical contact.¡±

    Something else occurred to the Professor. ¡°Does your spiritual magic have a similar well of power as your elemental?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Navihm. ¡°It resides in the mind, which is why it is often called mind magics.¡±

    ¡°And after your two magics flow from their wells, they mix and flow through your body together.¡±

    Navihm nodded. ¡°They are quite sticky and tend to mingle together.¡±

    ¡°What if when you are drawing on your magic to heal, you are sometimes drawing on your elemental magic and vice versa?¡±

    Navihm blinked. ¡°It can''t be that simple.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Professor Blaise shrugged. ¡°The practical application of this theory won''t be quite so simple. You will need to draw directly from your wells of power. It is an advance technique. Most people don''t even try it until their third or fourth year of study.¡±

    She moved to stand next to Eamonn so she could be in Navihm¡¯s line of sight.

    ¡°Try it again,¡± she said. ¡°Concentrate on channeling the flow through your body without it mixing with your other magic and then channel it into Eamonn.¡±

    ¡°I am no longer so eager to test this,¡± said Eamonn. ¡°What can a few weeks in a sling hurt?¡± He clutched at his arm protectively.

    ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± said Navihm, eager to try the new technique. Eamonn looked meaningfully at the huge plant that had now started to grow apples.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Navihm pulled out the trump card. Eamonn sighed and held out his arm.

    Navihm placed one finger on his arm and, concentrating on channeling his power directly from his mind, he went through the process again. Less than a minute later Eamonn was waving his arm around in amazement and wiggling his fingers in everyone''s faces, eager to show off his newly perfect limb. Navihm battered his arm away but Millie indulged him, inspecting his arm seriously.

    Navihm quickly healed Eamonn¡¯s ribs and the rest of his various cuts and bruises and then turned to help Karl.

    ¡°Navihm,¡± said Professor Blaise, ¡°When you¡¯re finished, I expect to have a long conversation with you about what happened behind that stable.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Navihm nodded seriously and then went to work.

 Chapter Six Part One

    Chapter Six:

    Navihm had no classes the next day. The students got one day in every seven with no scheduled classes where they were able to catch up on class work and practice what magical skills they had learned during the week. Most students treated it as a bit of a holiday and usually spent the day in town or picnicking with friends. Navihm always took the opportunity to exercise Equus. It was his practice to take him on a long ride through the countryside to an out of the way place and spend the day studying in the sunshine and exercising without an audience. The days he had classes he was only able to take him out on short rides and the only exercise Navihm got was a morning run before breakfast. If he wanted to keep his combat skills sharp, he needed to practice his drills, which he took the opportunity to do on his days off. Every so often he was able to spar with the guards. It was a good opportunity to learn the Lowlanders¡¯ way of fighting.

    Today Eamonn was going with him on his weekly trip. They had an early breakfast which the school¡¯s cooks were kind enough to provide outside of the normal meal time and packed up the horses with a small picnic and Navihm¡¯s weapons. Navihm particularly enjoyed these days off because he was able to dress in clothes from his homeland, rather than the stuffy uniform he was required to wear the rest of the week. He wore his loose pants that knotted at the ankles and waist. The top of the pants folded over the knotted belt and hung to just above his knee. Eamonn liked to tease him about wearing a skirt. Naivhm took this teasing good naturedly now as he buckled his sword sheath across his shoulders and chest, over his loose shirt.

    They had lead Equus and Eamonn¡¯s borrowed horse out of the stables and were just about to mount up when Professor Blaise caught up with them. Navihm had met with her after the incident and she had neglected to pursue any punishment for his hurting other students. Perhaps she still had more questions.

    ¡°Navihm,¡± she called, and they turned to greet her. ¡°I know this is your day off, Navihm but I was wondering if you would consider spending some of your day practicing what we discovered at the hospice yesterday. I would love to have an opportunity to work one on one with you.¡±

    ¡°That would be fantastic, Professor.¡± Navihm had been trying to repeat yesterday''s success without much luck. It would be a great help to have someone of Professor Blaise¡¯s expertise to help. Navihm had asked Eamonn about the teacher after the incident and learned that she was the youngest teacher the school had ever hired. She had been at the school for almost thirty years and was one of the most skilled users of magic.

    ¡°Perhaps two hours after the midday meal?¡± Professor Blaise suggested. ¡°I wouldn''t want to cut your ride short.¡±

    ¡°I will meet you at your office, Professor.¡± Navihm nodded a short bow.

    ¡°Very good, enjoy your ride.¡±

    The boys mounted and left the school. The guards at the gate waved them through, familiar with Navihm¡¯s routine.

    ¡°Private lessons hey?¡± Eamonn teased. ¡°Aren¡¯t you special.¡± Navihm ignored him and waved a thanks to the guards who hoisted the gate up for them. He nudged Equus into a gallop, leaving Eamonn¡¯s laughter echoing behind him.

    ¡°My name is, not ¡®my name am,¡¯¡± corrected Navihm in Nomadic. Eamonn was slouched up against a tree working on some language exercises Navihm had set him. Eamonn could understand a lot more Nomadic than he could speak but he was making progress. Navihm made a point to always speak to the other boy in Nomadic when they were alone and expected the same practice from Eamonn. It was the best way for Eamonn to learn.

    ¡°My name is Eamonn. What are yours?¡±

    Navihm corrected him again gently, not even pausing in his weapons practice. They had stopped in a clearing by a small creek for their picnic. Navihm was drilling with his daggers today. About the length of his forearm, his daggers were unique and required a lot of skill to wield correctly.  It appeared much like a standard dagger except for an handle protruding at a right angle at the base of the blade. This formed an L shape at the hilt for both the daggers.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.The short, sideways handle allowed the wielder to grip it and spin the dagger in a series of bewildering twirls. While the more traditional straight handle was used for stabbing and thrusting. There was also a short blade, around the length of a finger, attached to the bottom of the hilt to make the spinning weapon even more deadly.

    Navihm practiced spinning the blunted blades, twisting them in front of his body and over his head. Stopping occasionally to grip the longer length of hilt and stab at an imaginary opponent or cross both daggers above his head as he would to block a downward sword strike.

    The first few times Eamonn watched Navihm practice with his daggers, he was completely enraptured by the foreign fighting style.  By now he was used to Navihm¡¯s drills and took their outings as an opportunity to practice his Nomad.

    Navihm had removed his shirt and shoes. It was a warm day by Lowland standards and Navihm had been practicing his weapon drills in the sun for hours. He stopped for a break for lunch when the heat became too much and joined Eamonn in the shade.

    ¡°How is the weather¡­ weather ¡­¡± Eamonn was staring hard at the papers in front of him. ¡°Weather, weather?¡±

    ¡°Weather,¡± said Navihm, taking a huge gulp from his canteen and pouring the rest of the water on his face. He had left the canteen in the shade by Eamonn so the water was cool and felt pleasant trickling down his back and drying on his overheated skin.

    ¡°How do you learn this so easily?¡± Eamonn asked as he abandoned his study for the soft bread rolls Navihm had pulled out of one of the packs. ¡°You picked up Ianterran quicker than anyone i''ve ever met. It¡¯s not fair.¡± Eamonn absently flicked over to the pages Navihm had added a few weeks ago to the makeshift book on his lap. Lines and lines of Ianterran script filled the pages in Navihm¡¯s neat, sloping handwriting.

    ¡°It is something I am good at,¡± Navihm explained. ¡°I traveled a lot and I love to learn, my mother made sure of that. The burden of being the son of a teacher is an insatiable hunger for knowledge. Some of that knowledge comes from people who speak a different tongue, so I learned their languages.¡±

    ¡°When did you learn to speak Nomad?¡±

    ¡°When I was sixteen, I lived with the Nomads for a season. There has been conflicts between the Nomads and the Tribes every so often for the last few centuries. I thought if I knew more about them, I would understand that conflict better.¡±

    ¡°And did you understand?¡±

    ¡°Too many questions,¡± Navihm said with a smile. ¡°Not enough practice.¡± He scattered his half eaten roll amongst the trees for the birds and picked up his daggers.

    ¡°What is the time?¡± Navihm asked in Nomadic.

    ¡°It is midday,¡± Eamonn replied after a brief pause and a glance at Navihm¡¯s notes.

    ¡°Two hours until my meeting. That means one more hour for practice.¡± Eamonn groaned but dutifully returned to his practice. Navihm launched himself into the cool water of the creek, the water rising to just below his knee, and began his drills again. The soft river bed and water made for treacherous footing and good practice. Navihm threw himself into his practice, splashing water around enthusiastically.

    ¡°My name is Eamonn. What is yours?¡±

 Chapter Six Part Two

    A while later, the boys arrived back at the school. Navihm waved up at the guards manning the gates and they called down a greeting cheerfully.

    ¡°Are we still on for that rematch tonight, Navihm?¡± called one of the guards.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± he called back. ¡°I have a feeling this is going to be your night to win, Hue.¡±

    ¡°You said that last time!¡± They passed under the gate and dismounted, walking their horses the rest of the way to the stables.

    ¡°Did you enjoy your ride, Equus?¡± The only opportunity Navihm had to speak his mother tongue was with his mount.

    He enjoyed these small moments where he could almost imagine being back in his beloved foothills. Eamonn continued towards the stables but Navihm paused a brief moment, stroking his horse¡¯s nose and murmuring to him in Genti.

    A horrified gasp pulled him out of his reminiscing. A small blonde stood by the path, with hand held up to her mouth and her hair curling delicately around her heart shaped face. She was dressed neatly in expensive looking clothing and held a small parasol to keep the sun off her face. The sight of Navihm captured her attention and left her slightly stunned. Navihm glanced down at himself, he had neglected to put his shoes back on so he stood barefoot with his pants still damp to the knee. He supposed that, along with his unbound hair and rumpled clothing, did make him look rather disheveled.

    ¡°Good morning, Rose,¡± called Eamonn to the girl as he walked out of the stables. She ignored him.

    ¡°Put some clothes on you savage!¡± she said to Navihm and stormed off down the path. Navihm exchanged a bewildered look with Eamonn over his horse¡¯s neck and they both burst into helpless laughter.

    ¡°Go get cleaned up for your meeting Navihm,¡± said Eamonn, smothering the last of his laughter. ¡°I¡¯ll stable Equus for you.¡± He took the reins off Navihm and waved him towards their rooms.

    Navihm was concentrating on holding the water against the ceiling above Professor Blaise¡¯s head. It was dripping steadily out of a pipe and the Professor had told him to block the flow. She sat calmly, swatting away any of the drips that made it through. She and Navihm had spent the afternoon channeling his elemental magic into various tasks. Navihm had created fissures in the earth and gusts of wind. Professor Blaise wanted Navihm to become proficient in channeling his power accurately. They¡¯d only had a few slip ups where Navihm had siphoned the wrong kind of magic. The broken chair in the corner and uncomfortable silence between student and teacher could attest to that. Navihm had accidentally seen much more about his teacher¡¯s past and heard more of her thoughts than he ever wanted to. He¡¯d not even been aware that his spiritual gifts were capable of such things. His mother would be happy that he displayed some proficiency in the sight.

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    Navihm frowned. He could feel the water slipping out of his grasp. He shored up his blockage but the water continued to drip through. Navihm finally lost his grip and the water cascaded down from the roof right onto Professor Blaise. Navihm panted and tried to catch his breath. He had a tendency to hold his breath when he focused on using his elemental magic. His sweat-drenched body was almost a damp at Professor Blaise¡¯s.

    ¡°Not good enough Navihm,¡± she said. She waved a hand over herself, causing the water soaked into her clothes to pool on the ground. Navihm frowned, he hated not being good at something.

    Professor Blaise wouldn¡¯t mention it, but she rarely saw students so proficient at elemental magic so early on.

    Students two or three years into their studies still struggled to draw their magic directly from their well of power but Navihm had all but mastered it in one afternoon. She suspected that it was because of his dedication to learning and his experience with using spirit magic that his proficiency came so quickly. Knowing that Navihm would rather be pushed than praised, she neglected to mention this to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s slippery,¡± he said by way of explanation.

    ¡°Your magic is well suited to the manipulation of rock and earth. It is not uncommon for people gifted like this to struggle with the fluidity of water.¡±

    Navihm had noticed this too. His elemental magic had felt strong and tangible when he channeled it into the ground and he could instinctively make it do what he wanted. It was not so with water. It slipped around his control and required a lot more concentration to manipulate.

    ¡°Again,¡± said Navihm and took a stance.

    ¡°Navihm, you must be tired. Perhaps we should try again next week?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Navihm was a little tired from his practice as well as the drilling he¡¯d done earlier in the day but if he wanted to master his magic and return home as soon as possible, he would have to push himself. ¡°We still have a little time before the evening meal. I would like to try a few more times.¡±

    He would have no time to practice for the rest of the day. He promised the guards that he would spar would them that night as well as finishing his normal school work.

    ¡°Very well,¡± said the Professor, taking her seat. ¡°Again.¡±

 Chapter Seven Part One

    Chapter Seven:

    There was a knock on Professor Benedict¡¯s door, he wasn''t expecting guests but he called them in anyway. It was one of his students.

    ¡°Ah, Christopher. What can I do for you today?¡± he said.

    ¡°Dean Ambrose sent me. There¡¯s been a council meeting called.¡±

    ¡°How unusual. When has it been called for?¡±

    ¡°Um, now, Sir.¡± Professor Benedict¡¯s eyebrows rose. It must be an urgent matter, the council usually only met one day a month.

    ¡°Well then, I guess I better be on my way,¡± he said calmly. There was no need to alarm the students if there was some sort of emergency. ¡°Thank you Chris.¡±

    Most of the council was already seated when Professor Benedict arrived. As he took his seat he noticed another person in the room; a foreign woman with dark skin and the hair on the left side of her head braided. The rest of her hair hung in thick, glossy waves to her waist where a short dagger hung. She had a crescent shaped line tattooed across her chin, a mirror to the curve of her lower lip, with a single dot underneath it. In addition to the dagger, twin swords were strapped to her back. It was unusual for a woman to carry such weapons in the Lowlands, perhaps that isn''t the case for Northerners, thought Professor Benedict.

    The swords themselves were very different to what you would find in the South. Benedict could see that the handles had a crescent shaped guard protruding from the side under which, the fingers would sit. Presumably they were used to protect the hands from anyone chopping at the side of the weapon. The pommel was also tipped with a short, broad blade.

    When the entire council had arrived and taken their seats, Professor Manford stood to address them.

    ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen. I''m sure you are wondering why I called this meeting on your day off. May I introduce Enfeitar Naeva of the Fifth. She has a message that I think we should all hear.¡± All eyes turned towards the woman standing against the wall of the room. She nodded to Professor Manford when he gestured for her to address the assembled council and moved to stand at one end of the long table they were seated at.

    ¡°Gentleman,¡± she addressed them in the common tongue. ¡°I come bearing a message from my Prophet and ruler Rei Nael. He has sent people of my tribe across the continent bearing the same message. I myself have travelled to three cities to give them this message and now I come to you. War comes to our shores and it threatens both the Lowlanders and the Northern Tribes.¡±

    Commotion broke out amongst the seven council members. Some took this message as a declaration of war from the Genti, others wanted to know how Rei Nael knew of an upcoming war, what information did he have to prompt this warning?

    As the councilman that called the meeting it fell to Professor Manford to preside over the meeting and so it was him who called for order.

    ¡°Enough,¡± he commanded. ¡°You should know better than to conduct this way, in front of a guest no less! I¡¯m sure Enfeitar Naeva will address your concerns if you let her finish.¡± Naeva nodded her thanks and turned her amber eyes on the rest of the council, making eye contact with each of them in turn.

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    ¡°This war does not come from the Tribes, but from across the North Seas, from Somal. It has been foretold that if these savages breach the Genti coast, the entire continent will fall.¡±

    ¡°I hardly think the entire continent is at risk, even if this wild claim is true.¡±  This came from Professor Calloway, the school¡¯s treasurer. He tended to be mistrustful of strangers and things he was not familiar with, but he held a lot of sway with many of the other council members. ¡°The Somali have not ventured south for generations. Besides, unlike the North, Ianterra is well protected. ¡± The council murmured in agreement. Everyone was aware of the Tribes¡¯ lack of armies. The Lowland city-states, however, each had permanent armies protecting them from any overly ambitious neighbouring Lowland countries.

    ¡°The coast is the continent¡¯s best line of defence,¡± Naeva said, assured of her own position. She had faced these same objections in the last three Lowland cities she¡¯d traveled to. ¡°If the invaders take that, we will not be able to stop them overrunning the rest of Genticus, and if the north falls, so will the Lowlands.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know of this invasion?¡± Professor Calloway changed tact abruptly. ¡°Is your information reliable?¡±

    ¡°Every person in the entire North with the gift of sight has seen a disaster approaching. The Prophet of the Fifth was skilled enough to deduce the threat was coming from Somal, over the North sea. This has been confirmed by our most talented seers. Even Prophet Healani of the First, the greatest seer of our generation, warns of the threat approaching. It was she who saw the importance of defending our coast.¡±

    Professor Calloway interjected again, ¡°Prophesy? We are supposed to believe that the greatest threat of the decade is approaching because a couple of mad women read it in the stars?¡± Naeva clenched her jaw, her left hand falling to the hilt of the dagger.

    ¡°Oh please, Calloway,¡± interjected Professor Benedict. ¡°Just because you don''t understand something doesn¡¯t mean it has no basis in fact. Everybody here knows that the Northerners have certain gifts. The Northern boy, Navihm has displayed them himself. Is it really so far fetched to think that foresight is in the realm of possibility?¡±

    ¡°We should not put stock in a fairy tale. Where is the proof!¡±

    ¡°With all due respect,¡± interjected Naeva, ¡°I am here to warn you of the danger, not to convince you of it. If you have no further questions¡­¡± She spread out her hands to the assembled men.

    ¡°Wait,¡± interrupted Professor Calloway. ¡°What reason do you have for issuing this warning? Why should we trust you?¡±

    ¡°This affects the Lowlands as well as the Tribes. It is my duty to warn you and costs me nothing I am not willing to give. It is also the belief of my Prophet, Rei Nael that we are stronger together, a belief I share. He has foreseen that it is only through forces that had not been united before working together that we are able to fight off these invaders. I am offering to you an alliance forged for our mutual benefit, out of respect for your country.¡±

    ¡°I have a hard time believing that you are doing this out of ¡®respect¡¯ or for our ¡®mutual benefit¡¯ or whatever other bull-¡± Whatever Professor Calloway was going to say was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Navihm.

 Chapter Seven Part Two

    ¡°I have a hard time believing that you are doing this out of ¡®respect¡¯ or for our ¡®mutual benefit¡¯ or whatever other bull-¡± Whatever Professor Calloway was going to say was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Navihm.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt but I have an urgent message for the council,¡± he said. He was clutching a piece of paper in his hand. ¡°I have received a distressing message from the Prophet of the First.¡± It was only then that Navihm seemed to notice Naeva standing at the end of the table.

    ¡°Well I guess that answers any questions we may have had about the legitimacy of Naeva¡¯s claim,¡± said Professor Ward, speaking up for the first time. ¡°It seems that it is true that all the Tribes are concerned.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but is her claim accurate?¡± Professor Calloway turned to Navihm and snapped his fingers. ¡°Show me the letter boy.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Sir, but I am afraid you won''t understand it. It is in Genti.¡± Navihm offered him the letter which was filled with the flowing script of the Tribes.

    ¡°Would you tell the council what is in the letter Navihm,¡± said Ward. ¡°I expect that we already know, but confirmation is always helpful.¡±

    ¡°The North is being invaded,¡± he answered gravely. ¡°The entire continent is in danger.¡±

    Pandemonium erupted. Every teacher on the council had something to add to the conversation, and every one of them seemed to believe that his contribution was more valuable than anyone else¡¯s. The result was a room of men shouting over each other and achieving exactly nothing.

    Navihm was interested in the newcomer in the room. While the council argued he approached the Genti woman and made the traditional greetings in Genti.

    ¡°Your name is Naeva?¡± he asked, having overheard Professor Ward using her name.

    ¡°I am Enfeitar Naeva of the Fifth.¡± She bowed her head, a greeting that befit a fellow Enfeitar. Navihm returned the gesture.

    ¡°Enfeitar Navihm of the First,¡± he introduced himself.

    ¡°You are Navihm, son of the Prophet Healani and Amarra to Regina Kaia?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°My family owes you a great debt.¡± Naeva sank to one knee, placing her fist on the ground and bowing her head. The gesture drew the attention of the council who had now grown quiet.

    ¡°My sister and her family have lived in the Ninth these past 20 years. You saved their lives,¡± Naeva explained. She was referring to the deed that earned Navihm his ib bead. ¡°You got them out of the village before it was attacked by Nomads more than ten years ago. You warned them and then you got them out. My family can never repay you.¡±

    ¡°You honour me, Enfeitar Naeva,¡± said Navihm, bowing from the waist. ¡°I performed only my duty to the country, just as you have in earning your Bo Accion. Your debt is not necessary.¡± He took Naeva¡¯s hand, helping her to her feet. ¡°Here, I am just a student. I beg that you treat me as such.¡± Naeva smiled and agreed. Navihm felt bowing and scraping was not necessary, they were equals.

    ¡°What are we to do about this supposed invasion?¡± asked Professor Calloway to no one in particular. He had grown bored of the interaction between the two foreigners and felt that they needed to get back to business.

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    ¡°We should send a group of teachers and some of our top students to help,¡± suggested Professor Benedict. ¡°We can spare a company or two of guards to escort them and assist the Northern armies.¡± This suggestion was met with objection from many of the other teachers.

    ¡°I propose that we send a small group to investigate the truth of this claim,¡± suggested one of the other Professors that had been siding with Professor Calloway.

    ¡°I agree,¡± chimed in Professor Calloway. ¡°We can¡¯t be expected to send any sizable force off on a wild goose chase without any substantial proof. Send an intelligence force if you must, but don''t weaken our school¡¯s defences by sending a large group of trained mages and guards after what could be nothing.¡±

    ¡°What happens if it isn''t nothing?¡± asked Professor Ward. ¡°Will this group have time to send word for help?¡±

    ¡°If I may Professors,¡± said Navihm. ¡°The Tribes have alternative methods of communication, much faster than what is used in the Lowlands. Our empathy means that we are able to send letters via birds and other swift creatures. A message that would otherwise take weeks to send can be delivered in a matter of days.¡±

    Professor Manford spoke up. ¡°Does anyone have any other objections to this plan?¡± No one did. ¡°Well then, I suppose it is decided. Professor Ward, I suppose you are the best suited to leading this party.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly¡­ I, um-¡± Professor Ward stuttered. ¡°I couldn''t leave my classes and I don''t think I would really be an appropriate choice. I-¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Professor Manford cut him off. ¡°Your expertise on the country make you the obvious choice.¡±

    ¡°But I have never travelled so far out of the Lowlands before!¡± he protested, going a bit pale. Ward had never left Ianterra, truth be told. ¡°I don''t even speak the language.¡±

    ¡°That is easily solved.¡± Professor Manford turned to Navihm. ¡°Navihm, would you accompany the group to your home country and work as a translator and guide?¡± Navihm had been planning on travelling home to help in the upcoming disaster anyway so he readily agreed.

    ¡°Professor Manford,¡± interjected Dean Ambrose. ¡°May I suggest that we send another advance student to assist Professor Ward. I would be happy to choose the most suitable as well as organise a small group of guards to escort the group.¡±

    ¡°Excellent suggestion Ambrose,¡± said Professor Manford. ¡°I will leave it to you to sort out the details. Does anyone else have anything to add?¡± No one did, so he concluded the meeting and dismissed them.

    Navihm caught Naeva¡¯s attention before she left the room.

    ¡°Enfeitar Naeva,¡± he said. ¡°May I invite you to join me for a meal tonight? I have found that I have missed the company of people from my homeland.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Enfeitar,¡± she answered, bowing her head. ¡°I would be honoured.¡± Navihm lead her towards the kitchens. He knew that the evening meal was over but the cook allowed him free use of the kitchens whenever he wanted in exchange for a supply of rich Northern coffee. It was an uncommon item of trade between the nations but the cook was quite partial to it. Navihm was happy to share his personal supply he¡¯d had sent from home with her.

 Chapter Eight Part One

    Chapter Eight:

    Navihm placed the pot of coffee he just brewed on the table between himself and Naeva. One of the cook¡¯s kitchen hands, Amelia, was in the kitchen when they had arrived and insisted on putting together a meal for them. She was banging around the kitchen now, humming a sweet little tune and shooting Navihm a smile every once in awhile.

    ¡°I think you have an admirer,¡± said Naeva, noticing a coy glance aimed Navihm¡¯s way.

    ¡°I found her cat last week,¡± Navihm explained. He¡¯d come into the kitchen one morning to find her crying desperately and being consoled by the cook. Of course he set out to rectify the problem. He hated to see girls cry. ¡°One of the benefits of my spirit magic. She was very grateful.¡± He enjoyed speaking his mother tongue, it had been a long time since he conversed in it.

    Naeva took the pot and poured the coffee into two small cups.

    ¡°I was quite surprised to learn that a Genti was at a school for Lowland magics.¡±

    ¡°I have both spirit and elemental magics,¡± explained Navihm.

    ¡°That is quite unusual.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve not heard of another like me. It is the reason I have started my education so late. Most other students are almost finished their schooling at my age.¡± Amelia chose that moment to place two plates piled high with fried meats and vegetables from the school¡¯s gardens.

    ¡°Did you need anything else?¡± she asked, not looking away from Navihm.

    ¡°You have already done plenty,¡± he replied graciously. ¡°Thank you, Amelia.¡± She blushed prettily and left, shooting one last smile over her shoulder at Navihm.

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    ¡°How are things in Genticus?¡± Navihm asked as soon as she left.

    ¡°Everyone was preparing for war when I left,¡± said Naeva. ¡°I fear the invasion is going to start at the Ninth.¡± It made the most sense attacking the Ninth, it being the closest tribe to Somal. ¡°It is the least defensible place on the coast. The cliffs make it difficult to mount a full scale invasion anywhere else along the North sea.¡±

    ¡°The Ninth is a fishing village. They wouldn''t have much in the way of soldiers,¡± noted Navihm.

    ¡°Even if they did, Mare Aspera Bay will be difficult to defend.¡± The situation was a bleak one. It would take a significant fighting force weeks to organise themselves and travel to the Ninth, even if they could be sure that was where the attack was coming from. Navihm knew that it would take the school¡¯s small group over three weeks to travel across the desert to investigate the situation. By the time they arrive, it may be too late to send for troops, even from another tribe.

    ¡°Perhaps we can persuade the Nomads to help us,¡± Navihm suggested. ¡°They are closer to the Ninth than any of the other tribes. This war will affect them too.¡±

    ¡°You know as well as I do that even speaking with the Sachem will be impossible. The Fifth has sent emissaries to Sachem Ahmet to warn him of the danger, most never even made it into their camp. The unrest between the Nomads and the Tribes means an alliance is impossible.¡±

    Naeva was convinced there couldn¡¯t be any civil interaction between the two peoples. Navihm remained hopeful.

 Chapter Eight Part Two

    Navihm met the group traveling to his homeland early the next morning. The soldiers were already assembled at the gate, used to getting up before dawn, but the professor and the other student accompanying the group were nowhere to be seen. It was another half hour before they arrived. Navihm spent the time talking with the guards and preparing the horses. Hue and a few of the other guards Navihm had sparred with had volunteered to go on the mission. Navihm had finished saddling a horse for Professor Ward and his assistant when they arrived.

    ¡°Good morning, Navihm,¡± the professor said.

    ¡°Morning is almost over,¡± muttered one of the guards. Navihm shot a disapproving look over his shoulder but he couldn''t be sure of who had spoken.

    ¡°Good morning, Professor,¡± greeted Navihm. ¡°Are you ready to be off? Your horses are ready.¡± Professor Ward nodded in thanks. He gestured to the student standing slightly behind him.

    ¡°This is my assistant,¡± before he could finish, he was interrupted.

    ¡°Ducherina Elspeth Rosaline Leilani the Second,¡± the student introduced herself with a prim little curtsy.

    ¡°This is Rose,¡± the Professor said dryly.

    Navihm was taken aback. A woman on a trip such as this? Professor Ward seemed to read his thoughts.

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    ¡°Rose is a very capable student in her final year of study,¡± he said. ¡°She is perfectly able to defend herself.¡±

    Navihm nodded, it wasn''t as if she was going to be in the thick of battle and her magic would serve her well enough. Navihm was more concerned with her being able to withstand the rigors of being on the road for weeks on end. He recognised her from their meeting at the stables. She had been dressed impeccably then, taking care with her appearance and looking down on him when he did not. That attitude wouldn¡¯t do well with the sort of traveling they were about to embark on. Even now her hair was perfectly coiffed and her riding skirts were neatly pressed. Navihm feared that she would be a distraction or hindrance.

    Still, he endeavored to withhold such judgments. It was not his place to decide who was to travel with them.

    Though they left almost an hour after they planned, the group made good time. Both Professor Ward and Rose showed experience in horsemanship and kept up with the experienced travelers.

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    The last bit of this chapter will be up tonight. I have also updated the description to include an excerpt of chapter 18 for all those who can''t wait to meet Navihm''s betrothed.

 Chapter Eight Part Three

    Navihm had been collecting branches about the length of his forearm for most of the day. Rose could see no rhyme or reason to it. Every so often he would dismount, choose a stick and lash it to the back of his saddle. This continued until he had collected around two dozen branches, most still with leaves attached. Perhaps they were for firewood, the Professor thought when he noticed the stack attached to Navihm¡¯s packs.

    The group set up camp for the night in the dying sunlight and gathered around the fire. One of the men were preparing a stew for their evening meal using some of the fresh meat they took with them. Rose was munching on a bread roll. They had to eat all their perishables in the first few days of travel. After that, they it would have to hunt for their food or break into their supply of salted meat and other longer lasting food. Rose eyed Navihm over the fire. He was engaged in stripping some branches of leaves and discarding what he broke off in the fire and depositing what remained in a growing pile of thin, straight sticks. When all the branches were stripped, he rifled through the pile, picking two or three up at random and adding them to the flames.

    Rose had observed that the savage was odd before, his current actions reinforced that observation. Rose was further convinced of his strangeness when he attached a strip of red fabric to each stick. Navihm finally addressed the group about his odd behaviour.

    ¡°I''m going to set up a ward around the camp so we can be warned about any intruders,¡± he said, brandishing one of the makeshift flags he¡¯d made. ¡°For it to work it will need to be able to recognise each of you. Otherwise the ward will go off every time someone needs to collect firewood or goes for a walk. With your permission, I would like to get a quick imprint of your spirit.¡±

    ¡°As long as it doesn''t require some sort of blood sacrifice for your weird voodoo magic to work, I¡¯m in,¡± said Hue, throwing his arms wide as if to offer himself as sacrifice. Navihm smiled at him and placed this thumb on his forehead. Navihm closed his eyes briefly in concentration than rubbed that same thumb on one of the branches he held. He did the same to each of the guards until he came to the Professor.

    ¡°Would it be any trouble if I came along when you set up the wards?¡± he asked. ¡°I have been curious to see how it works, the books I¡¯ve read on the subject have been quite vague.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Professor,¡± said Navihm graciously. He repeated the same process with his thumb on the Professor and then moved onto Rose. Rose was slightly hesitant to let Navihm perform this foreign magic on her but it had done no harm to the rest of the group so she allowed it. Navihm¡¯s hand was warm when he pressed it to her head and it felt to her as if a shadow had briefly passed over her.

    The Professor had an endless amount of questions for Navihm as he trailed behind him to a spot past the tree line.

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    ¡°Why do you need the sticks?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I need something to anchor the ward to, it will last much longer and take less concentration to maintain that way.¡± Navihm drove the first branch into the soft soil so it jutted up out of the ground. He made sure to place it behind a tree so anyone approaching the camp wouldn¡¯t see the red flag until they had already passed the line of the ward. People around these parts would recognise the branches for what they were.

    ¡°Can you use anything for an anchor?¡± the Professor asked.

    ¡°Yes, but the results will vary.¡± Navihm drove another branch into the ground, a few steps to the left of the first. ¡°If you put a ward on rocks, it will last about as long as if you didn''t bother anchoring it at all. Living things work best. These branches still have a little life running through them. I¡¯ll use these until they die completely in a week or so. That way I won''t have to keep making a fresh ward at every camp, I can just wake up the one in these branches.¡±

    A thought occurred to Professor Ward. ¡°Wouldn''t it be best to use a plant that is still alive.¡± Navihm chuckled.

    ¡°Yes it would. The best wards do. My home has a permanent ward set in the trees around it. We don''t need one to last that long for our purposes now though, and it would be a bit inconvenient to cart whole trees to our next camp so I would need to cast a new ward every night anyway.¡±

    ¡°Are the flags there so you can find the sticks again?¡± It seemed to be the only logical explanation for advertising the fact that the camp was protected, even if Navihm was taking pains to hide the sticks behind trees or in bushes.

    ¡°Actually, I can sense my magic with very little effort after it¡¯s cast. The flags are so we don''t accidentally use these as firewood. Anyone who would recognise these as a ward, would recognise it with or without the flags.¡± The Professor continued to drill Navihm with questions as he completed his circle of the camp, driving in a branch every few metres.

    When they had arrived back at camp, the others were getting ready for bed.

    ¡°Professor, perhaps you should prepare for bed as well,¡± Navihm suggested gently, cutting off another question. ¡°I need to concentrate for a minute or so while I cast the wards.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Navihm. Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Professor.¡±

 Chapter Nine Part One

    Chapter Nine:

    They crossed the Amnis River on the afternoon of the sixth day of travel and camped on the other side in the fading daylight. They had made good time, reaching the river half a day earlier than planned.

    After setting up camp for the night and settling in around the campfire, Navihm addressed the group.

    ¡°We are a few hours ride from the Second,¡± he said pointing to the spot on the map where they were camped and then to where the Second was marked. ¡°I have kin there, they can introduce us to their prophet. I think it is in our best interest to get as much information as possible. We will need to pass close to the city regardless.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± said the professor, ¡°we will leave at first light.¡±

    Morning came without incident. While the rest of the group packed up the camp, Navihm backtracked through the trees a good way to the river to refill the canteens. While he crouched on the bank of the Amnis, he felt his wards trigger, someone was closing in on the camp. He left the canteens where they were and went to investigate.

    By the time he arrived, the camp was already surrounded by at least ten men, maybe more in the trees. The leader of the group was questioning Hue in Genti with a long, curved sword held near his throat.

    Rose was tieing the last of her saddle packs to her horse when the men stepped out of the trees. They all had bronzed skin and dark hair to their shoulders. She recognised them as People of the Tribes by their braids. They must be from the Second. One man stepped out of the trees in front of her and took the horse¡¯s reins from her hands. She cried out in shock from his sudden appearance and backed away, towards the rest of the group. One Genti man stepped forward and drew a sword from the scabbard hanging on his back. Rose spied another pomel sticking out over his other shoulder. He leveled his sword at Hue, who happened to be the closest, and barked something she didn''t understand. Hue held his hands up to show he was unarmed and looked back at the professor as if asking him what he should do. The Genti man said something else in his language.

    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± said Hue, edging one foot back into a fighting stance. ¡°I don''t speak Genti.¡±

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    ¡°Of course you don''t,¡± the other man said, rolling his dark eyes skyward. Rose was surprised at the well modulated way he spoke the common tongue. It seemed at odds with the way he barked at them in Genti and the sarcastic turn of phrase he used when speaking in the common tongue.

    ¡°Because why should you bother learning the tongue of the country you are in?¡± the stranger mocked.

    He eyed Hue¡¯s slight shifting of weight and correctly guessed the implication of it. ¡°Now, now. None of that. Why don''t you just hop on over and join your little friends in the center there while we decide what to do with you.¡±

    The Genti man stiffened when a blade appeared under his own chin. It was Navihm. He had snuck around and approached unnoticed.

    ¡°Is that any way to treat guests of your country, Hart?¡± The man, Hart, gave no visible reaction other than a slight raising of the eyebrows at his name.

    Hart turned his head to look at the man on the other end of the blade. ¡°Ah, Navihm, it has been a long time since I saw you around these parts.¡±

    Navihm half smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡±

    ¡°I thought I made it clear last time you were here that you are not welcome.¡± Navihm¡¯s only response was to flick the tip of his dagger downward, his eyes looking meaningfully at the sword still clutched in Hart¡¯s hand. Hart dropped it obligingly and Navihm kicked it away. One of the other Gentis took half a step forward. Both of the men¡¯s eyes flicked towards him but it was the slight shaking of Hart¡¯s head that made him retreat.

    Tension was thick in both groups, Genti and Ianterran, as the two men faced off. There was a pregnant pause before an unexpected sound broke the strained silence.

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    I''m not at all sorry about the cliff hanger =) Part two will be up in an hour or so. There will be three parts  to this chapter, all of them will be up today.

 Chapter Nine Part Two

    Tension was thick in both groups, Genti and Ianterran, as the two men faced off. There was a pregnant pause before an unexpected sound broke the strained silence.

    Laughter.

    It started with Hart. His shoulders began to shake and a wide grin split his face. An answering grin appeared on Navihm¡¯s face and progressed into full blown laughter as he sheathed his dagger and threw his arms around the other man. Rose and the others stared on in confusion as the two men pounded each other on the back and laughed like old friends.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you cousin,¡± Navihm said, pulling away slightly.

    ¡°I hear a congratulations is in order!¡± boomed Hart, grabbing Navihm¡¯s hair and mussing it good naturedly. ¡°Congratulations on your amarra. I should have guessed my little cousin would be bonded before me.¡± Hart tugged gently on the offending braids and Navihm slapped his hand away, still grinning.

    ¡°How are your parents?¡±

    ¡°Oh, still going on about how they should have been blessed with the infamous Navihm as a son.¡± Navihm laughed and shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault they always liked me better.¡±

    ¡°What the devil are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in the Lowland countries honing your freak crossbreed powers.¡±

    Navihm answered rapidly in a mix of Genti and the common tongue. Presumably explaining the situation. Rose was only able to catch a few words. ¡°School ¡­ attack ¡­ prophets¡­¡±

    ¡°We were on our way to see you actually,¡± Navihm finished. He turned towards her and the others. Rose assumed he was introducing them when she heard her name amongst the rapid Genti. Hart nodded to each person as Navihm gestured to them, bowing deeply when it was the Professor¡¯s turn. When Navihm fell silent he picked up his dropped sword and resheathed it.

    ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the Second. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Regus Hart, Commander of the Sworn Guard, Protector of Southern Forests and downright stunning dancer.¡± He bowed and gave Rose a wink.

    Navihm nudged him meaningfully.

    ¡°Oh and sorry for the whole ambush thing.¡±

    Navihm sent Rose to pick up the canteens he¡¯d left by the river. She didn¡¯t understand why she had to trek all the way back to get them but she did it with little complaint, eyeing the newcomers apprehensively. She didn¡¯t care that Hart was Navihm¡¯s cousin, he¡¯d attacked her. What else was he capable of? By the time she had made it back to the camp, everything had been packed up and Navihm and the professor were talking to some of the men in Hart¡¯s group. She overheard them talking.

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    ¡°It will be a pleasure to escort you and your companions back to the Second, Enfeitar,¡± said the man who had accosted her and taken her horse. She didn''t understand how Navihm could be having a normal conversation with him, as if he hadn¡¯t just jumped out of the woods, ready to stab her with the sword that hung at his waist.

    Both groups, Rose¡¯s and Hart¡¯s, mounted up and began the short journey to the Second. The more she watched Navihm talk to Hart¡¯s men the more she realised that he was friends with them. Didn¡¯t he have any loyalty to her or the Professor? He certainly didn''t seem too interested in talking to her now that his countrymen were around. He took time talking to each of the men as they rode, but ignored her completely.

    Navihm rode up next to Hart.

    ¡°So, you and Kaia huh?¡± Hart asked, referring to Navihm¡¯s bonding. Navihm brushed his fingers along his Ib braid which had only recently been woven with a golden ribbon. ¡°I thought you two were ¡®just friends.¡¯¡±

    Navihm shot his cousin a sideways glance, not knowing where he was going with his teasing. Hart never took anything seriously so it didn''t surprise Navihm that he was joking about something as important as marriage.

    ¡°I seem to recall a young Navihm saying quite a lot on the subject of your friendship.¡± Hart was grinning. ¡°What was it that you said?¡± Hart put on a high pitched voice. ¡°¡®Kaia is a Regina and one day she will rule,¡¯ you said. ¡®It would be inappropriate for us to be anything more than friends.¡¯¡±

    Navihm leaned over and cuffed Hart over the ear. He was older by more than a year, but Navihm and everyone who knew him had given up on waiting for Hart to grow up.

    ¡°That was before I knew I could control my magic,¡± Navihm said. ¡°It was inappropriate for us to marry because I was unsuited to rule with my unreliable spirit magic. With my magic under control, I am more confident in my ability to protect a wife and tribe.¡±

    ¡°I should have guessed the reason you haven''t married the girl of your dreams yet was because of something so sickeningly noble.¡± Hart made a face at Navihm and they both laughed.

    Rose was so fixated on watching Navihm laugh and talk to everyone but her that she didn''t notice that they had arrived at the Second until they were right on top of the town. They emerged from the trees and immediately found themselves in amongst the homes and businesses. There wasn''t any separation between forest and town like Rose was used to in the Lowlands. She never even remembered visiting a town that didn''t have a wall around it. Rose was shocked to find that some of the houses were actually built amongst the trees, some even had trees growing right through them or were perched in the branches like a huge treehouse.

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    What do you think of Hart? First impressions?

 Chapter Nine Part Three

    Hart lead them to a building in the middle of the town, it was slightly bigger than most of the other houses that didn''t have a shop front attached to them. It had ivy growing up the side and small flower bushed spaced evenly in a circle around the property.

    The group filed into the building but as Navihm went to enter, the guard at the door stopped him.

    ¡°I''m sorry, Sir,¡± the young guard said in Genti. ¡°I can¡¯t let you in.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rose asked in the common tongue.

    ¡°Enfeitar Navihm has been banned from the King¡¯s properties,¡± the guard explained, switching to the common language for her benefit.

    ¡°What are you on about, Mal?¡± Hart addressed the guard. ¡°Banned? Who banned him?¡±

    ¡°You did, Sir,¡± Mal replied. ¡°You made a Royal Proclamation.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about, boy? I did no such thing.¡±

    ¡°With respect, Sir. You did, Sir.¡± Navihm glanced at Hart. He seemed genuinely confused by the young guard¡¯s statements. Mal seemed to realise this too. ¡°It was just after the tournament last winter, Sir,¡± he elaborated. ¡°The one where Enfeitar Navihm beat the snot out of you, Sir.¡±

    ¡°You banned me from the royal grounds because I won the tournament?¡± Navihm was bemused. Royal grounds? Rose was confused, Weren¡¯t we supposed to be visiting Hart¡¯s parents?

    ¡°He was quite drunk at the time, Sir,¡± Mal offered in explanation.

    ¡°I do seem to recall this conversation now you mention it Mal.¡± Hart grinned at his cousin. ¡°I guess you will just have to wait here, Nav.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can keep myself busy in town,¡± Navihm replied casually. ¡°Tell me, does Naomi still work at that restaurant on the main street? You were getting quite close with her when I last visited, as I recall. I¡¯m sure she would be a lovely conversationalist.¡± Navihm¡¯s tone turned playfully threatening. ¡°I have many stories I''m sure she would be thrilled to hear.¡±

    Hart paled. ¡°Let him in, Mal.¡±

    Mal didn''t move out of the entrance. ¡°I can''t do that, Sir. Only a Royal Proclamation can undo a Royal Proclamation.¡±

    ¡°Fine, by Royal Proclamation, let him in.¡±

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    ¡°I''m sorry, Sir. I can¡¯t.¡± Mal was fighting a grin.

    ¡°What now?¡± Navihm asked, struggling to keep the exasperation out of his voice.

    ¡°Regus Hart is no longer allowed to make Royal Proclamations.¡± Mal swallowed a laugh, ¡°By Royal Proclamation of the King.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Hart was outraged. ¡°Since when?

    ¡°Since you tried to make a holiday named after yourself, Sir.¡±

    ¡°This is getting ridiculous,¡± Rose chimed in.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make the rules, Ma¡¯am.¡± Mal kept his expression politely professional but he was clearly suppressing a smile.

    ¡°Mal?¡± asked Navihm.

    ¡°Yes, Enfeitar?¡±

    ¡°Who is the closest relative to the royal family with their Bo Accion?¡±

    ¡°That would be you, Enfeitar.¡± Mal was no longer bothering to hide his small grin. Rose blinked. Hart was a royal? And Navihm too, she supposed.

    ¡°And is Regus Hart an Enfeitar?¡± Navihm didn''t take his steady gaze off Hart, though his question was directed at Mal.

    ¡°No, Sir.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean I outrank him?¡± Navihm rose both eyebrows at his cousin. If he was going to be childish, Navihm was perfectly willing to pull rank.

    ¡°Technically, that means you are first in line for the throne, Sir.¡± Rose gasped. She had no idea how Genti politics worked and would never had guessed Navihm was so close to being the king of the second biggest tribe in the North.

    ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯ve never really made a big deal about that but it seems it works in my favour today,¡± said Navihm. ¡°By Royal Proclamation, I declare myself no longer banned from royal grounds. Is that good enough for you, Mal?¡±

    Mal gave a short bow.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, Sir. And, Sir?¡± Navihm shot him a questioning look. ¡°Welcome back to the Second.¡± Navihm grinned and offered him a salute.

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    Next Chapter up tomorrow.

 Chapter Ten Part One

    Chapter Ten:

    ¡°Mother, I brought you some prisoners,¡± Hart called out as they entered the royal offices. ¡°In light of my amazingly efficient work, can we talk about my allowance?¡±

    The woman didn''t even look up from what she was writing. ¡°I told you Hart, you can have your allowance when Chamberlain Ludovic¡¯s hair grows back.¡± Hart flopped down in the chair next to her, and grabbed a glass paperweight off her desk, throwing it back and forth gently.

    ¡°You sure? He¡¯s a pretty great hostage, hard to pin down.¡± Hart¡¯s mother looked up from her papers to stare at her son, exasperated. Hart ignored her ire, grinned and nodded towards where the others were standing. She glanced over to where he was staring.

    ¡°Navihm?¡± she exclaimed, shoving her chair back so sharply as she stood that it tipped over.

    ¡°Hart wanted to put me in chains to complete the hostage facade,¡± Navihm said mildly. ¡°I told him I would throw him in the river if he tried.¡±

    ¡°Navihm!¡± She rushed over and threw her arms around his waist, her head only just reaching his shoulder. ¡°Hart, consider your allowance reinstated,¡± she said, her words slightly muffled by the shirt her face was pressed against. Navihm laughed as he returned her embrace. Hart clenched both fists in the air in triumph, still clutching the glass ball.

    Hart¡¯s mother, Lia, spent a good deal of time fussing over Navihm. He endured the hugs and affectionate doting good-naturedly. He grinned readily and frequently. Rose had never seen him so at ease. It was a while before the Reina could be persuaded to leave her nephew''s side long enough to be introduced to the rest of the group but when she did, she received them graciously, welcoming them to the Second warmly. Any friend of Navihm¡¯s was paid particular attention to at the royal grounds of the Second. Reina Lia of course invited the group to stay the night at their home.

    ¡°But first,¡± she said, ¡°you must meet Rei Jethro, Hart¡¯s father.¡± She herded the group into the hall. She fluttered about, gesturing and waving them down different corridors.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be meeting with people in the solium now,¡± she remarked. Navihm explained briefly that solium was the equivalent of a throne room. Reina Lia kept up a pleasant, albeit one sided, conversation, giving an impromptu tour.

    ¡°This is Hart¡¯s great, great, great grandmother,¡± she said, gesturing to a painting of a smiling woman with Hart¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°She was the last in our line to rule, until Hart¡¯s father of course. Oh, here we are; the solium. This is going to be such a surprise for Jethro.¡± She pushed open a set of double doors, throwing them wide. Rose guessed that Hart got his flare for the dramatic from his mother¡¯s side of the family.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Jethro, dear. I have a surprise for you.¡± Rei Jethro didn''t look in the least bit surprised, he rose to greet them. Rose was slightly bewildered to be greeted by name.

    ¡°The servants have been been giving me constant updates since you have arrived,¡± explained the Rei dryly. ¡°Was it really necessary for you to show them the entire royal grounds, my dear?¡± he asked his wife.

    ¡°Oh shush. I knew you wouldn''t show our guests around so I did it for you.¡± Lia refused to look chagrined, used to her husband¡¯s dry humour.

    The King turned to look at Navihm and said something in Genti. Hart, who was standing by the group of foreigners, translated.

    ¡°The Rei is congratulating Navihm on his bonding,¡± Hart explained, referring to his cousin¡¯s recent engagement.

    ¡°Meus argramentos, O Rei,¡± replied Navihm.

    ¡°Navihm is thanking the King.¡± The conversation between Navihm and his uncle went on for some time, Hart translating helpfully. Navihm was explaining the reason for the group traveling to Genticus.

    ¡°I will send for our prophet at once,¡± the King insisted. He waved his right hand and a servant went scurrying out of the room.

    ¡°Perhaps we could move this meeting into a more comfortable setting,¡± suggested Reina Lia. The King and Queen were seated on wide comfortable chairs at the head of the room, while the others stood standing. Hart had neglected to take his seat by his father, choosing instead to stand amongst the foreigners, translating.

    The Rei nodded and lead the way out of a door behind the thrones and into what looked like the private dining room for the royal family. There were enough seats for everyone and after the Rei called for refreshments, it was quite comfortable.

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    The second half of this chapter will be up later on today. Enjoy!

 Chapter Ten Part Two

    It wasn¡¯t long before a servant knocked on the door, announcing the arrival of Prophet Keitra. The Gentis stood to greet her, even the Rei. Rose and the others followed suit.

    Keitra was an older woman, with grey streaking her hair and wrinkles pulling the corners of her eyes downwards. She stood proudly upright and glided gracefully into the room, bowing to the King with the poise of a woman half her age. The Rei returned her bow with a deep inclination of his head.

    ¡°Prophet Keitra,¡± he addressed her. ¡°We require your services once more.¡± Keitra took her place at the end of the table opposite the Rei.

    ¡°I am here to serve,¡± she said. She turned to the strangers. ¡°You wish to know more about our enemies.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°Yes, O Profeta,¡± Navihm said respectfully.

    ¡°I cannot see our enemy, they are too strange to me. I can only see how they will devastate our country.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°You are on the right path. I can see that you already know where you''re heading.¡± She opened her eyes to look directly at Navihm. Keitra had just confirmed Navihm¡¯s suspicion that the invasion was going to start further North at the Ninth.

    ¡°Can you tell us what will be waiting for us when we arrive?¡± asked Hart.

    ¡°To win this war, allies must be made in unlikely places.¡± She looked around the room at the people of the Tribes and the Lowlands that had gathered together to fight the invaders. ¡°Genti magic and the blood of our youth will not be enough to win this war. Rei Nael of the Fifth was right to search for help in the Lowlands. Navihm, only you can bring together what has never been allied before. You will understand when you arrive at your destination.¡±

    The Prophet was exactly what Rose had expected her to be; wise, but completely unhelpful. How were they supposed to understand when they reached their destination if they didn''t know what their destination was? Apparently Navihm knew where they were heading. Of course the Prophet would make this about Navihm. Ever since Rose had started this journey, everything had revolved around Navihm. Navihm got chosen by the council to go along on the journey, even though he had almost no magic to speak of and had been at the school for less than a season. Navihm set up the wards that protected their camp every night. Navihm was friends with all the guards and was Professor Ward¡¯s favourite student. Now they were sitting with Navihm¡¯s family, being told that Navihm was the only person that could save the whole continent.

    It wasn''t fair, Rose could do things too.

    ¡°We can provide maybe two unum at such short notice. Our army can''t spare much more than that,¡± said the Rei.

    ¡°It would take too much time to gather up more men than that. Still, that¡¯s another forty men at your disposal.¡±

    ¡°I volunteer the Sword Guard for your cause cousin,¡± said Hart. ¡°If we leave the bare minimum of men to protect the city that is still another fifteen elite men added to your group.¡± Adding to the pitifully small group of five guards that had traveled from Ianterra, that made their group 60 fighting men strong.

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    ¡°Will less than a hundred men be enough to fight off a whole army?¡± asked Professor Ward.

    ¡°I told you that you are on the right path,¡± said Keitra sourly, all traces of wise solemnity gone from her voice. ¡°Have a little faith.¡±

    ¡°You must all stay the night here,¡± said Reina Lia. ¡°It will be more comfortable than an inn and we need until morning at least to gather the men.¡±

    Professor Ward bowed to the Reina. ¡°Thank you, your Majesty.¡± Ward was picking up on Genti customs quickly.

    The Queen oversaw the preparation of dinner and rooms for their guests, while the rest of the group discussed the logistics of providing food, horses and camping equipment for a group of over sixty people.

    Navihm bowed to Rei Jethro in the light of the dawn. They had assembled on the edge of the village. The soldiers going with them from the Second were preparing their horses to leave and Hart and Navihm were taking the chance to say goodbye to their family. Hart was currently being smothered by his mother.

    ¡°Don''t do anything too dangerous,¡± she was saying to him, brushing the hair out of his eyes. Hart smiled and hugged her again, not at all hesitant to show affection in front of his men.

    ¡°I will be fine, mother.¡±

    Navihm and his uncle were looking on, smiling.

    ¡°You will look after him, won''t you Navihm?¡± asked the Rei seriously.

    ¡°Of course, Uncle.¡± Hart didn¡¯t need looking after, he was a very capable warrior, more skilled than Navihm even. That wouldn''t stop Navihm taking care of his younger cousin though.

    ¡°And will you let Hart look after you?¡±

    ¡°Now, that I cannot promise.¡± Navihm grinned. Navihm would put himself in any amount of danger to protect Hart but he would never allow Hart to do the same for him. Rei Jethro returned Navihm¡¯s grin and clasped his shoulder in farewell. Lia pulled Navihm away from his uncle to fuss over him for the few minutes he had before they had to leave.

    ¡°Boys,¡± Professor Ward called from atop his mount. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± They waved goodbye one last time and mounted their horses.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Hart.

    ¡°We go north. To the Ninth,¡± Navihm replied.

    They headed off to war.

 Chapter Eleven Part One

    Chapter Eleven:

    The Nomad¡¯s camp was spread out across the horizon. At first, it had looked like a grey blur that hugged the normal curve of the golden skyline, but as they got closer they were able to make out bright spots of colour and the fluttering of tent fabric. The camp was a semi permanent affair, with temporary highways set up between the tents and pavilions. Most tents were orientated towards the coast with both ends of the tent pinned open to catch the cool breeze coming in off the water.

    The entire camp was a riot of colour, mostly reds and blues. The cloths of the tents were airy and heavily embroidered, the clothing the Nomads wore, even more so. The women wore beautiful scarves draped over their hair and, in some cases, pinned in front of their face to keep the sand and wind off. Many men followed in their example, wearing fabric on their heads and shoulders, held on mostly by thick strips of leather, to keep the sun from burning their necks. The men that were on horseback would take a bandanna and tie it around their nose and mouths. Navihm and the others had done much the same thing on their journey through the desert, there was only so much sand in one¡¯s mouth that could be tolerated.

    Before they were able to enter the camp they were stopped by two men dressed identically in all white with pale green scarves on their heads.

    ¡°What business do you have here?¡± one of them said in the common tongue. Navihm wasn¡¯t sure which one had spoken because they both had their green head scarves pinned over their mouth so he directed his answer to the air in between them.

    ¡°We are here to see your Sachem,¡± he said. ¡°We have urgent news concerning the safety of this camp as well as the entire continent and we¡¯ve come to ask of the Nomads¡¯ assistance.¡±

    ¡°We are well aware of your prophesying, native,¡± said the man who hadn''t spoken the first time. ¡°Sachem Ahmet doesn¡¯t wish to meet with any more Gentis.¡±

    ¡°Surely you must know that if the tribes fall, so will you out here in the desert,¡± said Hart.

    ¡°We know nothing of the sort,¡± said the first guard. ¡°Now please leave before we are forced to help you on your way.¡± More guards, dressed identically to the first two, all with covered faces, had started gathering amongst the tents behind where this confrontation was occurring. Rose also spied a small boy, no older than twelve leading a donkey through the camp, his eyes riveted on Navihm. Navihm noticed the boy too, and Rose thought that they exchanged a knowing look. Perhaps they knew each other.

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    ¡°Thank you for your time gentlemen,¡± Navihm said to the guards. He said something else in their language which sounded like a formal farewell.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± asked Rose sullenly as they rode away from the camp. She¡¯d been looking forward to ending their long journey through the desert and enjoying a cool drink of water and perhaps some fruit.

    ¡°I suppose we circumnavigate the camp and continue on to the Ninth,¡± said Hart. They were out of sight from the camp, having traveled south, back the way they¡¯d come. It would be a good time to start travelling to the east to make their way around the Nomad¡¯s territory.

    ¡°We wait,¡± Navihm said, dismounting and loosening his saddle straps.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Hart easily, copying Navihm¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Well if Navihm says we wait, I suppose we wait,¡± said Hue. ¡°It will be dark in an hour anyway.¡± Hue was content following Navihm¡¯s lead. His strange intuition hadn¡¯t led them wrong so far. He suspected that Navihm suffered from what the Northerners called ¡®a touch of the sight.¡¯

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    This chapter is super long so it will probably be split into four parts. As usual, they will all be up today (probably).

    This is one of my favourite chapters in the entire book (probably why its so long), let me know what you think of the new characters being introduced in the next few parts =)

 Chapter Eleven Part Two

    They didn''t have to wait long. Before the sun had fully set, a rider approached their camp. Navihm had been standing, staring off towards the Nomad¡¯s camp, apparently waiting for their arrival.

    ¡°Navihm!¡± the rider called. The voice sounded absurdly young. Navihm waved a greeting and called out in Nomad. Two voices responded, chattering delightedly over the top of one another. Rose could only make out Navihm¡¯s name, repeated many times amongst the babble.

    In the twilight, it had looked like a lone rider approaching, but as the horse came closer to the firelight, Rose could see that is was two young boys seated on the one horse. One of the boys she recognised as the one leading the donkey through camp. Apparently she was correct in thinking that he knew Navihm. That sort of thing had ceased to surprise Rose; Navihm seemed to know someone everywhere they went.

    The boys dismounted and bounded delightedly towards Navihm. Hart took hold of their horse before it wandered off into the desert and picketed it with the others. The two little ones had yet to take a breath between their excited talking and were now crawling all over Navihm, who was talking just as animatedly in their language.

    He pulled one boy up against his chest, measuring the top of his head against his sternum. He declared something in mock seriousness that made the boy smile and puff out his chest. They other boy, a bit smaller and younger than the first asked something. Navihm responded by picking him up by under the arms and hoisting him up above his head. The boy giggled, thrilled by the attention, and allowed himself to be spun around.

    Eventually Navihm silenced them and, kneeling down so he was at their eye level, talked to them seriously for a moment. The boys answered all of his questions, none of which anyone else in the camp had understood, until finally, one of them rushed off back to the horse, talking over his shoulder.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Navihm turned back to the others, tucking the remaining boy under his arm.

    ¡°Everyone, this is Silas,¡± Navihm said. Silas waved shyly when he heard his name. ¡°I stayed with his sister the last time I was with the Nomads. Over there is his friend Byron.¡± Byron was currently occupied with unstrapping a large bundle from the saddle pack of the horse they came on. He didn¡¯t look to be having much success. He was just tugging on the straps, hoping something would give. When he heard his name amongst the Lowland tongue, he shot a cheeky grin over his shoulder. Hart laughed at the small boy whose feet were dangling in the air as he hung from the side of the uncomplaining horse. He went to help the child. Hart talked to him gently in halting Nomadic, introducing himself.

    ¡°They are going to help us get into the camp,¡± explained Navihm, ruffling Silas¡¯ hair. ¡°Silas¡¯ sister¡¯s husband is one of the Veiled Guards. He has a very prominent position as one of the Sachem¡¯s personal guards. He has agreed to get us in to see the Sachem.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to get into the camp?¡± asked Hue. ¡°Won''t they recognise us and stop us again.¡± Hart picked that moment to lob a bundle of fabric at Hue¡¯s face. It was a Nomad-style outer robe that he¡¯d taken from the pack attached to the boy¡¯s horse.

    ¡°I guess that answers that question,¡± said Rose. They dressed quickly, making sure to cover their faces and hair. Navihm helped Rose pin her red head scarf so it covered as much of her blonde hair as possible and her face. Hair like hers and her pale skin would attract too much attention. The Nomads were all dark haired and dark eyed with skin so dark it almost looked blue.

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    Part Three coming in about an hour

 Chapter Eleven Part Three

    Under cover of darkness, they rode into the camp. Navihm knew that many groups of men would be returning home from work at this time so their group was not an unusual sight. Rose and the professor kept to the center of the riders, careful to keep their faces turned down. Their pale skin would glow like the moon in the starlight.

    Silas and Byron lead them to a large tent towards the middle of the camp. They picketed their horses out front and followed the boys inside. They were greeted by a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Silas dressed in a bright blue. Her scarf had been pulled off her hair and fell around her shoulders. She greeted them warmly in Nomad and pulled Navihm into a hug.

    ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± she said in the common tongue. ¡°I am Ira. My husband will be home soon to take you to the Sachem. Please, have something to eat while we wait.¡± She gestured to the food she had set out on a low table surrounded by cushions. The boys were already sitting in their place, waiting politely for the others to join them.

    Rose took a seat next to the younger boy, Byron. He saw that she was looking around for a bowl or utensils and he shook his head and giggled. He showed her how to use the flat bread as a bowl for the warm meat or use a piece of it to pinch a mouthful of rice from the communal bowl in the centre. Rose was slightly horrified at the use of hands to eat and settled on nibbling on the bread Ira handed to her.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Byron said something to her. She looked over at Navihm for a translation.

    ¡°He wants to know if he can touch your hair,¡± Navihm explained. ¡°He doesn''t think it¡¯s real. He¡¯s probably never seen anyone with hair as light as yours.¡±

    Rose looked at the child who looked back at her wide eyed and hopeful. She nodded hesitantly. Byron brushed his hands over the tips of her hair. He grabbed a curl, pulled it gently and watched as it bounced back. He tugged on another curl, giggling delightedly at the new game. Ira said something to him and he ceased his play, returning to his meal obediently.

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    Only very short but the next bit is coming in about half an hour

 Chapter Eleven Part Four

    Ira¡¯s husband arrived home not long into the meal and introduced himself as Bohan. He and Navihm had clasped hands firmly and were now seated across from Rose, talking rapidly in Nomad. They eventually seemed to agree and Bohan turned to address everyone.

    ¡°The Sachem will be in a meeting with his advisors for another hour,¡± he said. ¡°I suggest that we approach him after the meeting has concluded. He will be more reasonable when he is alone. I also advise that only a small group of one or two go. Any more than that will attract too much attention through camp.¡±

    Navihm turned to the Professor. ¡°It is your decision to make, Professor.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± he said. ¡°The Sachem will not being willing to speak with us in front of his advisors as that would be a show of weakness. Navihm, you know the most about these people, it makes sense for you to go. Hart, you go with him. A Lowlander would stand out too much. It is a miracle we made it all the way here without being noticed.¡±

    Everything being decided, the rest of the meal passed without incident. After they had eaten, Navihm helped Ira take the food away.

    ¡°I''ve missed you, Ira,¡± Navihm said once they were alone.

    She place a hand on his cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± she said. Navihm took comfort in the warmth of her hand and the light of her smile. Even though she was only a few years his senior, Ira had always mothered him. His magic brushed against her with their skin to skin contact and Navihm felt the flutter of an unexpected sensation.

    ¡°Ira,¡± he said with some surprise. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡±

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    ¡°Shh,¡± she said, pressing her hand against his mouth. ¡°I haven¡¯t told Bohan. I wanted to be sure.¡± She laughed giddily. ¡°I guess I am sure now.¡±

    Navihm knelt so he was at eye level with Ira¡¯s stomach. He pressed one hand reverently against her still flat abdomen. He could feel the frantic flutter of the little baby¡¯s heartbeat, thrumming much faster than Ira¡¯s.

    Bohan chose that moment to interrupt their revelry.

    ¡°Are you accosting my wife?¡± he asked Navihm playfully. Navihm¡¯s wide grin and hearty handshake was the only response he got. Navihm left the two of them alone.

    ¡°Navihm is acting very strangely,¡± Bohan told his wife.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± she said, teary from the good news but unwilling to spring it on her husband just before he would have to leave.

    ¡°You are acting strangely too,¡± he said, pulling her in for a loose hug. She leant her head on his shoulder and sighed contently.

    ¡°I will tell you when you return,¡± she said. ¡°It is time for you to go.¡±

    ¡°You are right, as usual, my dear wife. Wish me luck, the Sachem is going to be very angry.¡±

    Bohan, Navihm and Hart set off through the tangle of tents towards the command tent in the centre of the camp.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Ira whispered to their retreating silhouettes.

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    Thoughts about Ira and Bohan?

 Chapter Twelve Part One

    Chapter Twelve:

    The Sachem was, in fact, very angry. Navihm and Hart could hear him yelling at Bohan from where they waited outside the command tent. Bohan exited the tent.

    ¡°Sachem Ahmet will see you now,¡± he said, with a wry grin.

    The Sachem was waiting for them when they entered. He was about Hart¡¯s height with blue-black skin and a clean shaven head.

    ¡°Enfeitar Navihm,¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps you would explain what you are doing in my territory.¡±

    ¡°I would like to remind you that the Nomads are only in this country by the goodwill of Genticus,¡± said Hart angrily.

    ¡°There is no need for that, Hart,¡± Navihm chastised. His cousin had always been a little hot headed and had never had the patience for diplomacy. ¡°I apologise for the rudeness of my entry into your camp and for the manner in which we approach you now. I thought it the only option considering our circumstances.¡±

    ¡°I am well aware of our circumstances, boy,¡± said the Sachem. ¡°Rei Nael of the Fifth has been plaguing me with messengers ever since he saw this oncoming invasion. He seems to think that they only way to fight off this mysterious enemy is to become allies.¡±

    ¡°I assure you this enemy is very real,¡± said Hart, taking offense at the Sachem¡¯s skeptical tone.

    ¡°I am aware of that, boy,¡± replied the Sachem. ¡°The day before yesterday my Veiled Guard caught a Somali spy, who is now our prisoner.¡±

    ¡°You have a prisoner?¡± Navihm asked eagerly. ¡°What information have you been able to get from him?¡±

    ¡°That is none of you concern.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to get him to talk, have you?¡± said Hart. The Sachem ignored him.

    ¡°What exactly did you wish to achieve by coming here, Enfeitar?¡± he asked dryly, sitting on a cushioned chair. Navihm knew that this room in the Sachem¡¯s tent was used for receiving visitors so the lack of chairs for the two Gentis must have been deliberate.

    ¡°A truce, between the Nomads and Genticus,¡± said Navihm. ¡°Right now, young men from every tribe in Genticus are most likely gathering at the Ninth, preparing for this war.¡±

    ¡°I have noticed this phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°Then you know that this war is coming right to your doorstep,¡± Navihm continued gravely. ¡°The Nomad¡¯s desert is closer to the Ninth than any Genti tribe and you and I both know there is no way the Ninth will be able to hold out against this invading force, not with the troops it has now.¡±

    ¡°Every man in Genticus learns how to fight,¡± said the Sachem, unconcerned. ¡°Do you have no faith your country¡¯s combat abilities?¡±

    ¡°We learn how to defend ourselves and our families, but we do not have any formal armies. There is a difference between fighting as an individual and fighting as an army. The Nomads have the only effective fighting force in the entire North.¡±

    ¡°So the Ninth falls, why should I be concerned?¡± Sachem Ahmet refused to be swayed by Navihm arguments. ¡°It is as you say; I have the most effective fighting force in the north. The Nomads know this desert better than anyone. I am sure we will be able to fight these invaders off without your help.¡±

    ¡°If the North Coast falls, the rest of the continent will follow,¡± recited Hart. ¡°It has been foretold.¡±

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    ¡°So you say, boy,¡± said Sachem Ahmet skeptically. ¡°We are enemies, Enfeitar. How can I believe anything you say? I know why you need my help, I don''t see how an alliance will benefit me in any way. I think I¡¯m quite safe here in my desert.¡±

    ¡°Oh I doubt they will come here first,¡± said Navihm darkly. ¡°If it was me commanding this invasion, I would head south-east to the Fifth. They aren¡¯t much bigger than the Ninth; it would be an easy victory. Then I would continue on to the Eighth, to your South, and then the Forth to the East.¡±

    ¡°Every one of these Tribes would have striped their guarding force to the bare minimum and sent every available man to the Ninth,¡± chimed in Hart. ¡°They wouldn''t put up much of a fight. They don''t even have walls.¡±

    ¡°And then, once they have you surrounded, they will attack.¡± Navihm approached a map the Sachem had laid out on a table and traced the route he had just described thoughtfully. ¡°Are you so confident in your victory when you have no place to retreat and the supplies of four tribes feeding the enemy?¡±

    The Sachem was silent for a moment, thinking about the scenario Navihm described.

    ¡°How can I trust you, Enfeitar?¡± asked the Sachem, steepling his fingers. ¡°As I said before; we are enemies.¡±

    ¡°Do you really have a choice, Sachem?¡± asked Hart. Navihm held up a hand to forestall any more comments from his cousin.

    ¡°You have a valid point, Sachem,¡± he said, thinking quickly. ¡°Perhaps a show of faith would help the situation. Let me question the prisoner. Any information I gather will be shared with you, for the benefit of both the Nomads and Genticus.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think you will have any more success than us?¡±

    ¡°I have certain skills at my disposal which I now offer in your service,¡± he said, giving him a small bow. The Sachem thought for a moment.

    ¡°I accept,¡± he said abruptly, leading the way out of the tent. Hart grabbed Navihm¡¯s arm before he was able to follow.

    ¡°What are you thinking, Navihm?¡± Hart asked, panicking slightly. ¡°You have the empathy skills of a rock.¡±

    ¡°The great elemental masters could tell a lie from the truth by sensing the speed at which an individual was breathing and how fast the blood rushes through their veins,¡± Navihm said, remembering his lessons.

    ¡°Are you an elemental master? No!¡± Hart grabbed his cousin by the shoulders and shook him slightly.

    ¡°That is true, but I did sense Ira and her baby¡¯s heartbeats after dinner.¡±

    ¡°That was an hour ago, Navihm! That doesn¡¯t exactly make you qualified.¡± Hart pressed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. ¡°This isn''t going to work.¡± Navihm put a comforting hand on Hart¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my empathy skills are quite a bit better now my elemental magic isn''t getting in the way.¡±

    Hart laughed sardonically, giving up in the face of Navihm¡¯s illogical confidence.

    ¡°After this is all over, you are going to explain that to me, cousin.¡± He pushed Navihm out of the tent gently. ¡°Good luck. I¡¯ll meet you back at Ira¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter Twelve Part Two

    Navihm entered the tent where the prisoner was being held. Sachem Ahmet followed him. The Somali man was tied to the thick wooden beam supporting the center of the triangular tent. He didn¡¯t make eye contact with the two men, ignoring them completely. He just stared had the floor, his blond hair hanging in front oh his face.

    The Sachem pulled out some papers, offering them to Navihm.

    ¡°This is everything he has told us,¡± said the Sachem.

    ¡°I thought you hadn¡¯t been able to get any information out of him,¡± said Navihm, scanning the papers.

    ¡°The opposite problem is true; we have too much information. He talks quite willingly but he gives us conflicting information and multiple dates. We¡¯ve no way of knowing what is true.¡±

    ¡°I see the problem.¡± Navihm addressed the prisoner. ¡°I assume you speak Nomad. You wouldn''t be much use as a spy if you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I see you share my proficiency in languages, Genti.¡± The prisoner replied in Genti, still staring at the tent floor.

    ¡°You are are a talented fellow, spy, but I think we should keep our conversation to Nomadic for the benefit of our visitor.¡± Navihm nodded towards the Sachem. ¡°When is the invasion?¡± The prisoner laughed.

    ¡°You have it right there in your hand; it is in three weeks time.¡±

    ¡°It also says here that it is starting at sunrise today and dusk three days ago.¡± Navihm tugged on a strand of his elemental magic, directing his concentration to the pump of his blood through his neck. It took a little concentration, but he was able to sense the water in his blood as it pumped through his veins.

    ¡°There is no invasion,¡± the prisoner said. The pump of his heart increased as he said the words. Navihm smiled, he realised his eyes had slid shut in concentration so he opened them and stared intently at the bound man.

    ¡°When is the invasion?¡± he asked again, menacingly.

    ¡°In three weeks time,¡± the Somali man repeated, grinning. Lie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like liers,¡± Navihm said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you what you wanted to know.¡± Curiously, this was the truth. ¡°If there is nothing else, I would like to have a nap, it is going to be a long three weeks until I am rescued.¡± Navihm scanned the the papers he held. If he¡¯d already given them the information, it would be here. There were four dates; this morning, three days ago, in three weeks time and in eight days.

    ¡°So the invasion is in eight days.¡±

    The prisoner didn¡¯t reply, only smiled calmly. This was a problem. Navihm needed a verbal reply for his new found lie detection skills to work. He let go of his elemental magic and drew from the well of magic in his mind. He concentrated on the man¡¯s aura, something he¡¯d only been successful at a few times before he¡¯d started training in elemental magic.

    The colourful cloud of magic surrounding the man snapped into focus quicker than Navihm had ever been able to achieve. He could sense the anxiety in the man, masked by his calm facade. Navihm was confident that he was correct in assuming the invasion would start in little over than a week.

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    ¡°Or perhaps it is in three weeks, like you said.¡± Navihm watched as his anxiety leached out of his cloud of aura. Navihm switched back to his elemental magic, it took him longer than he would have liked.

    ¡°According to this,¡± Navihm consulted the paper, ¡°there could be anywhere from two hundred to five thousand men attacking the Ninth.¡±

    ¡°Who ever said we were attacking the Ninth?¡± said the Somali prisoner. Navihm wasn¡¯t able to sense if this was a deceit due to the way the man phrased the statement. Navihm exchanged his elemental magic for his empathy once more but by the time he was able to get a clear view of his aura, all signs of nervousness had been repressed.

    This was not going to work. Instead of immediately releasing his empathy, Navihm reached for another strand of magic. The auras surrounding the prisoner and Sachem Ahmet flickered as Navihm honed in on the spy¡¯s pulse once more. Navihm¡¯s sensitivity of the man¡¯s feelings faded to the background as he funneled more of his concentration into his elemental magic. Holding the two strands of magic at the same time was relatively simple, it was balancing his awareness of the two which proved difficult for Navihm.

    ¡°You are attacking the Ninth,¡± Navihm said with false confidence. He watched as a flash of irritation and a stirring of anxiousness pulsed through his aura.

    ¡°Wherever we attack, we will outnumber you ten to one,¡± laughed the spy. Navihm tugged quickly on his elemental magic, scrambling to sense the lie. He must have drawn too much energy as his head was filled with the whoosh of three dozen heartbeats, all belonging to nearby Nomads. Navihm was so overwhelmed with the sudden sensation, he dropped all his magic, letting it flow back into his body. He knew that he would probably get better at balancing his magics with practice. Unfortunately, he needed to be good at it now.

    Navihm thought for a moment. He had first sensed a heartbeat when Ira had touched him skin to skin. He pulled on his magics again, but instead of sending tendrils of them out across the space between them, Navihm placed a finger under the prisoner¡¯s chin and channeled his magic through that contact. Navihm nudged the Somali¡¯s head up using his finger, forcing them to make eye contact. Navihm tightened his focus.

    ¡°How many people are attacking?¡± Navihm asked.

    Almost half an hour later, Navihm and Sachem Ahmet were talking back at the Sachem¡¯s tent. This time Navihm was also seated.

    ¡°They will attack in eight days time with six hundred men,¡± Navihm was saying. ¡°I¡¯ve marked the accurate details on that paper you gave me and added anything else I picked up too. He¡¯d told you most of the correct information already, mixed in with twice as many lies. I suppose he thought he was clever.¡±

    The Sachem scanned the paper.

    ¡°Thank you, Enfeitar,¡± he said. ¡°I will have a copy of this made and sent to your tents.¡±

    ¡°And the alliance?¡± Navihm enquired.

    ¡°I will consider it and send you my decision with the invasion details.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sachem.¡±

 Chapter Thirteen Part One

    Chapter Thirteen:

    I agree to your alliance. My army will be on the move in three days. We will arrive at the Ninth four days before the invasion is due to begin. I suggest you travel ahead and warn the Genti forces that are gathered there.

    ~ Sacham Ahmet

    The letter arrived a half hour after Navihm had returned from interrogating the captured Somali. He had just finished recounting the details of his private meeting with the Sachem to the others when the news arrived. They camped on the road outside Ira¡¯s place, knowing they would be leaving in the morning before their tents would inconvenience anyone wanting to use the road.

    Professor Ward, Rose¡¯s usual conversational partner, spent the evening plaguing Navihm with endless questions about his use of elemental and spirit magic concurrently. Rose was left conversing with Ira¡¯s brother Silas, who didn''t speak a word of Ianterran and very little of the common tongue, with either Ira or Bohan translating. The boy was endlessly interested in the Lowlands and Rose¡¯s upbringing as the daughter of a Duke. Normally, Rose would be flattered by the attention but the child¡¯s persistent questions tired her and the language barrier made conversation annoying.

    At some point in the night, Hue made a joking comment about Rose having an admirer. Rose was so irritated by the remark that she set fire to Hue¡¯s sleeve and stormed off into her tent. Hue had managed to bat out the flames before they did any damage but Rose¡¯s antics had soured the mood. The others went to bed not long after, leaving Hart to stand guard for the first shift.

    The next morning, Navihm and the others left for the two day journey to the Ninth.

    ¡°Should we send for help from the school?¡± Rose asked the Professor. ¡°The Nomads caught a spy, isn''t that proof enough of the invasion?¡±

    ¡°How long did it take for us to travel here, my dear?¡± asked the Professor. Rose understood his meaning right away. ¡°The invasion is a week away. Whatever happens will be over long before the school is able to send reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°But that was the whole point of our mission.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sweetheart, the point of our mission was to stroke the ego of the council.¡± The Professor looked at Rose with sad eyes. ¡°They wanted to do something without actually doing anything. I don''t think any of them actually believe that the continent is going to fall because of the events that happen in these next few weeks.¡±

    ¡°But they told me this was an intelligence mission. They said they couldn''t send in troops right away without any idea of what they are walking into.¡±

    ¡°Navihm and I have already discussed sending the school a message when we arrived at the Ninth. Neither of us really expect the school to do anything about it. They will reason away any obligation they have to help. They¡¯ll say that there is no way they can get here in time to help and that they need their troops to protect themselves if the invasion comes to them.¡±

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    ¡°Why did we even come?¡±

    ¡°We didn''t have much of a choice. If it wasn¡¯t us, others would have been sent. I told myself that I would lend my magical talents to the cause, but I don''t expect it will make much difference. Navihm is the only one that can win us this war, I expect.¡±

    Rose was devastated. She¡¯d wanted to be included on this trip because of the prestige if would give her amongst her peers back at the school. Her uncle was Dean Ambrose and when she¡¯d heard that they needed an advanced student to go to the North, Rose begged for the chance. She thought that her friends and fellow students would be following her and she would be able to impress them with how influential she had been to the war effort.

    All that she was faced with now was the very real possibility that she could die in this war and the continent could fall.

    The Ninth was currently home to over a hundred extra men. They were camped around the east side of Mare Aspera Bay where most of the buildings of the Ninth were located. The west side of the Bay was much rockier and too steep to be livable. Though not quite as steep as the cliffs that lined much of the rest of the North Coast. Mare Aspera Bay was one of the only places where you could land a ship and not need to scale cliffs twice as tall as an average ship¡¯s mast. That fact, combined with the Ninth being a fishing village with very little in the way of defence, made Mare Aspera Bay the most logical place of invasion.

    Every Tribe in Genticus had sent soldiers to the Ninth for it¡¯s defense. These soldiers were now milling about the village, drilling with their weapons and making other preparations for war. Their camp was arranged in clusters of coloured tents, identifying what tribe the soldiers were from. Gold for the First, green for the Fifth, Red for the Eighth and so on. The Second would add their silver to the clash of colours.

    Coloured tents were usually only given to the guarding force of a tribe. This confirmed the theory Navihm had explained to the Sachem; every tribe has stripped their guard and sent them north.

    They were greeted at the edge of the guard¡¯s grounds by a patrol. A few brief moments of talking to Navihm granted them entrance into the camp and an escort to the home of the Ninth¡¯s Rei. Rose glowered at the men of the patrol. They fawned and scrapped over Navihm when they found out he was the the great Enfeitar Navhim of the First. Rose was growing weary of these sorts of meetings between Navihm and others from his country. She wasn''t to know that Navihm was feeling the same way. He¡¯d found life in the Lowlands refreshing and even came to enjoy Rose¡¯s stubborn refusal to acknowledge the feats that earned the admiration of his countrymen. It had always made him feel a little unworthy when people talked of his Bon Accion. He was proud of them, yes, but they were no more than what anyone else would have done in the same situation.

 Chapter Thirteen Part Two

    Hart¡¯s Sworn Guard, the Ianterran guards and the others that came with them from the Second split from the group and went to set up camp in the makeshift city of tents surrounding the Ninth. Navihm and the others met with the Rei in his Solium. He was expecting them.

    ¡°Welcome Enfeitar Navihm, Regus Hart, Professor Ward, Rose.¡± The Rei rose from his seat at the top of the room. ¡°I am Rei Ryo. Welcome.¡± He pronounced his name Ree-uh. It was an unusual name to find in Genticus. It sounded to Navihm more like a Quadan name. He¡¯d met some people from the country just north of Pershus and they all had glossy black hair like the Rei. Perhaps he had some Quadan in his bloodline.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± continued the Rei. ¡°I received a message from Sachem Ahmet this morning. Quite surprising to receive this communication actually. I was under the impression that Ahmet wanted to invade my territory, kill my men and enslave my women and children. That is the sort of interaction I expect from the Nomads, but now there is talk of an alliance.¡±

    ¡°That is my doing, O Rei,¡± said Navihm.

    ¡°You brokered an alliance between the Nomads and the Tribes without my consent?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Navihm without hesitation.

    ¡°I am sorry that you went through, what I can only assume to be a lot of effort to negotiate this treaty. Unfortunately I can¡¯t agree to it.¡± The Rei looked anything but apologetic.

    ¡°What?¡± said Hart, outraged.

    ¡°I refuse to be allied to those foreign dogs.¡± Rei Ryo spoke calmly with both eyebrows risen disdainfully. ¡°I welcome the contribution your warriors bring to the cause Regus Hart, but I cannot accept any other help you would like to offer in regards to unauthorised treaties.¡±

    ¡°You can have every Genti warrior in the north at the shore but the Ninth will still fall without the help of the Nomads,¡± said Navihm darkly. There was silence in the room as Rei Ryo glared at the two cousins.

    ¡°We need them, O Rei.¡± Navihm¡¯s tone was polite but unyielding. ¡°Otherwise, we will be defeated and the continent will be overrun.¡±

    ¡°The Nomads have been our enemies since they arrived on the continent,¡± Rei Ryo said.

    ¡°You need to come to terms with the fact that we are no longer enemies,¡± said Navihm firmly. ¡°We face the same threat and unless we face it together, there is no hope for us.¡±

    ¡°Do you really expect to hold the Ninth with that force camped outside?¡± Hart chimed in, his tone much less polite than his cousin¡¯s. ¡°I saw perhaps a hundred and fifty men out there, maybe less. Most of which have never fought as an army.¡±

    ¡°We have over two hundred men ready to fight,¡± said the Rei indignantly.

    ¡°I suppose a good portion of that number is made up of fishermen.¡± Hart was less than hopeful of the quality of soldiers the Ninth could provide. ¡°This is a fishing village, O Rei,¡± Hart continued. ¡°It is mostly women and children and your men have no experience fighting.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting the Nomads for generations.¡±

    ¡°Your squabbles are hardly fighting,¡± Hart snorted. ¡°The Nomads raide merchants travelling in and out of your territory and the Ninth occasionally steals some of their herds. This is war, O Rei. This dispute you have with the Nomads is play fighting when compared to what is going to be arriving on your doorstep in less than a week.¡±

    Rei Ryo was silent for a moment, thinking about what the boys were saying. As Regus and an Enfeitar, the Rei was obliged to hear what they had to say. He was under no such obligations to actually take their advice, just listen to it. Navihm was confident that the Rei would see reason. Most of what they were saying had most likely already occurred to Rei Ryo. He just needed someone to help him overcome his prejudices. Navihm¡¯s theory was confirmed when the Rei spoke.

    ¡°You propose that the Nomads fight with us?¡± He asked tentatively.

    ¡°That is not enough,¡± said Navihm, unwilling to give any ground when the Rei was still compromising. ¡°The Nomads must be put in positions of leadership. They have men, yes, but more importantly, they have experience at being an army.¡±

    ¡°I propose we set up a war council,¡± said Hart, running on Navihm¡¯s momentum. ¡°Of course, you will be head of the council, O Rei, as well as Sachem Ahmet and any Nomad the Sachem appointed to command.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you two will also be on the council?¡± the Rei said, slightly scornfully. Navihm shook his head.

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    ¡°Neither of us has experience, which is the main objective in setting up this council,¡± said Navihm. ¡°We will be happy to report to the council with any information we may have, but we will not lead.¡±

    Rei Ryo seemed impressed with Navihm¡¯s lack of ambition and took it as a sign of sincerity. He chose to believe Navihm when he said that the Nomad¡¯s authority was necessary. After all, what other incentive could the boy have? Navihm was a Genti, an Enfeitar.

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Rei Ryo, folding his hands in his lap. ¡°There will be an alliance.¡±

    The war council met two days later when the Nomad¡¯s arrived. The tribes had never had need of a war room so the council gathered in the Solium.The Rei usually used the Solium to meet with visitors or his tribesmen seeking his counsel. It made sense to use this room for a war council meeting, it being spacious and easy for guests to get to. The Solium was currently packed with Nomads dressed in leather armour sitting around a large table that had been brought in. Sachem Ahmet and Rei Ryo sat at either end of the table, showing their mutual authority.

    The Sachem had requested that Professor Ward also attend the meeting so he currently sat wedged between two boisterous Nomads, watching them nervously. It would take only one over enthusiastic gesture for one of these men to put the Professor in hospital with a concussion. He noted their bare, muscular arms and their propensity to talk with their hands. He scooted lower in his seat.

    Rei Ryo rose from his seat, the Sachem followed his lead.

    ¡°It is time this meeting was brought to order,¡± said the Rei. As one, every man in the room fell silent. Somehow, this made them feel even more imposing to Professor Ward.

    Navihm and Hart were waiting in the other room. The Rei¡¯s Exedrium was comfortable enough with sprawling, cushioned seats and refreshments but the two men were not able to relax. Hart kept rising from his seat and pacing around the room. It was putting Navihm on edge.

    ¡°Hart. Sit.¡± Hart followed his cousin''s instructions without thought, throwing himself on the nearest seat and knocking pillows to the ground. They both knew that the outcome of this meeting could determine the fate of the continent and the tension in the room was thick because of this.

    Professor Ward entered the room. Both boys stood up immediately.

    ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± Hart asked.

    ¡°It was a bit of a rocky beginning; both the Sachem and the Rei Ryo wanted to take charge of the session.¡± Ward took a seat. ¡°Rei Ryo almost rioted when Sachem Ahmet revealed that his prisoner had escaped in the confusion of travelling here.¡±

    ¡°He probably wanted to question him himself,¡± noted Navihm, not surprised at the reveal. He¡¯d heard that news from the Sachem when he¡¯d arrived at the Ninth.

    ¡°Eventually they started discussing battle strategy and the Sachem was able to take over.¡± Ward continued. ¡°After that, things went smoothly. There was very little threatening of violence, overall.¡± Both boys let out a sigh of relief. Navihm hadn''t been sure that the two leaders would be able to work with each other after generations of bad blood, even after they had agreed to an alliance.

    ¡°Did you find out why they invited you to the meeting?¡± asked Navihm. When Sachem Ahmet requested that the professor attend the meeting, he¡¯d offered no explanation. The small group had been speculating as to the reason all morning.

    ¡°They wanted to know the magical capabilities of our elemental magic.¡± This wasn¡¯t unexpected, the Sachem was a brilliant tactician and it would be unlikely for him not to take advantage of an asset like the group from Ianterran.

    ¡°He questioned me on the limits of my magic and the sorts of things I could achieve with it and the council spent most of the meeting discussing how Rose and I could be used in the battle.¡±

    The Sachem had done much the same thing with Navihm following his interrogation of the prisoner back at the Nomad camp. He¡¯d posed endless questions and come up with applications for Navihm¡¯s gifts that he¡¯d never even considered before. Navihm was glad that the Nomads were on their side of the war.

    ¡°There will be another meeting tomorrow,¡± the Professor continued. ¡°The Sachem  wants you two and Rose to attend. We will be getting our final instructions then, along with the rest of the commandant.¡±

    ¡°This is it,¡± said Hart, looking at his hands somberly. ¡°We really are at war.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen

    Chapter Fourteen:

    On the day of the Invasion the soldiers of the tribes of Genticus and the Nomad¡¯s army gathered in the deserted city village of the Ninth. The women and children had been steadily evacuating the area in the days preceding, the last of them leaving for their temporary home at the Nomad¡¯s camp the day before the attack was due to begin.

    Navihm was waiting with the Ianterran guards he¡¯d been travelling with and a small contingent of soldiers from the Fifth and Seventh. The uniforms trimmed in green and black blending in with the small grove of trees they were standing in.

    The scout boats they¡¯d sent out in the days leading up to the invasion reported that the Somali ships would arrive just before midday. Their army had been forming up and making last minute preparations for battle since the early hours of the morning.

    Navihm¡¯s small group of warriors were camped out in the small groves of trees just west of the village. Most of the homes and buildings were built around the docks on the east side of the Mare Aspera bay, where the coastline was much more forgiving.

    ¡°Enfeitar?¡± said Malachi to Navihm.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Malachi was the commander of the guards of the Fifth. During this battle, Malachi would act as Navihm¡¯s second in command for the small group of two Unum stationed in the grove.

    ¡°We have a visitor.¡± He gestured behind him. Enfeitar Naeva stood there, dressed for battle.

    ¡°I have come to help,¡± she said. ¡°I wanted to fight with my tribesmen, with your permission, that is.¡± Navihm eyed the twin swords she had strapped to her back with their wicked hooked ends and moon shaped guards over where her fingers would sit. He knew that such weapons would require a great amount of skill to use effectively.

    ¡°You are very welcome to fight with us.¡± Navihm was confident that she would be a very capable warrior.

    ¡°It looks like this fight will be happening sooner than expected. Here they come.¡± Malachi pointed to the horizon where six ships were just visible. The rest of the troops immediately hunkered down and ducked behind trees and bushes. They were to be mounting a surprise attack partway into the battle and no one wanted to give away their position prematurely. There wasn''t much chance of them being spotted with the enemy this far away but Navihm wasn''t taking any chances. He took position behind a bush where he still had a good line of site to the beach.

    The invasion would start within the hour.

    While they waited, Navihm explained the details of the plan to Naeva.

    The town of the Ninth was eerily quiet as the boats approached. Navihm could see the reds and blues of the Eighth and Third troops where they stood in wait at the docks.

    The invaders will attack the east side, at the docks. The Sachem had said in that final meeting. It is the easiest way to get their soldiers from the boats to the land.

    Navihm watched as all six boats, bearing about a hundred men each, veered towards where the docks jutted out into the bay. The docks were built for scores of fishing boats to harbour and were plenty big enough for two of the Somali ships to moor. Even from the trees, they could hear the jeering and war cries of the invaders as three of their ships pulled in next to the jetties.

    Let as many men as possible debark from the ship before you strike. The Sachem had told the leaders of the Third and Eighth.

    Three hundred men descended on the town, pouring over their ship¡¯s bulwark and charging towards the men standing amongst the buildings. The Somal troops outnumbered the pitifully small group of Genti defenders three to one, with just three of their ships.

    Before the invaders could reach the end of the jetty, the trumpet of a horn echoed through the streets. At that signal, the soldiers of the Third and the Eighth suddenly reared back, hauling on thick ropes attached to the poles anchoring the jetty to the sea floor. They¡¯d spent days weakening the structures and rigging them to collapse.

    Once they are in the water, they will be easy pickings. Don''t bother getting close, kill as many as you can before they get to shore. Every body floating in the water is an encumbrance to his comrades behind him.

    The piers crumbled with sharp sounds of wood and bone snapping. They gave way under the weight of hundreds of men and the result was devastating. Those who were not trampled, drowned or pierced by the broken jetties were left floating, clutching bits of wood to stay afloat. The Genti soldiers stood on the bricked and reinforced shoreline and threw rocks and spears at the vulnerable invaders, reducing their numbers by calamitous amounts.

    A few did make it to the shore, climbing up the stone walls that separated land and sea and facing the Genti force that greeted them. Their fight was short and savage. Almost twenty defenders were killed before they managed to push back the first attack.

    By Navihm¡¯s count, almost two hundred Somali men were lost in that first bloody battle. Most of those who survived were on the last ship to dock, not everyone had been unloaded when the jetties were demolished.

    When their first attack fails they will head for the beach.

    This ship, with it¡¯s remaining crew, turned back to join the other ships. For a minute, the enemy just milled around, as if stunned by what had just occurred. Then they pointed their ships towards the beach.

    They will be forced to enter one at a time because of the narrow entrance. We will use this to our advantage.

    The enclosed beach separated the man made docks and the rocky cliff areas of the bay. To access the beach, the ships had to pass through a twenty metre wide section of water with rocks on one side and an army of Genti soldiers on the other.It then opened up into a basin-like beach.

    Rose, Professor Ward, it will be your job to make that landing as difficult as possible for them.

    The water was already treacherous on the west side of the bay. Rose and the Professor had done their best the day before to make the mouth of the beach equally perilous. They¡¯d risen rocks from the sea floor until they jutted up just below the surface. They¡¯d also grown a reef specifically to wreak havoc on the underside of the enemy ships.

    The first ship had gained momentum, speeding towards the beach over calm waters. When it reached the narrowest point, there was a groaning shriek of wood as the hull of the ship scraped against the new reef. The ship was immediately crippled. It crabbed sideways, the stern swinging around with it¡¯s own momentum, turning the ship almost completely aboutface. The spinning and listing was brought to a halt when the ship slammed into a rock and stuck. The crew was thrown off their feet and the ship was pinned there, water gushing through the brand new hole in the hull.

    It won''t injure or kill many Somalis, but it will slow them down. We want to avoid facing their whole army at once. If we can tie up some of their troops in a stranded ship or two and prevent their whole fleet from descending on us at once with an easy landing on the beach, we will be at an advantage.

    The ship directly behind it¡¯s stranded comrades managed to avoid the same fate by veering off course and almost beaching itself on the rocky ledge that made up the west side of the bay. The three remaining ships, one with almost a third of it¡¯s crew floating dead in the water, headed towards their only avenue of advance. The west.

    We want them to breach our shores over the rock pools. They will be forced to pick their way over to solid ground through the rocks, rather than descend on us en masse from their ships. They will be slow and clumped together. That is when the archers strike.

    Every soldier from the Tribes and the Nomads proficient in the use of a bow and arrow was situated on the rocky outcrops above the bay. Almost one hundred men, untouchable by the enemy rained devastation amongst the ranks of invading Somali troops making their way to the shore.

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    Navihm¡¯s group waited in the trees watching the invaders advance on their position. The grove where they waited was the nearest point of cover from the arrows. The enemy would come right to them.

    Wait until the very last moment to strike, Navihm. You want to wait until a good number of Somalis are in the trees before you give your position away.

    Navihm lay in wait, his two unum of men frozen in anticipation. He held up one hand in preparation for signalling for his troops to attack. The Sachem was worried that if they attacked too soon, the element of surprise would not be used to their full advantage. Navihm was concerned that if he waited too long, his troops would be faced with too many Somali soldiers and would be overwhelmed. It was a fine balance.

    Navihm waited. The enemy was arriving at the grove, perhaps thirty of them had taken shelter. Still, he waited. Twenty more arrived, some nursing arrow wounds and twisted ankles from the treacherous climb over the rocks. Navihm clenched his hand into a fist. His troops immediately surged forwards, taking out their closest enemies. There was no shouts or jeering, they stormed the trees silently, slaughtering over half the invaders before their comrades knew they were there.

    Navihm used his daggers to slice at leg tendons and throats. Naeva followed close behind him, holding one sword in a reverse grip and using the short blade mounted on the end of the hilt to stab and slash. The invading Somalis began to notice the Genti assassins amongst their ranks and started fighting back. When the fighting became fiercer, Naeva unsheathed her other sword and used the crescent shaped guard, mounted parallel to the blade to parry sword strikes and thrust forward at unprotected necks. Malachi let out a war cry and their small group broke out of the protection of the trees.

    More and more Somalis were arriving at the grove of trees, but Navihm¡¯s small group was able to push them back out into the open, in the line of fire of the archers still mounted on the cliffs. Navihm drew his sword and was now fighting with it in one hand and a dagger in the other.

    He could hear shouting and sounds of fighting from the beach. The Somali soldiers from the stranded ship had abandoned the vessel, wading through the water and making their way up the beach. The Gentis that had defended the docks were now defending the beach, reinforced by guards from the Second and First.

    Hart, mount up your Sworn Guard. You will be a mobile force. It is your responsibility to note any weak spots in our defense and shore them up.

    The drumming of horse hooves could be heard over the sounds of battle. Hart was leading his Sworn Guard in a sweeping charge at the south end of the bay, stopping any Somalis from breaking through the line of defenders and making their way deeper into Genti territory.

    The final group of tribesmen, made up of guards from the rest of the tribes swept in from the east, forcing the invaders away from their ships.

    We will force them towards the centre of the bay. Trap them between the soldiers moving in from the east and those from the west that will be converging on anyone who made it to the beach. Navihm, keep those invaders away from the safety of the trees.

    Navihm¡¯s small group was fighting gallantly, now out in the open. They¡¯d forced the invaders out of the trees and back into open land. Naeva was using her swords with devastating effect now she was out of the confines of the trees. She didn''t even need to get close to an enemy, instead, linking her swords together by their hooked ends and swinging them in bewildering circles, the blades on the hilts slicing and cutting. This style of fighting suited a woman as she didn''t need to tire herself out by pitting her brawn against the brute strength of the men she faced. Navihm could still hear Malachi¡¯s war cry.

    The strength of Navihm¡¯s troops was failing. The Genti¡¯s were faced with a seemingly unending amount of enemies, all trying to make it to the safety of the trees. The archers could only safely aim for the ranks of soldiers at the back of the group of advancing Somalis so the Genti soldiers in the trees bour the brunt of the fighting once their enemies closed in on them.

    Navihm watched as Malachi was cut down. More and more of his soldiers fell and they were forced to give ground, retreating to the trees. Navihm was about to call a retreat when the thundering of hooves and whooping war cries signaled the approach of Hart¡¯s Sworn Guard. The mounted troops drove a wedge in the advancing enemy lines, breaking their formation and driving them away from the trees.

    The respite was a brief one, the last of the Somali invaders had made their way to the shore and the fresh troops were now fighting the exhausted Genti soldiers. Just as the tide of battle began to turn against the Gentis, three short trumpet blasts echoed over the bay. Immediately, ranks of Nomad soldiers marched over the ridge rimming the bay.

    The Somali don¡¯t know about our alliance, we can use this to our advantage. They will throw everything they have at defeating the Genti army, thinking that is all they will face, then my army will step in and finish them.

    Bohan was amongst the ranks of Nomads. He lead the Sachem¡¯s Veiled Guards right into the heart of the invader¡¯s forces.

    The Nomads devastated what was left of the ranks of Somali. Though their enemies still outnumbered them, they were spread out and exhausted. Navihm retreated back into the trees and began tending to the wounded in the two Unum he commanded.

    Navihm was tending to a slash on Naeva¡¯s arm when he saw Hart approach on his grey mount. The battle still raged around them and Hart looked pale and a little sick. Navihm was immediately worried.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Navihm asked. He scanned Hart¡¯s aura quickly; he wasn''t hurt, he was distressed.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I-¡± Navihm didn''t wait for him to finish, taking off in the direction Hart had come from.

    He found Bohan laying still on the ground with a arrow through his chest. Navihm fell to his knees next to Bohan¡¯s prone body, heedless of the blood and gore. Navihm pressed his palms against his friend¡¯s chest. He pumped healing magic through his heart, tearing it recklessly directly from the reservoir pooling in his mind.

    Bohan¡¯s wounds shuddered and began to reluctantly knit together.

    ¡°Hart!¡± Navihm implored. He hadn''t consciously realised that his cousin was standing by his shoulder, he¡¯d just known he¡¯d be there, like he always was. Navihm didn''t need to say anything more than that, Hart was already throwing himself down into the muck, right beside Navihm.

    Hart grasped the arrow, removing it gently but firmly. Gore gushed from the wound but Navihm magic was already there; stemming the flow and weaving the soft flesh back together. Hart added his hands to Navihm¡¯s glowing ones. He didn''t have Navihm¡¯s skill for healing, but he did have energy. Hart tapped into the flood of magic Navihm was pouring into Bohan and added his strength, allowing Navihm to guide his magic.

    It was incredibly difficult, something Hart had only heard about and never attempted before. He didn''t think about that. Grief was radiating off Navihm visibly, threading his aura with inky blackness.

    Failure was an option Hart didn''t even stop to consider.

    When the healing was complete, the boys sat back, searching for any sign of life. They found none. Bohan¡¯s body was perfect, but devoid of life. A completely whole but empty husk.

    Navihm¡¯s heart thudded painfully. He was too late. He felt Hart¡¯s hand on his shoulder but he refused to be comforted.

    This is my fault, Navihm thought. Navihm¡¯s eyes burned, but no tears fell. He choked on the cold lump of certainty that this was his fault. He was the one that convinced the Nomads to join their cause. His death was on Navihm¡¯s conscious. Ira had lost her husband. A child would grow up without a father, just like Navihm had.

    My fault.

    <hr />

    This is one of the longest chapters in the entire book but I decided to upload it as one part because I didn''t want to break the flow.

    Let me know what you think of the chapter.

 Chapter Fifteen

    Chapter Fifteen:

    Navihm had refused to return to the Nomad¡¯s camp on the journey back, not wanting the face Ira, so the small group were headed directly back to the school. They had been on the road for less than an hour when Navihm stopped them. Something was bothering him. He realised that he had unconsciously been feeding a small amount of his awareness into the earth, drawing from the ground¡¯s strength and comforting solidness. It had been an exhausting few days. They¡¯d stayed at the Ninth for almost a week after the battle. Navihm had been tending to the wounded, healing non-stop since the death of Bohan. Keeping busy had helped distract him from his grief and guilt and the exhaustion he¡¯d pushed himself towards everyday meant that he slept as soon as he lay down, without nightmares.

    While connected to the earth with his elemental magic, Navihm had sensed a disturbance, much like when someone crossed a ward.

    ¡°Someone is coming,¡± he said when his cousin questioned why he stopped so suddenly.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Hart asked.

    ¡°Look at the cloud of dust,¡± he replied, pointing to a thin haze of dust, visible behind them. He neglected to mention that he only looked for the telltale signs of passage through the desert because he was monitoring his surroundings with a strange blend of his elemental and spirit powers. He hadn¡¯t even known that was possible. Perhaps it was simply intuition, not his magics, warning of approaching danger.

    The group spread out to meet the incoming riders. As they got closer, it became apparent that it was a lone rider, moving quite swiftly. Pushing a horse that much in the desert meant only that the rider didn''t mean to go very far. There wasn''t any settlements in this direction, Navihm¡¯s group could be his only destination. Still, one rider hardly constituted a threat and Navihm couldn¡¯t sense any malicious intent from his aura. They let him approach.

    ¡°Enfeitar Navihm!¡± the rider called out. Now that he was upon them, Navihm could see he wore Nomad clothing. He recognized him as a messenger for Sachem Ahmet.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± demanded Hart.

    ¡°I have a message for Enfeitar Navihm,¡± said the rider. ¡°It arrived at our camp by bird. It is urgent.¡± He dismounted and offered a piece of paper to Navihm. The rest of the group followed his example and dismounted.

    Hart watched his cousin anxiously as he read the message. He knew it had to be important if the Sachem felt the need to send a rider out at full speed during the hottest part of the day in the desert. Hart didn''t think it would be good news. This suspicion was confirmed as he watched the colour drain out of his cousin¡¯s face and rage thread through his aura.

    ¡°Nav?¡± Hart placed his hand on Navihm¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Navihm¡¯s only response was to shove the letter towards Hart, draw his sword and stalk out into the desert. They watched silently as he march off furiously, hands clenched so tightly around his sword hilt that his knuckles were white.

    Hart skimmed the letter, going as pale as his cousin.

    ¡°Navihm¡¯s mother and his betrothed have been attacked by assassins,¡± he said gravely. ¡°They survived, but we don''t know if they will be attacked again.¡±

    ¡°Why would they have been attacked?¡± asked Professor Ward.

    ¡°They are the only family Navihm has in the First,¡± said Hart, re-reading the letter. ¡°It must be because of him. The only reason someone could have for attacking them both is revenge against Navihm for his part in what happened during the invasion.¡±

    ¡°That captive did escape,¡± said the Professor, remembering what Sachem Ahmet had said in the war council meeting. ¡°The enemy would be aware of what Navihm did.¡±

    ¡°I don''t understand,¡± said Rose. Hart turned to look at her. ¡°Navihm¡¯s engaged?¡±

    Hart was struck dumb for a few breaths. ¡°You¡¯ve been traveling with him for over a month and attended the same school for weeks and you didn''t know he was engaged?¡± he said when he finally found his voice. ¡°How many times has he been congratulated on his bonding? What did you think that meant?¡±

    Rose shrugged helplessly.

    ¡°You didn''t think to ask?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Hart pressed his palms into his eyes in frustration. ¡°Navihm is engaged to be married to Regina Kaia of the First, daughter of Rei Amias of the First,¡± he explained slowly. ¡°She was just attacked and almost killed, along with his mother, Prophet Healani of the First.¡± Hart could hardly believe that he needed to spell this out so plainly. Everyone else seemed to be aware of these facts. Not one other member of the small group of Ianterrans looked the slightest bit shocked at the news of Navihm¡¯s engagement.

    ¡°Navihm¡¯s engaged to a Princess?¡± said Rose, bewildered by the turn of events. Hart threw up his hands. This stupid Lowlander seemed to focus on the most ridiculous things. She didn''t seem the in the least bit concerned about Kaia and Navihm¡¯s mother being attacked. He got the impression that Roses priorities were completely skewed towards her own self interests. He didn''t have time to deal with her. He left the others to talk amongst themselves and walked over to where Navihm was. He was crouched on the balls of his feet with the tip of his sword driven into the sand and his forehead resting on the pommel.

    ¡°I am not okay, if that is what you were going to ask.¡± Navihm didn¡¯t bother opening his eyes. Hart looked at the way Navihm was grinding his teeth together and taking in deep calming breaths.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± he said, crouching next to Navihm. ¡°This isn''t your fault, you know.¡±

    Navihm glared at him out of the corner of his eye. Hart could tell that he didn¡¯t believe that. He put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°This isn''t your fault,¡± Hart repeated. ¡°You know that your mother and Kaia would say the same thing.¡±

    ¡°They were almost hurt, or worse because of me,¡± Navihm said quietly, staring off at the horizon.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t because of you Nav. You did the right thing.¡± Navihm didn''t quite finch at his cousin''s gentle tone.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Maybe if I-¡±

    ¡°This isn''t your fault, Nav,¡± Hart cut him off. ¡°Stop trying to take on this responsibility. The only thing we can do now is go home and make things right. The Rei¡¯s letter said that he was unsure that all the assassins were caught, we need to get back to the First and make sure they are safe.¡± Navihm nodded. The sharp lance of fear had settled to a dull ache of worry, nestling itself behind Navihm¡¯s tired eyes.

    ¡°We should head along the coast,¡± he said. ¡°It will be a much easier ride than the desert and we can comfortably push our horses harder. We can catch a boat from the Tenth and travel upriver almost to the First¡¯s doorstep.¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± said Hart, standing up and shaking off the sand that clung to his knees. ¡°Take a few minutes on your own, I will go and tell the others the plan.¡±

    Hart walked over to where the others were milling about, looking nervously over at Navihm, and explained their change in destination.

    ¡°I understand if you need to return to your school,¡± he said to the Ianterrans. ¡°But Navihm and I won''t be able to escort you.¡± Professor Ward took out a map, tracing the route Hart described.

    ¡°This doesn''t actually go too far out of our way,¡± said the Professor. ¡°Not if you take into account the time it would save travelling along the coast and by boat. I think it would be best if we accompanied you. It is not a good idea for us foreigners to travel through your country without a translator or guide. Besides, I think we are all worried for the safety of Navihm¡¯s family.¡± All the guards nodded in agreement. Perhaps they could be of some assistance in keeping his family safe.

    Navihm chose that moment to return to where the others were standing.

    ¡°We are going with you, Navihm,¡± said Hue, mounting his horse.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Navihm, bowing deeply in gratitude to each member of the group.

    ¡°There is no need for that, my boy,¡± said Professor Ward, mounting up also. ¡°We need to get a move on!¡± Navihm nodded and took the lead towards the North coast.

    It was a long way to the First and Navihm wasn¡¯t going to waste any time getting there.

    Three days later, Hue and Navihm found themselves alone by the campfire. Most of the others had already disappeared into their tents, exhausted by the hard travel. It was Hue¡¯s turn to keep watch and he was making himself comfortable in his wadded up bedroll. Navihm liked to keep at least one person on guard during the night; there were plenty of people around these parts who would recognise his wards for what they were. There was always a chance that one of these people would be powerful and skilled enough to break his wards without alerting him. Thus, the guard schedule.

    Navihm was busy making up a new ward. It was taking him much longer than usual to tie the bits of red fabric on the ends of the twigs. He was struggling to force his tired eyes to focus and his fingers were clumsy with fatigue. He¡¯d made a ward at the beginning of their journey three days ago but it was already dead. His wards usually lasted a week and when questioned by the others, he¡¯d said that this particular ward had died quicker because there wasn''t as much life in the desert foliage he¡¯d used.

    The truth of the matter was that Navihm was tired.

    He was bone weary and his magic dwelling in his wells was running lower than he¡¯d ever sensed before. He¡¯d been constantly drawing energy from his surroundings but it wasn''t enough to keep up with the rough travel and sleepless nights he¡¯d been enduring.

    Navihm fumbled, dropping the stick he¡¯d been working on. Before he was able to pick it up Hue was there, handing it to him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Navihm said, grateful for more than just the stick. Hue had always been someone Navihm could rely on, but the past few days, he¡¯d stepped up, seeing Navihm¡¯s need. He¡¯d taken on extra duties around the camp, kept Rose from causing too much trouble with the very personal questions she wanted to plague Navihm with and helped Professor Ward keep up with the others. He¡¯d been struggling with the extra travel they were forced to do each day. The watch Hue was doing that night was actually originally the Professor¡¯s, but Hue had elected to take it so the older man could get some more sleep.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Hue asked Navihm, noting the dark circles under his eyes. Hue picked up a stick and began helping him.

    ¡°Worn,¡± Navihm said. That was putting it mildly. Hue doubted he had gotten a full night¡¯s sleep in the last week. He looked like death warmed over.

    ¡°Are you close with your mother?¡± Hue asked, changing the subject. Navihm had said little about his mother and betrothed the last few days, even though they were the reason for their journey.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Navihm smiled fondly. It was his first smile in days. ¡°Very close. I don''t have a father, you see. It has just been me and her.¡±

    ¡°My father left a few years back,¡± Hue said softly. The two just sat together for a moment in melancholy comradery.

    ¡°I miss my mother,¡± said Hue finally. ¡°I didn''t have a chance to say goodbye to her or my sisters before I left. They live three days ride from the school, you see.¡±

    ¡°Do you get many chances to visit?¡±

    ¡°No. The school guards only get one day off a week. I¡¯ve only gone home once since I started work.¡± Navihm placed one hand on Hue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The mages say that little Abilene is gifted. She¡¯s only fourteen but I needed to start thinking about how we can afford her tuition. Being a guard at the school will help her get in.¡±

    ¡°Is Abilene your sister?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Hue smiled and added a piece of wood in the fire. ¡°She will be turning fifteen in the winter.¡±

    The two were silent for a moment before Hue deliberately shook off his homesickness.

    ¡°Tell me more about your mother,¡± Hue asked Navihm. Navihm chuckled softly.

    ¡°Where should I start?¡±

    <hr />

    I couldn''t find a good place to break this chapter up so its going up as one piece again.

    Let me know what you think of the direction the story is taking. Did you see this coming?

 Chapter Sixteen Part One

    Chapter Sixteen:

    The Tenth was unlike any other village Rose had ever seen before, even in Genticus. The buildings covered the whole valley, sprawling along the river haphazardly. She could see tiny boats floating at the river mouth, almost in the ocean proper.

    ¡°Is this a fishing village too?¡± she asked, pointing to the boats.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t boats, they¡¯re mines,¡± explained Navihm. ¡°The river carries salts from the Aura mountains. The water travels too fast for it to be mined upriver but when it hits the ocean, the currents slow and deposit all the minerals and sediments in the river delta. See where the water is a lighter blue?¡± He pointed to a large area of water fanning out from where the river reached the ocean. ¡°The water there is shallow and slow moving, that¡¯s called the river delta. Those buildings you see out there are permanent. They anchor them using stilts and mine the mineral-rich mud and salts from the ocean floor.¡±

    By now, Rose and the others were used to these little sermons Navihm was prone to. It was a byproduct of being raised by a teacher.

    They entered the village and the view of the river was blocked by the maze of buildings and homes that made up the Tenth. The valley had once contained the town but now it had grown so big it spilled over the edge of the bluffs bordering the river.

    Unlike other Genti towns, this one was a mash of many different cultures. Situated on a stretch of the coast between the Shallow Sea and the North Ocean, the Tenth was the hub of international trading for every country across the waters. It was at the Tenth where the Persians first landed in Genticus, fleeing persecution from their country across the Shallow Sea.

    It had been more than a year since Navihm had been here, but he still knew his way around.

    ¡°I know a good place to stay,¡± he said. He lead the group through the narrow alleys and crowded streets. They made their way a double story building with sliding door. The windows were made of bamboo and a paper thin material that the Ianterrans had never seen before. Rose ran her fingers over a window, it felt waxy and surprisingly tough. The building was unlike any she¡¯d seen. The roof bowed inwardly and jutted out from the walls to create an overhang. The door was made of the same fibrous material as the windows and depicted a painted dragon and strange lettering.

    The inside was just as curious. The walls were draped in soft, brightly coloured cotton and the tables and chairs were made of soft woods and sawn off logs that had been lacquered and polished until they gleamed a dark, golden brown. Most of the tables were full of guests, drinking and eating and listening to the musician play a soft haunting tune on his lyre.

    ¡°Navihm!¡± called a dark haired girl from behind the bar. She was wearing long skirts and a loose white top, bound over her stomach with a wide red belt. She walked up to greet them and Rose saw that her skirts were actually loose, flowing pants. The girl was chattering delightedly to Navihm in a language Rose couldn''t understand.

    ¡°What is she saying?¡± she asked Hart. He shrugged.

    ¡°I don''t know. I don''t speak Quadan.¡±

    Navihm was responding to the girl in her own language. He called her Jia.

    ¡°Come, Jia,¡± he said in the common language. ¡°Meet my friends. We need some rooms for the next day or two. I know that it is short notice, but do you have enough room for all of us?¡± She nodded gaily, smiling prettily at her guests.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± she said to the others, bowing deeply. Her silky black hair was piled on top of her head and wobble precariously as she bowed to them. ¡°I will talk with my mother and we will see about your rooms. Please, take a seat and enjoy a meal and music.¡± She disappeared through a door behind the bar. Navihm led them to two empty tables.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.A Quadan woman about Jai¡¯s age came over as soon as they had taken their seats and placed a cup in front of each of them and a teapot at each table. Navihm thanked her by name and she blushed and bowed.

    ¡°The owner of this inn is Bo, Jia¡¯s mother,¡± Navihm said, loud enough so the guards seated at the table next to them could hear. ¡°She owes me a favour or two. We should have a comfortable stay here for as long as it takes to conduct what business I have in town.¡±

    ¡°And what business is that?¡± Rose was at a loss to why they would need to spend more than one night in the Tenth.

    ¡°I am going to find who carried out the hit on my family and kill them,¡± Navihm said, sipping his tea.

    ¡°It makes sense to look here,¡± said Hart, not missing a beat. ¡°No one in Genticus is mad enough to attack your mother or Kaia. You are too well known and feared. It would have to be contract work by a foreign assassin.¡±

    The girl who brought them their tea brought out a tray of steaming food for each table. It was mostly leaves layered together and folded into thick packets. Navihm pulled open one of these packets gingerly, wary of the cloud of hot steam that was released when he did so, to reveal steamed dumplings. Another girl placed utensils and cups of water in front of each of them. Rose noticed that Navihm wasn''t given a fork like the rest of them, but two thin sticks which he pinched between his thumb and forefinger and expertly used to pick up food and dip it into the small bowl of dark sauce.

    Their meal was interrupted by Jai and an older lady dressed similarly to her.

    ¡°Mistress Bo,¡± Navihm greeted.

    ¡°Navihm, I was wondering when you would return,¡± she said. Bo unfolded her hands from within her wide sleeves and patted Navihm on the cheek fondly. ¡°I have come to tell you that  your rooms are ready. I have prepared the entire top floor for you and your friends.¡±

    ¡°You have my thanks, Mistress Bo.¡± Navihm rose from his seat and bowed.

    ¡°After you found my Jia when she was taken, this is nothing.¡± Bo¡¯s eyes crinkled as she smiled. ¡°I shall get my girls to prepare you a bath for when you finish your meal.¡± She gestured to Jai, who was still standing at her back. The younger girl scurried off, presumably to see to their baths.

    ¡°Mistress, I was hoping you would help me get some information discreetly,¡± inquired Navihm in a lowered voice. Bo leaned in closer. ¡°Who would I talk to if I wanted to have someone killed? Someone very dear to me recently was on the wrong end of one such failed transaction and I would like to put a stop to that sort of thing happening to her again.¡±

    ¡°That would be Mr. Black, Navihm dear,¡± said Bo anxiously. ¡°He runs most of that sort of thing here. He was behind most of my girls¡¯ abductions and he organised who bought or rented them before they came to work here.¡± She glanced around the room at the young girls she had serving tables and cleaning. Navihm had saved these girls when he¡¯d saved Jai from a life of slavery and forced prostitution. Bo gave those of them who no longer had homes work and board. They reminded her of what could have happened to Jia if Navihm hadn''t gotten to her in time. Thanks to Navihm, her family was much bigger and these girls were safe.

    ¡°Where can I find him?¡±

    ¡°He has an office at the docks.¡±

    <hr />

    Part one of two. I''ve had some technical issues so there wasn''t an update yesterday. I hope this chapter makes up for it, it''s one of my favourites (especially the next bit.)

    LaughingStock001, you wanted to see some assassins get tortured, right? I hope this next bit is close enough!

 Chapter Sixteen Part Two

    Navihm had found Mr. Black''s office with very little trouble. All he had needed to do was question a few of the less honorable looking men hanging around the docks and they were happy to direct him where he wanted to go. It took less than a minute of holding one such man over the edge of the roof of the building he had just robbed before the thief gave Navihm very detailed directions.

    Navihm was sitting at Mr. Black¡¯s desk, waiting for him to return. He spent the time rifling through the papers in the draw. His written Pershus was a little out of practice, but they looked like selling records for women and children as well as details of black market tradings.

    ¡°You have a very extensive operation here, Mr. Black,¡± said Navihm, not looking up from the papers. The man in question had just entered the office flanked by two guards. ¡°I wonder why you don''t put more effort into keeping these documents hidden. You¡¯ve grown a bit too comfortable here I think.¡±

    Mr. Black did, in fact, usually keep his private files in a more secure place. It was bad timing that his office just happened to be broken into when he¡¯d stepped out to deal with a security issue and had only bothered to place the papers in a locked draw. This stranger was right, he was growing too comfortable. The local law didn''t even constitute a threat anymore and there was little competition.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± said Mr. Black. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of my employer,¡± said the tall native. ¡°I¡¯m enquiring into whether his contract has been carried out against Regina Kaia of the First and Prophet Healani of the First. You¡¯ve had ample time to perform the hit, yet no confirmation of completion was received.¡±

    Navihm wanted to be sure he had the right man. Not that he would feel terribly bad putting scum like this out of his misery, but he needed to make sure his family was safe.

    ¡°You can tell your employer that this contract will be completed, on my terms.¡± Mr. Black went slighted red. ¡°I was given no timeframe, nor any other directions. There is no reason for you to be here questioning my methods.¡±

    Navihm stood and circled the desk so it wouldn''t be in his way.

    ¡°You are telling me that hit on my mother and my wife has yet to be completed?¡± he said, tucking the papers into a pocket.

    ¡°What are you doing with those?¡± It took a moment for Mr. Black to stop fixating on his papers and realise what Navihm had said. ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    Navihm was already on top of them, launching himself off the desk, straight at one of Mr. Black¡¯s guards. He punched him right in the throat then was forced to duck the other guard¡¯s flailing arms. Navihm twisted out of the way, lashing out with a kick that drove his heel into the side of the second guard¡¯s knee. While the two hulking men were distracted, Navihm grabbed Mr. Black by the shirtfront and hurled him into the desk, knocking it over.

    The second guard had recovered enough to grab Navihm by his shoulder from behind. Navihm drove an elbow into his gut, twisted around and punched him in the nose. He kicked his other knee for good measure.

    The first guard stumbled towards him, still clutching his throat. Navihm could see that Mr. Black was starting to get up from the wreckage of the desk so he took the final guard out quickly with another jab to the throat and an elbow to the temple.

    Mr. Black had recovered enough to make a mad dash for the door. Navihm caught him around the waist and dragged him back into the room like he might do with a mischievous child. Navihm righted a chair that had been knocked over and deposited the small man in it.

    ¡°Now that it¡¯s just the two of us, Mr. Black, perhaps we can get down to business.¡± Navihm braced himself using the chair¡¯s armrests and leaned in so their noses were almost touching. ¡°Tell me, how many girls do you have waiting to be sold?¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°I don''t know what you are talking about,¡± said Mr. Black, sweating slightly.

    ¡°Now, now, Mr. Black. There is no need to lie to me.¡± Navihm tapped him on the cheek firmly. ¡°I thought I had handled that nasty little operation last summer, but according to these,¡± he pulled out the papers, ¡°it was you behind those abductions, not that poor sod that had his hands separated from his wrists when he interfered with my rescue operation. I¡¯m sure you were quite happy to let him take the fall, but somehow I don''t think you will be so lucky this time.

    ¡°Where are the girls?¡±

    ¡°I don''t have any girls,¡± said Mr. Black. ¡°I haven''t had another shipment come through.¡± Mr. Black¡¯s pulse increased sharply at his words.

    ¡°You should know, I don''t like liars very much.¡± Navihm pulled out his dagger and pressed the flat of the blade against Black¡¯s cheek. ¡°Are they in this building?¡±

    ¡°No. There are no girls here, I told you.¡± Navihm was monitoring his pulse carefully, looking for any sign of a lie. He found none.

    ¡°That¡¯s much better, Mr. Black,¡± he said cheerfully, withdrawing his dagger. ¡°Let''s try and keep up with that honesty. So, they aren¡¯t here. Are they close?¡±

    Mr. Black didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Are they on the docks, or further into the city?¡±

    ¡°There is no girls!¡± Black spat at Navihm¡¯s feet. Navihm glared at the other man.

    ¡°I warned you, Mr. Black.¡± Navihm grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him out of the chair. ¡°I don''t like liers. We are going to take a little walk and you and I are going to have an honest little conversation.¡±

    At the same time this conversation was occurring inside Mr. Black¡¯s office, a man was walking hurriedly through the docks on his way home. Haco knew the docks were a dangerous place at night so he was walking quickly with his head down. He shouldn¡¯t have stayed for that last drink with his friends. Haco had no idea what was going on inside the unobtrusive little building across the road. That is, he had no idea until a small man with dark skin and dark, lank hair was hurled out of the second story window to land in a heap at his feet.

    Haco stared at the groaning man, bewildered. The height he fell from wasn''t so severe that he was seriously injured, but he was clutching his shoulder and moaning in pain.

    Another man, this one very tall with menacing dark eyes, exited the building.

    ¡°Are we feeling a bit more cooperative now, Mr. Black?¡± the Genti man said, lifting the groaning man to his feet by his hair. Haco blinked. This was Mr. Black? The man everyone in the Tenth feared?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see this friend,¡± the tall man said to Haco. ¡°It would be a great help to me if you could send the guard. I have a delivery for them.¡± He hitched Mr. Black up a little higher, showing Haco his bleeding face.

    Haco nodded and hurried off, eager to be away from this intimidating Genti.

    ¡°Now, let''s take a wander around and see if we can find our friends.¡± He heard him say to Mr. Black as he ran down the street.

    <hr />

    Navihm isn''t taking anyone''s crap =)

    Shout out to AntKiller and Diddley_squat who have commented on almost every one of my chapters! Thanks for your review Diddley_squat and bharg7, your encouragement means a lot and I love finding out how you feel about the chapter/characters.

 Chapter Seventeen Part One

    Chapter Seventeen:

    Navihm spent most of the night talking to the commander of the Guard. Finding the warehouse full of frightened girls had been relatively easy, it was dealing with the idiot who was supposed to be stopping these crimes from happening that was the difficult part.

    ¡°You should have taken this information to me and let my guard take care of it,¡± the commander was saying. He had said this many times during his questioning of Navihm.

    ¡°Commander, there is no doubt in my mind that if I had left this up to you, these girls would have been sold and shipped by now.¡± Navihm had grown impatient. ¡°It took me less than an hour to achieve what your guard has failed to do for at least a year, perhaps even longer. Two people I love were almost killed because of your ineptitude and now you have the audacity to chastise me for handing you over the biggest criminal in the Tenth and enough evidence to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.¡±

    Navihm took a calming breath.

    ¡°If there is nothing else?¡± He didn''t wait for the commander to respond. ¡°Good day to you, Commander. I think I am done here.¡±

    Navihm muttered indignantly to himself the entire way back to the inn. He guessed that he would be able to get a few hours of sleep in before the sun rose and the others woke. In the morning, he would see about getting them transportation up the river.

    ¡°So, Mr. Black is in prison now?¡± said Rose. It was the next morning and Navihm was explaining what had happened the night before.

    ¡°Yes, along with anyone that was found at his office or at the warehouse where they kept the girls.¡± Navihm was feeling much better than he had in weeks due to the capturing of the Mr. Black, the warm tea he nursed and the long soak he¡¯d had that morning in the natural hot springs Mistress Bo¡¯s inn was built on top of.

    ¡°So we move on today?¡± asked Hart, spearing another spiced pork bun.

    ¡°Yes, as soon as we are done with breakfast, we should head over to the docks and find someone who is willing to take us upriver.¡±

    ¡°How do we know anyone is heading that way?¡± asked Rose. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t most ships be trading across the ocean, not upriver?¡±

    ¡°We will find something,¡± Navihm said confidently. ¡°I have a good feeling.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, in that case, I¡¯m sure everything will be fine,¡± Rose said sarcastically.

    Navihm¡¯s hunch paid off. Almost as soon as they arrived at the docks, a sailor called out a greeting to Navihm.

    ¡°Navihm, s¡¯that you?¡± he said. The man was dressed in tar stained clothing and a small crate hoisted precariously on his shoulder.

    ¡°Hello, Jin,¡± said Navihm.

    ¡°It¡¯s official, Navihm knows everyone on the continent,¡± said Hart dramatically, throwing his hands up. Navihm laughed good-naturedly and Rose rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Jin, this is my cousin, Hart,¡± he introduced. ¡°Hart, this is Jin. He is a sailor on the ship Andromeda. We were stranded at the same inn during some summer storms a few seasons back.¡± Navihm made introductions for the rest of the group while Jin stacked the crate in the pile forming by a ship.

    ¡°What brings you back here, Navihm?¡± said Jin, collecting another crate from a cart by the road. Navihm and Hart dismounted, rolled up their sleeves and began helping him move the crates.

    ¡°We are looking for a ride up the river back home,¡± said Navihm over the clinking of bottles coming from the crate he was hauling.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Well, your luck hasn''t changed none since we last met then,¡± Jin said with a toothless grin. ¡°You might wanna speak to the cap''n about that there ride. We¡¯s heading up the river to sell this here Pershus wine to the Lowlanders and considerin how fond the cap''n is of you, boy, you might even be able to swing a free trip for you and yer mates.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll do that, Jin,¡± said Navihm. ¡°Where would I be able to find Captain Gideon at this time of day?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be up at the tiller, preparin fer sail.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Jin.¡± Navihm placed one last crate in the pile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be able to find jobs to keep my friends busy while I go talk to him.¡±

    ¡°There are always jobs tha need a¡¯doin, Navihm my boy.¡± He slapped him on the back and Navihm headed up the boardwalk to the back of the ship.

    The trip upriver took a little less than a week and was an enjoyable time for the small group. Navihm was well liked amongst the crew, a fondness that was extended to the rest of them. They would dock on the river side to camp every night, sitting around the campfire, swapping stories.

    ¡°Navihm falls on his feet wherever he goes, doesn''t he, professor,¡± Captained Gideon remarked watching the boy in question from his place by the fire. Ward had been thinking along similar lines in the last few days of his travels. Navihm was talking animatedly with some members of the crew on the other side of the camp fire. They both looked on as the sailors laughed heartily at something Navihm had said.

    Gideon handed the professor a hot mug of spiced Quadan tea. The mismatched group of rough sailors and Ianterrans had bonded over their shared love of the exotic tea and had spent most nights sipping it around the fire.

    ¡°He has found a good friend in you, Captain.¡± Ward took a sip, the hot liquid burning his tongue slightly.

    ¡°He¡¯s a good boy, that one. He doesn''t do anything by half, including friendships.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that myself.¡± They were silent for a few minutes, content to sip their tea and watch the fire.

    ¡°It¡¯s an unusual group you make,¡± Captain Gideon commented lightly, referring to the group of foreigners Navihm had found himself travelling with. They were, indeed, a strange group; A tall, decorated warrior, Ianterran guards, a northern prince, a privileged young woman skilled in magic and a cultural studies professor that had more grey in his beard than not.

    ¡°A truer statement, I have not heard.¡± Ward smiled into his cup of tea. ¡°Though I guess you could say that invasion sort of makes for an unusual situation.¡±

    ¡°An unusual group for an unusual event.¡± It occurred to the captain that he didn¡¯t know the events that lead to this group being formed. He said as much to the professor. ¡°I¡¯m sure there is quite a story behind what brought your odd group together and how you ended up so far away from home.¡±

    Ward needed no other prompting. He launched into the tale of how Navihm had ended up at the Ianterran School for the Gifted and all the events following it. He was a good storyteller; engaging and articulate.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been so far away from Ianterra,¡± he concluded. In fact, he¡¯d never gone outside of Ianterra. ¡°It¡¯s been quite the adventure.¡± It only recently occurred to him how odd it was for a cultural studies professor to have no personal experience with other cultures. Before now, had hadn¡¯t stop it consider it a contradiction.

    <hr />

    Fun Fact! Jin''s accent was the result of a typo that I sort of just went with =)

 Chapter Seventeen Part Two

    The day they arrived at the First¡¯s port, Rose was convinced she would go insane if she spent another day on the ship with those smelly pirates. The small cluster of buildings and tiny dock couldn¡¯t have been a more welcome view for her. She was the first off the boat, eager to distance herself from Jin and the others. She¡¯d not enjoyed their company as much as the others had.

    While the others unpacked the boat, she wandered around the buildings. They were mostly storage places for merchant¡¯s goods, but there was also a blacksmith, an inn, and some homes. She walked past the small inn and could see that a there was a large group of Genti people gathered in the downstairs room. One of them spied Rose and pointed her out to the group. They all turned to look out the window and rose from their seats. Rose hurried back to the ship. She didn¡¯t feel comfortable talking to the natives without Navihm to translate. The group of Gentis, made up of men and women, followed Rose back to the dock.

    Navihm looked up from where he was perched on Andromeda¡¯s railing, throwing the bedrolls down to Hue who was standing on the shore. He saw Rose hurrying down the main street, shooting slightly anxious glances over her shoulder at a large group of people. Navihm recognised them from his home. Most of them were advisors to the king or members of the guard but there was also some people who were personal friends of Navihm dotted amongst the officials. Navihm waved his arm over his head in greeting and called out to them. He threw the last bedroll to Hart who was on the shore then jumped down after it.

    ¡°Enfeitar Navihm,¡± greeted Kahlo, the Rei¡¯s chief advisor. ¡°Welcome home.¡±

    They bowed formally to each other. Navihm opened his mouth to greet his countrymen when he was suddenly bowled over by a slight figure, babbling in Genti. Rose flushed with jealousy. Perhaps this was the girl Navihm was bound to.

    ¡°Hello, Hitomi,¡± Navihm said fondly to the babbling girl, patting her back. ¡°It is nice to see you too, Meribah.¡± He said to the young woman standing at Hitomi¡¯s back, waiting patiently to greet her friend.

    Meribah was a young teacher who worked closely with Navihm¡¯s mother. She was understatedly pretty with plain clothes and a neat, sensible bun. Navihm had asked her to look after his mother while he was gone. He always worried that she would get lonely.

    ¡°Hello, Navihm,¡± Meribah said when Hitomi finally released him. ¡°You mother sent us to escort you home.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she did.¡± Navihm kissed her on the cheek.

    ¡°Navihm,¡± Hart called. ¡°We are all unpacked. Andromeda and her crew are about to leave.¡±

    Navihm nodded to his cousin and left him to make the final preparations for their short journey home while he farewelled the crew.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Captain Gideon, I would like to thank you again for being so hospitable towards us,¡± he said, pressing a purse of coins into the Captain''s hands. ¡°This should cover the expense of our journey, Captain.¡±

    Captain Gideon shook his head and tried to give the purse back. ¡°Boy, I owe you too much to take this. If you hadn¡¯t warned me, I would have set sail and been caught by that storm. Without your foretelling, I would have lost merchandise worth a hundred times as much as this, probably also my life and the lives of the crew. I can''t take this.¡±

    ¡°I told you, Captain. Your company during those storms and your stories more than paid for my warning.¡± He placed the coins on the rowing seat next to him. ¡°Now we are even. Goodbye, for now, Captain. I have a feeling I will be seeing you again soon.¡±

    The trip to the First took the rest of the day, they arrived just as the sun was setting. Rose spent the time avoiding Hitomi and Meribah. The girls seemed determined to befriend the Ianterran, eager to hear about her journey. Rose largely ignored them, all they wanted to talk about was Navihm. Rose got enough of that from Hart and Professor Ward and every other person they came into contact with in the entire North. She spent most of the trip sullenly looking at her horse¡¯s mane.

    She refused to cheered by their arrival at the beautiful tribe of the First, not bothering to do more than glance up. Navihm lead the group up the winding paths to the cluster of buildings set at the highest point of the village. The buildings were the home and offices of the Rei and his family.

    ¡°It is customary for visitors and members of the tribe to visit the Rei when they first arrive,¡± explained Hart when Rose asked why they were all going to visit the princess. Rose had very little interest in meeting Navihm¡¯s betrothed and was growing weary of the endless Genti customs that were the norm in the North.

    The royal grounds were more elaborate than those in the Second, with buildings three stories high and huge Oak trees evenly spaced in a perfect circle around it. They were stopped by a guard, just inside the ring of trees who talked with Navihm briefly before admitting them. Most of the welcoming party had said their goodbyes and departed as they had walked through town, it was only Meribah and Hitomi that went as far as the royals grounds with them. At the trees, the girls decided to turn back, making their goodbyes.

    ¡°It was nice meeting you, Rose,¡± said Meribah sweetly. ¡°I hope to see more of you.¡± Rose smiled cordially but didn¡¯t say anything. She followed the others towards the main building.

    <hr />

    Next chapter you get to meet Kaia, Navihm''s betrothed, and her family.

 Chapter Eighteen Part One

    Chapter Eighteen:

    Navihm lead the small group up to a set of metal doors.

    ¡°The solium is right through here,¡± he said. ¡°We should probably speak to Rei Amias before we do anything else.¡±

    Rose marveled at the expense of the pressed metal. Back home this much steel wouldn¡¯t have been wasted on a door, certainly not an interior one. The other side of the door was just as impressive. The room was not overly large and clearly designed to be functional but the abundance of silk on the furniture and curtains, coupled with the large sheet of copper intricately engraved with a scene of a battle made a striking impression. It was not wealth that was shown off through jewels and finery, meant to make an impression, it was wealth displayed casually and somehow that made it all the more imposing. Not many lowland kings would use silk and such so liberally.

    The King, or Rei, Rose supposed he was called here, was seated on a comfortable looking chair situated at the end of the room directly opposite the door. He was huge with broad shoulders and a broader smile. It was hard to tell with him slouched comfortably on his chair, but Rose thought that he might even be taller than Navihm. He was talking to a portly man with skin like leather from years working in the sun.

    Rose also noticed what appeared to be a staircase descending down the left wall, originating somewhere above where they were standing at the entrance to the room. Oddly the stairs stuck straight out of the wall with no supports and gaps between each stair. There was also a freestanding banister that wound along the right-hand side of the stair and anchored itself in the floor.

    Rei Amais rose to meet the group, seeing him rise, the leathery man also turned to face them, revealing a rounded, flushed face and quick grin.

    ¡°Ah, Navihm,¡± he said in the common tongue, shrewdly eyeing the foreigners. ¡°I was wondering why Healanie was in such good spirits these last few days, especially with all that is going on.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Mishka.¡± Navihm grinned back at the ridiculously coloured man. He then turned to the Rei, taking one knee respectfully.

    ¡°Meu Rei,¡± he greeted him, placing one fist on the ground, the other hand resting on his knee. The other people of the tribes copied this posture, bowing their heads and murmuring ¡°O Rei¡±. Rose opted to curtsy.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The Rei¡¯s booming laugh echoed throughout the solium. He was a good-natured looking man, his braids streaked with a small bit of grey and his eyes crinkling up in such a way it suggested that he spent years laughing and smiling as he did now.

    ¡°Navihm? What the devil are you doing here? Rise, my boy,¡± said the still laughing man. ¡°Come let me look at you.¡± Navihm did as he was told and allowed himself to be grasped by the shoulders and studied.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown.¡± Rose watched in amazement as the King pulled Navihm into an enthusiastic hug, almost lifting him off his feet. Navihm responded just as fiercely, embracing the older man ardently. Rose really should be used to royalty reacting strangely to Navihm, she supposed. It had happened enough times.

    Navihm took a step back, regaining his usual polite posture but retaining a happy grin.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, Meu Rei¡± Navihm bowed his head deferentially.

    Footsteps clinked softly with a metallic ring as someone descended the stairs. Rose looked away from the slightly bewildering scene in front of her to see who approached. A native girl about her age was gracefully making her way down the stairs, one hand resting delicately on the banister. She was dark skinned, as most of the people of the tribes tended to be, but her skin was a dusky almost ash-brown rather than the colour of tanned leather. As she turned her head slightly, Rose spied a flash of gold and blue entwined in her chocolate brown hair. Her eyes were trained on the steps in front of her, but even so Rose could see the brilliant blue-green of them.

    She was beautiful.

    ¡°Good morning father,¡± the girl said, not looking up.

    Navihm smiled even more broadly as he watched Kaia make her way down from the family rooms on the floor above. She always hated walking down those stairs. When they were younger she would convince him to carry her down them on his back, not yet confident enough to make it down without falling, but perfectly willing to entrust her safety to him. Even now, she could never walk down those steps without looking at where she put her feet. He listened to the slight rasp of her ringed fingers against the metal of the banister and the soft clink of her beaded braids as they swung together.

    He drank in the sight of her.

 Chapter Eighteen Part two

    He drank in the sight of her.

    Without putting much thought into it Navihm raised his fingers to his lips and let out a short whistle, the same one he¡¯d taught her as children. At the time, Kaia was worried that Navihm would tire of hanging out with a younger girl. She¡¯d noticed how all the boys seemed to want to go out on their own and she didn¡¯t want him to leave her behind. Navihm had told her that they would always be best friends and taught her that whistle. He¡¯d said that all she had to do was whistle and he would come for her.

    Kaia stopped short at the sound of that whistle, her vibrant eyes flew straight to the centre of the group where Navihm stood. She gaped at him, mouth hanging slightly open, one foot still in the air hovering above the last step.

    ¡°Come here, child,¡± the Rei said. ¡°We have guests¡±.

    The King¡¯s daughter made her way to his side as he gestured for her to do, her eyes never leaving Navihm¡¯s and his never leaving her¡¯s. She pressed one hand against her mouth, it seemed to be the only way she could stop gaping at the other boy.

    ¡°Meu Rei,¡± Navihm addressed the King without breaking eye contact with the girl. ¡°May I have your permission to greet Regina Kaia?¡±

    The Rei nodded formally.

    ¡°You may.¡±

    Navihm surged forward just and Kaia¡¯s face crumpled with an emotion that Rose could not quite discern. Rose looked on as Navihm wrapped his arms around this stranger intimately and murmured softly in her ears. He pressed his forehead against hers as one of her hands reached up to grasp firmly onto his lapel, fisting around the soft fabric, the other pressed even more firmly to her mouth as if to stop a great rush of emotion from spilling out.

    They stayed locked in an embrace for a few minutes as Rei Amias called for more chairs to be brought in. The other man, Mishka took his leave, excusing himself while eyeing the embracing couple with a grin, going even pinker. It was only when the rest of the group took their seats, that Kaia pulled away, wiping a tear discreetly off her cheek.

    Navihm took control of the situation, explaining why they were in Genticus and what they had been up to. Rose tuned him out and took the opportunity to get a good look at the other girl.

    Kaia¡¯s face was tattooed with a thin line that divided her lower lip down the centre and continued most of the way down her chin. She also sported three small dots arranged in a triangle directly under each eye. Her nose was pierced on the left side and adorned with a golden chain that hung across her face and connected with another piercing on her ear. The chain glittered with tiny blue-green stones that brightened her eyes and matched the ribbon weaving through her Ib braid.

    Rose¡¯s attention snapped back to the conversation the others were having when the Rei started to talk.

    ¡°Your mother warned us of the attack.¡± Navihm must have asked him about the attack on Kaia when Rose wasn''t paying attention. ¡°We had guards posted at her door but it was unclear where the attack was coming from. The assassin sent a sand viper through her window knowing it would be attracted to the warmth of the bed.¡±

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°The assassins obviously didn¡¯t have any knowledge about my empathy skills,¡± Kaia chimed in. She unwound a sand coloured snake, just longer than her forearm from where it curled, unnoticed, around her waist.

    Navihm laughed. ¡°You made the snake sent to kill you your pet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, her name in Saeva.¡± Kaia stroked the snake and allowed it to wind itself around her forearm.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it poisonous?¡± asked Rose apprehensively.

    ¡°Yes, but Saeva won''t bite anyone unless I ask her to,¡± said Kaia. ¡°Besides, we milk her every day, so she isn¡¯t dangerous. Her venom can be used in several medicines and is usually very expensive. She was sent to kill me but is instead saving many lives.¡±

    She¡¯s the perfect princess. The thought struck Rose, against her will. The girl was beautiful and regal and sat attentively. She¡¯d graciously welcomed them as she took her seat and apparently had great magical talent. Rose speculated that would retain her perfect, princess manners, no matter the situation. Rose scowled in Kaia¡¯s direction, bothered by her apparent faultlessness. No one could be as perfect as she seemed.

    ¡°Your mother was attacked on her way home from the markets,¡± said Kaia to Navihm, unaware of Rose¡¯s jealousy. ¡°Luckily Mishka¡¯s son was nearby and was able to fight off her attackers. It turns out that the boy has a touch of the sight. Healani has taken him under her wing. One assassin was killed, the other was captured and questioned. That is how we came to know that they were hired because of your contribution at the Ninth.¡±

    ¡°I thought your mother was Healani, Prophet of the First?¡± the Professor directed his question to Navihm. ¡°Why did she foresee the attack on Regina Kaia but not the one on herself?¡±

    ¡°The sight doesn''t work that way,¡± answered Navihm. ¡°Our gifts are only able to be used on others. One cannot heal themselves or see their own future or past.¡± Navihm turned to Rei Amias. ¡°Were Kaia¡¯s attackers caught?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he answered gravely. ¡°But the attacks were several hours apart, it is possible that it was the same two assailants that assaulted Healani the next day. Our prisoner self-administered poison before we were able to get this information off him, so it is impossible to know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of,¡± said Navihm, sending a worried glance towards Kaia.

    <hr />

    The plot thickens!

    What do you think of Kaia? Does she live up to the hype ive been giving her?

    Stay tuned for another grand reveal: Navihm''s mother. She appears in the next chapter

    Also, I''ve submitted a new story. Pending approval.

    If you have a chance, check it out, it should be approved in the next day or so. It''s called ''My beauty'' and it''s a short story (only about 15,000 words, rather than 57,000 like this one)

    It''s very different from this story, I wrote it for a bit of fun. It will be updated less frequently as I am posting as I write it. Unlike Invasion of the North, I have no clue how it''s going to end; suggestions are very welcome.

 Chapter Nineteen Part One

    Chapter Nineteen:

    The small house was half buried in the mountain, seeming to meld with the stone of the cliff. Navihm knew that it was built around the mouth of a cave, not just half crushed by a rock slide like it appeared. The stone chimney was smoking and the smell of roasting food penetrated the air around them.

    ¡°It looks like Mother has been cooking,¡± said Navihm. ¡°You are in for a treat.¡±

    The group approached the door which was propped open as if to greet them.

    ¡°Come in,¡± said a voice from inside. ¡°I was wondering when you were going to get around to visiting your old lonely mother.¡±

    Navihm smiled to his companions and rolled his eyes skywards.

    ¡°Mother, we both know there was no ¡°wondering¡± on your part.¡± He stepped across the threshold. ¡°You knew exactly when we were going to get here¡±

    Rose entered behind Navihm and looked around the cosy interior. The woman bustling around the kitchen caught her attention first.

    Navihm¡¯s mother wore her hair bound in a knot at the base of her neck. The curly mass struggled to stay contained in the messy twist and locks had sprung out to tangle with her braids that swung loose by her neck. More curly locks had plastered themselves to her slightly damp forehead and hung in front of her eyes. She continued to rush around the kitchen, moving around plates of food and stirring the pot once in awhile. Rose wondered how she could possibly see through all her hair.

    ¡°Salve, Nai,¡± Navihm greeted her.

    She abruptly dropped the spoon she was using to stir the bubbling pot on the stove and rushed towards him. Navihm bent down to her considerably shorter height and threw his arms around her, lifting her off her feet and swinging her in a quick circle. She laughed joyously and patted his cheek when he set her down.

    ¡°You need a shave,¡± she said fondly. ¡°Now, won¡¯t you introduce me to the rest of your little group while you set the table? I made enough food to feed half of the First.¡±

    Rose huffed. It wasn¡¯t Navihm¡¯s ¡®little group¡¯. If it was anyone¡¯s, it would be the Professor¡¯s.

    ¡°I am Professor Ward, Navihm¡¯s Cultural Studies teacher,¡± Ward introduced himself.  ¡°It is nice to meet you. Navihm has told us so much about you.¡±

    Rose was taken aback. Navihm had never talked about his mother to her. Actually, he never really mentioned much about his life to her. When they¡¯d had conversations, it had been Rose talking for the most part.

    The professor offered an outstretched hand towards Navihm¡¯s mother, who was still facing Navihm. She didn''t attempt to shake hands with Professor Ward, ignoring his completely. Navihm¡¯s flickered briefly over to the group from where he was setting the table when the silence became awkward.

    ¡°The Professor wants to shake your hand, Nai,¡± he explained to his mother. ¡°It is a Lowland custom.¡±

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    ¡°Of course,¡± said Navihm¡¯s mother with a self-deprecating grin. She held out one hand towards the wall somewhere to the left of the Professor. Rose was starting to think that there was something odd about the woman. She knew that shaking hands wasn¡¯t a Genti custom, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a difficult concept. Navihm¡¯s mother couldn''t even take another person¡¯s hand.

    Navihm also seemed to notice the difficulty his mother was having and, leaving his table setting for a moment, gently nudged his mother¡¯s arm until it came into contact with the Professor¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I am Prophet Healani of the First,¡± she introduced herself, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Healani¡¯s eyes were a cloudy blue. They seemed focused on a point far off into the distance. However, that wasn¡¯t what caught Rose¡¯s attention. She was engrossed by the faded scars that split Healani¡¯s left eyebrow and left jagged marks on her eyes and forehead. They were old scars, lightened to shiny puckers which stood out against her bronze skin. Rose dimly noticed that Healani¡¯s eyes flittered towards her but couldn''t seem to focus. Perhaps Healani¡¯s strange gaze was something to do with her being a prophet, Rose thought distantly, still fixating on the scars.

    Hue took a step towards the woman. Healani¡¯s head tilted slightly, listening to the shuffle of Hue¡¯s feet. Her eyes lost their unfocused stare and she fixed her gaze on Hue.

    She¡¯s blind. Rose realised as Hue introduced himself enthusiastically. Whatever left the scars apparently did more than just cosmetic damage. Rose pondered what could have made such marks while she watched Hue embarrass himself. He¡¯d insisted on joining Navihm, Professor Ward, Hart and Rose down to Healani¡¯s home to meet her.

    ¡°Navihm and I have talked so much about you and your home here,¡± Hue was saying.

    ¡°Hello, Aunty,¡± said Hart, practically shoving Hue out of the way and grabbing Healani in an enthusiastic hug, much like Navihm had. When he put her down, he kissed her gently on her forehead, murmuring something in Genti.

    Healani threw her head back and laughed joyously, patting Hart on his chest. Hart still hadn''t released his grip on the woman.

    ¡°There is still one more that I have not met.¡± Rose knew that Healani was talking about her. Rose stepped towards the older woman and held out a hand awkwardly. Hart whispered something to Healani and she returned the gesture.

    They shook hands. Rose felt distinctly uncomfortable being on the receiving end of Healani¡¯s misty gaze. She managed to mumble a hasty greeting and released her hand, a touch quicker than was polite.

    Healani, to her credit, took Rose¡¯s bad manners in her stride, announcing lunch was ready. They all took their places at the table while Navihm brought out the food, Healani keeping up polite chatter and asking them questions about their journey.

    Hue particularly enjoyed the meal. He looked up to Navihm a great deal and wanted to meet the woman who raised him single-handedly. He¡¯d come from a home with a single parent and throughout the journey, he and Navihm had grown closer because of this. They¡¯d gone through a lot of the same struggles growing up. Healani of the First was exactly like Navihm described her.

 Chapter Nineteen Part Two

    Hue and Hart were cleaning the dishes while the others sipped tea. Navihm took his tea outside to a rock he frequented as a child. From there it was possible to see the whole of the First spilling over the mountainside. After a few minutes, his mother joined him.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t over,¡± she told him, curling up to Navihm¡¯s side. ¡°Our enemies are still here. They march towards our gates and slink through the shadows of our homes.¡±

    Navihm sighed deeply, taking a long draught of his tea.

    ¡°That is what I was afraid of.¡±

    Navihm decided it was best to stay the night in the royal apartments with the others. His mother¡¯s warnings about their enemies slinking through the shadows left a sour taste in his mouth. He¡¯d asked his mother to join them. She¡¯d refused, not wanting to leave her home. Navihm sent word to the village and asked Mishka to send his son to protect Healani during the night. He¡¯d also passed on his mother¡¯s warnings to Rei Amias. The guards patrolling the royal grounds had been increased since the attack on Kaia and Healani. With this warning, the Rei would most likely increase their numbers again. With his mother¡¯s and their safety seen to, Navihm lead the others back to the village.

    ¡°We should head back to the royal apartments now,¡± he suggested to the others. ¡°That way we will have plenty of time to settle in for the night and wash up before dinner.¡± The group readily agreed. None of them thought they could fit another meal in after the feast Healani had provided for lunch, but the prospect of taking a bath was a welcome one after travelling for so long. Even Rose was cheered at the promise of being clean, even if it did mean having a meal with the perfect princess.

    Navihm and Hart took a small detour on their way to dinner with the Rei to pick up Rose from her room.

    ¡°This shirt looks like a dress on me.¡± Complained Hart for the fifth time since Navihm had leant it to him. Navihm sighed patiently.

    ¡°It suits you, Hart.¡± Hart glared at him and Navihm blinked innocently. They knocked on Rose¡¯s door. Her eyes widened when she saw the boys.

    ¡°What are you wearing?¡± she asked. Hart threw up his hands and turned to leave.

    ¡°I''m changing into my old clothes,¡± he called from down the hall.

    ¡°Kaia burned them,¡± said Navihm casually.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Something about them stinking like rotting feet.¡± She¡¯d also had suggested that they¡¯d been riddled with lice but Navihm didn''t think that Hart needed to know that.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to change,¡± squeaked Rose. Navihm groaned. Now everyone wanted to change. They were never going to get to dinner and Navihm was hungry.

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    ¡°Why would you need to change?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I didn''t realise this was a formal dinner party.¡± She rummaging around in her packs. ¡°I don''t have anything to wear,¡± she whined.

    ¡°Rosaline, you look fine. This isn''t a formal event. Hart, stop being precious.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re wearing silk,¡± she whined. The boys looked at each other. They both were dressed in silk shirts and laced up black pants; typical clothing for men in these parts when they weren¡¯t doing physical labour.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Do you know how many silk dresses I own?¡± she asked, irritated. Rose found the boys¡¯ cluelessness vexing.

    The cousins exchanged baffled looks.

    ¡°All of them?¡± Hart guessed.

    ¡°None!¡± she shrilled. ¡°What am I going to wear?¡± she asked again, to no one in particular.

    ¡°I don''t understand,¡± said Hart to Navihm. ¡°Why does that matter.¡±

    Rose¡¯s keening moan of frustration was muffled by the shirt she had pressed up against her face.

    ¡°Never mind.¡± She stalked past the boys, stomping her feet a little. ¡°We may as well get this embarrassment over as soon as possible.¡±

    The dinner was as tragic as Rose expected it to be. Kaia was dressed beautifully in red silk with gold embroidery. The flowing fabric hung off her shoulders to form a cape that skimmed the ground. Rose flushed jealousy at the expense of it. She¡¯d even changed the chain in her nose to match the crimson of the fabric. Even Hue had been leant grandiose native clothing for the occasion.

    Rose was miserable the entire meal, leaving as soon as was polite.

    ¡°What do you think is the matter with Rose?¡± Hue asked Hart. The Genti prince mumbled something unintelligible through his mouthful of peach tart and shrugged helplessly.

    None of them understood that girl.

    <hr />

    There''s a bit of action in the next chapter.

    The first chapter of my other book, ''My beauty'' is up. Check it out!

 Chapter Twenty Part One

    Chapter Twenty:

    It was after midnight when Navihm was awoken from his sleep. His body showed no sign of his alertness to an observer, not even a flicker of his eyelids gave him away. A familiar sound had roused him; the soft shick of metal against leather. Someone had unsheathed a sword or dagger.

    Navihm cracked one eye open, scanning the dark corners of the room. He lay quiet for a few minutes. There was no movement. Perhaps he had dreamed the noise. He was about to get up and investigate further when he noticed his sword was missing from where he¡¯d stowed it last night. He¡¯d placed it within easy reach of his bed, now it wasn''t anywhere he could see.

    All of a sudden there was a rush of movement behind him. Navihm rolled, landing hard on the floor, tangled in his blankets but missing the sword swung at his head by a hair¡¯s breath.

    He quickly kicked off the sheets and rolled under the bed. None too soon as the assailant had already leapt over the bed and landed heavily where Navihm had just been laying. Navihm quickly regained his feet, slipping under the bed to the other side, but was forced to hit the ground again when the assassin swung a wide sidecut over the bed with his sword.

    Navihm shuffled quickly along the floor to the foot of the bed where he sprang off the ground a tackled the assassin.

    They hit the wall hard, cracking the attacker¡¯s head against the stone. Navihm grabbed his sword arm and slammed his wrist against the wall, jamming his other forearm under the man¡¯s chin. The assassin was turning a bright shade of red and had a heavily bruised hand when he finally released the sword, which Navihm recognised as his own.

    Once he lost the sword, the assailant fought desperately, kicking out at Navihm¡¯s legs and jabbing and scratching at his face and side with his free hand. He managed to dig his nail into Navihm¡¯s eye and wiggle himself free.

    He wasted no time gasping for air once Navihm¡¯s arm was no longer blocking his airway, instead kicking out and catching Navihm in the gut with the boot of his heel. Navihm, blinded by blood, managed to keep his feet but backed up to give himself time to recover from the winding he received courtesy of the sharp kick. He realised he¡¯d made a mistake when his back hit the opposite wall. He was boxed in.

    Not quite being able to see through the blood stinging his eyes, Navihm sensed rather than felt the assassin in front of him. He instinctively crouched, ducking the dagger swipe aimed at his throat and lashed out with the leg, sweeping the assailant¡¯s legs out from under him. Navihm heard the clatter of metal against stone and realised the other man had dropped his dagger.

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    The assassin vaulted off the floor, aiming to tackle the Genti much like Navihm had done before. Navihm was expecting that and had already moved out of the way. The would-be assassin charged headfirst at the stone wall, hitting it with a sickening crack. He landed in a heap on the floor, his head resting at an odd angle.

    Navihm didn¡¯t stop to gape at the sight, instead charging out of the room towards Kaia.

    Kaia hadn¡¯t slept much that night. Instead, she lay awake and stared at her ceiling. She felt safe enough with Navihm sleeping in the room opposite and extra guards patrolling her corridor and the rest of the grounds, but she couldn¡¯t seem to fall asleep. She couldn''t quite determine what was making her feel uneasy.

    She turned to stare out her window.

    It is my empathy, she realised.

    She couldn''t sense any emotions from any of the servants or guards or even Navihm. Muted as their emotions were as they slept, she should be able to sense them as background noise, especially when she was concentrating as she was now. The silence was unnerving.

    She was distracted from her thoughts by a flicker of movement by the window. She sat upright in bed, peering into the darkness. At the same time, she reached over and grasped a porcelain ornament off her bedside table. Maybe Navihm wasn¡¯t as paranoid as she thought, always sleeping with a weapon close. She would feel a lot more confident with her dagger rather than a statue of a dancer.

    She was so focused on the dark pool of shadows by the window, she almost missed the indistinct figure surging towards her. At the last second, she saw a flash of light reflecting off steel and managed to dodge the worst of the assault, getting only a shallow slice to the face, rather than a severed throat.

    She swung out blindly towards her attacker, shattering the heavy base of her ornament on his head. Armed now with the sharp point of what used to be the dancer¡¯s legs, Kaia lashed out and drove the porcelain figure deep into the man¡¯s thigh.

 Chapter Twenty Part Two

    Navihm could hear a commotion in Kaia¡¯s room. Deep grunts of pain and feminine noises of panic confirmed that Kaia was being attacked and she was still alive. At least for now.

    The door was locked, so Navihm paused briefly to kick it open, smashing the lock. He could hear Kaia shouting and furniture shattering. When he eventually broke the door down, Navihm found Kaia bleeding and clutching a dagger, with a man dressed in black looming over her. He charged at the man, opting for brute strength rather than the finesse required for the use of the sword in his hand. He rammed into the man, bowling him over and shoving him right out the window.

    Navihm wanted him far away from Kaia, as quickly as he could manage.

    Moments after the attacks, three guards arrived at Kaia¡¯s room. They¡¯d come to investigate the shouts and crashing they¡¯d heard and found a battered Enfeitar Navihm holding the Regina and inspecting her wounds gently.

    Navihm gently took the dagger that Kaia must have wrestled from her attacker and inspected the deep cuts on her hands. They were caused by the broken bits of porcelain she¡¯d wielded as a weapon and tiny shards still remained in the wounds. Navihm healed them quickly, forcing the fragments of porcelain out as his went. He then turned his attention to the cut on her cheek.

    ¡°I had it handled,¡± she told him as he healed the cut.

    ¡°I know you did.¡± He wiped away the blood on the, now smooth, skin with the sheet off her bed. They were already ruined as it was. ¡°I hope you don''t mind that I stepped in to help at the end there. I didn''t want you to have to kill him.¡± Navihm placed a small kiss on her mended cheek, where the cut would have been.

    Kaia had never killed before and Navihm wanted to keep it that way. He was confident in her ability to protect herself but he didn''t want her burdened with the death of a man. Though these thoughts hadn''t crossed his mind when he first entered the room, he¡¯d simply been focused on protecting her. When he saw her bleeding and vulnerable, he just reacted. Kaia didn''t need to know that, though. She would spend the rest of the night convincing him that she wasn''t helpless.

    Navihm spent a few more minutes healing various bruises and scrapes Kaia had gotten from her brief scuffle.

    ¡°You need to get that eye healed,¡± Kaia said when he¡¯d finished. Navihm¡¯s eye was bloodshot and rapidly swelling. At least it had stopped bleeding.

    ¡°Come with me.¡± Navihm stood up and pulled Kaia up off the bed with him. ¡°I don''t want to leave you alone.¡±

    ¡°The guards are here.¡± Kaia gestured towards the three guards, still milling around the doorway. Navihm raised an eyebrow. They¡¯d hadn''t been much help when the attack was happening, he wasn''t entirely confident in their abilities. He didn''t tell Kaia that he wanted her protected.

    ¡°I need them to check if your assassin is still alive down there.¡± He nodded towards the open window. ¡°Besides, I can''t see much, I will need your help getting to a healer.¡±

    Kaia saw through Navihm¡¯s gentle manipulations but allowed herself to be swayed. Navihm wouldn''t leave her alone, she knew, and he needed healing now. Besides, she could protect him while he was still injured if she went with him.

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    Hart entered the exedrium followed closely by Rei Amias just as the healer was finishing with Navihm. Kaia sprung to her feet, stepping in front of Navihm when the door flew open but relaxed when she recognised the two men. The exedrium, normally a place for conversation and relaxation, had been turned into an impromptu medical ward with sheets thrown over the chairs to catch the blood and warm water and rags brought in to clean Navihm¡¯s face, neck and knuckles, which were covered in blood.

    Navihm and Kaia quickly recounted what had happened, playing down the danger for the benefit of the Rei. Kaia didn''t feel the need to go into the details of her injuries. After all, she was healed now and there was no reason to worry her father.

    ¡°You seem to enjoy throwing people out windows,¡± Hart said to his cousin, recalling that Navihm had done the same thing to that Black character back at the Tenth.

    ¡°I find it very effective,¡± Navihm said, wiping a damp cloth over his eye. Kaia¡¯s attacker had survived but was unable to escape due to his injuries. He was now being housed in a cell under the building where the healer was now heading to take care of his wounds.

    ¡°My question is; why didn¡¯t your empathy warn you that someone of evil intent was close?¡± Hart asked Kaia.

    ¡°There are rumours of peoples who have the ability to mute another¡¯s magic,¡± said Rei Amias. ¡°It would explain how they were able to pass through the wards on more than one occasion.¡±

    Navihm made an interested noise. He¡¯d heard these rumours, but nothing had been confirmed. The prisoner housed in their cells may provide that confirmation. Navihm made a mental note to visit this stranger and employ his new found lie detection skills.

    Hart sauntered past Rei Amias who was busy fretting over his daughter and threw himself down next to his cousin. Hart slung an arm around Navihm¡¯s shoulder, who was attempting to remove the dried blood from under his nails.

    ¡°Quite the exciting night,¡± Hart said.

    ¡°You managed to sleep through all the exciting bits,¡± said Navihm dryly.

    Hart smiled but unexpectedly became serious all at once.

    ¡°Does this mean they are coming back?¡± Hart asked in a small voice. Navihm looked up from his nails and met his cousin''s eyes with an unwavering stare. He didn''t need to ask who Hart was talking about. The Somali.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Navihm was blunt, in spite of the worry he could see in Hart¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Well, I guess that means our little holiday is over.¡± Hart couldn''t quite pull off a smile. ¡°Back to work.¡±

    <hr />

    I have realised that I have a lot of background information in my head about these character''s lives and their world that never made it into the book. I''ve been thinking about putting them in as bonuses at the end of chapters. Let me know if you want me to start doing that!

    Shout out to Siar who has just given me an absolutely beautiful review. That you so much!

    Also, Lasiefo, thank you for your comment on chapter 7. It was very helpful and I hope you have stuck with me all the way to chapter 20!

    Only Nine more chapters to go =)

 Chapter Twenty One Part One

    Chapter Twenty One:

    The next morning, the Rei assembled the foreign group and his officials in the solium.

    ¡°Our prophet has warned us that this war is not over,¡± said the Rei when everyone had been seated. As these words, every eye in the room swung to Healani who stood behind the Rei¡¯s chair. She nodded.

    ¡°Our coast is still under threat,¡± she said. ¡°The Ninth was only their first attack. Next time, they will not be defeated so easily.¡±

    ¡°That was easy?¡± Hart remarked to Navihm under his breath. Navihm shushed him and turned his attention back to the Rei.

    ¡°It is doubtful they will attack at Mare Aspera bay while the Nomads still protect it,¡± said Kahlo, the Rei¡¯s chief advisor.

    ¡°That is why the Nomad army must stay at the Ninth,¡± said Rei Amias. ¡°They are our insurance that the Somali will attack where we want them to.¡±

    ¡°And where do we want them to attack?¡± asked Hart.

    ¡°The only other place they can reasonably expect to mount a successful attack; The Tenth,¡± answered Navihm. He¡¯d had this thought when they first travelled to the Ninth. The invaders could not attack anywhere else along the North Coast because of the cliffs and it is doubtful that they would risk their boats in the Shallow Seas to attack in the Lowlands. The waters were too treacherous at this time of year, especially for those who had never travelled through those waters.

    ¡°We will need to fight off this attack without the help of the Nomad army,¡± said the Rei. ¡°We won''t have their man power or, more importantly, their military expertise.¡±

    ¡°I am starting to see why this won''t be as easy,¡± said Hart, apprehensively.

    ¡°How long do we have before the invasion starts?¡± asked another of the Rei¡¯s advisors. They all looked at Healani.

    ¡°I do not know these people,¡± she said. ¡°They are diffcult to see.¡±

    ¡°I know them,¡± Navihm told her. ¡°I can show you.¡± Navihm had looked into the very heart of one of the Somali. He had fought them and killed them. He knew their souls very well, but he did not have his mother¡¯s skills in the sight. He could, however, show her what to look for.

    As his mother approached him and placed her thumb on his forehead, he cast his mind back to the time he spent with the prisoner back at the Ninth. He remembered what his aura looked like and how his soul looked to his spirit magic. He remembered probing with his spirit magic before the battle at the Ninth and how a great mass of the foreigners felt. He kept that feeling in his mind while his mother examined him with her magic.

    ¡°They will come in two months,¡± she said. ¡°Their first attack devastated their numbers so they return to their homeland for an army even greater than the last.¡±

    The assembly of men was silent as they digested the news. Two months gave them time to assemble their own army, but to hear that they were faced with an even greater threat was sobering.

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    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Khalo.

    ¡°We prepare ourselves,¡± said Rei Amais, gravely. ¡°I will pen letters to all the tribes and to the Lowlands to tell them of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Kaia will send them out via birds. In no more than three days, every Rei on the continent will be assembling armies made up of every able young warrior in the country, not just the guards that patrol the tribes. It will take weeks, but we will have an army in the Tenth to face this threat.

    ¡°In the meantime, whatever guards left in the Ninth fit for travel should make their way to the Tenth. We can start preparing for the invasion within the week. Navihm, I want you to go oversee the preparation.¡± Navihm nodded.

    ¡°You must leave tomorrow for the river,¡± chimed in Healani mysteriously. ¡°You will find all that you need there.¡±

    Rei Amias nodded in agreement and continued assigning tasks to all his officials. While he was talking, Navihm turned to his mother.

    ¡°I don''t want you here all alone while I¡¯m off to war,¡± he told her. He knew that she would drive herself insane with worry if she had nothing else to distract herself with. Navihm had been her whole life since he was born and she could not bare to loose him.

    ¡°I will go visit my sister at the Ninth,¡± she suggested. ¡°Lia will be just as worried about Hart as I am about you. We can comfort each other.¡± Navihm would feel a lot better about her safety if she stayed in the royal grounds of the Second. Soon, every guard and warrior would be sent to the Tenth, her little cottage would not be as safe as it once was.

    Hue had overheard some of their conversation and chose then to chime in.

    ¡°I will escort your mother to the Second if you like, Navihm.¡± He offered. ¡°The Professor doesn''t think a letter will convince the school to send help so he is sending me and a few of the other guards to persuade them. The Second is on our way and I would be more than happy to ensure your mother¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hue,¡± Navihm said, bowing to the other man gratefully. ¡°That means we will not have to spare any men from the war effort and I would like to have a man I can trust escort my mother.¡± Hue puffed at the praise.

    They turned their attention back to the Rei. There was a lot to discuss before they set out.

    <hr />

    Okay, bonus time!

    We all know Healani is the greatest prophet in the North. What you didn''t know is that before the age of fourteen she showed no affinity for the sight. She was absolutely rubbish at seeing the future.

    After her experience with Navihm''s father, she lost her physical ability to see and instead gained the ability to see into the future with more accuracy and more detail than anyone else before her.

    The first person''s future she saw was Navihm''s before he was even born.

    In the next half, I will include a bit of info about Kaia.

    <hr />

    Please leave a review or comment. I love hearing feedback

 Chapter Twenty One Part Two

    Kaia was dressed much differently than she¡¯d been when they¡¯d seen her in her home. The flowing, soft fabrics were replaced with sturdy cotton and leather. Two long pieces of fabric were hung over her shoulders, crossed over her chest and belted into place with a wide leather belt. She wore form fitting tights with knee high leather riding boots. Her gloves were also leather and came to her elbow, wrapping around her pinky and ring finger, but leaving the other three fingers bare. These were adorned in plain steel rings.

    She was dressed for travel.

    ¡°What are you doing, Kaia?¡± asked Navihm. It was the next morning and they were preparing to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± she said, looping another, thinner strip of leather around her waist and attaching it to her belt so it hung to her hips.

    ¡°No,¡± said Hart. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡± She didn''t even bother looking at him, preoccupied with attaching a dagger to her hip.

    ¡°It¡¯s not particularly safe here,¡± she pointed out, referring to the two failed assassination attempts. ¡°If the invaders breech the coast, the entire continent isn''t safe. I am the most skilled empath in the country, you can use my help.¡±

    ¡°This is war, Kaia,¡± Hart implored. ¡°Not a picnic. People die.¡±

    ¡°Everyone else is allowed to risk their life for their country,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Why not me?¡± Hart opened his mouth, but couldn''t come up with a suitably crushing retort. She was right, after all. Kaia, sensing Hart¡¯s indecision, put the final nail in the coffin.

    ¡°Take me now, or I''ll come with the next wave of troops.¡± The First was scheduled to send more troops in a week. ¡°You can''t stop me, you may as well take me with you where you can protect me.¡± Kaia smiled confidently and slotted a dozen small throwing knives into her belt. About the length of her finger and made completely out of one piece of flat, shaped metal, her throwing knives were deadly.

    ¡°She comes with us,¡± said Navihm.

    About an hour after they set out it started raining. The persistent sort of rain that misted out of nowhere, soaking into coats and cloaks. Soon everyone in the group was miserable. Navihm glanced over at the professor, wondering how the older man was managing in the weather. He noticed in some surprise that he was completely dry, as was Rose. Somehow, using water magic, the rain slid right off them, leaving them and their mounts perfectly dry. Noting Navihm¡¯s curious glance the Professor smiled.

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    ¡°This would be good practice for you, Navihm,¡± he said. ¡°I know water magic isn''t your strongest area of study. See if you can stop the rain touching you.¡± Navihm closed his eyes and concentrated, leaving Equus to follow the rest of the horses without his guidance.

    ¡°Don''t try and concentrate of the individual drops of water,¡± said the professor, sensing what Navihm was doing with his magic. ¡°Create a barrier just above your skin that doesn''t let any water through.¡± After a few minutes Navihm was successful. ¡°Good, the hard bit is concentrating enough to keep the barrier up. This is a good lesson in focus.¡±

    It was a few hours until the rain stopped. The sun had come out to they decided stop for their midday meal. Navihm was only slightly damp where the rest of the group were sodden. Rose took in his wet sleeve and the droplets of water in his hair with a slight smirk.

    ¡°Don''t worry Navihm, I¡¯m sure you will get better with more practice,¡± she said, barely hiding her smugness. Rose was glad that she was better at Navihm at something. That didn''t happen very often. Kaia approached them and gave Navihm a small kiss on the cheek, whispering something in his ear. Rose was startled to notice that Kaia was as dry as herself.

    ¡°Well done Navihm,¡± the professor chimed in. ¡°You did a good job keeping up two barriers.¡± Rose pouted, annoyed.

    <hr />

    Bonus #2

    You may have picked up on the fact that Kaia has two of her beads, this is mentioned back in chapter four when Navihm is explaining to his class about what the beads mean.

    It may not surprise you to learn that Kaia earned her first bead during the events of the prologue when she used herself as a distraction to save Hitomi. In fact, at only 8, she was the youngest person in the First''s history to earn a bead.

    But how did she earn her second bead you ask? The answer may come with the next chapter =)

    <hr />

    P.S could you tell that I wrote this just after seeing the new StarWars movie? There is an overt homage to Rey''s outfit in this chapter. I couldn''t help myself!

    P.P.S, I just stumbled across my humble story at #45 on the popular this week list. Holy shiitacke! Thanks guys

    P.P.P.S let me know what you think of the bonus features

 Chapter Twenty Two Part One

    Chapter Twenty-Two:

    They stopped by the river, much like they had weeks earlier when they had just started their journey. The only difference was that the group had grown fourfold. Navihm called for the group to stop and he dismounted. The port was still another half hour¡¯s ride away but he knew that this section of river was the only place with enough clear land by the banks to set up camp.

    ¡°Mishka?¡± Navihm called to one of the soldiers of the First travelling with them. ¡°Could you set up the coral over by those trees? There are plenty of low branches to tether the horses to but if you need to set up extra pickets there should be a hammer in the pack horse¡¯s saddlebags.¡± It continued on like this with Navihm delegating jobs and organising the campsite efficiently. Kaia thought that he was good with leadership. He had a talent for it as well as personal knowledge of everyone¡¯s strengths and abilities. He sent those talented with empathy out hunting because they would be able to sense where the animals are. He knew the Professor would be the best person to start the fire and dry out some extra wood that was damp from the rain for later in the night. Kaia knew he would make a great Rei one day.

    Navihm glanced over at her from where he was listening to Hart talk about the tent arrangements and flashed her an easy grin. It was moments like these that Kaia couldn¡¯t help but love him.

    She was distracted from her thoughts by one of the hunters coming up beside her with a large rabbit. She took it off him and offered to prepare the meat while he headed back out. A group this large would need all the provisions it could get, especially considering they were making a large part of the journey by boat. They could dry and salt the meat and add it to the provisions they took with them from the First.

    Kaia took the rabbit to the fire where Rose was already sitting. The cooking utensils had already been set out. Kaia chose a hunting knife and began the gruesome task of skinning and preparing it.

    Hart approached the fire just as Kaia was finishing up with her rabbit.

    ¡°Here, girl, I''ve got another couple for you,¡± said Hart as he dumped three more rabbits he¡¯d caught beside her. Hart was particularly good at hunting. His spiritual gifts were geared towards empathy. Though his aura reading was about average, Kaia had seen him touch an animal track and sense it¡¯s size, age, weight and sex by the spiritual imprint the beast left behind. When Kaia had commented on his skill the first time they¡¯d hunted together, Hart had assured her that she hadn''t seen the best of it yet. He could do wonders with urine. Ew.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Show off,¡± she mumbled under her breath but started preparing the rabbit meat obligingly. Hart noticed that she had a smear of rabbit''s blood on her forehead where she had pushed her hair back from her face. It amused him not to mention it to her.

    Hart took the skillet and spices and other assorted cooking necessities out of the pack he had slung over his shoulder and began dicing the skinned rabbit. As he was pushing the skillet onto the coal of the fire he looked up at Rose, who was busy picking the dirt out from under her nails.

    ¡°Rose? How about giving Kaia a hand with those rabbits,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m not much help when it comes to those sorts of things, I don''t know what to do,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Kaia could teach you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I could,¡± chimed in Kaia helpfully. Rose looked at Kaia just as she pulled the innards out of a rabbit and dumped them in the growing pile.

    She made a face. ¡°That is really quite disgusting.¡±

    ¡°How about you take those canteens over by Hart and fill them up with water for cooking?¡± suggested Kaia. ¡°I can manage this by myself.¡± Rose got up with a huff and made her way towards the river. Hart and Kaia exchanged looks over the fire.

    ¡°She didn''t bring the canteens,¡± he said and they dissolved into giggles.

    <hr />

    Bonus #3

    Kaia and Hart are actually really close. She thinks of him as the brother she never had and he teases her accordingly. They dont see each other often but after Kaia and Navihm get married, Kaia becomes close with Hart (he comes and visits he nieces and nephews a lot)

 Chapter Twenty Two Part Two

    Rose was slightly aghast when Kaia told her they were sharing a tent.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Everyone is sharing,¡± Hart explained, ¡°and you are the only women in the group.¡±

    ¡°But I am a Ducherina and Kaia is a Regina.¡±

    Hart sighed patiently. ¡°And I am a Regus and Navihm is next in line to be Rei. What is your point?¡±

    She huffed and disappeared into the tent Kaia had just finished setting up.

    Hart turned to look at Kaia, who was still crouched at the corner of the tent where she had hammered in the last peg.

    ¡°I don''t know why I ever wanted to meet a Lowland noble,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hart, you can''t judge all nobles based on one girl,¡± Kaia chastised. ¡°Besides, you have only known her a few days. Navihm seems to like her.¡±

    ¡°Navihm tolerates her. There is a difference,¡± Hart rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not as polite as my cousin and you shouldn''t be either. The whole of the First will probably collapse if you two insist on running it by always seeing the best in people. Not everyone is a good as you two.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone who is all bad. No one is perfect and we shouldn''t expect them to be.¡±

    ¡°We should always expect them to be better.¡± Hart was very rarely serious, but he was at this moment. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t just accept people''s flaws, Kai. I¡¯m not saying judge them for it but no one will ever be their best if you just allow them to be their worst.¡± He gave her a shrug and left to go set up the tent he and Navihm were sharing.

    It was some time past midnight was a scream awoke Navihm from a deep sleep. He had come back from his watch just over an hour previously but came awake immediately. It was a female scream which meant that Kaia was in danger. He was out of his tent and running across the camp, bear chested and sword in hand, before the scream had even died out. He watched as Rose tumbled out of her tent, crying and screaming. A quick scan of her body verified she was uninjured so he sidestepped her and ripped open the tent flap. He sighed in relief when he saw Kaia sitting up in her bedroll, bleary eyed and hair tousled but apparently unharmed.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked through a yawn.

    Navihm turned back to look at Rose who was clutching her elbows and sobbing.

    ¡°What is the matter, Rosaline?¡±

    ¡°If she says nightmare, I''m making her swim behind the boat tomorrow,¡± said Hart, who had just emerged from the tent holding his sword, letting the tip drag along in the dirt behind him. Most of the rest of the camp had woken and were milling about, holding various weapons. Only the professor had slept through the commotion it seemed.

    ¡°There¡¯s a snake in my tent!¡± By now Kaia had emerged from the tent, Saeva wrapped around her forearm.

    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± she said, looking at Rose. ¡°She must have stowed away in my saddle bags. I¡¯m sorry she scared you. She is harmless, though.¡± Kaia held the snake up as if to show Rose that she wasn''t frightening. Rose took a hasty step away from them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to bed,¡± Hart announced. Navihm took a cue from him and sent everyone else to bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sharing a tent with her!¡± Rose whispered furiously, gesturing vaguely towards Kaia who was putting the snake down by the fire.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°If it bothers you this much, Saeva can sleep with me,¡± Navihm said, trying to placate her.

    ¡°No!¡± Rose refused to be calmed. ¡°I¡¯m not sharing a tent with Kaia. She attracts these wild things and I don''t want to be near her if a bear comes or something.¡± Rose began to cry again. Navihm had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at her theatrics. She was keeping to whole camp up. He glanced over a Kaia who was staring at the weeping girl with her arms wrapped around herself. It was a cold night and Kaia just wanted to go back to her warm bedroll.

    Kaia took a step towards the other girl and began to apologise again. She really hadn''t meant to frighten her and she knew that Rose wasn''t used to wild animals.

    Rose moved away again as Kaia stepped closer. She had put the snake down but Rose still didn''t want to get too close to her.

    ¡°Please, just don''t come near me,¡± she said through her tears. Kaia stiffened, hurt, but didn''t say anything further. She only noticed that Navihm had come over to her when he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She looked up at him. He wasn''t looking at her but was glaring slightly at Rose with the clenched-jawed, too polite expression that meant he was furious.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Kaia soothed. ¡°She¡¯s just scared.¡± She placed one hand on his face and felt him relax. ¡°You need a shave,¡± she said and he smiled softly at her.

    ¡°Come on.¡± He lead her towards his tent, an arm still holding the blanket around her shoulder. He stuck his head into the tent and found Hart still awake, sitting on his side of the tent.

    ¡°Pack up your stuff,¡± Navihm told him. ¡°Mishka is on watch so you can take his spot. When Mishka¡¯s turn is over he can sleep in his replacement¡¯s tent. We have one person on watch all night so it should work out fine.¡±

    Hart opened his mouth to argue. Where was Navihm going to sleep?

    ¡°I want no comments,¡± interrupted Navihm. ¡°From either of you.¡± He eyed Kaia meaningfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± said Hart, doing what he was told. ¡°Goodnight you two.¡±

    Kaia leaned over and kissed Navihm on his cheek.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡± She wanted to say more but Hart was right, Navihm was in charge and it wasn''t the time or place to talk about this. Everyone needed sleep and if she made a scene, it would keep the rest of the camp awake.

    ¡°We can work out a better solution later,¡± said Navihm, as if reading her mind. He kissed her on the forehead, scooped up his sleeping things and left. He placed his stuff by the fire and went over to Rose¡¯s tent where she sat with her head buried in her arms.

    ¡°Go to sleep Rosaline,¡± Navihm told her and shut the flap.

    <hr />

    This is one of the first chapters I wrote. It really shaped Rose''s character. What do you think?

    <hr />

    Bonus!

    Hart and Navihm were almost brothers. After Healani found out she was pregnant (as a blind 14 yr old) she planned to give her child to her newly wed older sister (who was trying to get pregnant). After she saw Navihm''s future she couldn''t bare giving him up and changed her mind. Thats why occasionally you hear about Hart''s parents joking that Navihm should have been theirs.

    Two years later, Lia and Jethro were blessed with their own baby, a year after that, they were elected Rei and Reina.

    <hr />

    Double bonus:

    Hart is the only one who ever uses nicknames when talking to Kaia or Navihm. He never calls them by their first names, always Kai and Nav. Navihm''s the opposite; he will always use someone''s full name.

 Chapter Twenty Three

    Chapter Twenty Three:

    The next morning everyone rose before dawn and the camp was packed up swiftly. Navihm helped Rose and Kaia pack up their tents while Hart prepared coffee for everyone. They were on cold rations this morning as they needed to catch a boat before the tide went out but warm coffee would make their salted meat and nuts a much more pleasant meal.

    Hart approached Navihm and handed him coffee in their country¡¯s tradition small cup.

    ¡°You looked like you could use this.¡± Hart was right. Navihm had dark circles under his eyes. He had spent the night sleeping fitfully by the fire and, when the damp from the ground had soaked completely through his bedroll, he had stayed up practicing his elemental magic and helping keep watch. Navihm took the coffee gratefully and drank the whole thing. Hart refilled the cup with a small laugh.

    They set off soon after that and when they arrived at the docks, Navihm spied a familiar ship. It was Andromeda. This must have been what his mother was talking about when she said that they would find what they needed at the docks. He left the bulk of the group just outside the small town that housed the docks and he and Hart went to talk to Captain Gideon.

    Rose was perched up by the bow of the ship, leaning on the gunwale and watching as the trees rushed past. She hated being aboard this ship again; there was nothing to do and the view never changed. It was just trees, trees and more trees. She spent days upon this ship heading up the river and now she was stuck on it for another trip down the accursed river.

    She soon grew bored of watching the repetitive banks and she turned to watch the crew. Some of the men that had traveled with them from the First were helping the crew scrub the decks or were dipping some fraying ropes in tar. She wrinkled her nose at the foul smelling stuff. That was another reason why she didn''t enjoy being on ships. The whole thing reeked of tar and sweat.

    She looked around for someone to talk to. Hart was seated at one of the rowing decks on the starboard side of the ship and looked to be mending a large piece of canvas. He was talking with the Professor who stood near the Captain at the yardarm. Occasionally Captain Gideon would say something and the Professor would adjust the angle at which the wind would hit the sale. That was how they were able to make such good time. It wasn¡¯t difficult or draining for her, the Professor or even Navihm to nudge the wind so it was blowing from the aft of the ship.

    Rose wondered where Navihm had disappeared to. The ship wasn¡¯t big enough for someone to be out of sight for long, unless he was up the mast or in one of the storage holds. Rose peered up at the look out position on the top of the centre mast. Kaia was still perched up there, keeping a lookout. For some reason that Rose couldn¡¯t fathom, Kaia loved it up there. She had shimmied up the mast as soon as their supplies had been loaded up and hadn''t come down. Rose made her way over to the group by the yardarm, stepping over the suds and brushes that were being used to scrub the deck.

    ¡°Has anyone seen Navihm?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s over there, young Miss,¡± said the Captain, nodding over to the port rowing benches. Navihm was sprawled out in the afternoon sun, fast asleep. He was crammed between two benches with his back propped up against the piled up bedrolls.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t get much sleep last night after he gave up his tent I expect,¡± observed the Professor.

    ¡°He what?¡± Rose was taken aback. ¡°I though he and Kaia shared.¡±

    ¡°Shared a tent before they are heartbound?¡± Hart was dismayed at the idea. ¡°Navihm would never disrespect her or her father that way!¡± He glared at her, offended that she would suggest that Navihm was anything less than a gentleman.

    Rose sniffed dismissively at his glare, returning it with one of her own. She flipped her blond curls over her shoulder and flounced away primly, back to her former post at the bow.

    She was shocked to see that Kaia was already there waiting for her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you, Rose,¡± she said when Rose got closer.

    ¡°So talk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you these past few days and I wanted to talk to you about something I¡¯ve noticed.¡± Kaia tried to think of a way of putting this delicately. ¡°I don''t think you are contributing as much as you could be to the camp.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m not contributing.¡± Rose was indignant. ¡°I don''t hunt and refuse to touch dead animal innards and suddenly I¡¯m not contributing?¡±

    ¡°There are plenty of other things you could be doing around camp,¡± Kaia pointed out, refusing to be cowed by Rose¡¯s anger.

    ¡°I do my share around camp and I did plenty at the battle at the Ninth.¡± Rose crossed her arms. ¡°Not that you would know. You weren''t even there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did contribute at the battle,¡± Kaia said reasonably. ¡°I just wanted to point out that even Professor Ward helps set up his own tent.¡± Kaia turned and walked off, letting Rose think about what she¡¯d said.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Rose, on the other hand, fumed. How dare Kaia come up to her and tell her what to do. Kaia wasn¡¯t her princess, what right did she have to lord over Rose. She was a Ducherina, not some common servant.

    Leaving Rose to her brooding, Kaia returned to her post atop the mast. She¡¯d wound a scarf around her hair to keep the wind from whipping her braids into her face. When she scaled the mast, she¡¯d also pulled the scarf over her nose and mouth to ward off the chill of the brisk winds. She loved being high above the water and seeing every far off horizon.

    It was another hour until Navihm woke. When Kaia spotted him sitting on the starboard railing, she shimmied down the mast. Navihm met her at the bottom.

    ¡°How are you able to clamber up trees and masts as easily as walking, but you can''t walk down a flight of stairs without shaking?¡± asked Navihm. He smiled, recalling the times he carried her down the stairs in the solium as children. The only part of Kaia¡¯s face that was visible was her brilliant blue-green eyes, which were now narrowed at Navihm for that comment.

    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± she huffed, slightly muffled by the material obscuring her mouth. Navihm could practically hear her pout. He gently pulled her scarf down so it sat around her shoulders and her hair sprang free. He admired the way her eyes reflected the water, the blue almost swallowing the green of her eyes.

    ¡°How is the view?¡± he asked. The wind blew Kaia¡¯s hair into Navihm face, but he didn''t mind. He just brushed it back behind her ears. Kaia could see the love shining out of him, colouring his aura a brilliant gold.

    ¡°Fantastic.¡± She wasn''t talking about the horizon.

    They wandered over to where Navihm had been perched on the starboard railing and sat on the floor. The railing was open to let any water that fell onto the ship run off so they swung their legs over the side through the railing to hang over the water. They sat like this for a while, looking out at the trees rushing past.

    Kaia reached over and placed her hand on top of Navihm¡¯s. She was surprised to feel a tingle of magic flow through him. The familiar brush of cool spirit magic with an earthy undercurrent of what she could only assume was his elemental magic.

    ¡°Why are you using magic?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I''m practicing,¡± he said. ¡°When I was interrogating the prisoner I used both kinds of my magic.¡± Navihm had been practicing mixing his magics and using them at the same time. So much of his practice since he came to the school had been about separating his magics, he was only just now getting skilled at mixing them together again.

    ¡°It feels like you''re making a ward, but not,¡± said Kaia. She could sense that Navihm¡¯s elemental magic was interacting with the ward somehow, but without knowing how it worked, she couldn¡¯t tell what it was doing to the ward.

    ¡°I am. I''m projecting a ward out into the treeline.¡±

    ¡°But what is it anchored to?¡±

    ¡°Me. I can project it directly from me through my connection with the elements.¡± Back at the Nomad¡¯s camp, Navihm used both his magics for different things at the same time. Now he was learning to use them at the same time for the same thing.

    ¡°You can create a portable ward?¡±

    ¡°As big as I like.¡±

    ¡°Navihm. You are amazing.¡± Kaia lay her head on his shoulder and smiled up at the man she was proud to call hers. He laughed gently and smiled back down at her.

    ¡°Thanks, Kaia.¡±

    <hr />

    Shout out to VtrCst who has left some very beautiful comments on my first few chapters. Thanks! They mean so much to me.

    <hr />

    Bonus time.

    Genti children dont wear three braids. The get their three braids when they turn 14 as an ascent into adulthood. 14 in the only birthday they celebrate and they have a huge party and ceremony which the Rei presides over.

    Before the age of 14, Genti children wear their hair in two plaits. They intiwne their left plait with a ribbon the colour of their tribe, and the right with the colour of their family. There is no need for a third plait cus they cant marry at that age (it''s against the law).

    Rei Amias (Kaia''s father who helped raise Navihm) likes to joke that it was lucky that Navihm waited until he was 14 to gain his third bead and become an Enfeitar, because he had run out of plaits to hang his beads on.

    <hr />

    Im posting the second chapter of my new work today. If you haven''t already, go check it out. It''s called My Beauty</a>

 Chapter Twenty Four Part One

    Chapter Twenty Four:

    When the shipped docked at the Tenth, Navihm let most of the soldiers and crew handle the unloading of their things while he talked to what was left of the Ianterran group, specifically, Rose and Professor Ward.

    ¡°This trip will be a little different to our last visit to the Tenth,¡± he said. ¡°We are now officially at war with Somal and I won''t always be around to ensure your safety or translate. Therefore, I¡¯m going have to pair you with someone who knows the area and who can protect you. Professor Ward, I want you to stick close to Min Mishka.¡± Navihm gestured to a stocky guard with pink cheeks that had traveled with them from the First.

    ¡°You might recall meeting his father, Mai Mishka.¡± It was his pink face and unusual shortness that struck a chord in the Professor¡¯s memory. This must be the son of the Mishka Rei Amias was talking to when they had arrived at the First.

    ¡°Rosaline,¡± Navihm continued. ¡°You will be paired with Aalto. There is no reason why you would need to go anywhere in the city without your guides. I do not want to see you wandering around without protection.¡± Navihm looked directly at Rose when he said this.

    ¡°Kaia, you are to stay with me.¡± Kaia grinned. ¡°We need to meet with Rei Levi, but Mishka and Aalto will show you to where you will be staying, they have already been briefed.¡±

    As they watched Navihm and Kaia leave, Professor Ward noted the way Navihm acted now that he was technically in charge. When they had first left the Lowlands, the Professor had lead the trip in name, but he was under no pretenses; Navihm was the expert and made the decisions. Still, Navihm had always been careful to approach the Professor suggest a course of action, rather than impose it on the whole group. Ward suspected that if he¡¯d disagreed with anything Navihm had suggested, Navihm would have conceded and been overruled without argument. Navihm had always made it clear through his actions that the Professor had the final say.

    That was obviously not the case now. Rei Amias had, quite blatantly, put Navihm in charge, even over his own daughter who technically outranked Navihm. Professor Ward was quite happy to hand over the responsibility and believed that the burden of authority was not misplaced. Navihm was a good leader.

    Rose was not so convinced. She baulked at the idea of having a babysitter. She wasn''t a child. Aalto approached her. He was tall, like most Gentis, though not quite as tall as Navihm. Rose couldn''t wait until she returned home and didn''t need to crane her neck to look someone in the eye.

    Aalto wasn''t very handsome, with deep set eyes and a nose that had been badly broken. It was unusual to see someone in Genticus with such injuries because of the prevalence of magical healers. Aalto¡¯s botched healing job was due to his own actions. He¡¯d broken during some boyhood mischief. Rather than be caught getting into trouble, a friend had tried to heal it and due to his lack of experience, the result was a healed, but rather squashed looking nose.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The Professor and Min Mishka were getting along much better than Rose and her guard, who had yet to say a word to each other.

    ¡°I met your father back at the first,¡± Professor Ward said. ¡°We didn''t talk much, but he seemed a very pleasant man.¡± He had been pleasant, with a smile permanently fixed on his round face and impeccable manners.

    ¡°He would be glad to hear you say that.¡± Mishka smile was much like his father¡¯s; broad and genuine. He was very much like his father in many other respects too; tanned, leathery skin prone to flushing red and a short stocky build, though Min Mishka bulk was more muscle than fat, like his father. Professor Ward had no problem imagining that if Mai Mishka was twenty years younger, the two men would be nearly identical.

    ¡°I seem to recall him mentioning that you were behind Prophet Healani¡¯s successful rescue from that assassination attempt.¡±

    ¡°Too much credit was given to me, I think.¡± Mishka lead them to the jetty where their things were piled up, ready to move. ¡°I did what anyone else would have done.¡±

    Professor Ward laughed heartily.

    ¡°You sound like Navihm.¡± Ward wouldn''t be surprised if Mishka¡¯s actions earned him his own bead. As far as he knew, foiling an attempted assassination at the risk of your own life qualified as a ¡®good action¡¯ and would earn him his Bon Accion. Such matters would probably be left until after the invasion, though.

    <hr />

    First of all I wan''t to do a couple of shout outs. Again, VtrCst thank you for your comments on my chapters. They have feed fanstastic, feedback wise.

    Mukkaar, Thank you for your amazing review and your comments on the chapter. Please, feel free to follow Mukkaar''s example and post a review (the more honest/brutal the better)

    <hr />

    Bonus time!

    Min Mishka will, in fact, earn his Bon Accion for this action. He will later become an Enfeitar, though not until he is in his mid-thirties.

    Most often, those who earn all three are not those who go out seeking adventure. A common theme will most of the Enfeitars you have met so far (Navihm, Naeva, Mishka, Kaia [spoiler!] and another character that is going to be introduced in the next chapter [another spoiler]) is that most of the time, their beads are earned when they react to a situation that is thrust upon them, rather than them going a seeking situations that earn them a bead.

    Enfeitars are rarely brave or loyal or self-sacrificing just for the sake of earning a bead. They are brave and loyal and self-sacrificing because that is who they are, earning their Bon Accion is just incidental.

    <hr />

    Shameless plug; check out my other work My Beauty!</a>

 Chapter Twenty Four Part Two

    Navihm and Kaia met with the others a good while later at Mistress Bo¡¯s inn. Her only customers were the higher ranking soldiers. Most of the rank and file soldiers were camped in their typical style on the edges of the city. There was simply too many of them to house in the city proper. As more soldiers arrived, they would start evacuating the common people and house soldiers in their abandoned homes and businesses. As it was, outside trading was to a minimum and tourists and travelers were turned away. This meant that Mistress Bo had plenty of room to house Navihm and his guests.

    ¡°How did your meeting with the Rei of the Tenth go?¡± asked the Professor when Navihm and Kaia joined them in the main room. The others had already eaten but Navihm called for a late dinner for himself and his beloved.

    ¡°You should know by now that everything always goes perfectly for Navihm,¡± said Kaia, pouring them tea. ¡°He has got the best luck on the continent.¡±

    ¡°Hardly,¡± Navihm scoffed. ¡°If I was really so lucky I doubt my home country would be being invaded right now.¡± Kaia tilted her head in thought.

    ¡°That''s fair,¡± she conceded. ¡°My point is; the meeting went great. Rei Levi is a bit of a spineless idiot to be honest.¡±

    ¡°Kaia!¡± Navihm chastised.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± She shrugged. ¡°He practically came out and said that you could do whatever you wanted.¡±

    ¡°He gave me the authority to appoint a commander for our army. That isn''t the same thing.¡±

    ¡°You convinced him to allow this commander to have ultimate authority. What other Rei would build an army and give away all control?¡± Their food arrived but that didn''t slow Kaia down. ¡°It certainly explains why there is so much corruption in the Tenth, at least compared to other Tribes. I always assumed it was because of the high population of merchants and constant stream of travellers. I now know it¡¯s because the Rei is old, ineffectual and lily-livered!¡±

    Navihm erupted into laughter.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been spending too much time around sailors, my dear.¡± He kissed her forehead.

    ¡°Who are you going to get to lead the army?¡± asked Rose. She was sure that Navihm would just take on the responsibility himself. That''s all he ever did, thought Rose. She was still a little resentful about being paired with ugly, unsocial Aalto. Navihm had paired the Professor with Mishka, whom he trusted his own mother¡¯s life with. Rose got stuck with Aalto; the big, dumb brute who had yet to speak a word to her.

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    ¡°Kaia and I are going tomorrow to visit a local who might suit the position,¡± said Navihm vaguely.

    ¡°Yes, but who is he?¡± Rose prodded.

    ¡°He¡¯s an Enfeitar,¡± Navihm said. When that answer failed to satisfy Rose, he continued. ¡°He was a renown warrior and war maker about twenty years ago before he met his wife and settled down the in Tenth.¡±

    ¡°Is Kaia coming with you when you convince this Enfeitar to lead our army?¡± Rose asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Kaia. Now that she was back with her best friend, she was going to spend as much time with him as possible. The plan was for Navihm to talk to the Enfeitar and Kaia to talk with his wife. There is no way a Genti husband would go to war without the support of his wife and family.

    ¡°Maybe I could come to,¡± suggested Rose. ¡°I could show them that this army has the support of the Lowlands too.¡± Her suggestion was met with silence. Kaia looked directly at Navihm. It was his decision to make.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Navihm. He was willing to give Rose a chance to prove her worth in this mission.

    ¡°Okay then,¡± said Kaia, smiling at Rose. ¡°We are leaving tomorrow morning.¡±

    <hr />

    One of my fav characters is coming up in the next chapter. I have a whole backstory for him that I considering writing in another book. Let me know if you would be interested in that.

    <hr />

    Bonus:

    Kaia has been trained to defend herself which is why she is able to take the dagger off the assassin that sneaks into her room. If you read closely, you may have noticed that I included that she wears plain steel rings. These rings are the same spiked rings that Navihm uses to defeat the bullies back at the Ianterran school.

    In Genticus, spiked rings are traditionally a female weapon and that is why Kaia was trained with them from a young age. Navihm noticed how useful they were and decided to learn to use them. He wears them constantly, even though men aren''t generally seen wearing rings.

    <hr />

    Bonus bonus:

    Jia (Mistress Bo''s daughter who works at the inn) is in love with Navihm.

    I wonder why? All he did was save her life ;)

 Chapter Twenty Five Part One

    Chapter Twenty Five:

    The small home was located right on the edge of the city of the Tenth. The buildings were much more spread out at the top of the hills surrounding the valley. The home Navihm was leading them towards was so far away from it¡¯s neighbours that it was able to have its own gardens and fruit trees. In the city proper, yards were considered a luxury and trees were unheard of. Rose could hear the laughter of children and friendly, mock-shouting in Genti. It sounded like a woman¡¯s voice. Rose thought they were going to see a war hero named Conan, but this seemed more like a family home with toys strewn around the yard and the smell of something sweet baking in the air.

    As they approached the door, it was flung open. Two small children came tumbling out, shouting delightedly. The smallest, who was leading the charge, plunged right into Navihm¡¯s legs, knocking herself over. The other boy, about three years older than his sister who was now sprawled on the ground, pulled up just short of trampling  the small girl.

    ¡°Nai!¡± the older boy called over his shoulder. He shouted a few more things in rapid Genti to whomever was inside.

    The girl, who was about three, was laying on the floor, resting on her elbows and staring up at Navihm. He smiled kindly and bent to help her up.

    ¡°My name is Enfeitar Navihm,¡± he introduced himself in Genti. ¡°I''m here to see your father. Is he around?¡±

    The girl blinked up at him and pointed towards the fields behind the house with her tiny fingers. As soon as Navihm looked away from her, she bolted past her brother into the cottage.

    They entered close behind the two children. A woman with deep black skin and flour powdering her hands and dress came in from another room to greet them. She wasn''t of Genti descent. Her children were talking to her rapidly over the top of one another. Rose couldn''t see how the woman could understand what they were saying.

    ¡°You are here to see Conan?¡± she asked.

    Navihm replied in Pershus, introducing himself and explaining why they were there.

    ¡°My husband will be back from work any minute,¡± she explained. ¡°My name is Hana. These are my children, Jak, Remy and Lian.¡± She gestured towards to where the children sat on the floor staring at the intruders. Between Jak and Remy lay a small baby, wrapped in a blanket and cooing.  Hanna wiped the flour off her hands and picked up the baby, murmuring to her softly. Navihm looked over her shoulder at the baby, running a soft finger over the baby¡¯s cheek. Lian grasped onto his finger and began sucking on it.

    ¡°She likes you,¡± noted Hana.

    ¡°Something smells divine. Have you been cooking all day, my love?¡± called a voice from outside the house. ¡°I thought I told you to take it easy, you just had a baby and¡­¡±

    The voice trailed off as Conan entered and saw the visitors.

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    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± he greeted them uncertainty. Navihm noted that he walked with a distinct limp. He knew that he¡¯d injured his leg in battle some years ago. It must be a permanent injury, uncommon in Genticus because of the magical healing talents of the residents. Still, not everything could be healed.

    ¡°Salve, Enfeitar Conan,¡± said Navihm. ¡°I am Enfeitar Navihm. I was hoping to speak to you on behalf of Rei Amias of the First and Rei Levi of the Tenth. This is Regina Kaia of the First and Ducherina Elspeth Rosaline Leilani II of Ianterra.¡± He gestured to the two girls in turn and Enfeitar Conan bowed to each.

    ¡°Of course, Enfeitar.¡± Conan gestured for him to take a seat.

    ¡°I insist you all stay for dinner,¡± said Hana.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure to help you prepare it,¡± offered Kaia. ¡°I love to cook and it has been so long since I have been able to do so.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Regina,¡± Hana said, smiling broadly at the princess.

    ¡°Please, call me Kaia.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it is best we give the men some privacy,¡± suggested Hana, moving towards the kitchen. Navihm, loath to force his finger from the grasp of the tiny baby, followed her for a few steps.

    ¡°May I?¡± He asked when Hana noticed him shadowing her. She smiled gently.

    ¡°Of course.¡± She handed him Lian. The huge Genti¡¯s arms swallowed the little newborn, but he cradled her softly, taking care with her head. Hana left with the two girls and her children, leaving the men seated in the cottage¡¯s small exedrium.

    ¡°You are aware of the extra soldiers stationed at the Tenth,¡± said Navihm. It was not a question, Navihm knew that this would not have gone unnoticed to a seasoned veteran, but Conan nodded anyway.

    ¡°There is to be an attack on the Tenth within two months,¡± Navihm continued, deadly serious. ¡°It has been foretold by the great Prophet Healani of the First. The outcome of this battle between Genticus and Somal will determine the fate of the entire continent.¡±

    ¡°You are here to recruit me.¡± This wasn''t a question. Navihm nodded. ¡°I have left the life of a soldier behind me, son. I am old and I have a young wife and children whom I love too dearly to get myself slaughtered in a senseless war.¡±

    <hr />

    Bonus:

    Conan has almost zero magic. He comes from a long line of farmers who were absolutely useless mages. He has a very slight instinctive ability to sense others emotions but other than that, his slight magic has almost no practical applications.

    His father was the same, (as well as all the men on his father''s side) and Conan in the first in his line to earn more than one bead, let alone become an Enfeitar.

    Conan''s father died when he was still at war in Pershus. He didn''t attend the funeral.

    Next bonus will be about Hana and Conan ;)

 Chapter Twenty Five Part Two

    Conan¡¯s young wife was currently preoccupied with dodging her rambunctious children while simultaneously cooking their evening meal. Kaia picked up Remy from under her mother¡¯s feet and sat her on the kitchen counter. She tasked the child with stirring the cooking broth while she sliced ingredients and added it to the pot. Jak sat himself in a corner and began playing very enthusiastically with a few small wooden figurines, talking boisterously in both Genti and Pershus. Rose watched on, standing awkwardly by the door.

    After a few minutes, Hana noticed Rose standing uneasily on the other side of the room.

    ¡°Rose?¡± she said casually. ¡°Could you cut these potatoes for me?¡± She offered the nervous Ianterran a knife. Rose¡¯s first instinct was to refuse; she¡¯d never cooked before. She opened her mouth to decline but stopped when she caught Kaia¡¯s eye. Rose thought back to the conversation they¡¯d had on Gideon¡¯s ship and hesitated.

    By now, Hana had been holding the knife out to Rose for an awkwardly long amount of time. Ignoring her apprehension, Rose took the knife.

    Kaia smiled into her pot.

    ¡°I am not longer a fighter,¡± Conan told Navihm. ¡°That was the younger, foolhardy me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to ask you to join our army.¡± Navihm leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to lead it.¡±

    Rose presented Hana with the cut vegetables nervously. They were uneven and had taken her a long time to dice but Hana beamed at Rose.

    ¡°Perfect. Thank you.¡±

    Rose grinned, delighted with her small accomplishment.

    ¡°Lead it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Navihm refused to be disheartened by Conan¡¯s tone of disbelief. ¡°You are the only Genti on the continent with any sort of military experience. You were a high commander in a civil war in Pershus, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Twenty years ago!¡± The baby stirred at her father¡¯s sharp words. ¡°Surely there is someone on the continent with more recent experience.¡± He said, quieter, so as not to disturb Lian. ¡°I haven¡¯t so much as thrown a punch in almost fifteen years.¡±

    ¡°You know as well as I do that Gentis do not go to war.¡± It was true. Genticus hadn''t been involved in a significant conflict in over six generations. ¡°You were responsible for the most crucial victory at the battle of Silverwater Straits. You were a great warrior, with a brilliant mind for tactics and experience fighting an enemy on water. You are our best and only option.¡±

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    ¡°I have a family now.¡± Conan looked at Lian, who¡¯d fallen asleep in Navihm¡¯s arms. ¡°I need to be here for them. I can''t get myself killed in some war.¡±

    ¡°This war is for them. You would be protecting their lives and your home. Besides, it isn''t as if you will be in the front lines. You are much too valuable as a commander to be sent into battle. We need you to command the entire army. You will be responsible for choosing field commanders and directing them from a base of operations.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just asking you to be a commander, I¡¯m asking you to be the commander. You will not even be answerable to the Rei.¡±

    Conan leant back in his chair, running his hands through his hair. He could not believe the responsibilities he was being handed.

    The women finished with the meal a short time after that, interrupting the men¡¯s conversation. Conan had yet to give an answer to Navihm request and was reluctant to continue the topic in front of his children.

    The meal was a good one. A blend of Genti and Pershus foods were crammed onto the table. Navihm doubted that they would finish all the food, but, in typical Pershus fashion, Hana preoccupied herself with making sure everyone¡¯s plates were full to the brim.

    Navihm sung her praises, thoroughly impressed with the delicious meal.

    ¡°I couldn''t have done it without Kaia preoccupying the little ones or Rose¡¯s help in the kitchen. It was Rose who made that rice you¡¯ve had three helpings of, Enfeitar.¡± Hana was exaggerating, but Rose was delighted with the praise none the less. Navihm raised his glass just slightly towards Rose, smiling.

    He met Conan¡¯s eyes across the table.

    ¡°I will talk with my wife,¡± he said. ¡°If she agrees, I will accept this responsibility.¡±

    Navihm let Kaia walk ahead of them as they left the cottage.

    ¡°Thank you for your help in there,¡± he said to Rose. ¡°You were right to suggest you come along.¡±

    <hr />

    Conan proposed to Hana THREE TIMES before she accepted =)

    This was totally understandable, Conan was drunk the first time he asked her to marry him.

 Chapter Twenty Six

    Chapter Twenty Six:

    Enfeitar Conan sat with a stack of papers in front of him. He was scribbling notes in the margins of one of them. Hana had always told him that he had terrible handwriting. Typically he would respond by pointing out that she couldn''t read Genti, so how would she know what neat Genti script looked like.

    She missed those small interactions with his wife. Over the last month, he¡¯d spent very little time with his family. He taken to sleeping most nights at the Command Center in the heart of the city. The trip back to his little cottage on the outskirts of the Tenth was a long way to go after a late night war council.

    Glancing at the stack of papers he still needed to read, Conan figured it would be one of those nights he bunked on the temporary cot he¡¯d rigged in the other room. When he agreed to be the commander of an army, he¡¯d had no idea how much paperwork would be involved. Right now, he was reading an update on their troop numbers. Three more unum had arrived during the week from various tribes and he needed to assign them a company to fight with. Their current numbers meant that Conan would probably need to promote another soldier to Praefectus, he would need another field commander. He made a note of it.

    He was only halfway through reading the next document - a breakdown of the army¡¯s current food consumption - when Stephan, his messenger boy, knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in, boy,¡± said Conan, hardly looking up from his paper. Stephan quickly hurried to his side and deposited a letter on Conan¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Thank you, my boy,¡± Conan said, ruffling his blond hair. Stephan only smiled. He didn''t speak much, but he was an uncomplaining worker and Conan was fond of him. A few times he¡¯d invited the boy to eat with his family at the cottage. Stephan loved those nights, he¡¯d been orphaned at young age and craved a normal family life. Conan seemed to sense this about the boy and did all he could to welcome him into his family. Hana adored him.

    When the boy left the room, he scanned the letter. It was by an unfamiliar hand.

    ¡°Stephan,¡± he called. The boy stuck his head around the door jam. ¡°I know it¡¯s late and you are due to go home, but I need you to run and get Enfeitar Navihm. Do you know where he¡¯s staying?¡± Stephen nodded and disappeared.

    ¡°High Commander Conan,¡± Navihm greeted when he made it to the Command Center. ¡°What is so urgent?¡± Conan handed him the letter.

    ¡°The Ianterrans are coming.¡±

    The next morning, the army of Ianterran wizards and guards were spotted making their way down the river. They had conscripted three Lowlander ships which were now about an hour¡¯s sail from the mouth of the River. When Conan received this update, he sent for Navihm who arrived shortly after with Rose. The Professor was busy creating barricades in the city streets.

    ¡°I would like to know everything about who I might be facing,¡± Conan told Navihm. ¡°I don''t know much about Lowlanders as a whole, I know even less about gifted Lowlanders. Is it true that not everyone can use magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Navihm. ¡°It is passed on through bloodlines, as it is here, but not every bloodline is gifted magically and not everyone in a gifted family will inherit magical skills.¡±

    ¡°Magic is revered in my country,¡± Rose continued. ¡°Magical families are most often Gentry or very well off. Magicians are highly respected and are used to being treated as such.¡± Rose felt it necessary to add.

    ¡°The school will probably send a council representative.¡± Navihm thought that Conan would need to be prepared for what the council was like. Navihm had found the Lowlander¡¯s tendency toward bureaucracy frustrating. ¡°I should warn you that most of the council like discussing all things excessively. They would have received word of the invasion almost two months ago but they are only just arriving.¡±

    Conan listened to all this with his mouth pressed against his steepled fingers.

    ¡°So I should be expecting to deal with some difficult people?¡± said Conan.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Navihm, cutting off whatever Rose was about to say in their defence. By Genti standards, Lowlanders, especially magical ones, were difficult to deal with. ¡°They are very different from Gentis. The important thing to remember is that they don''t mean to be rude; they just have a different culture to us. We need their full co-operation if we-¡± Navihm was cut off by a knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Conan called. Stephan entered, followed by Hue and Professor Calloway. Navihm recognised him from the council meeting he had interrupted back at the school. He groan inwardly. As he recalled, Calloway was the teacher most vocal in his opposition to sending troops. Navihm couldn''t imagine a worse liaison.

    ¡°Thank you, Stephan.¡± Conan dismissed the boy. He made sure to speak the common tongue for the benefit of their guests. Hues stepped forward.

    ¡°Enfeitars,¡± he greeted them respectfully. Hue had picked up a lot of Genti customs during his time in the North. Conan and Navihm bowed their head politely in response to Hue¡¯s bow. When the Lowland guard straightened, Navihm stepped forward and embraced him fondly. All the while, Professor Calloway looked on.

    ¡°Conan, I assume?¡± Professor Calloway asked when the two men finished embracing.

    ¡°Uh, Professor,¡± said Hue quietly in Ianterran. ¡°It is polite to use the title ¡®Enfeitar¡¯ unless told otherwise. Only friends and family call an Enfeitar by their first name.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± interjected Conan. ¡°Feel free address me as Impraefectus. That is my military title.¡± Conan must have been following along with Ianterran. Navihm had no idea that he knew the Lowland tongue.

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    ¡°Very well,¡± said Professor Conan.

    ¡°Impraefectus, this is Professor Calloway,¡± interjected Navihm. Calloway hadn''t bothered to introduce himself.

    ¡°Welcome, Professor.¡± Conan rose and offered a hand, a Lowland custom Navihm had drilled into him the night before. The Professor¡¯s hand was limp and cold, the opposite of Navihm¡¯s strong grip.

    ¡°Before we go any further, I want to talk about where we are going to house my students,¡± said the Professor. He seated himself in the only seat available, other than Conan¡¯s.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Conan was glad Navihm had prepared him for the Lowlander¡¯s abruptness. ¡°I would like to have an idea of how many I am to be housing.¡± Conan said. Calloway either ignored or didn''t understand that Conan was inquiring about his troop numbers.

    ¡°I hope you don''t mean to dump my students in tents like the rest of this army,¡± continued Calloway, obliviously.

    ¡°I understand that most of your group is not made up of soldiers and I don''t expect to house them as such,¡± Conan said patiently. ¡°However, I do need a specific number so I can organise housing.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Calloway hesitated. He clearly had no idea how many people he had brought with him. He glanced up at Hue, who was standing at his right shoulder.

    ¡°Two hundred and fifty, Impraefectus,¡± Hue said immediately. ¡°Almost one hundred and fifty of them are students, ten teachers and the rests are guards.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hue,¡± Navihm supplied.

    ¡°Okay, I will organise for the southern quarter of the city to be emptied and your students and faculty can be housed there. You guards will need to be separated amongst the current army. I do not have the room to house them all in the same place.¡±

    ¡°The guards and my students will be housed in the same place,¡± Calloway demanded. ¡°Who will protect my students?¡±

    ¡°I understand your concern, Professor,¡± said Conan, trying to appease the abrupt man. ¡°But my city is perfectly safe. My men are civil and we have guards patrolling at all times. Besides, we simply do not have the room. As it is, the southern quarter is the largest amount of housing we have available. If it concerns you so much, I will organise for an extra patrol around your section of the city.¡±

    ¡°I only trust my men,¡± said the Professor, stubbornly. ¡°This patrol will have to be made up of the guards I have brought with me.¡±

    ¡°You have less than fifty men, Professor,¡± Hue pointed out.

    ¡°I cannot authorise such a Patrol,¡± said Conan. ¡°It would put too much strain on such a small force.¡±

    ¡°Impraefectus, it is my force to command.¡± Professor Calloway rose from his seat. ¡°You do not have to authorise it.¡± Conan blanched.

    ¡°Professor Calloway, I was under the impression that you traveled here to join my army,¡± said Conan in the politest tone he could manage. ¡°Make no mistake, this is my army. I am sole commander. That is what Impraefectus means. No King or Rei has any authority over me. That is the agreement I have with every man who joins my force; they have sole loyalty to me for the duration of this war. If you do not agree with those terms, I suggest that you leave and take your students with you.¡±

    ¡°You need us,¡± said the Professor, obstinately. Conan rose from his seat, towering over the Professor, even with a desk between them.

    ¡°I need your absolute loyalty. Not this constant negotiation and defiance of my authority. If you are unwilling to give that, you are no use to me.¡±

    ¡°In that case. I leave you to fight this war alone.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Professor,¡± Hue interjected. ¡°You don''t have the authority to make that decision. You are here to carry out the council¡¯s wishes. I feel compelled to remind you that the council voted to fight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Praefectus Hue.¡±

    ¡°Enfeitar,¡± Navihm interjected. ¡°That is not a title used in the Lowland countries and it doesn¡¯t quite reflect Hue¡¯s rank amongst the Ianterrans.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of that, Enfeitar.¡± Conan scribbled a note. ¡°I am promoting Hue to Field Commander. Congratulations Praefectus.¡±

    ¡°Um, Sir! I-¡± Hue was cut off by Conan, who didn''t even look up from his papers.

    ¡°You will refer to me as Enfeitar or Impraefectus or Conan. Never Sir.¡± Hue smiled.

    ¡°Yes, Impraefectus.¡±

    ¡°Praefectus, please stay. We need to discuss things further. For the rest of you.¡± Conan looked directly at Professor Calloway. ¡°That will be all. You are dismissed.¡± Professor Calloway spluttered but followed Navihm out the door.

    <hr />

    Bonus

    Conan and Hana adopt Stephan.

    Double Bonus:

    Hue''s sister doesn''t get accepted into the Ianterran School for the Gifted. Her application is rejected and she ends up going to the school in Hallasholm six weeks ride away. Hue goes with her and joins the local army. They are both hugely successful. Hue rises in the ranks quickly and becomes the youngest commander ever.

 Chapter Twenty Seven

    Chapter Twenty Seven:

    ¡°Did you get taller?¡±

    Navihm was talking to Hue, exchanging details about what had occurred during their time apart from each other, when he heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°Eamonn?¡± The two friends embraced.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you still in one piece, Navihm!¡± Eamonn said in Nomad.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been practicing, I see,¡± replied Navihm in kind. ¡°I didn''t expect you to be a part of the Ianterran group.¡±

    ¡°I figured you would be in the thick of the goings on up North, so I came to visit.¡± Eamonn grinned. A passing group of soldiers called a greeting to Navihm. ¡°It seems I was right.¡±

    ¡°How have you been?¡± Navihm asked. ¡°Is Millie well?¡± Eamonn flushed a violent red at the mention of the shy little healer.

    ¡°Millie is doing fine.¡± Eamonn coughed, embarrassed. Navihm smiled knowingly to himself. The two had been spending a lot of time together before Navihm had left for the North. ¡°She stayed behind at the school.¡± Navihm was unsurprised. Lowland healing would not be much use in the North.

    ¡°What is this I hear about you running an army?¡± Eamonn changed the subject brusquely, still blushing furiously.

    ¡°Navihm has an army?¡± Hart asked as he approached his cousin talking with a stranger. It was odd, this newcomer looked like a Nomad and they were speaking the language, but, as far as Hart knew, no Nomads had joined the Genti army at the Tenth. They were all still at the Ninth, guarding against a possible follow up attack.

    ¡°Hart, this is Eamonn,¡± introduced Navihm. So he was a Nomad; Eamonn was definitely a Nomadic name. ¡°He is a friend from Ianterra. We were at school together.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Hart, eyeing Eamonn¡¯s dark skin. Eamonn laughed.

    ¡°I suppose you can call it that,¡± said Eamonn, recognising Hart¡¯s look of confusion for what it was. ¡°Navihm and I share a skill for Lowland magic due to our mixed heritage.¡±

    ¡°That explains why you two are obviously such good friends.¡± Hart offered his hand. ¡°Not many people have the patience to put up with my little cousin.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that Hart.¡± Eamonn shook Hart¡¯s hand enthusiastically. ¡°Navihm has told me so much about you.¡±

    ¡°All good things, I hope.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Navihm said dryly.

    ¡°Did you really stampede a whole herd of cattle when you were eight?¡± asked Eamonn, ignoring Navihm¡¯s eye rolls.

    ¡°Yes!¡± The two men started walking, leaving Navihm behind. ¡°And it wasn''t even on purpose!¡±

    Navihm shook his head. Eamonn¡¯s propensity towards awe was not good for his cousin¡¯s ego.

    They would get on fantastically.

    Navihm scanned the group of Ianterrans. He¡¯d come to the south quarter of the city to find Rose. Most of the Ianterrans were either off helping prepare for the invasion or were socialising in the common rooms of their temporary homes.

    Finding Rose was easy. Navihm picked her familiar aura from the hundreds of newcomers in a matter of minutes. After all, he¡¯d taken dozens of imprints of her spirit making all those wards along their journey. When Navihm found her, she was talking with a group of her classmates.

    ¡°Lowlander magic was pretty important in that first battle,¡± Rose was saying. ¡°Without Professor Ward and I, I think the battle would have ended up very different.¡± Rose¡¯s audience was listening in wrapped attention.

    ¡°Rose?¡± Navihm interrupted.

    ¡°Yes, Navihm?¡± Rose¡¯s tone was quite aloof.

    ¡°I have your assignment for the defensive line.¡± Navihm handed her a piece of paper. ¡°Hue told me that you weren''t at his briefing. I thought I would deliver it to you directly.¡±

    Rose opened the paper and scanned it quickly. She felt a cold lump of anger in her throat when she read what was written. She pulled Navihm out of earshot of her friends.

    ¡°What is this?¡± she hissed, waving the paper at him.

    ¡°Most of the Ianterrans are going to be deployed throughout the city on roofs,¡± Navihm explained. Rose would be aware of this if she went to any of the briefings. ¡°I thought it best that you joined them. You are assigned to the bakery roof, just behind barricade eight.¡± Navihm pointed to a point of the map Rose held as a part of her paperwork. ¡°It is the next street over and-¡±

    ¡°I know where it is, Navihm!¡± she snapped. ¡°I thought I would with the mages on the mines.¡± She was referring to the buildings out on the water, anchored to the sea floor. They had been utilized to mount as assault before the ships made it to land. ¡°That¡¯s where all the skilled mages are being deployed.¡±

    ¡°No, Rose,¡± Navihm said patiently. ¡°The mages assigned to the mines are those adept at water and wind magics. You are more proficient with earth, or even fire. It was at my urging that you were assigned to a rooftop.¡±

    Rose went bright red. How dare Navihm saddle her with a mediocre assignment. After all her hard work during their travels together, she was treated the same as all the other mages.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Rose sniffed and turned her back on Navihm.

    ¡°Rosaline,¡± Navihm called before she could walk away, ¡°you will go to your assigned briefings.¡± Rose nodded, shocked to hear the tone of command from Navihm and flounced back to the students she had been talking to.

    She was not happy with her assignment. She wanted to help, not be shunted to the back of the army. She knew she could do better than that and she especially wanted to she Kaia that she could be better than that. Their conversation on the Andromeda was still in the forefront of Rose¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Where did you get assigned?¡± asked Jacinto, a student that had been in all of Rose¡¯s classes since they¡¯d started at the school together. Rose flipped her hair over her shoulder.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°To the front lines, actually,¡± she said flippantly.

    ¡°Really?¡± Jacinto was not the least bit skeptical of Rose¡¯s blatant lie. ¡°I¡¯m stuck up on some roof a few streets over.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯ve been here a lot longer than you. Enfeitar Conan knows he can trust my skills.¡±

    At the soonest possible moment, Rose slipped away from Jacinto and his pestering questions. The invasion was due any day now, and Rose had to figure out how she was going to make it to the front lines without Hue or Navihm or any of the others stopping her.

    The streets of the Tenth were packed with people. Conan had ordered the entire army to form up and report to their assigned battle stations. They¡¯d done this several times a week but with the addition of the Ianterran mages, the plans for most of the soldier¡¯s positions had changed. The result was chaos. Rose made her way through the crowed to the command center, ignoring the fact that she was supposed to be reporting to her position on the bakery roof.

    She told the guard at the door that she had an important message for Regina Kaia. Kaia had been spending most of her time at the command center in the weeks leading up to the battle. She had been helping with communication or something. Rose wasn''t really sure what she was doing, but she knew she was here.

    It didn''t take long for Rose to find Kaia. She¡¯d asked some soldiers and they¡¯d directed her to the top floor. Kaia was standing on a balcony surrounded by birds and taking with a dark skinned soldier.

    ¡°No, Navihm¡¯s group will be based at the mouth of the river on the East bank,¡± she was telling the soldier. ¡°From there they can sweep around to the south and carve a wedge out of the center of the attacking force.¡±

    Rose cleared her throat. Both Kaia and the stranger looked up from where they were pouring over a map.

    ¡°Rose?¡± Kaia said with some surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Rose glanced meaningfully at the dark man.

    ¡°I will leave you to your private conversation, Regina,¡± he said and walked out of the room, nodding politely to Rose as he walked past her.

    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about something important, Kaia.¡± The birds squawked and fluttered about on their perch. ¡°I''m going to join one of the assault teams and I wanted to know if you would join me.¡±

    Kaia could only blink, stunned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing my magical attacks and I know you can fight,¡± Rose continued, oblivious to Kaia¡¯s growing horror. Kaia was coming to the realisation the Rose was completely serious. ¡°After that attack by those assassins back at the First, Hart told me that you having been learning to fight since you were a child. I thought that you would want to be fighting with the others, rather than being cooped up here doing whatever you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°What I am doing, is handling all communications between the Impraefectus and his field commanders.¡± Kaia was furious. Rose was being completely irresponsible and reckless. ¡°What you are suggesting is suicide.¡±

    ¡°Kaia, don''t be so dramatic, I-¡±

    ¡°Rose. You are not good enough.¡± Kaia interrupted bluntly. ¡°You are going to get yourself killed. Or worse, you are going to get someone else killed trying to protect you. At the very least, you will be a distraction we cannot afford. This is war, Rose.¡±

    ¡°I understand that, Kaia-¡±

    ¡°I don''t think you do.¡± Kaia stepped closer and put her hands on Rose¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You are a woman. Any man is going to be twice the size as you and probably twice as strong. You have no experience in battle, no training and you are, apparently, mentally impaired.¡± Rose flushed angrily. ¡°You are insane if you think I will encourage you to go through with this harebrained plan. Navihm or Hart or Hue or half a dozen others would put themselves in extreme danger to protect you if you insist on charging into battle unprepared. I will not allow that.¡±

    ¡°I am capable of defending myself, Kaia. I''m not completely helpless.¡± Kaia rolled her eyes and pushed on Rose¡¯s shoulders. The girl went sprawling onto the floor, barely even putting up any resistance, proving Kaia¡¯s point.

    ¡°I know you want to help, Rose,¡± Kaia said understandingly. ¡°But this isn¡¯t the way.¡± She could see Rose¡¯s emotions. The Ianterran girl truly wanted to aid their resistance in a meaningful way. The problem was that Rose couldn¡¯t see her role as meaningful.

    ¡°You are just a coward, Kaia.¡± Rose said from her position on the floor. ¡°All you want to do is hide in this room while others are out there risking their lives.¡±

    ¡°You are naive to think that your contribution to this war is not a valuable as those who fight on the front line.¡± Kaia turned back to the balcony, tieing a waiting message to the leg of a bird. ¡°We can''t all be the same, that doesn''t mean that your job or mine isn''t important. If that makes me a coward, so be it.¡±

    Kaia turned to glare at the girl still laying in a heap on the floor.

    ¡°Now go and do your job, or get out of the way of everyone else doing theirs.¡± She waved her hand, dismissing her as a princess would a servant.

    Rose slammed the door open and stormed out of the room.

    ¡°Send a guard to follow her,¡± Kaia called through the open door at the soldier she knew would be standing there. ¡°I want to make sure she stays with her assigned group.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Praefectus Kaia.¡±

    <hr />

    Bonus:

    Exiled Gentis get their braids shaved and their ribbons burned. It requires the consent of at least three Reis to exile a Genti.

    Bonus #2:

    Hart is a better swordsmen than Navihm. He has much more natural talent (though Navihm is more diligent in his studies and practice). How did Navihm loose the tournament you ask? You may remember me mentioning this way back in chapter nine when you first meet Hart.

    You also may have noticed that Navihm uses a sword and one of his daggers to fight most often. During the tournament, Hart thought the best counter weapons for this would be two swords. He wasn''t a practiced at using two swords and more than a little cocky. This lead to his downfall. Navihm won the final fight (just barely).

    Hart was not happy =)

    <hr />

    Two more chapters to go. Ill be updating my beauty later today as well =)

 Chapter Twenty Eight Part One

    Chapter Twenty Eight:

    Trumpet blasts echoed through the streets of the Tenth. The entire Genti army was standing ready to face their enemy.

    Hart gripped his sword hilt tighter, his hands slick with anticipation. The Somali ships were just visible on the horizon. He doubted the soldiers on the shore could see the ships, they were only just visible from Hart¡¯s vantage point on a sea mine. Conan had assigned Hart to the buildings floating on the river delta. He, and a few dozen other soldiers, were tasked with keeping the mages alive if the mines were boarded by the enemy. Hart also had the responsibility of calling the attacks on the incoming fleets. For this reason, he was situated in the centre most mine of the three occupied by defenders.

    ¡°Prefectus,¡± said Hart¡¯s second in command, Ethan. ¡°We are ready when you are.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ethan. Prepare the signal.¡± Hart drew his sword, drawing comfort in its familiar weight. ¡°They will be here in a matter of minutes.¡±

    A tense silence filled the dank confines of the mine. The mages ducked awkwardly under windows or pressed up against walls. They were under strict instructions not to be seen and, as a result, they didn''t dare peek at the approaching enemy. Not being able to see the approaching Somali ships only served to make the unseasoned mages uneasy.

    As the ships got closed, Ethan shifted nervously.

    ¡°Prefectus, should I signal an attack?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Hart knew that the enemies would not expect troops in the sea mines, there would be no reason to deploy troops there unless they had the ability to attack ships at long range. Even archers wouldn''t be effective against ships. The invaders had no idea about the Lowland mages or their abilities. Hart wanted the ships close enough for their first attack to be as devastating as possible, without allowing the ships too near as to put the Lowlanders in danger.

    Hart held up a steady hand to the mage preparing the signal.

    Just a little closer. A few seconds more. Now!

    Sparks flew as the mage signaled the other two mines to attack. As one, the mages rose from their crouched positions and stepped into the open. With practiced ease, they sent a blade of air rippling out over the open water, catching the enemy ship¡¯s open sails and causing chaos.

    The oncoming ships had their sails rigged for the breeze following them into shore from behind them. The sudden, violent shift of wind direction sent canvas snapping and the boom of the sail swinging wildly. The nearest ship was so close that Hart could hear the groaning and snapping of the rigging as the stress their artificial wind became too much. Hart saw an opportunity to cause even more panic and called for another attack. Sparks flew and the mages¡¯ second wave of high speed wind sent the already reeling ships careening towards the open sea. Three of the ten attacking ships were facing completely the opposite direction but it was the two ships nearest the sea mines that bour the brunt of the attack. With the sound of shrieking wood, the ships¡¯ masts snapped and fell into the ocean.

    Their crews scrambled to cut the rigging still attaching the ruined masts to the rest of the two ships. One ship managed to cut through enough ropes to free the mast which sunk below the surface of the water, snaring some unfortunate crew members in the ropes and canvas and dragging them down as well.

    The other was not so lucky.

    The weight of the mast had dragged the starboard side of the ship down to sea level. Before the crew was able to cut the mast free, water was already rushing aboard, further unbalancing the ship. As more water rushed in, more crew were swept off their feet or forced overboard. By the time the ropes were cut and the mast freed, the ship was already sinking below the waves.

    A lot of the crew would survive, being this close to shore. They would just have to latch onto any floating bit of wreckage and float to shore or to another ship. Most likely, they would be exhausted and not much use in battle. Their first attack had been a success.

    ¡°Okay, now we keep them busy,¡± Hart said to Ethan.

    Enemy ships were making it to shore. Kaia was receiving constant updates of their progress from her place at the command centre. Hart was doing his job, keeping almost a third of the Somali¡¯s ships locked in battle at sea. The mages were keeping them away from the mines by churning up the waters surrounding the buildings and attacking them from afar with their air magic. It would be difficult for them to sink another ship with just magic, but every soldier tied up in a battle at sea, slowly getting picked off by the mages, was a soldier that was not able to storm the shores. Conan knew splitting the enemy up and spreading them out was a good way to offset their superior numbers.

    ¡°They are approaching our first blockage,¡± Kaia informed Conan. ¡°Barricade Three.¡±

    Hue stood behind the protective earthen wall of Barricade Three, listening to their enemies approach.

    ¡°I guess this is it then,¡± Hue said to himself. He glanced up at his man on the roof. Each barricade had a soldier on the roof whose job was to pass instructions between the archers and mages on the roof and those waiting behind the barricade. According to the soldier, the approaching enemy was fifty metres away and closing in.

    Hue doubted this group of soldiers had come across any of the other Genti barricades dotted amongst the streets. They would have no idea what their tactics were. Hue waited until they were twenty metres away from their position before calling for the archers and mages to strike.

    The result was lethal.

    Over a third of the advancing soldiers were taken down, either injured or dead, in that first attack. Those who survived uninjured were impeded by the bodies of their comrades. They were forced to climb over or drag away the dead and injured, all the while being bombarded with a deadly rain of arrows and magic.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The ensuing long range attacks were not as effective as that first barrage. The advancing Somali troops had learned to take cover behind their shields.

    Eventually their enemy reached the barricade and began climbing. Once they reached the rock wall, it was too risky for the mages to attack them; they were too close to the defenders and there was always a chance that a badly aimed magical attack could weaken the earthen wall protecting the ground troops. It was down to Hue and his soldiers to fend them off.

    Each barricade came equipped with a ledge running along the inside edge for the Genti soldiers to stand on. There was no need for them to climb with one hand and fight with the other as the enemy was forced to do. The defenders were armed with long spears and poles, which they used to push the Somali attackers off the shear earthen wall and back down onto the points of their comrade¡¯s swords or into the line of fire of the arrows and magic being poured down on them.

    ¡°How many of the barricades are engaged?¡± Conan asked Kaia. They were pouring over a map of the Tenth. Kaia moved some of the chips identifying the enemy¡¯s positions.

    ¡°Barricades Three through to Seven are fully engaged, as well a Nine and Twelve,¡± Kaia informed him. ¡°Barricade Eleven has been overwhelmed, but most of the rooftop teams survived. It was too costly for the invaders to take the buildings.¡±

    ¡°Send those survivors to reinforce Barricades Three and Seven,¡± Conan ordered. Kaia quickly scribbled a note. ¡°They are our most tactically valuable positions and must be held at all costs.¡±

    Kaia sent her notes out, attached to the legs of some sparrows.

    ¡°Prefectus, they are climbing to the roofs,¡± a soldier informed Hue. The enemy soldiers had largely abandoned their costly attempts to scale the earthen barricade. They were now heading for higher ground, attempting to use the Genti¡¯s own tactics against them. From a higher vantage point, the Somali soldiers could shoot over the barricade, into the ranks of the defenders.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take cover then,¡± Hue told the soldier, who let out three short trumpet blasts. Immediately, the defending soldiers dropped down from the top of their barricade and took cover under the ledge they had previously been standing on. At the same time, the rooftop defenders ducked behind shields and barriers set up along the rooftop for just this eventuality.

    ¡°I was wondering when this would eventually occur to them,¡± Hue remarked dryly from his crouched position. Almost as soon as he said this, arrows began peppering the dirt about five metres in front of them. Very few arrows got any closer to their position than five or so metres because of the angle the invaders were forced to shoot from. Their rooftops were a lot further away from the walls than the rooftops the mages were shooting from. The positions of the barricades were chosen for this very reason; the mages could shoot almost directly down at the invaders, but the roofs on the opposite side of the structure were far enough away that the high barricade still protected the soldiers on the ground. This also meant that the invaders could not simply jump from roof to roof, until they were on the opposite side of the barrier.

    Impraefectus Conan had actually ordered the destruction of homes too close to the barricades to be sure of this gap.

    ¡°I think, they think we are idiots,¡± remarked a soldier to Hue. The soldier was busy picking out the dirt from under his nails with a dagger, confident in the safety of the packed dirt he was leaning on.

    ¡°You know, that almost made sense,¡± Hue teased. The soldier grinned at him. The watched the arrows thud harmlessly into ground for a few more minutes.

    ¡°Okay, I think we have let them waste enough ammunition,¡± declared Hue. He nodded to his trumpet barer. ¡°Light them up.¡±

    Two more longer trumpet blasts rang out, almost deafening Hue in the confines of the make-shift cave.

    The mages and soldiers responded immediately to the trumpet blasts, shooting fire and burning arrows, not at the enemy, but into the basements and lower levels of the buildings they were standing on. Earlier in the day, Conan had ordered that these levels be filled with hay and lamp oil and pretty much any flammable material they could find. The buildings went up in flames faster than Hue had expected.

    While they were watching it burn, a lookout informed Hue or reinforcements heading their way from one of the other barricades.

    ¡°We are going to need them,¡± observed Hue, who was poking his head over the wall, watching as more Somal soldiers approached their position.

    ¡°Get ready, boys!¡±

    <hr />

    There is alot of chopping and changing in the battle sequence. Let me know if you can follow it okay.

    Before I get on with my usual bonus: shameless plug alert. This work is almost over (only one very short chap after this one) so it''s time to find something else to read! Please read/vote/comment on my new work. Chapter three has just gone up. It''s called My beauty</a>.

    <hr />

    Bonus:

    Have you ever wondered why there isn''t much fighting in Genticus? It''s because of their magic. Most of the population has at lease some ability to sense emotion so it makes sense that they don''t go out and start war when they can feel their enemies dying or wounded or scared.

    This is especially true for Kaia. She is the most skilled empath in the First. In this chapter, she can feel every single person fighting and dying. Could you imagine keeping a cool head like she does in this chapter when feeling the pain and suffering and fear of hundreds of people? Before the sighting starts, Navihm asks her to shut them out as much as she is able. She refuses.

    I actually like this bonus so much that I think I will include it in a later draft. It says a lot about her strength. What do you think?

 Chapter Twenty Eight Part Two

    It was so loud. When Rose imagined battle she never anticipated how the screams of the dying would echo through the streets. She could hear the crunch of breaking bones and the pitiful whimpers of fallen enemies from her vantage point on the bakery roof. The Somali soldiers weren¡¯t having much success breaching the barricade. One after another, they fell from the wall. Some crying and smearing blood as they crawled away, others laying ominously still.

    Still they marched on.

    Rose stared down at the growing pile of dead. Their comrades clambered over them, hedless of where they put their feet.

    She vaguely wondered what their mothers would be thinking to see their child¡¯s body treated so by men they called friends. She was strangely disconnected from the thought.

    She knew that she should be horrified but all she could feel was a peculiar detachment atrocities occurring down below.

    ¡°Rose!¡± The commanding bark came from somewhere behind her. She did react. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Attack!¡±

    She slowly became aware that she was standing frozen with an arm poised to attack. Had she thrown a magical attack when the order was given? She couldn¡¯t remember. She remembered flames singeing the hair on her arms as Jacinto fired into the mass of enemies. She remembered their screams of terror and the stink of charred flesh.

    Human flesh.

    Had she done that?

    Bile rose in her throat. She turned and fled down the stairs. The screaming followed her. She pressed her hands against her ears but she could still hear it. The noise burrowed into her mind and throbbed behind her eyes like a headache.

    She emerged from the bakery into the sunlight where the stench of death was even stronger. It shouldn¡¯t smell like that. She tried to remember the warm smell of baking bread and sweet cakes. As a child, she would walk down to the bakery and buy hotcakes. Her mother had forbidden it so she would eat it on her way back home. The honey used to stick to her fingers and hair but her father always pretended not to noticed as she ran past him reading by the fire.

    The memory was fleeting, overpowered by the stench and shrieking. There was no sticky fingers or steaming softness burning her fingers, only blood and carnage and madness.

    ¡°Rose!¡± The voice was unfamiliar but the figure was not. No one else she had met in Genticus had that distinct crook in their nose. Aalto pulled Rose up from where she had slumped against the bakery wall. He dragged her towards an alleyway and pressed her against a wall there. The only thing holding her up was the rough stone and her back and the comforting bulk of Aalto.

    Aalto pried her hands away from her ears and bent so her could look her directly in the eyes.

    ¡°Stay here, Rose,¡± he said in a soft voice, as if soothing a wild animal. ¡°Everything is going to be fine. Just stay here. I¡¯ll come get you when the fighting is over.¡±

    Rose looked up at him through her tears. She¡¯d never heard him talk before. The thought hit her sideways and she giggled, slightly hysterically.

    Aalto¡¯s stare didn¡¯t waver.

    Rose could count on Aalto. He had never left her side. He would come for her. She just had to wait.

    ¡°Barricade Three is holding.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Conan, steepling his fingers. ¡°Hue is doing an excellent job. How are the sea mines?¡±

    ¡°Our last information is a almost a half hour old.¡± Kaia pulled out a sheet of paper. ¡°At last check, they had five casualties but their defense is holding. I''m requesting for an update now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, once that is done, inform Navihm that he can move out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Impraefectus.¡±

    ¡°Okay, boys,¡± Navihm said to his soldiers. ¡°We are moving out.¡±

    Jenan, Navihm¡¯s second in command, called the march and Navihm¡¯s four Unum jogged south amongst the streets lining the east bank of the river. The front lines of invaders were now fully engaged with the Genti soldiers manning the barricades set up at various points of the city while the mages in the sea mines slowed any ships still remaining. The invaders were now strung out across the city, fighting in small groups against defenders who had the tactical advantage. Navihm was to put a final nail in the coffin by leading a flanking attack to clean out any pockets of invaders still roaming the streets and split the forces in the ships and on land.

    Up until now, the Genti¡¯s had been on the defensive, it was time for them to attack.

    Jenan called a halt.

    ¡°Prefectus, there is thirty enemies approaching,¡± Jenan informed Navihm. They had set a scout to avoid any surprises.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Here is a good place to make a stand,¡± Navihm said to Jenan. It raised his voice so the rest of his troops could hear. ¡°We wait here. Hostiles approaching. On my count!.¡±

    His troops snapped to attention, forming neat ranks immediately. Navihm sent magical feelers into the earth, keeping careful track of the incoming enemy. He positioned his troops around a sharp bend in the street, the Somal troops would be upon them before they even saw the waiting Gentis.

    Navihm held up his hand, signaling for his troops to be ready. Just as he sensed the enemy coming around the bend, he chopped his arm down. The Genti soldiers released a barrage of throwing spears and axes into the oncoming ranks of the enemy, breaking up their advance. Navihm lead the charge, crashing into the first soldiers just seconds after their deadly rain of weapons had landed.

    Unprepared and taken by surprise, the fight didn''t last long. Navihm moved his troops towards the next nearest gathering of Somal soldiers, senseing them using his earth and empathy magic.

    ¡°Navihm has made it halfway down the East bank.¡± Kaia quickly shuffled the chips around the map, removing some chips representing the enemy and updating Navihm¡¯s position. ¡°They are now engaged with a group around fifty strong who are just making it to shore now.¡±

    Conan studied the map and talked with one of his advisors. Kaia couldn''t hear what they were saying over the commotion of the war council talking. She was distracted from the scene by a flutter of movement by her elbow. It was a raven. She took the message from the bird¡¯s proffered leg.

    Conan saw the colour drain from Kaia¡¯s face as she read the latest message. He rose from his seat, leaving his sentence unfinished.

    ¡°We¡¯ve lost Hart¡¯s mine.¡± Kaia¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°An enemy ship sunk it.¡±

    Navihm looked over across the water just as a ship crashed through the sea mine, ramming right through it with its prow.

    Hart was in that mine.

    The sounds of battle seemed to quiet around him. All Navihm could hear was ringing in his ears. He watched as the building slid off its supports and sunk into the ocean. His sword and dagger fell from numb fingers. Navihm slowly became aware that he was screaming for his cousin.

    He watched the ship sail away from the ruined mine and towards the shore. Without thinking, he grabbed a hold of the water with his magic.

    Jenan watched as his commander fell to his knees. As he hit the ground a great concussion of energy rippled out from him, sending Jenan and the other soldiers stumbling back a pace. Great waves of water rushed up and over the sides of the enemy ship.

    All the fighting stopped and they watched the waves swell as Navihm rose his arms. His fingers curled and he tore at the air in front of him. In response, the water swirled even more fiercely, ripping the ship apart, right down the center.

    The hull was pulled apart, the wooden boards peeling away from each other to let water rush into the ruined ship. With a sharp crack, the keel snapped, the twisting  too much for the huge support beam.

    The sounds of shrieking and groaning of wood died with the last of Navihm¡¯s screams.

    <hr />

    Okay, so I dont have a bonus for you for this chapter. I cant think of one, though i''m sure there is a lot that I haven''t included. I''m thinking of doing a long one after the last chapter to give you an idea about where everyone ends up.

    Instead of a bonus, I will give you a little insite into my characters and why I wrote them the way I did.

    Navihm is based on boyfriend (though I didn''t know it when I started writing this). He is responsible and dutiful to a fault, a fast learner, speaks multiple languages (which always fascinated me) and has an incredible dedication to his family, just like Navihm.

    Kaia is the person I always wanted to be; strong, feminine, powerful and loyal. What I love about her is that she conforms to the traditional ideals of femininity, (shes beautiful -inside and out-, motherly, dedicated to her family, always there to support Navihm and obedient to her family and Navihm), but she does this without conforming to the typical negative ideas behind being meek or submissive or obedient.

    Though I have always wanted to be like Kaia, I think I see myself more in Rose. When you think about it, a lot of the ways Rose reacts to situations are not uncommon. She is uncomfortable with speaking with a language barrier, I also sometimes find myself a little uneasy speaking to my boyfriend''s family, whose first language is not english. I dont think it''s an unusual reaction to find it exhausting and a little tiresome dealing with this situation. We all are a little lazy and a little selfish and sometimes react to situations in a way that we know isn''t perfect. We are all a little immature and scared and uncomfortable and sometimes we run when we are supposed to fight.

    I think because so many characters in this book are so noble and loyal and good, it''s easy to criticise Rose. But be honest with yourself, is Rose really that much different than you? We all have room to grow.

    That being said, I have a vague sort of idea that I''m going to write something else about Rose. I know a lot of you have been asking about her character arc and have been looking for some kind of redemption for her, but I dont think she is quite there yet, maybe thats because I dont think that I''m quite there either. I''m still a little too much Rose and not enough Kaia. Let me know if you have any ideas.

    So this was quite a personal thing to talk about to strangers on the internet but there you go.

    Stay tuned, for the final chapter!

 Chapter Twenty Nine

    Chapter Twenty Nine:

    Navihm blinked his eyes open. Water was dripping on his face from somewhere. Slowly, he became aware of his raw throat and an aching nothingness in his head and chest where his magic usually resided.

    He managed to force his eyes open, squinting against the harsh light. The world was white for a moment until a silhouette slowly came into focus. The shadow was saying something. At first, all Navihm could hear was muffled noises and a sharp ringing. Abruptly, everything snapped into focus.

    ¡°Good morning, Princess,¡± said Hart, who turned out to be the silhouette hovering above Navihm. Hart made a teasing kissy face a his cousin.

    Another drop of water hit Navihm cheek. He could now see that it was dripping from Hart¡¯s soaking hair. Navihm attempted to move but stopped when his head reeled, the world spinning wildly. For a heartstopping moment he thought he was dreaming, or dead. His heart gave a painful thump, remembering his grief for his cousin.

    Hart placed a wet hand on Navihm¡¯s cheek, reassuring him of his solidity.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead?¡± Navihm asked his cousin. He could only manage a hoarse croak. He¡¯d scraped his throat raw screaming for Hart.

    Navihm slowly became aware that he was laying in a slightly charred crater on the edge of the river. The earth was warm under his tender muscles.

    ¡°I can swim.¡± Navihm lifted one eyebrow skeptically. It was all he could manage if his current condition.

    ¡°Okay, fine. It turns out water mages are useful to have around if you are drowning,¡± Hart elaborated.

    ¡°I''m glad you okay.¡± Navihm lifted his arm weakly, laying a hand on Hart¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯d hate your parents to have to live with the shame of having a son die without having a chance to defeat his little cousin in one on one combat. I still owe you that rematch.¡± Navihm reminded him. Hart smiled softly, pressing Navihm¡¯s hand more firmly against his cheek.

    ¡°We both know that tournament was rigged,¡± Hart teased. ¡°You won on a technicality.¡± Navihm laughed breathlessly, stopping as the movement pulled at his tender ribs. He let his hand fall back to his side.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Navihm asked. His memories of the last moments of the battle were fuzzy. He remembered Hart being dead and a ship sinking beneath the waves, everything after that was slippery; he couldn''t seem to focus on it.

    ¡°You sunk a Somal ship by yourself,¡± said a new voice. Kaia. ¡°Then you either froze, knocked out or set on fire every single enemy within the city limits, all at the same time.¡±

    Navihm blinked. He vaguely recalled throwing up a huge ward around the city, targeting the invading soldiers. After that was just cold and silence. The amount of sheer power Navihm had drawn on to take down every invader had sucked the warmth right out of the very air. Navihm was surprised he¡¯d survived channeling so much power.

    He no longer wondered why his energy reserves were so depleted.

    Professor Ward looked on as they lifted Navihm onto a stretcher. He was unable to do much more than sit up on his own after the incredible amount of power he used. The professor had never heard of an individual causing so much devastation over such a vast area. Most mages could not perform magic on something or someone they couldn''t see. Navihm¡¯s odd mix of magics obviously allowed him to not only sense people from across a huge area, but also attack them.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Professor Ward thought back to what Enfeitar Naeva and Keitra, the Prophet of the Second had said. Both had been convinced that the invaders would be defeated by uniting forces that had not yet been bound towards a common goal. Naeva thought that it was Genticus and the Lowlands working together that would bring down their enemy, Navihm was convinced that this meant that Genticus needed the Nomad¡¯s help.

    Professor Ward now understood that the prophecy was referring to those forces within Navihm; elemental and spiritual.

    Navihm spent a lot of time amongst the trees surrounding the city. They reminded him of the forests of his home. Throughout these long visits, Navihm would connect to the earth and trees, drawing on their energy and replenishing his wells of power.

    Kaia had followed Navihm on one such visit to the woods. She found him lying on a patch of grass, staring up at the trees. She lay down too, her head next to his and her feet pointed the opposite direction.

    Navihm didn''t take his eyes of the sky.

    ¡°The healers say you are doing much better,¡± stated Kaia, though she didn''t sound much convinced.

    ¡°My magic levels are almost as they were,¡± Navihm admitted.

    ¡°But you are not okay.¡± It wasn''t a question. Kaia always could tell how Navihm was feeling. She read his aura more easily than anyone else¡¯s. More than that, she was always able to tell the reasons behind what he was feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯m not much cut out for war,¡± Navihm whispered. This ordeal had been hard on him. Violence, like that of war, went against Navihm¡¯s nature.

    ¡°That isn''t all,¡± Kaia said softly.

    ¡°I just want to go home.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t all,¡± Kaia insisted. She turned her head to face Navihm. He copied her action, staring into her unwavering eyes for a long time.

    ¡°I know.¡± Navihm didn''t need to say anymore. Together, they got up and made their way back to the Tenth. They would pack their bags and make one final journey before they could rest after this war.

    Navihm needed to go see a widow he had left back at the Nomad¡¯s camp. He owed Ira and Bohan and their child too much to leave things how they were.

    Kaia would be by his side as she would be always.

    The End

    <hr />

    This almost didn''t get put up today, I struggled getting out of bed because it''s cold as balls (it''s 12*C right now!). Anyway, I hope you like it and thanks for sticking with me all the way through this.

    <hr />

    Bonus!

    Of course, now that I am right at the end I think of a million bonuses I havent included but I''ll stick to just one main one.

    Ira has a boy. She names him Navhem, the Nomad equivalent to the name Navihm. Navihm, knowing how tough it is for a child to grow up without a father, puts his education on hold and postpones his marrige to stay with the Nomads for a few seasons and help Ira and the baby. Kaia stays with him for a while before returning home.

    He continues to visit the Nomads, at least once a year, sometimes staying months. Both Kaia and Hart go with him occasionally. They start calling Navhem NuiNav, which means ''little Nav'' and eventually start calling Navihm ''MorNav'', or ''Big Nav''. As Nui Nav gets bigger, he starts calling Navihm "Tio MorNav" or "Uncle big Nav".

    <hr />

    Again, thanks for reading. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated and your support has been wonderful. This is the first thing I have ever written and honestly, I didnt think it would be so well received, so thank you for that.

 Where are they now? and announcement

    Because of the great feedback I got from the bonus features I added to the end of my chapters, I decided I would write a little about where some of the characters ended up after the events of Invasion of the North.

    Kaia earns her third and final bead for the events that occurred at the end of this book. Namely, her cool head and awesome bird communication skills that were essential to Genticus'' victory. Her three beads make her eligible to rule the First after her parents either pass away or abdicate. She doesn''t take the throne for another ten years. It is only when her mother dies that her father decides to step down as Rei and she takes the throne with Navihm. She spends a lot of her time traveling while Navihm is finishing his education.

    The professor convinces the school to include the considerable amount of time they spent traveling as a part of Navihm''s education. He doesn''t end up going back to school until the following year and by then, he is in classes with the second years. However, it becomes apparent that he is too advanced and he moves to third- and fourth-year practical classes. In the months following the war, Navihm spends time in both the Tenth and the Ninth as a delegate from the First, organising the rebuilding and dealing with the aftermath of war.

    After he had finished his schooling, he spends the next few years travelling to the Nomads, helping raise Ira and Bohan''s child. He usually visits for a few months of the year, and Kaia regularly goes with him. One one such trip Navihm takes Eamonn and Hart. Hart notices that many of the Nomad children are growing up without parents. That is an issue as children are mostly taught at home. Together, Hart and Eamonn work together to start a school for Nomad children. Eamonn eventually moves in with the Nomads (who are much more accepting of his half-breed status than the Lowlanders are) and runs the school.

    After only five years, Hart is considered one of the greatest warrior in the North. He has won tournaments in almost every tribe and is unbeaten in hand to hand combat. He grows up a bit, finds a nice girl and settles down. Eventually, he earns all three of his beads and is eligible to rule the Second. However, when his parents step down from ruling, he declines the throne. The Second then votes, and elects a young Enfeitar who becomes very good friends with Hart.

    Hana and Conan adopt Stephan (the young orphan who worked for Conan during the war) and they all continue to flourish in their little home at the edge of the Tenth.

    Rose, I won''t say much about as I am planning a whole other story with her. Just know, that she does a lot of growing up and a lot of soul searching. Her time with Navihm improved her in ways she didn''t even realise at the time.

    <hr />

    And now for the announcement part of this post. I have started a new book!

    It is called Hollow Moon and it is very different from Chronicles of Genticus. I have currently only posted a handful of times (which you can find here</a>) but I update every Monday and Friday (Australian time).

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    It is a fantasy trilogy set in modern day England and includes a lot of English folklore. It has been in the works for a while because of the sheer amount of research that was necessary to pull it off but I have finally put enough of it down on paper that I''m comfortable I can provide constant updates.

    Don''t be alarmed, I will still continue Chronicles of Genticus (I have the plot of the next book mostly hashed out - hint; it follows Conan and Hana and how they met). At this point, the plan in the work on the second instalment after I finish Hollow Moon, and then do the second book of Hollow Moon etc. etc.

    Hollow Moon Synopisis:

    She doesn¡¯t like being told what to do.

    He knows what¡¯s best for her.

    She is fiercely independent but he is determined to save her, whether she likes it or not.

    Del and Nyssa live two very different lives and that¡¯s the way Nyssa likes it. She is beholden to no one so when Del comes knocking on her door, she sends him on his way with a wink and a sarcastic ¡°no way in hell.¡± When that doesn¡¯t work, she bolts. She just wants to live her normal life; gambling with fairies (the not-so-nice kind), befriending ghouls and painting the future all over the whitewash. No boy is going to get in the way of that.

    Excerpt:

    He snagged her wrist gently before she could flounce away, his fingers warm and firm.

    ¡°You need to come with me, girl,¡± he said earnestly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to do anything.¡± She was indignant. She knew that sometimes her kind of abilities could be unruly but Nyssa was quite capable of taking care of herself. She¡¯d lived with her abilities since she was thirteen. She¡¯d learned to handle them herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for you to be on your own,¡± Del said, tightening his grip on her wrist. She pulled her arm from his grip and he let her go. He could force her to go with him, she knew, but he wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, Superman.¡± She didn¡¯t look at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a week,¡± he said, ignoring her protests. ¡°Be ready to leave with me.¡± He breezed past her, discarding the necklaces he still held on the desk and leaving.

    Nyssa sighed, watching his back as he disappeared down the street.

    ¡°Fat chance, Superman.¡±

    Link:

    Hollow Moon</a>