The Ninth Prophecy
Closing ranks

After the successful mission in Venegor, the heroes of Nox took a deserved rest for few days. Nevertheless, watching the city walls grow thicker and taller, its defenses stronger and stronger, the heads of the Kulin army could not escape the thought that it was all still not enough to throw on its back the mighty army of the alliance. They were all thinking about other options to strengthen their position. For this purpose, Yon called a meeting with the generals.

- “My fellow warriors, we are all aware that the realm of the straightwalkers is facing a grim threat, grimmer than any other since the time of the knowers. Nox is our last fort. If we want our kind and our blood to survive, we must protect this fort at any cost, for it is the last sanctuary of the realm untainted by darkness. So I ask you at this dark hour, what are we to do? ” Setha was given the opportunity to speak: “We are doing all we can to fortify and secure the city. But, whatever we do, the fact remains that we are heavily outnumbered. The enemy’s superiority lies in numbers. There is not much we can do about it. We have a lot of people here in the city and they are helping in the works, but few of them can bear arms and be efficient on the day of the battle. We need fighters, we need soldiers.”

Hadera went on to agree with Setha: “Not only that is the issue. The enemy has superior armor and weaponry. We must not forget that they owe much of their superiority to your cousin Aegor. Sciprians and Septors marching together are a mighty force even without the Koprites and the argorites. Even if we outnumber them it would not mean that we would outmatch the enemy, even when on the defensive side. Of course, our chances would grow with numbers.”

- “It is obvious that we must do something to enlarge our army. What are the suggestions?”

Silence lasted for some five-ten seconds, before Spero spoke: “There is only one solution: we must approach the Dabors and the Xelons. We must ask for their support. ”

- “We’re never going to get it,” Darion said with uncertainty.

- “We must try,” Yon said, determined to do all he can to protect the city.

- “There is little chance of success with any of the two. Xelons are more temperamental, if you manage to pull the right strings you might get them to help in some way. Dabors are neutral and loyal to the realm by conviction. For them, the realm is represented by the barer of the red banner and, at this moment, that is Daors,” Akari was rather skeptical in regard to the plan.

- “We must try to get them to fight on our side. We must try to reason with them. Yon and I must talk to them,” Faris took his brother’s side.

Darion shook his head in dismay: “But how?! What are you going to tell them? For all we know, they might turn you in to the Koprites and the Karosians before you get a chance to speak! Besides, what are you going to offer to them? You can’t just expect them to come knocking at our door saying: Here we are! We want to fight for you, free of charge! Let us not be foolish...”

Right at this moment, an arrow’d officer rushed in. Trying to catch breath, he spoke: “My lords, we have a guest who demands do be heard…”

- “We have many guests you fool and we never allow them to interrupt our war meetings. It doesn’t matter how noble they might be! Dispatch him home and tell him to come another day,” Spero spoke angrily, irritated by the lack of respect his officer was showing.

- “This guest you don’t want to dispatch my lord, trust me. You will want to hear this one.”

Before the infuriated Spero could reply, the officer of the guard gave a signal to the two guards at the door to show the guest in as he introduced the guest: “My king, my noble lords, I bring before your attention Goras, grand master of the righteous clan of the Dabors.”

Yon and the party were astounded. A small bearded man with hair arranged in dreadlocks walked in with resolute steps. In his hair he had some dozen bear claws hanging down from the ends of the dreadlocks, which were the symbol of his power and high position within the Dabor tribe. He climbed on the center table around which the meeting was held and spoke: “Noble rulers of the midlands, noble Kulin lords of Baan Senicore, I come here before you on behalf of my tribe to offer our hand in arms against the heathen armies of the north and of the dark. We ask for no favor in return but to be given the opportunity to slice and bash the heads of the soldiers of this impure alliance!”

As the Dabor spoke, it was apparent that all others in the room couldn’t believe what they were hearing. They were looking at each other. Darion was looking around as if he thought that someone was joking with him, expecting Yon and Faris to start laughing. It didn’t take him too long to realize that it was no joke. Yon addressed the Dabor: “Master Goras, you are welcome to join our quest. We would be honored to have the mighty bear riders by our side. Forgive me for asking, but what is the cause behind your sudden and very welcome decision to join the righteous?”

- “The bears,” Goras replied, leaving Yon puzzled.

- “The bears?”

- “Yes, the bears. The bastards killed our bears, all of them. We were accused of being horion slayers. Given our previous reputation and our glorious beast slaying campaigns from the past, we deserve the title, very much so! But what they did is unforgivable. They came in the late afternoon and they summoned us all – the Koprites on their argorites did it. They were assisted by Sciprians. We didn’t resist. We considered ourselves to be loyal subjects of the realm and expected to be treated as such. But they had other plans. As the Sciprians kept their eye on us, the Koprites entered our forest corrals and killed our bears. It was their retaliation for our killing of the horions. They finally took their revenge. That’s how the Sciprian officer explained it to us. He said that we should be happy that our lives were spared. They said we should consider it as an act of generosity and remember it…Those bastards! At first, we thought you were to be blamed. We knew nothing of Aegor’s change of heart. We put two and two together and realized what was really happening even before we got the confirmation that the son of a bitch was in on it with Daors and not you.”

Yon welcomed the Dabors into what was to become a new alliance, between the supporters of the Kulins and the Dabors: “Dear Goras, you are aware that your people will not be safe in the woods any more. You have to get them here, closer to the city.”

- “You are right. I first came here with my entourage to see if you are willing to accept us as allies. Now that this is settled, I can get our people to safety before Daors replaces out about our agreement and slaughters my people like he did our bears. And I must waste no time. I shall leave immediately, if you agree.”

- “But maybe you should rest first. You should stay here. Send some people from your train, they can fetch the others,” Spero invited Goras.

- “No. The people will be suspicious if I don’t show up. I must go. We shall return within two days.”

-“Well then I will assign a unit of our best guards to be at your side. We must allow no surprises,” Yon proposed cautiously.

- “I agree, lord Yon,” Goras responded, accepting Yon’s offer. After a short exchange of courteous words with all at the meeting, Goras left in a hurry, leaving the councilors to their business. He was followed by several of Yon’s closest guards. After he left, Yon smiled and turned towards Darion: “What was it you were saying about the Dabors, general Darion?”

- “The course of events favored us. But let us not be mistaken - the only reason they are here is because Daors had their bears killed in order to please his allies, nothing else. They are not believers in the cause. They just seek refuge.”

Spero looked down, consumed in his thoughts, and then spoke: “Then refuge we will provide, in exchange for their military service and service to the cause. They don’t have to believe; they just have to do what they must do. Maybe they don’t believe in our cause, but they do believe in revenge. We will give them the opportunity to get it.”

- “Lord Spero is right. In a war one makes use of what he has, not relying on what he wants to have, ” Yon reckoned. Setha stood up and approached the table with the maps spread all over it: “You have a point, lord Yon. In that regard, speaking of what one has or doesn’t have, there is the issue of what the Dabors don’t have. They don’t have their bears, for the sake of The One! And the bears were their main weapon, their only leverage on the battlefield. What good can be of them if they don’t have the bears? They are too small to be sent out to the battle to face the mighty argorites, Sciprians and Septors. They would be butchered like sheep!”

Faris got up and, opposite to his natural temper, calmly opposed Setha: “The Dabors are a clan, a tribe, a force. Having one thinking creature on our side is better than not having it or having it on the enemy’s side. All answers lay with the prophecies. All of us have a role to play. The Dabors will play theirs too, for sure. They are good in climbing. They are resilient, sharp-thinking and determined. Surely, we will replace a way to make use of these features. They are all this and their bears were none of it. The bears are just simple beasts. So, if I had to choose, I would have them rather than their bears on our side.”

There was not much to say after Faris spoke. The following day, Yon was awoken by general Darion’s call: “My, lord, my lord…wake up. We have a newcomer.”

- “I know, Darion. We have been expecting Goras to return. He may be a little early, but that’s no event which calls for waking me up. I will greet him soon.”

- “It’s not Goras, my lord.”

Yon stood up: “Well…speak! Who is it?! I hope it’s the grey hawk for you to wake me up like this!”

- “My lord, it is…what do they call them…”

- “Oh, for God’s name, will you just spit it out?! The role of a drama queen doesn’t suit you well!”

- “My lord, it’s a woman.”

- “Yes, women are often called that, Darion. There’s nothing extraordinary about them!”

- “No, you don’t understand. She…she is with the Illuminators,” Darion spoke as his pupils grew almost to the size of a ripe cherry. Yon jumped up and started putting his clothes on frantically: “Why didn’t you say so?! An Illuminator! Things just keep getting more and more interesting! Who’s with her?”

- “Your brother and lord Spero. She’s down in the lord’s chamber. No one believed her at first. She has been in the city since yesterday.”

- “Where did she spend the night? Not on the street, I hope! That would have been a terrible welcome!”

Darion looked down like an ashamed child: “She spent the night under a roof.”

- “That’s good. ”

- “It’s not so good my lord.”

- “What do you mean? Will you stop delaying your answers? Good lord, you are turning into a philosopher, my friend.”

- “She spent the night in the prison.”

- “What do you mean in the prison?!” Yon exclaimed as he stopped putting on his clothes and approached Darion who dared not to look him in the eyes.

- “Well, she said she wanted to see the king, she insisted. The guards didn’t know who she was and when she kept on insisting…well, they took her to prison.”

Yon grabbed Darion by the collar: “Are you damn crazy?! What is wrong with you?!”

- “We are in a war. We were just being careful. None of you were here in the tower and we had strict commands.” Yon finally let go of Darion without saying anything more and rushed down to lord Spero’s chamber.

As Yon walked into the room, he saw his brother and Spero talk to a person wearing a black cloak. It was gold embroidered on the edges, with the emblem of the Illuminators sewed on the back - a torch it was. The only way one could tell that the person is a woman were her big brown eyes radiating from behind the face cover. Yon went straight to kiss the mysterious lady’s hand: “My name is Yon, lord of Baan Senicore and leader of the free straightwalkers. Please, accept my apology for the ill treatment you received upon your arrival.”

- “No need to apologize. It is quite understandable. Besides, your prisons are a lot more comfortable compared to the treatment your men receive in captivity. I am Sheda of the Illuminators.”

- “Lady Sheda was just telling us of the atrocities committed against our fellow compatriots captured by the alliance. It’s one of the things that persuaded lady Sheda to join us,” Faris explained the course of conversation Yon had missed out on.

- “Lady Sheda, may we continue this conversation over breakfast?” Yon asked the lady, showing her the path to the dining room.

- “Yes, that would be good.”

Just before they sat down, Hadera joined them at the table. She had already been introduced to the lady earlier in the morning. Yon spoke to Sheda: “We are most honored to have you here. Any help is welcome, given our current situation. If I may ask you what exactly drove you to join us?”

- “There was nothing left for me to fight for in Karos. For long I struggled with Ulix, our headmaster. I tried to pursue the others to follow me and join the just cause, but none would. Ulix won them all over. Although I was the caretaker of the order and its properties, I could not win the fight against Ulix. I thought I could, but he is too strong.”

- “That’s very unfortunate. We could use the help of the Illuminators.”

- “I hope I will be of help.”

- “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

- “No, you are quite right. It would have been better if there were more of us here. However, the knowledge I possess could substitute for much. I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I did have at my disposal all the documents and all the knowledges, just like the headmaster. It helped me greatly in improving my knowledge. If I hadn’t thought that I had gathered enough information to help you, I wouldn’t have left yet.”

Hadera looked around as Sheda spoke. After Sheda finished, she decided to ask her a direct question: “What you say sounds admirable, lady Sheda - your wish to join the just cause and all that; but, how do we know that you’re not an infiltrated informant of the alliance? Why should we trust you?”

- “That is a fair question to ask. The only answer I can provide is that I am willing to work to prove myself worthy. You don’t need to disclose any information you feel is too uncomfortable to share. On the other hand, I wish to share with you all I know and that is all I offer. You can check if I am telling the truth quite easily. I know you have informants in Karos such as Taluron the blacksmith and Vor the tower chamber attendant.”

Yon and Spero were visibly disturbed. Yon asked Sheda how she knew of the two informants. She answered. - “I know because I can read signs. When I worked on an improvement of the wall, I saw the two talking to each other. I saw them few times earlier, too. They were by no feature each other’s suitable company and yet I saw them meet on regular basis. When I started paying closer attention, every once in a while, I would see Taluron ride off into the woods. I asked him about it and he said he was buying metal from the villagers. Only, I knew that the villagers on the south side where he would ride had no metal. Besides, he would always return on his horse very lightly equipped. He would need a wagon if he is to persist in using that story as a cover, you know. Only then would it be reasonable to believe that he actually does buy some metal,” Sheda said with a smile and continued: “You see, both of them are alive and well. You can ask them about my reputation. Besides, the very fact that they still live, that I didn’t disclose their affiliation tells a lot, doesn’t it?”

- “That’s still not enough for me - forgive me for saying. We will see in the days to come,” Hadera concluded.

- “You must remember Hadera, that once you were doubted too. Do not forget that suspicions exhaust the body, I know it best,” Faris advised Hadera.

- “I am sure you do,” she replied.

- “Anyhow,” Yon continued, “what could you tell us of the state of affairs in Karos?”

- “Karos has lost its light. It is a city of fear. Daors is blinded by his ambition. His ambition is his master. Unfortunately, he enjoys a growing support. The Illuminators serve Karos and the realm of straightwalkers. For them, Karos is represented by Daors right now. He has secured great funds for the order, greatest ever. That’s how he has managed to buy their loyalty. Ulix is his tool. All Ulix cares about is increasing the influence of the order, but he is blind to see that the order is reduced to a war service of the alliance, just like the prophecizers.”

- “What do you mean by that? Prophecizers don’t serve anyone; they just deliver what has been given to them as knowledge,” Faris argued.

- “The prophecizers are charlatans who play a twisted game at the expense of the straightwalkers, if you ask me. They have no real knowledge and all they deliver are vague stories with no founding. In the last tenths of years, their prophecies strangely seem to favor Daors.”

- “They favor no one!” Faris replied, evidently offended by Sheda’s implications.

- “It is very strange to hear that come out from the mouth of a Kulin. Just look where their prophecies got you and where they got the Baranthams. Don’t you think that Daors seemed a little too prepared for the war, as if he had expected it to happen? He always wanted to remove the Kulin threat and to be the sole ruler of the realm. Yes, he was the king but the Kulins always enjoyed great support among the demi-lords and the commoners. He wanted to make sure that his kin continue to rule the realm and the prophecizers provided the perfect excuse.”

- “No, I cannot accept that. Axion the Chosen sacrificed his life for our cause!”

- “Axion might have. The news of the death of the horions had reached Karos. I knew it had something to do with Axion’s disappearance and Vor confirmed it. It still doesn’t mean that he wasn’t in on it. He just might have felt bad about being a part of something he knew was wrong. The untamable evil they helped release is a burden for the soul of all involved.”

- “I still don’t believe it.”

- “My brother, let’s not discuss Axion’s allegiance now. We all think the best about him. His name will always be remembered with respect. We must be worried more about what lays ahead of us than about what is behind us. Sheda, what can you tell us about the forces of the alliance,” Yon calmed the spirits and switched to a different subject.

- “Well, Daors has built an army twice as strong as the one that marched on Baan Senicore. He is still building it. It will grow even bigger. But he is more and more fixated on breaching though the Tunnel of the Red Rock. The ninth prophecy speaks of it and the prophecy guarantees eternal superiority to the one who breaks through to the other side, to the unknown world. It’s foolish if you ask me, but it is a welcome distraction for you. It slows the preparations for the attack and it will give you more time to prepare.”

- “The Tunnel of Red Rock is within the walls of the city. It might not be too foolish to try to breach through. Our ancestors have been drilling through that magnificent steep wall for centuries and they didn’t break through. There is no reason to think that Daors will succeed. I must say that, like my brother, I do believe in the prophecies. I am aware of the long-lasting rivalry between the Illuminated and the prophecizers, but I will not dismiss the prophecies as trivial. On the contrary, they have always been the driving force of many changes in the realm, just like your inventions,” Yon backed his brother.

- “I respect your belief, lord Yon. The reason why Daors drills through the Mount Without Peak is precisely because with each strike on the rocks in the Tunnel, the echoing sounds grown more and more hollow. From thump noises, strikes of the pickaxes and sledgehammers have become a song that can be heard all the way back at the great entrance to the Tunnel. Think what you will, but I believe that the ninth prophecy was delivered precisely because the tunnel seems to be nearing its end, and that’s exactly what Daors needs. If the tunnel is breached soon, Daors’s rule will be undisputable among the commoners and the lords. He will be the one who saw the first light from the other side. He will be the one to fulfill the dreams of the forefathers. He will be the one to fulfill the ninth, the absolute prophecy. Maybe, by some miracle, even then you can beat his army, but you will never be able to retain your position. His reign will be absolute. Even the commoners and your army here wouldn’t want to go against the myth, and a myth he will become if he digs through.”

It was at this moment that reality started to sink in with the company at the table. They now knew that they were not only fighting against an army, but against time too. Spero turned towards Sheda and asked her a question to which he already seemed to know the answer: “What do you think we should do if we are to turn the tables?”

- “We must rally all available troops. We must seek help wherever there is a chance of getting it. Once Daors starts thinking that we are growing stronger he will speed up his preparations for the battle. This will be our chance. If we defeat him on the battlefield here, we should be able to attack and hopefully take over Karos before the tunnel is breached.”

- “Speed up?! That’s insane! All we have been trying to do so far is slowing Daors down, buying time to prepare our defenses,” Hadera energetically opposed Sheda’s plan.

- “I am not asking you to rush into battle. I am just asking you to make it harder for Daors. We must get him unsettled.”

- “How are we supposed to do that?”

- “We must get other races into our alliance. We must get the Dabors and the Xelons on our side.”

- “Now I am starting to like you,” Faris said pointing at Sheda.

- “Even if we do get them to join us, we still need something more. I will do as much as I can, but we will need more.”

- “Well, we have the Dabors. I am the king, I will go and talk to the Xelons in person,” Yon spoke of his decision getting up from the table.

- “It could be quite dangerous. We don’t know how they might react, brother. They are known to be edgy, unpredictable. You have to take me with you. It is better if we both go,” Faris tried to persuade Yon to take him along.

- “No, that’s not going to happen. We can’t risk erasing the true Kulin line. Imagine what would happen if Aegor remains as the only Kulin. The war would end immediately and the Koprites would have it their way ”

- “You shouldn’t worry about Aegor at the time,” Sheda continued, “He has many problems of his own, trying to run Baan Senicore. The commoners of Baan Ayren have already rebelled against him. The town was raided by outlaws. There was little defense because the men were all working in Baan Senicore. When they returned to their town and saw what had happened, they took up arms against Aegor. He managed to calm them down by giving them a leave. Daors promised them lands in the north as compensation.”

- “What kind of outlaws attacked them,” Yon asked.

- “Mainly it is the commoners who refused to move to the city. They escaped into the woods and they live from raiding the surrounding villages and towns.”

- “All right then, it is settled. I will go talk to the Xelons. Hadera, you and Darion will accompany me. We will take fifty men to come along. It is a treacherous road. We must take all precautions.” Faris stood up and tapped his brother on the shoulder: “All right brother. Then I’ll go the other way.”

- “What other way?”

- “I will go talk to the shadow people.”

- “The shadow people?! Have you lost your mind?! I like good jokes, you know I do, but come on brother! We are doing something serious here!”

- “I am as serious as I can be. Besides, we all knew what Sheda would say even before she said it. It will just not be enough, even if you do get the Xelons to fight on our side. We need the shadow people.”

- “It is not the question of what we need, but what is sound. There is no way that you will come back alive, let alone persuade the shadow people to join us!”

- “How do you know?! Has anyone ever tried to reason with them?! All we know are stories and myths. No one has ever talked about their nature.”

- “That’s because no one ever lived to tell the story! Nobody ever returned back from the wasteland for God’s sake; those who did spoke of great horror and how they were lucky to escape from these savages. We are talking about one survivor every few years. We all know what happens to all those camel and wild goat hunters who take the risk. They never return! Those who did had either lost their mind going through the ordeal or became terribly rich. And do you know why the few became terribly rich? Precisely because only few managed to return with what they would catch! That’s why we have so few camels - few of the hunters survived the hunt! They would generally become the prey by the end of the affair! In the name of The One, the shadow people eat flesh off the still alive straightwalkers when they catch them! You have heard millions of such stories yourself!”

- “Yes, they were stories, my brother! We have to try to make contact. Imagine the advantage of having the fearsome shadow people fighting in our ranks! The very mention of it would freeze the blood of the enemy soldiers. Do you remember how Axion said that we can expect to get support from the most unexpected sources? This just might be it.”

- “I think what he meant was the arrival Dabors and that’s a finished story.”

- “We don’t know that for a fact! You can’t always protect me brother. This is my destiny. I want to contribute. I have to contribute. Don’t take this away from me!”

- “First of all, you’ll have to replace your way through the darkest of caves beyond the Snake’s Throat. Only if you make your way through will you be able to search for the shadow people in the cracks and crevasses of the wasteland. Then, if the wasteland itself doesn’t kill you before you replace the shadowers, there is a good chance that the shadow people will do it themselves.”

- “It is all true and yes, I still want to go, I have to.”

- “My king, I am a skilled tracker; I could be of good service to your brother if you allow him to go. I have knowledges of the paths of water which can lead us out of the darkest caves and I have knowledge of the stars which can lead us through the thickest of nights. The shadow people may have mastered lurking from the shadow, but I have mastered the skill of using the shadow to replace my ways in daytime. I should accompany him therefore,” Sheda elaborated.

- “Hmmm. It seems that my brother has found a formidable ally to advocate his case. All right, you may go, but you must take more people with you. Sheda will go with you, but you will travel accompanied by Geren and Taal too. Geren can be of help if you reach the shore and Taal, being the commander of the Nox city guard, has good knowledge of the lands around Nox, including the caves. I will take along Hadera, Setha, Darion and Maedur. Maedur has succeeded in making the trip from Baan Senicore to Nox without losing his head. He knows the routes well. That might be of use to us, of course, that is if you agree, my brother?”

- “I agree,” Faris complied with a smile on his face, content by the fact that his brother has recognized his right to play a role in establishing new alliances on behalf of Yon’s kingdom.

- “You could use Qali’s help too. Too bad that she’s at the frontier organizing our troops against enemy raids. She decided to stay there until the enemy strikes. I allowed her to do so,” Spero lamented on his decision.

- “We need some of the commanders to stay around. So, it’s good to have Qali right where she is. Again, just like when we went for the horions, no living soul outside this room should know anything about our intentions until we return. Ten nights should be enough for us to complete our assignments. We leave in two nights. We must give our lady Sheda at least a couple of days of rest. If one of our parties does not return in due time, it should be presumed that its faith had been sealed. Hopefully, this will not be the case but it is something we must prepare for,” Yon rounded up.

That evening, everyone was in good mood. Finally, they felt that something was going their way. They were well aware of the grim threat, but they were resolved to do something about it. After a rough start, Faris spent the remainder of the evening talking to Sheda, informing himself about the tracking skills she possessed. Faris was pleased to know that, after Axion’s departure, there was someone new here with whom he could discuss and uncover new knowledges. He missed that segment of his life ever since he left the Fraternity. In war, few had time to discuss knowledges of life and Sheda was one of them.

Yon, Hadera and Spero were discussing about what should be done in the city while they were away and what were the best ways to conceal their absence and keep the Karosian informants in the dark. They were also discussing the prophecies. It was Taal who noticed that almost all of them are yet to be fulfilled, followed by Sheda’s skepticism towards most of them ever being fulfilled. Yon joked about the part where prophecies predict the possibility of a willing sacrifice changing the destiny of the realm. Although no one knew what exactly it could mean, Yon argued that Faris’s willing sacrifice in the land of the shadow people could open way for the Kulins to rule. In return, Faris jokingly accused his brother of wanting to become a shadow person, referring to his ideas about the importance of the Tunnel of the Red Rock. They continued their sitting - with short breaks - late into the night, discussing everything from strategy and tactics to Geren’s sailors’ sexual appetite.