There was no slavery in Rhazgord culture. To take away a person's freedom was seen as a stain on their honor. For the people of Rhazgord, honor was as valuable as gold or land, perhaps even more so. But there was no law forbidding slavery. So when Corvus asked Valerius if he could take some prisoners before entering the city, Valerius was briefly surprised. But he didn't care. He simply raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Do what you like."

As the crowd in the square waited in fear, a single command from Valerius set the Rhazgord army in motion. It was an order the warriors had been impatiently awaiting for a long time: Plunder.

The Rhazgord warriors quickly spread through the narrow streets of the city. Doors were forced open, chests overturned, valuables looted. Goods hidden inside houses, gold, jewelry, even precious fabrics, were taken as booty. In some houses there were still civilians hiding. But none of them were touched. Because Valerius had sworn on his honor. And no Rhazgord warrior would dare dishonor Valerius.

Once the loot and logistics had been sufficiently gathered, the Rhazgord army slowly prepared to leave the city and move on to their next target. Corvus personally checked the loot and logistics his warriors had collected. Everything was in order. Then he turned to the crowd, waiting in fear for their fate.

"I will give a chance to those who are fluent in the Adler language or skilled in any craft or science."

Corvus' words divided the hopes in the square. On some faces there was disappointment, on others a growing hope. Everyone began to question themselves. To be a carpenter, a blacksmith, a doctor or a scribe was now the line between life and death.

"I swear on my honor to protect and support those with these talents and their families, if they will work for me!But I will not forgive those who try to deceive me!"

Corvus' words were suddenly heavy. Many of those who had pinned their hopes on him had thought he respected their status and their abilities. Perhaps he would give them some money and let them go. But Corvus was offering them a job. And everyone knew what that job meant. To be at the beck and call of a barbarian, a barbarian who had robbed their city and now had turned it over to giant flames.

No one wanted to volunteer for this fate. The silence lasted until the Palace of Laxia collapsed with a thunderous crash. The rising smoke, the crunching of stones, swept away the last shreds of hope from the minds of the people. "Either we accept now or we perish." they said to themselves. And finally, a man in his forties slowly rose to his feet under the astonished gaze of those around him. In one hand he held the hands of his daughter, too young to understand what was happening around him, and in the other the trembling fingers of his wife.

"I am Turin the carpenter. If you can feed my child and keep her safe, I will work for you."

Corvus watched in awe as this man stood up for his family despite his fear.

He bowed his head slightly and motioned for him to approach. Turin did not even dare to raise his eyes to Corvus' face as he advanced with heavy steps. It was as if he thought that one wrong move and he too would join the wreckage of the burning palace. But one of Corvus' warriors stepped forward and held out a large pouch.

It was full of money. Turin looked at it. He hesitated whether to take it or not. He looked at Corvus, to see if he could really accept it. Corvus had a gentle smile on his face. It dissipated the fear in the man, if only for a moment. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Turin took the pouch. Just then, another warrior handed him a bag full of food.

Seeing this scene, people began to stand up, timidly at first, one by one, then in waves. Some claimed to have taught math and philosophy to the nobles, others claimed to be able to make anything out of clay. Everyone was claiming their skills to survive. Soon a large crowd had formed behind Corvus, but there were still more people waiting in front of him. At some point, he realized that no more people would join him. The rest of the people either did not want to be under the command of a barbarian, or they thought they would not find a place in this new world.

Corvus hesitated for a moment and then gave the order to withdraw. With some 300 craftsmen and scholars joining him, he left Laxia to join the rest of the Rhazgord army. Not a single Rhazgord warrior was left in the city. Smoke rose from the palace, billowing into the sky, and flames gnawed through the stone walls, spreading across the city. Soon there was terrible chaos, people rushing into unburnt houses, grabbing anything they could find to escape the impending disaster. Some tried to extinguish the fire by pouring water on the flames or trying to smother the flames with cloths, but with each passing second they grew more and more desperate. Laxia was now nothing more than a city doomed to drown in its own ashes.

The Rhazgord army resumed camping outside the city of Laxia. This time, however, it was not a siege camp, but a temporary rest stop. Exhausted from the journey, both soldiers and horses needed to catch their breath.

Corvus' new workers were placed in a special area set aside to await their fate. They were carefully surrounded by Corvus' warriors. Corvus had no intention of letting the deal be broken or letting anyone attempt to escape.

"Tomorrow you will leave for Bahoz, your new home. I will provide work for those of you who are craftsmen, and you will work for wages under my name. The rest of you will fulfill my wishes. I will make sure you don't go hungry, even if you don't have an assignment from me at that moment."

After making his statement, Corvus studied the faces of the crowd one by one. They were less afraid than before, but there was still hesitation and uncertainty. Some knew where Bahoz was and were weighing the idea of going there, others were anxious about setting off to a place they knew nothing about.

"Any questions?"

Corvus asked as gently as he could. He could see how frightened the people in front of him were. But these people were a critical part of Corvus' plans to change the Rhazgord. They would be the harbingers of change. So he had to reassure them with his composure and sincerity. As Corvus expected, the questions were not delayed:

"How long will the journey take?"

"Will we have a place to stay?"

"How long will we have to work?"

"Are we slaves?"

He listened patiently to one question after another. He gave clear and decisive answers to each one. The conditions were not perfect, but they were not as bad as they thought. For some, this new order might even be better than their old lives. For a long time Corvus cared for his new employees, trying to understand and allay their fears. But after a while, he was jarred from his thoughts by a voice:

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"My father is calling you."

At Kaelyra's words, Corvus made his way to the big tent in the center of the camp. When he stepped inside, the first thing he noticed was that everyone in the room was from the Tiamat family. But these were not just any Tiamat - they were all high-ranking warriors. Corvus had the lowest rank of anyone in the tent. Most of those in the room were related to him by blood. But there were a few who, though not directly from the family, had been raised by the Tiamats. These warriors, who came from small families and were recognized and trained for their abilities, had become, over time, names that were not of Tiamat blood but were accepted as members of the family. For Corvus, their presence was no different from his real relatives.

After Corvus entered the tent, several others entered. Valerius was sitting in his assigned seat at the head of the tent. Corvus was on one side and Kaelyra on the other. All the important Tiamat members of the camp were gathered in the tent, taking their places. The fact that Valerius had invited only Tiamat members was a clear sign that what was to be discussed here was to be kept within the family.

The dried bloodstains on Valerius' hands glowed a dull red in the dim light of the tent. They were the scars of his recent interrogation, which had soaked into his fingers. High-ranking Laxon soldiers and noblemen chosen by Corvus had perished at Valerius' hands. Among them was the King of Laxon, who could no longer ascend to the throne. The interrogation was designed to get information about the men from Caramasca. Corvus waited for Valerius to bring it up, even though he was curious to know what the outcome would be.

The heavy silence in the tent was broken when Valerius spoke. His voice was like the sharp, cold sound of a sword striking a blade. "What I have to say now belongs not to me, but to my father Drakar." As that name echoed through the tent, the atmosphere grew even more somber. Drakar Tiamat... the previous Sanguinar of Rhazgord and the man who ruled the Tiamat Family in his son's absence. Everyone in the tent knew all too well the weight that descended whenever Drakar's name was mentioned. He was not only a leader, but a figure of unquestionable power. What he said was a source of great curiosity and unease for everyone present.

At that very moment, Valerius' aura permeated the entire tent. This was no simple show of power, but a wave of authority whose presence penetrated to the very marrow. An invisible but palpable pressure built in the air. A crushing weight fell on the shoulders of everyone in the room, making even breathing difficult. Valerius' gaze traveled over each and every one of them, and finally, the commanding tone in his voice grew harsher.

"This is my first and last warning to you! If any of you are working with enemies like the traitor Tanar, step forward! If you come forward now, I will make sure you die a painless death."

Death literally crawled into the tent. The most frightening aspect of this threat, even more than Valerius' power, was that it was Drakar who was the real owner. Even though Valerius was the one feeling the pressure now, everyone in the tent knew that these words had actually come from Drakar's mouth. As the tension in the room became unbearable, Valerius' gaze lingered on Kaelyra. Even his daughter trembled slightly under the intense pressure, averting her eyes. But no one stepped forward.

Silence was the only answer to the truth. Valerius held the heavy atmosphere for a few more seconds, then controlled his breathing and released the pressure. The air seemed to relax, but the shadow of death still hung in the tent.

Valerius' voice was the only thing echoing inside the tent.

"Surely you understand that the enemy is not just these three small kingdoms. We still don't know how deep the enemy has penetrated. We will conduct the investigation in secret. From now on, I trust you, but I want you to trust no one but me!"

His words fell like a sharp knife on the warriors in the tent. It was clear that this decision had been taken by the eldest of the Tiamat Family. They suspected that the enemy might have taken root not only outside but also inside Rhazgord. If this was indeed the case, it was something that had never happened before in history. The men in the tent looked at each other for a moment, overwhelmed by what they had just heard. Valerius continued.

"As I said, trust no one! Keep your eyes open, but never act. Do nothing unnecessary until Sakhaar arrives! Is that clear?"

The unanimous "Understood." made the air inside the tent even heavier. Valerius surveyed everyone's faces one by one, then spoke with a short and firm order.

"You may disperse."

The warriors started to leave the tent as soon as the order was given. But Corvus and Kaelyra remained in their places. "Do you suspect anyone? ” Valerius asked, glancing at them as they left the room. Corvus and Kaelyra nodded their heads simultaneously. They had both grown up with these men since they were children. They trusted them.

"The king of Laxson said it was the king of Galir who planned all this."

Corvus's brow furrowed slightly. This explanation did not make sense to him. It would be naive to believe that only the King of Galir was behind the plan. Moreover, in the battle a few nights ago, the men from Caramask were directly among the commanders of the Army of the Three Kingdoms, and it was impossible for a force that moved in the shadows to be limited to one king. The King of Laxon must have known this, but either out of fear or because he was still hiding something, he did not reveal it.

"But the King of Galir did not make this plan alone."

Valerius' voice echoed through the tent. He continued, his eyes fixed on Corvus.

"The men from Caramascus, the ones you found, devised and executed the plan. But neither the king nor the others know who they are."

Corvus saw a certainty in Valerius' eyes that left no room for doubt. This changed everything. An unknown enemy had crossed the borders of Rhazgord, manipulated the three kingdoms, and provoked a war for its own ends. What had at first been a possibility was now a reality.

"We have something to discuss with the King of Galir, then."

Kaelyra's voice broke the silence in the room. The King of Galir might be the only one who could tell them the truth about the men in Caramask. If there was an answer to this mystery, it was hidden in Galir's palace. But the Rhazgord army had one obstacle to overcome before they reached the Kingdom of Galir: The Kingdom of Bahem. The fall of Laxon must have sent fear through Bahem, but that did not mean they would run away from the battle. The Rhazgord army would first wipe out Bahem completely, then march on Galir.

"I suggest we change our destination to Galir." Corvus said, his eyes fixed on Valerius. He wanted to find out who the unknown enemy was as soon as possible. But Valerius rejected this proposal without hesitation.

"I will not take seventy thousand hastily assembled men to Galir without setting up a proper logistics corridor."

His voice was clear and decisive. The Rhazgord army was adept at covering long distances, but here was an unpredictable enemy. And in the face of such an unpredictable threat, it would be foolish to proceed recklessly. It would have risked not only reaching Galir, but winning once there. Valerius' short and precise explanation made it impossible for Corvus to find a point of contention. Nor was he in a position to insist.

After a moment of silence, Valerius turned to Kaelyra. "You will keep an eye on the Nabuks." Then he turned his gaze to Corvus. "And you keep an eye on the Iskats."

The mention of these two names cast a puzzled shadow over Kaelyra and Corvus' faces. The Iskat had been the Tiamat's closest allies for generations. Moreover, they did not meddle much in political matters, and had no interest in anything other than riding horses on the battlefields. It was strange to hear their name mentioned in a suspicion of treachery.

The Nabuks, on the other hand, had been the Tiamat's greatest rivals for centuries. But they were known to be one of the most devoted families to Rhazgord traditions. It would have been unreasonable for many to expect treachery from them as well.

But if Valerius suspected, there had to be a reason. Kaelyra and Corvus accepted the assignment without question. Now they had to look at the people they had walked with for years with different eyes. Valerius then concluded the conversation in the tent by sharing the bits and pieces of information he had learned.

When Kaelyra and Corvus left the tent, they looked at everything with more caution and suspicion. The world they had trusted was slowly sinking into uncertainty.