“Pit!” Harin shouted as the practice blade hit his shoulder for the third time.

Two men and a woman soldier stood in the courtyard inside the building they’d taken as their command post in the abandoned town. One was in front of Harin.

The practice yard was in the center of the building, open to the sky. The courtyard was a simple stone courtyard, open to the elements for long enough that they’d had to dig out the stone floor. A beautiful granite floor welcomed them. Released from it’s tomb of sand after many generations.

“Again!” Harin commanded, shifting his feet, one behind and tilted out, the front pointing towards his opponent.

They were all bathed in sweat. The practice session started early in the morning, first with stretching and forms, then moving into sword practice.

The soldiers were all Praetorians, sworn to protect him.

“We should take a break, sire,” The man in front of him on the practice court said.

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Harin wiped sweat from his forehead, the sting of sweat in his eyes making him angry. “If you want to keep me safe, for what’s coming, I need to be better,”

The Praetorian pursed his lips, looking to his fellows, then to Brago and Anastasia who were hanging by the wall in the back of the courtyard. He pushed off the wall with Anastasia and walked forward together.

“Leave us for a moment, Praetorians,” Brago waved.

Harin felt anger in his belly. “Brago,”

Anastasia stepped to Harin. “You will not get better if you do not let your mind absorb, your body rest, brother,”

“I need the practice. The men cannot see their king as some feeble thing. That sword, I must be able to wield it,” Harin said.

Dawnbringer was set against a column at the entrance to the small courtyard.

“You are right. You must be seen to be with the men, defending this place. You tactics will keep us alive, but to learn, you must take time,”

“I do not have time Anastasia!” Harin snapped.

Anastasi laughed, putting her hand on Harin’s shoulder. “Life does not deal in fairness brother, you will know what you need to when the time comes, it will come back to you, the lessons you took as a young man will rise up,”

Harin knew the truth of what they said to him, although he hated it. He wanted his body, soft with time away from the physical realm to catch up with his mind.

“Gods, I don’t know why I have Praetorians if it’s this easy to get to me,” Harin gave Brago a look, eyebrow ached.

Brago smiled at Anastasia. “I do not know what you speak of, sire,”

Harin shook his head. “What of the Horde, the Council?”

“More of the Iron Guard spotted by all patrols. We lost two scouting parties yesterday. Four of six have returned. Six are leaving this morning to the east to find the Council and clever the dispatches you penned last night,”

“Tell them that the message must be delivered. At all costs. The Horde is coming. The Iron Guard is the harbinger of death,”