Revin, Kaiato, Omrai, Shifra, and Beadoróf gathered in Omrai’s tent. Shifra and Omrai sat in chairs, Revin and Kaiato sat on the floor, and Beadoróf stood.

“I have more to tell you…” Beadoróf said. “I… I am the first monk Jebuthar captured. He forced me into giving him knowledge of the north.

“I knew Narazoth… back on the Hiriv. But I never thought he’d go north,” Beadoróf said, frowning. “He came with an army of thousands of saurians, overran my Lord’s borders, slit his throat in his bed, and captured me. I gave him nothing, at first. But one can only be subjected to torture so long before giving in.”

Beadoróf turned and pulled the back of his robe down from his neck, revealing long scars along his back.

“A few of my friends heard of my capture and attempted a rescue,” Beadoróf shook his head. “They too were captured. But I was able to speak to one. I told her to go back and get that sword.”

Revin sat up, “You knew Ismander?”

Beadoróf nodded. He paused. “What do you mean, knew?”

Revin was assaulted by the memory of a bleeding Ismander, urging him to go. “She’s the one that brought me here. Jebuthar’s automatons killed her shortly after we arrived.”

Beadoróf’s jaw dropped, his calm composure disappearing. “Ismander… she’s… dead?”

Revin nodded with a frown.

Beadoróf collapsed into a chair. “No, she… she was the strongest among us. She… can’t be gone.” Beadoróf’s eyes glistened, and he rubbed them, holding back tears.

He took a steadying breath and looked up. “At least she succeeded. She’d hoped to bring back the prophet of the Hiriv or someone he would send.”

“My father didn’t send anyone,” Revin said.

“Then why did you come?”

Revin pondered. “I don’t know. I wanted to master bigger beasts. Stop Narazoth from coming to the Hiriv.”

“She went for the prophet and returned with his son…” Beadoróf seemed absorbed in his thoughts again.

“If I may ask a question,” Kaiato said.

Beadoróf turned to Kaiato.

“Why is Jebuthar here ? Why didn’t he go to the Hiriv, or some other, smaller nation first?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Beadoróf said, “This continent has millions of the mightiest animal souls to harvest. The perfect building blocks for an army.”

“What about his ships and weapons?” Revin said, “We understand a little now…” Revin drew his sword and presented it to Beadoróf. “He uses some kind of weight affecting metal, one to hurt, and one for resistance. My sword is made of the same stuff.”

“The same metal makes his fortresses fly,” Beadoróf said, taking the sword. “You took Kveth Aioni?”

Revin nodded.

“I never thought I’d hold it.”

“When we found you,” Omrai said, “Jebuthar had some sort of bracer on his arm with that metal in it, he just reached out and our weight increased.”

Beadoróf frowned and nodded. “The Nether-bound fiend has figured that out too.”

Revin was taken aback by the curse.

“Figured out what?” Kaiato said.

“He has access to powers which have been lost for a very long time,” Beadoróf said, “Supposedly, with the right equipment and ingredients, one can use that metal to control gravity with their mind.”

Revin’s eyes widened. “Can we do the same?”

Beadoróf handed the sword back and shook his head. “No, we can’t. Jebuthar tried to make a suit for the Almerians, it doesn’t work for them. Only him. But that sword is enough to protect you. Do not let Jebuthar take it.”

Revin nodded and sheathed the weapon.

Beadoróf turned to Omrai, “The giganotos are your greatest weapon in this war, next to Revin. If they are struck by a gravitonium bullet, the impact will hurt, but gravity will be unaffected.”

Revin nodded “The cannonballs did nothing. And the pilot said the ship couldn’t move with them too close.”

“How close?” Omrai said.

Revin thought for a moment. “A hundred feet or so. Why?”

Omrai smiled. “We’ll use them as the cores of squads.” “One giganoto, surrounded by men and saurians.” Omrai’s brow furrowed. “Can you march saurians into war again? After all you’ve seen?”

Revin remembered how many saurians had been killed under his command, how many deaths he’d felt. But he also remembered the pain and anguish of the giganotos. Their desire for revenge. The harm Jebuthar did and would cause.

Revin smiled. “Scarback’s clan has been looking for a fight since Jebuthar came. Believe it or not, they hate him more than we do. They’ll fight.”

“How many do you have?” Omrai said.

“Thirty-eight, twenty of which are adults capable of fighting.”

Omrai moved his fingers, running some calculations. “We can do a force of about two thousand men… Or several hundred saurians…”

“You’ll still be vastly outnumbered,” Beadoróf said. “And there’s one last thing to remember.”

They looked at him.

“He has at least seven monks helping him, attached to that mind-enhancing core. And if he’s already broken the prophet, he’ll have the ability to ordain monks as he wishes…”

“But if we destroy the core…” Omrai said.

“And kill Narazoth…” Kaiato said.

Beadoróf nodded. “It would give us a chance.”

Revin gasped. “But we don’t have a clue where Narazoth is. Jebuthar keeps his location secret.”

“Actually,” Beadoróf said, “I think Jebuthar keeps him in a secret area on his command ship. The core is there too. We could enter, find Narazoth, and destroy the core.”

Beadoróf smiled. “His paranoia is to our advantage. The core, the captured monks, and Narazoth himself are kept on that ship. Now you’ve mastered the giganotos, Jebuthar will likely stay there, keeping all his resources close. If he loses any one of those, he loses his armies.”

“We’ll have to strike fast, with a small enough force for speed, but big enough to distract him while you ,” Omrai said, pointing at Revin, “handle Narazoth.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Revin’s eyes widened. Me take care of Narazoth personally?

Beadoróf looked around the room with a hopeful smile “Narazoth is near his limit, and Jebuthar is afraid. This is the best opportunity we’ll get. If we don’t stop him now, he’ll gain the ability to ordain more beastspeakers. At that point, his power will be practically limitless.”

Omrai turned to his desk and pulled out a map. “We’ll follow the walking fortress, and attack as soon as we’ve gathered our army on the way.

“But how do we find the command ship?” Kaiato said, “That’s separate from the walking fortress, correct?”

Beadoróf nodded, “Yes, but Narazoth has to be the one to master new automatons, so he’ll be staying close.”

Revin thought of the sheer numbers of automatons that could potentially be made. The piles of corpses had been huge. How many could Narazoth master? How many could Revin master?

“How many saurians will we have?” Revin said. He didn’t think he could master that many.

“As many as we can get,” Omrai said. “The crushjaw and ceratops corps are close.”

“I can’t… connect with that many without a master,” Revin said, “Not by myself. I’m at my own limit already. For me to get strong enough…” Revin paused, unsure if he should continue.

“Omrai,” Beadoróf said, “That would require your connection to be stronger than before… that would require you to become his Life-Lord.”

Omrai stood, thinking. He looked at Revin. “Do you intend to stay after Jebuthar is gone?”

Revin paused at the question. “I- I’ll do what it takes to defeat Narazoth. No matter the consequences.”

Omrai stared at the map, deep in thought. He turned back to Revin.

Omrai let out a long sigh. “Revin, I have been… unkind to you. Why would you want me to be your Life-Lord?”

Revin looked Omrai in the eyes. Omrai was right, this was a commitment. Likely the biggest commitment of his life. Was Omrai a man he could serve under for the rest of his life? Was he worthy of such an honor?

Revin remembered how Omrai fought for his men, fought for Revin. The anguish on his face as others died, his devotion to protecting his people. Omrai did everything for his nation. They were his family, and he would die saving them.

Revin felt the same for the Hiriv, as boring and sleepy as they were. They were his family. One of the reasons he came in the first place.

Revin nodded. “Because, we fight for the same cause, to protect those we love. I think we can agree on that, at least.”

Omrai smiled and reached out. They gave each other a firm handshake.

Revin smiled back.

“It’s settled then,” Beadoróf said, “You’ll want to make him your Life-Lord now. Because the next thing we should do is get on that ship you’ve captured and head for the first city.”

✦✦✦

Revin stood in front of Omrai, who sat on a chair in his command tent. Shifra, Kaiato, and Beadoróf stood, watching.

“Once we do this,” Revin said, “There is no going back. The connection isn’t severed until one of us dies. Are you willing to work with me for the rest of your life?”

“I am.” Omrai chuckled, “Besides, you’ll only have to deal with me another thirty years or so.”

Revin smiled. He stepped around to behind Omrai and took a long, deep, breath. He placed one hand on his own head and his other on Omrai’s. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. His hands were trembling. But, despite his anxiety, he felt a warm calmness in his heart.

And he recited the words.

“By the power of Sephitaro given to man, I confer the connection of Life-Lord. You shall be my Lord, until you decide you are not, or one of us passes from this world. We shall be connected in mind, and by the unity of our wills we will be connected in power until the end of our days. And may our wills be one, and one with Father God’s. Thus, it is”

Revin kept his hand on Omrai’s head and felt a buzzing pass through his mind, much like before when he’d made Omrai his Trial-Lord. But that had been more like a door opening. This was like a permanent archway forming between two large halls. No doors or gates.

“We are one now, ” Revin mind-said to Omrai.

“And we are ready,” Omrai mind-said back.

✦✦✦

Shifra sat outside, doing her best to slow her breath. Others walked nearby, but she didn’t sense them. Her gift was turned off. She was finally free to think her own thoughts, to feel her own feelings. To make her own decisions.

It was incredibly liberating. And perhaps a little maddening. After so much turbulence she had considered to be her own, it felt so… empty to lose the assaulting auras of others’ emotions.

Her first instinct was to tell Qadi, and she chastised herself for half-forgetting her best friend’s state. But if… no… when Qadi recovered, she would have to show her this talent. It would be incredibly useful as a senator!

And maybe, just maybe, she could begin to atone for what happened to her friend, by making sure to feel what Qadi felt. If Shifra couldn’t take her pain, then she could at the very least share it.

She looked back at the tent, where the others were talking strategy after Revin and Omrai had performed the ceremony. She, on the other hand, needed a break. It was hard to turn her gift off and easy to accidentally turn it back on.

But... she needed to talk to him. Now she understood what she felt, and why.

She waited until the evening when they were finally done talking. She stepped around to the side of the tent, where she would not be immediately visible to those who left. One of Omrai’s captains left first and Revin left too. Kaiato would be in the back, due to his respect for others.

Revin headed toward his tent, still leaning on his cane. Kaiato stepped out of her father’s tent, and she grabbed his arm. He jumped in surprise and spun toward her; hand raised as if to strike. She flinched and he dropped the hand, eyes wide.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know it was you! What are you doing?”

“We need to talk,” she said. She motioned away from the tent. Away from Revin.

She would talk to him soon enough.

Kaiato followed her gaze to Revin and cocked his head. He motioned. “Lead the way.”

She grabbed his hand. She wanted to grab his hand. She checked to see that her gift was still off. It was. She felt a good deal of uncertainty. She’d never felt that in Kaiato’s presence before...

That must have been his confidence she had felt.

She pulled him along, off to the edge of the camp. He followed without a word of complaint and with a look of slight confusion. Her heart jumped when she didn’t intuitively understand what he was feeling. Excitement raced through her at the mystery. Something she’d rarely felt before.

Several guards stood watch at the perimeter.

“May my service lift you,” they said, bowing.

“And you also,” she said. “Now go, I need to speak to Kaiato.”

They shot him a glare of mistrust, which she ignored. After a moment of hesitation, and after she held her glare, they left with a bow. She turned to Kaiato.

Kaiato still looked unreadable. Maybe… slightly amused? His eyebrow was raised, as if in question.

She checked her gift again. Still dormant.

“Now, Shifra, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

She felt a rush of anticipation. Excitement. An energy rushing through her body. Heart pounding faster. An ache in her chest. A want. A need. He looked at her with those concerned, deep brown eyes. That piercing gaze. Time froze. The corners of his lips slowly curled into a smile.

That was too much. She couldn’t resist a moment longer. She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Their lips met and her heart exploded. After the briefest of moments, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. She melted into him.

The kiss sent a wave of new sensations, ones that she felt in herself alone. She smiled and kissed him again, letting go of time…

And promising herself to make sure Qadi could once again feel the same.