“Well.” the knight said, looking through the ajar gates of Kakâdras. “It figures something like this would happen.”

“I did warn you, sire, that they would go after anything and anyone close to you. Even your ward.” stated Sidâl.

“I just don't understand...” sighed Brenan the priest. “How?”

“How? Does it matter how?” coldly asked King Aharôs from atop his zôsha. The King had an expression that Turaz could only call calmly enraged. It was just a bit unsettling.

Down the fortress's gates were painted the words too late, with a single blue-grey feather hanging off a nail hammered into the stone. The note was signed with KRL. “King” Reshîv Loiar, no doubt.

“What matters is that my half-brother has gone and done something to the one I swore to protect, and has sacked an Imperial citadel, on the March, no less!” Aharôs said. He wasn't fiery at the moment, but there was venom in his tone. Turaz was afraid that he could lose control at any moment; this might be too much for the already unappreciated, frustrated, and betrayed King. “This is unbelievable.” he growled. “Absolutely unbelievable.”

“There'll be Hell to pay, that's for sure.” noted Sergeant Haior, from behind Turaz.

“For who, is my question.” Turaz replied.

“We know who.” commented Sir Eberis, in a rare moment of vocation.

“Do we?” he asked again, in a quiet voice. “Something has happened to our Queen Tempest, but the culprits...” Turaz shook his head. “I don't think Reshîv's hand reaches this far.”

“Perhaps it does, perhaps it doesn't. Who can say?” answered Eberis.

“Should we investigate?” Brenan posed the question, leaning to the side as he peeked into the courtyard beyond.

“It would be prudent.” noted Haior. Aharôs nodded, and waved them forward. Turaz dismounted from the zôsha he had been given, as did the others. Cautiously, Eberis walked forward and opened the gate further. Inside, there was nothing. There were no people, not even bodies, and no signs of a fight. Everything was in order, except the scaffolding going up the keep's ill-repaired walls.

“Nothing.” commented Turaz, almost disappointed. “Haior, Eberis, go take a look inside.”

“Yes, Sir.” nodded the sergeant. Unfortunately, Streaming Breeze was still too injured to go fly up and take a look at things there. The dark red pegasus had been placed awkwardly on another zôsha; an uneasy situation, as she had made it clear that the beasts were considered enslaved but estranged cousins in Equestria.

“I wonder how Îrilôs is doing.” Aharôs suddenly said. “If Reshîv is bold enough to go against the Emperor, would he not go against his envoy as well?” Turaz only shrugged, his armor creaking.

“I can't say, sire.” Sidâl replied, sniffing the air, looking concerned. “Do you smell that?”

“No...” The King frowned at the sky.

“It smells of magic.” the sorcerer-spy stated. “The kind I use.”

“Do you think Reshîv has his own sorcerer, then?” Brenan asked.

“It's possible.” Sidâl put a hand to his chin. “I am not the only man of my kind walking the world. But the odds of someone else with my level of training also being in Athair? Very low... very low indeed.” Why would Reshîv hire a sorcerer when he professed hatred at Sidâl's work? wondered Turaz, before something else occurred to him. Why is Sidâl even working for us?

“Sidâl, what keeps you on our side?” questioned Turaz. “You could have abandoned us at any point, and as far as I know, we don't even pay you... Yet you keep on, with a seemingly losing cause.” Aharôs gave him a sharp glare.

“We're not losing.” he muttered.

“That's a good question, Sir.” acknowledged Sidâl, with a sly smile. “Perhaps I believe in the righteousness of our King's cause. A King that rules by right of law, and rules by the law, heedless of distraction or temptation. A King with actual integrity.” There was an ever-so-slight tone of bitterness with that final sentence.

“Where are you from?” Turaz asked again.

“Somewhere far away, somewhere with a bad King. A corrupt, incompetent, fool.” Sidâl answered. “We're luck to be in the service of King Aharôs. He may be harsh to his enemies, but does what's right, even when it's hard.”

“Thank you for your confidence.” Aharôs said dryly.

It was a good bit of time before Haior and Eberis returned from the interior of Kakâdras, but they emerged almost empty-handed.

“It's all clean, Sir.” Haior reported. “There's no sign of any struggle; no sign of anyone at all, really. No bodies. Just this.” He held out a letter to Turaz, who handed it to his King.

“What could this be...” Aharôs spoke to himself, as he unrolled the paper.

“It was placed very conspicuously, sire.” stated Haior, with a respectful bow of his head. “I believe it was meant to be found.”

“There's nothing written here. It's blank.” the King sighed.

“Might I see it?” asked Sidâl. Aharôs silently handed him the paper. The sorcerer stared at it, but to no avail. “Well, I'm afraid it's bested me as well. If there was invisible ink, none of my tricks can reveal it. Would you object if I kept this? It's possible there could be something here which could be uncovered once I'd had time to think.”

“What makes you think there's anything there at all?” queried Brenan.

“I told you I smelled magic in the air. Forces beyond your understanding were at work here, no matter how lightly or heavily.” explained Sidâl. “If there's anything to discover, it'll be me who does so.”

“Fair enough.” said Haior.

“Now, what do we do about Queen Tempest?” asked Turaz. “If Reshîv's henchmen really did get her... Where would they go?”

“East, the same way we're going.” Sidâl quickly said.

“Why?”

“Because south is Jutan, and the Duke of Jutan will be wanting to stay out of this affair, it's how he's kept his lands safe so far. West is to the steppes, there's nothing out there for us Vûrdashai, except our distant cousins. East is the only option to get back to Athair quickly now.” stated Aharôs.

“And why would Tempest be in the Far North?” asked Sidâl to no one in particular, looking towards the ancient homeland of mankind, just opposite of the way they came. He squinted at the horizon, a serious look about him. “That's just a silly notion.”

Author's Notes:

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Short chapter today, because I'm preoccupied but you guys deserve more steady updates. These character's aren't gonna be doing much for some time anyway.