The small town of Pordamier had a few houses, a small inn, and no more than a couple of thousand people. There were only a few guards, and since the town was not near the unknown waters, it had no patrols.

  That had been one of the first things Kyrad learned upon entering the small village. There were patrols all over the coast, all waiting for his people to strike. Little did they know he was their enemy. There would be no surprise attack against any of the towns or villages by the unknown waters, at least in Azzellia. It was something he would take back to his father when he returned home.

  Kyrad counted himself lucky that no power user was patrolling the night he arrived. While he couldn’t use the power, he had spoken to many and knew how aware a power user could be. Some could sense life within a mile. Of course, he was equipped to deal with a power user, though he would prefer not to kill one. That would complicate things.

  It was time to grab a room and begin their journey toward Carhan. Kyrad led the way into the inn, where a skinny man and woman stood. There were only a few people, all wearing armor, sitting at a table. What caught his eye was that the people in armor were all women.

  “Hello there!” the man said in a cheery tone. “My name is Manualdo, and this is my wife, Kellunia.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Kyrad said as politely as he could. “My companions and I would like a meal and five rooms.”

  “Sorry, we only have three rooms available. We are oddly busy today. Would you be fine with sharing a room?” Kellunia asked.

  “That’s fine,” Kyrad glanced at the armored women once more. One of them had looked at him twice. Did she recognize him, or was he being paranoid?

  “Excellent!” Kellunia said. “Pick a table, and we’ll bring you some food shortly.”

  “Thank you,” Kyrad said and walked toward one. Ahalfar, Cainon, Buthomar, Samot, and Ithric followed him. The same woman looked at him again. It was a quick glance, one he was not supposed to notice, but he did. Why was she staring at him?

  “Looks like someone finds you attractive,” Samot said and nudged Kyrad with his elbow.

  “Very funny,” Kyrad said dryly. No, this was not a woman who was interested in him that way, of that he was certain. He was the first to take the seat, and the others were not far behind. “We’ll want to leave early in the morning. Carhan is a couple of weeks away, and the sooner we finish our mission, the sooner we can go home.”

  “I’ve asked you this before, but are you sure the sword is there?” Ithric asked.

  “Yes,” Kyrad said. How many times did he have to tell them that? “My source has never been wrong. If I were able to tell you who, you would know I am right.”

  “Why don’t you?” Buthomar asked.

  “It’s confidential,” Kyrad said. He couldn’t tell them who it was. Only a few people knew of his informant: his father and his closest advisors. This spy had infiltrated Azzellia, and it was crucial there was little chance of their identity being exposed.

  “You are in charge; we have no right to demand an answer,” Ahalfar said, shooting Buthomar and Ithric an irritated look. A loyal man.

  Kyrad saw the same women in armor looking at him. Normally, he wouldn’t care, but something about her was causing alarms to ring in his head. This was not someone who was interested in him in a romantic fashion, of that, he was positive.

  There was little noise in the inn, which was disconcerting at times. Kyrad was used to loud people and lots of drinking. He wouldn’t be surprised if this was the most people this inn had had in a long time. How anyone could like living remotely was something he would never understand.

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  He kept watch on the women, noticing a few more glances when Kellunia came by with some bread, cheese, and fish. Kyrad waited until she handed them all the food and drinks. “Question for you,” Kyrad said.

  “What do you have for me?” Kellunia said with a smile. Her right hand rested on her hip as she waited.

  “The women in armor, do you know who they are?”

  Kellunia turned to look at the women and turned back. “I’m not sure. They look like a tough bunch though. I would say you’ll need to be lucky to get their attention,” she said with a wink and walked off.

  “What? Can’t handle a girl fancying you?” Ithric said and laughed.

  “That’s not it,” Kyrad said irritably. Sighing, he decided to start eating and not worry about it. Maybe his companions were right. He was letting his paranoia get to him. He needed to relax, at least for tonight.

  Throughout the rest of the meal, the women didn’t look at him once. Kyrad was happy about that; perhaps it really was interest, or maybe she thought he was someone else and realized he wasn’t. Whatever the reason, it made him feel better about not being watched anymore.

  Once he finished his drink, the three women got up from their seats, put on their helmets, and left the inn. Kyrad felt himself breathing a sigh of relief. No confrontation, and they were gone. Perhaps he was losing his edge being in foreign territory, or maybe it was knowing this was the most important mission of his life. He couldn’t mess this up.

  “If you’d made your move, perhaps you could have taken that one to your room tonight,” Samot said.

  “Our mission is too important to mess around,” Kyrad said.

  “You’re no fun. Might as well have some fun while we’re here,” Samot countered.

  Shaking his head, Kyrad stood up. “Stay here, I’m going to make sure our horses are good to go. Don’t drink too much; we have to get up early tomorrow.”

  “As you command,” Ithric said, raising his cup and downing the rest of his drink.

  He started to walk away when Buthomar stood up. “I’ll go with you,” he said.

  “There’s no—”

  “It’s best to always have someone close by,” Buthomar said, interrupting Kyrad. “You’re too important to have wandering alone.”

  “Very well,” Kyrad said. This was a way to blow his identity, but he couldn’t fault the logic. There was no need for him to go alone. He left the inn with Buthomar. It was a bit chilly; sitting down for so long had cooled him down.

  “You know, this is my second time in these lands,” Buthomar said.

  “Oh? When did you come here?” Kyrad asked. He’d thought he had investigated his companion’s history and didn’t recall Buthomar coming to Aidris.

  “During the first raid, I was sent to Skahad and raided some small village. Wasn’t particularly memorable,” Buthomar said.

  “No tough fighters?”

  “Nah, you were lucky to find a few,” Buthomar said, stroking his chin. “I only fought weaklings, peasants who had never held a weapon in their life. I hope that changes soon.”

  “I’m sure it will,” Kyrad said. The first raids had been sent to some of the villages across Azzellia, Vandalor, Eshil Domain, and Skahad to test their reactions and to gather knowledge. The results showed them how little the nations guarded their outer villages, at least until their attack. There was some information, and knowing none of the nations, except for Azzellia and Vandalor, took the threat seriously.

  A part of him wondered if they would regret not attacking sooner. Kyrad didn’t like how Eshil Domain was rumored to have joined forces with Azzellia. If that were true, then this continent would be harder to conquer, especially if all five worked together.

  They made it to the stables, where seventeen horses were tied down. That was more than when he had arrived, yet the only people he had seen were the women. Why does this make me uneasy? Kyrad thought. “Looks to be accounted for,” he said.

  “Hope they’re fast,” Buthomar said. His hand was fingering his spear.

  “Something wrong?” Kyrad asked.

  “Huh?” Buthomar said and moved his hand away from his spear. “Nah, just a habit of mine.”

  “Good, let’s head back then,” Kyrad said.

  Something sharp pricked Kyrad’s neck. He instinctively grabbed whatever had stung his neck and took it out. It was a dart.

  “What the—” Buthomar said, pulling out the same dart from his neck.

  Poison. Kyrad tried to move and found himself falling. He hit the ground hard and felt his vision beginning to blur. It’s too late. He couldn’t so much as twitch a muscle, and his eyelids were starting to lower. Footsteps were getting closer, and he saw a familiar face.

  She was at the inn! Kyrad tried to find a way to call out for help, yet no words would come out. The woman who had kept staring at him kneeled and put her face close to his.

  “We’ve got you,” she said.

  I knew it, she recognized me! Kyrad felt panic rising inside and wished there was something he could do. If the women said anything else, Kyrad didn’t hear as the poison moved throughout his body and his eyelids shut. Everything went black, and he knew no more.