Talon put on his clothes and sighed. He had gone another night with little sleep. The only reason he wasn't feeling tired was that he was holding the power. It was something he was doing more and more. He didn't see why he should release the power. It made him feel confident, and his nightmares didn't bother him, at least until he went back to sleep.

  Going through the day without using the power was too much, and he had far too many responsibilities to be held back any longer. He used to think relying on the power was bad; now he found only comfort.

  Today was going to be interesting. A man by the name of Arturo had requested a meeting. Originally, Talon was going to say no, until Rickard had described him: a man with a large sword, who had helped rescue him. He recalled seeing Arturo fight during his rescue and he was curious about him. That was three days ago. He imagined Arturo wanted money or some sort of compensation, and who was he to deny that? His allies were few, especially with his decree to prepare for the invaders.

  If he refused to compensate someone for helping him, Talon would lose the few allies he had left. He grabbed his sword and stared at the weapon for a moment. He didn't need to carry this around anymore. Talon put the blade back where it was, leaning against the wall.

  Lords and ladies were not supportive of him, and Talon knew they weren't happy about his Ashtari. The common folk didn't appear to be too upset with him being able to use the power. If only the nobles were the same. Another problem that he had to deal with. Perhaps this Arturo could be a useful ally.

  Once he finished getting dressed, Talon placed the crown on his head and walked out of his room. Peitar and Arthur were on guard, along with Tol'Solie, the Ashtari who was skilled at healing. He had noticed she was more powerful than she let on, though he didn't understand why she tried to hide her power. As an Ashtari, she was supposed to be strong, but she could do some advanced moves that had taken him a long time to master.

  Qidan had told him that Tol'Solie was gifted in various forms of the power. Healing was one of her strengths. Her accent was strange, one that he still hadn't heard before. He had traveled all over Aidris. Perhaps she was a foreigner from another land and was scared of being persecuted. Either way, he didn't care about where she came from, so long as she served him faithfully.

  “How's the training going?” Talon said.

  “Good,” Arthur said with a large smile. “Took down a couple of royal guards today.”

  “Really?” Talon said. He knew his friends were talented, but to take down a royal guard wasn't easy. “What about you, Peitar?”

  “I took one down. Almost won against two at once but still need more practice.”

  Him too, interesting. Talon knew Rickard trained his friends as hard as anyone else. He had his friends assigned to him because he didn't need guards. It was good to know they could handle skilled opponents; they would be needed once the war began.

  He hated thinking about his friends like that. Why couldn't he enjoy their company and not think about the future? Talon wanted to sigh. It was his duty as king to be prepared for anything. His country needed him to think about the future or he could lose it all.

  “Keep it up. You'll put those skills to use sooner than you think,” Talon said.

  Talon walked into the throne room and saw a line of guards on each side. Rickard was being extra paranoid today. The commander of the royal guards had informed him about Arturo and his strength. He had killed a legend and over fifty men by himself. While impressive, it was nothing compared to the power. If Arturo tried anything, he would stop the man himself.

  Without hesitation, Talon began his climb up the stairs and sat down on his throne. Peitar walked to his right side while Arthur stood on his left. Tol'Solie stood behind the chair. His Ashtari guard always stood behind him as it hid them slightly, and he would rather have his friends by his side than a power user that he didn't know very well.

  A guard walked into the throne room and bowed, “Your grace, Arturo has arrived. We disarmed him. When you are ready, I shall bring him in.”

  “Give him back his sword and bring him in,” Talon said. He wanted to see the weapon up close, for he recalled a large blade when he was being rescued. There was nothing to fear and he didn't want to come off as weak. He hoped never to show himself weak ever again.

  “As you command,” the guard said and walked out.

  “You seem to be in a fine mood today,” Peitar said.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Talon didn't say anything. There was no need to. He didn't feel like he was in a particularly good mood. Though he was looking forward to this meeting in an odd way.

  A few minutes passed, and the guard returned with Arturo and a young woman. It took Talon a moment to recall the Whispering Mists girl that was going to join Arturo. Rickard had told him about that and assumed this must be the girl. He saw the giant sword hanging on Arturo's back. Even though the man wasn't that close to him, he could still see how large the sword was. Talon doubted he could lift the sword without the power. This was a legend indeed if he could wield such a blade.

  Jen bowed deeply, “Thank you for seeing us, your grace,” she said.

  Arturo did not bow. Talon clenched the sides of his throne. Did this Arturo think himself above bowing because he aided in his rescue? Surely, he wouldn't ask for a reward if he couldn't handle the courtesy of bowing to a king!

  This was something that angered him more and more. There was something about this man that irritated him. Maybe this Arturo wouldn't be such a valuable ally after all. Perhaps I can teach him some humility. Talon focused his power on Arturo and tried to force him to bow.

  Nothing happened. He could see the power trying to touch Arturo, yet it disappeared the moment it touched him! Fear started to build, even though he was holding the power! Was Arturo going to rush him and try to capture him? Was he part of the mages' plot?

  No, calm down. Talon took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax and not show the fear he was feeling. This man wouldn't have helped rescue him if he was working for the mages. Besides, there were plenty of guards and his friends to help. There was no way Arturo was planning to capture or kill him, even if he could kill fifty men by himself. He was being foolish. He dreaded to see his reaction had he not been holding the power.

  “Why do you not bow?” Talon said coldly.

  Arturo looked surprised by the question, and he had the audacity to look amused! “I bow to no king or noble. Not after Arindall,” Arturo said after a few seconds.

  Oddly enough, that answer calmed Talon down even more, and all his fears vanished. He felt a bit foolish being angry. “Were you at Arindall when the raid happened?”

  “I was. I saw my family killed right in front of me,” Arturo said.

  Talon detected no lie in Arturo's statement, and he sympathized with him. His own father's death had been difficult, and that was from being poisoned by his uncle. What person wouldn't be mad at him for failing to protect his own citizens? He looked over at the Whispering Mists girl, Jen, he believed her name was.

  “And what brings someone from the Whispering Mists here?” Talon said.

  “Arturo is my brother, and I am here to help him,” Jen said.

  A simple enough reason. “Very well. What may I help you with?”

  “I have a small army called the Shields of Aidris. I have been going to all the great nations to gather men for my army with the goal of aiding any nation in Aidris in need of aid as well as to prepare for the upcoming war against the invaders,” Arturo said.

  For the second time today, Talon found himself surprised. Someone else who was preparing for the invaders? This shouldn't surprise me; Arturo saw the invaders firsthand. “You mean the invaders led by the Durmaddon's?”

  “That's right. I fought with one of their leaders, Kyrad Durmaddon, and want to help throw his army back into the sea when they invade.”

  Arturo was the one who discovered the identity of these invaders. Talon found himself impressed and irritated with Arturo. The lack of respect bothered him more than it should, yet he knew more about the invaders than most. “How do you know this was a Durmaddon?”

  “When I fought Kyrad, I was close to death. I shouldn't have survived our fight, but by Tarmella's grace, I did. Before he could finish me off, he told me his name, and that is when my sister saved me.”

  “So, you are seeking men from Azzellia to join this Shields of Aidris? How many other nations have pledged soldiers to your cause?”

  “Eshil Domain, Skahad, the Forest Dwellers, and Malvarian. Azzellia and Vandalor are the last nations I need to complete my army,” Arturo said.

  How was he able to convince the other nations to agree? How did he get the Forest Dwellers? Talon would have to ask Dalaras or Martinus about how the Forest Dwellers were convinced to join Arturo's army. Regardless, he couldn't be the only king to deny such a request. A foolish reason, but then again, he saw no choice, especially since this man had the same mission he did.

  “Is this all that you ask of me?”

  “That is all I came here for,” Arturo said.

  “Very well,” Talon found a part of him wanting to say no. He forced himself to ignore it as it was his pride as a king talking, and he couldn't give in to those feelings. Besides, Arturo was one of the few people in Aidris who was working to fight against the invaders. There weren't enough allies to deny him. “I will grant your request.”

  “Thank you,” Arturo said. “How long will it take for you to give me a list of men?”

  “Tell the guard where you are staying, and I'll have a list for you in a week. I assume that is sufficient?” Talon said.

  “That is,” Arturo said.

  “Thank you for your time, your grace,” Jen said.

  Talon saw Jen shoot her brother an annoyed look. It almost made him laugh. At least she gave respect. Maybe someday she would teach Arturo to do the same. “You are welcome,” Talon nodded to the guards, who escorted Arturo and Jen out.

  From the backside, Talon got a better view of the massive sword that Arturo had. Despite his irritation, he couldn't help being impressed. A man with an artifact to protect himself against the power and a mighty sword that armor couldn't stop. Arturo would make a dangerous enemy and a powerful ally.

  He got up from his chair and descended the stairs. Talon needed to visit the hidden archives. If Arturo had wanted him dead, he wasn't sure there was any way to stop him from succeeding, for he wasn’t sure his guards could have stopped him. Neither would his friends, and his Ashtari would be useless since the power didn't work on him. There had to be a way to counteract anti-power, at least he hoped. If there isn't, then he would need to think of a way to deal with this problem in the future. After all, there was a good chance the Durmaddon's had similar artifacts, and he would need every advantage he could get in the war to come.