Amidral: No Promises Exist

Troops

The frozen forest of Namag had been at the mercy of the ice storm for weeks, gradually worsening the weather until the swamp's hot springs froze. The Mori initially opted to seek help from the prince of the west, but he never responded. The tribe was furious; they had fought hard enough against their pride to ask for help from the crown. So, when they grew tired of waiting, they directed their attack on the castle.

The giants advanced in organized troops and orderly rows at full gallop, armed with spears and protected by heavy stone shields. They successfully wound their way up the icy ramp toward the castle, the residence of Prince Daniel, which sat atop an ice cliff. The only access was the narrow path along which the centaur army approached. It was risky, given how easily a few cannons could have pushed them back and significantly diminished the attacking army. In fact, the tribe's high-ranking officials expected it, but it never happened. Even when they broke down the door to the inner courtyard, it yielded without resistance; the wood seemed rotten from lack of maintenance, and once again, there were no signs of anyone. Upon investigating inside, all portable valuables had disappeared. There were only large pieces of furniture, giant candelabras, or dusty rugs left, with no visitors, no servants, and above all, no Daniel.

When the troops returned to report to the council of elders, leader Reeusman Volter decided to write a letter.

A sordid knock echoed against the stone counter outside Commander Dima's office, resonating far beyond the hallways of his training tower. Certainly, the bad news following the collapse of Namag had been arriving for days. The mission to prioritize trained soldiers for the possible war was becoming increasingly difficult as looting, thefts, and disappearances continued in the towns of the kingdom. Marco could not afford to send troops to investigate the crimes or assist the affected, not until the princess gave the order, and for now, he was waiting for her with the men ready.

But it wasn't the accumulation of these anticipated problems that had shattered the commander's serenity, nor the terrible news of the arrival of the korrupa so close to the castle's territories, much less the increase in cases of the dreadful metamorphs' disappearances. It was the arrival of an unofficial letter representing the entire tribe of the west. The seal with the centaur design had not even been disturbed, but Dima knew it was not good news.

For starters, peace was only a fragile state in the tribe's politics concerning the royal family. If Nartai was being so affected by the refugees and the illness of magic, it was surely much worse in the frozen forest. Massaging his temples was not alleviating his headache, and he could no longer avoid it. The strategy table remained unfinished regarding troop gaps and organization. He had no choice but to open the letter, although he had barely begun reading it when someone knocked at the door outside his office.

"General, a woman requests to speak with you."

He could barely see her behind his subordinate, who seemed to be carefully preventing her from forcing her way in. Her face was also hidden beneath her cloak, but the limited light in the room was enough to recognize the blue of her garments.

"Let her in at once! And leave us alone."

With a nod, he ushered her inside before closing the door. Immediately, Marco stood before her and touched his forehead to the ground in reverence.

"She could have announced herself and avoided all this embarrassing fuss, Your Majesty."

A hand emerged from her robes, caressing the back of his bowed head.

"Lift your face; it was necessary for it to be this way."

Dima stood up, still maintaining a reserved posture before the princess.