King of the Tempest

Chapter 6

A mountain appears

The darkness fast approaching

An alliance forced

In the middle of the three men stood a fourth. He wore heavy suit of steel plate armor that concealed all features of his body. In his hand was a shield almost as big as Jiao. He wore a longsword on his hip, but Tenshi had a feeling he didn't need to use it often. The helm of his armor was shaped like an eagle. The Kriger's axe was imbedded in the shield, a testament to the man's ability, not having broken under that swing. Tenshi's sword was in his metal gauntlet, from him grabbing the sword. He had allowed Jiao to hit him, and as a consequence, the shorter man was cradling his hand in pain.

A few moments passed with no one saying anything after Tenshi's question. The man twisted, wrenching the axe from the Kriger's grip, and pulling the sword away from Tenshi, putting him off balance. He threw the sword to the floor, away from all of the men. He grabbed the axe, pulling it out of his shield, and he threw it along with the sword. He stood upright. He was not quite as tall as Tenshi, but much taller than Jiao.

"How dare you fight... In this sacred place." The man's voice was deep, and it echoed within his armor. "Cain will be here soon. Act civilized."

Cain smiled, looking down at the men. "But I'm already here." The four men looked up at where he stood, startled. My magus concealed me. They have no idea. It's fun watching their looks of shock. "My, what an intriguing group I have in my court. We have an aged warrior, one that is arguably the best Aritha has seen in two hundred years. And there's the Tsendaren Emissary, more in tune with his body as a god itself. And the captain of the former kings' guard, the man with an impenetrable defense. And finally, there's one of the champions of the Krigerian Isles. I have never seen more power in one room. Which is precisely why you're here."

He casually strolled down the staircase. "Oh, how marvelous!" he sung, joy creeping into his voice. "Everything is going exactly as I hoped. It's even better than I imagined!" He looked dead into Tenshi's eyes. The man was almost forty, but looked not a day past thirty. His skin was flawless other than a scar stretching from his right brow down his right cheek. His long black hair was tied up with a metal hairstick. But the most interesting part lie within his eyes. His eyes held a deep sadness, something he was used to covering up.

Cain turned and walked around the group. None turned to watch him walk. "I believe you all know why you're here. At least in some way."

"I do not! Please Exp..." Cain put his hand on the Kriger, squeezing until the massive man fell to his knees.

"I wasn't finished talking, Bjorn." Cain let go of Bjorn's arm, and the Kriger caught himself on his hands. Cain continued walking. "But, I suppose I can elaborate, for you..." Cain turned abruptly to face them. "Aritha has the potential to be one hell of a powerhouse nation. We could take out the mainland, if we gather our forces. But what is the key to the continent, you may wonder." Cain held up his arms. "Well? The answer... is Arainat. We must take Arainat.

He strolled towards the group again, looking at Jiao. "Now what does this have to do with you? Fucking lovely question!" He leapt into the air, beaming. "Answer this: how can one take a country without a scout force?" The silence following his question was deafening.

The knight was the one to respond. "You can't. Unless you outnumber them ten to one, you will perish. Especially against a country known for its intelligence, such as the Arainites."