Tale of Four

No one said anything after Hyman spoke. There was no reason to. The Lords knew all they had to do was prepare their armies and wait for the command on where to move them, whilst all the knights present had to do was listen. Looking at Victor, Oliver watched as the fat lord took a gold coin from his purse and skillfully played with it between his fingers, falling into thought, the shrewdness in his gaze never vanishing

"No one." Hyman smiled and looked around. "In that case... in that..." Oliver watched as the hairs on Hymans’ shirtless body danced, standing on edge. Looking at Maxwell and Ralph, he noticed that the two boys both jumped up and darted around, trying to find what caused the discomfort they suddenly felt. However, unlike those two, Hyman seemed to pinpoint the general location of the sudden discomfort and looked up, his eyes bouncing between the numerous beams that held the ceiling. "Everyone, stay perfectly still," Hyman said, standing up. Trying to find whatever caused his discomfort and failing to do so, he took a deep breath and looked to Maxwell.

He nodded and pulled out a knife, cutting the sleeve of his shirt off, handing it to Hyman. Wrapping around his eyes, he took the knife from Maxwell and flipped it, catching the blade. Oliver, much like the rest of the room, stayed silent, not even daring to breathe too loudly, let alone move, as Hyman slowly crept around, staring at the ceiling, the hairs on his body jumping up and down.

As the second passed, he narrowed in on one section of the roof and quickly threw his knife in its general direction. The knife flew quickly, tearing through the air, yet hit nothing, impaling into the ceiling. Pulling the blindfold off, the hairs on his body continued to dance, but now his expression showed confusion.

"Maxwell, Ralph. I’m not alone with this feeling, am I?" Hyman asked, wondering if his instincts had been wrong and if he wasn’t being watched. Looking at his two sons, he knew that he wasn’t wrong; the agitation they felt was getting worse the longer they felt they were being watched.

"A Magi, perhaps Hyman?" Roderick said, staring at the ceiling, "I’ve heard some arcane power allow someone to be invisible to a person’s gaze. The Desert Lords have been known to use them as well."

"But my knife went through them?" Hyman turned to his friend, "Can you explain that?"

"Maybe you missed. It wouldn’t be the first time." Roderick said with a small smile, "The Prince or Lord Carter is likely making their move, sending spies. Everyone knows you would be the King’s greatest ally, so it isn’t a surprise they sent someone." Roderick looked at the knife in the ceiling, "We may be compromised. How did you suddenly notice them?"

"I felt a strange gaze look at me." Turning to his children, they nodded in agreement about why they suddenly flared up, "Something is here, someone. They are looking at me, even still."

"And you only felt this now?" Roderick said with a frown and looked around at the rest of the men. Not one said anything to indicate they had felt such a gaze. Oliver looked to the ceiling as did Jeremy, trying to see anything, and when he saw nothing, he couldn’t help but wonder if Hyman had got it wrong.

’Surely not. The Alkaris are said to have great instincts. Besides, Lord Alkaris alone can be a mistake, but both his sons as well. Three people are too much.’ Fiddling with the hilt of his sword, Oliver felt his hand go damp. If someone was really above them the whole time, then the reality was that anyone in the room could have been assassinated. ’They are still there as well. Even after being spotted.’

Roderick looked to the roof, "Point where they are watching from." Hyman did so. As he did, Roderick grabbed a torch from the support beam he was near and ripped it out, throwing it in the direction Hyman pointed to. "Well?"

"It didn’t flinch. Soemthing is there, but I don’t think it’s human." As soon as he spoke, Hyman paused and chuckled, "It fled from those words." A collective sigh of relief filled the room as Hyman collapsed back onto his throne.

"Your grace." Lord Bunker stepped forward, "The matters we have discussed."

"Nothing changes, although send word to lord Limb that he may be expected," Hyman said with a wave of the hand.

"Your grace. Surely you-"

"There is no point in changing the plan. What we have already discussed is the most obvious but also most strategically sound action we can take. We may face more resistance now, but all it means is we must prepare extra." Hyman sighed, seeing the distrustful glances, "My Lords, if any of you have fault with continuing as we are, then speak. I am waiting for any alternative."

"There is one other way." Lord Goat stepped forward, "An invasion of Kript. It is one of the few places within the Desert with deep water ports that we can actually assault from sea. And no one would expect it." Samuel said that, with the expectation of it getting shut down, the idea even sounded crazy to him.

Chuckling, Hyman shook his head, "I am not invading Lord Carter’s stronghold. If he takes to the field, he has more than enough family left behind to mount a defence. I already can’t be sure how strong the power on his blood is, and I don’t wish to be surprised by it."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, my Lord, but what do you mean by power?" Hyman looked to Oliver, looking around the room. Although the Lords didn’t say anything, already understanding, those who were knights fresh to the noble world didn’t.

"Everyone here knows the power of the Cosmaton blood, correct. The claim that they carry the original power of the first King." Oliver and the rest nodded, the stories of the royal families’ summons known by most of the realm, "Every Great lord has soemthing similar, myself included. Whilst I know roughly what they all consist of, each generation has differences. How strong an inheritance they received, or a slight change in how it works. All of you must understand that you should never underestimate one of my fellows."

"Wait," Oliver said. Looking around the room, he met the eyes of a few men before seeing Roderick looking to the roof, "Was what watched you human, Your Grace?" Turning to the roof, Hyman followed his eye, looking where he previously did.

"Probably not."

"Then might neither be a Great Lord’s actions or the Magi, but the Prince." Hyman narrowed his gaze; the thought he had in the back of his mind now dragged out.

"Does anyone know what Prince Brandon’s summon is?" Hyman looked at his men. Everyone shook their heads, making Hyman frown, "What of his daughters or the Cosmatons that swore allegiance to him?"

"I know one of his daughters is able to summon a horse, or soemthing like that. She showed it off at a feast I had attended. I couldn’t really tell becuase it wasn’t a normal colour but green." The son of a minor Lord stepped forward, explaining, "As for the other, I do not know, Your Grace."

"Thank you." Hyman nodded at the man with thankful eyes, making him lift his head a little higher, "Everyone, get whoever you can to find these things out. Wars aren’t won with armies alone. I need information."

"Shall we ask the king?" Samuel asked, making Hyman look to Maxwell. Sighing, Maxwell rubbed his eyes.

"I can try sending word, Father, but you know how they and other Great Lords are. Even if it would be helpful, they are secretive about these things." Hyman nodded and waved his hand.

"Do it anyway. He likely won’t know Brandon’s daughters’ summons, but he would definitely know his own brothers." Maxwell bowed. Looking around, Hyman smiled. "Continue to prepare. I want things ready before the month’s end."

’Two weeks. Surely he can’t expect the armies to have gathered that quickly.’ Oliver siad to himself, watching as Hyman rose and walked off with his children, peeking over his shoulder towards the ceiling a final time.

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"Well?" Azikial crawled up Brandon’s arm as the man sat on a bench inside Epton walls. His hair was dyed brown, and his appearance was altered slightly to look scarred. Pushing up the pair of glasses that hid his eyes, he stared down at the silver lizard.

"He noticed me as soon as I looked this way. As for his sons, they are less honed than he is. They couldn’t pinpoint my location." Azikial said, staring into Brandon’s eyes, "But before that, they had no idea. In that room where everyone was vying for his attention, my presence must have gone unnoticed until I finally looked at him."

"But you know what he plans to do?"

"Invade the desert and secure a path to the Waterway." Azikial shortened everything he heard to the most important: "They will raid the desert’s southern coast as well." Brandon nodded, his face blank and unfeeling.

"Understood. I assume you can’t watch them again."

"He nearly killed me already. His blade missed by a few inches. When fire was thrown at me, I was lucky he didn’t throw it exactly in my direction." Azikilal slapped Brandon’s arm a few times, "We must visit Lord Clover still. If war breaks out, we need to know where he stands." Brandon nodded, pulled a hood over his head, and walked out of sight.

Azkilal inside, and once making himself comfortable, released a silver light that spread over Brandon’s body, making him blend in with the scenery around, becoming invisible to onlookers. Casually walking, he left the Epton Fort and disengaged Azikilas’ ability once out of sight. Seeing a group of hooded figures waiting for him, one wearing the robes of the Magi, he nodded and joined up with them, leaving the Valley.

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