The news came late at midnight. Sivas was obliterated, and no one did survive. I felt a forceful urge to return to Danishmenthan. It was hard to give up on old habits. We were all horrified that the very thing everyone expected became true. We had belittled the enemy. I was still sure that Bayezid would take his revenge, but it would be much more bloody than we thought.

Nevertheless, my priority was to oversee the safety of Tigrisia first. Making alliances became mandatory. I didn't have the luxury to waste time. I called Castaver to start preparations for a long journey to meet our Balkan neighbours. Thanks to Astrid and the Roman Empire's intimacy with us, I wrote to Emperor Charlemagne to inform him that I was coming. I requested Astrid to go with us; the Wurdlich Dynasty was known in the Mediterranean. Hence, the presence of Castaver and her would be beneficial. 

The sharpness of twilight overlapped the Dragon Nest. Hundreds of ravens lifted from the woods with insufferable noises of caws, which emerged together to imitate an evil laugh. I knew something was coming before even seeing some of the trees fall. From the woods, giant animals embarked on. There were solid ten elephants at the front. The biggest one had massive tungs, and this man in black mounted them. The animal was approaching forward, solitary from the rest of the army. I felt a thumb stuck in my throat as my Adam's apple shivered up and down.

I needed to confess that it was pretty intimidating. Such an enormous group of soldiers just passing the kingdom couldn't be fortunes. When I went down the stairs, Castaver had already organized the conventional defence of the front army. Only his legs were not shuddering; the young man had already armed, and their soulful eyes dwelled the tension in the air. They were all immersed in the silence of duty. Castaver leapt back to me as this appearance of bloodshed had become real as I walked in. Before I even asked, "It is Temur." I nodded; it was like a pinch of rice got into my veins and dried the confusion and ambiguity inside. 

The front army followed me, mounting Goliath and heading straight to the man in black. I felt the cold breeze down my spine. As I rode Goliath, the posture of the vast animal became intolerably accurate. Goliath started to hesitate and whined; his steps were uneasy and comprehensible. The elephant in front of us was three times the horse in height and two times in width.

Nevertheless, I kept riding as the elephant kept coming from afar. Suddenly, the man in black raised his hand, and the whole army stopped and placed far beyond him. They were just in a distance where we could identify their number beyond all questions but feel that they were not initially intent to harm. The elephant's giant, slow steps converted to a run in a rush. I thought it was going to crash Goliath -apparently with me. I reared him while taking the Silver Dragon out of the sheath. The elephant raised his trunk while roaring under the water, and it ejaculated. 

The man glided to the ground, caressing the animal's massive ears. He had the darkest black hair curled like goat fur down to his shoulders. His eyes were slightly slanting but a fresh grey. The sun tanned him, but ruthless hands were still white and veiny. I saw a few missing fingers on the right hand; his scabbard was leaning toward the right. At the same time, he had no intention to hide his defect. 

I dismounted Goliath and stepped forward as he walked towards me. His legs were malfunctioning, chugging, but his eyes got a glamorous sheen that made him look like a warcraft. He stepped a few meters away. "Hello there, King Jaromir!" he started. Maybe because of his slender body or slanting eyes, he looked younger, contrasting his voice. "I salute you, my apology. I didn't get your title," Temur smirked; he tilted his head to the left and released the ropes hanging down from the elephant's saddle. "I am Temur, the conqueror, the Khan of the land that man stepped on, the Amir, the saviour of the believers, soldier of Tengri, the hand of justice, and assembler of the Turks." It was now I who smirked. "Then, I salute you, Temur Khan; we shall avoid the bent around the bush. My concern is your dare to cross my border." He swang a while; his eyes were cunningly squeezed. "I was just passing by, thought I might come to say hi." I approached him; it was I who looked down on him now. Then I felt a disgrace; no warrior should be altered because of his physic or bad battle souvenirs. I stopped and left a space between us. He looked up at me, quite bewildered. "I thought it was just a rumour, but they are right. You are tall," he said; I understood that he was either a man of self-evaluation or a narcist. He was all sorted out with his appearance. "I wish to talk with you, King Jaromir; as you may comprehend, we had a great deal coming here." I put Silver Dragon back on the sheath. "I do not need to comprehend. I believe the great distance you had through here is not just aimed at having small talk with me." Temur placed his hand on his waist. "I stopped by a few on the way. " He rimmed that mysteriously sharp face again.

"Your army had to leave the borders," I demanded. He smiled as if he had caught something that he was eagerly waiting to happen. "You mean this army, including the elephants, raiders, and frontiers with the archers?" He mocked, "Things I heard about you are quite right." I didn't say anything; I just remained till the army withdrew. He stroked his hair to back, "Fine, fine... Because of your courage... " He whistled, and then the army started to get back. "Show me the way." He said worldly.