Over in Defloria, palace guards and Yugdab invaders continued to grapple under the rising sun. One by one, the faithful defenders of the crown fell to the Yugdab forces, allowing them to continue their advance, one step at a time. Casualties continued to rise on both sides, but yet the battle staggered on. 

Finally, the captain of the Yugdab company stepped to the front and called the fighting to a halt. The two groups slowly and reluctantly peeled themselves away from one another while they eyed him curiously. 

"Come, come now," the Yugdab captain began, "we're all reasonable folks here, are we not? It is true that we've come to massacre your queen and her house, but we are quite willing to compromise." 

"What in the world do you mean by that?" one of the Deflorian guards questioned with a scowl pasted on his scarred face. 

"Why, what I mean is simply this: The knight Erok Fyervor is in your midst, is he not?" 

"No, he and his student went inside to heal up." 

"Well, I have a proposition: If you give Sir Fyervor and all his associates over to us, then we'll leave you and your palace alone. Is it a deal?" 

The palace guard sighed and scratched his beard. "I will send a messenger to consult with the queen and Sir Fyervor on this matter." 

******************** 

A few minutes later, a scrawny messenger rapped on the door to Queen Dara's safe bunker, where Erok and Chris also rested and received treatment for their injuries from Dr. Swedo. The queen exchanged a skeptical glance with her guards as their impatient visitor knocked again. 

One of the guards stepped up to the door and squinted into the peephole. Then he turned to the queen with a shrug. "It's just a messenger, your highness. Shall I let him in?" 

Queen Dara nodded. "Of course you shall. It may be important." 

One of the guards cautiously opened the door while his comrades held their crossbows at the ready. When the messenger nervously entered the room with his hands held up, they relaxed and shut the door behind him. 

The messenger bowed before Queen Dara. "Your highness, I have a message for you." 

"Speak freely." 

"The Yugdabs have agreed to call off the attack, on one condition: That you give up Sir Erok Fyervor and his company to them." 

Chris sprung up to a sitting position on his cot. "I must've heard you wrong! You said they want you to give us over to them?" 

"Yes, sir." 

Queen Dara shook her head. "There is no possibility of us agreeing to any such thing. If that is our only peaceful option, we must opt for a violent one." 

"With all due respect, your highness, the situation is getting desperate out there. In an hour at most, the invaders will have reached the front entrance, and from there, there's no telling how much—" 

Dara held up her hand to stop the messenger's babbling. Then she turned to Erok. "What are your thoughts on this matter, Sir Fyervor?" 

After a long moment of silence, Erok hung his head and sighed. "Your highness, we have come to ensure your safety. If undergoing Yugdab captivity is the only way to succeed in that goal, then so be it. I've seen worse." 

Chris grunted. "You do realize that if you agree to this, you're dooming me and Swedo to suffer the same fate, right?" 

Erok nodded. "That I do. However, you both are here for the same reason as I am. So the logic holds for you two as well." 

Swedo huffed. "Unfortunately, Erok's right." 

Erok slowly rose to his feet and slid his shirt over his torso. "It's been a pleasure working for you, your highness. And Lord willing, this won't be the last time." 

Queen Dara stood up as well. "Sir Fyervor, what makes you so willing to give up your freedom, and possibly even your life, for my sake?" 

"Because," Chris interjected, "that's what heroes do." 

Chris and Dara exchanged a quick smile before the three travelers exited the room. 

******************** 

A minute later, Erok, Chris, and Swedo stepped up to the Yugdab captain, laid their weapons down on the ground, and put their hands above their heads. With a cruel grin, the Yugdab motioned four of his underlings forward to bind their new captives up. Once the ropes had been painfully tightened around the three men, the Yugdabs led them to their wagons. With victorious shouts, the rest of the invaders turned around and followed a moment later. 

******************** 

After a generous breakfast, Qwarten, Meg, and Jeng emerged from the Botacan inn and untied their horses in the stable. They led the animals outside and onto the main road before they mounted them and galloped down the path. 

A few minutes into their resumed travels, Meg turned to Qwarten. "So, Major, it seems we've been making good time so far, and if that holds, we should arrive at the Logolian border by nightfall. That being said, we need a game plan for when we get there." 

Qwarten's eyes held a quiet thoughtfulness as he pondered his answer. "Well, for one thing, this festival will be held in a town called Grotenturke. It's a day's journey northeast of where we'll be stopping tonight." 

Meg slowly nodded. "So tomorrow night, we'll reach this Grotenturke place, and then the very next morning, the festival will begin?" 

"Yes. We'll be cutting it close, but I guess that's what I get for wasting so much time searching for Kahiri." Qwarten paused for a long moment before he snapped back into the present conversation and spoke again. "Anyway, since we won't be able to pass ourselves off as Yugdabs, we'll have to find ourselves some traditional Logolian garb and play the parts of peasants or something like that." 

"So you're thinking of slipping in, rather than making a blatant attack?" 

"Yeah, with our small numbers, that'd be wisest." 

"Sounds like a plan." Jeng announced from the back, "A loose one, but a good 'un." 

******************** 

Meanwhile, Kahiri and Govlo sped down the dirt path on horseback at breakneck speeds. Kahiri sighed as the bouncy gait and intense speed of her horse reminded her that it wasn't Dusty she was riding. Instead, this animal closely resembled the expensive Broteirian steed Chris constantly boasted of owning. Capable of galloping an impressive 60 miles per hour, and also possessing the ability of maintaining such speeds for great lengths, the breed had earned the nickname "hooved cheetahs" for good reason. 

When Govlo slowed the pace to allow the horses to catch their breath, Kahiri turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "So, how is it that the Yugdabs have the budget to afford these animals? I've heard that the price usually paid for them rivals that of a house." 

Govlo slowly nodded. "Well, I know it sounds messed up, but these massacres carry some very lucrative perks with them." 

Kahiri wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting. You people benefit off the death and suffering of thousands, all consequence-free?" 

"I completely agree with you, Kahiri. That's precisely why I'm proud to say I was a Yugdab." 

Kahiri offered Govlo a pleased grin. "I'm glad to hear it. And I'm very grateful for your assistance." 

Govlo shrugged. "It's the least I can do to make up for what those wicked men did to you. First, they burned your village. Then, they injured one of your friends, and killed another before finally torturing you as well. It's only right that I assist you in bringing vengeance down on their wretched heads." 

Kahiri sighed deeply. "It's not vengeance I seek, Govlo. I seek justice. I want to bring the Yugdabs out of the shadows and into the light. I want their dark deeds to be exposed to the world for what they truly are." 

Govlo grinned. "So, you want hidden things to be revealed." 

With a nod, Kahiri returned the smile. "Exactly." 

******************** 

Erok exhaled dolefully as his Yugdab captors strapped him and his comrades into the seats of their transport wagon. The cruel men yanked the swords out of Erok and Chris' sheaths before searching Dr. Swedo for any weapons. With confused frowns, they discovered that he carried none. Then they searched both of his comrades for concealed weapons, immediately discovering Chris's two daggers and Erok's switchblade. They tossed all the weapons into a chest and set off. 

******************** 

A/N: Well, I'm doing a double update today, so I'm not gonna linger too long on this author's note. If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to vote and comment. And hopefully, I'll see you in the next one. :D