As Humban entered the war council room, the doors were bolted closed behind him. Two palace guards clad in grey tunics and armed with spears stepped in front of it.

Humban wouldn't put it past the Dahali to intrude, and it seemed like one of the other army leaders agreed with him.

Supreme General Ishushinak nodded at the guards before meeting Humban's eyes. A smile flickered over his face, mostly hidden by the bushy beard that fell midway down his chest. "Good to see you, General."

The room fell silent. Every eye in the room swivelled to Humban.

It was unheard of for a man to work himself up to Humban's ranking by his age. His paranoia was legendary, and nobody could understand why he'd rather rough it out with his troops than be coddled by Yasa Palace and its luxury.

All those things made him a spectacle.

"Sit down, General, so we can start this meeting," said Ishushinak.

Humban claimed the nearest empty chair, ignoring the stares.

The grey wolf at the centre bared his fangs to welcome Humban to the table, a beast in mosaic form. The oil lamps arranged over his face glinted off the blades of the swords, axes, spears and arrows arranged on the walls.

Nowhere else in the palace were the walls bare of depictions of kings' victories. These were built to contain secrets. It was fitting that they weren't beautiful.

The lamps' light illuminated the men's faces and cast shadows over their hollows. They reminded Humban of his soldiers sitting and joking around the campfire, but they were as serious as the matters they had to discuss.

"The Amaluans are moving west. We have reason to think they are heading for our city." Ishushinak's gaze swept across the room.

His dark eyes met Humban's. The look within them sent a jolt through the General.

His blood ran cold. This was the Amaluans' most decisive move for years. Their last attempted conquest didn't go well for them, but Gilgar had suffered many more losses than they had.

"And what is that reason?" asked Napir, one of the King's advisors.

"They have decimated two of our easternmost cities. It's clear where their path of destruction leads."

A series of exclamations arose at Ishushinak's words.

"Pirat and Olan?"

"Must be!"

Humban shook his head to himself.

Amalu's military might was unprecedented. They were a plague spreading over smaller, weaker kingdoms. It was a miracle that Gilgar had lasted this long, but they may not be so fortunate the next time Amalu attacked.

They had already captured two Gilgarian cities before the army could gather their forces to fight back. For all Humban knew, they would be at Yasa's gates by the time this meeting ended.

It was a terrifying thought.

Humban raised his voice above the others. "We must stop them. We won't be able to fight them off if they breach the city."

The room quietened.

King Catru, who had been sitting so silently at the head of the table that Humban hadn't noticed him, spoke from the shadow of the Supreme General standing beside him. "What do you propose?"

"We should ambush them before they reach Yasa." Tirutir, a captain of the army, leaned forward. His beady eyes shone.

How could he take any delight in the thought of death? For Humban, it was something that had to be done for his people, not something he drew pleasure from.

He and Tirutir were made from something different. He had known that ever since they had been a foot soldier and a lieutenant bickering over everything.

King Catru stroked the beard that curled from his chin, mulling over the older man's words. "That could work."

Ishushinak shook his head. "The Amaluans are moving too quickly."

To place the majority of Gilgar's troops where Amalu would be passing through, at the right time, would require precision. If they arranged an ambush and missed Amalu, it would be a wasted effort. The troops could be better used elsewhere.

"It's too risky," said Humban. "If we time our attack wrong, we could lose a number of our men. We can't afford that."

He was relieved to see some nods of agreement. Any fatalities on Gilgar's side might seal their unfortunate fate.

If Gilgar wanted to play Amalu's game, they had to be clever. Amalu hadn't become the most feared kingdom this side of the Uranouk Sea by making obvious moves.

"That may be true, but we can't leave the civilians to die," said the King.

"Of course not. We have troops based in all our cities. They will protect the people. Asking them to debilitate an army of Amalu's size individually, however, will be fruitless," said Ishushinak.

"Back to square one." King Catru folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. His dark, deep-set eyes scanned the room before falling on Humban. "General Humban. Any ideas?"

Every man looked to their young General for an answer.

Humban drummed his fingers on the table.

Amalu was on its way to becoming an empire. They were ruthless and hungry for conquest. They would not fail to capture Gilgar again. If the Gilgarians wanted to keep their kingdom standing for the next generation, they would have to change their approach.

"We go behind the scenes," said Humban. " We stop the Amaluans without defaulting to physical force."

"What are you going to do? Learn magic?" Tirutir scoffed.

He had always been the first person to shoot Humban down, but that was because he had no imagination. In his world, there was only one way of doing things: his way.

"I will do what I need to do." Humban hoped he could buy himself some time. Even he wasn't sure exactly what he was suggesting.

The pressure of the eyes on him had his thoughts trudging through his mind when he needed them to be sprinting.

"What do you propose, General?" asked King Catru, an impatient edge to his voice.

Humban reached for any fact that could inspire his approach. He grasped one. "We need to find information that we can use to thwart Amalu's advance on Yasa."

"Stop being so vague!" Tirutir's voice was sharp. "I have a family to think about. We need a solid solution!"

"What might be a good idea is to assassinate Zadkiel." Ishushinak rested his chin on his interlaced fingers.

That earned a thoughtful murmur from the men seated around the table. The guards at the door exchanged a look.

Ishushinak's plan could work if they could get to the Amaluan King's most trusted advisor. Humban had met Zadkiel only once, but his hatred for Gilgarians was tangible. It was clear he had a vendetta against them.

He rose to prominence when Amalu started their attacks on Gilgar with renewed ferocity sixteen years ago, and that was no coincidence. The Amaluan King was bloodthirsty, but with Zadkiel pouring poison about Gilgar into his ear, Humban's kingdom didn't stand a chance.

Everyone in the Three Kingdoms had heard of Zadkiel's daughter's abduction by a Gilgarian witch. The girl had never been found. Because of that, Zadkiel showed Gilgar the same mercy he believed had been shown to his daughter.

Napir cleared his throat. As he was rewarded with the eyes and attention of every man in the room, he swallowed.

"Speak, Napir." King Catru's words came out clipped.

"I'm sure we all know about Bennam."

The room went into an uproar around Humban.

King Catru rose from his seat, standing taller than Ishushinak, though far thinner. "Silence!"

The room didn't dare to disobey him.

"Napir." He gestured for his advisor to continue.

The man's anxious eyes flitted about the room. They met Humban's, and the General gave him an encouraging nod.

"We have intercepted a message about a meeting that the Amaluans plan to have in Bennam within the next three weeks." Napier kept his gaze on Humban, away from those of the men who wished to silence him.

"All the key figures in Amalu's war effort will be there," said Humban.

Napir nodded.

The war had never been about hitting hard, only about hitting in the right place.

Humban's head felt light. If they could strike Amalu where it mattered, they would cease to be a threat.

"Their meeting would like ours, I imagine," said Napir. "They'll be discussing their battle strategies, supplies, soldiers... perhaps we should send in a spy to gather information at this meeting—information we can use to defeat Amalu."

"Why not murder the lot of them?" Tirutir's bold suggestion earned a few mumbles of agreement.

"That would draw too much suspicion. It could even bring Amalu's full might down on us, perhaps even that of their allies." Ishushinak shook his head.

Of the Three Kingdoms, Amalu had the furthest reach, and Humban had no idea how far it stretched. They could call in allies from the east, sealing Gilgar in, or reinforcements from the west. Yasa would fall in a matter of days, and the rest of Gilgar would follow.

"But who do we send to spy?" asked Napir.

The room was silent. The men who had been murmuring either their agreement or dissent moments ago had nothing to say.

"Spy?" cried Tirutir. "Bennam is a death trap for Gilgarians! How can you expect anyone to go there? You're mad."

Napir flinched.

"Captain Tirutir, you will watch how you speak to my men," said King Catru coldly.

Tirutir looked down. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"He's not wrong." Ishushinak came to his man's aid. "We conquered Bennam a century ago, and we haven't been able to inhabit it since."

Myths and fairy tales were so deeply embroidered in the fabric of the Three Kingdoms that they were impossible to separate from reality.

Legend said that after Gilgar claimed Bennam, an Amaluan goddess killed every Gilgarian who tried to settle there in revenge for their destruction of her city. Humban didn't know how true it was, but every Gilgarian trembled at the mention of Bennam.

They avoided it on their travels. They only mentioned it in stories to scare disobedient children.

Humban didn't blame everyone for being afraid of Bennam. It was unwise to mess with Amaluans and their goddesses, but even difficult things had to be done when they presented a chance.

"I'll be the spy."

A discontented rumble swept through the room at Humban's words. Tirutir's mouth fell open. Humban resisted laughing at the comical sight.

Ishushinak's frown wasn't as amusing. "Are you sure, General? No Gilgarian has survived Bennam in a century."

The possibility that he might become one of them turned Humban's mouth dry. Regardless, he kept his face steady. It was loyal to his objectives, not his feelings.

"When I joined the army, I accepted that I might die in service. That hasn't changed since."

King Catru shook his head. "You're young, General. You can't sacrifice yourself. You have your whole life ahead of you."

Humban met his solemn gaze. "And what kind of life would it be if Gilgar falls? If I don't die in the battle or afterwards as a prisoner of war, how can I live with myself if I didn't do my best for the kingdom?"

"If you won't listen to self-preservation, will you at least listen to sense?" asked Ishushinak. "We don't know if this lead in Bennam is worth following."

He sent a withering glance in Napir's direction. The advisor shrank back in his chair.

"We have nothing to lose," said Humban.

Ishushinak shook his head. "You have the Amaluans to contend with too. They might recognise you."

"Only if they see me."

"Why are we having this conversation?" Tirutir set his fist against the table with a thud. "He's a general, for the sake of the gods! Even if he wasn't heading towards certain doom, what does he know about spying?"

Humban reined his temper in. Tirutir had spoken out of turn too many times. Someone had to silence him for good.

"Captain, we don't have time for this. Amalu is marching toward us. The more time we waste arguing, the more of our people they are going to slaughter, and the more of our land they will take. Besides, I don't see anyone else volunteering for the task." Humban gestured around the room.

The ground became very fascinating to several of the men in attendance.

No wonder Gilgar faced destruction. The bravest men in the kingdom were in this room, and they were scared to step up. All because of a legend.

Maybe Napir was misinformed or the Amaluans would change the date of their meeting, in which case, Humban would go to Bennam and return to Yasa unscathed.

If his mission was successful, he would send the information he gathered before the Amaluans eliminated him.

One life was a small sacrifice to save thousands.

The Supreme General disagreed. "Captain Tirutir has a point. We need you here, General." Ishushinak rested his palms on the table.

"I agree." King Catru frowned. "This sounds like a waste of time."

Humban stood, mustering his authority and hoping it showed when he spoke in a room of men older and more experienced than he was.

"With all due respect, we won't defeat Amalu in battle. Not this time. They have better weapons, more men, and a strategy that no kingdom has been able to stand against. We must outsmart them. They won't expect us to know about their meeting. Think of all the valuable information I could learn. We may not even have a battle to fight."

Perhaps it was too much to hope for, but it was as good a chance as any.

Whispers passed between the men seated around the table. The King and the Supreme General exchanged a look.

"If I may say so, I agree with the General." Napir broke the tense silence. He looked at the King. "Amalu hasn't been defeated since the last time they tried to invade us. The fact that they let information about their meeting slip is proof of their complacency. I think sending a spy is worth a try."

The King nodded. "Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Napir."

The advisor sat back in his chair, but nothing could make him invisible to the hostile stares sent his way. Humban understood the reason for them, but he wished the men would have open minds.

Bennam wasn't a trap or a cursed city. Nobody had seen its vengeful patron goddess in years.

Bennam was an opportunity.

Ishushinak tilted his head as he regarded Humban. "Have you been undercover before?"

"No, but I've been trained for clandestine missions."

It was something every Gilgarian soldier underwent. A man had no way of knowing where he would be needed until he was needed there, and there was no time to waste.

Tirutir scoffed.

Ishushinak ignored the captain. "And are you sure you can handle this?"

Humban gave a single nod. He had been among the best at undercover work in his class. He could do this.

Staying out of the Amaluans' when they arrived for the meeting would be challenging, but Humban would have had enough time to become acquainted with Bennam's hiding places by then.

"Humban is one of my best men," Ishushinak told King Catru. "If anyone can do this and return to Yasa in one piece, it's him."

Ishushinak rarely gave compliments. He didn't have time for chatter, only doing his job. Hearing him say that about him gave Humban a warm feeling, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

On one hand, Ishushinak believed in Humban. On the other, he couldn't let him or the rest of Gilgar down.

"Then it is settled." King Catru gave a brief nod. "Ishushinak will assign you the troops you need, General."

Humban shook his head. "It's a covert mission, Your Majesty. I'd rather go alone. It'll be safer and more efficient."

"As you wish." King Catru looked around the room. "We must send warnings to the cities on Amalu's warpath. They may not know that they're in danger."

"Could we organise evacuations, Your Majesty?" Napir wrung his hands.

If Humban remembered correctly, the advisor had a wife and children in one of those cities. He was familiar with the fear of knowing that they could be gone any day, that he wasn't there to protect them. He had experienced it with his family and his betrothed.

That's why he was better off alone. He couldn't endure loving again and being lost again.

The King considered Napir's suggestion. "That would be best. Ishushinak said that the troops posted in the cities can't match Amalu on their own. What if we bring them all together?"

Ishushinak nodded. "That would make for a fair fight—their full army against ours."

"Exactly," said King Catru. "We get as many people as we can inside Yasa's walls, then we dedicate our full might to protecting the city."

"Sounds like a plan," said Ishushinak.

Tirutir nodded, but the curl of his lip suggested his dissatisfaction with this approach. Knowing they were outmatched by Amalu, the Captain still wanted to run into battle, swords swinging.

Fortunately, the majority of the Gilgarian war council was sensible. The other men in the room murmured their agreement.

King Catru turned to Humban. "General, you are to leave immediately. Napir will provide the supplies for your mission."

The advisor stood, gesturing for Humban to follow him.

"The meeting is adjourned," said King Catru. "We regroup in two days for progress updates."

Every man stood in preparation to carry out his part of the plan. Humban felt the expectation in every gaze following him to the door.

He was their young general, travelling to a place that meant death to all Gilgarians. If he survived and succeeded, he could change the tide of the war. If he didn't, at least he wouldn't see his kingdom fall.

Humban had fought many battles and strategised for as many, but nothing he had ever done mattered as much as this.

"General Humban."

Where Humban stood waiting for the guards to unbolt the door in front of him, he turned to the Supreme General.

Ishushinak's eyes were solemn. "Go well."

"Thank you." Humban bowed his head as he left the room after Napir.