At first, the camp struggled to go back to normal but when the soldiers remained up above the cliff, they went back to work. Those who were usually sent to gather food outside the Open Wound spontaneously helped build the barricade for Luthi who should have transported them was nowhere to be seen. The group which was responsible for fishing went down to the river but stayed closer than usually and those who had spent the last days building houses for everybody now worked on the barricade instead.

The barricade was what gave them a feeling of safety to strengthen the hope they got through Tarlequin's music as well as Nume and Kran's words. Though the longer nothing happened, the more nervous they became. One might think that the army's inactivity would calm them down but instead, it made them wonder what they were up to and the danger hovering above them made them feel uncomfortable and jumpy at all times. Only one person remained absolutely calm. It was a young boy sitting on a rock with a book in his lap.

Mersha occasionally looked up from his reading pleasure and scanned the camp before looking up. Once he saw the troops still standing high above, he went back to reading and sat absolutely still. He didn't even bother to turn the page, he just read the same one over and over again. It was new, he'd found it only just two days ago and spent every moment since studying it.

The boy wasn't stupid, of course he had long figured out that Tarlequin must have written the part in once he'd been asleep, but something about the entry was just wrong. Shortly before midday, he finally figured out what it was. The last few lines didn't make sense. Tarlequin had pictured a lost world in which the Outcast would have been too late and the Open Wound would spread and swallow all of K'haren, turning it into a lifeless desert. But looking around, Mersha could see grass growing and even a young tree standing proudly amongst the rocks and boulders.

Yet there they were, the soldiers, standing above the Open Wound. They were part of the queen of the night's army, Mersha knew that for sure. Their auras were black as night and none of them were really alive. But for them to return, Tarlequin said there had to be hatred so enormous, K'haren could no longer be saved. So where was that hatred? Certainly not here. Right here, right now, the Outcast was healing the land, starting with the deadest place they could find.

Mersha knew that Nume and Kran weren't actually aware of that but he didn't see why he should tell them as long as they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Also, he knew how the day was going to end, so there was nothing for him to be afraid of. A future known, no matter how dark, held nothing frightening for him. The only thing that truly scared the boy was the unknown, which was why he had originally tried to keep away from the Outcast. But now that he knew them better, he could tell their future, at least the nearer one, as well.

When he heard Tarlequin shout his name, Mersha sighed. Unfortunately, the faun had decided to look after him. As if Mersha needed that, he might have been a child, but he already knew more than most of the others in the camp ever would. At least he'd ended up with a man old enough to still somehow surpass his own wisdom and an interesting one at that. For Tarlequin had secrets, many of them, both past and future, and Mersha loved that. Secrets were different from something unknown, they were mysterious and could be solved. When the voice called again, this time from somewhere close, Mersha closed the book and got up, looking around.

'There you are!' Tarlequin said as if he hadn't exactly known where Mersha was. In fact, the boy always sat on the same rock when he was reading, ever since they had arrived. Except for when it was raining of course, he'd never put the book at risk.

'You've been looking for me.'

'I have indeed.' Tarlequin replied. He was already used to Mersha's way of speaking.

'Why?'

'Because you should be behind the barricade with the other...' There the faun stopped, looking uncomfortable.

'The other children?' Mersha suggested with a meaningful smile. 'Don't be fooled, I shall not hide away with them. But I will hide my book there.' With these words, the boy jumped off the rock and walked away. He didn't heed the growing concern around him at all, after all, he knew what was about to happen.

'Is he safe?' Kran asked Tarlequin not much later.

'Yes, well, for now, but he'll probably sneak back out...' the faun admitted tiredly. 'I did my best.'

'Your best is getting weaker.' Nume stated coldly.

'Thanks...' Tarlequin muttered offendedly. 'We'll have to go up, won't we?' he then added with defeat in his voice.

'Well, we don't have to...' Kran tried in a last attempt to change Nume's mind.

'Nonsense, I'd rather confront them now than let them continue their game. Look at how nervous they make our people. If we wait any longer, the mere sight of them making their way down here will cause panic and chaos.' Nume insisted, turning to Zar'gno before adding: 'Would you please take me up there?'

The dragon gave her a short nod and spread his claws for her to climb in. Kran followed without a word and when Tarlequin wanted to join, Nume told him to stay.

'We need you to lead them if anything happens.' She said, ignoring the fear her remark caused in him.

'So it's just the three of you then?' Profaen, who happened to be standing nearby, asked.

'Of course not, they'll have me!' Feyn shouted with a misplaced laugh. Tarlequin replied with a tortured grimace and couldn't help feeling rather lost when they left.

Way sooner than Kran had hoped, Zar'gno landed right behind the small army, trapping them between him and the cliff with only two small ways out. Kran analysed their formation and told Nume everything he could figure out. They had two leaders, he could see that Raf was one of them, the other seemed to once have been a phraio. The rest of the army was a mixed bunch of loads of species, many of which Kran had never seen before. Each and every soldier was armed and half of them stood still, awaiting command, while the others seemed to be rather nervous and unsteady.

At first, Kran had hoped they might be scared, but once Zar'gno had landed without any of them even blinking an eye, he knew they were rather excited instead. Those would be a much bigger danger to their people for one of the soldiers might break ranks and attack on his own, causing pure chaos. Yet in an open battle, the other group would have been a way bigger problem. Kran grimly remembered the many lessons he'd been taught about warfare. He'd never enjoyed them but he'd still been rather good at remembering the different tactics, causing his grandfather to wrongfully believe he liked the topic which resulted in even more time being wasted on it.

With an uncomfortable feeling, Kran climbed out of Zar'gno's claws, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable. He wished the army would do something, anything. Right now, they didn't even seem to be breathing. Nobody made a sound while Nume stepped forwards to meet the waiting leaders. Hesitantly, Kran followed up. No matter how scared he might have been, he'd not leave Nume alone with this.

The two phraio walked up to Corvaer and Elgron, stating their names and some meaningless rank, demanding to know their opponents' in return. Corvaer replied with a laugh but was disappointed to hear Elgron's perfectly honest reply. He introduced themselves as commanding officers of the queen of the night's army and added their names.

'That's not true.' The female phraio spoke up.

'What is not?' Elgron asked in confusion. He wasn't used to being spoken to in such a way.

'That is not his name.' The phraio insisted. 'This right here is Raf'ney-krush. I know this man. Why do you lie to me?'

All of a sudden, the voice in Corvaer's head started shouting and screaming, causing him to put a finger on his right temple. Why couldn't it just shut up? He was trying to focus, what had the woman said? It was something important.

'Fools, this is no mortal man you might know, Corvaer is a loyal servant of the queen of the night!' Elgron stubbornly replied. Right then and there, the woman would have started an argument had Elgron not cut her off, declaring war upon every living thing in K'haren.

'For what reason?' the male phraio interrupted. At that, Elgron was rather angry. Of course he knew there were rules in war and such a thing had to come with a reason, but he didn't have to clarify it very often and preferred his enemies to be of the stupid kind. That was an opinion he often and loudly represented back in the castle.

'The queen of the night claims this land to be rightfully hers and she said there is a plague going on. She would like to purify the land from all the vermin.' Elgron said with a sly smile of the kind Corvaer had seen many times before, yet never on this particular man's face.

'So be it.' The male phraio then said. Corvaer hadn't bothered to remember his name. 'But know that we will not fight back. We have fled these lands and ask for nothing other than to be left unharmed. If you shall attack us, the blood will be on your hands only!'

Now Corvaer was truly confused. How was this supposed to work? From his first day on, he'd been taught that their army could only attack when attacked first. Ever single soldier could only strike a man who'd struck him first, what were they supposed to do against peaceful peasants? He shot a glance over at Elgron to find the same confusion on the older man's young face.

To their even bigger surprise, the two phraio suddenly turned around and walked back towards the dragon. They were just going to leave! That couldn't be, he wouldn't return to his queen after his first quest just to admit that they had failed so badly.

'Wait!' Corvaer called out, listening to the voice in his head. Both phraio turned around instantly and he could feel the stares of every single soldier on the back of his head. Shit, what was he supposed to say next?

'What is it, Raf?' the female phraio asked. Something echoed inside Corvaer, but he couldn't quite fit the pieces together. It was only when he saw the tear rolling down her cheek that he realised that Raf was indeed him.

Finally. The voice spoke in his head. No go with them, they need you.

He couldn't do that, he was the queen's officer. He loved the queen. His men expected him to lead them.

Go.

Go where? Corvaer asked inside his mind.

Wherever the Outcast goes.

I cannot. My soul was taken, I no longer belong here. Agonizing pain filled him with every breath he took out of pure habit, he didn't actually need the air.

Remember who you are. Remember who we are. Remember what we always wanted. The voice insisted on it, it wouldn't shut up and Corvaer was painfully aware of everybody staring at him. Time was moving, he was not. Then he shook his head and bit his tongue.

'If you won't fight us, we'll find somewhere else to start. When we come back, you'll beg us to take your lives as well!' Corvaer hissed, shaking free from the voice's grasp and turning his gaze from the woman's hypnotizing eyes. He ended his words with a yell and raised his sword high, swearing to himself to never listen to the voice again.

He was Corvaer, bringer of chaos, soldier and lover of the queen of the night. He could not live for her since he was technically dead, but he surely could still die for his majesty, and that's exactly what he was going to do one day.

// Alright, there we go, that's a rather long chapter. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below and don't forget to vote, thanks!