It had been a fortnight since the Red King was freed or, for the peace of King Morrys, Zathryon was freed, because no sa or lord dared call the name Red King to the ears of his majesty.

He bore nothing but hatred for it.

The journey from Meredith to Vail was a long one with an horse, and even longer for the king who did not ride alone. With him went his guards and servants and every kind of person that lived in the palace.

Sa Greith rode with him too, and General Arthogan, who also came with a number of his men. The historian brought two pupils as well, and they all joined the king at the part of the big river over which land flowed. They continued the journey together from there.

It took a fewer days to get to Vail by taking that route and when they made it to the great city, they were received with jubilations as per royal custom and more importantly, fear by virtue of the horrific rumours.

The Vailesh people were in fear of the stories that came from Meredith, but now that the king had come all the way to their land, their fear grew in strength.

Even if they tried to ignore his presence and take it as a king visiting a king visit, the arrival of King Dunamiz and King Romeo of the other two lands through the other gates of Vail justified their fears.

For what other reason could the four kings be meeting together in Vail at that period? The Red King had truly come to take revenge!

The four kings did not meet on that day as it was close to nightfall before King Dunamiz eventually entered Vail.

The day that followed, however, was perhaps the most busy day for King Horon in that year, for he had not only writen to the three kings but to every soul whom he deemed fit of bringing forth a rain of solution to the sudden fire.

Three wizards from the reach, seven night singers, the witchmother Marina, the lord hunters and every other soul related with magic.

Surely, if he had the might, he would summon the avobean creatures from their death and raise the dragons of paragon from the underworld.

Among the wizards that came from the reach was the great Gaz Zillus, grand wizard of the reach.

At first, King Morrys would not sit with these people for any talk, but heavy admonitions from the other kings pacified him in the end.

Meanwhile, back in Meredith, in one of the small villages that stood in front of the mountains from which the huge waters fell, named after the River Maeve, a little girl from a small family had just died of a rare illness.

It was an uncommon case where no matter how learned they were, nothing could be done by the local physicians of Maeve. The boy was ill for one day and half before he passed on.

It was taken as a bad occurence and grievances were made but as people made to go around their lives the normal way, another child died. That too with similar symptoms.

Before the people could perceive what was happening, the children of Maeve started to fall ill and die, one after the other.

Later, people of age started to die as well. Old men and women, frail enough to pass on peacefully, but were pained and torn apart by the claws of this plague.

Words reached the royal council of the situation in Maeve and the primelord took immediate actions preventing anyone from going in or out of the village.

He also did send the best physicans to see to the matter.

Soon it was known that the disease, which the physicians called the burning flame, was not transferable and so, the sick could be moved to Arnold City, the capitol of Meredith, to be cared for better.

Thus the gates of Arnold, which had closed before, opened once more for her people to soothe them from the heat of the burning flame.

And as they made their way in with hope of better health in the place of death, Prince Daerys stared at the people, wondering in his mind what it was like to live outside of Arnold. Smaragdus, the son of General Arthogan was at his side.

The prince wanted to leave the duty he had been given and ride out of the city. It had been a long time since he did that. With these thoughts, memories of the past flew at him like winter leaves under a gentle wind.

He remembered the days he used to learn the sword outside of these gates with Smaragdus and one other person. He missed that person now.

But the demands of duty now stuck with them like chains, and their free days were now long gone. He told Smaragdus of his thoughts and they both laughed about it.

It was at this moment that new words came to meet them. Fresh cases of the plague had been reported in Lada, Yrai and Troi.

But how? The physicans had said it wasn't transferable.

It now seemed like the plague was invading Meredith from behind, and has now started to creep in towards Arnold.

The prince took this as his chance. "Assemble a few men and horses, we ride to Maeve." He told Smaragdus who had been in personal service to him.

Prince Daerys rode out without informing the royal council. Maeve was one of the last villages in Meredith beyond which all that remained was high mountains. There the people believed was the end of the world. The prince wished to travel all that way to the end of the world.

When Smaragdus suggested they go to one of the closer cities which also had the plague, Daerys only answered, "The plague began in the homes of Maeve, only on her lands can there be a cure."

Barely had the prince gone out of Hillar, the city after Arnold when the royal council received knowledge of his departure away from the gates.

The primelord was taking a stroll with his Sa in the halls of the royal palace when the message came to him - The Prince had made away to Maeve!

But he smiled only. "The clouds are gathered and the reins take an uncertain path. Let the boy find his fate."

At the council's meet, the other lords did not share his indifference to the news. It was dangerous for the prince to sojourn to a land that breeds plague and death.

But while they made their noise and voiced their distress, the primelord was as calm as himself as he took interest in the clay cup from which he took his tea.

"Our pottery has come away from the shells and is now indeed second to none in all the lands. What a pleasure!" He commended as his eyes caressed the beautiful craft lifted to his gaze while his hands kept turning it over.

Primelord Benifer was the eldest lord at the time when Morrys II was king. He had served the late king and the one before him, and he was the only lord who could speak his instincts and lay out his thoughts without fear of the king's reprisal. Old indeed but not frail, he had the eye and heart for sorcery.

He lost his last son to the avobean fever seven years ago. Only a witch could have saved him, a witch from the isle who could command the waters. But the king would not see to it that sorcery be brought within his walls.

His other sons also died in the numerous battles fought against Vail when Morrys first became king.

For sure, this man must have had his grudges against his majesty.

His eyes lit as he stared continuously at the mug. Now that sorcery is imminent, would Morrys oblige with the other kings or keep the petty pledge he made to his queen?