The Old Eagle’s spirit swept Darian upward, and suddenly, they were no longer in the study. Darian felt a rush of cold, biting air as he was carried atop a swirling cloud. Below them, jagged mountain peaks pierced the mist like the teeth of a giant.“Look, Darian,” the Old Eagle commanded.A massive eagle dived from the heavens, a streak of gold and brown. It moved with a speed that defied the wind, its wings beating with such force that the air seemed to hum. Darian watched as a serpent tried to strike at the bird while it rested on a ledge. Instead of fleeing, the eagle seized the snake by the neck, took flight, and dropped it from a height so great that the predator was shattered upon the rocks below.“They are the kings of the sky for a reason,” the Old Eagle’s voice boomed over the wind. “When disturbed by the crawling things of the earth, they do not fight on the ground. They take the battle to the heavens where the enemy cannot breathe. That is their strength. That is their spe

“The Rebel Master has a plan to destroy the inner circle of your top men,” Deborah said.Darian’s interest was piqued. “What is it?”“He wants to use Holga to cause discord between you, Noel, and Helena. A kind of lovers' tension,” Deborah said.Darian nodded his head. It was already happening. “Some damage will occur if the bridge was not well built. But I assure you that all will end well.”***Jerry and Darian sat opposite each other, and the paper Deborah had given him was spread out on the table between them.“This is very interesting,” Jerry said as he leaned back into his chair. “I have looked at it and I believe we have a hit list.”“The reason why I called you here. I do not want to alarm all our generals. They have things their hands are on at the moment. I want to take all of them on this list out,” Darian said.“If we attack one, the others might be on alert,” Jerry said.“The reason why we have to make a hit on them in one day, or a night. Or, we clear out one enemy in su

The noblemen they were selling to were members of the Ice Clan governing the North Borderlands and had been in the know regarding all the Rebel Master had done. When they heard of cheap charcoal, they had jumped at the offer, and this had given Darian and his team access. Even though, in the beginning, it had been Noel who forged this relationship—as he was the businessman among them—today, Darian had chosen to let Noel stay back and be in charge of the camp. Although they all knew that was an excuse for Noel and Helena to be together, even now that Noel’s identity was known.When Darian and Jerry were done, they shook the hands of the nobles and rode on their horses with their laborers following them like a line of obedient ants. They walked until they reached a forest. They entered and سپس streamed into a tunnel while others surrounded the area; they watched while acting as if they were sorting things. This was how they had come out the first time, so they would not be traced. The o

The slaves looked around with the pain they felt stretched across their faces. But as they were taught, whenever they almost met the gaze of a noble, they lowered it immediately.Scot got off his horse and took a whip from one of the slave drivers, while two other drivers followed behind him. “There is no hope for anyone who becomes a slave in the Kingdom of Azariel. Neither is there any way you can ever be free, except if you suck up to a nobleman who decides to show you some pity and increase your status.”He paused briefly and walked in front of the line of slaves. All of them kept their heads bowed and shivered as he passed by. “The natural leaders of all of man are the rulers of the Ice Clan. If you are not a member of the Ice Clan, or if you cannot make friends with the members of the Ice Clan, then you are a low-born.”Scot stopped walking. “The worse thing is if you are poor. The moment poverty comes, we make you a slave immediately. You should know why? Poverty itself is a di

A knock came from the door.“Enter,” Darian said.The large door opened and Helena stepped in. She was dressed every inch a princess, with live butterflies on her hair and clothes. Her dress was black, thick, and could have been worn to a first-class ball. Her hands were folded in front of her beneath her waist. She curtsied. “The members of my clan to be healers for the army are here. I only brought the best.”Darian turned to Heali. “After this meeting, go and check them out.”Helena stood there and did not move.“Do you want anything else, Princess Helena?” Darian asked her.“I want Noel, too,” she said.Darian could not believe his ears. “That is inappropriate.”“Oh well, I will be waiting for him to come soon.” Then she turned and flipped her hair a bit. The butterflies bounced off her hair and landed back as soon as the strands dropped.It was inappropriate to come into a war room and demand this, but she was getting bolder, and the last thing Darian wanted was to make her cold