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"There is no time...!", the voice echoed into the air.

Arthur shifted in his sleep.

The frost giant figure yelled at him, the crown on the figures head clearly pointing to his status. "Go to safety! I do not wish to rely on the pirate mercenary scum, but only they can save you now... go, my daughter!", he yelled in the blurred room as the noise of fighting outside crept closer.

"BUT FATHER", a strong female noise came, but no one could say from where.

"DON'T ARGUE! JUST GO! YOU ARE THE ONLY NOBLE NOW! RUN, SO YOU MAY SAVE OUR RACE!", the king said as two people with fur grabbed the person who talked back and it turned out to be Arthur himself, he could feel the furred figures practically dragging him to the huge door as the third and fourth fur dragged the chest filled with gold with them.

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"ASENTIUS!" Arthur woke up as the sweat covered his face. He exhaled, the first decent sleep he had in a while and it was a nightmare. His cloths were dipping with sweat and he only bothered putting his boots on as he left the tent to see what exactly had been going on.

What remained of the army was here. Only about 1400 men went through the hell of battle and made it unscathed. There was a lot of wounded and it was only now that they were treated properly, unfortunately it was not the physical wounds they needed to tend to, it was that a lot of them had been slina tainted and since there wasn't a cure for that, a lot of them just became the enemy they had recently fought and had to be put down. What little elements of the untrained militia, bandits and Malionian warriors remained, was scattered among the regular army. Most of them didn't know what to do, bandits would usually worry about getting locked up again, but after the catastrophic casualties they received, they were scattered, Mazzirog nowhere in sight. The volunteers were either crying or generally in a depressed state of mind and as for the Malonians, they didn't look that happy either.

"Usually I would make a comment about a hot tall man leaving the tent in the morning. But at the moment, I'm too busy, so just think of a tease I would usually come up with for me", he heard a feminine voice come from his left.

His eyes weren't yet completely adjusted to the sunlight, but he turned and saw Liura sitting on the bunch of crates, her legs stretched out, writing something in a old book with a quill. "Damn that woman", he spat through his teeth.

"Ever since you found that out you have been saying that. Are you jealous because a woman is beating you in everything, or are you just happy to see me?", she asked him, before moving her head as she continued to write.

"General...", Mazzirog said, stepping towards Arthur, his mace and beard still covered with slina. Seeing that he was in his sleeping clothes, he asked: "Do you need some time?"

"It's... fine", Arthur said, "rally your troops, I will go see the Valorfar cousins, we have clean up duty."

"Just what I was thinking", Mazzirog nodded and left to find what few bandits remained.

"I don't know what she sees in him...", Arthur murmured.

"Your sister, well, women like when a man is... bad, they hope to... correct him, yes", Liura chuckled, an oddity for her. "But it is not Mazzirog that you need to be worried about, it's Malion the dragon, you should see their eyes when they look at each other", she added teasingly.

"And you would know that?", Arthur tried to argue, but exhaled, not having the willpower to do it. "Not that I care, she is a nice person and she can marry anyone she wants, be he a dragon, or a human", he said, thinking nothing of it.

"You really mean that? Well, that's generous of you, I do hope your father shares that opinion", she said, stopping her writing and cocking one eyebrow.

Arthurs eyes widened in shock. "Wait, are you... serious?", he asked her.

"Oh trust me, a woman knows", she sang the words out coldly, as if twisting the knife which was already deep in her enemies heart.

He crossed his arms defensively and blushed. "Well... in any case, I stand by my words, Malion seems like a nice dragon and I wouldn't mind him being my brother-in-law", he said, raising his nose upward, causing Liura to laugh in her icy demeanor. He cursed at her and turned back towards his tent.

As he entered the tent, Liura was already sitting there and writing, a grin on her face. "You know... I am REALLY tired of you doing that", he told her.

"Well, if you weren't so damn slow, then maybe you would appreciate a woman being here to watch you change clothes", she responded and closed the book.

"Urghhhhhh", Arthur sighed and proceeded to undress and put his armor on. "What are you writing", he asked her.

"Nothing which requires your attention", she coldly commented, checking his body out.

"I never asked... are all elves like you", he said as he tightened his chest plate and put on his shoulder pads.

"There are many types of elves, but if you mean dark elves, well... let's just say that should you meet them, you would consider me the prettiest and the kindest of the bunch", she said as she crossed her legs, "which you already do", she added.

He blushed as he finished putting his armor on and went out of the tent, murmuring: "damn that woman..."

Soon enough, Mazzirog, Valorfar cousins and Arthur met in the command tent. It was clear that none of them had slept well, each trying hard not to curse at everything that moves. Arthur stretched out the map of the battlefield and with the city marked not too far away. "Alright... you know why we are here, so let's just get this over with. The dragons advised us to purge the city, since all there is blinded by slina and we lack the cure for it... Mazzirog, I hope this is alright with you", he said

"53", Mazzirog said as he rubbed his forehead and temples, his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, what?", Arthur asked.

"53 men... of mine, survived", the bandit explained. "You bet your ass, I want to get this over with", he said angrily, his head pulsing with anger.

"Righht", Arhtur commented.

"Don't worry, they died doing what they wanted, freely", Bistri said, putting an arm on the bandit lords shoulder, carefully avoiding the spikes. "116 of my peasants survived, only about 60 remain fit for duty... that is if they don't desert...", he added.

"Well then, there is nothing to it! Valorfar, order the troops, make formations, we march", Arthur commanded.

"Permission to go with him, sir?", Bistri hastily asked.

"Permission granted"

At that point in time, if one would look from above, the land would not speak of the battle which was done there just a few days ago. The bodies were gone and so was most of the slina and blood. The camp was a pale comparison of what it once was, there was no activity... or so it seemed. Soldiers would simply sit on their asses in the lack of moral or they would simply wander around, depressed at the horrors they had witnessed. This was worsened by the fact they had to watch their surviving comrades die when it turned out they were too infected by slina to be cured, not that there was a cure. In this gloomy atmosphere, the four commanders seemed like they were unimportant as the troops around them behaved like living corpses. Valorfar tried to do what he could, but he knew no amount of discipline could replace a broken spirit.

"Cousin!", Bistri said, chasing after him.

"Not now! Just... not... now", Valorfar wasn't in a mood to talk about anything, he had slept the least out of the 4 commanders (5 if you include the Malionian general who was now sleeping the eternal sleep). He did try his best to organize things as best he saw fit. He knew Arthur could do it as well, but... he had a better understanding of people than his general had.

"Oh, I see... I just had this weird dream that I...", Bistri pressed on.

"Look... let's talk tonight, we have obviously switched day into night and besides...", he said pointing to the plateau, "we may not be alive, for all I know."

Suffice to say, that the troops didn't like the thought of returning to the place, where so many of their brethren had fallen and not only that, they had to possibly root out any straggling enemies as well. Still, they didn't protest, they simply lacked any spirit to do so. Slowly they formed the lousiest ranks Valorfar has ever seen, even worse than the peasants were before he trained them, but still, they would have to do. Bandits, peasants, regulars... all fitted in together as individually they were too small to function efficiently as a unit.

"Alright..." Arthur said as he walked in front of his troops, adjusting his gauntlets. "Men! You know what we must do, let's go and clean up any stragglers and remember DON'T go into that city alone, we will form up and enter it collectively", with that he mounted his warhorse. "Now, MOVE OUT!", he ordered, holding his warhammer in his right hand as the horse gnarled under his weight.

The march was uneventful, the broken army seemed to walk in silence, with only their footsteps betraying their presence. No animals were heard and their route was eerily void of any animal life what so ever, with only the wind stirring up the braches reminding them of the autumn. The leaves flew around them, hindering their spirits. As they reached the slopes, the stench of rotting blood and carcasses hit their noses. Though they have buried or burned most of the bodies, both those of their allies and that of their enemies, the smell of death was all to fresh.

"Sir, some of the troops are vomiting", said Valorfar as he rode near Arthur.

"You don't say...", The general coldly responded. He was unnerved, he was one of those persons who tried to do the right thing, not for any sort of righteous passion, but for the sake of it being right. Having been raised in the imperial palace as a bastard, he had (unlike his brothers) developed a social coldness, not having much warmth in him or sense of feeling for the situation. "Just make sure they reach our goal", he added.

Valorfar just nodded in agreement. The once lush forest seemed to have become a wasteland as the leaves covered the ground. The corruption of slina was ever present, but it wasn't seen. A person could feel it there, but not see it.

"Just a bit more and we... oh", Arthur commented as they approached what seemed to be a burning city.

"No...", one of the bandits gasped. Mazzirog stared with a stiff and emotionless expression as the once slina tainted city burned in the silence of the autumn wind. The fire was omnipresent, but it was contained to the city, burning and cleansing any slina corruption that was still left there.

"Sir, a sign", Valorfar pointed to what seemed to be a large tree with a square wood plate, with the words engraved on it, directly placed in front of the city. "What forces could have ripped out...", Valorfar mused.

"Dragons...", Arthur said as he approached the sign, being one of the few literate people of the group.

"M-my lord, what does it say", a soldier asked.

"We thought we could spare you the trouble, the city was beyond saving, after our fire purges the taint, you can freely re-settle it. Signed: Velikisotrasz and Ljepostrasza" Arthur said out loud and made a ironic and yet satisfactory smile. He turned to face Mazzirog, who still stared blankly at the fires that burned.

Mazzirog sighed, "I suppose... it was, necessary", he said stoically, clearly wanting to curse out loud.

"Oh well, I guess we have our work cut out for us, lets go back. I have a trip to the capital myself and I suppose you will be accompanying me", Arthur said as he shifted in his seat.

Mazzirog only made a tilt with his head, in the sign of confirmation.

________________________________________ "Stupid god and his stupid mental problems...", Liura cursed as she wrote, she knew that the dragons sat fire to the bandit city long ago, she just waited for Arthur to return to the capitol, so her plan could spring into action. Despite being immortal, she hated waiting. She had waited for more than 20 years, at least, the time will come.

"Where is he...", she said and suddenly she heard the noise from outside the tent. She readied herself at the entrance, her blades at the ready. As the figure entered the room, she decided to play with Arthur, jumping down on him.

With surprising agility, the figure grabbed her and pulled her down with him, placing a firm kick in her belly, she flew upside, but landed on her feet. "WHAT THE?", she asked as she saw zmaj, the very same god she talked to the other day.

"Hello there", he said cheerfully, "I have come to you, so you better listen, Arthur is soon arriving and if you wish to reap your reward, tell him exactly what I tell you...", he said as he leaned in and whispered the words to her, she listened with great calmness.

________________________________________

"Take her to the stables. I'll go to my tent if anyone needs me...", Arthur said as he dismounted his horse, the poor thing squealed as the huge weight got off of it. Arthur went into his tent, finding Liura scribbling into her book, lying on some crates.

"I don't recall seeing you on the...", he started to ask but was interrupted.

"You know... your mother wasn't expected to die", she told him.

Arthurs eyes widened. "WHAT!?! How do you... you were not even", he asked in stress.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way, I suppose your father didn't tell you the whole story", she pressed on.

"NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE! HOW DARE YOU...", he yelled at her.

"Maybe you should ask him... after all, how could he not know her purpose if he got laid with her and she carried you for a year?", she said as she closed her book. "Don't hate me, I'm just doing what I'm made to do", and with that, she left the tent.

"DAMN THAT WOMAN TO OBLIVION!", Arthur yelled out loud. He didn't like it at all, when she played with his emotions like that. Just what was she up to? He knew there was a plan she hatched in that pretty little evil head of hers, but he couldn't see what it was and decided not to press it with her, knowing all too well that she would evade his questions. Still... it would be wise to speak with father about this.

Valorfar rushed in the tent as he heard his commander shout. "I have seen him leaving the tent and heard you shouting, whats troubling you, my lord?", he asked.

Arthur clenched his fist and simply said: "I ride for the capitol, you stay here and address the troops, I will bring Mazzirog with me."

"But my lord, aren't you even a little bit worried about bringing a bandit with you?", Valorfar asked. "Aren't you worried, that he might try to cut your throat or betray you in any way?", he added.

"And why would he? He is smart, he knows that without an army and without a base or a stronghold, he has no chance at escaping and in the case he does kill me, he will be mercilessly perused by the army. So, no... I don't think he will make much trouble", Arthur said, turning around to face Valorfar.

"As you say, my lord", Valrofar saluted and left.

It had only taken a short time for Mazzirog to get readied and after getting fresh horses, both he and Arthur were off to the capitol, slowly riding their horses along the kings road. Arthur noticed Mazzirogs displeasure and he decided to ask.

"Whats bothering you?", Arthur decided to stir up a conversation.

"Well, in the case you forgot, my whole army died and a city I cared for, now lies in ruins and all the deaths of the people I knew, still are fresh in my memory", Mazzirog said sarcastically.

Arthur in turn sighed. "To be honest, I didn't expect a bandit to hold as much emotion as you do, most folks expect bandits to be ruthless, coldblooded killers", he explained.

"And they are correct to hold such prejudice, for most of the men in the city were like that, still... their deaths could have been avoided", Mazzirog said as his horse snarled.

"Well, tell me what sets you apart from the rest", Arthur pushed.

"If you must know. I was raised as a gladiator by the orcs across the sea. I had no family but the gladiators who fought alongside me. When most of them died during our rebellion, I fled here... and now, this is the third time I lose people who are familiar to me, first my family, then my gladiator brethren and now my bandits, does that answer your question", Mazzirog tried to end the conversation but didn't push it, because a part of him was eager to vent itself.

"Well... I'm sorry that happened to you. I myself was raised as if I didn't have a family, since I am a bastard of the king, I was always kept in shadows. I learned how to be cold and uncaring... though I wish to change that", Arthur admitted, now himself unhappy at the turn of the conversation. He murmured something as the cold autumn wind blew in their direction. "Still... I don't know how well I could take it if one of my family members died and now that I think about it, maybe I was too careless in assuming none of my brothers would die in the battle... thank Orgazmas they didn't", Arthur elaborated.

"I see. Moving away from a emotional subject, why are you taking me with you to the captiol?", Mazzirog asked.

"Simple. My father will most likely pardon you from your crimes...", Arthur started talking.

"Which include, pillaging rich houses, but not killing anyone who didn't try to kill me first", Mazzirog responded.

"Well, when a guardsman tries to stop you from committing a crime by using physical force, you still don't have a right to fight him, let alone kill him. That's called resisting arrest and assault on an official", Arthur explained.

"Not use force when attacked by force? That law is ridiculous", Mazzirog protested.

"I agree... I should speak with father about abolishing it...", Arthur said in agreement, though Mazzirog couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or not. "Still, I doubt he will make a law, allowing people to beat and kill the guards and go unpunished", he added.

"I have no problem with that. But if the guard attacks first, justified or unjustified, it's in human nature to fight back", Mazzirog added in the defense of his argument.

The two spend the remainder of their traveling time arguing and debating over this, but they reached no settlement, simply from the fact that the two were from two very different upbringings. Arthur being raised as a cold and yet honor-bound noble, while Mazzirog was raised by orcs who believed that justice came from strength. Still, after riding for a lot of hours, they reached the outskirts of the Capitol.

"Ahhh...", Arthur sighted as the two approached the imperial palace, it was a mixture of wood and stone, gold and iron, with many relatively low grade and low quality ornaments. It wasn't anything too fancy, especially considering the fact that each new ruler built something new, or destroyed something old and at the current date it would be impossible to build a new one, simply because of financial reasons. It was dark and Arthur dismounted his horse. "Wait here", he said before going inside, most of the city was asleep as they had entered it and they didn't seem to have raised a big fuss. After just a few moments, Arthur arrived on the outside with servants. "Go with them, they will see to your lodgings", he said before going off to find his father.

It didn't take long to find the old man, he was in his usual study, reading reports.

"You know, for a king, you are much too caring and much too human at the same time", said Arthur, approaching his father from behind.

"And for a general, you seem to be too uncaring for your men", said the king, resting his head on one hand, while holding a piece of paper in the other. "You know how many have died... I can understand your brothers, they are too fiery and passionate about battle to see the risks, but I expected you to be different", the king dropped the paper back on his desk.

Arthur sighed once again. "Once again father, unlike my brothers, I was raised in the cold dark of the shadow. I never knew what joy compassion brought and by the time I did find it, it was too late. Now I am content with my fate and I just want to live my life out", he responded, not taking kindly to the criticism his father gave him.

Now it was the kings turn to close his eyes and sigh. "Yes, you are right my child... and I am very sorry for that. My wife has forgiven me for my tryst with your mother, but that is no excuse to keep you in the shadows, at least, not any longer. Tomorrow, I will name you nobility and my adopted son publically, so no one will dare say things in your presence, not anymore at least", the king said with a sad tone.

"Adopted son... yeah...", Arthur sarcastically commented.

"Well, there is another thing that has come to my attention. I will also order your brothers and you to dispatch the letters to the families of the deceased soldiers, not all of them of course, but a lot of them", the king said as he wrote on a piece of paper. "Their deaths will free a lot of wages, but I made sure their familes will get the wages of the dead soldiers for the next 20 years", he said.

Arthur was struck back. "That... that seems generous of you father." He said, he usually kept out of politics, but this time his father surprised him pleasantly. "I will do this task you ordered me to do", he said with a light bow, before adding: "But I wish to ask you something about my mother."

The king turned around and faced him, it was not often, barely ever that Arthur asked such a thing. "Well... I do suppose you are old enough to know. Your mother came with the ship "Chern sa sjever" as you know, but what I didn't mention to you when you were small, is that she was here longer than you thought", he explained.

"How long?"

"About two years. What a wonder she was. The first racial wars were still in fresh in my memory and I had just beaten the decedents of the corrupt lords...", the king elaborated.

"So the inter-racial wars aren't a legend!", Arthur exclaimed.

"I figured that with you being half giant, you would come to that conclusion...", the king scolded him, clearly expecting as much from him. "Basically, my granduncle died without a son and a foreign lord who was of lower origin tried to claim the throne, but was met with opposition", he drifted away, "anyway, your mother learned our language within just a few months, so inelegant and yet so elegant she was, which was surprising for her size. She did tell me about her history, how she was a princess of the kingdom of the frost giants. How a evil force called spyt came to her fathers lands and destroyed her homeland and how she was the only noble survivor. Worse yet, her ship was attacked by a band of dark elves and...", the king became lost in his thoughts when he was cut short by Arthur.

"WHAT! EXCUSE ME FATHER, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!", Arthur said before angrily storming off, leaving his baffled father behind.