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Damon nods. ”I believe so. We need to go to the Amber Forest and kill Atticul with the five blades.”
Lukas touches his own sword, hanging at his belt. “I’m glad they’re good for something. I paid quite the price for mine.”
“I know,” Damon says.
“Is Atticul still going to the forest?”
“Some of your Mortingales confirmed it. They captured one of the enforcers on the streets. The army are already assembled. They were doing so during the Ascension. Atticul rides with them at dawn.”
“He is leaving the city in such chaos?” says Trysta.
Damon nods. “I believe so.”
“So Ur-Durik means to use him to open the vault?” says Lukas.
Damon leans closer. “The vault is within the walls of Urynwud, the fortress of the Solwen, Harok’s people. He would have to take it. We must arrive first and defend it. But we need as many soldiers as we can get to fight if Atticul brings the Imperial Army. Can we count on your men?”
Lukas looks around. His men? Are the Mortingales his men? “I will have to ask Inga. But if the aim is to kill a Darek Emperor, I think they will join your cause.”
Suki leans past Trysta again. “Don’t you have something to say?”
Lukas pouts. “Do I?”
“You’re going to apologise to your brother,” she says playfully.
Damon raises an eyebrow. “Are you?”
“Yes, he is,” says Suki. “Lukas, you put everyone in danger. That whole battle in the temple was to get you out.”
“To get me and Jemel out,” Lukas says.
“Actually,” says Damon. “I didn’t know Jemel was going to be there.”
“See. You owe Damon Darekul an apology,” says Suki.
Damon looks at Suki. “So this is the only person who can tell you what to do?”
“Big sister,” Suki says with a grin.
“I remember,” Damon says to her. “You know, I think we are going to have some very interesting conversations about our little brother.”
Lukas scowls. But when he looks up, he sees Elric, pushing his way through the crowds, smirking at him.
He stands and picks up two coils of rope from the table. “I think, then, I will leave you to them. I have something much better to do.”
36
DAMON
Before dawn, back in the large receiving room above The Happy Swineherd, Damon gathers all his band together. His brothers, Lukas, Tobi, Kerik and Jemel. Lyr and the consorts, Elric, Harok and Perl. Trysta and her brother Xan, Suki, Lukas’s sister. Ferra, Umbert and Inez, Doroth, and Inga who will relay all to the two dozen Mortingales who will not fit into even this large room.
“All who wish to be part of this fight, will ride with me to The Amber Forest at first light.”
“Where in the Amber Forest?” says Inga. She speaks to him as one commander to another.
“We go to Urynwud, hidden fortress of the Solwen. Home of Irgo Harok,” Damon says, nodding to him.
Perl says, “We understand that Atticul intends to open the vault below the forest that contains the Bellator. We believe its location to be in Urynwud, the most sacred part of the forest.”
