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Tobi says something to Harok and Harok speaks. Damon does not know his language, but he knows what he is saying even before Tobi translates it to the company. “Inside the walls of Urynwud is a sacred stone. The Sacrifice Stone. Used for ritual. It is said it was formed when a demon was killed there, a thousand years ago in a sacred rite that saved the forest.”

Elric shuffles through a pile of papers on his knee. “Yes,” he says, triumphantly, holding something up: Jemel’s translations of the words on Lyr’s skin. “The Sacrifice Stone marks the vault.”

“Atticul will need to take Urynwud to reach it,” Damon says. “We will defend it and capture him.”

“Can we defend Urynwud?” says Lukas. “From the Imperial Army?”

Tobi translates this for Harok, followed by Harok’s response. “Urynwud has only fallen twice. The most recent time was by trickery at the hands of its own people, the time before that, it was to Sarelik Darek.”

Damon knows all of this. He and Perl had spoken with Harok about this plan long into the night. But he is not so sure Harok is correct. Harok may be confident of Urynwud’s defences, but it will never have faced a force like the one Damon knows well. The Imperial Army, as it stands today, is not the one that Sarelik Darek commanded.

He looks around the room at what he has. This and maybe two dozen Mortingales.

“You think we do not have enough men,” says Lukas at his side.

Damon turns to Lukas. In a low tone, and with honesty that surprises himself, says, “We couldn’t defeat the guards when we rescued you from the temple, how will we ever beat the Imperial Army.”

“I think you’ll find I rescued myself,” Lukas returns.

“There is one matter more,” says Perl, his words swallowing anything Damon would have said back to Lukas. “To complete the ritual we need five blades and we are missing one of them. The Blade of the Fifth is still in the Rose Palace.”

“I get Jemel’s blade," says Xan in broken Artemian.

“Yes, thank you,” says Perl. “Are you sure you can return safely to the palace?”

“I can,” Xan says. “Atticul has made me one of his Generals. He thinks me still the ally who…,” he swallows, “who betrayed Jemel to him.”

Damon looks at Jemel, sitting pale-cheeked and frail, beside Xan. He has deduced some of this, but he does not know all the details. He will speak with Jemel on their journey. Xan is Trysta’s brother. And that would normally be enough for Damon to give a man his trust, but he needs to know more of what happened between this Plumian, his brother and Atticul.

“I am to command a legion of the Plumian fighters against you in your fight,” Xan says, then looks to Damon. “When the time comes I can turn them to your side.”

Damon shivers at that statement. That could change so much. Imperial soldiers on their side. “Truly?”

“Of course,” says Xan. “The Plumians are usually spread in different legions to prevent such rebellion. Atticul, in his rashness and greed, has decided to put them all together and charge their leadership to me. They will delight in betraying Azuria. Every one.”

Damon feels his mouth go dry. But could that really be enough to defeat the Imperial Army? He cannot know. The instructions Jemel has given him are how to kill a demon in a forest, not how to take down an empire.

“Not just the Plumians,” says Lukas. “There are many in the Imperial Army who once served you, Damon. When the Plumians turn, more will follow.”

Damon shakes his head. “No,” he says. “That could never happen in the Imperial Army.”

“Lukas is right,” says Trysta. “On the streets of Attar they are calling your name. Emperor Damon, they shout. The army will turn.”

“Very well,” Damon says, swallowing a cold feeling in his belly. He leans towards Lukas and says, quietly, “Emperor Damon? Will you kill me?”

Lukas smirks into his ale cup. “Depends what kind of Emperor you are.”

37

TOBI

The weather calms, although it grows cold as they journey north. Tobi sways easily in Embox’s saddle. He feels so at home riding like this now. With Harok behind him.

Harok rides as if his horse is a part of him. He makes riding so comfortable. Tobi feels as if he could sit like this forever. Even when Harok has spent half the night covering him roughly.

As they ride, Tobi entertains his brothers and their companions with the story of his time with Harok in the Amber Forest, acting out the parts as best he can from his position tucked between Harok’s thighs.

He does his impersonation of Harok’s voice. It is one of his best pieces of mimicry. Harok laughs deeply every time and Tobi mimics that too.