The boat rocked back and forth as waves crashed upon the vessel. The clouds blocked the moonlight, making it difficult to see. Water poured down on everyone in the boat. The captain yelled orders, ensuring his crew performed the correct tasks while Kyrad Durmaddon observed. The cold water splashing onto his face didn’t so much as make him flinch.

  Part of his training was to handle rough environments—all to prepare for a day such as this and the war to come. Standing next to him were Ahalfar Dimanachi and Cainon Archmeister. His other three companions were sleeping in their quarters. It wouldn’t be long until they arrived at Aidris.

  Crew members ran from one side of the boat to the other, hoisting the sails. Some of them yelled something Kyrad couldn’t hear. He looked at the endless water, eagerly waiting for the darkness to reveal land. He was getting restless. His dreams were filled with holding the Sword of Cataclysm.

  “The weather will mask our presence,” Ahalfar said, snapping Kyrad out of his thoughts. He was twirling a coin between his fingers.

  “If someone saw us, we could kill them quickly enough,” Cainon said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “No,” Kyrad said, shooting an irritated glance at Cainon. “We don’t want to be seen landing or killing anyone. Missing people get discovered, which will bring questions. This fog and cloud cover should suffice.”

  “Are you telling me we aren’t going to kill anyone?” Cainon asked.

  “I hope not,” Kyrad said. Too many of his people were eager to spill blood. This was a stealth mission, meant to grab the Sword of Cataclysm and nothing else. It would be better for everyone if he could recover the sword without taking a life. He doubted that would happen. The people of Aidris may be fools, but he would be surprised if there were no guards around his sword.

  Here I am, looking down on people wanting to spill blood when I was that way not too long ago. Kyrad thought. He had been as eager as Cainon to arrive at Aidris, to test his skills against these foreigners. Sometimes it felt like just yesterday. Today he could have sworn he first landed on these shores in a different life.

  “Then why bring us?” Cainon pressed.

  “I anticipate fighting when we get to Carhan,” Kyrad said. He hadn’t told the five men much about their mission, except that they were going to Carhan to recover his family’s sword. He supposed those were all the details they needed.

  “Good. I want to see what these people are capable of,” Cainon said.

  “You’ll find out when the war comes, Cainon,” Ahalfar said. He stopped fiddling with his coin and placed it back in his pocket. “I doubt there will be enough guards to stop us.”

  “You’re probably right,” Cainon said.

  The boat rocked once more, almost causing Kyrad to lose his footing. He didn’t mind the excitement from his companions, as long as they performed their duties without question. Only a handful of people had entered Aidris, and most of them were part of the raids.

  He would rather have undertaken this mission alone. However, Kyrad couldn’t ignore the signs from Dalmanus, the god of war. Before leaving, he had looked at the crater and seen five smaller rocks that had broken off. If that wasn’t a sign he needed five people with him, then he wasn’t sure what would be.

  The spot they were going to land was in a remote area, well over fifty miles from any village. Kyrad had used this spot to sneak into Azzellia last time, which was when he had found where the Sword of Cataclysm was.

  Steadily, the waves began to subside and the crew was able to relax as the water became calm. Kyrad could tell they were close now. There was a thick fog, making it harder to see than before. The perfect day to land.

  “Your grace,” the captain said, bowing slightly. “We’re close to our destination. Your boat is being prepared as we speak. You should arrive unseen.”

  “Thank you, captain,” Kyrad said. “You two, wake the others and meet me up here in ten minutes.”

  “As you command,” Ahalfar said.

  Ahalfar and Cainon hurried off. The plan was a simple one: Kyrad and his companions would land on a small boat. From there, the warship they had taken would sail off and check back in a month, keeping an eye on the shoreline every day until Kyrad returned. He hoped it wouldn’t take longer than a month. He estimated it would take two weeks to reach Carhan and another two weeks to return if things went smoothly.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  He walked down the stairs with the captain. Kyrad could see the crew work harder when they saw him. An expected response when seeing royalty. He fingered the hilt of his curved sword, wondering whom he would have to slay to get hold of his family’s sword.

  Kyrad watched the boat starting to slow, then heard Ahalfar and the others walking up to him. “Good timing,” he said and motioned for them to follow.

  There were four crewmen on the small craft, all ready to row Kyrad and his elites to the shoreline. Kyrad was the first to step on, with Ahalfar and the others following. Once they were on the boat, he nodded to the captain, and the boat was lowered, landing with a small splash into the water.

  The ropes were untied, and the crewman began rowing into the fog. The oars hitting the water sounded loud to Kyrad’s ears. He knew it was his paranoia of getting caught. Still, he couldn’t wait to land. If they were seen, it would cause problems. One downside to the raids had been the extra care the people of Aidris had taken. If they spotted foreigners entering their lands, guards would be hunting them like deer. Secrecy was more important now than ever.

  Kyrad recalled his raid on Arindall and Talin Grad. Arindall had been to grab a bunch of prisoners to try and gather more information. Talin Grad was a bit more specific. The intention had been to test how Eshil Domain would react to the attack. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Whispering Mists had ruined his chances because Eshil Domain had never had time to react. Would Eshil Domain be more prepared if he were to try again?

  It doesn’t matter. There are no more tests. Once I have the sword, we will conquer Aidris. Kyrad thought. He felt his face harden with the seriousness of his mission. Out of all his missions, he couldn’t afford to fail this one. His people depended on him to succeed.

  The water started to get shallow, and then Kyrad could see the land. Less than a hundred feet from the shoreline was a forest, one that would cover their entrance. By the time anyone saw them, they would be seen as travelers instead of invaders.

  A couple more minutes passed, and the boat drifted gently onto the shore. Kyrad jumped out, feeling the water splash onto his boots. Once his companions were off the boat, he motioned for the crew to leave. Like the professionals they were, the crew left without a word. Thus far, things were going according to plan. Now they needed to get through the forest and head toward Carhan.

  “Darn water,” Ithric said as he wiggled his feet to get some water off.

  “It’ll dry before you know it,” Kyrad said. He looked at the water one last time to make sure the boat he came in was out of sight. It was time to move. “Let’s get going. There’s a village a little over a day’s walk from here. We’ll get horses and ride to Carhan then.”

  They walked deeper into the forest. All that could be heard were the sounds of snapping sticks and various animals. The plan was to walk all the way to this nearby village, sleep, and then get horses. Kyrad had some contacts who should have secured the horses already.

  Laughter in the distance caused them all to stop. Kyrad quickly raised his hand to stop the others from grabbing their weapons. Who is in the forest at a time like this? he wondered and saw the illuminating light of a torch in the distance. He slowly lowered himself and crouched next to a nearby tree. The others followed, moving silently, and stopping when he did.

  Kyrad looked once more after hearing more laughter. These weren’t travelers; they were too armed. He could see five armored men, each with a sword. They looked like guards, but why were they patrolling in a forest this far out? Was Talon sending patrols to every part of the coast?

  Perhaps I have been underestimating this young king. Kyrad didn’t think any king would take him so seriously. If the guards spotted the warship that took him here, that could cause problems. Nothing I can do about that now. I must believe the gods are with me. he thought.

  He heard a sword leave its sheath and turned to see Samot with his sword out. “Put that away,” Kyrad whispered, taking another look to make sure the guards hadn’t heard them. It didn’t look like it, as none of the guards so much as looked in his direction. If Samot was the reason they got caught, he would make the man regret it.

  “Shouldn’t we kill them?” Samot whispered back.

  “No,” Kyrad said. A part of him wanted to smack Samot for thinking so stupidly. “If we kill them, there will be an investigation, and more guards will be sent here. We must wait until they pass.”

  Samot shrugged and put his sword away. Cainon didn’t hide his disappointment either. A part of him wondered if he should have brought someone else. Kyrad didn’t want a fight to break out until necessary, yet these were elite men he had brought. They would be needed on a mission like this. He could feel it in his bones.

  The guards slowly drifted out of sight, and then there was nothing to see but darkness. Kyrad remained where he was and motioned for the others to remain put. Ten minutes of silence passed, and there were no further disturbances. He got up and told the others it was time to go. Things were changing rapidly, with patrols being sent this far out and at this time of night.

  Kyrad was thinking of adjusting his initial plan. Perhaps he should talk to the locals and gather information since he was last here. Clearly, things had changed, and he needed to know what else may have happened since his last trip.

  There were no further incidents, and Kyrad was able to lead the way out of the forest. The clouds covered the moon, making it hard to see, even with their eyes adjusting to the dark. “We’ll be walking this way for the rest of the night,” Kyrad said. If they kept pace, they should be at the village not long after noon. Then they could rest, sleep for a night, and leave. That was when he would talk to the locals to gather information.

  “That’s a lot of walking,” Buthomar said. He was the only one with a weapon in his hand, which was his spear. He used it like a walking stick at times.

  “It can’t be helped,” Kyrad said. Not that he was looking forward to the journey himself, but what choice did he have?

  Not saying anything else, Kyrad and the others began their long walk toward the village, Pordamier. He hoped to have no further issues, at least not until Carhan. He couldn’t wait to get the sword and return home, for it would be a historic moment to avenge his ancestors and reclaim what was stolen from them.