Away from their intended destination, they rode to the corner of the southern west, where the sands grew deeper and cliffs alongside mountains rose across the lands and merged its golden color with the ray of the sun or the crimson dip of the sunset, a sight to behold even though not many were fortunate to see it and return to their homes as those lands were known to be dangerous beyond the mortal man capabilities, yet Roegan knew some of its secrets and some folk who would be of assistance in their journey where he would teach his kin about her heritage, he took pride in it.

  On the outskirts of those lands, they halted under the shade of a lonely crooked tree and seated themselves against its wood whilst their hyenas rested ahead of them and panted softly, the road was tough on those animals even without armor to burden their backs.

  "They're different from the ones at home? " Malynn wondered as she sipped from her water pouch and chewed her jerky.

  "Indeed they are." He replied. "They are weaker and more docile than the mounts we have... But it is not surprising, we have so many of them at home and all are used to being weighed down with armor and armored warriors while fighting the Gahrak. "

  "What about those? " She asked.

  Roegan hummed thoughtfully to himself then answered. "They're companions, for the lesser tribes it is difficult to come by them as none have the breeding grounds that we have, so they're only used for transportation, companionship and patrolling but not to be wasted on wars and conflicts. "

  "They get to live long. " She noted with a smile.

  He nodded as he smiled back at her, she was still young and naive, an odd thing for the life she is part of and her role in Asaroth, though Roegan did not mind it so long it will not stand in the process of her growth as she passes her cycles, unlike her peers she often enjoyed things as they are and did not seem to seek trouble out of her own way, she was content and loved to see it in others.

  Perhaps it was the reason when others spoke of the hyenas as weapons and the lesser tribes as savages on a leash of control despite being Asarothians in blood and flesh, she saw them all as equal souls who deserved to live on Osward without earning it, and that is where his opinion diverted from hers, simply being alive does not give you the entitlement and right for a better living, one needs to earn it, fight and bleed for it, else the Tatarians will never unite and there will be a day where they will revert to the old ways, it will lead Asaroth to collapse, and each tribe becomes it own demise, eventually leading to the second great tribe wars, the king shuddered at the thought, fears that he hoped to never witness.

  "Should we start moving again? " Her words interrupted his thoughts.

  "Yes. " He agreed as he stood to his feet and gestured ahead at the sight of two red cliffs which had an opening in the middle. "There ends our territory of land and begins the muzaeg Canyon. "

  "Inhabited by the Torag, correct? "

  "Correct."

  They began riding down that path again, the wind was unmoving same as the sand beneath but upon entering the canyon, the wind howled into every opening and whistled in their ears whilst the sand ruffled and created looping illusions of storms, through this point one would need to cover himself under scarfs and robes and move through the path which was covered in dust and ruins but highlighted by the monuments near it, rock formations engraved with runes, and even as the wind and sands settled down, one could not find their way through without getting lost, hundreds of red cliffs with rivers of sand running in between them and crooked trees on fields of grains, each looking more similar to the other, however all he needed to do was follow the monuments, they led to one of the Torag cities called the city of the old gods, the oldest city in Osward and said to be much older than the tower of heavens, it was a known city where trade flourish and the caravans make their stops, built into the very foundation of a mountain but Roegan had never walked the monuments this far without a guide, his only concern in this land was the maze.

  As they traveled further, the winds ceased once more and the shapes in the far horizon be it rock or tree or simply sky, began dancing under the heat and in the corner of his eyes he saw shadows that stood watch from afar, he was wiser than to think they were illusions, those were men, those were called stalkers and not even king Roegan would wish to cross swords with them, for not only were they great Rangers, navigators and warriors, they also dealt in sorcery and matters of the dead, a taboo for Asarothians as only the Shaman is allowed to tangle in such things, yet he needed them and he awaited their approach as he kept moving.

  "Father... We're being watched... I'm starting to get tired and dizzy too." His daughter complained as her pace became much slower.

  "Just hold on a bit longer, they mean us no harm and they will come and assist us as soon as they recognize me. " He reassured her as he slowed down as well and patted her shoulder.

  "Assist us? Do you know them? " she questioned.

  He nodded and explained. "I helped them during the Gahrak war, since then they swore an oath to... Guide those who are lost regardless of where they come from so long they mean no harm. "

  "I never knew you fought out of Asaroth during that war. " She admitted. "Matter of fact, you never speak about the Gahrak war at all. "

  "What's there to speak of. " His bitter tone put her in silence, he sighed and was about to apologize but seeing that the Torag began their approach, he halted her instead and so did he as he watched them to make their way down the canyon, when they got closer their shape was much clearer, they rode on horses, desert courser specifically, fast and sharp same as them for they were very much slender in their physique and wore black robes and scarves with barely any skin to show for the color of their flesh, though their hands, feet were almost the same of Asarothians but much lighter, close to the Rogols of the western Tatar but unlike them, their eyes were shades of brown and black and were armed with short bows, scimitars, buckles and their highest had variations of blades that were strange to Osward but Xao often noted that they were similar to a sword from a nation in the lands beyond the mist.

  Their host was not large but their horses hooves echoed within the canyon and left behind them a body of dust on the air as they came to a stop across the king and his daughter, their horses were restless at the sight of hyenas so much that the man at the front, cladded in black and red robes and a mail shirt, dismounted and made his way through the sand alongside four of his Torag all the way to the king, they stood not too far and the man words arose in a sharp yet heavy tone of a voice. "You came a far way, outsiders. "

  "And you a short way, stalker. " The king answered.

  The man studied the pair carefully with thoughtful eyes as he mumbled a few words to his following then addressed the king again. "You are unusual visitors, no man dares travel into the canyon with no less than a dozen following and twice as much supplies and silver. "

  "Why not? " the princess questioned.

  The man cackled under his scarf as if amused by the question before he responded. "Here no beast roams, here the land tests your might and should you fail, it will be your demise, and if you wander far from the monuments, well, it will be either the sun, your thirst and hunger, or the bandits that will take your life. Nevertheless, on whom banner do you arrive here? "

  "My own. " Roegan responded.

  "What? " The man was confused until Roegan lowered the scar he wore over his face, and all Torag close enough to see were taken by surprise as they looked into one another then back at the king. "Ah yes, Roegan and the girl... Your youngest of daughters. "

  Malynn lowered her scarf and veil as her voice cut through the air. "You would be wise to address my father as king and myself as princess. "

  The man raised an eyebrow and commented with amusement. "A feisty one, your daughter is. This is a land with no thrones and no crowns, youngling. "

  "Then who rules? " She asked.

  "All Torag. " He answered.

  She laughed and joked in disbelief. "Nonsense, are there that few of you to make an equal council?"

  "We have our ways, I am Teggar, here in the name of our council and knowing who you are, to honor our oath to you since the Gahrak war, the elder counsellor told the stalkers that should you ever visit it would be for the location of the maze, is that true?"

  "Yes. " King Roegan declared. "That is our destination, I would have taken the centipede but I left it to attend to other matters. "

  "Understood, we will see to it that you will travel safely to the maze and through it, we shall be your guide and bulwark, you shall not be starved or lost, Roegan. " Teggar announced and thus their journey began, they advanced past the monuments road but soon enough they diverted into a series of underground damp passages where one could not make the difference from day or night and the only source of lights were the moist against the walls that glew in a faint emerald color and dripped at certain clearings into pools of glowing blue, purple and green colors, however they were warned as they made camp in the tunnels on the first night not to drink from the waters due to their poisonous nature.

  Two nights until they saw the light of the day, they exited into a vast desert surrounded by red cliffs, here the ground was rough once more, the soil was more dirt than it was grains of sand and as they made their passing at the uneven ground, the light of the sun spilled against the corners of the cliffs on the horizon leaving a red line to announce the departure of day, they stopped their journey and set up camp, the Torag were quick in their moves as they brought up wood from their supplies and began preparing the fire and the tents and such, making sure as well that their mounts were binded so they would not wander off the circle that was drawn into the soil by one of the men, all the while they muttered their prayers and gestured for accursed signs of both hostility and protection, Zator spirits were a large part of their lives as they often wandered into long scaled areas voided of life, and the Zator loved nothing more than to dwell in places that had no men or better yet, place that once had men then became ruins as their inhabitants left.

  It was Roegan and Malynn's chance to take off their bone molded armors and rid it of all the sand grains that found its way into it, that and the relief of not having to be weighed down in their sleep by their armors. After they dined, each went to their tent but the king and his daughter laid in their pelts and tanned leathers near the fires, it was quite cold that night and the twin moons hid behind a curtain of clouds, the soft crackling of the fires kept them company alongside the Torag who were on guard, they sat near the protection circle and spoke in languages he could not comprehend but was not too eager to understand neither, for only their gods knew what sorcery was behind everything they spat at whatever stood behind the circle which protected them, his attention was brought to his daughter as he felt a soft tug on his shirt.

  "They're odd. " Malynn told him, her tone low and soft.

  "You're one to speak. " He teased her as he jerked his head her way.

  She gasped and questioned. "What's that supposed to mean? "

  "Oh nothing. " Roegan replied. "I recall a little girl who once cried when she was told that meat came from slaughtered cattle. "

  She frowned and argued. "That is not funny, it is not as if you or any other elder did not live through embarrassment growing up. "

  "I suppose not... " He muttered with a smile then ruffled her silky hair as her earrings dangled. "You've grown to be a fine lady, your mother and I are proud. "

  He expected a word or two but none came as she fell in silence and gazed away into the distant darkness, he tilted his head and whispered. "What is it? "

  She sighed and her limbs quivered, she mumbled for a moment until words escaped her lips. "I thought the two of you... Like Yemna more. I mean, of course you love her too but... More than me. "

  "Nonsense, why would you think that? "

  "Well, she is... Smarter, stronger, far more skillful, wiser, colder... She killed Gahrak on her own at my age, she's perfect, unlike me. "

  On many occasions, the king met foes that defied the norms of what was normal and crossed the boundaries of reality and possibility, yet all never confused his mind, a feat only Malynn is capable of, his daughter always left him speechless on many occasions until he blurted out his words. "Are you jealous of your sister? "

  "Yeah... "

  He could not help but chuckle then reassure her. "She is nowhere near perfect, she still carry burdens and grudges of the past that some belong to her and some don't, and that is partially my fault, hatred spread like a famine and that brought her arrogance, elegant as she is, she still have a long way to go thus I found it appropriate to send her and see reality of the world out of our home with her own eyes.

  After a short silence, and seeing his daughter had no words to spare, he added. "I admit, you are a crybaby at times but your heart is strong and courageous, you saved my life after all. "

  "I stole your kill. " She uttered.

  He shook his head and denied. "Do not undermine your efforts, you are our daughter as much as Yemna, and you hold a special place in our hearts... You don't have to be her or like her, just... Be yourself, be the princess you want to be. "

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  She gazed deeply into his eyes as he spoke, then a smile crept on her lips as she responded hesitantly. "Thank you, I suppose. "

  "Do not worry about it, sleep well, we have days of travel ahead of us. " He told her and shortly after both of them laid down.

  Through a brief moment of stillness, she spoke once more. "Father? "

  "Yes ? "

  "I love you. "

  "I love you too. " He answered her and she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before he heard her thud against the soil as she slept besides him, Roegan often stayed up and long to ponder on what he had done and what he hasn't done in his life, the guilt of a king, but her words and affection made him sleep quickly and comfortably even though the chills of the cold desert night kept crawling up his legs.

  They woke during sunrise, broke their fast and resumed their trip, from the clearing of the soil and past the surrounding cliffs, they came into another clearing but this one was different, in it were many oasis, green trees, grass and puddles of waters amongst the sands, and many of the Torag, both woman and man, elder and child lived near it, at least the ones who stuck to the old ways and refused to migrate to the city of the old gods, and behind them was the black city known as the maze, and what a city it was, there the red cliffs changed both color and shape, they were larger and longer in a black colors with narrow passages in between them, the soil was dark and much stronger and, and as big as those walls were, one could see that the maze surrounded a mountain, dark as the cliffs and piercing into the clouds.

  "Amazing... " Malynn exclaimed with glimmering eyes.

  "Indeed it is. " Said Teggar. "If the city of the old gods was said to be the oldest, the maze and its oasis is twice as old. "

  "Same as your gods. " Roegan told him.

  "Indeed. " Teggar agreed. "Now, once we are inside it would not take long for us to navigate the maze to the black mountain... But up to that point, do not speak, do not respond to any word and only communicate with signs and gestures... And ignore whomever you see inside besides us."

  Roegan knew that much but his daughter was puzzled even though she nodded, he was here before, he knew what's inside, he knew what was in the maze and he dared not defy the instructions he was given, a mortal could only do so little in the face of powers from other realms.

  They left their mounts outside and entered through the first passage then began pacing ahead on foot, each black rocky wall looked the identical to the other, each corner looked similar to the one before and with the passages being narrow and the walls high, one could not use the sun as a ways of navigation, though each time they reached a wide passage or a clearing, they found abandoned stalls or tents or homes of clay, and near them were people, odd people, they looked human enough but they stared without a word, eyes wide and unblinking, they did not move while they watched and Roegan did his best to ignore them same as his shivering daughter, he held her shoulder and kept her eyes and focus on him as he moved her alongside him.

  "Roegan!... Roegan... King Roegan... King Asaroth, my dear love. " He heard the voice of the queen, yet he did not turn, he only covered the mouth of his daughter and gazed into her eyes gesturing for her to be silent, whichever spoke, whichever was behind them, it was not his wife, it was something else, something sinister, the maze was indeed a city, but it was not a city of humans but rather a city for Zator spirits, they would not speak of what lies within, to acknowledge it is to give them more power and he would not fall prey for this trap, he only ignored the voices that called out for him and the faces that watched him, he heard his father, his grandfather, his great grandfather, he heard his brother and his daughters and his cousins, some called out for him, some cursed him, some were weeping in his name, all were not human.

  The nightmare ended when they exited the maze and entered the last clearing under the steps that lead up the mountain, and around it were charms of many shapes and sizes, all to protect this place to serve as a sanctuary for those who arrived from lands afar, as rare as it was.

  "You can speak now if you wish to." Teggar instructed them. "This place is protected and untouched, though there isn't much to say, our roads depart here, you have a mountain to climb and we shall wait for your return."

  "That was... Something." Malynn whispered shakenly.

  "Thank you, Teggar." Roegan exclaimed then turned his face to his daughter. "Are you ready? "

  "Yes... " She answered hesitantly and thus began their climb, they scaled up the scarred stone steps and stayed true to the path amongst the black rocks, soils and the monuments and stones engraved with ancient prayers in the old tongue of the Tatar, the father and daughter would stop at each monument and read the prayer together before moving forward, it took no more than half a day and at the top, they reached gates of stones with handles of iron far too large for humans as if meant for giants but the king knew that it was not, it was to protect what was inside from those who only came here in pilgrimage, it was only for those who underwent the awakening, thus Roegan with his might and strength pushed the doors open and slide inside alongside his daughter.

  "How? How did you do that? " His daughter said in shock as she stood near him.

  "The awakening. " He answered as he breathed heavily, truly he began to grow older than he thought he was, however that mattered not for he still had enough strength to guide her, the inside of the mountain was carved carefully and inscribed with tapestries hovering over pits of fires that burnt endlessly same as the bonfires of the shore guard castles order which was said to burn endlessly in castles amidst the seas.

  "Beautiful... I've never seen such well drawn tapestries before. " Malynn marveled as she studied the walls. "What do they speak of? "

  "History of the known world... However I cannot read it, only a seer or an oracle could. " He admitted.

  "A shame... What about —" Her words were interrupted by a snoring roar in the far end of the corridor, it sent shivers down his spine and his daughter dropped to her rear from shock. "What was that? "

  "A friend. " He clarified as he helped her up into her feet. "Fear not, no harm will come to us here. "

  She was hesitant but nonetheless, she nodded and followed his lead, bit by bit the tapestries began to dwindle in numbers until there was none left at all, and lastly they reached an opening that took them into a caved portion of the mountain where the light of the sun spilled through over a pool of crimson water and above it, hovered a being out of their realm, larger than the great centipede itself, his body thin and long, covered in black scales for the most of his body and golden scales on his stomach and chest though some of it were weathered, its wings large and dark as night, clawed paws and a tail longer than the snakes of Xorus isles, its face was long and wide and through the scarred side of its mouth, one could see the sharp teeth, and it's eyes, the same as Azar eyes, crimson and sharp and yet unlike Azar, they carried weight and contentment.

  "Mortals." The behemoth of a beast rumbled and uttered as he was floating in the air, seemingly laying on an invisible bed.

  "Gods!" Malynn shouted in despair even when she was too shocked and terrified to move, frozen to her very core.

  Roegan on the other hand, sighed and looked up as he shouted and scolded. "Scaring your visitors like that is another reason why you live alone in a mountain! "

  The red eyed dragon looked down at the king nd huffed, his breath let out a howling wind past the pair and into the corridor behind them, it was so dense and strong that it would have put out the fires if they were not endless, the behemoth lowered himself further down and close enough to the pair as he hummed and answered. "Mh, Roegan, beast slayer, blood of the nameless men, king of sands... I have not seen you since, a few days? "

  "A decade and a half. " Roegan reminded him.

  "Ah yes, apologies, the passing of time for me is blurred, most of it spent in the company of those walls." The dragon said. "And who might this be, I see the same blood as yours though more grounded, flowing like a river, strong and pure but never leaving it's boundaries unless spilled into it but please, pardon my ramble for it is not often I receive visitors to appease my urge of speech, even in mortal tongue. Tell me, you came here seeking something, what would that be? Is it your youngling wish? "

  The king nodded and looked towards his daughter as he spoke."Go on, ask him. "

  She rubbed the side of her arm, a child once again at the sight of a thing she never saw before, her eyes were glimmering with curiosity, wonder and fear and eventually her words escaped her lips. "What are you? Who are you? Are you a Nogrov? "

  The creature chuckled and hummed to himself then responded. "Yes, in your Tatar tongue I am Nogrov but in the common tongue across Osward I am called an elder dragon. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the third born, Starphognis."

  She listened and nodded before she thoughtfully calculated her choice of words then asked. "Do you... Do you know about the awakening, Starphognis ? "

  Starphognis sighed as he hovered further down, while in the air his chin rested on his front paws and his wings laid still as he revealed. "The awakening, the first form of power bestowed to mankind, it is a state of mind, soul and body where one becomes everything... And nothing. "

  Malynn was clueless and mumbled in confusion. "Er, is that a riddle? "

  "No little one, it is nothing but the words of an old dragon. " He said. "In your mortal terms, it is when a person grasps a higher understanding of their body, mind and surroundings, thus more strength, healing, smarts, speed. "

  "How many people have the gift? "

  "Very few have the blood, and even fewer achieve its potential. "

  "Where did it come from? " She bobbed her head excitedly as she questioned him.

  "A long tale of war and creation however I will not burden you with what you need not know. " He said as he held one of his hands ahead, and from the flames he exhaled, a ball of fire formed on his hand and took the form and shapes of the story he would tell. "Long ago on this plane out of the dozen, a great war happened, and from that war the fathers and mothers survived and rebuilt, they created me and others, the first seed, the celestial beasts, then came the race of men, weaker and fragile. "

  "Fathers and mothers? " She repeated as tilted her head and watched the dancing flames in wonder.

  "Ah yes, you know them as the gods... "

  "What happened after? "

  "The fathers and mothers established rules, most did not matter, what only mattered was to never harm one another, a cruel sadistic test from them, men unlike us were prone to temptation and bound to fail the test, they killed one another and we were ordered to bring them chaos as punishment, thus began the first war between us and your kind. "

  "A war ? " She spoke in disbelief. "I saw one of you fight, no chance we could have won against many of you. "

  "Indeed. " Starphognis agreed. "You lost and became slaves... But I and many other celestials such as the first born, took pity and likeness to your claim and passed the gift of blood to those ready for the last road, and there were men and women who took it, they brought liberty and glory then abandoned their thrones, crowns, families and names as the ultimate cost. "

  "The nameless men. " She recalled

  "Yes, them, they carried the three wills of man, all equally strong in them, to live, to kill and the rarest, to protect. They merged with our blood and brought balance to the realm... From them came many, the shore guard inherited their mystic wisdom and wonder, the road wardens inherited their brutality and smarts, the eclipsers inherited their coldness and sorcery... And some families had their blood, pure blood and with that blood came the awakening. "

  Her eyes widened with understanding but she would be wrong as Roegan had been there before and proven to be wrong, he only awaited what she had to say and the answer she would receive.

  "Does that... Makes us chosen? " She uttered, almost eagerly.

  "Chosen? Yes. " His answer brought a smile to her lips but the remainder of his words stripped away the smile. "Special? No. The gods, as you call them, are cruel and they will allow the existence of many chosen ones, some will prevail and some will fail, no amount of blood and divine intervention can serve as the only means for a man or a woman to be of significance... At the end of times, one will rise from the pits who is not chosen, damned and cursed yet he will bend reality to his will. "

  "You speak of the gods... So lowly. " She noted.

  Starphognis laughed as the ball of flame tapestry faded and he answered. "I only knew one god and he left long ago before my birth to watch us... As for my fathers and mothers, I've no affection for them. "

  "You sound mortal. " Roegan joked.

  The dragon merely huffed and joked. "Then perhaps it is the reason why I crave sleeping as soon as the two of you leave."

  Though he was not allowed rest as Malynn swarmed him with another question as she stepped ahead near the pool. "When you spoke of our world, you made it sound as if there were others. Is there? Is ours different? "

  "Yes, there is. " The dragon explained. "If most worlds were created to be lived in, ours is built to make you suffer and give up. While others provide comfort, ours provide a provocation... Overwhelming odds that insist on its victory and dominance, it dares you to prove it wrong, many have before, Julius Maximus the conqueror, Borock Frostbane and many others will."

  Roegan set his hand on his daughter's shoulder as he told her. "This is our heritage, we are the only known living blood of the nameless men and same as them we slay beasts who cause us harm."

  She was silent for a long minute then looked up to her father and responded. "I think I understand now. "

  "Wait near the doors, I will be there as soon as I conclude our affairs here. " Her father urged her and she obliged after saying her goodbyes to the celestial.

  Silence came down the walls until Straphognis raised his voice. "I can feel them, my siblings, though you killed one of them, three remains, the shifter Hurha, and the second born, abandoned his name to be called Nemesis, jealous and defiant of the first born Haloth... Hurha and nemesis are at the same place and as for the third, beware that one, he's an imposter. "

  "Imposter? What do you mean?" Roegan questioned.

  "He pretends to be one of our own, that is all I know, he is not one of my siblings... Roegan, you should have brought your brother, Azar, killing nemesis is far too great of a task for you. "

  "Azar? He's a maniac. " Roegan complained. "I cannot travel with him through Asaroth, he would burn at least two villages and kill a hundred, I can never understand what goes on in his cruel mind. "

  "So is the duality of man. " The dragon spared his unwarranted wisdom. "You do not have to understand him and neither does he to you, but you are brothers and complete one another... He is much needed and plays an important role in your path... But if it is your wish to not involve him, so be it, I only wish you a safe path... And one last thing, take some of the eternal pool waters for yourself. I suspect your visions are almost nonexistent since the last time you drank from here? "

  "Indeed... I did not have one for years until my fight with Egor." Roegan admitted as he knelt down and sipped from the cold waters, as he was done he stood up and wondered. "But besides the vision, I never understood its importance. "

  "Is it for the spectator? " The dragon muttered, looking past Roegan and into the void of the place.

  "The what? " Roegan was confused.

  "The one who watches, observes and nothing else... Nevertheless, all you need to know is it will protect you from certain death at times where you are unaware, to say the least. " The dragon explained as he turned his gaze from the void back to the king.

  Often times, the old dragon spoke in circles and things that Roegan could not understand but deep down all it mattered that he was an ally and truly cared for the safety of mankind and his siblings, a blended line of two races and eternal wisdom that showed that no matter the differences, two could come together and meet in the middle line regardless of whom is stronger and who is smarter, the king smiled lightly and spoke. "It was good seeing you again, old friend, I will visit you once more. "

  "Your company is welcome, the three of you. " The dragon smiled as his mustache perked up to reveal his teeth under the dark flesh.

  "Old one, there are only two of us. " The king reminded him and chuckled but the dragon did not respond. For a reason that Roegan did not understand, he felt shivers down his spine, he felt as if he was in the middle of a reckoning circle, and watched by harmless spectators without his permission.