<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 2</span>
The door flew open to the crumbling building and Draven stepped out, inhaling the cool morning breeze as the first rays of the sun peeked through the distant trees. Clearly something was still on fire somewhere, as a burning smell hung in the air, but Draven resisted the urge to say that one familiar line all military commanders say at some point in their careers when they smell something burning in the morning? He wasn?t in the most pleasant mood, anyway.
As he had ordered, the entirety of his battle-ready soldiers (who he had not sent out on scout missions) were assembled in long lines on both sides of his encampment, ready for his inspection. The dark soldiers stood row by row, completely motionless. Every tenth or fifteenth warrior stood out as a guard captain, identifiable by a small silver medal on the left side of his chest plate. And every five or ten guard captains had their lieutenant, identifiable by their gold medal.
Before he started, the lieutenant he had sent out scouting approached him from the right, saluting.
?Sir! Reporting, sir!?
?What have you??
?? N-nothing? sir? no sign of the knight, or the sword??
Still looking forward, Draven shifted his eyes to the right in irritation. Before the officer could react, Draven slapped him in the back of the helmet with a loud clang, dropping the officer to his knees.
?Idiot! Only report when you have something useful!?
Draven stormed through the center of the lines, shifting his glance left and right, inspecting the motionless troops. Another lieutenant approached him from behind, this one the one who organized the inspection.
?How many??
?4,117 my lord??
Draven stopped and folded his arms. That was the number of able-bodied men he had at his disposal, quite a bit lower than what he had started out with. But he had run into unexpected resistance? and he probably wiped out a few more himself when he blasted the castle? Still most of the work was done with; it should be enough to finish the job.
Draven placed his arms behind his back and continued a few more paces, lost in thought.
But he stopped short, in mid-stride? the sky had grown dark without him noticing, and a stronger wind was in the air? Draven?s eyes dashed to the left and right. The multitude of soldiers suddenly lowered their heads all at once and knelt to the ground on one knee. Draven?s heart sank. There was only one person in the entire empire who demanded that sort of bow?
All in one motion, Draven bowed his head as well, turning completely around and kneeling in the same fashion as his soldiers to look at the feet of the one who stood behind him? A few feet away stood a massive figure engulfed in total shadow. The black aura burned about him like fire, absorbing all light around it. His deep voice cut through the most fearless of warriors:
?Draven, have you obtained the sword??
Draven panicked inside, but he did not dare show it. Still gazing upon the ground, he replied in the only acceptable way.
?Yes my Emperor, the blade is yours??
?Excellent. I will be arriving soon to collect it. Until then, guard it with your life??
?Yes, my lord??
The shadow grew dim and faded away, and the sky regained its normal morning hue. Draven clutched his fist into the sand. Lying is treason? but there was no way he would allow himself to be show less effective than them?
Draven stood up at once, with such ferocity in his heart that a wave a flame burst from his body, scorching the grass around him and knocking the lieutenant beside him who had just gotten back up down again. But he managed to control his power once again, and the aura of flame reduced to nothing. Clearly, action had to be taken immediately.
Draven lifted the lieutenant up by the collar of his armor like a rag doll, eyes buring with rage, he barked orders into the terrified man?s face in a deep, almost irate voice:
?Listen up and listen well!?
He pointed to the burned-out building in which the mage Scorch was imprisoned.
?I want one thousand men guarding Scorch RIGHT NOW!?
Draven tossed the man in the direction of the building, who landed hard in front of him.
?I don?t care if you have them sit and stare at that building, JUST DO IT!?
He then turned his head to the legion behind him, clenching his fist.
?As for the rest of you, I want this entire island combed! The island is narrow here. Form a single file line from the eastern shore to the western, and move southwards. Stay within shouting distance of each other. Leave no valley unchecked, no cavern unexplored, and no house unburned! I WANT THAT SWORD!?
The individual soldiers of the legion scattered in a panic in the usual fashion as when Draven finishes his orders. Fully confident that his troops would fail him, Draven darted off in the direction of the southern forest by himself.
?If you want something done right??
But as if forming another plan, he slowed, yelling back to his legion behind him.
?Are there no competent commanders left??
----
The air inside the cavern was cool and uncomfortable. Lying on his back, Iduran clutched his side in pain.
?Blast it! There?s no way I?m staying. Let me go NOW!?
The Romme soldier standing by pushed Iduran down as he tried to get up.
?But? I? must?!?
Another soldier rushed in, this one with a broken arm in a sling, and helped hold the old knight down with his good arm. An elderly man in a white robe walked toward the downed knight, speaking softly:
?My lord, you mustn?t ??
?Like Hades I will!?
?My lord, you wound has become infected. My herbs may heal you, but if there is any chance of you surviving, you must not move!?
Iduran relaxed himself, letting the fever get the best of him. After a moment?s thought:
?I must speak to the two men that came with me. Bring them to me??
His other hand clutched his sword in its sheath lying next to him, it?s red gem glowing dimly in the light of the torches on the cavern walls.
