Dire Straits

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Light, there was nothing of the sort in sight as Amir wandered seemingly endless darkness. He limped along, his body feeling on the verge of giving out but despite his aches and cracks it never seemed to quite put him down for good. He continued to wander, for how long he did not know. "This must be death..." He said to himself as he looked around, the dark seeming more of a void rather than just darkness as people understood it. It felt like something more than the absence of light. "Mom?! Dad?!" He yelled into the nothingness, walking further before trying again, "Alysa?! Amara?!" He shouted to the void, "Is anyone there?!"

No one answered his call, not even an echo. "Isis?!" He tried again, "Isis..." He said to himself, knowing there was something extremely important he was forgetting but he could not for the life of him put his finger on what it was. He grabbed his arm, the pain was enough to make him fall over. "This can't be death, the void Amen talked about...could it?" He asked no one as he tried to force himself up again. "Amen..." The name, where did he know it from? *'Family? No, that doesn't make sense...'*  Amir thought to himself before his weight forced him to the ground again. *'Amen...'* There was something about the name that bit at him, gnawed at him. Something about it that filled him with anger.  *'But what about Isis?'* The name that seemed to have the opposite effect, filling him with a warmth that for a moment made the endless void feel like home to him.

He forced himself up, not wanting to die before he learned the truth of those two names. He walked and walked until suddenly there was light. He saw a battle, millions of creatures, a line of men with shields, a dragon...a familiar dragon. The event played out around him but no matter what he could not interact with it. Seeing a woman with a large shield he watched as the dragon flew down as though to swallow the woman whole. But the dragon disappeared and what took its place was...Him. "I'm a dragon?" He asked out loud, walking toward the scene. It was then he noticed the monsters burst into ash, the soldiers who had not been fighting them falling to the ground. It was among them he noticed a face, beautiful but dirtied and bloodied by the battle that had taken place here. His eyes widened as the astral version of himself flew by at the unseeable speeds, "Isis!" He yelled before suddenly be engulfed in light.

He threw himself up from his hospital bed into a sitting position, reaching out toward nothing in particular. "Isis! Isis! I won't! I can't! Damnit!" He screamed, causing Triss to fall from her seat beside him in surprise.

"He's...He's awake! Amir's awake!" She yelled as loudly as she could.

Amen and Izar weren't far behind, hurrying up to his bedside. His predicament had indeed been worse than Amen had first anticipated. Dire to the point of him needing to be hospitalized rather than the quick awakening he had expected. While Triss and Izar were clammoring to Amir, ensuring that he was alright and well, Amen stood at a distance, waiting for his two friends to be a bit more at ease. Once they calmed down a bit, Amen stepped forward by the foot of his bed. "Glad to see you wake up. For but a moment we thought you were headed for the afterlife. I am glad that such is not the case. You've been out of it for more than a week."

As Amir tried to gauge his surroundings and catch his breath, Amen's words snapped him back to reality. His eyes focused on the man and his face twisted into one of pure disgust. "You!" He shouted, trying to get up but being pulled back down by the medical equipment that had been attached to him. "You made me leave her! Serqet was almost dead! If I'd just been able to get off one more spell, one more miracle, or... Or something we could have won!" He yelled almost like a child going through a tantrum. "Where is she?! Don't tell me a week as gone by and you haven't gotten her back yet, have you?!"

"You underestimate the power of a pharaoh, even a diluted one such as hers, if you think she was close to death. You didn't even manage one more spell, and all those godsends were far too much for us. There was no victory to be had. As for Isis... She yet lives. And unharmed as far as I know and promised she would be. We have yet to be able to retrieve her. She is on the move with the Hetepian forces. She will likely be used as a bargaining chip against us." Amen explained while trying to keep his cool, not from anger, but from letting him see his own distress.

Amir gripped the sheets that were over him, his teeth clenched together as he held back tears. "I threw everything I had at her, I used my most powerful spells, I pushed myself beyond even the new power that I've gained, I used a miracle gifted to me by a God himself..." He trailed off biting down on his lower lip in frustration. "And it still wasn't enough?! You say she wasn't even close to death?! What good has any of this been then? All my hard work, all my training, for what? So I get to look like I put up a nice fight before I die? Why did Galeer trust me to do any of this if that's all I'm capable of?! I couldn't defeat you, I couldn't defeat Serqet, I couldn't defeat the Demigod, I had to use a miracle to have any chance against the Ghouls, and in the end, I couldn't even protect Isis. What sort of Arbiter is that? What kind of man is that?" He unloaded his barrage of questions and self-doubt to which Izar responded by putting his hand on his son's shoulder but it was just shrugged away.

Amen shook his head. "An Arbiter who is still learning. There is so much to the title and power you have inherited that you do not yet understand. Do you know what an Arbiter is in the Hetepian legends? An Arbiter is the hope of the people incarnate. A source of inspiration and courage. A Pharaoh has been placed upon a pedestal upon which there is no higher point to reach. An arbiter is the failsafe for the Pharaoh, to strike them down if they should stray." Amen explained. "Yes, you failed to defeat Serqet, but did you really expect otherwise? You need to train and fight for the power just like any other. But do you want to know the beauty and glory that entails? I have power few can dream of, I got it by title alone. You can rise even higher. If I am the one who has reached the peak of the mountain, the one who reached the absolute zenith of what can be attained, then you are the one who will eventually soar above me. But for that to happen, you must work for it. You think a few months are gonna be able to do that for you?"

"Isis would not think less of you for failing in her rescue, not would she want to see you in such distress when she is yet in need of saving. Between devils and gods there are men in torment, but before that torment a man can rise better than anything. Isis capture was a failure on our part, but there is no better teacher. A man would not sit here and despair. A man would rise and fight the bastards and save his beloved. Damn the title of Arbiter, damn pharaohs and if you wish to think it that way, damn the gods. Right now, there is only one question you need to answer: Are you a man?"

"Your words are kind, Amen," Amir said, reaching to his own chest and ripping off the monitors and medical equipment that had been attached to him. "But you're patronizing me. It wasn't a few months of training. It was years, years of hard work that have brought me here. My mother was a Beast Saint at this age and even now I can't hope to measure up even with Gods themselves on my side..." He continued as he stood up on legs that hadn't supported weight in over a week. They shook under him but he managed to maintain his balance nonetheless. "I think you're right, Amen, I do. Isis wouldn't think less of me for failing to rescue her but I do. I am responsible for my actions, my successes just as much as my failures." He shook his head, staring down at the floor as though looking at the people around him would break him even more. "I have no choice, I have to find her, save her. I won't let them use her to try and get their way. I'm tired of diplomacy, I'm tired of extending the olive branch only to have it smacked from my hand. If they want this to be a fight then let us fight then." He spoke coldly, clearly meaning what he said.

Izar looked worriedly at his son and the path he was starting to walk down, he wanted to say something to him, to try and push him toward a lighter path but seeing Amir like this he knew that his words would fall on deaf ears.

"A fight is innevitable, but this is a battle we can no longer win." Amen said with a slight tint of defeat in his voice. "I suspect that they managed to make Isis spill the beans about what you've learned, because they have successfully managed to rally all of Hetep against us now. Anyone who had the lack of nerve or gall to not participate has officially turned against us. They recently took Seraphine into custody and claimed her soldiers as their own. I have a near thousand Elitans on my side, which will do some good, but they can't stem the tide of sheer numbers for long. After that we have a total of forty thousand soldiers, most of which must now be dedicated to completing the pyramid. I can spare about fifteen thousand to fight for the city's survival."

"Yet despite the opposition we face, we must try to keep the casualty levels low. Once everything is said and done, there still needs to be people left for the kings to rule in Hetep." Amen said, wanting to take off a bit of the edge he felt from Amir. "I will not be known as an exterminator once all is said and done. However, this time, I won't let you go into the fight 'emptyhanded'. I will grant you enough of my power to combat and potentially defeat Serqet. She is our biggest threat. She alone could undo everything. This is no longer a competition for victory. At this point, all we can do is hold out long enough for us to complete our task. Once the pyramid is complete, any and all threats are undone."

"That's fine by me, I have no intention of actively trying to hurt those who have been tricked by the priesthood into fighting to further their goals. Serqet and the priests are my only targets, they're likely the ones who have Isis after all. You have my miracles, they will do me little good in battle but perhaps they can keep the army at bay long enough to finish the pyramid and have this nightmare be over with once and for all." Amir explained, turning to look at Amen and the people around him. "So, how much time do we have until we have to fight?"

"Three weeks. The priests are putting everything they have to keep their forces wandering without rest. All those weeks must be put towards fortifications and preparations." Amen said, the hint of dismay entering his voice once more. "Though I have pressed my people to their fullest that I can reasonably ask them to bear, but despite it, it will take around four weeks to complete the pyramid. This is why we must hold and endure. As soon as you can get up, I need you to help me. If we lose here, you, Isis, and we will all die. And for the sake of that victory, we may have to take many an unorthodox method to accomplish it."

"I know the stakes, same ones there have been since I got here." Amir said, forcing himself to stand up straight, "I can stand and move, I can do whatever needs to be done. Tell me, Amen, what are these unorthodox methods that you have in mind?"

Amen shuffled a bit on the spot. "I don't know for sure. We will have to improvise these things as we go, but first thing I can think of, which you will likely hate me for, but they will bring Isis here to try and convince you to turn on us. To make you fight with them for her safety. That means that we... We may have to sacrifice her to win." He said, and as she looked at Amir's exasperated face, he quickly continued. "They will kill her if we do not strike the bargain. We must let them. If they do they will by law be forced to surrender her body and allow us to 'bury' her. To grant her a ceremony. To be given time to mourn. This is not what we will do. We will use the time they give us to continue work on the pyramid so well as bring her back to life. It will be a heavy price to bear, no matter how brief, but it is something I can't see us work around."

Amir stepped forward, clear anger on his face but he managed to hold back his bite, swallow his own venom. He took a deep breath but the anger did not fall from his face, "You're mad. The workaround is simple. Give them me, let them take me, I will turn on them in the climax of the battle and cause chaos in their ranks. You have already made me lose her once, Amen. I will not lose her again no matter how temporary it may be. A single moment in that hellish void is too long, we will have to find another way." He said calmly though his voice still carried a tone of held back aggression.

Izar stepped forward, "Amir, I understand how you feel. Were I in your shoes and making this choice regarding your mother I don't know if I would have the strength or resolve to do it even if I knew she wanted me to do it. But I think this is our only wa-"

"Mother would never be in this situation and neither would you!" Amir cut him off, speaking through clenched teeth. "I can't, I can't do this, Amen. I can bear the thought of seeing her corpse, of spending the rest of my life knowing I let her die for this even if we can bring her back." He continued, the anger vanishing and being replaced with deep despair and sadness as the tears began to stream down his face. "Please, Amen, there must be another way. Please, don't force me to make this choice..."

"It will not work. Do you think them foolish enough to take you without due precautions? I do not like this anymore than you do, Amir. No, that is a lie, you would hate it more than me, but the point still stands. We are put between a rock and a hard place. Our only options when the time come will be surrender or letting her fall for but an incrementious moment." Amen replied, not trying to sound stalward or strong, but merely compassionate. "We all hate this, Amir. You are undoubtedly the closest to her, but nearly everyone here has a bond and a connection to Isis, a care or respect for the woman... But ultimately I will not allow this to be my choice. It is you who will suffer. It is you who will risk dying a bit inside. When the time comes, I'll leave the choice of what happens to the two of you."

Amir did his best to wipe his tears, considering Amen's words but having no idea what to do with them. He did not think he had the resolve to see this through despite what it would mean for all of them if he could not. "I-I need some time to think..." He said through hicks and sniffles.

Amen nodded, waving for Izar and Triss to follow him out, leaving Amir to his thoughts. As they left the room, Amen's breath became ragged and strained. "Damn it." Amen whispered. "I fear that this conflict is already tearing at him very fast. No one should ever have to experience such hardship, to make such choices. And it is my fault that he is here in this now. I should have spoken to him about this far sooner."

"You couldn't have known, father. We didn't know if he could have been trusted with this knowledge." Alquam said in turn, trying to calm Amen.

"It doesn't change what is happening now either way, I suppose. I've tried to do my best to keep everything a secret. To keep the conflicts at a bare minimum. And now it is all falling apart... Izar, Triss, you should probably head home. I don't know if we'll finish the pyramid in time, and even if we do, there is no telling what will happen or what they will do next. It might be safer if..." he trailed off, barely able to say the words, afraid that he may not be able to see them anymore after the coming battle.

Izar's face was grim but upon seeing his friend's worry he quickly put on a happy front, "I said that my magic would be yours until this is over with did I not? Besides, what sort of friend would I be to turn tail and run right before your greatest triumph?" He said, his smile faltering as he looked back toward the hospital room where Amir rested, "Besides all that, my son is still here. My wife would never forgive me nor would I forgive myself if we lost him in this battle. He is the one I wish I could send home but he would never return without his beloved." He continued before turning to Triss, "You should go though, Triss. I've no doubt that your parents are worried sick about you as well. You were dragged into this maelstrom as an innocent bystander, there is no reason you should have to continue risking your life."

Triss hesitated, as though considering the idea. But she shook her head, a look of determination on her face, "I can't go back alone, I can't go back without seeing this through! No matter how things end up I wanna be here until the end." She said as she turned toward Amen with a smile on her face, "I don't want to leave your side anymore. I have faith that we'll beat the odds and pull through. We're the good guys after all."

*I sure hope we are.* Amen thought to himself while offering a comforting smile. "Then lets get to it. I hope to... No, I will make sure that we all make it out of this. I swear. Once all is said and done, I will make sure that we have all made it out of the conflict as the winners. Odds be damned." He said confidently. Good guys or not, he was certain that they could and would stand victorious. "I will see to the preparations. A lot of things must be done, and I want each of you to play a part in it, if you are willing. Triss, if you want, I would like for you to tend to the people's needs. See to it that they are not overworked with the construction. Help provide them with what they need, whether it be water, food or just a bit of shadow to rest under."

"Izar... As much as I hate to call him such, Amir is one of our most valuable assets for this coming conflict. I would not have him step onto the fight of his life with a fractured psyche or heart. If there is anything you can say or do to help him, or if you have any suggestions for it, let it be known. I will not have him be a broken man at the end of it."

Izar's eyes looked away for a moment in thought before returning to his friend's. " I'll try everything I can but I can only hope of getting through to him," Izar said, a small half-smile appearing on his lips. "You know, Friend. I've spent my life trying to understand people, the way they think, to be able to predict what they'll do, the things they'll say, and when they'll say them. For some time I thought for sure I'd gotten it down pat, then I became a father and oh boy, all of that stuff went out the window really quick." He explained, more to himself than Amen, his eyes looking past the man as though recalling some fond memories of the past. After a few moments, the smile disappeared and he closed his eyes with a deep breath. "I won't let him die here, Amen, physically or mentally. I'll make sure that he returns home intact," Izar said, opening his eyes and turning back toward the room. "I'll remain here and give him the time he needs. Then I'll talk to him."

Triss cleared her throat, part of her wanting to do her best to alleviate the tension of their current situation but the rest of her knowing full well she wasn't capable of shooing away the thickness of what hung in the air. "Uh, yeah, I don't mind helping however I can. You got it!" She said with a clumsy salute to Amen.

Amen couldn't help but chuckle at Triss' clumsy gesture. "Thank you both. Let's proceed with our tasks. Let me know if there are any developments in Amir's condition. While I would like to help, I don't think my presence would be a welcome one at this time." Amen said calmly when one of his children approached. "What have you found?" He asked Alquam.

"The soldiers we have left at our charge will be fortifying the walls and interior of the city, working with strengthening constructions, setting up traps and surprises and-"

"The interior? Why spend resources on the buildings within the walls?" Amen asked.

"Because my siblings and our fellow strategists have come to the conclusion that it will be all but impossible to keep them outside through the entire battle. Our best hope is to keep breaking their resolve and make them paranoid of stepping into our streets."

Amen sighed. "I understand. Proceed." he said shaking his head as Alquam parted from him with a more confident and proper salute. Amen walked up to Triss and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, a smile upon his face. "Again, if any of you need me for anything, even if it is just for talking in general, you can find me either in my bedroom or the barracks."

A soft blush appeared on Triss' face before she nodded with a smile, "Alright. But don't worry too much about me. I promise not to push myself too hard so you do the same, okay?"

"It's a promise." Amen said in return as the three of them went their separate ways for the moment.

## Dire Stratagems

Izar sat beside his son, Amir sitting up on the side of his bed. He looked a bit better, his wounds and bruises slowly but surely starting to heal even if only a little. Though that didn't matter as much to Izar as the mental state of his boy, something that did not seem to have started to heal quite yet despite their time spent talking. His eyes still puffy from tears, the light in them faint but clearly still there. Izar leaned back in his seat, having told Amir a painful story of his past, one that took place not long before Amir had been born. One in which he had been in a situation not entirely unlike this one. "I got lucky, I didn't have to make that decision. The light inside of her was stronger than the dark that had taken her over. Had it not been, I'd have surely died that day. I would have come back, not unlike your beloved will as well, but I don't think your mother would have been able to forgive herself had she been the one to take my life. Even if it were indeed just a temporary death," Izar explained.

Amir shook his head, no more tears left to cry. "I'm sorry about yesterday, about snapping at you. I-"

"There is no need to be sorry to me. I understand your pain, I know that it hurts. But we can take solace in the fact that both of use do in fact understand. I did not fight your mother that day when she was taken over simply out of love. I did not fight her because had I won, then it would have been the end. No do-overs, no seeing her again, no you and your sisters." Izar said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I was willing to let myself go temporarily to preserve what I loved most. Because had I not been willing to do that it all may have been lost forever. I do not think that Isis would want that just as I don't think your mother would have wanted that. Even if it meant she would have never forgiven herself for it, just as you may never forgive yourself for it."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, "Come in," Amir said.

Amen stepped through the threshold, ever so carefully, ready to dismiss himself if his presence was not wanted. "Amir. I hope that this day is treating you better." Amen spoke softly. "I am sorry to intrude, but there is a development that needs to be made clear. May I?"

Amir simply gestured for Amen to continue.

Amen nodded as a reply before continuing. "I fear that things are working against us once again. My scouts are reporting that our enemy is carelessly using mass-teleportation magics to transport their forces to us at a more rapid pace. If they keep up this pace consistently, they will arrive at our gates within the week. Which offers us very little time to prepare for their coming. We do, however, hold a single advantage; You. Which is exactly why we will dedicate as much time and energy as possible for you to get well as soon as possible and as strong as possible before then. You will be our deterrant. With this teleporation they are pulling off, they can't bring their necessary siege engines with them, which means they will have to build them on place. If you are willing, I would have you ward off their forces before they start approaching the walls. They may be unafraid of death, but they are not suicidal enough to charge a dragon without proper preparation and weaponry. With some sabotage on our part, we can keep stalling them enough, I hope."

"There is also news on another front." He said as he extended his hand with his palm facing upwards. "I considered not showing you this, all things in mind, but you if anyone deserves and needs to see what is happening. I don't want to keep more from you." Amen finished as a mental projection took shape upon his extended palm, revealing a seemingly tired and nigh-malnourished Isis who hung from a cross. There were no nails, but there were tight strappings of leather holding her onto the cross, and just to top it all off, she was undressed, only clad in a barely concealing loincloth, a way to display her shame to all of Hetep wherever they traveled.

Amir smacked away Amen's hand with force, blatant and unrestrained anger like he'd had the day before forming on Amir's face as he did so. He cursed in a language not known to Amen, though it was clear the words were curses. Biting his tongue, Amir began to grind his teeth, "When I begged for answers you called me ignorant but now that I would rather remain ignorant you feel some obligation to show me everything." He hissed at the man, his hands shaking in anger as he held them in front of himself.

"Where are they? Where is Isis? If you can get someone close enough to show me this why hasn't she been rescued?!" He asked, regretting his choice to ask Amen to remain.

"I came to the conclusion that you would have beheld this sight one way or another and that it would have been for the better to find it out from me when I knew rather than the shock of the battlefield. I know you do not think that highly of me, but please do not think me so cruel as to leave her as such without wanting to do something about it. You are an indispensable ally, and I would have your beloved returned to you as soon as possible."

"As for where, I would say that they will be here within four days. They are coming from the west. I commanded my able and capable scouts to try and set her free if possible. This image... It was the last image perceived by the one daring scout who remained. They have her under tight security and supervision... Amir, I am terribly sorry, but we need you. I swear to you that Isis will be delivered back to you. I just want you to help in any way you so can."

Amir stood up, walking as best he could to the opposite side of his bed, facing away from Amen he bit down on his own thumb hard enough to bite marks as he thought of what to do. Just as he had started to calm down, to try and think rationally, the cold swell of so many different emotions bubbling up inside of him had returned.

"Amir..." Izar said, verbally reaching out to his son as he knew that he was feeling the pressure building up again.

He stopped biting on his thumb just as he'd started to draw blood, "Amen, you may have been right. I suppose that remains to be seen, but even if you are right and we are the good guys in this. I will never forgive you for what you've done to the people of this continent. I don't care whether your intentions were good or not, whether these people deserved it or not, only the fact that they suffered, that their hate and rage built up into what it is now." Amir said coldly before turning to face Amen, "And I know that I'm not any better nor do am I innocent of blame when it comes to why it is that there is an army marching toward our doorstep. Regardless, I guess I'm saying that I will help, I will stall them however I need to. In fact, I will be glad to do it. But I'm not doing it for you, Okay? My father may see something worth forgiving in you, and I haven't the slightest idea what has Triss so weak in the knees over you..." Amir said, his cold tone faltering as his eyes looked away from Amen's as he tried to hold back his emotions. "B-but I just want all of this to be over with." Bringing up a hand to run his fingers through his violet hair, "When is the earliest I can leave? If they get too many through before we can hit them then we won't be able to do much in the way of stalling them."

"Leave? If you expect me to throw you to the wolves and face them alone, you have another thing coming. I don't expect you to forgive me. I likely do not deserve forgiveness. I would say that I don't deserve the friends and love that I have. All the same, it is not for me to decide. What is for us to decide now is the way we can win. And the way for us to win is not to perform a frontal assault, even with you. What I want is for you to make them even more ill-prepared. I assume that you are familiar with scorch-earth tactics? I want you to fly around my kingdom, anything within a day's march from the city walls, and as you do, burn all trees, vaporize all lakes, oasis' pond, any sort of source of fresh water you can find. They may have the might to bring much of that back again, but it will certainly drain them and cost them more time than they have to spare." Amen explained. "I will leave it up to you to decide what will happen when they bring forth the bargain, but the bargain and their arrival is something that has to happen if we want to reduce casualties."

"I learned about them when I was in school, yes. But just destroying a day's travel's worth of water, food, or shade isn't going to slow them down. Sure, it may make them exhausted, even more so if they're foolish enough to try to replenish them but I'm sure their well equipped enough to be able to go a day getting a little less than they would like. They're planning a siege after all, they're surely prepared for a drawn-out battle." Amir said, not understanding Amen's plan. "Wouldn't it be more effective to attack the ones close by rather than waiting for their forces to regroup? Not only would that slow down their construction of whatever these siege engines are but if we can wipe them out faster than more can be teleported in we'll be able to buy even more time because the main force will either have to waste time building them when they arrive or risk attacking without them which would be a lose-lose for them regardless of their choice, either granting us more time to prepare or they'll attack ill-prepared and stand less of a chance of overwhelming us."

"Your advice is wise, and would be an efficient strategy had there not been a select amount of caviats to it. I do not wish to burn the trees to deny them shade, to have them walk in the grueling sun as a strategy. I wish to deny them resources to construct the siege engines they will need to take us on. Secondly, we cannot attack them from the front. Not only will Isis be there to prevent such an assault, they will already have positioned their godsends and my sister there, ready for you to attack. It isn't even that they are teleporting bit by bit. They are devastating the land by transporting the whole bloody army simultaneously. There will be no chance to catch them off guard for they will be ready in everyway for our attack, and it will be what they want. There will be just about no opening. There will be no way to take them on in an open field. We need to rely on our home advantage and the end of any pre-existing resources they may claim. They will need to rely on the water resources closeby if they intend to survive a prolonged siege. They might have enough to sustain their army for a couple of days, but our plan is to tire them out of their resources with waits and stalling. With this they will need to distribute their water more sparingly and evenly, which will cause more tiredness. We don't need to defeat them. We only need and have to outlast them."

"Then I'll do whatever is needed of me," Amir responded with a half-hearted shrug, not wanting to start up an argument lest they just waste time. "I guess the only thing left is that I have no idea if I'll be able to turn into a dragon again. Last time was the first time I'd ever done it and I don't remember how I did it. Transforming is going to be guesswork and hoping for the best. If I can't then I'll just have to use my normal spells to do it all by hand."

"Dragon or no, your skills will be invaluable. Beyond scorching my kingdom for all it is worth, if you want further work where your skills can be put to use, then head towards the barracks and ask Alquam for further guidance."

## A Final Calm

Triss entered the menagerie with letter in hand, sweat on her brow from her work around the temple helping those constructing it to the best of her ability. Only stopping because of the envelope she'd received from one of Amen's children. She walked through the large space, hesitating to call it a room given its size, looking for Amen, the man who had asked for her presence. "Amen? Are you here?" She asked quizzically as she tried to find him somewhere in the neigh-jungle of a space.

"Over here!" Amen called out, startling a few animals that were ill-prepared for the sudden rise of volume. As Triss snaked her way through the spaces between the paddocks and cages, she would eventually come to find him sitting beside the Dreadmares on a poorly knitted blanket and a strawbasket filled with wrapped food, exotic fruits and drinks. "I decided to do something nice for us for once." Amen said with a bright smile whose happiness seemed to reach his eyes for the first time proper in a long time, a sight that almost seemed foreign with all that had happened. "Figured that if we are to go up against the fight to end all fights, then we might has well have something good and nice to remember for it." He said with a glass raised and a wave of his hand as if to further display what he had done.

Triss' eyes brightened as she saw him, her smile widening even more as she saw the display, not having expected a picnic with everything going on. Trotting over to him with a near skip in her step. "Wow! This all looks so lovely!" She said, lowering herself to sit on her knees with him. "If I had known we'd be doing this I would have worn something a little prettier for the occasion." She said with a nervous chuckle before staring at Amen with a smile. "But I'm sure you'll say something cheesily romantic like 'I don't care what you're wearing as long as we're together' or 'I love you no matter what you're wearing', right?" She said with a slightly teasing tone.

Amen's smile became ever brighter, his eyes radiating an overwhelming happiness. "Those are very good, it is true, though personally I would have used 'There is not choice of clothes in the world that could do your beauty and wonder justice.' How about that?" Amen teased back before reaching into the basket and pulled out some bottles of drink, ranging from some wine, carbonated fruit drinks and even outright simple juice. "I did my best with the food to make it similar to the food from Ashvattha, though a bit difficult with our widely different ingredients." He joked as he pulled out some wrapped sandwiches and fruits. "Still I hope I made a good job with them. The blanket was the worst though."

She giggled at his teasing before shaking her head, "No, it's nice. It keeps us off the floor and it still gives us a picnic-y feel." She said before thanking him as she took the sandwich into her hand, "I've been meaning to try some of Hetep's food. I guess with everything going on it hasn't really been at the forefront of my mind." She said with a half-smile, her worry well hidden but still clear as day before she bit into her sandwich, the worry seeming to be pushed to the back of her mind as her eyes lightened again, looking up to Amen. "This is really good!" She said, quickly covering her mouth with a blush as she spoke with a full mouth. "Sorry!" She said before blush reddened, realizing she'd done it again. "Sorry..." She said once more before just shutting her mouth in embarrassment.

"No worries, love. You are charming all the same." He said as he rubbed the crumbs of bread off of his face. He picked up a sandwich of his own, digging into it. "I am glad that I could cook something nice for you. Besides the drink, everything here is handmade or picked by yours truly." He said with a teasingly cocky tone with his chin raised to the air like one of the pompous and obnoxious nobles that Triss and Izar had no doubt seen and had the displeasure of meeting by this point. Lowering his gaze down to Triss again, his radiant eyes of joy and latent power locking with hers. "I have another activity planned when we are done with the food. And I also have a bit of a surprise for you." He said with a teasing wink.

Triss waited until she had chewed and swallowed her food this time for speaking, "That's not fair, you can't tell me there's a surprise and then not tell me what it is..." She said, pretending to be upset but her frown quickly went away as she picked up one of the fizzy beverages, the bottle opening with a hiss before she took a sip from it. "Thanks for taking the time to make this. I know you must not have a lot of that to spare..."

"Not that I mean to ruin the mood by bringing that up or anything!" She made sure to point out, not wanting him to feel bad for his efforts. "I really do appreciate it. It's nice to know that even with all of this you were thinking about me and about us..." She continued, turning away to hide her red cheeks.

"I may be busy, but I will always find a way to make time for you, lah'mi." Amen said sweetly, reaching forward to the wine and filled up his own cup. "What kind of man would I be if I can't take the time to show what is most precious to me how much they matter to me?" Amen said as he raised his cup up in a toast. Sipping on the alcohol, he reached behind him, pulling out a small little box. "I want to give you something. Something that has been a big part of my life, and offer you similar opportunities and memories." He said as he handed over the small ornate box. If and when Triss were to open it, she would find a small pink, bright orb, almost looking like an unnaturally huge and beautiful pearl contained within, with the box exuding a chilling breeze. "It is the egg of a Dreadmare. If you want to hatch it, you can and have a companion for life, or you can keep it as is if you just keep it in the box if you don't think you are ready or able for such a bond."

Triss looked at the box, her eyes widening at Amen's words. "A Dreadmare? Wow, I'd never thought that I'd ever... Well, you know, have one to take care of." She said, curious about opening the box but not wanting to just yet. Her eyes moved from the box over to Amen, "This is really sweet. I promise to treasure it always whether I choose to hatch it or not. I won't let it out of my sight for a second." She said with a determined nod of her head, a look of resolve in her eyes. "But I'll definitely need a place for it to stay if I do decide to hatch it. I don't think a small apartment is going to cut it..."

"Most likely not. Still, would make a fine centerpiece of whatever home you get one day." Amen chuckled as he poured more drink into his cup, mixing the fizzy drink together with his wine, wanting to try out the mixture. He quickly regreted his decision when he noticed how poorly the mixture between the smooth wine and the carbonated drink was. "Oh... Oh, that is vile!" He coughed as he tried to recuperate from his mistake. "All the same, I am happy to hear that you like it. Hopefully it beats jewelry." He joked as he leaned back and took another sip, forgetting for but a moment how horrible it was until it touched his lips, coughing anew from the atrocious drink.

Triss laughed, though she tried to hold it back. "May-Maybe you should put that down!" She said through her laughter that proceeded despite her attempts to halt it. After a little bit longer she was able to stop and let out a sigh of relief, "It does, beat Jewelry I mean. Nothing could beat a life long friend after all." She said, leaning forward and placing her hand onto his own in the hope that he would take hers. "If...Well, I mean when all this goes well...Maybe we can find a place where we can hatch it together?" She said with a beaming smile, "If you want to that is? I just sorta thought that since, well, you know, and all that."

The awful beverage was suddenly a tolerable experience in hindsight as it had brought such jubilation from his beloved. Feeling her hand over his, hearing the words that left her lips, he suddenly felt his resolve greatly bolstered. He swirled his hand so that he could take her dainty hand in his own. Her beauty was unmatched, and her sweet disposition just the same. He looked up to his dear Triss and smiled. "There is nothing I would want more. Once all is said and done, once victory is ours, I would like to follow you back to Ashvattha. Finally start anew as I kept saying I would. If you are okay with it, then so am I."

"That's great!" She yelled with joy, startling many of the animals not unlike Amen had not that long ago with many looking in the direction with what could only be described as a look saying "Really?". Realizing her own overjoyed reaction she cleared her throat, "I mean, that's cool. I would really like that is what I meant to say." She tried to play it off, "But yeah! Let's get all of this stuff over with and then we can do whatever we want." She sat up on her knees and leaned forward to plant a kiss on Amen's cheek.

Amen leaned softly into the kiss to his cheek, enjoying the fact that he could still be deserving of some affection. "You wouldn't know some secret to being less sweet and adorable? I fear my blood sugar will kill me eventually if you keep up being like this." He teased a bit, liking the sight of her red cheeks. "Now, I had a bit of an idea for after this conflict is done with and all of this aggression has come to an end. How would you like riding one of my Dreadmares? I was thinking that it could most certainly be an experience few have had the chance to do. I have even invented a little trick that wouldn't even require a water source for said ride." He said as he pointed up to the paddock. On one of the railings, they could see a pair of saddles resting, and by the looks of the gleam of the leather, they seemed freshly made. "I don't know if we have the time for it right now, but I figured I should make known the possibility."

"You can ride them?!" Her tone clearly one of surprise in the face of the idea that she hadn't even thought was possible. "I would've never thought you could do something like that. I mean, with them being big on being treated equally and all." She said, sitting back down on her knees and following Amen's pointed finger up to the saddles. "I would certainly love to try as long as it doesn't hurt them or anything..." She trailed off, "But you might be right about the time constraints. As clumsy as I am, it might take a few tries before I can ever sit on it properly." She said with a slight chuckle before her smile softened. "Every moment with you has been exciting in its own way. From when we first met to even now, you've always shown me and offered to show new experience after new experience for better or for worse. If you keep it up I worry that I might run out of things on my bucket list before I even hit my thirties." She tested, scooting closer to him, hopping with her knees until she was all but on top of him. "Sometimes it's just nice to be together like this, you know?" She continued, leaning her head against his chest and letting out a sigh of relief. "Sometimes just something like this, a moment of calm, is all you need to sweep a girl off her feet."