Out of the red canyon to the north west sat the golden bridge, a formation of rocks coming together from one ridge to the other and passing up over the drop of Umarofik.

  "Why is it called the drop of Umarofik?" His daughter asked as she paced her camel next to his amidst the Torag caravan, her hair pulled back into tangles and softly brushing against her dark skin as the high wind blew against them from the far east, cooling down the touch of the desert sun.

  "Umarofik was a mighty god once, his name left forgotten, he committed the worst crime of the divine, he fornicated with a mortal woman, one of his own creation... And for that, his fellow divines casted him down here in a mighty battle." Roegan explained then gestured down the edge of the rock bridge and into the abyss beyond.

  "But his love was too great to the mortal woman, he survived but being near death he ended up turning mortal like her… He climbed up from the bottom to the top to reunite with his loved one." Roegan added, his camel knocking over a hunch of crunched rocks, the rocks descended down the drop and their once yellow brownish color merged with the blackness of the hole.

  "What happened then?" She asked.

  "I do not know, It is but a story though, the pride of our gods would not allow them to do such a thing." He told her, knowing that even if the story was to be truth, there would not be a happy ending, such as all tales where gods and prophecies come into play, he did not dwell on it, instead he pointed ahead at the far end of the bridge and said. " Past there we will be back into our lands, the south western borders. "

  "The Emerald canyon. " Her eyes glimmered.

  He nodded and smiled lightly. "Yes, do you know what the common folk call it? "

  "Hope." She answered and soon enough they would see why.

  Once they went past the bridge, they halted at the downward hill and the Torag approached.

  "I take it that you will not go back to your home?" Roegan said suspiciously, knowing that they had no intention to go back yet, he had realized that back at their hidden paradise when they brought camels instead of horses and packed rations more than enough to simply accompany them.

  Their leader chuckled and nodded as he adjusted his Torag adorned sword by the belt and replied. "The council in the city of the Olds gods would find it better in their interest that you are not molested on your way, in hopes to show good faith in your kingdom and a gratitude of ridding us from twisted creatures that once plagued those lands."

  What business does an independent state have with a king of a dying kingdom? A question that crossed Roegan's mind, unless they have the same faith in Asarothians as its own people... Or perhaps, they expect something to happen to Asaroth? Or to them? There was something they knew that he did not, the king did not like that.

  "Your company would be appreciated then, as much as your sword, I hope it has not dulled." Roegan suggested.

  The Torag hazel eyes glimmered as he laughed then answered. "Never, a Torag sword is his life as much as his mind and tongue."

  Down the hill and into the trail marked by the shabby fences and occasional posts, what seemed to be an everlasting yellow and grey began to turn into shades of green every now and then throughout their way, until they reached the Emerald canyon, a deep path standing in-between two lines of cliffs covered in a green flora of plants and ivy that stretched across the rocky walls leaving a trail of a lively color from the forests of Rolivia, at least how he remembered them, if not then certainly the green line in the red marshes... And what he wouldn't give to rule over that land as his ancestors did before.

  "It's... Beautiful, so green." His daughter told him.

  He nodded his head and responded. "This is hope, this is the past and the future, there was a day when Asaroth was covered in this flora, and there will be a day when it will occur again."

  Besides being a great defensive point, standing between the independent state of the Torag, the western Tatar being the regency of Aliria, and the Gyorminsac wasteland where the Wuhrok beasts were destroyed, it was also the cornerstone of fresh water, training grounds for militia in their complex caverns, and a source of edible desert fruit and vegetables where cattle can breed and feed as well, the folk here lived inside and under the cliffs and carved their homes out of it, the path was long and wide enough to handle the population on top of passing caravan or hosts.

  As they marched through, some of the folk stared curiously through the windows of their homes in the cliffs, those in their way moved aside as they bowed in silence, he could almost taste it, that was not respect, it was fear, of course they feared him, the Gahrak war happened near them, in their land, drove them away to the edge of Asaroth and destroyed what they once had, he paid that no heed, he could do nothing on that matter, he looked up the sky where branches of thick ivy and leaves came together to form natural bridges between both ridges and there he could see the sentries watching, they aren't moving, they already knew, another thing that made him rarely visit this place, however beautiful it was, the chieftain who ruled here was not a person to meddle with, even for a king, he only needs to ask about the beast sightings and move on, nothing more or less.

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  Through his thoughts, they reached the other side of the path where a set of three gates blocked the way connected by chains into the cliffs; there was no need for a stop as the gates were rising up the canyon by the chains and the way was prepared.

  It was a clearing where all ridges came together serving as natural barriers, walls and homes, covered in moss, ivy and flora of green and red and purple and above them laid towers of stones, three of them standing on each side and connected to one another via battements and stone walls that stopped any invader from riding up the ridges of the canyon and invading...

  "Your highness, welcome to the emerald fortress." A lady dressed in a dark purple gown fastened upon her hips told them as she bowed alongside her following.

  Roegan stared down at her before gesturing her to stand up then spoke. "Lady Iroha, I see that you took it upon yourself to keep up with my recent travels."

  She stood, almost at his height and stared directly into his eyes with a sly smile as she replied. "Of course your highness, only so I would offer you assistance in your journey, and a warm welcome should you visit... Which you did, with quite the following."

  "Lady Iroha." The young princess said as she stood by her father's side.

  Lady Iroha bowed her head and answered politely. "Young princess, how much you have grown, a near copy of your father, and such beautiful eyes the same as your clan kinsmen... Let me take you to my hall, I assume you tire of the long travels and have questions of your own."

  And you have some of your own, Roegan thought to himself yet still followed up behind her, leaving the Torag camped on the clearing, as for the king and his daughter they were welcomed into a long hall as the guests of honor at the high table, canyon goat horns hung into every one of the sixth pillars that were on each side of the halls lighting the place alongside the bonfire at the center of it, no windows to be seen, for this hall was deep into the canyon walls, and sitting on most of the tables were... Iroha’s children, so many of them, as many as Roegan could not bother to know them by name, nine husbands, three divorced, five dead, one disappeared, and from each she had five daughters, except for the last one who disappeared, for he gave her a son and two twin daughters... And her nickname, the black widow.

  He was feasting quietly as he looked over her daughters at the long tables beneath them, he knew some were not even true born and instead her bastards, the woman was chaotic... And truth be told, it was somewhat his fault, but he could not say that, at least not when he had a family of his own, he sighed heavily and looked over to his side where his daughter was seated next to lady Iroha true born and favorite daughters, seeing his own daughter so well adjusted with others of her same age reminded him that she was still young and full of life, unaware of what the future holds...

  The black widow scooted over on the long bench near Roegan’s side, she set one hand on his arm and whispered to him. "Princess Malynn is quite the lively one, should she ever rule she would be quite the loved queen. "

  "Yemna is my heir." He reminded her sharply.

  She chuckled lightly, perhaps too lightly and answered. "I'm merely complimenting her, my king... You came a long way here, it's been decades since I saw you, visiting my father at his hall just like today... So, what brought you here?"

  "Circumstances, don't play the fool with me Iroha." He responded.

  With the tip of her thumb, she rubbed the grease of her lips and rested an elbow against the table as she leaned forward to him. "You want to know where the rest of the celestials are hibernating, or was it migrating? Just that, and then what? You'll leave again?"

  He glared into her brown eyes and he saw nothing but mischief, anger and ego. If he had it his way he would have never arrived at her fortress, they call her land the hope of Asaroth, Roegan would rather call it the curse of Asaroth because this woman... This damned woman, looking at her was enough to make him sick to the stomach, enough to drive a dagger into her throat, no one knows, except for him and her and still, he needed her again, his stomach had turned as he forced his words to part his lips. "Yes, I will leave when our business concludes, that is what I plan, but what do you intend to do about it... Iroha."

  Her smile faded as she shrugged her shoulders with disinterest, turning her face away she murmured. "I suppose you are not interested in the tidings of Asaroth... My lord king."

  "The tidings of Asaroth...? " His heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean? I command you to tell me what happened. "

  The word command only served to make a filthy breath escape her lips with content, she turned back to him and answered, telling him of what had occurred between Lotara and the rebels, it left him speechless, not that he had never expected a betrayal, more so that he never expected the rebels to have enough courage to do so.

  "The rebel forces called on mercenaries from the Regency of Aliria." The black widow told the king. "They could not pass in the emerald canyon, as the gates in the northern passages were locked at their faces... Instead they are traveling through the Gyorminsac wasteland, I hear word that your cousin Dogar came down from the valleys to block their way, or at least slow them down... But that does not change the fact that the sl— The queen is stranded in her home, surrounded by enemies."

  "And the celestials?" He dared ask, ignoring her tone.

  "Both are together in the Gyorminsac wasteland as well." She informed him. "What was the name of that one hole you and your kin made? "

  "Hell gate." He told her.

  She nodded her head and added. "Yes, there. My outriders said that one of them was... I swear to you, they are the best of my men and they said they saw a dragon... Black as night and something riding on its back... It's the end of times it seems, this is different from the beast we heard you slay, these are calamities and they're right next to us... If they are not dealt with properly, Asaroth will cease to exist. "

  "I agree, Osward will cease to exist. " The king admitted. "But first things first... We ought to deal with those rebels, an unstable Asaroth is an invitation to the Osward empire for invasion... And my wife... Curses on those damn rebels. "

  Everything he worked for, all the pieces that fell in together, he was so close, he would achieve what his ancestors couldn't and he will not let feeble arrogant mortals get in the way of his salvation, his people's salvation, he could feel the bronze cup bend in his hand and the wine leak out of it, his anger rising until he took a deep breath and ordered. "You will mass your forces, black widow. You will split half and send them to the queen's aid and you will ride with me to my cousin's aid with the rest of your men, the traitors and their mercenaries will not leave that wasteland free, they will either leave it in bondage or in meat bags."

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