There are powers the eye cannot see… yet they subdue all who enter their reach without a single sword being raised.
The hours passed slowly,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw6LdFTpY4
as if time itself had paused to watch them,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgca71IpYpZ
hesitating before allowing the next step to be born.
Aram and those with him remained folded within the mountains,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PjUEfzl27
moving only as caution demanded,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2JvWZsDzS
waiting for two pieces of news that would decide the fate of everything that remained:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSHEEOyIIM
Seraph…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBayPlZIfks
and Siyar.
The waiting was heavier than any clash.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzlPD4bOCH
In battle, you know where to strike.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUESD3Amgr
Here…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzJ7PxnlbT
the blow could come from nothing.
Yet no one sat idle.
Each person reviewed their tools,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEsZpCdAbm
their skills,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXysNN5S3U
their limits.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUhyHHUFRn
Because the smallest detail27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmQre8AiCp
could mean the difference between salvation and massacre.
Aram sat with Nehram and Ghaylas leader of the freed Ghouls27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexgU5se8wB
in the shadow of a broad rock,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDntl3KdWZl
speaking in low voices,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8r0qGLN30
neither softening the danger27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz24dovsfZd
nor disguising its edge.
Nehram said in a tone Aram was not used to hearing from him:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevqW5N2see
“Do not underestimate Ronen…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQeANWcfVF
nor Naher.”
He paused,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BNwkt2WLX
then added, as though placing a stone at the heart of the matter:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGyxbPaq6r
“Naher is no ordinary djinn.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvjUCFCmi7
He is the bearer of the Aura.”
Aram lifted his head at once.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoMTnW5Dtq
“The Aura?”
Nehram answered slowly:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2a6WY1o1eB
“Naher can create a field around himself…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9tq7sLhGN
a wide aura.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpMXuS4xUd
Any djinn who enters it27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGg8pcVm744
loses their will.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKsFd9gFOX
They cannot harm him,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzT5ersew8
nor disobey a command he issues.”
A heavy silence followed.
Ghaylas spoke in his rough voice:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIdDhYZHZZ
“Even we…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7rRtkw7Pl
must be careful.”
Only then did Aram understand that the coming confrontation27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFh2SHy3GQ
would not be merely a clash of blades,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMJTougZj0
nor the breaking of sigils,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3muzIXQ2I
but a war of wills.
And whoever broke first… would lose.
After a brief arrangement,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnybTrKTtV
they decided to move closer to Saba,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQqCkLSrau
without entering it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMcKtahMMS
Close enough to see,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTDktEVBfJ
far enough to stay alive.
Leading them was that strange creature27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKN6GVWE3r
that had not left them since the Valley of Fire.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5GHl0Fnp8
Its form resembled a dog,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0Hk4I6XS7
but in its eyes lived an awareness the soul could not mistake.
Aram watched it and said:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTchKhihAJM
“It cannot remain without a name.”
The creature approached,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPcNbSE9PY
touched the ground with its claws,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwrjnO2Mhv
and released a low sound like a whisper.
Nehram said:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmE7zDpVuu
“From the lineage of the ancient guides…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVJlJFCU3Z
its name is Rakkan.”
And from that moment,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm59QInQUWG
it was Rakkan.
Rakkan led them to a mountain position27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EXoKYiaJ4
overlooking the palace27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6yNZLIoqh
and the sacrificial square,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOLM0oDpxM
while rocks and dense trees27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaLKvc2rl7
shielded them from every eye.
Nehram pointed to one of the ten elite djinn.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qgZ579dbd
His name was Azmir.
“Seal the area.”
Azmir closed his eyes27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeXee18qFG
and slowly extended his hands.
Within moments,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqZ7fp1E3m
everyone felt the air change.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtE9oNatSD
It grew heavier…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEOAJf6xpU
then calmer.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCVi4OKtOW
As if the mountain itself had held its breath.
A silent aura.
Any approach,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PQiVFzYuF
any hostile intent,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo9q9GrEAJ
would be sensed before it could become action.
They waited until evening.
With the first thread of darkness,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEYOWebg3i
Siyar returned.
He stood before Aram,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKAVczCckp
the borrowed voice fading away,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIhky93ngX
his true voice returning.
He said only one sentence:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VHLqD0KUm
“It is done.”
Then he recounted everything.
He told Ronen and Naher27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5CfigxSPl
that Aram alone had survived,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rgbTdfd5B
that his companions had scattered,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZEHiaDYzh
and that the threat was over.
Ronen laughed according to Siyar27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8kNpXWmD9
and grew complacent.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGXupnpWXb
He immediately began preparing the altar.
The caravan…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3Jrb9SjYF
was close.
Less than an hour later,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBhZ7TPWn0
Seraph returned from the opposite direction.
His face was tense,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyms0tgesV
his eyes carrying no easy news.
“The king is alive,” he said.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9UlgnFBDR
“But the guard has been reinforced.”
Then he added:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzFc2mHvwR
“A deep cell.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXkjRbeibt
A single gate.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbgMsBxB9r
Guarded by Naher’s strongest sentinels.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqfMrr0cKo
No human,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaBFV0XJf9
no djinn,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafyWkm1p0y
reaches it without his consent.”
Aram looked at the faces around him.
He saw no hesitation.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZw5lM9hwW
No fear.
He spoke calmly, decisively,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1zuOHiOh7
drawing two lines in the dirt:
“Then… we split the path.”
He pointed to the first line:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpUAFw1GNj
“A path to the cell.”
Then to the second:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdkjKYhTKp
“And a path to the caravan.”
He raised his head and added:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mCV4L2Wpc
“If either fails…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskMHdsWnxC
everything falls.”
A heavy silence followed.
But no one stepped back.
In that moment,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBL4aMG3gJ
the true plan began to take shape.
One single night27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ep0rY0Fj6
stood between them27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpbcJbDQzY
and the most dangerous gamble they had ever made.
And Saba …27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGp7Qt4Ygd
was holding its breath,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4WfWr6O8K
waiting for the scene27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFATENkxrRq
that would rewrite its history.
and then Add to home screen.