The Road to Conflict
The journey to the Caleh was not long, but it was uneasy. Maingan rode at the front, his eyes scanning the road ahead. The dream still clung to him like a shadow—his betrayal, the battlefield, and Mariah's golden eyes staring back at him from the darkness.
Jeruca nudged his horse closer. "You've been quiet."
Maingan exhaled slowly. "Thinking."
"Dangerous habit," Jeruca smirked. "Let me guess—you're still rattled by the Queen's little show of favoritism?"
Jason, riding on the other side, chuckled. "Give it up, Jeruca. Maingan's immune to seduction. Even from a queen."
Maingan shook his head. "This isn't about Spadina."
Jeruca gave him a sidelong glance. "Then what is it about?"
Maingan hesitated. His dream, the strange sense of foreboding—it was too much to explain. Instead, he turned his focus forward. "Stay alert. Something feels wrong."
Jeruca sighed dramatically. "It always feels wrong to you."
But Jason's expression hardened. "He's right, though. The road's too quiet."
Behind them, the lower-ranked soldiers exchanged glances, sensing the unease.
An Unexpected Welcome
When they arrived at Caleh, the gates were wide open. No guards challenged them. The banners, though still hanging, looked neglected.
"Strange," Jason muttered. "It's like they want us to walk right in."
Jeruca scoffed. "Maybe they're just eager to hand over the money."
Maingan didn't believe that. He raised a hand, signaling the soldiers to slow their approach.
Inside, the Lord himself stood waiting in the main courtyard of his palace, surrounded by attendants. He greeted them with a polite bow, his face unreadable.
"Lord Maingan," he said smoothly. "We have been expecting you."
Too smooth. Too practiced.
"The Queen requires your due," Maingan stated, voice firm. "I trust you've prepared the payment."
The Lord clasped his hands together, smiling. "Ah, of course. Why don't we discuss it inside?"
Jason and Jeruca stiffened slightly.
Maingan's jaw tightened. "We'll discuss it here."
The Lord's smile faltered just slightly. "If that's what you wish."
A tense silence followed. One of the soldiers shifted uneasily, his hand resting near his weapon. Maingan could feel it—something unseen, waiting just beyond sight.
A Sudden Attack
Then, a sound.
A whisper of steel.
Maingan reacted instantly, drawing his sword just as a bolt of energy shot toward him. He deflected it with a sharp clang, the force pushing him back a step.
The soldiers shouted as figures emerged from the shadows—assassins.
Jeruca cursed, drawing his weapon. "So much for an easy collection!"
Jason already had his sword in hand. "I knew it was too quiet!"
The Lord stepped back, his expression cold. "You should have come inside. Now you'll die outside."
The soldiers clashed with the attackers, the courtyard erupting into chaos. Maingan moved fast, cutting down one of the assassins before spinning to block another strike.
Jeruca fought beside him, a grin despite the danger. "Guess you were right about something feeling wrong!"
Jason parried an attacker, pushing them back. "Less talking, more fighting!"
The Lord slipped away into the estate as his forces swarmed the courtyard.
Maingan gritted his teeth. This wasn't just a refusal to pay. This was an act of war.
"Take them down!" he ordered. "And find that coward!"
The mission was no longer about collecting a debt. It was about survival.
—