"Ah, you're back. Didn't you go there in higher numbers?" asked the Stormer.
"Good observation... The sorcerer is dead, now to your help," Marcus said insulted.
"Oh, that's great. Well, we can give you our research and our weapons," said one of the Stormers.
"And that's it? That's all?" Enric asked.
“Our explosives are the strongest in the world. Besides, we can provide you with firearms."
"What about some fighters?" Marcus asked.
"That we cannot," answered Stormer.
"And why is that?" Enric asked incredulously.
"We need our warriors for our own defence."
“To defend against what? Another sorcerer?" Marcus shook his head uncomprehendingly.
"No, from humans... of the desert. They can strike anytime, waiting for the moment when we will be weakened," replied Stormer and looked at the horizon.
"Hmm... So we'll go to the "desert people" and try to persuade them," Enric laughed. "Just take care of our knight who will come back after he buries his brother," Enric added.
"Alright, we'll send some of our fighters with you," Stormer told him.
"Thank you," Marcus replied.
"Do you know it even there Silvia?" Enric asked.
"I... I can't go there Enric."
"And why? Are you afraid of them? Or sand? We'll protect you,” Enric assured her.
"I really shouldn't go there you know..."
"But we need you, we'll be lost somewhere without you, and we won't come back," Enric persisted.
"All right, I'll go," Silvia decided to go west into the desert with them.
After hours of wandering around the mountains and deserts, they stopped for a moment.
"Nothing but a desert is far away. Are you sure someone lives here?" Marcus asked. "Absolutely," Stormer replied to him.
Prince Enric studied the desert, a creature dressed in rags in the colour of sand, hood and face mask emerged from the sand. Enric drew his sword. "What in the Saints names are you?"
"Do I look like a dwarf?" the creature asked.
"Well... no, I don't know," Enric replied in confusion, and the whole group came to him, Silvia was holding back behind the others.
"That's one of the desert people!"
"Ah, so you little rats hired mercenaries on us!"
"You desert worms! How you dare..." Stormer was interrupted by Enric.
"We are not mercenaries, don't you know the prince of the Empire?"
"I don't know, and I never needed it for my life."
"We came to find help against the Dark Ones," Enric told him.
"Dark Ones? So they came... Well, come with me, but watch those goblins!" the man exclaimed and led them through the desert.
They reached the cave. "The dwarves will stay here!" the man ordered, Marcus nodded and entered the cave without the Stormers.
There was a large camp in the cave and to the group’s surprise, there were many people seen around. Apart from their rather curious looks, they were not different from the people of the Empire. A man led them to their leader in a big tent, Marcus was waiting in front of the tent.
"What do you want from an old man?" a tired-looking elderly man with a wooden foot and numerous scars kindly asked them.
"I am prince Enric of the Empire, I have come to ask you for help against the Dark Ones."
“I am Rangor, the king of those you know as desert people. Why should we help the Empire? Doesn't it make it through alone like all your wars?"
"King Rangor, this is different the Dark Ones are going to control the world! They will not settle just with the Empire,” Enric demanded.
"Long ago, it would have disturbed me, boy, but now we have nothing that anyone might want. Who would want to control a desolate desert?"
"Well, at least promise me you won't attack the Stormers, we need their help too," Enric replied in disappointment.
"Our truce is not an ideal one, young prince, but we will not be the ones who break it."
"That'll have to be enough for us..." Enric bowed his head and walked slowly back, Silvia with a scarf over her mouth, put her hand over Enric's shoulder. "It doesn't matter, Enric, let's leave," she said in a low voice and they were about to leave when the king stopped them. "Wait! The voice... Come closer, girl, don't be shy."
Silvie hid behind Enric.
"Please, I just want to see your eyes," the king demanded.
Silvia came in front of Enric.
"Those eyes... Why do you have that scarf girl? Are you afraid?"
Silvia pulled the scarf from her face. The king's eyes gleamed with tears.
"Sil! That's impossible. My dear Sil!" The king almost began to cry and plunged to embrace Silvia, and Prince Enric stared uncomprehendingly.
"Sil?" Enric wondered.
"Oh, boy, you brought me my daughter!" the King embraced Enric.
"Your... daughter?" Enric was still in amazement.
"Silveria, what's your boy wondering? Didn't you tell him?" the king asked.
"Father... He's not my boy and no, I didn't," Silvia replied.
"Don't you want to explain something to me...?" Enric pointed on himself.
"Hihi... oh, I'll leave you alone for a while, I have to tell everyone!" The king ran out of the tent and began to yell.
"I... My name is Silveria Irondore, I... Forgive me, I lied."
"But why? You could have said that already in the Thunder Hills."
"I did not know how would they take me here after the disaster, my father said that I'll become a woman of whoever who would help our people... I ran away," Sil wept and Enric hugged her.
"Thank you En..." Sil said, and Marcus entered the tent.
"Eh, what's going on in here... Oh, forgive me, I didn't want to, I just... somebody ran out of the tent and started screaming about some Silveria, I'm just if you're okay..."
"It's alright, Marcus, she is Silveria, and the man is the local king," Enric replied.
"Um... so she...?"
"She is a princess, yes," Enric added. Marcus came out of the tent in amazement.
"Forgive me, what disaster did you talk about?" Enric asked.
"That will take some time..." Silverie was interrupted by one of the desert people entering the tent. “It's true, by the sacred well! Uh... the others want to see you, my lady."
"I..." Sil said, and Enric cut her off. "Go, just go."
Sil came out of the tent in front of the whole desert nation, all bowed down to her. The Stormers were sent home to pass the message about peace. In the evening there was a banquet around the great fire. The king sat on his throne and beside him, on the lesser throne sat Sil.
After a moment she rose and went to sit on the bench with Enric and his guard.
"So you're not an elf..." Enric thought.
"You thought well. I probably owe you answers," Said Sil.
"We have all night, you can start telling," said Enric.
“When I was seven years old, the whole landscape was dotted with colourful greenery, greenery and trees where you looked. It was a paradise... But all the good must end someday. It was in my seven years when the war began, the war with those who now call themselves Stormers. They really used to call themselves dwarves before, but now they hate the word, maybe they regret it. The new dwarven king, Stonehammer, could not settle with the Thunder Hills, and our joy was a thorn in his eye. He wanted our land for himself, and that started everything. The dwarves began looting our villages, murdering our people and cattle. My father stood up against them, he paid a big price for it, he lost his leg in the fighting, but despite that my mother could not convince him to stay in the second line, he always had to lead his men into battle. After long fights and heavy losses, we eventually drove the dwarves into retreat. But Stonehammer refused to accept it.
Unfortunately, our largest river, Goldriver, has its source in the Thunder Hills. Stonehammer decided to poison the spring. The whole country began to die off, as did the people of the villages who noticed too late what was happening. Angorn, our capital, whose ruins lie southwest of us, was fed from another river, and a large well in the middle of the city began to be nicknamed sacred because it was one of the few uninfected. When Stonehammer clued in that our capital was still standing, he ordered his wizards to send on us a massive vortex that turned everything into dust and sand. Most of his wizards are said to have died of exhaustion. Stonehammer was overthrown by dwarven rebels, who began to call themselves Stormers and my father made a fragile peace with them.
Poisoning has already faded out of the water, but the forest will never emerge from the desert again. So, when I was twelve, my father promised my hand to anyone who would help our country. I didn't want to risk having to merry a dwarf, I mean Stormer, even though they are different, I fled to the Ashnaton Forest where I was raised and trained. You already know the rest."
"What about your mother?" Enric asked.
"Father said that she died of grief as she watched our country die, others that she drank from the village well, and died of poisoning."
"I am so sorry."
"We shouldn't think of this as long as we have something to eat and drink, Goldriver flows under us, we bring water from there," Sil said.
"And where are the pigs on the spit from?" said overeating Marcus.
"These are desert worms, surprisingly tasty, aren't they? Our chefs are the best in the industry." Sil smiled and returned to her father.
"Desert... worms," Marcus recoiled.
Enric shrugged and began to eat.
All night they all rejoiced, ate and drank.
ns 15.158.61.7da2
