Iron-Hold Fortress ki tabahi ke baad ki subah ne Astrum ke uttar (North) mein ek nayi thandak paida kar di thi. Kaelen Vance ne Elara ki chitthi ko mutthi mein bhinch liya tha. Uske dimaag mein ek hi baat ghum rahi thi—Marriage. Void Cult ne na sirf rajneeti par kabza kiya tha, balki wo Elara ki shaktiyon ko uske khoon ke zariye haasil karna chahte the.
"Kaelen, humein nikalna hoga. Agar royal guards yahan pahunche aur unhone tumhe is haal mein dekha, toh wo sawal nahi pochenge, seedha gardan kaat denge," Liora ne kaha, uska chehra ab bhi thaka hua tha par uski aankhon mein dridh nishchay (determination) tha.
Kaelen ne apne bikhre hue silver baalon ko piche kiya. Uska badan abhi bhi dard se karah raha tha, lekin uski aankhein kisi purane shikari ki tarah tez thi. "Hum raste se nahi jayenge, Liora. Royal guards ne saare mukhya (main) raaste block kar diye honge. Hum Grey-Stone Canyon ke raaste jayenge."
"Lekin wahan toh 'Black-Market' ke mercenaries aur dakuon ka kabza hai!" Liora chounk gayi.
"Wahi toh humein chahiye," Kaelen ne ek gehri muskurahat ke saath kaha. "Ek bhaga hua criminal akele jung nahi jeet sakta. Humein ek aisi fauj chahiye jiski wafaadari (loyalty) sone se nahi, balki khauf aur taqat se judi ho."
The Grey-Stone Canyon
Do din ke safar ke baad, wo dono Grey-Stone Canyon ke muhane par khade the. Yeh jagah kanoon ki pahunch se bahar thi. Yahan wo log rehte the jinhe samaj ne nikaal diya tha—desh-nikala diye gaye yoddha, bhage hue jadugar, aur khatarnak mercenaries.
Jaise hi wo canyon ke andar dakhil hue, unhe darjanon aankhon ne andhere se ghurte hue mehsus kiya. Achanak, unke raaste mein panch bade yoddha aa khade hue. Unka leader ek Vishal aadmi tha jiske chehre par ek bada sa nishaan tha, aur uske hath mein ek bhari-bharkam kulhadi (axe) thi.
"Ruko wahin, baccho," wo aadmi garja. "Yeh jagah khelne ki nahi hai. Tumhare paas jo bhi sona aur hathiyar hai, yahan chodd do aur shayad main tumhein zinda jane doon."
Liora ne apni staff uthayi, lekin Kaelen ne apna hath uske aage kar diya.
"Tumhara naam kya hai, yoddha?" Kaelen ne aage badhte hue pucha. Uska lehja aisa tha jaise wo kisi daku se nahi, balki apne kisi purane sipahi se baat kar raha ho.
"Log mujhe Garreth the Butcher kehte hain. Aur tum kaun ho? Kisi noble ke bigde hue bete lagte ho," Garreth ne haste hue kaha. Uske sathi bhi hansne lage.
Kaelen ne dheere se apna silver mana release kiya. Is baar wo koi bada dhamaka nahi tha, balki ek thandi aur dabav (pressure) paida karne wali shakti thi. Canyon ki hawa achanak bhari ho gayi. Garreth ki hansi uske gale mein hi atak gayi. Uska sharir apne aap jhukne laga, jaise kisi ne uske kandhon par pahad rakh diya ho.
"Mera naam Kaelen Vance hai," Kaelen ne uske kareeb ja kar kaha. "Main wahi hoon jiske liye tumhare King ne do hazaar sone ke sikko ka inam rakha hai. Lekin main yahan tumhe apna sona dene nahi aaya... main tumhe ek mauka dene aaya hoon."
Garreth ne paseene se tar-batar hokar pucha, "Kaun sa... mauka?"
"Mere saath judne ka. Astrum ke un nobles ke khilaf ladne ka jo tumhein kutton ki tarah samajhte hain. Mere saath aao, aur main tumhein wo taqat doonga jo tumne sapno mein bhi nahi sochi hogi. Inkaar karo, aur tumhara naam aaj is canyon ki mitti mein mil jayega."
Garreth ne Kaelen ki aankhon mein dekha. Usne wahan ek 17 saal ke ladke ko nahi, balki ek aise samrat (emperor) ko dekha jo maut ke piche se laut kar aaya ho. Usne apni kulhadi niche rakh di aur ek ghutne par baith gaya. Uske sathi bhi hairat mein wahi karne lage.
"Hum mercenaries hain, humein sirf taqat se matlab hai," Garreth ne kaha. "Agar aap humein dikha sakte hain ki aap mein humein lead karne ki kabliyat hai, toh hamari talwarein aapki hain."
The First Training of the Renegades
Kaelen ne waqt zaya nahi kiya. Usne canyon mein maujood lagbhag 50 mercenaries ko ikatha kiya. Ye log majboot toh the, lekin unki magic aur fighting technique bilkul bikhari hui thi.
"Tum sab ko lagta hai ki tum ladna jaante ho?" Kaelen ne unke beech ghumte hue kaha. "Tum sirf danga karna jaante ho. Void Cult ki fauj ke samne tum makkhiyon ki tarah mare jaoge. Aaj se, tumhari training shuru hoti hai."
Kaelen ne unhe 'Ancient Soldier's Breath' sikhana shuru kiya. Yeh ek aisi technique thi jo kam mana wale logo ko bhi apni sharirik shakti ka 100% use karne mein madad karti thi. Liora ne unhe defensive magic ke basics sikhaye.
Raat ke waqt, jab sab so rahe the, Kaelen akele ek chattan par baitha tha. Uska hath ab bhi kap-kapa raha tha. 'Star-Shatter Zenith' use karne ka nishaan uske soul par ab bhi tha.
"Tum apne aap ko bahut zyada push kar rahe ho," Liora ne uske paas aate hue kaha, uske hath mein ek garam soup ka bowl tha.
"Waqt nahi hai, Liora," Kaelen ne aasmaan ki taraf dekhte hue kaha. "Elara ki shadi mein sirf 20 din bache hain. Humein yahan se nikal kar capital tak pahunchna hai, raaste mein aane wali royal checkposts ko todna hai, aur phir us 'Prophet' se ladna hai."
"Tumhe lagta hai ye 50 log kafi honge?" Liora ne pucha.
"Nahi. Yeh toh sirf shuruat hai. Hum raste mein har us shahar se guzrenge jahan log King se pareshan hain. Hum ek chingaari lagayenge, Liora. Aur jab tak hum capital pahunchenge, wo chingaari ek aag ban chuki hogi."
The Prophet's Shadow
Usi waqt, Astrum ke capital mein, ek andhere kamre mein Prince Julian khada tha. Lekin uski aankhein ab puri tarah violet (baingani) ho chuki thi. Uske samne ek aadmi baitha tha jiska chehra ek sone ke mask se dhaka hua tha. Yeh 'The Prophet' tha.
"Mera Lord, Kaelen Vance Iron-Hold se bach nikla hai," Julian ne ek machine ki tarah kaha. "Usne Malphas ko hara diya."
Prophet ne ek halki hansi chhodi. "Malphas ek purana mohra (pawn) tha. Use harana Kaelen ke liye zaroori tha taaki uska garv (pride) badhe. Use aane do. Use lagne do ki wo ek rebel leader hai. Wo jitne log ikatha karega, mere liye unki bali (sacrifice) dena utna hi aasaan hoga."
Prophet ne ek chota sa crystal uthaya jisme Elara ki tasveer dikh rahi thi. "Princess ki shadi hamare naye devta ke janam ka rasta banegi. Kaelen Vance ko lagta hai ki wo timeline badal raha hai... par wo wahi kar raha hai jo maine chaha hai."
The Rebellion Ignites
Agli subah, Kaelen ne apni choti si fauj ke saath canyon chodd diya. Unka pehla target tha North-Gate Outpost, jahan Royal Army ne unka rasta roka hua tha.
Jab Kaelen apni ghodi par sawar hokar aage badha, uske piche 50 yoddha ek sur mein chale. Unke hathiyar ab silver mana se halka sa chamak rahe the—Kaelen ne unke weapons ko thoda sa 'enhance' kar diya tha.
Outpost ke guards ne jab ek ladke ko apni taraf aate dekha, toh unhone hasi udaayi. "Ruk jao! Yeh Royal area hai! Apne kutton ko lekar piche hat jao!"
Kaelen ne apni talwar Ghost-Biter nikaali. Uska silver aura itna tez tha ki din ki roshni mein bhi wo chamak raha tha.
"Main Kaelen Vance hoon, Astrum ka sachha rakshak," usne garaj kar kaha. "Jo log mere saath hain, wo zinda rahenge. Jo Void ke saath hain, wo aaj hi marenge!"
Usne ek ishara kiya aur Garreth ne apne yoddhaon ke saath dhawa bol diya. Yeh koi ladayi nahi thi, yeh ek katleaam (slaughter) tha. Kaelen ne khud ek bhi guards ko nahi maara, wo seedha outpost ke commander ke paas pahuncha aur use ek hi mukke mein behosh kar diya.
"Is outpost ka sara anaj (grain) aur hathiyar garibon mein baant do," Kaelen ne hukum diya. "Aur logon ko batao... Silver Lion laut aaya hai."
Shaam tak, yeh khabar jungle ki aag ki tarah aas-paas ke gaon mein phail gayi. Wo log jo saalon se tax aur zulm seh rahe the, unhe ek umeed ki kiran dikhi. Har ghar se ek beta nikal kar Kaelen ki fauj mein shamil hone laga.
Kaelen ne dur capital ki taraf dekha, jahan suraj dhal raha tha. Main aa raha hoon, Elara. Aur is baar, main poore takht (throne) ko ukhad phenkoonga.