"We've important news to share with you all." Despite how he estimated a number of maybe three hundred soldiers in the enormous cave, Gregor thought he'd hear a pin drop as Ripred raised his voice.

He exchanged a glance with Mareth and Perdita to his left, and sensed Ruvin behind him. Ripred had used the time to call together the Captains and asked them to assemble as many soldiers as they possibly could, without informing Solovet. They all had exchanged concerned looks, yet surprisingly, nobody had asked why she was not to be invited. That and Thanatos had gone out to patrol for intruders, and keep an eye on Ajax.

"Or actually", Ripred stepped aside and a collective murmur went through the assembly, "she has."

"Queen Luxa...", sounded a number of aghast voices. "It is the queen... has Solovet not claimed she was lost?"

"Solovet indeed has", spoke Luxa, and the cave fell silent in an instant. Countless eyes gazed at them, some with fear and worry, some with new-found hope. "Yet Solovet can not be trusted."

An uproar went through the assembly and a nervous shiver ran down Gregor's spine. Hadn't Ripred said they shouldn't publicly announce Solovet's betrayal to avoid inner conflict?

"Now I know this may come as a surprise to most of you", Ripred stepped at Luxa's side, "and it is quite the hard lump to swallow, that your own commander's betrayed you. But it was no other than she who attempted to kill your queen here, before so conveniently announcing her passing."

An even louder uproar went through the assembly, now Gregor mostly saw desperation and disbelief.

"I confirm this to be the case", Luxa spoke again, and this time it took longer for the murmur to die down. "I narrowly escaped. Had Ripred and the Death Rider not aided me, both Aurora and I would have been lost."

Gregor inevitably glanced around for Henry and spotted him over with Mareth and the other Captains.

Singular cries could be heard above the collective mumble, cries for an explanation, for what Solovet had planned to achieve. Yet Luxa silenced them as she raised her hand. In brief words she reiterated what Solovet had explained, her disdain with their unwillingness to use the plague to their advantage, how she perceived them accusing her of a crime as betrayal. "She wishes to win this war, but she would eradicate everything in her path mercilessly to do so. Including... you all, as it seems."

Not a single sound could be heard and Gregor's hand he had tightened around the handle of his sword clenched harder.

"But... what are we to do?", a young girl's voice suddenly cried, as she pushed forward between the other soldiers Gregor reckoned she could not be more than one, two years older than he.

"And here is why I stand before you, informing you of this, today." Luxa paced back and forth. "It is time to take action. I will not allow her to drive my army into a hopeless battle. But even though, and I urge you to take this seriously, we must keep up appearances, not let a word of what has been said today leave this cave – we must also act."

A wave of sudden admiration hit Gregor as he gazed at Luxa. Her clothes were torn and ragged, her face was smeared with dirt, and her braid was on the brim of falling apart, but never had she deserved the crown she still wore more than now. She stood tall among the taller crowd of soldiers, and for the first time she looked like a true queen.

Singular cheers could be heard among the assembly until it all grew into a collective applause. Luxa's name was called, Gregor spotted waving hands, and fresh hope in the countless eyes.

But Luxa didn't smile. "We will make a plan", she suddenly took a step sideways and Gregor perceived a protesting cry as she suddenly dragged Henry away from the Captains. "Or... he will make a plan, because in all honesty, I am utterly horrible at this. He... has a plan... right?"

Henry beside her stiffened. "I... what?" Gregor had barely ever seen him so stumped. "I...", he cleared his throat before regaining composure. He grinned nervously, then smacked Luxa lightly so that she stumbled back. "Ah, of course I do..."

"You are the Death Rider, are you not?" It was the same girl who had spoken before. She was barely taller than Luxa and now gazed up at the outcast with large eyes.

Henry straightened out his back. "So it appears."

The murmur had grown intrigued. Some pointed fingers could be seen, some hushed whispers heard. Yet Gregor spotted not a single disapproving look. Henry's reputation truly preceded him, at this point.

"I...", he exchanged glances with Ripred, "I'll be honest, none of us has a concrete plan." The smiles and excited expressions instantly dropped. Yet before anyone could speak, Henry continued – "But that doesn't mean we can't make a plan." He clapped his hands, "I'll make a plan. But first I must know what I am working with, then proceed from there. Have any of you a map?"

Mareth stepped forward and spread the same map Solovet had used on the large table. Both Henry and Luxa positioned themselves before it, the rest assembled around the table as best they could. Gregor barely pushed through to have a spot at the front, next to him he recognized Perdita and Ruvin. Ripred remained behind Henry and Luxa.

"Okay", the outcast tapped the map, after Mareth had briefly reiterated what Solovet had announced. "This I can work with." He fixated the map for a moment, then snapped his fingers in glee. "That's brilliant, actually. There won't even be any need to disobey Solovet's command. We will but expand her plan a little. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book." He scattered the familiar colorful pyramids on the table. "See, for as much as this system of tunnels requires us to split up our forces, it also requires the gnawers to split up theirs. Instead of keeping them out of the tunnels as Solovet said, you do the opposite." He moved the respective pyramids into the three tunnels and out of the central cave, where the rats camped, entirely.

"We... lure them away, to take them out in groups", Perdita muttered and a collective whisper ran through the assembly.

"Precisely", Henry tapped the map, then leaned over it and hesitated, before placing three red pyramids in the next larger caves each of the tunnels mounded in, in the direction away from the rat's camp. "You each respectively lure them to the next cave, in order to retain your maneuverability, then take them out. For as long as we split them, we should be golden."

"But... what if they recognize our plan and retreat back to their camp?", Ruvin pointed at the map pensively.

"That's a fair concern, but it shouldn't be a problem." Henry glanced around, as though he was looking for someone. "As, we should not be alone in this battle. Except... and this is somewhat awkward, as our allies aren't here yet, so...", he nudged Ripred, "where are they? Weren't they supposed to be here already?"

"Who?", asked Perdita and Henry sighed. "The renegade gnawer forces formerly assembled by Whitespur. Lapblood and Splintleg are rallying them up, they should've arrived already. Do you know what is holding them up, Ripred?"

A quiet murmur went through the assembly and now Gregor spotted mostly hostile faces. "We are to fight at the side of gnawers?", a soldier scoffed, "Are they not who we fight against, in this war?"

"Not those gnawers", Luxa shook her head, "they do not follow the Bane. They wish to dethrone and eliminate him as much as you all."

"And then what?" To Gregor's surprise, it was the girl again. "Once this war is over, once the Bane is dead, they will be our enemy again, won't they? So why should we help them – to kill one tyrant, only for them to replace him with a second one?" Collective cheers could be heard yet Gregor saw Henry's and Luxa's furrowed brows.

"Who says that?" All gazes were on Ripred when he suddenly spoke. Gregor had barely ever seen him so grimly determined. He regarded the assembly with an unreadable gaze, then sighed. "It is hard, I know, to put aside so deep-running animosity. But the lad here knows what he is doing. Is a victory not worth jumping over your shadows once?"

"It certainly is." All gazes darted over to where the new voice had come from, and Gregor barely prevented himself from jumping to catch a glimpse. But Luxa and Henry instantly pushed through the crowd towards the entrance to the cave anyway, and when he spotted two familiar shapes carrying a large barrel, Gregor smiled.

"And to cement your upcoming victory further", Teslas tapped the barrel, "we have a little something of our own here for you."

Henry leaped to inspect it and when he had finally gotten the lid off, he let out a triumphant cry. "Guys I LOVE YOU! Oh, have you any idea what you have done?"

"Our duty", smiled Miravet and patted Teslas' shoulder. "We thought you could use something for back-up."

"You saved many lives today", Henry grinned, then singlehandedly picked up the barrel and placed it on the table with a loud thud. "Alright, fess up. How many of you have ever dreamed of wielding a flaming sword?"

Throughout Henry's presentation, the whole room gazed at him with unconcealed admiration. He had asked for Mareth's sword and broke one of the hundreds of ignifer pellets the barrel held on it, then ignited it before the unbelieving eyes of the soldiers.

"Now, it only burns for about fifteen minutes so we wasted this one here. But I presume you have more than enough, right?" Teslas nodded and Henry's grin returned. "I suggest we evenly split this lot into three and let the Captains handle the distribution. You okay with that?"

Mareth, Perdita, and Ruvin all exchanged looks. "More than okay", Ruvin grinned, "Now this is a guaranteed victory. The gnawers will not know what hit them."

"Quite right", nodded Perdita. "May I... hold that for a second?"

While Perdita swung Mareth's burning sword with intrigue, Andromeda suddenly fluttered down from where she had hung with the other bats on the ceiling above their heads. "What of... Solovet?"

"Hm?" Henry looked up from the barrel and the bat tilted her head. "What if she asks how we received these? Or why she was overlooked?"

Miravet stepped between Henry and Perdita, "Teslas and I are here on her own request. So we will tell her the truth, of course. Merely that we were unable to distribute these before her departure."

"Good plan", Henry nodded and gazed at her for a moment. "We... haven't met yet, have we?"

She looked him up and down with narrowed eyes, her mouth opened, then her gaze locked on the hand he used to support himself on the table. Miravet blinked, and though Gregor couldn't properly make out her expression, a nervous shiver suddenly ran down his spine.

"Perhaps we haven't... though perhaps we have." Faster than he could pull away she suddenly had him by the wrist of his right hand. Henry jerked back but her grip was firm. Gregor took a step forward as a terrible premonition hit him, but Miravet undauntedly spoke – "It was... eleven years ago, it must be..." Her thumb brushed a spot on the back of his hand. "You snuck back into the armory after all others had gone, to return that sword you had secretly borrowed. But not because you were afraid to be lectured, no..."

Nearly all murmur had died down now, the cave was grave still. Luxa's expression was frozen fear, yet it paled before that of Henry.

"Because you had hurt yourself on it, and you could not bear for anyone to see you cry. You had bled all over the floor, so I found you where you had hidden in the closet." She carefully raised her hand that still held his. "As I treated your wound, you begged me to keep it a secret. For them not to find out you had been clumsy with a weapon. Solovet would scold you, you said. And I..."

"... and you promised", mumbled Henry. His voice was numb. "Though you have broken your promise now."

Miravet firmly held her gaze on him, though Henry could no longer hold it. "The Death Rider, you call him?", she spoke louder, "This is most curious. For, as a child, he spoke of nothing more passionately than wanting to be that Death Rider."

Luxa had woken from her daze and pushed through, opened her mouth to stop her, yet she wasn't fast enough.

"It seems as though we have a visitor from the grave today. Before us, if I am not gravely mistaken, stands no other than Prince Henry of Regalia."

The murmur that ran through the crowd was shocked and unbelieving more than hostile, Gregor registered somewhere at the back of his consciousness. Hadn't he instinctively clung to Mareth he would have collapsed.

Henry stumbled a step back. His hand latched onto Luxa's arm who stepped forth. "Quiet!", she called, and the room fell still. Though it wasn't a serene type of silence. The gazes were once more cold, once more questioning, unapologetic.

"Has she just said...", Mareth meant to approach, but couldn't, with Gregor clinging to his arm. His desperate gaze urged the Captain to stay.

"Have you not announced to us Prince Henry is dead?" It was the girl again, she leaned on the table almost exactly across from Gregor, and despite her accusing tone, her hand trembled.

Luxa pressed her lips together. "I have never said such a thing. The council spread this lie to...", she hesitated and when she couldn't continue, to Gregor's surprise, it was Henry who spoke. Gregor shivered from the cold numbness in his voice. "To not sully the reputation of the royal family, or so we assume, for they meant not to expose one of their own had conspired with the gnawers. It is as despicable as it sounds."

This time there was an audible uproar. Gregor sensed the hostility like a spear through his own heart. He squinted and fought valiantly to not scream at the top of his lungs. Over the last weeks, he had seen Henry be treated unfairly and disdainful so much he thought he couldn't bear any more.

"Conspired...", Mareth released a mortified gasp, and Gregor's grip on his arm tightened.

"What by all means is..."

"STOP!" Gregor barely registered it was he who cried. With strength he hadn't known he possessed he pushed Mareth aside and soon stood between Henry and the hostile crowd. "Will you all STOP!"

Grave silence.

Gregor forced a shaky breath out of his lungs. But before he could speak, Luxa had his arm. "You have... heard correctly. He has, at the time, conspired behind our backs with Gorger. But for as far as we all should be concerned, that lies in the past."

"So that... is why you never came back to Regalia", Miravet exhaled. "I... she blinked, "I would recognize the crescent shape of that scar among thousands. I all but wondered why you..."

"Because I would've been executed for treason. You all happy now?" Henry released Luxa and nearly ran into Ripred as he stumbled back. "It's..."

"It hardly matters now." All eyes darted to Ripred who had Henry's shoulder before he could run. "You've spent two years in exile at this point, on top of that, so many of Regalia's most prominent folk owe you their lives. If you tell them how you've conspired with Gorger, why won't you tell them you saved Gregor the Great Warrior over the waterway? All here know the story of your guiding the quest through the Vineyard. Do they also know you've slain Longclaw, who'd have risen to be the next gnawer tyrant they all fear so? Or how you've protected these kids in the Firelands? How you've...", he shot Henry a pensive glare, "saved... my life, as I was rotting away in that pit. You meant to make up for something there, didn't you?"

"He speaks the truth", Luxa stepped at Henry's side also. Somewhere behind them dropped Ares and Aurora, finally. "He...", she suddenly gazed back at Gregor, "I have found that... people are never all good or bad. I'd like any of you who lives free of regrets to raise their hand now."

Nobody raised any hands, yet nobody spoke either.

"You have... lied to us." It was finally Ruvin who broke the silence. "You and the whole royal lot."

"Luxa had nothing to do with that!" Gregor leaped forward to position himself by her and Henry. He gazed at her once, then nodded. Nobody had ever told him they had kept Henry's betrayal a secret, but for as disappointing as the council's performance at the issue with the nibblers had been, he was little surprised. "She didn't know they didn't tell you."

"None of us knew." Aurora twitched as she addressed the crowd. Ares remained behind her, which Gregor couldn't really blame him for.

"Is... that so..." Mareth heaved himself forward on his crutch until he stood before them. He looked back and forth between Luxa and Henry. "So... you have... been alive all this time. You have conspired with Gorger, you have somehow wound up alive, and then became the Death Rider who aided our quests, protected our queen."

Henry held his unreadable stare. "So it appears."

A few heartbeats later Gregor winced back as Mareth caught Henry in a tight hug. "You crazy bastard, I always knew you were destined for more."

Henry's eye widened and he helplessly stood there for a second, before he at last returned the hug. "Me too."

A wide smile spread on Gregor's face as he sensed Mareth had broken the palpable tension. He contently watched Henry be surrounded by people, and nearly overwhelmed by questions.

"This is all fair...", Perdita suddenly cut the excited murmur, "and it is quite the reveal, but... it is not the purpose of this meeting." She gazed directly at Henry. "For, even if we succeed this time, if Solovet has betrayed us, how can we ever fight on in this war?"

Henry's somewhat relaxed expression hardened again. "That is what I can not answer, I'm afraid." He gazed back at Miravet who had been joint with Teslas again, who held up one of the stashed breastplates, pointing at something. "But you must never lose hope." He exchanged a glance with Luxa, then stepped forward. "Listen, I mean for those of you who still distrust me to disregard my person for a moment. I do not expect you to forgive me, nor to listen to me for who I am. I'm not a prince, and this is not an attempt to regain your loyalty. It is war. So I urge you to listen to pragmatism, at least."

The room had fallen dead silent. Gregor eyed Henry from the corner of his eye and despite his claim, he found for the first time in forever he actually seemed like a prince again. Or maybe... Gregor squinted, like a leader.

"You are battered, confused, and you feel betrayed." His voice was calm yet in the still cave it rang like a gong. "But we all here, who have assembled today, fight for the same cause, do we not? You say", he placed a hand on Perdita's shoulder, "that you feel lost without a trustworthy commander. Yet an army is not their commander. For whatever Solovet has and will still do, you have no part in it. And you are not obligated to follow her if she so desperately seeks to drive herself into ruin. So don't lose hope. It is perhaps the worst fate that could meet us. We will win this battle, and we will win this war, with or without her. We have a plan, we have our secret weapon", he regarded the ignifer-barrel, "and we have – you have each other. And for all that's worth, know that Luxa, Ripred, and... and I too, will always stand with you. So I figure we have all we need."

His words were followed by a moment of silence, then there sounded a collective murmur. It quickly grew into a cheer, and Gregor raised both his hands alongside Mareth and Perdita at his side to applaud.

"Well said. Couldn't have phrased it better, had I wanted to."

All cheering instantly turned into hostile cries as a new voice suddenly spoke, from the far entrance to the cave. Gregor stood on his tiptoes and barely made out the shapes of two rats leaning in the entrance.

Around him he even spotted a few drawn blades, yet before he could get hold of his own sword, he was interrupted by Ripred – "Ah, the reinforcements arrive at last." Only then he recognized the newcomers as the two he had seen at Whitespur's side, when she had mocked the Bane. Lapblood's peachy shape, and he could have sworn the other guy was Splintleg.

"Lower your blades, they are Whitespur's allies!" Henry leaped over the table at the two rats. Only then he realized he had not the power to command anyone.

"Do as he says", Luxa nodded and she, Henry, and Ripred approached the newcomers together.

"So, what is this mess here?", asked Splintleg in Ripred's direction. "Are you the one in charge now? Because I certainly am not."

Ripred paused, then glanced at Henry. "I... supposed so...", he muttered though he didn't seem pleased. "Are you –"

"Alright but in that case...", Splintleg stepped forth, "I mean, for as unbroken as my loyalty to Whitespur was, why in the world should we trust YOU to lead us?"

His words were followed by silence.

"Ripred, I know you mean well, but do you honestly see yourself fit for this?", Lapblood shook her head. "We came here to pay respect to Whitespur, but we..."

"Have you all lost your minds?!" Everyone winced as Henry leaped forth, between Splintleg and Ripred. "Will you abandon our cause for the death of your commander? Is this not exactly what I said you –"

"Hey, leave it be", Ruvin emerged from the confused, still somewhat hostile crowd. "We do not need the gnawers anyway. We have your flaming substance, and we have a plan. Without everything else we can do." He threw Splintleg a somewhat disapproving glance.

Gregor looked back and forth between the Captains and the rats, across each other, and anger suddenly overcame him at the sight of their hostility. Had they still not gotten over themselves?

But before he could speak, Henry beat him to it – "Are you all serious? Truly, honestly serious?" He glared around at the silent assembly, then scoffed. "So, you are meaning to tell me", he pointed his finger at the rats, then at the humans, "that you fight for the same cause. To liberate your species, to dethrone a tyrant, yet you are not willing to do it together, for the sole reason your damn pride has something against it?" He paused and Gregor sensed his contempt from all the way over where he stood. "What do you think Whitespur would say, were she here now?"

Splintleg and Lapblood winced.

"And you... he turned to the assembly of soldiers, then spread his arms. "I have a question for you." He took a step at Ruvin, then put his hands to his hips. "What is it that you joined the army for?"

Silence. Gregor's fist clenched, his mind reeled. He knew what he was fighting for. But none of them had probably ever been asked this.

Confused murmur arose indeed, occasional head-shaking. Henry gazed at them all with so much contempt Gregor was surprised he didn't see physical electric discharge. "You", he finally ran out of patience and dragged one of them out of the crowd. It was the same teenage girl who had raised her voice multiple times before. "What's your name?"

She retreated beneath his icy stare, then looked away. "... Kiara."

"Kiara", he put his hand to his hips. "What is it that you joined this wretched army for, Kiara?"

"I... I wanted to... to help protect my people, my city", she finally mumbled and Henry nodded. "To protect... to retain... Is that your collective answer?"

Many nodded. Some looked away, like in shame.

"To... protect", Henry shook his head, "to retain... to", he glanced back at Ripred, "to make peace. Is that why YOU ARE ALL HERE?!"

More nodding. "For me, it has always been about peace", Mareth spoke from behind. Perdita supported him as he made his way forward.

"About peace", Henry nodded. "About peace. Then why", he gesticulated at the rats, "are you even asking questions like what will be after we slay the Bane? Why is it so hard for you all to finally let go off that ridiculous prejudice?" His jaw clenched, and as he took in he was losing them, he, without further ado, suddenly leaped up onto the large table. Everyone closeby winced back but Henry disregarded them. "We heard the Bane speak in the Firelands!", he called, "He said there is not enough room in the Underland, for humans and gnawers. Do you wish for him TO BE RIGHT?"

It was only then when Gregor heard the first cries of protest.

"That's right!", Henry raised his arm. "Would you like to know why it was I worked with Gorger, at the time? Well, it had selfish reasons too, but what they promised me, above all else, was to at last make peace between our species, once and for all."

The murmur around them sounded bewildered. Nobody had expected that, even Gregor barely recalled Henry's motive at the time.

"It is a waste of energy, of resource, of many, many lives. All who died in this ridiculous conflict we will never regain. Most of my own family, most of Luxa's family, they all fell in a pointless dispute. I am going to go on a whim there will hardly be a person in this room who hasn't lost anyone to this conflict yet. So would you really proliferate it? Would you not grasp the single shot you are being offered to work side by side, to lay the ground for a following era of peace? For, I know I certainly am."

A warm, tingly feeling suddenly rose in Gregor and when he gazed up at Henry on the table, overlooking the assembly, with his rough outcast-attire, the frightening array of weapons and scars... he suddenly thanked heaven and earth he had lived to be here now.

"So... will it be you who will lead then, lad?"

All gazes locked on Ripred who stared up at Henry with an unreadable but somehow almost... proud look. Hadn't he fully and truly deserved it, Gregor thought he could almost be jealous.

Henry twitched. "I... I mean, I am still an outcast, and –"

"And, don't you think that fact alone is laughable, at this point?" The outcast winced back when Luxa suddenly scrambled up onto the table beside him. "You...", she regarded him with a long gaze, then shook her head and proudly raised her chin. "Please respond truthfully, are you he who was formerly known as Prince Henry of Regalia, and have you conspired with former gnawer monarch Gorger to make peace between our species, only to be betrayed and left for dead by him?"

Henry frowned confusedly, but after short hesitation, he nodded. "I have."

"And are you also he who we know as the Death Rider, the heroic outcast who has saved our all lives, guided and protected us many times?"

Once more Henry gave a cautious "Yes...?"

Luxa took a deep breath, and suddenly Gregor guessed what she meant to do. For a moment her reveal how Henry had disclosed he didn't want to return to the city even if pardoned flashed before him and he hesitated, but then a smile spread on his face regardless. Luxa didn't make the decision for him, after all. She only gave him a choice.

She place one hand on her own chest, the other on Henry's shoulder. "Then I, Queen Luxa of Regalia, hereby declare you pardoned for your admitted crimes and revoke your status as outcast. From this day forward you will take your place in our midst, where you have proven you belong. So is my edict as queen."

A moment of shocked silence filled the room, before the assembly broke into hesitant, then exhilarated cheers. Gregor clapped as vigorously as they all, he didn't even bother combatting the enormous grin.

The only one who did not cheer was Henry. "You're... mad", he muttered, though even he couldn't suppress a smile. "You don't even officially have that power yet, do you?"

"Oh, officiality, what's that going to do?", Luxa chirped and clung to his arm, "The council will be held responsible for their lie regardless. Their reputation can hardly be saved. I doubt they will go against my will."

After the cheering had died down some, Henry released Luxa and glanced around again. "Well, if that is what you all want", he sighed, "so be it."

"So... you will lead us, then?" It was Kiara who spoke. Not a trace of hostility or fear remained on her face, only admiration.

"Lead...?", Henry shook his head, "in what sense? I wholeheartedly promise to do anything in my power to aid, now and forever, but I already told you, this isn't about following your leader. Not in this case."

"But an army needs a commander", Kiara shook her head.

"He is already more of a leader than Solovet has been, in recent times", Mareth beside him mumbled and Gregor clenched his jaw. His fist tightened around the hilt of his sword and a swell of frustration hit him suddenly. "I mean, I don't know about you, but he's the only commander I will follow, in this war." Only when he had all attention Gregor realized it was he who had spoken.

Luxa's gaze hovered on him for a moment, then she turned back to Henry. "Gregor speaks the truth. He is the commander we have been following in this war, and the only one I will ever trust with this role."

"The commander...", Perdita sounded from Mareth's side, "is that not still Solovet, technically?"

"Actually, so much as a third of the army can, when there is a valid reason, push a no-confidence-vote against an untrustworthy commander", spoke Ruvin and Henry shook his head. "I mean, I –"

He froze in his tracks when he spotted Luxa draw her blade. For a moment she hesitated, then determinately rammed the tip into the table she still stood on. Then she sank to one knee.

The room remained perfectly still for a heartbeat, before both Mareth and Perdita, then Ruvin, all drew their blades to follow Luxa's example. When Mareth had somehow maneuvered himself down to his one good knee, Gregor discerned it had to be some kind of ritual. He hastily pulled his own sword out and did as they all though he had no idea what was going on.

Heartbeats later the cave sounded with the distinct clinking of hundreds of drawn, iron blades. Gregor caught a glimpse at Henry's bewildered expression, then the cave fell silent again.

"The people have spoken", Luxa disrupted the almost ceremonious quiet. "Will you accept?"

Henry took a step back and barely caught himself before he would have fallen off the table. His gaze wandered over the assembly, they all knelt in the same manner as Luxa now. Then he clutched and drew his own blade and his mouth hesitantly opened –

"In war... in peace, in flame, in strife... To guide, to lead, I pledge my life. To my last breath I shall defend...", the hand with the sword raised above their heads. "Here I stand, at your command."

Gregor had never heard the words but judging by the ecstatic cheers that followed, it must mean something special. He cautiously sheathed his sword and helped Mareth up as best he could.

"What... what have we missed?" The voice seemed familiar and Gregor just about spotted Thanatos and Nike appear in the entrance to the cave, gazing over Henry on the table and the kneeling assembly with bewilderment.

"Well, well, well, well." Gregor twitched around as he had almost forgotten Ripred was there. "What's the game plan, Lord Commander?"