Jonathan sat at his desk reading report after report of some nameless person or persons that has seized control of the Carthaki Empire, a week after reading the first of these letters one of George's spies reported back the same thing: A nameless person had sparked fear and gained control of Carthak the only piece of information that was different and not basically the same as the other reports was that Kaddar and his wife had disappeared of he face of the earth no one had seen them since their last public meeting a few weeks ago.
Someone knocked on the door, 'Come in." Jonathan called not looking up from his work, "We've received another one Jon." George's voice clearly stated.
A note fluttered down on top of one of Jonathan's reports attracting his attention, "What's this?" He asked holding the note up.
"Another report about 'The Nameless One' this time in the Copper Isles." George replied.
"Gods! This 'Nameless One' isn't wasting anytime, where did you get that name from anyway?" Jonathan asked.
"It's in the report, apparently 'The Nameless One' is what the person who's controlling all of this conquering shall we call it? Likes to be called by the public, mind you the only thing that name is doing is sparking more fear and uncertainty."
George said worried about his daughter Aly.
Entonio was happy: he had seized what generations of fighting had created and half the countries on his 'list', he couldn't believe how easy it was: just start rumours and systematically kill off a few people, threaten the rest and create confusion about your identity, create a name that people fear to mention because they don't know anything about what they are talking about.
He even like the name 'Nameless One' it gave himself a new dimension that he had never thought to create or explore the possibilities of.
The next country on his list was a place called 'the Copper Isles' and once again would he use the same ruthless techniques that had granted him control of Carthak and a seaport town called Tyra.
Aly moved as quickly as the chains attached to her legs permitted, apparently her chain gang that included most of the higher palace staff, had to witness something and Aly's gut told her it could only be bad.
As the group past the dock Aly realized what they were going to see: an Example but the question remained who?
The people in the chain gang along with herself were put in a line facing the wooden posts where Examples were showed standing next to the pole was a figure with a linen bag on their head, a man stood next to the figure with brown curly hair and brown eyes was saying something in a flowing language to a man with brown-black eyes and light brown hair, "Honestly Toparg." Entonio said to Toparg knowing that no one but a few of the soldiers and Toparg could understand him, "Killing the savages queen will put them in their place, I heard from one of my 'recruited' spies that this is what they do to worn others that may do the same." Toparg knew what his general had meant by 'recruited' his personal soldiers found a rich merchant and tortured him for information, Entonio motioned to Toparg it was the signal for him to show who was under the linen bag, he removed it and a gasp went up from the crowd.
Aly's stomach sank and sank till it went no further; they were going to kill Dovasary the first Kyprish queen in over a hundred years.
Dove was scared and gagged, in all her years no one had told her that they were going to make an Example out of her and then actually do it, she tried moving her hands but to no avail: they were tied as with her feet.
Entonio said in a clear voice in the language common to these lands, "This is a warning to all those who try to rule without my permission or establish any kind of order other the one I have set, this is you fate." He said in Ilyarian to Toparg and the soldiers, "Burn her."
Toparg obeyed, pushing Dove to the edge of on of the poles he untied her arms the forcefully pushed her against the pole and tied her arms then gave the same treatment to her legs it making sure she had very little movement, before pulling away he whispered to her, "I'm sorry." Dove couldn't respond due to the fabric inside her mouth.
Ilyarian soldiers put wood at the base of the wooden pole making it larger and larger to the pile of wood was up to Dove's chest.
Once again Entonio switched to the common dialect, "Burn her!" almost all in the crowd cried out before being silenced by the threat of the soldiers gloved hands and large broadswords.
The guards and Toparg lit their torches and threw them on the pile of wood, it went up with a roar, Dove started screaming as the flames started licking at her feet.
Aly strained at her chains then jumped forward trying to save her, a guard noticed and beat Aly to the ground using his dagger hilt, the screams continued they lingered for a while longer as Dove was fully consumed, Aly had tears in her eyes from both the beating and seeing the queen that she had put so much effort into putting on the throne burnt at the steak.
El're sat and leaned or pulled as he was being told by the captain Hanath, over the last few weeks he had been on the Mangrove he had gained bulk, muscles from the hard work and plain but nourishing food and learned how to steer a ship using a tiller despite the difference in languages between El're and the Captain and the rest of the crew.
El're had in a few weeks learnt the basic commands for using the tiller from watching the captain and the response from the previous tiller worker, repeated the command, studied the response for that command.
When El're's skills were put to the test he generally did the correct thing we he didn't the Captain screamed and shouted then the professional tiller worker corrected the course and showed El're what he had done wrong, repeated the command, the general direction of were it was suppose to go with the command and at the end of each week El're had a firmer grasp on the common language of the country were they were going that took El're a week to pronounce correctly: Tortall.
"Lean-to!" Hanath commanded, El're leaned and the few of the sailors on board that was resting or eating braced themselves for the turbulence that followed that command.
El're smiled as he remembered the reaction of the crew when he rode down to the harbour on a pony-sized carnivore: they screamed and shouted "Lion! Giant lion! With steel teeth and claws!" only the captain had been to Cyprus before and had reassured the crew that it was tamed and wouldn't hurt anyone that didn't hurt its master.
A roar sounded from below the deck, El're checked the sun and saw that it was time to feed his gigantic pet, looking around for the tiller worker he spotted him rubbing tired eyes and carefully walked between the rowers and sat on the opposite side of him and griped the tiller, "My...turn." He spoke carefully in Cyprusese, El're let go, nodded at him telling him silently that he understood and went to feed his hungry pet.
The had been at sea for two months and from what he understood of the language the crew and Captain mainly spoke in, that they were a few days travel away from a place called Cor-us.
El're was sleeping in his small cabin thinking about the country he had left behind, memories of the dead and the soldier hacking his sister to pieces still gave him nightmares and dreams of his family being forced to work in mines in some dark corner of the world.
"Land-ho!" a sailor called, El're clambered up from his bed and past his pet that took up most of the floor and ran up the wooden stairs to see a large expanse of land dotted with towns and a major city that he later found out was called port Legann.
"Oi!" the man at the tiller called, El're turned around and saw that he was gesturing that it was his turn to steer the ship.
Taking the tiller he found that he could still see the city looming ever closer, getting more detailed more vibrant than his home city Lat'pu could ever be, pushing the tiller as the Captain commanded he steered the boat in the cove and tied it as he entered the docks, the rowers stop rowing and the Captain had the crew get their stuff and meeting him at the harbour master's house for their pay, he looked at El're and said in Cyprusese, "You may stay with me."
El're chose to stay, he went down stairs gathered up his hard-won clothes and dagger, woke Leopold, saddled him and put his armour in his saddle bags: he didn't want to look like he was going to try to take over this new country single-handed.
Hanath guided him to the harbour master's lodge trying to tell El're that these people had never seen a Panthera before and neither did himself before he sunk his ship on the nearby reefs then had to work to get a new one.
The lodge was more of an inn were people sailors met and collected their pay, El're tied Leopold at the front next to a now fidgety war-horse.
He entered with Hanath by his side, the place was confusing: too much smoke, people talking loudly some laughing others drunk and the rest gambling or waiting for their previous Captains to give them their pay.
Hanath paid the sailors and El're and took El're outside and told him as best as he could that he had to go to the Pirate's Swoop and he was welcomed to come along, El're agreed not knowing anyone else at this strange but wonderfully new country were it was from what El're had seen of it mostly flat where as his was mountainous and hilly.
El're rode upon Leopold, whilst Hanath rode a dappled-grey mare that had taken a liking to El're and his mount, Lee or Leopold.
On the way to the Pirate's Swoop El're knew that his life had changed ever since he blew the warning call of sea invaders and wished he could have prevented that from occurring he mourned his sister, his family his whole life that he had left behind in Cyprus, Lee's growling made El're look around he saw what he didn't want to see: bandits, "Guard yourself." Hanath said withdrawing his sword.
"Wait there's no need for this!' El're whispered to Hanath, "Lee roar!" he commanded, Leopold stopped looked at the wannabe bandits and let out an ear –splitting roar that pretty much shook the earth, sending birds flying, the bandits horses went wild bucking and there was little they could do to stop it besides turning and running away all chose that option even the ones that had been bucked of their mounts; all were afraid of the giant carnivore with steel plated teeth and claws.
"Handy trick." Hanath commented after a few minutes of complete silence.
They arrived at Pirate's Swoop with no problems and word of the pony-sized lion that had appeared at Port Legann had somehow leaked to the Pirate's swoop.
The crowds were both awed and frightened; they wanted to touch Leopold to see if he was real but none were game enough to see if the shiny stuff on his teeth and claws were steel.
Alanna sat on a chair peering out the window trying to see into the Copper Isles to see if her daughter was alive and who was causing all this trouble, a servant shook Alanna's shoulder gently, "Excuse me miss, but a man and a strange boy are hear to see Lord George." Alanna looked at her, "Show them in.," she said finally, wondering who they were.
El're and Hanath stood waiting for someone to receive them, a lady with purple eyes asked them who they were Hanath replied but El're didn't understand, when Alanna repeated the question, Hanath told her that he didn't understand and asked El're in Cyprusese the question, he nodded in understanding but hesitated and still didn't say anything as he looked away and tears came unbidden to his eyes.
Alanna felt concerned for him and instead asked him his name, this time El're responded, "El're." This was the first time either Alanna or Hanath heard his name and Hanath thought he misheard it because from what he knew of the Cyprus dialect and it was enough, Hanath thought El're said, "The sun." but it was his name, Alanna looked at him as he mouthed 'the sun' over and over again.
"Translate.' Alanna said convinced what El're had said was anything else but a name.
"Uh...he said his name: El're roughly translated from what I know of Cyprusese his name means 'the sun'.'
"Cypr-...what?" Alanna said mot understanding then Alanna made a connection... 'The Nameless One' spoke a different language perhaps this boy knows who he is or maybe he's a spy. Alanna thought it over.
"Sigh-prus." Hanath repeated, Alanna said it over and over again till she got it.
"So he's from Cyprus?" Alanna asked looking at El're interest, why doesn't he want to tell me that he's from Cyprus? Alanna wondered. Where is Cyprus anyway?