"Look at him, just look at him," said Vleda as he pointed at the painting. "It's like someone kicked his dog, or took away his favorite fruit ice on a hot summer day."

A roar of laughter from the Khanians as they shouted in agreement. They lined the upper castles of the War Kaylon, and hooted and howled like wild animals, even as an ominous violet plume rose from the rock they called 'Coffin Island' in the background.

"..or a child whose doll was taken away," shouted a particularly ugly flat faced horselord.

"Aye, you could just feel the sadness oozing from those poor drooping eyes and that quivering upturned lip," chuckled Vleda to another roar of laughter.

Prince Javindar took all their verbal slings and insults, such was the burden of the Prince and Bey of Ghatta. Their jests were small trivial things compared to the truce he had brokered. A truce based on a common enemy, a rightful cause, and of course the painting he had commissioned after that big golden Asura stole the Baroness from under his protection.

It wasn't much to look at really. It was simply a portrait of himself sitting on a chair with a sad expression on his face, though Javindar was quite impressed at the morose look the artist captured, especially in the eyes.

The painting was supposed to be penance for his failure. An artistic reminder of how low he felt after his defeat, something physical for him to behold, to remind him that no matter how powerful you might think you are, no matter how great of a holy warrior of Puranas you claim to be, that there were some villain greater than you, in this case a Golden Destroyer Asura. He originally wanted it in his private chambers so he could gaze on it with disdain, or perhaps have Nahbob spit on it occasionally ( since that was not a noble thing for himself to engage in), instead now it was in the possession of his greatest rival in payment for the Black Scroll that was purloined from him.

"Our plans to storm Coffin Island is almost at the ready, " said Admiral Edmund, giving Javindar a much needed respite from the laughter. His flotilla of galleys and galleons were no match for the Khanian War Kaylons but Javindar thought their sailors were probably more suited for any naval action than the horseless horse warriors.

Javindar was surprised that the old Admiral came so swiftly to his side, and that he was willing to commit his fleet to fight some fool tale about Black Scrolls, Asuras, and some ancient wound on the world. Nahbob mentioned that the Admiral was a worldly man, besides travelling to Vinraj he had dealt with this sort of demonic nonsense before. Javindar was more surprised that he himself believed all of Rintaxia and Aurumgar's babblings, but there was something in his heart that knew they spoke the truth. She might look like a simple militia girl, but there was some noble countenance about her. Coffin island was the end of his quest. The rescue of the Baroness, the recovery of the Black Scrolls, and even the destruction of the Asurian hordes would all end here at this place. Afterwards he can devote his time to find Whelp, and either wed her or properly bury her.

As Javindar considered the consequences of the assault that would soon come, there came a mighty gasp from both the Grommers, Khanians, and even the Ghatians as they all pointed to the sky. The Prince looked up and saw the sun slowly being swallowed by a great black void. A natural enough occurrence, but it provided a suitably grim background to Coffin island as the violet smoke increased as great winged creatures poured forth from the smoke and began circling it.

"Rahu's day!"

"An eclipse!"

"The end of the world!"

Javindar turned to Nahbob, he was not amused. 'I thought the next eclipse would not be for at least a month."

Nahbob bowed and shook his head profusely. "I cannot explain this. The..the royal astrologers had proclaimed it. They are never wrong."

Javindar thought he was done slapping his servant, but he was tempted at that moment. Nahbob could sense that and cringed in anticipation.

"You fool, " laughed Vleda. "You do justice to your portrait. Your ignorance truly reveals itself. Even I, a son of a barbarian knows that Rahu days or eclipses are different depending on where you are in the world. My father told me it was something about the vastness of the world, and how the moons and sun interact."

Admiral Edmund nodded. "Aye, he is correct. I've sailed the seas long enough to know that an eclipse is generally localized, although to quite a vast area. Sometimes as large as a continent."

Javindar was confused. Though the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Last Rahu day was in Vinraj, this current Rahu day is in Grom. That would explain why the Asurians weren't attempting to open this wound or portal or whatever it was elsewhere from where the Vinraji host was. In someways this made it easier, but in others more difficult.

"This is all very interesting, but all is lost now," said Aurumgar shaking his head. "We are too late, their scroll has been used and the gate is opened. I can sense the horde spilling out even as we have speak."

"But…they only have one scroll!" said Javindar.

"Aye, one is sufficient when the stars are right. Did they not unleash a horde of Asura on your own kingdom with just one scroll? Only your Holy Sampada's magic managed to seal them. Sadly, we do not have a holy woman or a holy shrine of that caliber to seal them. Any direct assault will meet only with ruin now."

Grommers, Khanians, and Ghattians all murmured in dismay. They numbered in the thousands, but what were their numbers against a horde of Demons and Asura defending an island. A island assault was difficult enough against humans or other conventional foes, but it would be suicide against a supernatural one.

Javindar felt his heart dropped. His spirit was laid low so much he wanted another portrait taken. He had faced the horde before, but he was on horse, with the Royal Ghattian Legion behind him, and the Holy Temple above him. This was completely different, a rag tag group of sailors and horselords, assaulting an island billowing violet smoke, mostly garrisoned by an army of demons.

"I will go, " said Rintaxia breaking the uneasy silence. "I've ran from my fate for too long, and this is the first time in a millennia that I can do something about it. If an army cannot assault the island, maybe one woman can slip past their defenses."

Martin staggered out of the shadows, bottle in hand. He looked around before taking a deep swig. Javindar had thought he might have fallen overboard earlier. "Well, if she's going I'm …hic….going. She's like my girlfriend, wife, …hic…., designated carriage driver or something, " He did a drunken twirl, putting his back toward Vleda as he faced Javindar. He then bowed towards the Bey, revealing a blade and two scrolls. All three radiated a dire darkness, before he slipped them back unseen.

"If I have my lord's permission, I wish to accompany Rina and her….champion," asked Aurumgar bowing low to Vleda. The barbarian prince waved dismissively at the man in yellow , signalling him to depart if he must.

"I wish to go too my lord," stammered Nahbob. "It is my fault we misjudged the eclipse, let me redeem myself by putting an end to this menace, or at least die trying. Even if it means leaving your side."

Javindar shook his head at his servant, much to Nahbob's dismay. "Nay, you shall not leave my side. I require you to attend my needs, even if that means leading this expedition myself."

Admiral Edmund decided that the combined fleets would wait in a perimeter around the island, containing any demons that attempted to leave while Javindar, Nahbob, Aurumgar, Rintaxia, and Martin assaulted the island. The reasoning was that their small group would slip past the Asura's defenses where a larger army would fail. If and most likely when they failed, hopefully the Royal Adventurers, the Knights of the North, the Archmage Surry, or oddly enough the Lower Lueder's militia would arrive to put an end to this.

Bey Javindar had not heard of half of them, and had doubts about all of them. As he flew to the island on Aurumgar's carpet, he was ready to meet his destiny now, whether he was ready or not. Still before he began the greatest chapter of his life, he had one thing left do.

"Oww!" cried Nahbob as he rubbed his head where the Prince smacked him. "A thousand pardons sir, but what transgression did I perform to deserve that."

"That's for upstaging me," said the Prince as they neared 'Coffin Island', the island of standing stones.