There was intense heat. And burning. His eyes hurt. With a start, Ronark realized it was the sun that was the source of his discomfort. Collecting his racing thoughts, he began to probe his immediate surroundings Knight gold, searching for what he expected to be some sick prison. But there were no walls, no traps. Nothing was amiss… except a cool void that seemed to absorb his flows of power.

Flat on his back, Ronark let his head fall over so he could face the source of the void. A dark figure, even in the noonday sun, sat cooly observing him. A moment later, the figure rose smoothly and stepped toward him, offering a hand. A gravelly voice thick with an unfamiliar accent said, “Come. There is much to be done. You may enjoy this.”

The hand was rough, stronger than he had expected, and it easily lifted him to his feet. The dark stranger muttered something under his breath, and to his interest a blurry mist surround the two of them…. And then he felt the bone-shaking impacts of catapult shells hammering the walls of El Morad Castle. The dark stranger turned toward the shimmering expanse of Karus warriors marching toward the walls and in a quiet voice said knight noah, “So it has come to this.”

“Akara has been doing what has been expressly forbid by Logos. She has actively engaged in killing so she can manipulate the released flows of life. Her actions have so weakened the bonds of this world that I have sensed it even from as far as my lands. Should she be successful today I suspect there will be little even Logos can do to prevent the unraveling of the very fabric of existence that is Carnac.”

“If you have had grievance against Akara, may I suggest you harness that rage. You shall be in need of it. Akara is not the petty goddess you have experienced. She has grown very much in power, and she is drunk with it. Today we fight not merely for your people. Today we fight for all of Carnac.”

Then Ronark noticed his dark companion had been steadily drawing power into a shimmering globe between his hands. And with a touch from his gauntleted finger a thick crimson ribbon began weaving its way to the center, but before he could figure out what it was, his friend spun and hurled it out over the wall at the oncoming Karus army.

Ronark knew he and his dark companion could occupy Akara Knight gold, but the combined rage of all Karus focused on the final destruction of El Morad would require monumental courage to repel. He wished he could be with his knights in that first, explosive clash when the battle lines closed. Before he could dwell any longer on these thoughts, Akara unleashed the full fury of a storm focused entirely at him. Confident and determined as he appeared, there was a still lingering doubt if his beloved Carnac could be saved.