Laira approached slowly, still holding her sister. She stared at Jeid, her eyes now dry, and spoke in a voice both hard and brittle like a sliver of granite. "In the north too there is aid for Requiem. The Leatherwing tribe rules there upon Two Skull Mountain. They ride creatures they call pteros—flying beasts with no feathers, their bodies smooth and their snouts long, creatures as large as rocs. For many years, the chieftain of Leatherwing tried to marry his daughter to Chieftain Zerra, to forge an alliance between the two tribes." Laira raised her crooked chin. "I slew Zerra. I am now Chieftain of Goldtusk. I will forge an alliance with Leatherwing and we will fight the southern menace together."

Jeid stared at them all, one by one. His children, Maev and Tanin, who approached with drawn blades. Laira and Issari, grieving sisters. Dorvin and Alina, two newcomers to their kingdom, already as dear to him as the others. A score of others, wanderers come home. They all gathered around, staring, awaiting his words.

I lead them all, Jeid thought. And I must protect them all. I will not let Requiem perish.

He addressed the crowd.

"We've tamed the rocs of Goldtusk, but now a new enemy rises, an enemy more powerful than any we've faced, an enemy that threatens to crush Requiem. And we must leave this place." Murmurs rose from his people, and Jeid spoke louder. "We will not abandon King's Column nor our dream of Requiem, but this is not our battlefield. We must seek aid, and we must strike back against this cruel king who sends forth his evil. Three paths now lie before us. We must split into three groups." He paused for a deep breath. "We must seek more Vir Requis in the west. We must forge an alliance with the Leatherwing tribe in the north. And finally . . ." He turned to stare into Issari's eyes. "We must travel south, place Issari upon Eteer's throne, and command the demons back into the Abyss."

MAEV

 
MAEV

She crossed her arms and spat. "No. I refuse. It's not going to happen."

Her father grumbled and his beard bristled, making him seem even more like a grizzly bear. "You will do this, Maev. I'm not asking you. I'm commanding you. As your king and father."

Maev snorted and turned away from him, thrusting out her bottom lip in defiance. "I obey nobody. And I refuse." She drew her sword. "I fly north with you. I fly to find the Leatherwing tribe, to fight in a great battle, to—"

Jeid grabbed her and spun her back toward him. Rage twisted his face. "Maev, listen to me. We might not have a battle on our hands, only a slaughter. I need you to fly west with Dorvin and Alina. I need you to help them find the Vir Requis said to live there. If there's any hope for Requiem, it lies in finding others."