As the light swallowed the darkness of night, the caravan wrapped the facilities and headed down to the border wall where the gate was.
Ryan galloped forward, he found a familiar face who was ordering some riders.
"Commander Black!" Ryan called his name.
Dismounting the horse, he led the way to him.
"Ryan! You arrived a week earlier than the plan?" He patted on his shoulder.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be on the west gate?"
"Overseeing this one, the Alovenian natives had been saying that they heard screech last night."
"We didn't see anything, but the imps show up in full moon and heavy air, don't they?"
The commander nodded, his eyes grasped the woman who was approaching, her head and face were concealed under her scarf.
He bowed his head for her, "this lady must be your wife," he paused, letting her get close enough.
"I am glad to see you again, commander Dorian."
She removed the scarf on her face.
"Lady Saya! It was..."
"Who told you about my marriage?"
"All people know but they used to say it was a lady from Bead! I am amazed now." He turned to the woman, "it is nice to see you, milady! I am sorry for your father."
"I appreciate you, commander! We are going to talk to my cousin."
"Yes, I know! Lord James sent me a letter. They must be on the way by now."
"It will take too much for them to arrive. We traveled a week."
Ryan notified.
"Yes, please do your best to convince them. They must let us investigate in this land and find the house of imps."
Dorian implored as recently he had lost many men during the attacks.
"Please don't worry, this is a beneficial deal for both sides."
Dorian didn't want to slay more time as these people needed the daylight to travel ahead in safety.
"Open the gate." He commanded his men. His eyes scanned the men that Saya and Ryan brought, he felt relief, these men were born to be great warriors.
"We will come back to you soon."
Ryan noted, saddling up his horse.
"Commander, I told fifty men to stay with you." Saya directed to the men who galloped away and separated from the queue.
"This is fantastic milady. I'll make sure they remain safe."
She bowed her head and yanked the horse flanks with her legs.
Riding ahead they crossed the border of Velator. Hours later, in the dusky scene, the rain began and the sky thundered but they didn't stop until reaching the gates of Jomen, the second great city of Alovena. It was around three more days to reach capital but for now, having a roof above their heads was more logical in this chaotic air.
The guards stopped them, Saya rode ahead and showed her ring, removing the scarf. The guard snorted, did really Bead become this poor to choose a woman as a leader? He thought.
"I must confirm that with our head."
Saya gritted her teeth, checking that matter was just an insult, weren't they the people who sent her a notice, begging for aid.
She drew out her sword on his neck, the guards bared the steels, and Ryan jumped down grabbed one on the neck.
"Dare to touch her, and I'll make sure your graves will be unrecognizable." Ryan spouted out, his whole existent flamed in rage. How dare they welcome the people who came to help them, like this?
"..." The guards just seeped in astonishment. This man was a Velatorian.
"Stop!"
A deep hoarse voice yelled from backward.
"Put down your weapons."
He ordered and the guards obeyed, he was wearing a gray wolf coat, his head was lonely, glinting by the light that the lanterns and torches on the walls of the arc had given rise to.
The architecture of this land was the same as Bead but people were way nosier and here, the decency definition was entirely different.
"Fihad, What a coincidence!"
Saya dismounted and Hashin followed.
Ryan pushed the man in his hand away and stood beside his wife.
"Who is this guy?"
Fihad asked, the bulky man had a tan masculine body.
"My husband, Ryan James, son of Lord Miguel James."
Ryan barely could understand them, in a short time Rohan taught him some words but he needed a long time to learn everything.
"Ryan, this is Fihad, my second cousin and the war minister of Alovena!"
Ryan cringed, he had heard of this man, his feature was like the myth that people used to make behind him. Dorian said that he could have smashed down an imp that had taken him up and cut it to half if it weren't a huge absurd saying. Imaging everything in his head, despite this man and many other excellent warriors Alovena yet could not overcome the imps? Why? Why didn't they pick the swords to fight? What did scare them? Hiding and praying to gods wasn't a good ideology to survive those bloodsuckers, they needed to fight besides keeping their prayer and hope.
"This kid is your husband? I thought you might have picked a more manly one this time."
Saya frowned, he didn't mean himself, did he? He was twenty-two years old but as if a giant had grown!
He better takes someone in his own size!
"No time for a joke! I expected my Alovenaian family to come to my father's funeral but I didn't see even a single individual."
She clenched her fits that were behind her now.
"You know our situation, my brother is not in a good state of mind. I'm here to fight the imps with my own logic, not his order."
"Well, here isn't that decent to speak over the problems, I'm here to help!"
She pointed to her big caravan that came with weapons and goods.
"You are welcomed."
He paced away while glaring at Ryan and his men followed, opening the gate's path for her. Ryan wished that this giant wouldn't challenge him to what Hashin indicated.
Entering the city, eyes rolled on the arrivals, despite the rain the folk were outside, near the fire buckets, they were dragging weeds and its smoke streamed out.. Patrols were marching around, and on the walls, watchers were keeping eyes on the sky.