Azlan looked at the large bump on his wife's stomach, she was beaming while cradling the baby within her. Her long, blonde, silky hair shone with health weaved into a long braid down her shoulder. Her white skin shone with a honey toned, highlight in the sun's warm rays that filtered through the vetiver curtained, window. The mud hut was cool and smelled of earth and cows and the faint, fresh scent that passed through the vetiver weed . Azlan could hear the loud bellowing of the herd just outside the yard. He stood and walked out.

Azlan was meeting with Arthizar today. The two were supposed to talk in regards to the foreseen attack that the Anex would for sure launch on the Naut. It was only a matter of time. He kicked a stone into the wet, muddy creek. Staring at his beaten up reflection he was hit with a terrible sense of weakness. His arms were long and thin, his body wry and lacking any muscle definition. His skin had tanned to a brown with all the traveling that he and his wife had done. His hands were rough and almost always shaking. The trauma of losing his tribe would not leave his body. The pain rolled over him, fresh as before.

He couldn't have prevented it even if he knew it was coming. He was lucky to escape with his wife. He heard a cough and looked up to see the powerful man, leader, Arthizar. The man had his full, black curls tied in a knot at the nape of his neck, his tanned skin shone like desert sand captured in ember. His black eyes glinted mischievously as he watched Azlan look him up and down. He was naked save the loincloth around his ripped waist. Now that Azlan truly looked at the chief, it was clear that he was a bull of a man. He grinned widely and said in his smooth voice, "Horses are ready. Are you?"

"I've never ridden."

"Well then now will be your first. Let's round those ladies." Azlan stifled his laugh as he walked with Arthizar to the two majestic horses tethered to a post. They were beasts. Standing at nearly ten feet to the shoulder and with bulging muscles, shining with the smooth fur that was only possible with countless grooming sessions. The horses were undauntable as they gazed calmly upon the two men.

Azlan gazed up into the horse's black eyes and saw only trust, using whatever strength he had in his arms he managed to pull his weight over the horse's broad back. Sitting atop the beast all was dwarfed beneath him. The air felt somewhat cleaner and unbreathed. Clicking his tongue as he saw so many other horsemen do he nudged the beast to the right to face his friend.

"Never ridden eh?" Arthizar mused smiling.

"Not physically, but I've seen many horsemen in my day." Azlan admitted. "So what are we going to be doing then?"

"Well we are supposed to lead the cows into their other pasture so they don't graze this one down to the bone, but I think we'll just talk a little first. Okay?"

"Mmm'kay." Azlan mumbled in response.

They rode in silence for the first few minutes, speaking of nothing and simply enjoying the feeling of movement and luxury of not using their own energy. Azlan could glimpse mountains up to the north, with nothing but grassland between him and them. The cows were large as well with small nubs as their horns and strange colors for their pelts. Colors such as red and brown and white but also a blue roan, solid black, solid white, and strangely a single, solid, bright red. Red like fire and solid without a trace of any other color.

"She's our special one." Arthizar said at last, he had caught Azlan staring at the beauty for a while, " She was born to solid black and solid white parents." He paused, "strange..." His eyes leveled with the bright, red cow as he continued even slower, "every calf she bore was pure white. Not a trace of any other color. Her calves are nearly old enough to have their own, we are quite curious to see what will become of them as well." Then, turning back to face Azlan, Arthizar began to speak, his low voice was laced with concern as he voiced what had clearly been sitting on him for a while.

"Azlan, I want to unite the scattered tribes around here. I want to unite against the Anex. Before they will end all of us. They should not have the right to rule over us... nor this land. I want to fight. And I need someone like you to help me with it." Azlan was silent. The proposition was enticing, he had every reason to want to act upon his revenge on the Anex. But his mind spoke with wiser knowledge, " It is foolish to think that we can not only unite all the scattered tribes but to unite them against the Anex? When you know their power? When you've seen their strength? When you know the devastation they cause with every step they take? It is lunacy!"

"Not if we find enough forces! Not if we can unite everyone in the lands! Not if we try!" Arthizar replied, and even as Azlan shook his head a part of him too, wanted to act upon his fury. It was so simple. And it had to be done. Relenting slightly, Azlan asked the brave man, "how do you hope to find all the tribes? And who do you plan on sending out?"

"You for one, I plan on Crystal, and Rudy as my advisors and best captains to accompany you." Arthizar announced in confidence.

"My wife -"

"Will be fine." Azlan's jaw was set. He was having a hard time convincing himself out of the idea. He gripped his horse's reins tightly as he gazed outward. Quietly, he spoke, "what you are thinking of, it can be done. But I will only corporate on one condition."

Arthizar's eyes lit up with such excitement and happiness that the drumming of his heart was heard, "Anything!"

" Grant me the position of power beside you once we have the tribes all south. I am the leader of a tribe of ghosts. Give me people to guide. I will not fail you." Arthizar looked at him with the wisdom of a thousand years as he took from his body, the dagger he always kept by his side. A golden sheath, an obsidian blade. So sharp, it required no pressure before it would sink into the skin and flesh. On it was a crest, a single hawk holding a knife between its beak and a bow and arrow clutched in his claws. All above a bull's skull lit on flames. The symbol of the leaders of Naut.

Without words Arthizar handed over half his power to his brother. "Take it brother and gather us. It is time to take a step forward. It is time to reclaim all the lost lives."

I hope all of you enjoyed this chap! I have finished my finals so hopefully I'll free up some more time for writing! Also, this book kinda started out badly and I reallllllllly want to fix it but I'm too lazy so I'll just finish it and then we'll see what ever becomes of it.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also, I have to say thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much to all of you that have voted and commented on my book so far, and even those of you that just read it! (because let's admit it, sometimes we're just in the mood to read and not bother with raising our fingers [i do it tooooo])  

I am super happy whenever I see those numbers go up! Because as writers it is often hard to get motivated to write. I mean it's not a great job ....

...(or so people say)...

And I get some people asking me "so... a writer? What do you actually want to do?" 

To all of you out there "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE!" and my little piece of advice, find something you love and don't wait for anyone to tell you good job. Because before they know it you'll be out there making millions.

I hope ya'll are enjoying the book and let me know what I can do to make this book more spicy for ya.

Also I maybe uploading illustrations that I draw to my book for funzies!

Let me know if you guys want pictures of the main characters.... I found a few great ones online! 

LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! 

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For reading/voting/commenting

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