Duty

Chapter 74 The one you trust

"King Elon thought it best I came to deliver the news in person rather than send it by bird," Byron's expression was grim as he walked the hall next to Darius.

Darius nodded, equally serious. "He thought right. We are currently waiting for a reply from king Marcos from Zeir, but I fear it will only confirm our suspicions."

Byron frowned and momentarily paused his pace. "You knew about this?"

They entered the council room and Darius closed the doors behind them. Here, they wouldn't be overheard and they could talk in private. Darius heaved a sigh. He had wanted to wait with informing king Elon until he had a reply from Zeir, but it seemed Balor was forcing his hand. "We have received information that incriminates some of the lords in Tirèze and Zeir concerning treason. We are in the process of collecting evidence. Torcan has ridden out to Auros in Zeir to exchange information. I was waiting for confirmation before sending word to Lavos. I do not want to involve king Elon unless I am certain of these allegations."

Byron nodded in thought. It was understandable. "King Elon sent me here because we became aware of a large number of Balor warriors marching South from Fis. They have been stationed there for quite some time as your own men can attest to. Recently, the number of warriors has increased there and now they are moving in great numbers towards the mountain range. It had us concerned, so we only thought it right to warn you."

Darius nodded and frowned. It was reason for concern. He hadn't expected Izem to act so soon. Or was Balor moving on their own accord?

It seemed it was just one problem after the other. "Thank you," he said, "we will look into it." He knew he didn't have to rely on Salvire for assistance. For all he knew, Izem had orchestrated this. It seemed Torcan had been right to worry. "How long before they reach the border?"

Byron frowned. "It's hard to say. They have troops to organize and they're on foot. Also, we still have troops stationed there as well. They won't break our defenses so easily. Two weeks perhaps."

"So there is still time," Darius ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't sit around and wait for Torcan to come back. "I'll send men to the border patrols to alert them and send a message to Auros for king Marcos' soldiers to join them."

"King Elon has also sent reinforcements," Byron informed Darius.

Darius nodded in thought. Blocking off the border was most important now. They could sort out the rest later. Still, he needed to be cautious. If he blocked the border where Byron had indicated the enemy was marching towards, he'd have Salvire behind him. It would leave him vulnerable and open for an attack in the back. He didn't like the idea of being caught between two fires.

But perhaps that was the exact strategy to use to corner his enemies. Attack from all sides. If king Elon would send his men in from the East and king Marcos attacked from the West, they could block Balor's march. All Darius would need to do was hold the border. He could send his men while he himself would keep Izem at bay. It would require complete coordination between the three nations however, which was no easy feat.

Darius moved to the large map on the table and studied it carefully. They needed a meeting point. One where they could strategize and prioritize together. Something central and accessible for all parties involved.

"There," he pointed. A little North from Salvire was one of Tirèze's strongholds. Both Zeir and Lavos would be able to reach it when they crossed into Tirèze. That could be their meeting point. There they could make their camp. "We'll meet there." He turned to Byron. "Bring back word to king Elon to gather some of his men there. I'll ask king Marcos to do the same. If we can close in on Balor from all sides, we can put a stop to this." He would deal with the traitors after.