FARHAYVEN: VENGEANCE by S. K. Ng Page A

Worthiness for control of his nestland. He is young and eager to prove himself, and this makes him unpredictably dangerous. I am not surprised that he was chosen to execute this raid,” she said.
     
         Convian Proest passed the paper to Exevian Staven.
         “Grand Catapults ! Why would they be bringing Grand Catapults ? ” asked Exevian Staven as he read the contents of the paper.
         “To tear down walls ! ” answered Convian Genox and Verallvian Sayson simultaneously.
         “You mean they plan to attack Fort Eastguard ? ” commented Exevian Staven in an unbelieving manner.
         “Yes, exevian. If this report is true, they mean to attack Fort Eastguard,” surrendered Convian Proest.
     
         Meanwhile, Convian Proest had a blank look on his face. Clearly the magnitude of the impending Serpentian attack was very hard for him to mentally accept.
         “We are not prepared for this ! This is not a raid ! It is almost like an invasion ! This attack is too big ! We will need at least a ‘lake’ to reinforce Fort Eastguard ! And if they get through, then the entire Eastern Falls will most likely be lost. We would then have to send an ‘ocean’ to stop them. But they will have a clear line of reinforcements from Serpentia. They can have a steady flow of Serpenests come in to reinforce them. This will push us back to the Windswept Forest, at the very least. We shall lose an entire province, and we shall never get it back ! ” he concluded.
         All four soldiers sat silently, contemplating the implications of this discovery.
     
         Finally, Convian Proest shook his head and mentally forced himself to accept the reality of things.
         “When will they arrive ? ” he enquired.
         “My contacts say they’re moving rather slowly. Probably due to these Grand Catapults you’re talking about. Their best guess is that they should reach the border in four or five days,” answered Chief Frell.
         “Four or five days ? That’s not enough time for reinforcements to arrive at Fort Eastguard from Fallsene City. There is no time to waste ! The exevian and I shall ride back to the palace and inform the king. Along the way, we shall spread the word to the local garrison commanders to send to Fort Eastguard whatever resources they can spare. Convian Genox and Verallvian Sayson, you will need to rush back to the fort and make the necessary defence preparations,” delegated Convian Proest.
        “Agreed ! ” said Convian Genox.
         The four soldiers bid the elderly man goodbye and rode away as fast as their horses could carry them. The elderly man turned his donkey around and casually rode off, disappearing entirely into the shadows of the forest.
     
             The next day, Ray, Lance and Spirit stopped for lunch at a bank of a small river. Ray looked up at the sky. There was no cloud. It was hot and sunny. There would be no rain that night, he predicted. After lunch and a short rest, he began training Lance in Elemental Sorcery.
     
         Elemental Sorcery, as Lance was to find out, was much more difficult and complicated than it seemed. Lance had to do what Ray termed as ‘Energy Discharge Practices’, in which he had to stand with his feet approximately two shoulders’ width apart, stare at an imaginary point five paces away to his centre and front, and after drawing deep breaths and focusing on his rage, shout out as loud as he could while forcing his soul energy forward through his fingers by simultaneously thrusting his arms and fingers forward. The first time Lance did this, nothing had happened. Half an hour later, still nothing had happened. Lance was beginning to think that he was being cheated !
     
         One whole hour had passed. Lance was about to give up when he felt a tingling in his fingers as he shouted out and thrust them forward. He tried again with more enthusiasm and saw tiny bursts of flames emanating from