Chapter 3: Spiritual Warfare

Rodrigo:

"She tried to escape again?" Rodrigo sighed. They stood at the end of a long corridor dulled with only a few colorful tapestries to contrast the gray stone and light from the gemstones above. A tall man-at-arms nodded before turning his eyes back onto the doorway beside him.

"Si, my prince. I never knew an Invadores girl could have such spirit."

"She is no ordinary Invadores," Don Alvaro laughed.

He kept a warm hand on the prince's shoulder. The Onyx Knight Captain and his dragon, Bluefyre's presence eased some of the tension in Rodrigo, and he stood taller while staring at the doorway. Blizzard growled and kept himself in front of his partner, but Rodrigo eased him with a scratch under his snout. Two days passed since they defeated the Invadores kidnappers and took the strange girl prisoner, and his grandfather still did not know what to do with her. Rodrigo languished over the strange Invadores girl since discovering her identity. At first, he did not understand why, but after a night of prayer, he found the answer.

"Are you sure about this, my prince? It would do our enemy well to see you harmed." 

"Fear not, Lope. He has me and two dragons with him." Don Alvaro assured the guard.

With Don Alvaro behind him, Rodrigo took a deep breath and picked up a food tray set aside near the door as the guard opened it and entered. Rather than a cell, the prisoner sat in a furnished chamber lit by a bright blue gemstone embedded in the ceiling. The magical light revealed a deep blue carpet, a fine wooden dresser with a few dresses of Aciemes fashion inside, a bathroom area, and a bed housing a familiar young woman. She now wore a black skirted maid's outfit complete with a white apron and bonnet, though it was a bit big for her. Rodrigo flashed her a smile upon entering and held the food tray up high.

"Hola, Dönek. If that is your real name. Either way, you must be hungry."

"Humph, no," she huffed and sent a chill down his body as she turned her back to him. However, a sharp growl echoed from across the chamber from her stomach. Rodrigo's smile remained despite her cold shoulder. She could not be so stubborn that she would rather starve than talk to him. Getting her to open up was the first step.

He moved the tray closer and, with Blizzard, blew the mouth-watering scent of fresh bread, fine cheese, and still shepherd's pie fresh from the oven over to her. Rodrigo thanked the Father he had the wisdom to eat his own supper right before this to avoid any temptations. However, he gave a sharp look to Blizzard, who leaned over the food before retreating with a sheepish expression. The young Invadores woman's face contorted as she tried to resist, yet her exaggerated facial expressions, from bulging eyes and grit teeth, almost drove Rodrigo into uncontrollable laughter.

Dönek' seized the food and wolfed it down like a ravenous predator. However, she was halfway through the bread when the young woman froze, pale-faced and trembling. She glanced back at the two Aciemes and their dragons, who all smirked at her.

"Quite a civilized way of eating." Don Alvaro chuckled with Bluefyre and Blizzard. She tried to hide her face until Rodrigo revealed a fork and knife, then approached her.

"I'll hold onto these. We wouldn't want to arm a prisoner. Plus, I'm sure a barbarian prince is fit to serve a civilized woman like you, right?" Rodrigo smiled but had to grit his teeth to keep the laughter in when she puffed up her cheek in a pout. Blizzard, however, kept a watchful eye on Dönek as Rodrigo cut her food, stuck it with a fork, and then raised it to her mouth. She remained quiet as he fed her, face still red. Rodrigo had his plan set. Now, he just had to go for it. Yet, finding the words proved harder than he imagined, and he glanced back at Don Alvaro. The knight smiled, and, with a gesture toward the girl, Rodrigo pressed on.

"I've wondered who is higher in Invadores society, a barbarian prince or a woman? Does it depend on her rank?"

Dönek deflated before Rodrigo's eyes, and a sense of guilt ravaged the prince for his jest, ending his smile. He tried to think of something better to say but could only watch the young woman take her time eating.

"Forgive me, I-"

"So what are you animals going to do? Throw me in an arena as a gladiator? Feed me to your dragons?" She glared at the two dragons present, who both growled back. "Or let your brutish warriors have their way with me?" She scoffed at the last one as if unafraid, though Rodrigo saw her hands shaking a little. His heart raced a little upon hearing her say such things, but then again, he imagined the Invadores told their children such stories about them. He had to show her otherwise.

"No, we don't do that here. You will be protected. I must admit, my tutors have told me a lot about your people, but I have never heard of an Invadores warrior woman. They are rare enough among us Aciemes outside of Outremer."

"There are no Invadores warrior women. Good women obey their guardians, manage the household, bear children, and do not go around unescorted."

Dönek deflated even more, and she almost slumped back over before Blizzard and Rodrigo held her upright. The fiery warrior he saw days prior disappeared into a frightened little girl. Something had to be done for her to rekindle this flame. Rodrigo thought he knew a way, but it was risky. With a deep breath, he decided to try.

"Forgive me, but that almost sounds like slavery to me."

The prince's plan seemed to work as Dönek sprung back up with jagged teeth clenched together and fiery eyes. "I'm no slave, you filthy barbarian! I'm a noblewoman of the Divan class! My father is a Diwan and holds great say in the Divan assembly!"

"Si, then why is his daughter disguising herself as a man and trying to kidnap my friend?"

Rodrigo hardened his gaze and tone, and the cold air emanating around him froze the fire in Dönek, who shook a little. Despite his hard expression, Rodrigo struggled not to beam. He had revealed her true self, but now he had to break it down and find out just who this strange girl was to help her. She avoided his gaze and puffed up both cheeks again.

"Well, he's an adversary of Kazasker Selim, so I thought helping his bratty son would help us infiltrate his faction. Plus, the pay was good."

Rodrigo's stomach hardened upon hearing this, and Blizzard growled. The girl flinched as he bore his fangs. This meant that Kıvanç still wanted Seraphina back even after four years. The prince tightened his fists and felt ice grow over them. He would never let him take her back. Yet he eased himself after returning to the young woman.

"Si, and did your companions know who you really were?!" Rodrigo put a hand on Dönek's shoulder and tried to meet her eyes.

"No," the young woman muttered in a near whisper. "No one knew, nor can they."

"That will be quite hard to keep a secret when your father ransomes you?"

Rodrigo blinked in disbelief when he saw the color drain from Dönek's face after he mentioned this. She shook worse than when she thought they might use her as a concubine. "Rrrrransome, mmeee? Meaning you'll send me back to my father and tell him what I've been up to?" She could not finish without stuttering every other word. Rodrigo started to answer before the young woman seized his tunic and tried to pull him over but lacked the strength. Instead, she pulled herself over and splashed him with her tears.

"You can't! If father or anyone else finds out, I'll- I'll!"

It took everything Rodrigo had to keep Blizzard from attacking Dönek. He quickly turned back to Don Alvaro but sighed in relief when he saw the Onyx Knight Captain still calm and keeping Bluefyre at bay. He put both hands on the young woman's shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"It's ok! We won't send you back! But I do have to ask, why would you become a secret warrior?"

"Humph!" Dönek let go and brushed her long hair aside. "I saw how far you barbarians have pushed into our empire. Thus, I knew I must do my part to preserve civilization." Her eyes reignited, and she knelt up on the bed, trying to get above Rodrigo, but he proved too tall. "We are the last vestige of the Lost Kingdom, the greatest civilization to ever exist before the gods! Yet you animals seek to destroy it all and drag us down to your level! That's why you're here, isn't it? You want to convert me to slavery before your weak god like so many other traitors!"

Rodrigo tugged at the collar of his tunic and felt large beads of sweat trickle down his back. Had she seen through him so easily? It seemed he did not have the finesse to hide his intentions. Yet, perhaps this was for the best, and he could be more direct. Rodrigo had to save her and bring the poor girl to their side.

"Dönek, your gods cannot help you, and I think you know this. You see the Father as weak because he does not fit the mold of your pantheon, but if you give him a chance, you will see his saving power." He took her by the shoulders again, but she pushed him aside.

"Humph, as if I'd join the losing side of savages. Selim has defeated the King here in every campaign and killed his son. Soon enough, he'll take back all our lost territory."

The moment she mentioned his grandfather's defeats and Ferdinand, a knot formed in Rodrigo's stomach. He trembled and gritted his teeth to suppress the rage boiling inside him. Blizzard proved less restrained and snapped his jaws at her, making Dönek jump backward. The room became so hot that sweat trickled down teens' faces. Rodrigo cooled himself with some ice when he saw blue fire conjured around Don Alvaro and Bluefyre.

"Watch your tongue, girl."

Rodrigo's rage vanished, and he threw himself in front of Don Alvaro while Dönek hid behind the bed. The prince shot his teacher a pleading look and relaxed after the flames vanished. Still, this was not going anywhere, and he knew it. Rodrigo needed a new approach when it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

"You say you want a chance to prove yourself. How about we give it to you!?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I only know so much about your pantheon, and if you are a civilized woman, you can teach me. So, how about we have a spiritual battle? Tomorrow, you will try to convince us why we should honor your gods, and then I do the same with the Father the next day. If your gods really are worthy of worship, I will have no choice but to honor them. But you must give the Father a chance. What do you say? After all, if you made the future King of Riquezarra a pagan, you would certainly return a hero, no, a legend."

"Rodrigo!" Don Alvaro screamed and tried to grab him by the shoulders, but he pulled himself free.

"I am offering her a challenge, nothing more."

A broad and sinister grin grew over Dönek's face. She clasped both hands together and tapped her fingers together one at a time. "That's a splendid idea, Prince Rodrigo. Yes, I shall make you a civilized man yet. I agree. Tell me, where can I acquire a manuscript on the gods here?"

"In the library under demonic worship."

Rodrigo answered and saw the smile vanish from her face, replaced by grit, jagged teeth, and a nerve twinge on her forehead. "I see. Do you also have an illusion chamber?"

"Si."

"Humph, surprising. Tomorrow morning, then." She offered her hand, but Rodrigo shook his head.

"Tell me your real name first."

"Fine, it's Zehra." Upon her answer, Rodrigo shook. The battle for her soul had begun.

"Saint Domninus, intercede for me, grant me patience. Saint Iulia intercede for me. Grant me the strength to prevail. Father, help me guide her to you."

Rodrigo prayed even as he shook her hand. However, Zehra's grin faded, and she turned almost as pale as when Rodrigo mentioned her father. It was only then he heard the door open again. The prince turned back to the doorway and felt a fire light inside him as he turned a little scarlet. There she stood, with long, shining black hair, fair skin with a slight tan, glowing green eyes, a narrow waist supporting a heavy bosom, and an ample backside, the lead maid Alba. Despite her beauty, Zehra cowered before the young woman.

"Hola, my prince. There you are, niñita. It's time we get to work." Zehra's eyes widened as Alba took out a dusting brush and held it out to her. The teenager backed up but ran into the wall, her skin quivering. "I'm a noblewoman of the Divan class! This is beneath me-" She started before Alba dragged her over with steel eyes.

"You are a prisoner here, niñita. You will do as I say. We will clean!"

"Forgive me, señorita. I made a mess of my chamber again. I don't suppose you could get to it tonight?" Don Alvaro asked.

Rodrigo's insides lit on fire again as he saw Alba blush and giggle while Bluefyre nuzzled her. She nodded at Don Alvaro while Zehra's tongue came out in clear disgust before the lead maid dragged her off. Rodrigo started to walk off when he remembered something important.

"Don Alvaro, have there been any letters from mi padre?" Rodrigo asked, and his stomach hardened a little as the knight shook his head. "Si." 

Rodrigo prayed all night for guidance and continued into the morning. He and Don Alvaro led Zehra across the castle corridors and kept a close eye on her. However, the young woman remained fixed on the various pieces of art lining the halls.

"Humph, is this the best you Barbarians have? My family's estate has better than this."

She scoffed at the vibrant tapestries, paintings, shields, and weapons displayed alongside stained glass. However, Rodrigo refused to let her get under his skin before their spiritual battle. Blizzard whined and nudged Rodrigo toward a tapestry depicting a poor, destitute crippled man with no legs living in squalor. However, a man with illuminated skin, much like Seraphina's, dressed in shepherd's cloaths with a golden sphere around his head, offered him his hand. The man took it and rose with both legs restored, illuminated skin, and a halo around his head. A warmth seemed to emanate from the tapestry, which chased away Rodrigo's nerves. A blissful smile grew across his face, and he hugged Blizzard's head.

"Gracias, Blizzard. Saint Domninus, keep me strong."

The prince inclined his head before the tapestry. However, he blinked upon seeing Arnaut and Andres with their dragons before a series of tapestries and paintings. The two grinned at Zehra, who narrowed her eyes at them both. Rodrigo gave them a tenuous look before he looked closer at the artwork. His heart raced, and the prince almost shouted at his friends, but they beat him to the punch.

"Bonjour, heathen. Care for a history lesson? This was the Battle of Esperanza, where King Fernando II decisively defeated your Caliph, who had to disguise himself as a woman to escape the wholesale destruction of his army." Arnaut bellowed out as he pointed to a painting of mounted knights and dragon riders overrunning an Invadores army. Rodrigo tried to stop them, but Andres chimed in before he could. "And here we have the Battle of Escudo, where King Ramiro III of Mardierra ambushed your invading army and crushed it. Ahh, the siege of Hogar, one of my favorites, where King Alfonso I of Riquezarra liberated the city and made it his capital. You know all three of these men are ancestors of Rodrigo." The squires' wide grins made Zehra shake in a feral rage, then calm and revert to a malevolent grin.

"Ashamed history hasn't repeated itself lately, huh."

"Soon enough! Once Rodrigo becomes King of Riquezarra, he's gonna drive your people back to the sea!"

Arnaut and Zehra butted heads, only for the young woman to wince and fall backward. A red bump mark appeared over her forehead while the squires and their dragons snickered. That was until they saw Rodrigo's fierce glare. Rodrigo pulled them apart despite Inferno and Blizzard's snickers.

"Enough! Both of you! I'm trying to bring her over to our side. This isn't helping!"

"Oh, come on, Rodrigo. She's not some poor Invadores common woman trapped as a prisoner of her husband. You said she was of the Divan class. She'll never turn away from her heathen ways."

A bit of steam rose from Arnaut as he spoke, and it looked like he wanted to melt her right there. Rodrigo, however, froze this fiery rage with his icy glare. He refused to let Arnaut go down this path or get in the way of him saving Zehra. "Like it or not, Arnaut, Zehra is loved by the Father, just like us. All you're doing is pushing her back to the Invadores. If you give me a chance, who knows who she might become. You two might even be friends."

"Alright. I'm sorry. Best of luck, mon ami."

Arnaut and Inferno departed, and Rodrigo tried to lead Zehra on when he realized she froze before a painting. The young woman's eyes remained transfixed on a painting depicting a battle in Outremer, where the Crusader Empire of Dieurbem battled the Sonn. In particular, Zehra stared at a chivalric maiden leading the knights and infantry below. 

The tall woman wore knight armor and sat atop an enormous red dragon and tore into a man atop a griffin's scale armor with her lance. Rodrigo grinned and came closer. "Exciting, isn't it? That's the legendary Dieurbem General, the Countess Melisende. She defeated the Sonn King of Kublek despite being outnumbered. The accounts claim Melisende herself defeated him."

"Aciemes can lead armies?" Zehra trembled as she spoke. 

"Si, in Outremer, chivalric maidens have been fighting beside men for centuries. We're introducing the practice here, too. You were defeated by Envidia's first chivalric maiden," Rodrigo reminded her.

Zehra swallowed hard, her face turning paler the longer she stared at the painting. Eventually, they arrived at an enormous doorway with bright, magical gemstones embedded along the sides.

"Here we are, the illusion chamber," Rodrigo said.

"Now remember you kids, don't stay in there too long." Alba gave them a stern look as she replaced a dim gemstone with a bright one. Blizzard touched his snout to it and restored the light. "Gracias, dear." She scratched his chin and earned a heavy tail wag from the dragon.

"Perfect! Prepare to be amazed, barbarians."

Zehra almost skipped as she opened the manuscript on her pantheon with one hand and then touched each gemstone with the other. Rodrigo was about to follow when he noticed Don Alvaro and Alba whisper something to each other. The maid's face turned scarlet, and she giggled again before kissing his cheek and departing. Rodrigo quickly looked away when his instructor turned back and then walked inside. 

The chamber interior was dark and empty but rapidly transformed before their eyes. It was not Rodrigo's first time in an illusion chamber, but the effect never failed to leave him in awe. It was as if they had left reality itself and watched the creation of a new world before their eyes. It often proved difficult to avoid the chamber's temptation, for the only limits were one's imagination. Rodrigo often longed to see his dreams become a reality. However, his abuelo, mother, and Don Alvaro always reminded him and the others that men could waste away inside the chamber, lost in fantasies that could not leave the room.

"Let us begin with the creation of the world." Zehra touched a finger to a page in her book. "Before the world existed at all, the gods dwelled in Cennbetti, the city of the gods!" At her command, a city of wonder conjured itself before them. Golden buildings grew like trees and flowers in a garden. Fruit, vegetables, and every other food of the world flowed without end. The city rested over a dark ocean with stars and what appeared to be the night sky surrounding them. Rodrigo struggled to take it all in, a dwelling for gods indeed. A world where none would suffer hunger, but he shook such thoughts aside and reminded himself that one did not live on food alone.

Zehra showed more of the city's wonder and then pointed to the next page. One by one, humanoid figures took shape around the garden in the city's center. "Tembellik god of Rest." A somewhat bulky but still chiseled man of immense height laid down on a kline and ate fruit and honey from the trees around him. Rodrigo raised an eyebrow at the figure before him. A god of rest? He looked more like a god of sloth and carelessness. Yet, the prince kept these thoughts to himself and nodded at Zehra, who went on about his importance of providing great civilizations with times of leisure and recuperation.

Another towering figure emerged in the garden and took up much of it with his immense girth. Like Temblellik, he began eating from the fruits. However, this figure gorged himself, taking piece after piece as if unable to fill himself. "Oburluk, the God of Bounty!"

Rodrigo grimaced at Oburluk's hedonism. He tried to hide his disgust and forced a neutral expression while Zehra explained that Oburluk rewarded those worthy with vast amounts of food, crops, drinks, and other pleasures.

"Are you starting to see, barbarian? The power and might of our gods!" She exploded with laughter even as Oburluk devoured more food. Rodrigo's face contorted for a moment before Don Alvaro smacked his back, and his composure returned. 

"Gracias." He whispered but grimaced again when he saw Zehra's wicked smile widen.

"Now the fun really begins. Behold, Gazap, the God of War!"

The following diety could not have contrasted the previous deities more if Zehra tried. Taller with broad shoulders and thick muscles covered in bronze hoplite armor topped off with a Corinth helmet concealing his face. Unlike the previous gods, he stood tall and remained vigilant of his surroundings, arms crossed. This was the first one that Rodrigo did not have to feign intrigue in. He knew some about this god from his studies on the Invadores, but here was a perfect chance to learn straight from the source on how they viewed war.

"Go on," he said, and Zehra's face beamed in triumph.

"An army with Gazap's power is invincible! He stood behind us when we saved this land from your barbarian ancestors and stands by us again with Selim."

Rodrigo shivered a little, his eyes fixed on the fiery lion's skull sigil in the center of his breastplate. He had seen that sigil before and knew precisely how the Invadores used it. Still, bringing that up now would not help, and he nodded to the teen.

"Next, we have Haset, the God of the Moon." Zehra pointed to the subsequent one, who was not taller or broader than Gazap but personified average, at least compared to his fellow gods. Haset narrowed his eyes at the other deities and stuck his nose into the air with a 'Humph'.

Zehra explained how those in Haset's good graces gained vigilance over their enemies and treacherous friends. However, as Rodrigo looked closer, Haset's look at his fellow deities did not seem vigilant to him. It looked more like mistrust and envy. Still, he listened, and Zehra continued. 

"Açgözlülük, the Earth goddess." A woman of immense beauty took form before them. Rodrigo almost yelped and almost felt his heart burst from his chest when he saw her. The towering woman's golden blonde hair extended down past her waist while a minimal number of leaves and flowers covered Açgözlülük's enormous bosom and private areas. Blizzard chuckled and nudged Rodrigo while his legs wobbled. He glared back at his dragon, who gestured toward the woman and panted. Bluefyre shook his head while Don Alvaro muttered something in the thickest Tierreron accent he ever heard from him.

"Father, keep my mind pure, Saint Petronas, keep my tempered."

"Humph, so are you two animals ready to become civilized then?"

"I appreciate the efforts, but mi señorita Alba is more than enough. She is far more beautiful." Don Alvaro smirked, and Rodrigo had to hold in immense laughter as Zehra puffed up her cheeks at the mention of Alba. 

"Well, let's see if she can beat Şehvet, Goddess of Fertility!"

The next image did not even finish halfway before Rodrigo's insides went ablaze, and steam shot out of both ears. This goddess was only covered by her long, shining hair. Zehra burst into laughter and shouted out more vivid descriptions of the goddess. Rodrigo covered his ears, but this Zehra just shouted louder with an ever-broadening grin.

"Alright, now for the greatest god of them all. Kibir, God of the Sun and Celestial King!"

Kibir stood above the rest of the gods. With skin that shined like golden sunlight, a perfectly chiseled body, and not one but six arms, he beamed his presence in the garden over the others. Rodrigo gritted his teeth and stared closer at the figure before him. He knew of this one all too well, the head of their pantheon and the specter who ultimately ruled over the Invadores. He, more than anyone, even Selim and the Caliph, was the true enemy of Envidia, who had to be defeated.

"So, these are your gods. If I may ask, who created them?" Rodrigo posed the question, but Zehra was ready for it and puffed up her chest.

"The gods always existed in some form but came to be from the Usta."

She aimed her hand at the garden's center, where a bright glow overtook the gods in white chains, binding them to something in the light. Rodrigo tried to get a closer look, but he could only see the faint outline of a figure holding the chains. The prince longed to see who or what this being was, but the light blinded him as if the conjured image itself wanted him to remain concealed.

"Usta bounded the gods to Cennbetti, where they dwelled before time began. There, they had everything they needed but lacked one thing: freedom. All of this changed when Kibir led a revolt against Usta and broke their chains!"

The gods pulled at their chains in lament until Rodrigo saw Kibir walk before the others, eyes fixed on Usta. With a thunderous cry, Kibir conjured the sun above them and shattered his chains. Under his direction, Haset blasted emeralds into his chains, Gazap burned his apart with fire, Şehvet sliced hers with blood, Oburluk consumed his, Açgözlülük turned hers to gold then broke them, and Tembellik transformed himself into a horned bull like-creature and smashed his chains. Usta cried something out, but the other six gods fell in line behind Kibir. 

A grand battle beyond any Rodrigo read about in his history books took place in the garden but spread until it consumed all of Cennbetti. Watching the magnificent city crumble and sink formed a pit in Rodrigo's stomach, and he had to embrace Blizzard to stay upright.

The rebellion continued until Cennbetti sank into the cosmic sea and took Usta with it. The golden city's bright lights vanished into the abyss, leaving the gods who each knelt before Kibir, who made himself a throne in the sun's center. "With Cenbetti no more, the gods took their place as lords of the heavens with Kibir as their King. From their blessings, the world itself came to be." The earth took shape before Kibir, with the seas drying up before his radiant light until the various continents stood. All of this seemed consistent enough as a story, but Rodrigo knew it could not be the end.

"Ok, I suppose your people come in somewhere. Right?"

Rodrigo soon lamented his question when Zehra's smirk tilted. Kibir rose from his throne and took Şehvet to each of the continents. The prince's heart raced, and he opened his mouth, but no words came out. "Kibir took Şehvet as his concubine, and from them, she gave birth to the creatures of the world-" Zehra jumped when a small jet of blue fire destroyed the lude images.

"We get it! Just move alone!" Don Alvaro snarled.

"Humph, barbarian prudes."

Zehra scoffed and changed the image to all sorts of creatures who roamed about the desolate lands, unable to eat or thrive. "Seeing his creations suffer, Kibir took action." Zehra gestured to Açgözlülük, and thick beads of sweat fell from Rodrigo's forehead.

"He took the Earth goddess Açgözlülük as his second concubine and-"

"I get it," Rodrigo groaned.

"Anyway. From their union, plantlife and other things of the world spawned."

She pointed to forests, gardens, and great veins of gold that spawned across the lands, sustaining the life there. Eventually, human civilizations sprung up, too, but Rodrigo noticed each and everyone struggling to survive.

"Kibir saw humanity living in squalor amid the darkness and offered a path to his light. Through tribute."

Rodrigo sighed and watched the people in Envidia offer up vast sums of gold and other wealth before the sun, which consumed it. In return, sunlight shined upon them, and soon, lavish cities with grand temples and gleaming streets spread across the land. However, it did not limit itself to architecture. Rodrigo saw philosophers, poets, and other educated men walking about the streets, drinking and eating amid sumptuous gardens, but no women walked among them. Instead, he grimaced at the sight of them in chains alongside men of similar station. Rodrigo long knew the Lost Kingdom practiced slavery but did not like thinking about it with respect to everything else they brought. Instead, he focused on the bonded beasts walking beside many of the nobles. With lion-like bodies, jackal-esk heads, and immense wings, the sphinxes captured his imagination.

"The Lost Kingdom was the only land to offer up Celestial Tribute and thus stood alone as the only civilized land in the south. For years, the tribute continued until Haset grew envious of his King's power." Zehra waved her hand, and Haset shook as he watched the piles of gold grow around Kibir. Emeralds formed around his skin until they took shape into an army.

"This the Celestial Civil War began! Haset and his army of Emerald Warriors challenged Kibir for the throne of Celestial King. The battle lasted a hundred years, but Kibir emerged victorious!" Zehra clapped her hands and let out a few cheers, but Rodrigo remained silent. Instead, his eyes lingered upon the whithering Lost Kingdom and the graveyard of sphinxes in the war's wake. So much death and destruction brought upon by Haset's envy. Rodrigo's mouth dried up as he thought about the numerous wars the three Envidian kingdoms fought against each other over such meaningless things. When he became King, he would never wage war against a fellow Fidels Kingdom. He would find a way to bring peace and only ever wage war against even the Invadores unless necessary for Rodrigo's Dream.

"Now, are you getting it, barbarian? Haset was defeated and, as punishment, remains Kibit's slave to this day." She gestured to Haset, who knelt beside Kibir's throne, a collar and chain around his throat. "But the fighting did not stop. For in the midst of this war, the Celestial King had been distracted, and monsters came forth in his absence. Outraged, Kibir tasked Gazap with destroying these monsters."

Terrifying creatures with horned bullheads on hairy torsos ravaged the north, destroying everything in their wake. Gazap came down to Envidia and brought fiery destruction upon the monsters until none remained. "Once the monsters were vanquished, Oburluk threw lavish feasts in celebration while Tembellik remained to himself."

She went on for another few minutes, and Rodrigo's mind began to drift after almost fifteen minutes of details on more banquets and how glorious they had to be. However, the prince almost jumped back to attention from a jolt down his spine after seeing what she conjured next.

Blizzard growled again, and even Don Alvaro looked ready to lose his composure. Envidia appeared before them once more; however, this time, the Lost Kingdom lay in ruins. Its people fled in terror before monstrous men and women tore apart the cities, burning the books and destroying every other great work. Each of these monsters wore the same mark around their neck that Seraphina had the day they rescued her. A crucified man with a donkey's head. Rodrigo's face turned pale, and ice started to grow around him as he watched.

"Ahh, now you see the truth of how your barbarian ancestors and your weak god destroyed the Lost Kingdom and its glorious works. The only light of civilization in a dark world came so close to going out forever. But what civilized men remained pooled their wealth and gave one last tribute to the Celestial King, and look what it brought!"

Zehra pointed to the sea, where three islands rested near the southernmost part of the planet. There, short men rode on horses and abras across and over grassy plains, warring against each other before the earth shook. The eastmost island started to sink, and those who escaped to the sea did so with no abras and sailed north to a vast continent that Rodrigo recognized from his lessons as the domain of the Sonn, the enemies of the Fidels people in Outremer. 

The sea peoples conquered those who dwelled there and took their griffins from them. As time passed, the second island sank, and the refugees sailed for another continent, this time in the south. Rodrigo recognized this one as the Kingdom of Noshfael. As the image played out, he found it unnecessary, for the prince knew this history well. The sea peoples ravaged southern Noshfael and tried to take the continent for themselves before the King and his army threw them back into the sea in a decisive battle.

Those who survived remained and took the Christogram before disappearing into the people of Noshfael. At last, the third island started to sink, and the biggest fleet of them all sailed toward the continent housing Royaume. Rodrigo's heart raced when he saw a similar story play out, with the sea people mercilessly trying to conquer the continent only to get decisively defeated by the King of Royaume and his army. In both Noshfael and Royaume, knights on equoferri and dragons met the sea peoples with their abras and horse-archers. 

However, unlike in Noshfael, the fleet that was defeated in Royaume was not destroyed. Instead, they fled and sailed west toward Envidia. Rodrigo knew what was going to happen and wanted to look away, but he forced himself to watch despite the pit in his stomach.

"They came from the sea, a people lost without a home. They found a continent surrounded by stone with a treasure waiting inside. When the last civilized men found them, they showed them the glory of what little civilization remained. Seeing what the Celestial King could give them, they swore their allegiance, and two peoples became one."

The last of the Lost Kingdom's elite embraced the sea peoples before transforming into the Invadores. Under Gazap and the Celestial King's watch, they drove back the monstrous people. With each victory, they took the beasts into chains and marked them with Gazap's sigil. From there, they forced them to rebuild the cities they tore down. Rodrigo's heart sank with each piece of Envidia they took before reaching the mountainous northeast where the images ended. The prince found himself covered in frozen sweat and shaking despite Blizzard's nuzzles and the aura of blue fire surrounding Don Alvaro.

"As you can see, Rodrigo. This is the glory of the Celestial King and our pantheon. It was under their guidance that civilization flourished and fought back the corruption of your weak god. We undid your damage once and we shall do it again. You creatures can either become civilized or get put back into your proper place. There is no other way."

"Father, preserve us." Rodrigo almost vomited, and he had to grab Blizzard, who almost charged Zehra. The teen yelped and stumbled backward, her manuscript going flying.

"Bok! You see, even your bonded creatures are barbaric-"

"Si. Thank you for showing me the glory of your gods."

Rodrigo forced the words out with every shed of respect he could muster. If what he saw was the glory of the Invadores gods, then he wanted no part of it. Nor would he allow such 'glory' to persist in his home. He had to save her from such wicked figures, and he would.

"Zehra, I need to ask, though. How much of your empire have you actually seen?" 

"I, uh." Zehra blinked and paused. She rocked back and forth before nervously scratching her chin. "I have been told plenty about it from my father and brother. I, uh, only ever left the manor in their company before joining my companions."

"So you never interacted with it much, or slavery-" Rodrigo started.

"Oh, no, I see where you're going, barbarian. You think I'm no better than a slave because I'm an Invadores woman! Well, I-I-" Zehra cut herself off and started to tug at the collar of her gown while sweat trickled down. 

"I listened. Now, you have to listen to me tomorrow," Rodrigo said. 

"Fine. I suppose I should be a woman of my word. I can't wait to hear how glorious your shepherd god is."

Rodrigo started thinking of ways he would introduce Zahra to the Father even before they got out of the chamber. She smirked back at him and flashed the pages of her manuscript again after picking it up. However, Blizzard, Bluefyre, and Don Alvaro all smirked together. Zehra looked confused until the color left her face, and she gulped as Alba stood over her.

"There you are, niñita. Come, we have chambers to clean." She dragged her off, and all the while, Zehra thrashed about and screamed countless threats about the things she would do to Alba once the Invadores took over.

"My prince, I shall pray that you reach her tomorrow."

"Si, gracias, Don Alvaro." Rodrigo took a deep breath and hardened his resolve while staring at his Christogram. "Por favor, Father, guide me."