Azurine felt a warm caress in the palm of her hand. She peered downwards and opened it. She saw that the ring glowed faintly and then quickly closed her hand again before anyone noticed. She wiped the blood from her nostril once more before she looked in Anthony’s direction. Maddox stood before him, a few steps higher than the main floor so he seemed to tower over Anthony. He folded his arms across his chest and looked down on him with inquisitive eyes.<br/><br/><br/>“I want Xyphon in six months” he demanded. The crowd murmured amongst themselves as he waited for Anthony to give an acceptable response.<br/><br/><br/>Azurine closed her eyes and searched for her raven that sat perched up in one of the open windows in her tower. She placed herself within the raven and as her eyes opened, they were that of the bird’s. She took off flying towards Xyphon, darting through the trees and villages below, scanning the war torn landscape as she flew.  The smoke and fire that blazed over rooftops, bodies strewn across the blood stained ground, and soldiers continuing to march towards the horde ahead.<br/><br/><br/>She caught a glimpse of her father, seated on his massive black horse that snorted and kicked its front feet into the soil. She landed on his shoulder. He looked at the bird. He would know who it was and what it was there for. From the bird a whisper would emulate, “Time to come home father. A war is fast approaching” she would say before flying off into the battlefield.<br/><br/><b> <br/>
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