Haidar had been sitting in the throne room when the letter came, holding another painfully long session of court. The messenger had forced his way to the front of the room, kneeling at the king's foot and holding out the letter to him. Haidar had almost entered a horrendous rage at the interruption, until he saw the seal. The royal seal of Theiri. He stood, wearing his typical leather breastplate and shoulder pads, with white breeches, leather boots, and leather bracers. His trademark falchion, crafted from a single piece of jet-black metal, rested at his side. He picked it up and slid it into the sheath over his shoulder.<br/><br/>"Court is adjourned!" he roared with a tone that could not be denied. He wasted no time in snatching up the letter and opening it. His eyes ran over it at least four times, though the message was simple enough.<br/><br/><div align="center"><em>The King is Dead.<br/><br/>Aserits are in Theiri for peace talks.<br/>Leave for our capital immediately.<br/>Lose no time in arriving.<br/>You will be welcomed upon your arrival.<br/><br/>Lyssa.</em></div><br/>He knew the name of the Theirin queen. He turned to P'Tulla, at his side as always. "Word has come from Theiri. I want you to gather the Kraken Guard, along with all of your horses, and then you are to proceed to the Gate Room," he ordered. He started to walk down the pedestal of his throne without waiting for an answer. That thick carpet leading to his seat could not fully muffle the sound of his steps as he walked towards the double doors leading out of the audience chamber, speaking to a servant. "Inform Steward Abdul-Jalil that he will have to resume his duties. I will be leaving shortly. Also, inform Olivia that she has been summoned to the gate room." The servant scurried off at a hectic pace.<br/><br/>Haidar took broad strides through the yellow stone of the fortress, stepping out into the hot desert sun. The sand kicked up in little clouds with his determined steps as he came upon the stables. The stables of the Castle Oasis were palatial, made primarily of the same yellow stone as the castle itself. The high ceilings were specially engineered to pull a draft in to flow through the stables, both to deal with the stink of so many animals and to keep the horses from overheating during the hot desert afternoons.<br/><br/>He approached the stablemaster, moving about bags of oats. He was an old, slim man, once a proud warrior but beyond his fighting years. His dark, tanned skin was marked by deep wrinkles. The man wore no shirt and brown, burlap pants. His head was bald but for a black topknot. "Gather your things. We are leaving," Haidar informed him, "Saddle Hellfire. And bring along the finest horse you have as well, as a gift to the queen of Theiri. Then go to the Gate Room. You will accompany me as my groom."<br/><br/>"Yes, Your Highness," he said with a bow, before setting about to comply with his monarch's commands. Haidar left as abruptly as he had arrived, almost running now as he climbed the spiral stairs to the top of the palace. He stepped into his chamber, and wasted no time. He slung a quiver full of arrows and his recurve bow over his shoulder, opposite his falchioon. His dragonfang dagger was already on his left hip. He threw open the huge, maple wardrobe that held what little variety of clothing he had, throwing some clean garments into a drawstring sack. The last item he retrieved from his chamber was the long-handled trident he used when fighting from horseback. The Nydewian king did not go anywhere far without all of his weapons, or his horse. Without delay, he went back down the stairs, down to the basement levels of the castle.<br/><br/>The Gate Room was heavily fortified, at the back of the basement level of the castle. A straight, strong hallway with three ironbound, oaken doors, large enough for two riders to pass through abreast, led to the magical blue crystal. Each could be barred, locking off the Gate. This was used to ensure that enemies could not use it to strike by surprise; two guards watched the Gate through arrow slits at all times. The glowing gem sat on a pedestal in the middle of a room made entirely of stone. A flask of the... unpleasant mixture required to make it function sat at the foot of the cylindrical podium. It was always replaced when it spoiled, in case the Gate needed to be used in an emergency.<br/><br/>Haidar, the first to arrive, set down his things, standing tall and staring into the depths of the beautiful artifact as he waited for those who would join him to arrive.