‘“One of the sailors on board that voyage one night,
was visited by one of divine superiority, a God that had
been once lost in the thoughts of the dead. This God
corrupted this particular sailor’s mind, his deranged
brain rambling nonsense. He was commanded to seek a grand
mountain somewhere in a desert south of where they had
landed. 
  ‘“The God corrupted many more minds, mostly of
different races, and they too were commanded to seek the
mountain in the new land. Enraged by this process, the 
perpetual man who had originally nursed their ancestor 
back to health, fought a great battle of wits. Barely, he 
won. For his mind was concentrated and held much wisdom.
That however, was not able to stop natures actions.
  ‘“Those who had been corrupt, breed and cross - breed.
They taught their children as they grew, about the God,
Thanatos, and about their enemy, Serenity and all his
worshipers. The ruler of the mountain was passed down in
the family from the first person to ever find it. The
mountain was later named Cult Mountain, and their far
fetched belief’s caused them to force other non -
believer’s to bow down to Thanatos by means of the sword. 
  ‘“The minds of the modern day cult member’s of the
Revolution are somewhat as corrupt as their first
ancestors. They have established many cult stations
through out southern Neekkent, whilst their practices
have been banned through out the north, and of the
continent of Korutiania.”’
  ‘I think we can use that information about the cross -
breeding.’ Enigma reflected. ‘Let’s go tell the other
two.’ They went two parapets down to find Sly and Power 
leaning over a book on a table.
  ‘Found anything?’ Sly asked as they approached.
  ‘Not much, but what we did, we may be able to use.’
Enigma replied. He told them about what they had stumbled
across.
  ‘What’s so significant about that?’ 
  ‘I don’t know?’ Enigma admitted, ‘But I’ll see what I
can make of it. If I can’t come up with anything, I’ll
head back the books. What did you find?’
  ‘Nothing much. We’re just looking through some ancient 
Leifarian history. Power insisted.’
  ‘What have you found?’ Ice said intently. 
  ‘Three hundred Emperor’s have individually ruled Leif.’
Power told her, ‘And there has been - ’ His face drained
to a pasty white. 
  ‘What’s the matter?’ Ice frowned.
  ‘That’s impossible!’ he exclaimed. ‘How could that be?’
  ‘How could what be?’
  ‘One of the Emperor’s was found in a crypt in Orem. He
was abducted by a man and a women who were once captives.
And that was nearly two centuries ago.’
  ‘You don’t mean - ?’ Ice’s face also went pale.
  Power nodded. ‘We’re in the future.’
*  *  *
  The rain continued it’s domination of that day as the
four travellers - two of which were deathly distressed,
consulted once more with Rehsab, the King of Histaus.   
  They had returned again to their spell - bound meeting
room. ‘Is this cult still a mixed race of people?’ Enigma
was asking him.
  ‘I think so.’ he replied. ‘They barely co - operate
with each other though.’
  Enigma slowly grinned, ‘I think I may have it. Do they
have any cult groups that are all single raced?’
  ‘I think I see what you’re getting at.’ Rehsab said 
with a grimace on his face. ‘No, they are all mixed
raced.’
  ‘Good.’ Enigma frowned in concentration. ‘Are you,
Salla, Vinmac and Agliger conferring with each other?’
  ‘Yes we are.’
  ‘Then you may want to invite them here to discuss this
with them. I have an idea that may have some flaws in it
that I’m over looking.’
  ‘What’s your idea?’ Sly questioned.
  ‘Well, you said that the Revolution is a mixed race of
people who believe in the one thing. Now, there are many
things that one race can believe in - god’s, the end of
the world and things like that. I’m sure if there were a
disagreement, people would be taking sides. What if we
started spreading false accusations amongst the people?
Just say we told one person that someone said that their
race was better than theirs, and we told the other person
the same thing. Everyone in those particular races will
divide and fight amongst each other. We’d just be the
middle man. Then we just sit back, and let them
exterminate themselves. We can even help them out a bit,
once in a while.’
  ‘That’s a dam good plan!’ Ice laughed. 
  ‘It is, isn’t it.’ he said immodestly. 
  ‘The ruler of the cult won’t know what hit him.’ Rehsab
smiled
  ‘Before we do anything, invite the other kings here.
I’m sure they’ll want to pitch in.’ 
  ‘Right.’ Rehsab rose from his seat at the head of the
table, and ran out the door to fetch a messenger, his
robe fluttering behind him. 
*  *  *  
  They were given three weeks off to wait for the arrival
of the kings. Ice and Power were given the one room,
while Enigma and Sly were given inter connecting rooms
just across the hall from them. 
  Enigma climbed into bed, brooding over the days gone
by. A two hundred thousand gold coin bounty had been
erased from his head at the click of a finger. His days
as a fugitive had ended.
  Suddenly, a cold chill over ran his body. An audible
breathing, slow and muffled, could be heard and felt all
around the room. It continued a while longer. Enigma
ceased to function, as he was frozen stiff with fear upon
the overwhelming sense of evil. His heart pumped faster
with fright, his ears became red hot. Then, the horror
disappeared. 
  Sly burst into Enigma’s room with consternation.
Jumping into his bed, she buried herself under sheets.    
  ‘It’s nothing to be afraid of.’ Power tried to calm
them, forcing open their door. ‘It won’t hurt you.’
  ‘How can you be so sure?’ Enigma was breathing heavily.
  ‘That’s the third time it’s done that to us. It did it 
just inside the border of Leif, it did it in Orem, and 
now it’s done it again here.’
  ‘What was it?’
  ‘We don’t know? We haven’t been game to ask it.’
  ‘I think I’m beginning to see a pattern now.’ Ice said,
joining them. She was carrying a lantern for light.
‘Every time that thing appears, it’s always been when it
starts raining as we come to a knew city or town.’
  Enigma still huffed and puffed. ‘I wouldn’t know.
That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me.’
  ‘I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. There has always
been an overcast sky during the day as we approach our
destination. Usually, after that thing has visited, the
rain dissipates with it.’
  ‘So your saying that we avoid cities that experience
severe storms?’
  ‘I didn’t say that. Your putting words in my mouth. All
I’m trying to say, is that we be a little more cautions
when we stay some place where there’s been a vicious
tempest during the day.’
  ‘That really sound’s stupid.’ Enigma searched with his
legs for his frightened friend. ‘It’s okay. You can come
out now. It’s gone.’
  ‘I’m not coming out from here until morning.’ she said
stubbornly.
  ‘Well don’t blame me if you suffocate.’ Her head popped
out from the sheets. She, then dropped her head on his
pillow. ‘Sly, your bed’s in the other room.’
  ‘Move me if you can.’ she challenged.
*  *  *
  The next couple of weeks was uneventful. The downpour
of rain still persisted, even against Ice’s prediction.       
  Power and Ice were still struggling with the fact that
their era was some two hundred years ago. In their eyes,
it was still impossible, but facts were facts, and they
couldn’t deny what proof the world around them had to
offer.
  Free were they all, to explore the city. It was a total
wash out, but there were still a few worth while stores
open for business. They were given a royal tour by the
king himself. As they went from stall to stall, Rehsab
was treated with free individual sales. If it was a fish
stall, he would be given free fish, fresh out of the
water. If it were an inn, he would be given free beer and
wine. 
  The city was divided up into sections; the business
section surrounded the palace, which was in turn closed
off by the noble’s houses - or the noble section, and to
welcome any state or interstate visitors to this lovely
city, was the rest of the residential lower class - a
more dirty, run down area of the three.
  No other messages, to Enigma’s disappointment, had
appeared in his celestial kind of book. He was urging for
some confirmation that his suggested regarding the cult 
crisis, was the correct one. 
  The arrival of the three kings was none to spectacular.
The depressing rain drove away any possibilities of a fan
fare. The kings arrived separately over the third week,
Kloba from Salla arriving first, then Frasian of Vinmac,
and finally, Prolger of Agliger. Prolger was a tall man
of about seven feet with shoulders only a little smaller
than Power’s. He wore a moustache, and his dark eyebrows
were set to a frown. His arms were bear and carried a
tiny little dagger at his side to defend himself with if
he ever attacked. 
  Kloba was a rather small man in hight and stature. His
light blond hair spilled over his shoulders, and his
furry beard was in need of desperate trimming. He was
possibly the youngest of the four kings present yet his
face was serious and demanding.
  Frasian, on the other hand, was a jolly fellow who
often hand a wineskin or tankard of beer in his hands -
or near his hands. He was overweight and couldn’t really
care less what other people thought of him. His
undersized crown sat loosely on his bald head and his
cloths were stretched to their limit. 
  Rehsab introduced each of the guests as they entered  
his customary meeting place. They sat and Enigma quickly 
explained his scheme.
  ‘Sounds fair to me.’ Kloba said in a tiny voice.
  ‘Have you figured out how to get agents into the cult
groups?’ asked Prolger.
  ‘They’re picking up men by the sword and forcing them
to bow down to their God. They’d blend in real easy.’
Enigma replied
  ‘But what makes you think that any one’s going to
listen to them?’
  ‘If there’s prejudices against a certain race, they’d
listen to an infant tell the story. They’ll defend their
blood to the death.’
  ‘We just have to tell the rulers of eastern Korutiania
to patrol their coasts in case of an attack on the
continent from that side.’ Power interrupted.
  ‘That’s going to be hard.’ Frasian complained, ‘The
eastern rulers are stubborn people. They don’t like being
told what to do.’
  ‘Maybe we should visit them personally?’ Rehsab
thought, ‘They might listen to us if we come in bulk.’
  ‘Does any one see any flaws to my plan?’ Enigma asked
the question again. 
  ‘Once they’re done, pull the agents back and tell them
to keep an eye on the cults on our continent.’ Sly
suggested. ‘Or kill them. They shouldn’t even be here.’
  ‘That would disrupt the whole plan.’ Ice told her. ‘If
we start killing of the cult members, they’ll be forced
to work together in order to hold on too their numbers.’
  ‘Okay. We’ll just pull back our forces and keep them 
patrolling the coast.’ Rehsab concluded. ‘We might even 
want to put some forces up in the mountains in Salla.’
  ‘What’s the chance that these agents are going to be
converted?’ Power asked. ‘That’d defeat the whole purpose
if they fall victim to their evil ways.’
  ‘That’s just a chance they’ll have to take.’ Rehsab
explained ‘Is everyone right with that?’
  They all nodded.
  ‘Good. Now lets go pay a visit to our stubborn brothers
of the east.’
  The kings’ exit was about as spectacular as their
arrival. The rain turned to sleet, and occasionally, to a
dry snow. The streets were marked with tracks of wagons
and horse hooves and the white precipitation had built up
on peoples door steps.
  The kings of Agliger, Salla and Vinmac had given Enigma
names of the people in charge of their kingdoms in their
absences. In case of trouble, both sides were advised to
consult with each other. The kingdom of Histaus was
temporarily put in the hands of Barol, a slender man in
his sixties. He thought - and believed - he was above
people of Enigma’s kind, and chose to avoid them at any
cost. Enigma, nor Barol exchanged words the whole time.
  Their evil colleague never bothered to visit since its
appearance nights before. It seemed to have totally
vanished. The four, though, would still dread night fall
when it arrived. Sly, with Ice’s help, shifted her bed
into Enigma’s room, as his company was protection enough,
against her new fear.
  Enigma was bathing when another message appeared. “The
Conscripted Boy shall peregrinate to the north to the
divination capitals in response to a disturbance. Along
the way, you shall acquire the mentor who shall succour
them in their toils. Your journeys are long and have just
begun.” Another puzzle to occupy his mind.
  About a month after the kings departure, a lone
messenger with a well flogger horse came stumbling into
the courtyard. His cloths were absolutely soaked,
dripping on the expensive carpet as he handed Enigma the
note. “Enigma,” it said, “I understand that in the kings
absence, if we had any major problems to turn to you. We
are in the midst of great turmoil here and require your
assistance. Please travel with haste to Anitram in
northern Vinmac.” And it was signed, “Gecqual”.
  ‘Finally, we can get out of this place.’ Power
triumphantly said. ‘Let me get my things. I’ll only be a
moment.’
  ‘We can’t leave yet.’ Ice explained. ‘It’s mid day and
we don’t have all that much light left. It’d be best if
we left in the morning.’
  They spent their last night in the palace, and left
well before dawn. The dark, grey cloud stretched from
horizon to horizon. Their travels, Enigma predicted where
sure to be somewhat of a battle between them and nature.
  Enigma and Sly attained their individual mounts once 
more, as Power and Ice were given a horse each for their
own use.
  They followed the highway north towards the river that
joined the Great Inland Sea to the Greater Inland Sea. 
  ‘How are we going to tackle this trip?’ Sly asked,
fighting with the map in the bitting wind.
  ‘I was thinking about going up through Das, Amaus, Trah
then west across the Plain Lands to Rehsarht, then north
again to Essej and then finally to Anitram.’
  Power moved his Tarpan in beside Sly’s giant
Clydesdale. ‘Wouldn’t it be better to catch a boat at
that river up ahead and to sail across to the western
side of the Great Inland Sea and to work our way north
from there?’
  ‘But that costs money.’
  ‘The message did say to go there with haste.’
  ‘Well, what do you think Sly?’ he turned to her.
  ‘I’ll agree to whatever Ice says.’ she said.
  ‘And I’ll agree to whatever Power says.’ Ice said.
  ‘And I’ll agree to whatever you say.’ Power told
Enigma.
  ‘That’s not fair, you know.’ Enigma said with a little
laugh.
  ‘The letter did only ask for you. We didn’t really have
to come along. Since it only asked for you, your in
charge.’
  Enigma thought about that. ‘I’ve never been in charge
before. What do I do?’
  ‘All you really do is make decisions.’
  ‘And to take the blame for all the wrong ones.’ Sly
teased.
  It took them a couple more days to reach the river. The
rain still hadn’t let up, eventually working it’s way
right though Enigma’s patience. He became rather testy,  
speaking his mind rather abruptly. 
  A boat house was stationed not far from of a bridge
that crossed from one bank to the other. 
  ‘If you don’t have money, get away from this place.’
the owner said with a cold stare as they approached him.
  ‘How much is a boat?’ Power demanded of him.
  ‘How many of you?’
  ‘Four including horses.’
  The man quickly added up the price in his head.
‘Fifteen gold plated coins.’ he said finally.
  ‘Twenty five silver plated coins.’ Power countered.
‘Take it or leave it. Or we’ll just have to steal a ship
from you.’
  ‘You wouldn’t dare?’
  ‘It’s no skin off our backs.
  ‘You wouldn’t dare?’ he repeated.
  Power simply looked at him with a wicked smirk on his
face.
  ‘Deal!’ he yelled. ‘Curse you.’
  ‘Fine with me.’ 
  The ship they sailed upon was one of the finest they’d 
ever seen - and one of the most up - to - date ones 
they’d ever come across. It’s sails were set up in a
ketch formation that reached far above them. It was
fancy, but un - necessary, Enigma thought. Their horses
were taken to the hold, whilst the customers were show
their assigned cabins. They were just in the way on deck. 
  The captain manoeuvred his ship in the cross winds to
make good time. The rough water wasn’t a problem.
  The west coast of the Great Inland Sea soon came into
sight after about a week.  
  ‘Where to now?’ Power asked as he mounted his Tarpan. 
  Enigma closed his eyes, picturing the map in his head.
‘Our next stop is the Cathedral in Salla after we pass
Mountain Rock.’
  They were three day’s outside of Mountain Rock when
they were ambushed. Steel was the only way to get around
this mess. They looked to be professionals. 
  ‘For the Revolution!’ the leaded bellowed as the half a
dozen charged. 
  Almost instinctively, Enigma’s huge sheer charged down
two men in a row, stomping his hooves down on them as he
walked over the fallen. Ice and Power dropped to the
ground leaving their horses behind. Ice, with her arrow
headed gauntlets, viciously bashed one man in the head,
killing him instantly, while, at the same time, running
another through the stomach. Power used his fists,
dancing about, jabbing with each step. 
  As Sly watched on, she was felled from behind, her body
fall off her horse in a heap. Watching her come crashing
down to earth, Power thumped his sparing partner with a
huge blow, then, with a flick of the wrist, tossed a
knife into the chest of Sly’s aggressor. He groaned and
fell to the ground clutching the hilt of the infinitely
sharp dagger protruding from his body. The two playing
painfully with Hcrib retuned to their feet to stumble
away.
  ‘Sly!’ Enigma yelled in despair. He jumped down of
Hcrib, running to her side.
  ‘She’s only unconscious.’ Ice confirmed, placing her 
blood stricken gauntlets on the ground beside her. ‘She
took a pretty heavy blow to the head. Who killed Sly’s
attacker?’
  ‘I did.’ Power said, retrieving his dagger from the
dead man’s chest. 
  ‘Good.’
  ‘Will she be okay?’ Enigma questioned worriedly.
  ‘Should be. She’ll have a bit of a head ache when she
wakes up.’ She closed her eye’s in concentration. ‘Her
mind seems to be okay.’ 
  ‘What are we going to do about her for now?’ Power put
his dagger away.
  ‘We’re just going to have to throw her over her horse, 
and transport her that way. Place a bit of cloth over her 
and she’ll be free from the rain. Her back may ache a bit 
when she recovers, but you get that.’
  With Sly tied down, Aroht was guided with a piece of
rope. He was surprisingly co - operative, but he didn’t
look at all happy. 
  The next couple of weeks were slow. Sly’s condition
didn’t get any worse, nor did it get any better. She just
wasn’t making things any easier.
  Soon, a forest approached them, surrounding a lake.
They took extra precautions while travelling the road
along side it - Enigma and Power took turns of “looking
out” during the nights. 
  Travelling parallel to the forest for the third day,
they came across a solitary man, sitting beside the road
with a horse, next to a low fire. His cloths were rugged,
and his white hair was unstained of any other colour. His
face was stone cold, looking not to have smiled for
years. Enigma knew of him, but remained silent.
  ‘What business do you have here?’ Power demanded of him
with his hand grasping a dagger hilt.
  ‘Manner’s Power.’ he chided. ‘Have you not told them of
me yet, Enigma?’ he asked.
  ‘Sorry.’ he apologised. ‘I didn’t know I supposed to.’
  ‘You know of this man?’ Power asked Enigma.
  ‘Partly.’
  ‘How did he know Power’s name?’ It was Sly. She had
finally awoken. ‘Who are you?’ she requested.
  ‘I have many name’s, my dear Sly.’ he replied. ‘But one
of which many aren’t familiar with. People call me
Beloved Nurturer, but you may all call me Ksid.’