The Bronze Man finally came around the last part of the village perimeter with Serna when he stopped to stretch a bit before continuing back to the center of town to bless the place. With that done he and Serna made their way towards the ranger and the elementalist to see that Irzen and Dragolem had returned.

Before they came within earshot of The Swordsman and The Draconic Elemental, Serna whispered over to Lazheros, "You don't like Captain Irzen at all do you, Laz? Why is that?"

The Bronze Man stopped for a moment looking down at the girl, "Think of it as a clashing of minds. Two alpha males contesting the friendship of the elementalist. Irzen prefers Alyson before the darkness awoke within her, while I prefer her just as she is. Nothing more, nothing less. For a more direct answer, I do not like the human half hitching a ride as it were in a body that is not his own, hiding the fact that he would rather be something that he is not than himself. Is he not happy just being human? Alyson is content to being human, to be herself true self instead of something she is not."

The elementalist added her own thoughts, ~ You can't change someone if they don't want to change, Lazheros. I tried so hard to help someone like him back on Earth, and didn't work, I just left the issue alone.~

"From what Captain Irzen told me," Serna replied, "He chose his fate. Dungeon Master gave him a choice to share his body with a Human and he took him up on his offer. Also, the Human in him hasn't offered a word of protest about his fate as long as I have known him. I've talked with him a few times and he seems like a nice guy whose just enjoying an adventure. And it seems like their arrangement is working out for both of them. Has it ever occurred to you that the Human within him may not have been very happy about just being a Human?"

Lazheros just sighed at the shield maiden, "My only advise you young one is just be yourself to the best of your abilities. Don't change because you want to, only change if you have no other option left."

"But if I don't change unless I am forced to, then how can I grow?" Serna asked with child-like honesty, "And if I don't grow, then how will I become a better person?"

********

"Captain Mandur is his name. He is the cousin of Knight Captain Martuk, Asylum's second-chief defender," The Swordsman added before he handed the scroll to The Prince, "He wanted us to give you this scroll. He said that a messenger was sent from the king to learn why one of his older sons, Prince Yew, went missing after receiving word to mobilize when the horde began its conquest. His domain was off to the west of the capital. The messanger got waylaid and was forced to take an alternate route for reasons unknown. This is the message for Prince Yew. Captain Mandur wanted us to see to it that he got it or to give it to you."

"Knight-Captain Martuk is Asylum's Chief defender, Irzen. He is responsible for maintaining the primary defenses of the city itself." The elementalist told him.

"That's funny," The Swordsman quipped, "I was under the impression that the dragon cleric that could crap thunder and shoot lightning was the chief defender of Asylum. Don't get me wrong, Martuk looks formidable. But comparing him to Lazheros would be the equivalent of comparing Muhammad Ali to Godzilla."

The Elementalist stood up and walked right up to the Swordsman, "How would you like it if I called you a second rate lord of your homeland in front of your people? I know for a fact, it would NOT go over too well. You did not meet Knight-Captain Martuk, you met Knight-Commander Owen on the temple grounds. What you would know as a GOOD cop/BAD cop routine. You met the BAD cop, who without batting an eyelash, would of smited you where you stood had Lazheros not been present."

"He would have tried and failed," Irzen replied coldly.

"Enough! You two!" Willow accepted the scroll, opened it and began to read it.

"I told Mandur that we'd do the latter as opposed to the former," Irzen continued, "Because if we tried delivering this message directly to Prince Yew, I feared that we would not receive a warm reception from him or his soldiers. Thus, the message is yours. So, if you don't mind my asking, what does it say?"

Prince Yew:

House of Bark, King of Northaven, you are
ordered to mobilize the cavalry at once. Full contingent to ready at sunrise on fifth day.

You are to hold back the invading horde as
much as you can spare. If this enemy starts to overwhelm, fall back to Westfall, and so forth.>

Signed: (Seal of the Sunrider, Tenth of his line
of the House of Bark, King of Northaven.)

Prince Willow read the message aloud so all could hear it. He sighed and turned to the others, "Thoughts anyone?"

Lazheros came over shaking his head at the Swordsman then turned to the Ranger, "Perhaps, what Emissary Orym mentioned about their being a turncoat, or traitor forced the messenger to an alternative route and came upon the hill dwarves, who are loyal to the sovereign of this land."

Alyson shrugged, "Could be this traitor, or could be Gruumasht found a way to undermine some of the defenses that your father had placed in case of an invasion."

"It could be both," Irzen confessed, "A well placed traitor could have forced the messenger to take an alternative route or ended the messenger's life. On the other hand, Gruumasht has cast his forces far and wide throughout this valley. They could have happened upon the messenger purely by accident."

"Either way we have to deliver that message. Don't we, Willow?" Serna asked The Prince.

"Indeed we must," The Prince sighed, "The fate of my people may very well depend upon it. I know the way to Westfell. If we leave now and do not tarry in our pace, then we can reach its borders by nightfall. If you need any rest, take it now. If you need any more supplies, secure them now. In five minutes, we leave for The Kingdom of Westfell.

"Agreed." The elementalist nodded.

Dragolem looked over at the shield maiden, "If you get too tired, you can ride on my back, or you can ride with the swordsman on the goat."

"Thanks, Dragolem," Serna smiled at the Draconic Elemental, "I was right about you, you're not all bad."

"You can use my goat if you like, Alyson," Irzen offered, "I have more than enough endurance to carry me to Westfell without falling faint."

Willow went to retrieve his arrows and return them to his quiver.