The Warhorse's hooves trampled swaying shoots as it carried its knight down the road, disturbing a quiet village where cooking smoke rose from the rooftops.
"Warning from Breeze City! The Ratfolk Clan is marching north! The Violet Kingdom has fallen! The Holy Grail Knight is dead!"
The alarming cry drew closer. As the knight passed the gathering crowd, he tossed down a sheet of paper with one corner torn off. A serious young Girl's voice rang out from it:
"The Ratfolk have somehow blinded the Royal Capital to events beyond its walls. The knights sent to the border under the impression that they faced only a Rat Swarm disturbance are likely dead. The Ratfolk have crossed the border wall and entered the Kingdom's heartland. Druids, other races, and dragons are fleeing the Kingdom—"
The same message was being heard, or soon would be, in cities, towns, and villages. Cavalrymen carrying Magic Newspapers spread outward from Breeze City.
This was one of the measures Annan and Olmedo had prepared.
"The Old Housemaster says you don't need to worry about the Laurencet Family. The Mage Tower says Lord Agawar hasn't returned yet."
"That's all right. I have a way to call him," Annan said confidently.
A Fire Crow landed on the desk through the open window. Annan opened the letter first. In her reply, Idelia explained that Fire Crows were projections of the Fire Dragon's power and would not truly die. As for contacting the Twelve Kings of the North... only the Wei Velasquez family could gather them all.
The Portal was about to close. Seeing workers heading toward the city wall along a distant street, Annan remembered something. He tore a page from his notebook, hastily wrote a few lines, crumpled it up, and tossed it through the Portal.
The paper