“I was thinking we would send a messenger, offer the leaders one last chance to open their gates peacefully to us. Their army, such as it is, has been decimated. Our taking of the city is only a matter of time. Surely they must realize it at this point.”

“They might. It does not follow that they will behave wisely. Would you risk the life of a messenger?”

“Better one life than the lives of many.”

“Yes, but the Krizans are very dishonorable,” Jaykun pointed out. “It is very unlikely they will respect parlay.”

“So we don’t try at all?”

“I think not. If they wanted to parlay or surrender, all they had to do was open the gates. They know this. We have already sent messages telling them we will not harm the citizens of the city if they but lay down their weapons. The rest is up to them. We will take this city one way or another, and we will earn the fleet of ships in their harbor. I want those ships. If we are to move on to the Isle of Moroun, and then to Shintu, we will need those ships.”

“It is said Moroun is heavily protected by the goddess Diathus,” Garreth hedged. “If you plan to lay siege to an island that is protected by a god of Xaxis’s faction…It is unwise. Especially when we are a more able land army than a seafaring one.”

The gods were at war. There were twelve gods in all, and they had been split into two factions. One was led by the brothers’ goddess, the goddess of conflict and war, Weysa. The other was lead by Xaxis, the god of the eight hells. Meddling in the affairs of the gods was never a wise thing for a man to do, but the brothers had sworn to Weysa to do exactly that, for the power of the gods came from the multitude of their worshippers. The more the gods were worshipped, the more powerful they became. Every temple the brothers raised in Weysa’s name made her and her faction more powerful. Every city they stole from Xaxis’s faction made him and his faction weaker.

The only thing that protected the brothers from the wrath of Xaxis at this point was their goddess’s protection. But she would only continue to give that protection if the brothers honored the agreement she had foisted upon them. An agreement they must honor no matter what, else they enrage the goddess and find themselves…Well, all three brothers had learned firsthand of the vindictive nature of the gods. They would not court it again for any reason.

“One step at a time,” Jaykun said. “I am not certain I will try to take Moroun. First let us take this city. Then we will worry about the next. Now, I don’t know about you, but I am weary.” He began to take off his clothes, revealing the scarring and damage done to him earlier. His brothers watched him with troubled eyes for a long moment but then finally began to follow suit. They were each in their cots shortly after, sleeping the troubled sleep of men at war.