“The future of all mankind?” laughed the leader in a mirthless tone. “We fight now for the future of Buryan, and that future is shaky enough. We cannot let you cross our lands, nor can we take the chance of giving you an audience with our king—not with a wizard in your midst, even a very gentle one.”
That was dismaying news indeed. If they couldn’t pass through this land, they’d have to go back around the southern edge of the Bitter Sea—which meant going through the heart of King Basir’s territory, not to mention an unconscionable delay to their mission.
“Is there no way we can prove our righteous intentions?” Prince Ahmad asked.
The leader sat thoughtfully for a second. “You claimed to be a warrior?”
“Of noble blood and honorable teaching,” Prince Ahmad said.
“I’m known as the finest
