Chapter 47

  Oxenarrikhon — or King Ox, as the loyal albeit low level and expendable masses of the Third Ring so lovingly called him — was furious.

  ‘Dead? What do you mean dead?’ he demanded, the searing hot rage rising from his chest threatening to explode in a very specific form: an unrestrained punch to Bovinarros’ face.

  He suppressed the urge; Bovi wouldn’t be able to tell him the details if his head became a bloodstain on the sidewalls of his tent. It could wait until after he told him everything.

  ‘It was a champion. That same champion I believe, the one who … uhm … well, based on how General Oxonarrokh described him it was him. A small demon, strange armour and loud, deadly weapons. His name is Hyde, apparently. He introduced himself before the duel.’ Bovinarros explained. ‘And then the general lost the duel. What became of Garoshek afterward … we don’t know.’

  King Ox stopped the motion of lifting his arm and making a fist and stood still for a few moments, letting go of the idea of punching Bovi in the face. For now. The champion? The same one that had attacked him and snatched the heir from his grasp? He was at Garoshek? Why? Wouldn’t it have served them better if the heir had kept her champion close? To protect her? She was the key to the Fourth Ring after all; she held the title and the control he wanted.

  ‘Did the general say anything else?’ he demanded.

  ‘Uh … no, my King.’ Bovi bowed his head, taking a step back.

  King Ox for the first time regretted delegating the task of talking with and coordinating his generals to his aide — although Bovi had proved to be somewhat reliable in this task. He would have wanted to hear about this directly from the foolish general who had faced the champion. And lost. He would have asked questions: why was the champion there? Did the champion say anything else? Did the general see anything that could have indicated their plans? Questions that would go unanswered for the time being.

  King Ox assumed Garoshek was lost already. Not that it mattered; the city was insignificant and held no strategic value. Keeping cities like it under siege was simply to keep as many Fourth Ringers out of his way as possible, and to give some work to his generals so they wouldn’t get too bored. He had so many generals and soldiers he could afford to deploy them on unimportant errands like Garoshek. But now? If the champion — and a strong one at that — was there instead of protecting the sole heir, it must have meant something. But what? What was their plan?

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  ‘Bovi! Who is our highest-level champion?’ King Ox asked his aide.

  ‘Uhm … that would be Taurusal,’ the aide replied.

  Hm. Taurusal. King Ox recalled the minotaur in question was close to level 50 if not there already. He would do.

  ‘Where is he?’ he demanded.

  ‘He’s attached to General Bovithar’s army, currently. They’re not too far from here, they are on rotation for hunting and supplying food for the siege forces. Shall I summon him, my King?’

  ‘No. Tell him and the general they are to march to Garoshek immediately. They are to find the enemy champion. If he’s not there, track him down by any means necessary. I want that Hyde creature found, I want to know what he knows about the heir’s plans, and then I want him killed.’

  ‘Yes … my King,’ Bovi said, but he sounded hesitant.

  ‘Is there something not to your liking regarding my orders, Bovi?’ King Ox asked, the heat in his chest once again rising and causing his fists to clench.

  ‘Oh, n-no, my King, it’s just that … an army of seventy thousand will …uh … take some time to break camp. And the hunting needs to be arranged too …’

  ‘Bovi, my favourite aide of all aides I’ve ever had the misfortune of having by my side,’ King Ox growled at the minotaur with a dangerously low voice. ‘I have over fifty generals commanding close to a million soldiers who surround that damned hill and occupy the entire area. Do you think seventy thousand of them going away somewhere, or vanishing, or dying, would make a blind bit of difference? I am sure they will manage without Bovithar.’

  ‘Uh … of course, my King,’ Bovi agreed quickly and bowed even deeper.

  ‘Good. Now go, relay my orders! Make it quick and when it’s done, come back. I need to hit you.’

  ‘Yes, my King, as you command my King,’ Bovi whimpered and ran out of the tent to arrange for the orders to be carried out.

  Ah, Bovi was the least incompetent aide King Ox had ever had, and the fact he could take a punch had indeed made him his favourite. So far. Making him a general would have been a waste of his talents, that much was for sure, and who knew, when the Fourth Ring was finally his to rule, he might consider giving him a city to govern. If he could find a suitable and sturdy enough replacement for him. But until then, he needed to find this champion called Hyde and repay him for that humiliating surprise attack and snatching instant victory away from him. Hyde had to be hunted down. Hyde had to die. Slowly and painfully.