Sorcerer… Cyborg???

At the top of the map, the middle of the Isle was drawn, it was filled in as a gray haze, and in green ink, the cartographer had written 'Northern Barbarians'. Kothar looked at the map curiously, and Tam saw him looking and chuckled.

"That's what the Empire calls them, since they are North of the Empire. It's a lot less nice, thanks to what we call them and for good reason, the Tribes were encroaching onto the Empire's vassals for many years. No wonder they pushed them so hard in their conflict, we wouldn't have had a chance if they hadn't been so weakened after their war with the Empire." Tam explained, tracing the large dip in the coast on the west, which was just east of the Multas islands. This water-filled expanse separated Kalun and the westernmost of the Empire's vassal states, the Principality of Downe. 

As he looked at the map, Kothar was reminded of his sessions with Simon, learning the limited knowledge there was about the Isle, the fact of the matter was, magical beasts were so much more powerful than humans that it made exploration and travel beyond one's immediate surroundings impossible.

Especially in the wilder regions like the Fidour Mountains, and the wide ocean expanses that surrounded the Isle on each side, trade was largely accomplished by heavy, wide bottomed barges that hugged the coast, which made piracy all the more profitable for Anteris. 

The Empire dominated the bottom half of the Isle, a red and gold striped section on the bottom of the maps, but all around it were small multicolored sections, these were its vassal states. 

They had been taken over by the Empire long ago, and though they still fought amongst each other, they still paid regular tribute to the Emperor, and were for all intents and purposes, part of the massive Empire.

"You and the Nighthawks will be infiltrating the Principality of Downe, I want you to masquerade as agents sent by another state, all you need to do is take out a few important figures and the fools will race to pin the blame on whoever their last spat was with." Tam smiled grimly, he hated having to take advantage of the emptiness of the men in charge of these smaller states, but this was what it would take to uproot the bastion that was the Empire.

"I want you all to split up, and create as much chaos as you can along the border with the Empire and in as many of the vassal states as possible. Stay away from any Imperial Officials, so it seems like you're employed agents of the other states. I want you all to create all the chaos that you can. That'll give Anteris and I the opening we need to strike at the Empire's southern underbelly." Tam's finger stabbed at the capital of the Empire, which was on a peninsula that jutted out in the south. 

"Remember Kothar, Krieg did this to incite a reaction from you. I want you to keep your mind on the mission, try not to let this get to you. If you can't, then I'll fly us both to the mainland right now and we can go and tear down that ******* Academy and mentor of yours together!" Tam's eyes burned with passion as he gripped Kothar by the shoulders and spoke intensely to him.

"I'll be fine, Father. I appreciate the thought, but I'd rather not have you wage more than one impossible war at once." Kothar gave a weak chuckle, and gave Tam a loose hug, before leaving.

Tam stood, shocked, and for good reason, this was the first and only time that his son had initiated a hug with him. 

Kothar stood on the bow of their ship, once again, the coastline was in sight, while the coast further north had been lush and green, here, it was dry and yellow, and a faint haze hung over the land, evidently displaying the heat of it. The surrounding sea was far calmer, and Kothar watched as great shoals of fish swam beneath the boat, occasionally being chased by shadows larger than their ship, darting every which way. 

Kothar had spent the past few days of the journey in a haze, still reeling from the news of Rotan's death, agonizing over what he had done wrong, by asking Rotan to send a letter to the Academy, and even Silane couldn't persuade him otherwise. 

But now that the coast was in sight, and there was a mission to be carried out, he pushed those thoughts out of his head. 

Just as they had in Multas, their ship would not come into dock anywhere, rather they would come ashore on one of the canoes kept on board the black ships of Anteris' fleet. 

Docara and the captain, whose name they had learned was Jeb, had grown quite close over the course of their journey, and loudly laughed and joked with each other. Jeb was a short, wiry man, and from the occasion spar he had with Docara, was deadly with a sword, able to hold off a flurry from Docara's twin blades, with a single cutlass of his own. 

"We'll be leaving all you mystery men for dead this time, I'll be bringing enough men to row your canoe back, orders from the ol' Grand Admiral himself!" Jeb said with a grin on his face, but the smile couldn't hide the genuine worry on his face.

"Hahaha, it's only so that we work harder, we'll have to earn the privilege of going home." Docara laughed in response, though he knew the truth of the matter. Once Tam was confident that enough turmoil had been brewed to draw the Empire's armies north, the Nighthawks would travel south, attempting to pierce through the army's advancing north to settle the squabbles that they had brewed. 

It would be like walking a tightrope along razor wire, but Docara was confident that he would be able to pull it off, especially with these men. They had all proved themselves in the initial raid on Multas.