Part 1-

“How Long Until The Crown Breaks?”

2. Waiting on the tower of the palace, the huge golden tower that is considered the highest level of the ten leveled palace, the sovereign and sovereigness with all their guards, along with the sovereign's advisor, the Dukes and Duchesses, the Lishra's, and the band playing as a way to greet and keep their respect for them.

Morlagon and his wife and child stand together with them all, awaiting the coming race to approach the large golden gate surrounded by protecting lions.

Even from afar, they see well enough to watch everyone below get into position where there is room for the race to make their way in. 

Watching the band end their song, the sovereign knows they are on the crystalized path, making their way towards the gate. Not this alone, but the heavy, running footsteps of what sounds like creatures make their way towards the gate as well.

Turning to his father, Morlagon takes his arms from his back and says, "I know these people…" While just staring at the gate. 

His father turns to him saying, "are you sure?"

"I have an idea who they are, but we will see once we go down."

Then saying aloud, Sovereign Marshogon shouts to the people, “all stand position! We're coming down!"

With the guards speaking his same words, seven follow in front of him while seven behind him and the sides to where the sovereign and sovereigness, along with Morlagon, his wife, and child amidst them as well. 

They make their way down the tower by riding an orpa down, seven for them all and twenty for the guards, they fly down towards the gate of the palace and make their way to ground, almost covering the view of the cloudy skies above them, besides the palace making its extravagant view also.

With the orpi letting out a great shout as they come down, Marshogon and Maldu make their way off with much guidance and they along with Morlagon, Tera, and his son Estenbenyahu also guarded. 

Walking with the band separating so that the sovereign and sovereigness can make their way to the gate, they do as Morlagon, and his family stop behind them, although very eager as Morlagon's heart beats faster and faster as he has a feeling of who is really showing up for help and companionship.

Grabbing his arm to calm him down, his beautiful wife speaks to him, saying, "Is all well my dear?"

Morlagon turns to her smiling, to both her and Estenbenyahu, "I'm fine, just eager, eager to know what this occurrence can truly be for."

"I am too my dear, but I believe this occurrence is for a good cause." Fixing her hair covering, she smiles at Morlagon as Estenbenyahu starts cooing in his mother's arms, with him looking back up to the gate, ready to meet the ones outside of there.

"Open up!" Screams all of the thousand guards, and with the lion-like creatures with them, they open up the doors to reveal six hooded people outside the gate, separating a bit as an eighth one shows up after.

Marshogon walks up to him as his guards follow, he nods his head and says, "may I see your faces?" Since the hoods cover their faces completely.

The man on the seventh covered snow bear gestures with his hands to the other men and women to let down their hoods. As they do, it reveals the faces of pale skinned people with the lightest eyes and whitest hair, from taking off their hoods, they instantly cover themselves with what looks like a large protruding hat as if to hide from the Lesothian sun peaking through the clouds.

What looks to be a leader, the man from the seventh snow bear starts to chuckle as he says to his companions, "it is a cloudy day here, it may not be like home, but their sun can hide behind clouds for long hours, unless you see it shining in the sky and it's great light reflecting off of the ground, you are all good."

As everyone of this Lesothian nation watches, the six other covered people take off their hats, revealing their faces completely as they nod to what looks like their leader before the leader looks over to sovereign Marshogon and sovereigness Maldu, telling his partners to get off their snow bears and kneel and bow down, and in Lesothian culture, you look up towards the heavens afterwards.

With everyone getting up from kneeling to Marshogon and Maldu, he says to them, "are you the leader of this nation? Is there anyone else to make show?" Marshogon highly questions this as he himself looks out a bit, looking for anyone else.

Kneeling again and getting up, the man gets up as if to reply, but right after this encounter, they all turn around towards the path to see in the distance a whole crowd of snow bears coming towards the gate, and the people on it looking to be the rest of the crew.

The leader smiles as he watches the female rider in the middle, the eighth rider, riding not a snow bear actually, but a wolf, a very familiar wolf to Morlagon as he instantly notices.

He steps forward as Tera wonders, with Morlagon saying to himself, "It's her?"

Once the riders make it to the gate, with some guards trying to direct the wind from the closeness of the bears that stopped right in front of them, they all stop in place, get off their horses and wolf, and they kneel and bow down, then look up towards the heavens.

"They know our rule of respect?" Tera questions. 

Then Morlagon turns to his wife saying, "I know who the rider of the wolf is, I must greet her personally if that is alright."

Tera turns to Morlagon, questioning what he means before realizing.

While this, the rider of the wolf gets up last from bowing, and gestures to who may be the leader by saying in their native tongue, "Cri ctalm cmore curit cmi c crigune (Introduce yourself so that I make my word)."

The man nods and one of Marshogon's liaisons says to the sovereign, "I know not of their language, perhaps I shall start learning this day?"

"Yes," Marshogon answers him before Maldu says to them, "I agree with you, you all may speak." While looking with a knowing look of who that is also.

Seeing his mothers face as she looks to him, Morlagon's eyes open wide at this point. With all this, he walks right out the gate to be at the front with his parents. 

Then everyone takes off their hoods as the rider of the seventh bear says with a strong raspy accent, "I am Cregor, and this is my lady, Mashina." 

Gesturing his arm towards the girl, she finally takes off her hood and reveals herself to them all, and they all recognize her, especially Maldu and Morlagon.

As she stands there properly taming down the more grown up wolf she rode around Southern Island, she looks back up and properly greets them all again, before looking back up from bowing to stare right at Morlagon, her fellow warrior.

"Hello Morlagon." She says as a smile creeps up on her pale face.

Morlagon doesn't say anything back, but instead he walks up to her and hugs her as they all sit and watch. After hugging he asks her, "you also are leading a nation, just like you said when we left."

"I keep my word." She simply says, still smiling.

"We have much to discuss." As he points over to his wife and child. 

Mashina playful punches his shoulder saying, "with a child huh? I'm proud of you even more now."

"Come inside you all, I'm sure you all have much to discuss." Morlagon says, still amazed to see her.

"We do Morlagon, we need your help greatly."

Walking through the city now, following the sovereign and sovereigness with the countless guards watching them, Morlagon walks with his wife and child with Mashina as her guards and partners walk with the sovereign and sovereigness, with all the people greeting the fellow warrior they read about from messengers and the book of Southern Island.

Making it to the famous and tallest tree of all Lesothia, the sovereign stops walking through the city and turns to Mashina's men to say, "you may not look as of now of what I'm about to do, for safety purposes."

Cregor nods his head in agreement and tells his men and women to close their eyes as the Lesothian guards of the lions watch them to make sure they are following rules.

Marshogon tells his men to offer them a drink once he finishes taking what looks like four cubes from the tree, and once he takes them out in order, a broad path next to the tree that was also crystalized becomes a small path of flowing water.

He tells them, "you can open your eyes now." Turning to his guards, he says, "give them the water please, it will refresh them from their long journey."

Doing so, they all willfully drink the cooling water with the utmost trust as Cregor says, "Is this a secret path to the people?"

"Yes, they are not even allowed to come this way, but since you all come here for help you say, I will send my guards in and grab some of my important writings that you can read and tell me which of the thousand you need the most help with."

The guards go in as Maldu says after, "they will be quick." While looking over to Mashina, putting a smile on her stoic and beautiful face, she says to her, "Mashina..."

She looks up to Maldu and says, "yes, your majesty?"

Putting her arms out, Mashina immediately smiles and hugs her back, hugging the sovereigness with all love as they hug for a few minutes.

Morlagon walks over to them and says, "I'm glad to see you again with all seriousness Mashina, I just pray we can help make things good with your people."

Backing up from the hug, Maldu lets her speak as she turns to Morlagon saying, "I honestly...Just need to vent about some things."

Morlagon shakes his head, understanding her statement it seems. "I understand Mashina, I know the perfect place where we can talk."

Standing back with a smile, he turns to his wife saying, "you may stay here with Estenbeyahu, I'll come back with information later."

Tera hesitantly nods as he turns to his guards after saying "I only need three of you to watch over me," he turns back to Mashina saying, "we may go."

She nods saying, "I will not be needing my people with me then, you all have the best care and judgment I could imagine, I'll be safe in your care."

"And your own..." He playfully gestures, then Morning nods, "right." 

Letting out a little chuckle after as Maldu says, "go on, Sir Trell, your father, and I will keep our place here."

He nods as he gets on his horse, with Mashina getting on her wolf and following him as they go away. Tera turns in that direction as if bothered by the meeting seen by her expression.

"What is it, Tera?"

"Were they once intertwined with each other in closer relations..?" She eagerly questions.

"No Tera, it's just them recounting the time of their warrior duties, if you trust enough you see that long time friendships from ones long seen will be powerful encounters." 

With this, Maldu smirks at Tera and walks back over to Marshogon.

Arriving at a glistening silver covered tree house hanging right under a larger tree's gray branches, Morlagon stops before it and calls out to the blue door attached to the tree. 

"Melayah I'm here!"

With this, the door instantly opens and a heavyset woman walks out with such a precious smile on her face that it draws smiles from both Morlagon, Mashina, and even the guards instantly.

She does the signature Lesothian bow and says, "my prince, I see we have a guest today, may I bring you both in warriors?"

"Yes, please," he answers. 

As he does, she walks over to the guards with such a wonderful attitude as she grabs one of their arms saying with a smile, "you three may come in also." 

Walking back inside, Mashina says after this, "she's so friendly? I've never seen such a thing since Ella back on the island?" 

Looking at Morlagon for a bit, he chuckles as he says, "this place is so special in so many ways to me, Melayah is like a sister to me, has been ever since I got back, treating me well here and letting me just be free for the time I come to drink."

"Like right now?" She smiles.

"Yes, like now. Let's go in, I don't want to keep her waiting."

Walking inside to the cozy and well cultured place, Mashina can't help but watch the little glistening lights flicker in the air all around her, it amazes her how much light shines in Lesothia, and how well mannered everyone and everything is.

"Have a seat, you two, I'll make you all a favorite drink." As the guards speak their words to her, Melayah turns to Mashina and says, "our warrior, what is it you want to try from around here?"

Mashina looks around the place, wondering what to drink, but before Morlagon helps her out, she says boldly, "may I just have ice? I'm already feeling different from home."

Melayah lets out a smile saying, "I'll give you the coldest blocks of ice yet." Cheerfully making all their drinks, Morlagon turns to Mashina saying, "has the coding from you only lasted on the island?"

"I guess so." She says, acting a bit more quiet than before.

"So let's talk."

Looking up to him, Mashina starts off by saying, "Morlagon, my country is about to be bombarded by the Dorianian people, they have made their way to our mountain and are trying to take it over, claiming that the mountain once belonged to them before our people were made," she looks directly at him with worried eyes, "and that they want it back."

Leaning in, a bit worried for her, he says, "and your soldiers, I pray you have, are they doing their will to protect and fight them off?"

"They are doing their best, I did my best, but they keep coming back."

Leaning in as well, she turns to him and says softly, "I need a threat, a threat besides just me, I can't take all of them by myself, and even if I do, they will be wiped out, and I know the ones living inside the caves don't bother us, it's there criminals, outlaws, that do."

Morlagon leans back as she starts speaking again with worry still accompanying her voice, "my people are being attacked daily, our home has no rest at the moment, hasn't for six months?"

He turns to her with a sudden look of shock. "Six months? Why didn't you come to us earlier?"

"We have recently made maps in our country, we had no way of getting to you until the production was finished, and once it finished, I found your country, and I gathered my men and women for us to travel as far as we could to get here. I even lost some men and women on the way, just four though, but...We were just trying to make our way to you, and I trust that you will be of help to us, and have some of your guards stand with us to threaten them from the world power that you all are."

Now with pleading eyes, a rare sight from Mashina, Morlagon can't help but think on it as Melayah makes her way over to give them what was ordered, even hearing the conversation a little, she says, "helping her out doesn't seem too bad, I believe forming this alliance with them can be the start of something great, two warrior nations coming together." She smiles and walks back over to her little cafe area as Morlagon's eyes go wide hearing about their warrior status.

"Thank you for your input." He says before looking back at Mashina. 

"Mashina..."

She tilts her head as he leans in again after taking a sip from his crystal cup to say, "I find favor in this..."

"Is it a deal?"

"Yes, it is."