Far into the vast, untouched expanses of the desert was the realm of Caravel. Tall, stately towers of purest white rose high above the dust and sweltering heat, glimmering and resplendent beneath the sun. The tallest of these, surrounded by a dozen smaller towers which seemed bowed by its magnificence, housed the king and his court. Presently there was being held a meeting of some great importance in the uppermost chamber. The king and his advisors had been locked away for many hours, discussing their business quietly, much to the disappointment of the man eavesdropping outside the door.

This man appeared to be past his twenties, his face strong and plain-featured. Pale hair fell to his shoulders, partly tied back by a thin leather cord. White armor, perhaps not as shining as it had once been, was mostly obscured by a tattered and weather-stained cloak. The man shifted as he leaned against the wall, nodding politely to the stone-faced guards lined up on either side of the door.

Candon was a disciplined, hardened man, who could stand watch for hours on end in the desert sun without blinking, yet now he felt as restless and impatient as a five-year-old schoolboy. As the hours dragged by, he plucked at the frayed edging of his cloak, traced an elegant pattern in the wall, and paced the long hall twenty times over, sighing every so often to let everyone around him know his displeasure.

At long last, the vaulted door swung open and a long line of well-dressed and important-looking men began to file out. One man, considerably younger than the rest, bore a wide smile on his face as he passed into the hall. He was a tall, handsome, good-natured sort of fellow, though he walked with perhaps a bit of a swagger. As he approached Candon, his smile grew. "I thought to find you here, though perhaps I should have warned you against trying to eavesdrop. The door is considerably thick."

"You are all wisdom, Elthan," returned Candon with a wry grin. "Is that why they needed to lock you away for so long?"

"Not entirely. I will explain it to you, though I would rather not be trampled while standing here. Come." Elthan gestured down the wide, deep stairway to their left, which the two descended. They reached a small landing that jutted out of the side of the tower. A number of great birds roosted there, saddled and awaiting riders. The two men were flown to one of the towers on the southeastern reaches of Caravel. One of many barracks, it was tough and sturdy and rather plain. The monotony of the stark walls was broken only by the occasional crest or shield or sword hung proudly over the bunk of their respective owners.

The display above Elthan's own berth was perhaps the most impressive of all, with commendations and medals of all shapes and sizes hung neatly around an elegant ceremonial shield. It was obvious that this was a man whose exploits were far-reaching-and more obvious that he was well-aware of the fact.

Elthan still smiled as he stared at the marks of his accomplishments. "I will be leaving shortly," he said matter-of-factly.

Candon raised a brow as he pulled up a chair. "What country are they hiring you off to this time?"

"None, actually." The younger of the two now lost his smile, taking on a more serious tone in his voice. "You know as well as I that Aneron is up to no good. They hide away on their little island like a passel of bandits, they turn away visitors on their shores, they refuse ambassadors." He paused as several men passed through the room, talking and laughing amongst themselves. As their voices faded into the distance, he continued. "It falls to me to infiltrate their numbers and discover what evil it is that they are harboring."

Candon mulled this over for a moment. "And what are we to do when we discover what it is they're hiding?"

"We will move in with all of our strength and crush them. I will have sent reports on their defenses and vulnerabilities by this time, so victory will be swift and painless."

"You hide your smile poorly. I can see you are going to enjoy another chance at playing the hero," said Candon with a smirk.

"Don't we all?"