The Unknown Soldiers

"OK," said Jarlath. "But be careful." She smiled slightly at the irony of him reminding her to be careful, but then ruefully remembered how she'd rushed off when they'd appeared to be under attack. She walked past Matthias and Belinda, standing uneasily at the edge of the camp. As she walked forward to face the soldiers, she realized she felt terribly small and inadequate before them. These weren't scruffy mercenaries like the ones who'd captured her and her sister. From what she could see of them, they were a terrible, strongly disciplined fighting force as potent as that of Aqualaria. Still, after everything she'd faced so far, she had reason to be cautious but no reason to be afraid.

The soldiers were all very tall and slim, dressed in black armor that appeared to be made out of obsidian, possibly enchanted, and which showed none of their skin. There seemed to be something oddly reptilian about them. Were they former allies of the Dragon? At least, no matter what Jarlath had said, they probably couldn't be allies of Vaeren. He had no servants other than his mystic automata, and when he'd died all of his power had disappeared or been absorbed into Carola and Jarlath. Unless, of course, he'd had allies other than the Dragon that they didn't know about.

As Carola moved toward them, the strange soldiers did not react at all. They seemed eerily quiet and still as statues, and Carola wondered whether they weren't also magical automata of some kind. But at least they weren't attacking. She would greet them in all the languages she knew and try to establish that they posed no threat to these soldiers. But should she tell them their real identities or keep them secret? It would be very risky if she lied to them and they found out, but what if they knew about the Pyramid and that Carola was the person who'd been entrusted with it? But if they did, then they'd surely already know the Pyramid was within her.

1. She tells the soldiers who they are.
2. She does not tell the soldiers who they are.

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