“The first law of Khadora will make lying a grievous offense. Any person who is caught in a lie will forfeit his life. This will be the law of Khadora. I have chosen six among the most loyal of the generals. Those six will form a council of lords to enforce the law and settle disputes. I, as the emperor, will have the final say on all matters. Together, our armies will ensure that the laws of Khadora are obeyed.”

“There will be grumbling when only six are chosen to be above the rest,” sighed the general.

“Each clan shall be headed by a lord,” smiled Khador. “Each lord shall have a seat in a national assembly. Its powers will be minimal, but it will give them a sense of participation. In the future the assembly of lords shall choose who sits on the Lords’ Council. The lesser clans will believe that they actually have a say in how the country is governed. That will keep the rabble quiet.”

“In reality,” grinned the general, “it will always be the strongest of us to rule the land. Our armies will ensure that. The rest of the lords will squabble amongst themselves.”

“Precisely,” declared Khador, “and in the future, the six shall choose the emperor. Together our seven clans will rule Khadora forever. See to your men, General. In the morning we begin to create a new country.”

Chapter 1

Karnic

Netura's eyes scanned the sides of the road in a continuous motion. He was aware of the Three Sisters Mountains rising sharply off to the right, but he did not allow the scenery to distract him from his duty, even though he had never been this far north before. The young Torak soldier was excited to have been chosen to guard the caravan on its way to Chantise, as he had never been to a large city before, but he also realized that the previous two caravans had failed to show up in Khadora’s second largest city. He vowed to guard the valuable shipment and enjoy the scenery on the trip back home.