The sun was high on the horizon when Ioannes rode out to meet the so-called Lord of Sepulchrave. 

He did not do so alone, of course. When the gate was raised he emerged at a brisk pace, mounted atop his destrier and in the company of a half-dozen armed and armored horsemen. He had taken a grindstone to his blade and a cloth to his mail before emerging; the steel shone like spun silver, while the razor-sharp orichalcum edge of his longsword flashed a dull gold.

His company came to a stop some twenty meters from the gate, men parting on either side to deliver him to this Dratha. From atop the not-so-distant walls, it would hardly be possible to ignore the archers and crossbowmen looking tensely at the parley.

"I am Ioannes Arsenikos," he spoke in a voice that belied no concern. "King of Acharnae, and of much more besides, and heir to the too-long-empty throne of the Atlanteans. I would suppose by the attack on the northern gate that you have not come to swear loyalty to your liege."

"Quite a capital you've won for yourself here, [i]Imperial Majesty[/i]," said Dratha, nodding toward the piled corpses and soot-stained rubble. A smirk twitched across his scarred face. "No. I don't wish to swear anything to you, except my desire for peace between us. I did not come here to fight you or to add this blasted ruin to my domain."

"Then what have you come here for?"

"Those riders you slew. The wights and slaves. What do you think they were doing here?" asked Dratha, "What do you think will happen to you if you stay?"

"Do not presume to think that my efforts have been for some vanity," Ioannes countered, anger apparent in his demeanor. "Have you gazed upon the dark walls of this city? I came to add it to my domain, but I remained to cleanse the city of its foul masters.

"And I have," he continued. "My forces have slain their armies and their black knights and their foul necromancer leader alike. I do not mean to remain here. Bend the knee or turn back to your fortress, it makes no matter. I plan only to tear down this citadel, vanquish what perils remain, and move on to riper fruits."

"Well, our cause and intentions are the same. But I am afraid destroying what lurks here is well beyond your skill."