Exiting his mental space, he found that the ritual was nearly complete and Roger and the others had gone to take their turn on the defensive lines.
"Welcome back. Did you finish what you needed to do?" Gregory asked.
Looking at him Chronos saw the sun badger laying on the ground next to him refusing to move until Sariah had gotten off of it.
"Yep, I'm ready to go now." He said while standing up.
Rather than try to convince Sariah to get off of the sun badger Chronos picked both of them up in a bear hug and followed Gregory back to the ritual. They watched as the last of the miasma in the world crystal was forced out then the world around them melted, twisted, and bent all at once.
After several minutes the real world came back into view.
"That was worse than normal. Do you think it's because it was an incomplete tear?" Chronos asked Lyla.
"Most likely, luckily we didn't lose anybody during the trip." She said as she dusted herself off.
"Stand aside! Magar is to be arrested for rebellion!" A loud annoying voice came from down the hill.
Looking over they saw a small army just outside of the defensive lines. The army was formed of three hundred knights in shiny armor with a couple hundred mercenaries on the right flank and nearly a hundred shady looking men on the left flank.
From them Chronos could sense that the shady group had the greatest level of power, most of them were on the lower end of the third rank, but also the fewest members.
In front of them was a man in shiny armor that looked like a giant ball.
"Why is that idiot here?"
"Is he serious about trying to arrest Master Magar?"
"Even if he is, we'll kill him before he has a chance to."
From the grumbling around them it wasn't hard for Chronos to understand who had arrived.
"That must be the baron. Come on, let's join Magar for this, he might need our help." Chronos said after glancing at the sky and grinning.
They followed Magar down the hill where they met Carl and Jeromy who were standing on a platform glaring at the opposing army.
"Welcome back, they've been screaming at us since they arrived this afternoon, but that fat idiot hasn't been brave enough to make good on his threats." They greeted them while giving the badger a strange look.
"I doubt he will act on his threats. I'm more worried that the criminals will try something in all the confusion. Keep an eye on them." Magar ordered pointing at the shady men, looking at the baron Magar shouted at him, "If you want, we can hold an official meeting in the middle of the armies Baron Gustav Rosenholm."
"Magar, you sly dog, there will be no discussion! Either submit yourself to be arrested or I will destroy you and your allies." Baron Gustav yelled back.
Wow, he really was a complete idiot.
There was no way that an army that barely numbered more than 500 could beat them. Their army had long since surpassed 1000 people and many of them had better training and a higher rank than those in the baron's army.
Unless a fourth rank lord showed up there was no chance of his victory.
Magar didn't reply to him for several minutes, he seemed to be waiting for something. Sure enough, one of the shady men came up to the baron and whispered in his ear.
The Baron pushed him away and started shouting again.
"I will not be negotiating anything! Either Magar surrenders immediately or I begin the assault!"
Magar sighed before speaking in a voice like he was dealing with a small child that couldn't understand why he was wrong, "Baron Gustav you are badly outnumbered and outmatched there is no way for you to claim victory in battle. If you truly wish to arrest me, you must do so through negotiation."
The baron's face turned red.
"Do not patronize me! I am not leaving this battlefield without your head!" He screamed.
That caused a ripple of anger to resonate from those allied with Magar. They had had enough of this arrogant, useless man. Regardless of whether he arrested Magar today or not it was unlikely for him to leave this place alive.
"And if you truly want my head then you will have to agree to a meeting of our leadership." Magar retorted.
Baron Gustav was about to shout again when one of the mercenary captains ran up to him. He was no fool and could tell that he and his men wouldn't make it out of here alive if this continued, so he tried to convince the baron to negotiate.
Which started an argument that didn't look like it would end any time soon.
"Do you think they'll accept a meeting or come to blows first?" Chronos asked as boredom set in.
"They'll accept the meeting." Magar said with certainty. "The baron isn't capable of leading this army, once they're about to fight the real mastermind will come forward and accept a meeting."
Chronos glanced upward and smirked again, "Who is the real mastermind anyways? The leader of the criminals or someone from the baron's side?"
"I suspect it's someone on the baron's side and he is leading the criminals with the Rosenholm family's backing and wealth. I just don't have any proof of what he's done." Magar said.
As they were talking the argument on the baron's side was getting worse and worse until the baron finally pulled out his sword. To which the mercenary captain just laughed while the shady man backed up getting ready for a fight.
There were a few tense moments before an elderly butler in a standard butler's uniform walked out from behind the shining knights. He spoke with them, calming all three of them down before gesturing towards Magar.
Baron Gustav glared at the man for a moment before turning back to face Magar.
"Fine we accept to have a meeting, then I'll arrest you." The baron shouted.
The men standing next to the baron shook their heads in shame, already regretting following this man.
Before they started moving to the center of the armies the butler shouted at them.
"Only five men are allowed to come with you, the rest must keep their distance as guards."
"We accept." Magar shouted back, wanting to end this farce as soon as possible.