"I think you will also find that few things inspire a man more than a noble and courageous woman can. No man will admit defeat when he watches a brave woman stand fast. You must fill your heart with courage and inspire others to do the same."
"I will do my best."
"I know you will. You will bring great honor to my name." King Meldh smiled proudly.
"Why didn't the Ansu destroy us all after they defeated you?" she asked in a puzzled voice. "Wouldn't that have been easier than hunting me down a millennium after they attacked?"
King Meldh shrugged his powerful shoulders. "I don't really know, Flindra. I suspect that it was just an economy of effort on their part. Many of my people, including my daughter Melenth, were hidden in caves, in deep stands of forest or in remote mountain valleys. It would have taken much time and effort to track them all down. After the Ansu defeated my army, they commenced a campaign of destruction and systematically obliterated all my cities and outposts. All the croplands were destroyed and in truth, much of the land was reduced to ashes. I presume the Ansu assumed they had destroyed enough that any survivors would simply starve."
He smiled. "But in an act of obstinate defiance, our world survived the devastation with an endurance and persistence that was fostered by the Spirit. Unfortunately, after a space of years, the Ansu discovered that we didn't die off as a world and they began to send agents to hunt down our family to prevent the birth of our prophesied champion. Your father and mother died at the hands of their agents, but not until they had given you life and knew that you were safe in the refuge of your foster family. They had at least that success to give them peace before they passed into the Beyond."
"Are the Ansu still in our world?"
"At present, they have not returned to our world in body but they can use their powers to control others and make them do their bidding. There are also traps for you to stumble upon. It was such a trap that nearly took your life last night."
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