When we heard that a Marauder had been imprisoned, I immediately asked for authorisation to meet him. I was taken to his small cell, from which he answered me in a perfectly intelligible homin, despite a strong accent which I had never heard before…

Who are you?

So my torturers didn't consider it advisable to give my name? I am Stabre Sicco.

You're a Marauder then?

I imagine you already know the answer to that question, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Have you lost faith in your brand-new country's justice system already?

Who are Marauders exactly?

The arrogance of your peoples in defining yourselves as "Trykers" or "Fyros", even "Homins". Just because the tyrants of the old civilisations have rebuilt their so-called empires in what you call your "New Lands", do you think this means you speak for all the homins on Atys? Marauders are Marauders, free homins worth just as much as you, but who are perhaps a bit less self-important…

Where do you come from?

Where do think we come from? We too have known the magnificence of the Old Lands! When the kitin armies ravaged everything, however, we weren't lucky enough to be able to flee like frightened yubos to the Prime Roots. When we realised that our guides, our wise leaders - what am I saying - our devoted chiefs, had run away without so much as a thought for us, we had no choice but to fight for our survival.

You were there?

This cell is dark and gloomy, but even so, for you to think I'm that old when you're standing just there… Have my charming jailers made that much of a mess of me? This story is that of my parents and of all my people. But just because I didn't live it myself doesn't mean it isn't mine, too. If our kings, emperors and sages hadn't given us proof of their cowardice by preferring to worry about their miserable selves instead of fulfilling their duty to protect their people, there never would have been any Marauders.

Did Melkiar found the Marauders?

Melkiar…? Melkiar the Black Varynx…? (Sniggering) I don't think you really understand what Marauders are… Melkiar is only one leader among many. He proved through valour that he was a good leader in war, but we are a free people. Melkiar may lead the Marauders as a whole, but he has no authority inside our clans. We have remembered the lesson taught to us by our late, dearly-beloved leaders. We can't rely on anyone but ourselves.

What exactly are you looking for by coming to our lands?

Do you think that we like living on land still infested with kitins? You left us there to rot, don't you think it's fair to give us a bit of room now? Even more so since, no doubt, you're oblivious to the presence of Matoxia on your land …

Matoxia? What's Matoxia?

What do you know about Matoxia?… I'm such an idiot… Nothing, of course. How could you know? You have neither the allies nor the necessary technology. And to think that you call yourselves the future of Atys…

But what does this "Matoxia" do?

Tut tut, don't you know that it's very rude to press a subject which your interlocutor clearly doesn't want to go into? I've already revealed its nature to you, you know it's a material. You don't want me to tell you how it's made, what it's used for and its different properties as well, do you? And I certainly wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for you. You know, we learnt another lesson from the kitins: "Only by outlasting your enemy can you have time to get to know him"…

've heard about someone called Akilia Ash Storm... Who is she?

Akilia… The deliciously lethal Akilia. The future of the Marauders, without a shadow of a doubt. A daughter worthy of her father, Melkiar! There's no doubt that she's waiting for the death of the Black Varynx, to take his place… if she doesn't execute him herself! Isn't that adorable?

And why Ash Storm?

It's a bit childish. It's all that's ever left behind when she passes…

Don't you people have any morals?!

And your Yasson? And your Rigan Mac'Darrell? Did they have morals when they fled into the Primes, leaving all their people behind?

Don't you believe in anything?

Oh yes! We believe in the only law which is always borne out, the law of nature, the survival of the fittest. The Kami and the Karavan have no rights over us. We, on the other hand, we know how useful they may be to us once they've been… liberated.

"Liberated"?

(Yawning) Excuse me, but I'm tired. No doubt my jailers will have lots more questions to ask me tomorrow and I'd like to be at my best to receive them. I wouldn't want to disappoint them and repeating myself bores me. Good night to you.