《The Blood Born Magus》


 Prologue

    The Blood Born Magus - Prologue


    <hr>


    <u>Nolan Elozol</u>


    ¡°Commander Elozol, how should we proceed?¡±


    Nolan ignored the signal captain as he continued to watch the enemy forming their ranks through the spyglass.


    Truthfully, it was a good question. As Nolan stared at the children lining up to fight, he could feel his stomach knotting up. The tactic they were using wasn¡¯t a new one. The Azarians had implemented a similar strategy in a skirmish only weeks ago, and it had cost them dearly when the captain in command had hesitated.


    Nolan handed the spyglass to the awaiting signal captain and hardened his resolve. Even if he couldn¡¯t live with himself afterward, for his men, and his country, he needed to carry out the burden that had been entrusted to him. ¡°Give the signal. Kill them all, we take no prisoners.¡±


    The signal captain saluted, then hurried off to carry out his orders.


    Nolan rubbed his temples. It was hard to believe that something as simple as conquering Azaria had turned into such a nightmare. What should have just been an easy invasion had turned into a war of attrition that lasted several years.


    It seemed that the land his king sought wouldn¡¯t be acquired without prying it from the corpse of every man, woman¡­ and child of Azaria.


    Nolan turned to his apprentice. ¡°Cole, bring me my armor.¡±


    Cole didn¡¯t hesitate. The ten-year-old boy held out the storage stone and brought forth his hellplate armor. Others of his rank wouldn¡¯t have even used the armor when fighting against the Azarians, the small kingdom hadn¡¯t had a Magus line in decades. But he would never neglect his training, or underestimate his opponent.


    Nolan held his arms out, allowing Cole to strap the armor on. The armor¡¯s plate was pitch black, the same color of the hell demon scales that it had been made out. Light, strong, and magic resistant, the hellplate armor would make him almost invincible when fighting against Azaria¡¯s conscripted soldiers.


    As Cole strapped the armor on, he continued to stare at their troops as they formed ranks. ¡°Can I fight as well?¡±


    Nolan glanced down at his apprentice and frowned. Cole was becoming more like his father every day. Not only was he similar to the Arch Magus in appearance, with his dark red hair and pointed features, but his demeanor was shifting as well.


    Even though Cole was technically his apprentice, as a fifth descendant and the son of the Arch Magus, Cole severely outranked him. ¡°There is no need for you to act today.¡±


    Cole frowned, but didn¡¯t question his orders. ¡°Will you act as champion?¡±


    The question made Nolan flinch. Acting as champion would have been preferable, but he had received his orders. The war had gone on for long enough. There could be no survivors. ¡°No.¡±


    The answer only made Cole¡¯s frown deepen. It was clear that Cole didn¡¯t see why he couldn¡¯t fight if the enemy would die anyway. But he had no intention of releasing Cole, and his fire magic, upon the children that were being lined up to die.


    Dismissing Cole from his mind, Nolan walked to his horse and mounted it. It was time to slaughter.


    <hr>


    <u>Owen Brance</u>


    Seeing a disturbance in the periphery of his vision, Owen glanced over to identify the problem. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see yet another one of those useless children causing problems.


    Letting out a sigh, Owen walked over to the weapons master with hands clasped behind his back, and chest out, doing his best to look down on the man. ¡°What seems to be the problem here.¡±


    Seeing him, the weapon master immediately gave a flustered salute, but the two children who were the cause of the problem made no attempt to greet him, causing Owen to frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry captain, but he says the girl can¡¯t fight.¡±


    Owen glanced over at the two dirt-covered children. The one in front stared at him expressionlessly, but the one hiding behind him was clearly terrified as she clung to him. They were both absolutely disgusting, completely covered in dirt and starved beyond recognition. Had the weapon master not mentioned it, he wouldn¡¯t have even thought the smaller one to be a girl.


    Stepping forward, Owen backhanded the boy as hard as he could, sending him sprawling. He was slightly surprised that he didn¡¯t break the child¡¯s jaw like he intended, but that was just the boy¡¯s good fortune. ¡°The reason we provide you waifs with food is so you can be useful.¡±


    Owen grabbed a spear from the weapons master, then shoved it into the hands of the girl who was beginning to cry.


    The boy stood up somewhat hesitantly, any defiance, no matter how slight, was gone. Owen smiled, it seemed that these strays could be taught after all.


    Then the boy spoke. ¡°We didn¡¯t say we would fight. We were promised food if we helped with the camp.¡±


    Owen frowned, then drew his sword and pressed it against the imbecile¡¯s neck. ¡°I suggest you take a spear and line up.¡±


    The boy hesitated for a brief moment, but then nodded. Satisfied, Owen sheathed his sword and handed the boy a spear, then looked back at the weapon master. ¡°Let me know if these two cause any more problems.¡± He made the threat in his voice clear, but he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the two imbeciles wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the meaning behind his words.


    The weapon master gave another salute. ¡°Of course, captain.¡±


    Content with the way he handled the situation, Owen made his way back to his post. The fighting was about to start, and he had no intention of dying with the children they conscripted.


    In any other situation, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to kill the boy immediately, but it didn¡¯t matter. All of the children would be dead soon anyway. They were just there to slow the enemy down while the archers rained arrows down upon them.


    This battle would be just like any other, they would put up a bit of resistance, send out their champion when the fighting was at its thickest, then after their champion lost, they would flee.


    <hr>


    <u>Jayden</u>


    He could feel the hands that were latched onto his shirt shake as Allison tried to hold back her tears. Jayden turned toward her and put his hands on her shoulders, trying to reassure her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we will be fine.¡±


    His words of reassurance did nothing to cheer her up, and Allison broke down. She buried herself in his muddy shirt and began sobbing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Jayden let out a sigh as he held both of their spears up and let Allison release her emotions. It had been her idea to join the army to get food, and despite his vehement objection, he had eventually relented to her starved pleas.


    It wasn¡¯t her fault though, there was no food anywhere. In the four years since the war started, all of the farmlands had been burned, and all the livestock had been slaughtered. There were food shortages everywhere, and it was the sole reason that Azaria had been able to maintain an army.


    The lure of food was incentive enough for almost anyone to join the army. For every conscripted soldier that died in battle, there always seemed to be two hungry Azarians ready to join in their place.


    It wasn¡¯t as though they were really being fed though. He had been given one small loaf of bread each day, and Allison had only been given a half loaf because she was a girl. It wasn¡¯t nearly enough, and he would often give her half of his, or just the entire thing.


    Jayden looked around, trying to find an opening so that they could escape, but it was hopeless. Even if there was an opening, the two of them were far too malnourished to get anywhere.


    As he glanced around, the Priscus war drums began beating at a quick pace, signifying that their troops were going to march. Hearing them, Allison froze.


    Jayden gently pushed her off of his chest, then handed her a spear. ¡°Just stay behind me. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡±


    Allison nodded, doing her best to look reassured for his sake, but they both knew that survival was unlikely.


    The two of them turned toward the Priscus troops that were now marching forward across the flat plain. The sight was terrifying, there had to be at least twenty thousand troops, meaning they were outnumbered two to one.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Jayden glanced at the others around him. Their side was outnumbered four to one if he, Allison, and the other children were excluded.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that they were being sent to their deaths. The sharpened sticks that they called spears wouldn¡¯t be able to kill anyone in armor, even if someone with adequate strength wielded them.


    Looking back to the actual troops behind them, he saw a line of soldiers with large shields preparing to make a wall. He was unable to tell if they were meant to hold off the enemy, or if they were meant to hold off him and the others should they try and retreat. Likely the latter.


    Behind the shield wall were the archers. More than half of the Azarian troops were archers, even though none of them had a quality bow or more than a dozen arrows.


    Learning the bow had become something of a necessity for everyone in Azaria. Without the ability to hunt, or trap in his case, they would starve.


    ¡°March!¡±


    The man who had backhanded him earlier gave the order, and the war horns sounded. Behind them, the shield wall closed and began moving toward them, forcing them to move forward.


    Jayden pulled Allison¡¯s shaking form behind him, then stood in front of the shields and moved at their pace. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see some of the others around his age rushing forward to meet the Priscans head on.


    The captains that oversaw them had been filling them with stories of the glory earned from dying in battle, and it seemed that some of the other children had actually taken those stories to heart. It should have only taken one glance back to those captains hiding behind the shield wall to dissuade them of that notion.


    Jayden shifted his focus to the incoming Priscans. The cavalry was already halfway across the plain, and although small in number, the trak lizards they were riding were absolutely terrifying.


    Although far slower than horses, trak lizards were the mount of choice for the invading Priscans. The lizards had no problems traversing Azaria¡¯s mountainous geography with dozens of soldiers on their back, and their ability to trample troops in battle was second to none.


    That fact alone made the single rider on horseback absolutely terrifying. The soldier was fully covered in black armor, only leaving his stoic face uncovered. He rode out alone, completely outpacing the trak lizards that were trailing behind him. Unfortunately, the sole rider didn¡¯t seem to have any fanciful notions of dying gloriously in battle.


    ¡°Archers, take aim!¡±


    As if on cue, the approaching soldier drew his sword. It looked completely ordinary in comparison to his scaled armor.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    Behind Jayden, the twang of bows sounded, and the arrows were so numerous that they seemed to momentarily blot out the sun as they passed overhead. Almost half of them were heading straight toward the lone rider.


    He had just been thinking that it was a waste of their already limited number of arrows, when the lone rider lazily swung his sword toward the incoming projectiles.


    The sword seemed to distort the air around it, and a loud screeching noise pierced the air, grabbing the attention of everyone on the battlefield. The sword stroke finished, and for a brief moment, there was complete silence.


    Then the tempest appeared.


    The harsh wind that originated from the sword seemed to wail as it sprang forth. Knocking back all of the incoming projectiles, even the ones that weren¡¯t aimed at the lone rider, before colliding through their ranks.


    The children that charged forward received the brunt of the attack, most of them dying as soon as the harsh wind lacerated their bodies. The ones that were unfortunate enough to survive were knocked through the air, several of them traveling dozens of feet upward before colliding against the ground with a dull thud.


    Jayden didn¡¯t hesitate, he spun around and did his best to shelter Allison with his body, just barely making it before the wind to cut into his back and knocked the two of them into the shield wall.


    Other than the screams of the injured children that remained alive, their entire side went silent. The Priscans had finally sent a powerful Magus. It was something expected, the war had gone on for far too long, but no one expected them to send a Magus that was so strong. They were all going to die.


    ¡°Send the champion!¡±


    The shout from the captain brought order back into their ranks, and the shield wall that had been sent into disarray began to reform. He felt himself being shoved off of the shield he and Allison were resting against, and he reoriented himself while propping Allison upright. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Allison was shaking, clearly terrified, but didn¡¯t have any visible wounds. She nodded, either unable or unwilling to speak.


    Jayden sighed in relief, then glanced over to the battlefield behind him. The powerful Magus dismounted, then slapped his horse¡¯s hindquarter and sent it back before walking toward them. It seemed like he was going to wait for the rest of his army before killing them for some reason.


    There was a disturbance in the shield wall, and a single rider broke through carrying a black flag, signifying a challenge.


    Jayden saw the hopeful gazes of those around him, even Allison stopped shaking. Usually, when a champion was defeated, it would signify the end of a battle, with the losing champion¡¯s side surrendering. It was a courtesy that every non-barbaric kingdom followed, and a courtesy that Azaria had abused at every opportunity to preserve the duration of the war once the invasion started.


    Jayden observed their champion as he rode forward. Something didn¡¯t seem right. The Priscan champions had never lost a fight, so it didn¡¯t make sense for them to send such a strong Magus if they were going to be allow their side to escape anyways.


    Breaking his gaze away from the rider, Jayden grabbed Allison¡¯s hand and began dragging her along the shield wall, trying to put as much distance between them and the enemy Magus as possible. It seemed that after four long years together, they would finally die.


    If he was honest, he wouldn¡¯t mind dying during the battle. Just the thought of death¡¯s release sounded soothing, the last four years of his life were filled with nothing but constant pain and suffering, and just thinking about his future made him want to recklessly charge the enemy Magus.


    That wasn¡¯t an option though. Even if she was only his sister in name, Allison was the only family he had left, and there was no way she could survive without his help.


    He could hear the sound of the wind being torn for a second time, and there seemed to be another round of shocked silence. The silence didn¡¯t last long though, the nervous curses and Allison¡¯s shaking hand were enough to tell him what had happened.


    ¡°Hold!¡±


    The captain''s voice came out strained, and Jayden threw a glance behind him, then immediately picked up his pace. Their champion, and his horse, had been sliced entirely in half - but the enemy didn¡¯t pause. The trak lizards already passed the powerful Magus and were only moments from crashing through their ranks.


    ¡°Get behind me.¡± Jayden put his back to the shield wall and placed Allison behind him, then held his spear out in preparation to ward off the charging trak lizards.


    As Jayden held the spear, he noticed that his hands were shaking. It was something that surprised him. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried, or what he told himself, he couldn¡¯t completely abolish his fear of death. And a wasteful death at that.


    The entire war was pointless. There wasn¡¯t anything to fight for anymore. Their cities had fallen, their livelihoods were ruined, and there wasn¡¯t even any food. None of that seemed to matter though, they were still being thrown at the Priscans like a lamb to the slaughter, and now he and Allison were a part of that cycle as well.


    The trak lizards were only seconds away, and Allison¡¯s grip on his shirt tightened, bringing him out thoughts.


    Jayden let out a deep breath, and his shaking stopped. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be weak, there was someone else who depended on him. He pushed his emotions back down, a habit he had developed over several years. It made everything so much easier.


    The first trak lizards broke through, thankfully missing them completely as they bashed into the shield wall.


    The Priscan soldiers seemed to have no interest in immediately killing any of the children, they just trampled a few to death as they bashed into the shield wall and tried to get at the archers that were sitting behind.


    As soon as they made it past the shield wall, the soldiers jumped down from their lizards and began hacking through anyone in their path. Giving shouts of joy when they managed to successfully kill.


    Seeing what was now happening behind him, Jayden¡¯s grip on the spear tightened. Everywhere he looked, people were dying. It felt surreal. Even after living as a refugee for four years, he had never thought life could be so cheap.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand his own mortality. After standing on death¡¯s door for so many years, he never took a day he managed to stay alive for granted.


    But he never thought that it would be this¡­ empty.


    Jayden watched as one of the Priscan troops was cut down. Saw the excitement on the archer¡¯s face as he took his enemies life. Then watched as that man died immediately after, hacked down by a different Priscan soldier in the act of vengeance.


    Meaningless.


    The Priscan infantry had finally arrived at the battle. As soon as the Priscan archers were within range, they rained arrows down on the Azarian backline. Jayden watched as the arrows sailed overhead. Saw one of the arrows take the captain who had backhanded him earlier in the throat.


    The captain reached up for the arrow, a look of disbelief on his face as he struggled to remove it. The struggle only lasted for a brief moment before he fell to the floor, never to wake again.


    Inevitable.


    He heard Allison¡¯s scream behind him and felt her grip on his shirt tighten. Coming back to himself, Jayden spun to meet whatever threat she was facing. It brought him face to face with one of the Priscan soldiers who had ridden in on a trak lizard. The man charged, winding up with his sword for an easy kill. He didn¡¯t even bother blocking with his shield.


    Jayden gritted his teeth and stepped forward to meet the attacker, putting Allison out of the Priscan¡¯s reach.


    The Priscan seemed slightly surprised by his move, but it seemed like it only made his confidence grow. With a sneer, the Priscan brought his sword down, carrying forth all of his momentum to cleave Jayden in two.


    Jayden acted instinctively, falling to the floor as quickly as he could while trying to keep the head of the spear pointed toward the Priscan as he landed on its shaft.


    An enormous weight seemed to press against his spear as it dug into the ground and the Priscan¡¯s sword passed overhead. Then that weight fell on him. The Priscan was on top of him. He could feel his bottled emotions being unleashed, but he couldn¡¯t stop them. He was going to die.


    This conclusion was unavoidable, but he was ready. He was filled with regret, but there was nothing he could do.


    I¡¯m sorry Allison, I tried.


    Jayden waited, but nothing happened. The struggling Priscan on top of him went limp, and he could feel warm liquid leaking down from the warrior¡¯s still body.


    He pushed the weight off of himself. The Priscan was definitely dead, and his spear was sticking out of the warrior¡¯s chest.


    Jayden laughed grimly as tears streaked down his face. His life had been saved, but at the cost of killing someone else. It was insanity. He couldn¡¯t take anymore. He couldn¡¯t process the deaths of those around him.


    He heard a familiar scream coming from his left, and spun to see the Magus standing over Allison, looking down at her expressionlessly as his sword was poised to strike.


    He couldn¡¯t think, he could no longer hold a coherent thought. But that didn¡¯t stop him from acting.


    Jayden jumped onto Allison, knocking her to the floor. Pointlessly shielding her body from the strike that would cost them both their lives and waited for the inevitable as he stared into her crying face, but it never came.


    Jayden glanced over his shoulder and saw the enemy Magus staring down at him, sword still raised in preparation to strike. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then the Magus released a sigh.


    He was confused at first, but then the Magus stepped to the side and kicked the bodies of those who had already died over him and Allison, shielding them from view. ¡°Stay quiet.¡±


    The Magus walked away, leaving him alone with a whimpering Allison, and the blood of the Priscan he killed dripping on him from above as it covered him from view. Jayden laid there in uncomprehending pain, every scream of death he heard from the battle outside felt like a nail being hammered into his head.


    This is madness.

 Chapter 1

    The Blood Born Magus - Chapter 1


    <u>Jayden </u>


    Edwin drew his sword and pointed it toward Jayden with gritted teeth. ¡°You are nothing but a fucking coward!¡± He glanced toward Victoria, Theo, and Robert, waiting for them to follow his example. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s kill this traitor and be done with it.¡±


    Jayden ignored the insult and positioned his horse so he could keep his eye on both Edwin and Robert, the other two weren¡¯t a threat. He had been sure to win over both Theo and Victoria before making his move.


    Seeing the lack of response from the other three generals, Edwin¡¯s face twisted in anger. ¡°You would really let this fucking puppet we propped up destroy everything we have bled for?¡± The words were meant as an insult for all of them, but it was clear that he was talking directly to Robert.


    Jayden observed Robert¡¯s reactions, but the general just looked uncomfortable.


    Noticing his gaze, Robert looked toward Jayden, then over to Theo and Victoria before frowning. ¡°I¡­ think the commander is right. This war has gone on for long enough, and we had enough problems without those damn barbarians invading from the northern border.¡±


    Hearing his words, Theo and Victoria perked up. The two of them were clearly surprised by Robert¡¯s actions.


    Due to their past relationship, Robert had almost always taken Edwin¡¯s side in every decision. It was something that he had considered while planning, but he thought it unlikely that Robert would value his loyalty over his own life. Few men did.


    For the first time since joining forces with him, Edwin truly looked uncomfortable. His brows knitted and his bald head began to pale. It seemed that realization had finally dawned on him. For the first time, he wasn¡¯t in control. ¡°All of you are nothing but spineless cowards.¡± He spat at the feet of Jayden¡¯s horse and sneered. ¡°And if you think that I will allow you to do as you wish, commander, you are dead wrong.¡± Edwin spun his horse and dug his heels into its side, fleeing at a full sprint.


    Jayden watched with disinterest. The faster Edwin ran his horse, the less time the poison would take to kick in. He turned toward Theo and Victoria who were waiting behind him. ¡°After you kill him, immediately begin the preparations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, commander.¡± Theo saluted, then moved his horse to pursue Edwin, but Victoria paused. She looked at him for a moment, mouth opening as if she would say something, but then she just saluted and wordlessly followed after Theo.


    Jayden watched her leave expressionlessly. Sleeping with Victoria had been a mistake. She had been there when he needed her, but despite what she said, it was clear that she had feelings for him.


    Jayden reached for his flask. It wasn¡¯t as though it mattered anymore, they would never see each other again. He brought the flask to his mouth and took in a mouthful of the harsh liquor, allowing it to slide down his throat and ravage the mana that was inside of his body.


    As the pain of his chaotic mana washed over him, Jayden looked toward Robert. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We still have a long journey to Hovardstead.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Jayden turned his horse and began walking his horse.


    Robert watched Jayden¡¯s horse as it moved away for a moment, then threw a glance back to Theo and Victoria as they pursued Edwin. He seemed to rethink his decision, but then let out a sigh and led his horse to follow Jayden.


    Seeing Robert follow, Jayden dropped his heightened awareness. Although he made it seem like he wasn¡¯t worried about Robert taking Edwin¡¯s side, in reality, Robert was a substantial factor in his plans. Without Robert, there would be no one to stop Edwin¡¯s troops from turning on him.


    He didn¡¯t have any interest in destroying half of their remaining fighting force if he didn¡¯t have to.


    <hr>


    <u>Aubrey</u>


    Aubrey watched uninterestedly as Jordan and Noah exchanged quick blows with their practice swords. The two brothers looked almost identical with their cropped brown hair and muscular builds. Still, she had to admit, their speed was impressive. Despite their lack of skill as wind Magi.


    ¡°Do you think Jordan¡¯s muscles seem slightly larger and more defined than they were two days ago?¡±


    Olivia heard the question, and her lips curled into a mischievous smile. ¡°Funny, his muscle definition seemed to have somehow changed after your date last night.¡±


    Her answer was met by the giggles of the other six girls surrounding them.


    Charlotte¡¯s face flared crimson, and she averted her gaze in embarrassment. ¡°How did you know about that?¡±


    Emily, who was in the middle of laughing, rolled her eyes. ¡°As if Noah wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to tell everyone! Besides, at least I can get a date. The rest of you just fawn over Cole.¡± Charlotte said the words in mock anger, but by her expression, anyone could see that she was secretly pleased that the others knew of her new relationship. It would make bragging to those who couldn¡¯t get dates far easier.


    At the mention of Cole, all of them turned towards where Aubrey was sitting behind them.


    Someone kill me.


    ¡°So, speaking of Cole, how are things going Aubrey?¡± Unsurprisingly, Olivia was the one to ask the question. Damn gossiper.


    ¡°How are things going with what?¡± Her feigned ignorance was awarded with several eye rolls from her ¡®love rivals¡¯.


    Olivia flipped black her blond curls. ¡°Come now, the two of you are a perfect match. Besides, not only is he a fifth descendant, but his father is also the Arch Magus. Don¡¯t even try to tell us that your father isn¡¯t trying to get the two of you together.¡±


    That was true enough. Her father, and Coles father for that matter, were both trying to get them together. That would never happen though, the two of them were quite literally polar opposites. The ice magic she inherited from her mother made even the slightest physical contact with Cole and his fire magic nauseating, and she was quite sure he felt the same way.


    Instead of responding to Olivia, Aubrey acted as though she was preoccupied with the sparring match in the pit in front of them. She couldn¡¯t fathom how the girls in front of her had been spawned from the elegant and dignified women of her mother¡¯s court.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t deterred. ¡°Speaking of Cole, I¡¯m sure he is pleased. From what I¡¯ve heard, that war his father chose to start in Azaria is ending.¡±


    Aubrey perked up at that news. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± The war with Azaria had been a nightmare for Prisca, and even if the Arch Magus was the one who truly pushed for it, the commoners placed all of the blame on her father. An end to the war wasn¡¯t just good for the Arch Magus.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Olivia¡¯s lips curled. She seemed to get off on spreading information. ¡°I just heard. Apparently, the new commander of the Azarian army surrendered. He even agreed to all of our terms immediately. There wasn¡¯t a single compromise or refusal.¡±


    Aubrey¡¯s eyes knitted slightly in thought. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, they just put a young Magus in command as a figurehead. He shouldn¡¯t actually have that much power, especially if it¡¯s just an upstart Magus from Azaria.¡± She didn¡¯t focus on gathering information like Olivia did, but she still heard bits and pieces from her mother¡¯s intelligence network.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes rounded, and she covered her mouth with her hand in mock surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡±


    Aubrey¡¯s eyes narrowed. She didn¡¯t appreciate the condescension in Olivia¡¯s expression. ¡°Hear what?¡±


    Olivia glanced at the others around her conspiratorially to make sure she had their attention. ¡°The Azarian Magus defeated Commander Elozol in a decisive battle only a week ago.¡±


    <hr>


    <u>Jayden</u>


    ¡°Is it because we lost at the Dalazar Ravine?¡± Robert continued to pace quickly. After waiting for hours, the Priscan envoy was now within their view, and Robert was beginning to behave erratically. ¡°You held their Magus up far longer than any of us would have thought.¡± Robert stopped pacing and stared at him. ¡°We don¡¯t need to do this. We can still find allies in other kingdoms. We can still fight.¡±


    Instead of answering, Jayden took another swig out of his flask as he watched the approaching Priscans. Robert was beginning to aggravate him. The people who he despised the most were those who fought and slaughtered without reason.


    His lack of response caused Robert to snort and begin pacing again. ¡°I always thought it was strange that a Magus would just appear, but now everything makes sense. You were nothing but a traitor from the start, and Edwin didn¡¯t suspect a thing. Now the bastard is probably rotting in some hole that Theo dug up.¡±


    It was amusing that he was branded a traitor when Edwin was the one who killed Eric, the previous commander of the Azarian forces. Jayden examined the flask in his hand. Robert was making him wish that he could actually get drunk, something he hadn¡¯t wanted in years.


    The two of them remained silent as they watched the envoy¡¯s heavily guarded carriage and a mobile prison cell roll through what had once been the gates of Hovardstead, only stopping when it was a short distance away from them in the ruins that had once been a town square. Half of the guards immediately spread out, setting up a perimeter and checking for an ambush.


    After searching thoroughly, and only finding the scattered refugees that were currently residing in Hovarstead, the guards signaled back to the carriage where one of them opened the door.


    Stepping out was a thin, scholarly looking man with his dirty blond hair slicked back into a refined ponytail. He looked completely out of place in the ruins of Hovarstead, which was emphasized by his terrified expression.


    The envoy glanced around, then identifying Jayden and Robert, he motioned towards them. ¡°Bring the table and the papers over there.¡±


    Jayden watched with interest as the young envoy came closer. The envoy was young, likely around his age of eighteen. Clearly they had sent someone who was expendable.


    The guards that the envoy brought over had their hands on their weapons, which was understandable. The ones who brought the table set it down and placed a chair on either side while the envoy received a packet with several papers. The envoy sat down and began rifling through them, pulling out several papers and laying them on the table. That done, he looked up at Robert with a forced smile. ¡°My name is Logan Tullius, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please have a seat, Commander Jayden.¡±


    Robert, who was behaving surprisingly well up to that point, sneered and pointed to Jayden. ¡°You don¡¯t even recognize your own traitor?¡±


    Logan looked toward Jayden, who was resting on a tree stump with a flask in his hand, with a lack of comprehension. His appearance was in stark contrast to Robert¡¯s short military haircut and commanding presence. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Jayden stood. ¡°I am Jayden.¡± Robert causing problems was within his expectations. There was nothing to be done. He couldn¡¯t kill him, and he couldn¡¯t allow him to go back to the rest of the army until Theo and Victoria stabilized things there.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re Commander Jayden?¡± For a reason he couldn¡¯t comprehend, Logan actually began shaking. As if afraid that he had committed some grave offense. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry lord Magus, I didn¡¯t mean to offend. I had heard you were young, but due to your accomplishments, I wouldn¡¯t have thought that you were this young.¡±


    Jayden just nodded as he sat in the chair on his side of the table. Logan was either well trained or quick-witted. He covered a possible insult with a compliment seamlessly while trying to regain his footing in a conversation, all while being terrified.


    ¡°Accomplishments?¡± Robert gave a snort as he paced by the table. ¡°He is barely a Magus in name, and he can¡¯t even project his magic. Twenty well-trained soldiers would be far more useful than him in any fight.¡±


    Logan looked at Robert in confusion. ¡°I beg your pardon, but only a week ago Commander Jayden successfully neutralized then-Commander Elozol.¡±


    Hearing Logan¡¯s words, Robert stared into space and Jayden frowned.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Acting preeminently, Jayden stood and bashed Robert in the head. Not hard enough to kill him, just enough to knock him out for a few hours. Then he sat back down and dismissed Robert from his mind. Two of the guards, likely the more experienced ones, began drawing their swords after he sat back down, while the others seemed to have been too surprised by his speed. ¡°You said ¡®then-Commander Elozol¡¯?¡±


    It took Logan a few seconds to regain his bearing, but he recovered quickly and comprehended the meaning behind the question. ¡°Now that the war with Azaria has come to a conclusion, Nolan Elozol is no longer acting commander of the Priscan forces in Azaria. Instead, he has retaken his previous post in Prisca¡¯s Magi Association.¡±


    Jayden nodded. ¡°What of my request?¡±


    Logan began to quickly shuffle through the papers on the table. ¡°Ah, of course. They have all been approved.¡±


    That was slightly surprising, but it didn¡¯t matter. He would have agreed to surrender with or without them.


    Pulling out a particular paper, Logan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Three requests in total. First request. During Prisca¡¯s occupation, any Azarian who pledges loyalty to Prisca will be provided with a daily allotment of food until they can provide for themselves, or ten years have passed from the day this treaty is signed.¡± Logan glanced up, and Jayden nodded.


    ¡°Second request. During Prisca¡¯s occupation, Prisca will be solely responsible for repelling any barbarian tribes from the northern border and will not use any Azarians, conscripted or otherwise, to defend Azaria.¡± Again, Logan glanced up, and Jayden gave a slight nod.


    ¡°Third request.¡± Logan glanced at the flask in Jayden¡¯s hand and cleared his throat. ¡°You may bring whatever drink you like with you.¡± This time Jayden nodded without being prompted. His liquor would have been sorely missed on the way to his public execution.


    After acquiring his confirmation, Logan smiled. ¡°Excellent. Now, let¡¯s go over the terms of surrender so we can sign the treaty and be off.¡±


    He had no interest in the terms of surrender. ¡°There is no need, just show me where to sign.¡±


    Logan looked uncertain for a brief moment, then nodded. ¡°Of course, just sign here¡± He indicated toward a line on one of the more finely scripted pages, then slid a quill across the table.


    Jayden took the quill and examined it. There seemed to be a vial of ink in the center that had a controlled release in the tip. Just holding it in his hands brought forth memories he would rather have forgotten. The only time he had used something similar was when his mother had forced him to learn his letters when he was four. Thinking back, it was almost laughable how much he had despised those times he spent with her.


    Jayden glanced down at the treaty. It had taken him three long years, but he finally fulfilled one of his promises, and had even found a loophole for the second.


    Reaching down, he scratched out ¡®Jayden¡¯ then passed the treaty back to Logan.


    Logan saw the lack of surname and frowned, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°That is all we needed. Are you ready to leave now?¡±


    ¡°One moment.¡± Jayden stood and walked to his horse. After grabbing his bag of alcohol, he walked back to Logan and nodded, his hands outstretched.


    Logan took a deep breath, as if gathering his confidence. Then he took out a pair of handcuffs and placed them over Jayden¡¯s wrist in preparation to lock them. ¡°In the name of King Lucas of Prisca, the first of his royal line, I hereby¡­¡±


    Instead of waiting for the pointless ceremony to finish, Jayden took the handcuffs from Logan and then locked them. Then, taking a swig out of his flask, he walked toward prison cell behind the carriage with a now silent Logan when he heard one of the guards throwing up.


    The others around the guard went on high alert, drawing their weapons and asking what had happened. Even Logan looked curiously, despite his nervousness at the thought of a potential threat. He turned to Jayden. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    The heaving guard pointed down an alleyway where a mother was carefully feeding her adolescent child with tiny bits of food.


    Upon glancing at the dirt covered mother and child, Jayden immediately saw it for what it was. The scene had become familiar enough in the past few years. ¡°Unfortunately, anyone who was worth saving with this treaty is already dead.¡± The words came out a bit more bitter than he had intended.


    One of the guards stepped closer and paled. ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s a fucking rotting corpse. She is feeding it a rotting fucking corpse.¡±


    Everyone went still, processing the words of the guard. Then Logan was the first to throw up.