《The Arcane Archives》


 Prelude to The Arcane Archives

    ¡°For the light had shone too long, the world had lost and forgotten the history which otherwise would have haunted them for eons. The dream ended, the sun blocked, the dark clouds rose and with them, the fate began to twirl in peril. It was in the winter of Hoinbo, the year 1230 that the long forgotten powers moved and with them, the world will willingly or unwillingly move.¡±


    Prelude to The Arcane Archives:


    ¡°Is there anyone left Jack?¡± Colt¡¯s cold voice rang out in the charred, smoke filled remains of what had been a slave caravan.


    Jack shook his head as he checked a tent and moved forward to check another. Colt sighed. It was a slaughter. Although there were signs of struggle, it was obviously a one sided battle. Merciless, cruel and fast, everything pointed to the Cimmerian tribes.


    Colt gazed at the northern skies. Far away, they were a shade of dark blue and occasional lightning crackled in those clouds, and he could smell the rain from the earth. He sighed again as he commanded, ¡°Clean up, there is nothing here. It¡¯s going to rain soon; we need to ride south before the river floods.¡±


    Dozens of mercenaries nodded their heads and began to move the bodies. Pits were dug, and bodies were buried after brief rituals. Times were tough, and they were no relatives, giving a proper burial was already being kind. Within minutes, the remains of the battle were cleared, and everything was either burned or salvaged.


    Jack moved with the efficiency of a dozen men, commanding, cleaning and burning the tents. Colt sat on his great war horse, Nelly, looking past the men towards the north. His brows furrowed as he seemed to remember something.


    Jack appeared by his side at some point with a tired expression. ¡°Colt, I saw a few stab wounds, but they were mostly blunt injuries. It was a battle of strengths, and the enemy had enough power to crush skulls with bare hands. I reckon Basker tribe is known for their brutal warriors¡­.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter Jack; the Cimmerians are breaking the treaty by entering the Theodran empire. Our work is to report this matter to the capital. What happens afterward is none of our concern.¡± Colt said. His glanced at the dark clouds and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Jack wasn¡¯t pleased, but he didn¡¯t question any further. ¡°Commander,¡± a mercenary called out. Colt glanced at Jack and nudged Nelly. Down the road, a giant beast fell to its death on the path nearly fifty meters away from the camp. The mercenaries were struggling to move the almost three-ton beast when Colt arrived.


    Sighing helplessly, he got down and caught the beast. The mercenaries smiled to themselves and took a step back. Jack, who followed Colt, laughed as he saw his arched back. There was a weird excitement in the air as Colt watched them all and took a deep breath, the air around his feet swirled mysteriously as his stretched muscles bulged and the next second, the giant mammoth was cleanly lifted off the ground.


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    The mercenaries cheered while Jack smiled. They¡¯d all seen Colt¡¯s strength numerous times, but it never ceased to amaze them. He could lift a mammoth single-handedly while a dozen grown up men couldn¡¯t nudge it. It was the strength of the man who commanded the Black Colt mercenaries.


    Colt also had a pleasant smile on his face as he listened to the cheers. They were his people, his family, so he naturally felt happy when they cheered for him. But, his smile froze as he saw what was underneath the beast. Eyes which were scared, scarred and frozen in fear stared back at him. A ditch underneath had protected the boy from the beast and saved his life, but it had been almost three days since the attack, and Colt couldn¡¯t imagine how the boy no more than ten survived the darkness.


    Jack reacted quickly to the change in Colt¡¯s expression. He rushed forward and pulled the boy out before Colt dropped the beast back on the ground. The mercenaries quieted down as their commander and deputy commander stared mutely at the kid.


    Jack tried to question him but was nudged to stop by Colt, who stared at the boy carefully. His face was tired, probably due to lack of sleep and starvation, his left arm had blue bruises indicating infection, but he was healthy. His nails were torn, bloody and virtually nonexistent. He¡¯d scratched, shouted and screamed at the beast and the earthen walls for days.


    Fear was evident in his eyes but also exhaustion. He looked ready to collapse and was only hanging on with determination. Colt sighed in his heart, although the boy looked weak and lacked any strength, he could sense the feral nature of his will. He survived the darkness, the fear and wasn¡¯t willing to sleep because he wanted to live, to survive.


    It was akin to a wild beast¡¯s instincts; he didn¡¯t know the boy nor did he have any obligation to help him but he was drawn in, consumed and rekindled with hope after seeing his will to live. Pointing his finger at himself, Colt said, ¡°I¡¯m Colt. You are?¡±


    The boy frowned slightly and said, ¡°Ragnar.¡± As if the exhaustion of three days had assaulted him all at once, he soon slipped into a deep sleep. Colt sighed and carried him in his arms as he thought, Ragnar.


    *****


    Author note: This is just the prelude so it''s kinda short. The chapters will be longer and more intense. And thus begins our journey.


    Kanna.

 Chapter 1 - Black Colt Mercenaries

    Black Colt mercenaries :


    ¡°You are late Colt, the wind has picked up, and a storm is coming our way. There is no way we can reach the Gyellanal before midnight.¡± Ursula''s loud voice greeted Colt and others as they returned to the camp.


    As usual, Colt ignored her and nudged Nelly towards his tent. Jack smiled as he dismounted his brown gelding and reined it to its stable. The mercenaries quickly began to dismount and carry off the salvaged rations and goods to the storage tent. Ursula snorted as she noticed that not one of them greeted her.


    Her displeasure doubled as she saw Jack smiling to himself. Frowning, she made her way to Colt¡¯s tent. The mercenaries smiled to themselves. It was an everyday occurrence in their camp. The sharp-tongued Ursula would pick a fight with Colt, but most of them knew that she was far from angry. It was her way of showing love.


    Colt reigned Nelly in and tied her before carrying Ragnar into his tent. He put him to bed and sat beside him with a sigh. The tent was large enough, nothing fancy, but it would block the sun and the rain. Colt saw the peaceful expression on Ragnar¡¯s face and smiled to himself. A boy, no matter how he lived, was still a boy.


    Just as he was about to get up, Ursula announced herself in and was about to proceed with her scolding. However, upon watching Ragnar, she looked at Colt in confusion. Colt signaled her to step outside as he removed his chainmail and changed into a comfortable shirt.


    Stepping outside, he saw Ursula waiting with questioning eyes. Colt glanced at the camp, more than fifty tents were neatly laid down in rows, and about four hundred men were working, resting, drinking and eating as the darkness of the night slowly crept in.


    ¡°Colt?¡± Ursula questioned drawing his attention. Colt glanced at her and said, ¡°He¡¯s my son. My wife died of the plague and he had nowhere to go.¡±


    Ursula¡¯s face paled for a moment. Her eyes flared as her hand involuntarily reached for her sword, ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Colt looked at her and smiled. His smile said it all. Ursula sighed helplessly and blushed as she remembered her reaction. Then came her soft anger, as she slapped his shoulder and said, ¡°Then who is he?¡±


    ¡°A slave who survived for three days in a dark ditch with no exit. He had a feral instinct to survive no matter what, so I brought him in.¡± Colt explained as he walked down the path.


    Ursula nodded. ¡°We can put him to work at Debby¡¯s,¡± she suggested.


    I wonder Colt thought. He is different Ursula. Those eyes aren¡¯t suited to stay in society. They belong here, in the battlefield.


    ¡°Commander,¡± Emmanuel called out from inside a tent as Colt walked by. Ursula looked over, and they both walked in. Tim was drunk as usual and was grumbling as he played with some iron drabs. ¡°This job pays nothing but these iron drabs, I''m quitting; I''m done. Ya.....you listen to me kid, there is no point in staying with these mercenaries. That Colt is like a colt, no use in following him. Do ya.. hear me?¡±


    (AN - Colt also means a baby boy horse. It¡¯s a word play)


    Colt smiled, and so did Emmanuel. But, Ursula wasn¡¯t amused. She snorted coldly, ¡°Tim, do you want me to kick your ass?¡± Colt signaled Ursula to calm down and sat beside Emmanuel.


    ¡°Tim, do you want me to fire you?¡± Colt asked. Tim frowned as he burped. He looked at Colt and said, ¡°What''ya mean kid? How dare ya? You were twenty when I first found ya, and you dare fire me. Em, don¡¯t ya dare take after this bastard. Your mom left me for another guy; she betrayed me. How dare this bastard.....cough.....get out ya''ll.¡±


    Colt smiled while Em poured a glass of water for his father. ¡°Dad, mom died, remember? She didn¡¯t leave you for another guy?¡±


    Tim snorted and said, ¡°It¡¯s all the same. She left me for God; she betrayed me, that bitch.¡±


    Although Tim cursed his wife, both Colt and Em laughed. They wouldn¡¯t believe the words of the drunken man anyway. Everyone knew how much he loved Sara; there was no point in lying after living together for forty years. Sara died a peaceful death last year and since then, Tim would often get drunk and curse his wife that she betrayed him for God.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Ursula left the tent leaving the three men alone. Colt smiled as he got up and said, ¡°Em, I need your help. I brought a boy; he''s injured, and I suspect infection. Take a look when you can, he¡¯s in my tent.¡± Em nodded as Colt left the tent.


    By this time, the dark clouds finally began to crackle and drizzle. A storm was imminent, but he had to take care of a few things before that.


    Neo was outside the tent waiting for Colt. Apparently, Jack pointed out that Colt may be looking for him. He was a young lad, only twenty but he was nimble like a squirrel. Sitting on a nearby rock, he was munching a piece of flat bread. Colt smiled as he saw Neo. As expected, Jack knew his mind.


    ¡°Neo,¡± Colt called out. Neo ate the remaining piece of bread and washed it down with water before trotting down the distance. ¡°Commander,¡± he saluted.


    Colt nodded his head and asked, ¡°I''m sorry Neo, but you''ll have to deliver a message to Baron Ashfield by tomorrow noon.¡±


    ¡°Always commander,¡± Neo said in a cheerful voice. Jack valued Colt, like his elder brother, rather like a blood brother and Neo respected Jack like his sworn big brother. He didn¡¯t know the relationship they shared, but he was sure that it wasn¡¯t simple.


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    Neo had worked in mercenary clans all his life; he''d been in Black Colt mercenaries for only two years, but he could always tell that they was different. Totas or treasures didn''t bind the people here; promises and bonds bound them. At the center of all relationships was Colt, the man he knew little about but heard a lot about.


    Colt took a sealed envelope from his leather sack and gave the directions. It was sealed with wax, marbled with the emblem of a sword enveloped by fire, the symbol of the Colt mercenaries.


    Time passed, and the drizzle turned into heavy rain as everyone retired to their tents. Except for a dozen sentries posted for guarding the camp, and the occasional crackle of lightning, silence dominated the night.


    Colt retired to his tent but didn¡¯t bother to disturb Ragnar and fell asleep on his folding chair. Years of outdoor experience have taught him to sleep almost anywhere. It was in the early hours of the morning that Ragnar woke up with a start. He was in an unfamiliar place, and his bleary eyes adjusted to the low light of the candle only to see Colt staring back at him.


    His hands scanned for anything he could use as a weapon but couldn¡¯t find any. Colt though asleep was alert. How could he fall into a deep slumber in the middle of the forest? As a leader, he had his responsibilities. Their eyes met for the second time, and though Ragnar was a bit calmer, Colt could still sense the same feral instincts as he scanned for a weapon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother kid, you won¡¯t find anything and even if you do, it won¡¯t be of any use to you,¡± Colt said as he got up and peeked out of the tent. The rain had settled, and the air was misty in the morning. He could sense some movement in the camp as the women were preparing for the day. Feeding four hundred grown up men was no ordinary task. Even if they settled for flat bread for the afternoon meal, a good breakfast was necessary to keep them going for the day.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Ragnar asked. He looked around and found leather maps, some spare boots, a saddle, some books and a sword by Colt¡¯s chair.


    Colt glanced at him and threw his bottle over. ¡°Drink it. You fainted yesterday, but you should be thirsty.¡± Ragnar caught the bottle and glanced at Colt. He didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and gulped down the water until it was half-emptied. Including the night, he had been without food and water for four whole days. If not for the ditch being wet, he would have died of dehydration.


    Colt sighed as he passed a piece of bread and sat on his chair. He watched as Ragnar ate in large mouthfuls and washed it down with water. ¡°You''re in my tent if you haven¡¯t realized it already, and this is the camp of Black Colt mercenaries. I am Colt as I said yesterday, and you will be escorted to the church or put to work in an inn by tomorrow. Any further questions Ragnar?¡± Colt asked in a small voice.


    Ragnar lifted his head and frowned. He ate the remaining piece of his bread and said, ¡°Where are we?¡±


    Frowning slightly, Colt took a drink from his waterskin, containing ale. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand kid; you''re only alive because I thought that you could be of some value. You were a slave, right? Then as the person who saved you, I am now entitled as your new master.¡±


    Ragnar eyes were beginning to show slight fear; he was stopping his impulse to run when the tent opened, and a woman with scarlet hair walked in. ¡°Colt, wake up. Ya.. did you hear me?¡± She stopped mid sentence as she saw Ragnar. ¡°Now who is this little cutie? Don¡¯t tell me; you were playing your usual pranks on him. Worry not kid, even though this guy has grown up, his brain is worse than that of a horse. This aunt will take care of you. Come here.¡±


    Martha dragged the bewildered Ragnar out of the tent without waiting for Colt, who could only sigh helplessly. Few people could stand against his word, Martha being one of them. Although he was the leader of the mercenaries, she was the master of the kitchen. Pissing her off will starve everyone, forcing them enough to revolt against him.


    Colt just wanted to see how Ragnar would react. If he agreed, that was for better. If he disagreed, as he almost did, he would then think of a way to deal with him, but now, Martha had ruined his plan. He would have to think of another.


    Stretching his stiff body, Colt thought of the journey ahead. First, they would have to visit the Baron. Then, there was the matter of Ragnar, winter supplies, and weaponry. As he stepped out, he saw Jack with a soldier in his tow. The soldier was weary, probably from long riding and he looked exhausted, mentally more than physically.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Colt inquired. Jack turned towards the soldier who glanced at Colt and presented a letter with a wax seal marbled with the emblem of a shield, the mark of an imperial knight. ¡°My master is Darren, a knight captain of the imperial army. We were resisting an invasion of Orcs south of Milbury, forty miles from here. But the scale of the Orc army was beyond our estimation. I was thus sent to find anyone under the command of his Majesty for reinforcements.


    Sir Colt, as the honorary guard of the Imperial army, I ask you to uphold his majesty¡¯s glory.¡±


    Colt stared at the man. He looked too weak and weary to lie. Still, he confirmed the contents of the letter. A reward was promised for any timely help. They were mercenaries; fighting was their occupation, a handsome reward was their fees, but he wouldn''t mind an award for military merit. Colt smiled as he kept the letter to himself and said, ¡°On one condition, I command my men.¡±


    Jack smiled and ordered loudly, ¡°Pack up in an hour, we have an Orc feast ahead of us.¡±


    Shouts of cheers rang out as the mercenaries moved with increased vigor. They were men of war; battles delighted them, and fights kept their blood boiling, Standing in a distant corner, Ragnar heard the news as Martha cleaned his wounds. As fate had it, his first day in the Colt mercenaries was going to be the first of the many expeditions he was going to be part of.


    *****


    Hope you enjoyed it bud,


    Kanna.

 Chapter 2 - Riding the Wind

    Riding the wind:


    ¡°Saddle up; we are moving in five minutes.¡± Ursula¡¯s voice rang out as men prepared their gear and women loaded the carriages. Children cleared the camp while men checked their armor and sword. It was going to be a day¡¯s journey before they could rest again, so enough preparations were made to ensure that everything was ready.


    ¡°Make sure that all fire pits are put off,¡± Colt commanded and moved forward. Jake scanned the camp and followed Colt. Tim and Em were busy making bandages. They''d  work when they can; it would be too late if they wait for the inevitable injuries. Injuries and death go hand in hand with war. They can¡¯t expect to come out unscathed, and they weren¡¯t.


    The soldier rode a pony. Stallions were difficult to handle, and his gelding was tired. Within minutes, they set out. A magnificent army of three hundred horses and fifty carts carrying men, women, children and supplies. They weren¡¯t trotting, the horses pulling the carriages wouldn¡¯t be able to follow. Still, they maintained a pace of five miles per hour.


    The soldier didn¡¯t force Colt to gallop, cause he knew that there was no immediate danger. Orc attacks usually come in waves. Once a wave was defeated, the other Orcs took their time to recuperate, increase their ranks and attack again. The army suffered from the previous Orc invasion the other day, and thus, they were in no danger of another attack, not for a few days at least.


    Martha dragged Ragnar into her carriage. She moved with the efficiency of someone who knew her work. As soon as they began to move, she started to make balls of flour and sugar which can be as good as plain bread in times of need. A mother¡¯s job is to take care of her house and feed her children. Martha had four hundred to feed, and she did a spectacular job without complaint.


    She wouldn¡¯t be paid to care about them, but she did. Ragnar watched for a while before offering to help her. Their carriage was a supply wagon, and thus they were the only ones present besides the driver. Martha smiled and passed some flour and sugar. It wasn¡¯t difficult to learn, and there was no recipe. She mixed the flour with water, a bit of oil and added enough sugar to make sure it was edible.


    It may sound raw, but it was energy and in the battlefield, they''ll look delicious, she said. Ragnar slowly followed her instructions and by the fifth ball, he was decent. As for the other balls, well, let¡¯s say they weren¡¯t as good. Time slowly passed, and they sat in silence. Martha sneaked glances at Ragnar now and then, but he seemed involved in his work.


    She felt something was wrong but kept quiet until she eventually figured out what was ticking her off. Ragnar worked like a slave. Slaves were worked to the bone, and many of them lacked the will to even complain. It was a kind of instinct their minds developed where they would just work for hours upon hours ignoring everything including themselves.


    Although Martha didn¡¯t force Ragnar to work, she realized that she hadn¡¯t been clear enough. Moving carefully, she grabbed his hands and shook her head. Ragnar looked at her in confusion. He was trying his best to work; she''d saved him, so he wanted to do anything in his capacity to repay her.


    His hands were small. Sure, he couldn¡¯t make better balls than her, but he was trying his best. Martha looked into Ragnar¡¯s eyes. She could see the confusion, the peril in them. She shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where you grew up and how things worked there, but that¡¯s not how they work here Ragnar. You don¡¯t repay people by working. You repay them with love. I didn¡¯t help you expecting you to work for me. So stop, instead, let¡¯s say, sing for me. Alright?¡±


    Ragnar looked at her blankly. He didn¡¯t understand her, but he nevertheless said, ¡°I can¡¯t sing.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He looked at her and opened his mouth, but the words stuck inside. ¡°No one ever sang for me,¡± he wanted to tell but he couldn¡¯t. Martha smiled and patted his head. ¡°I will sing for you then.¡±


    Risin¡¯ up and above, the wolf howled


    First, I was afraid


    I was petrified


    The tears¡­¡­.


    Ragnar listened to Martha¡¯s beautiful voice in a trance. How long had it been since he heard a song? Two years? He didn¡¯t remember, but he¡¯d never heard such a beautiful song before. It wasn¡¯t just Ragnar, Martha¡¯s voice drifted out of the carriage, and the caravan immediately quieted down. They closed their eyes in content listening to the song about fear, pain and bravery.


    Colt glanced at Martha¡¯s cart. He''d seen Ragnar getting in. Since he was with Martha, he believed that he should be fine. A smile formed on his lips as he felt the wind and the beautiful notes on him. It was a peaceful morning, like the silence before the storm.


    Hours passed by, but Martha¡¯s carriage wasn¡¯t calm. Ragnar was unwillingly explaining his life while Martha listened with tears in her eyes. There wasn¡¯t much to say anyway. Since he could remember, he''d been in a convent, sold to slavery, been a slave for four years. Changed hands a couple of times, until he came into the possession of his last master, Cartier, two years ago.


    Colt had at some point arrived near the carriage. Although he couldn¡¯t catch everything, he heard most of it. A bitter smile formed on his face as he looked at his left wrist, a mark of an iron wheel was etched on his skin with hot steel. Not many knew about it, but in Mogul empire, the iron wheel represented the lowest of society, slaves.


    He¡¯d been through it. He¡¯d fled all the way from the other corner of the world and had seen just about every atrocity humans were capable of. Colt sighed and rode forward. It was late afternoon, and he could see the distant smoke of the military camp.


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    An hour later, they could clearly see the neatly laid out tents of the army camp. Ragnar sneaked out of the carriage unable to bear with Martha anymore but was then dragged by Em so that Tim can take a look at his injuries. He was a good physician, but he¡¯d better take him to Tim, who¡¯d been a mercenary doctor for fifty years.


    Ursula rode along with Colt and Jack. The army had long since noticed them and was waiting for their arrival. Colt frowned as he estimated the army¡¯s strength at two thousand. It was less than his expectations. At such number, he knew that they might end up bearing a significant burden. The pleasant atmosphere was slowly becoming tense as they approached the barracks and suddenly Ragnar could sense killing intent in everyone¡¯s eyes. He¡¯d seen it too many times to misjudge it.


    They weren¡¯t here to fight. Aren¡¯t they allies? He thought. However, the atmosphere only grew heavier as Colt rode forward to meet Darren, who was coldly looking at him. The soldier immediately dismounted and ran up to Darren and whispered something. His gaze only grew colder as he sized up the mercenaries.


    Colt sat on Nelly looking down on Darren. Likewise, Ursula who usually had a kind of chilly air around her became even more unapproachable. It looked as if a fight might break out at any moment. Ragnar sat there with Em, who was smiling to himself. Unlike Ragnar, who had never seen anything like this before, he was very familiar with the current chain of events.


    Both commanders were fighting a war of dominance. They were going to be allies in war, and they weren¡¯t going to trust their back to some coward. Darren sighed and said, ¡°Go find a corner, I''ll call you later.¡±


    Colt smiled and said, ¡°I guess I''ll find a corner. Wait! This place seems quite good. Set up our camp here guys. I like this view.¡±


    Darren smiled. He liked Colt. Many mercenaries wouldn¡¯t mind some ill treatment as long as they were paid enough totas. Not many would fight for their honor, and he liked the fact that Colt asked to lead his men rather than treasures. They were desperate, and he knew that if Colt had asked for more, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated for long but Colt instead chose to keep his honor and his men with him.


    Darren walked forward and extended his hand. Colt smiled and dismounted his horse. Both men shook their hands, and it was only after that the atmosphere turned normal. After an acknowledgment from both commanders that they would treat each other as equals that the soldiers and mercenaries dropped their guards.


    ¡°What do you think? Quite silly, right? Men of such power doing such petty things, but don¡¯t believe it''s just them. Even between two kings, a coalition would start with provoking, testing and then acceptance.¡± Em explained to Ragnar, who was watching in confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Colt asked in a calm voice raising eyebrows. Darren smiled and said, ¡°Orcs.¡± Shaking his head, Colt replied, ¡°Orcs are rowdy, yes, but they never raid this far into a human settlement. We shook hands; now it¡¯s time to assure me of your sincerity.¡±


    Jack and Ursula along with others were confused. Colt never spoke to them about his doubts. Darren laughed. ¡°You''re a sharp man Colt. As expected from one of the youngest mercenary leaders to join His Majesty¡¯s honorary guard. Yes, it¡¯s true that there is more to it. The Orcs were routed our way by the Cimmerian tribes. We ended up clashing with the Orcs, who''re coming back for revenge while the Cimmerians are waiting in shadows.


    I''ve sent a message to the Capital with my best hawk; it should reach the minister¡¯s ear by tomorrow. Reinforcements will be dispatched and will arrive as early as in a week. Our job is to pretend as if we''re struggling until his Majesty¡¯s forces arrive.¡±


    Colt listened to Darren and frowned. His nose twitched as an unfamiliar scent passed by him. The air swirled around his fist as his body moved like an arrow. The air seemed to scream as his fist punched the empty air. It happened in a split second, but the force of the fist caved the air as if it was a wall. Darren watched in disbelief, and so did Ursula. The soldiers and mercenaries watched in mute horror as a large oak in front of Colt, the size of three mammoths splintered like a dry twig and almost fell apart.


    ¡°What the..? You..you..¡± Darren stuttered. But, before anyone could answer, a creature fell on the ground appearing out of thin air. It was a small ugly thing crushed to its death. Almost none of the soldiers present had ever seen something remotely resembling the creature. Further, they were scared by the Colt, who''d killed such a creature with an inhuman power.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Ursula asked. Jack¡¯s eyes were cold, and Colt¡¯s were colder as he replied, ¡°A Licker.¡±


    Before she could any further questions, Colt stared at Darren and said, ¡°Prepare everything in your arsenal. Don¡¯t spare a single arrow. A Licker was sent to spy. It isn¡¯t some Cimmerian tribes; this is the work of The Cimmerian tribe.¡± Turning around, he announced in a loud voice, ¡°Don¡¯t believe the legends. They aren¡¯t afraid of silver, nor they fear men of faith. Your cross won¡¯t work on them, and they do not resemble demons. They''re the Demons. Men, even if you run, they''ll come for you. A Licker at this time of a day means that they''ll be here tonight. To kill, hunt and celebrate in our fear.


    But, I''ll tell you one more truth. They aren¡¯t immortal. As you can see, I killed one of them. Prepare and be fearless; victory shall be ours.¡±


    Darren was shaking inwardly. He had never heard of a Licker, nor did he know of the legendary Cimmerian tribe. All the other Cimmerian tribes were just people who lived in the cursed forests of NightWind. But, he''d seen powers similar to Colt. Staring at Colt, he asked, ¡°You''re an Arcane user?¡±


    People listened in silence. They were too shocked to chatter. Colt stared at him and said, ¡°And that is the only reason you¡¯ll have a chance to fight back.¡±


    *****


    Wanna spare a minute to help me around, comment your opinion. As a new author, your comments will boost my morale.


    Kanna.

 Chapter 3 - Arcanum

    Arcanum:


    ¡°Arcane user,¡± Em muttered to himself. Except for Jack, everyone was stunned by this knowledge. Arcane users were incredibly rare, exceptionally talented and are supposed to possess inhuman skills. Everything they heard of Arcane users was akin to legends and watching Colt; they could no longer disregard them as mere rumors. His strength, speed, and power were beyond anything any of them could ever reach.


    Sighing, Tim puffed a cigar and said, ¡°So he finally reveals himself.¡± Em stared at the old man with questioning eyes. His father was a simple man; he didn¡¯t think he would know of Colt¡¯s secret. Tim shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that brat. It wasn¡¯t my secret to share.¡±


    Ragnar looked at them in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s is Arcane?¡±


    Tim laughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s arcane, and only those who have seen the world through Colt¡¯s eyes can explain it. Boy, Arcane users are people who have learned the secrets of the Arcanum. What¡¯s an Arcanum, I¡¯d never know but according to popular belief, Arcanum is everything. The world is full of secrets, the wind, the fire, you, me; we''re all bearers of little secrets. Those who chase them and find them obtain the power over them. That¡¯s the Arcanum and a person who knows one or more of these little secrets is called an Arcane user.¡±


    Ragnar listened in wonder. Arcanum, he thought. Arcane.


    The army and the mercenaries moved efficiently. Within minutes, they were all in their armors, swords, and shields by their side. Darren followed Colt¡¯s orders to the last word and brought out all weaponry. The soldiers gathered at the center, and Colt gave out orders to get into a circular formation. Scattering their forces will only lead to more casualties.


    The darkness was already creeping in, and he''d no time to think of other plans. The women were at the center while Colt and Jack stood as the vanguard. Ursula was forced to stay with the men while Darren never volunteered. Minutes of silence passed like hours as everyone stood on their guard. Sweat beads formed on their foreheads, and their bodies turned stiff with tension.


    A moment later, swords were drawn almost instinctively by most veteran warriors. None knew what was happening, but they could feel the change in the air, the wind was colder; the darkness was gelid. Colt looked at the darkness with a dead expression. He could sense it, smell it, the air of the old NightWind forests. The aura of the Lickers. The arrival of the Cimmerian.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonder how much humanity has evolved in a few millennia. Arcanum was a secret art, but now, I find a little bug here who knows the mysteries of my race,¡± a cold voice rang out. It was a baleful voice, frigid and emotionless. Cold and mysterious, filled with power and an aura of death, like a voice of the death god. Men froze in fear while women fell to their knees; children began to cry, and the grass turned to dust. The voice carried the aura of destruction. Everything it touched became lifeless, and everyone who heard it were forced to either submit or shiver in fear.


    Colt remained still. Jack narrowed his eyes. Ursula trembled and almost fell to her knees but barely managed to keep herself calm. The aura of the two men before her wasn¡¯t familiar to her; they appeared stronger, darker and somehow foreign to her.


    From the darkness stepped out a man. Tall, lean, with blue eyes and blue hair, he was beautiful. Women would have adorned him and males would have befriended him. He looked like a perfect human. His smile, charming. His face, inviting. His eyes, intriguing. But, there was the aura of death that surrounded him which made them ignore how perfect he was. They could only sense fear in their hearts. If not for it binding them on spots, many soldiers would¡¯ve fled ignoring honor and respect.


    ¡°Lord Cimmerian,¡± Colt greeted. ¡°We''re but mere humans; you''re of the race which rules darkness, death and fear. The Demon Lords. Men, women, and children here are nothing compared to your station. I plead you to show mercy.¡±


    The devilish man smiled and then began to laugh softly. ¡°Lord Cimmerian, The Demon Lords. Words of past, words of wisdom. Known to men who aren¡¯t fooled by the folklore of the church and the kings. I am impressed but human, why should I show mercy?¡± Colt eyes turned cold. The atmosphere became icy as leaves began to freeze, the air became stale as Lickers roamed the winds unseen. The man smiled and said, ¡°Humans broke the treaty. Don¡¯t blame us, blame your foolishness. ''DakSpren.''¡±


    Earth cracked, soil blackened and plant roots rose from underneath. Bones of old and roots formed into a two meter long Dakspren, which roared with an otherworldly fury. Colt lowered his head and grabbed the hilt of his sword. He appeared lonely as if he was reminiscing his past. The Dakspren kicked the ground. Rock, soil, and roots flew everywhere as it ran on all fours. The air howled and the night darkened as it lunged for Colt, jumping the last twenty meters.


    Colt didn¡¯t raise his head, and his sword never left his side. Jack looked at the Dakspren with narrowed eyes and tightened the grip on his spear. A wind blew, and the Dakspren flew thirty meters before crashing into a tree. Jack disappeared and had at some point stood before Colt. His hair was no longer black; it was a shade of violet and wind swirled around his spear. The Lickers screamed in horror and fled from him as he met eyes with the devilish man.


    The Cimmerian smiled. ¡°Another bug. How interesting that you escaped my notice. Human, what''re you? By any chance, are you one of nature¡¯s mistakes?¡±


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    Colt¡¯s hand caught Jack before he could answer. His eyes were frigid, lacking all emotion, killing intent seeped out of his body, similar to the devilish man. They stood staring at each other. To the people behind him and Ragnar, they didn¡¯t appear all that different; only one was facing them, and the other was standing in his path, protecting them.¡±


    The Cimmerian wasn¡¯t amused. His eyes narrowed, and the tinge of the smile in his eyes disappeared. A human was challenging him, what could be a larger humiliation? ¡°Cimmerian,¡± Colt said.


    The devilish man smiled and then laughed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game human. You are not in a fairy tale where you get to fight me and save your men. Want to fight me? Fine, I will fight you with everything I am.¡±


    Jack backed off almost instinctively as the air howled and screams of discarnate souls resounded in his heart. Lickers roared, while souls screamed, the Dakspren reformed, and the land turned into a black pool which birthed tens, if not a hundred Dakspren, who circled the Cimmerian waiting for his orders. Colt¡¯s back was drenched in sweat, but he didn¡¯t budge for he knew the minute he turned his back, all those desolate souls, Dakspren and Lickers would attack like a swarm of wasps.


    Having made his decision, a smile formed on Colt''s face. His old sword trembled as arcane power flowed into it, making it sharper, stronger, and something beyond metal. There was no signal, nothing and suddenly the discarnate souls attacked like a wave of a tsunami. The Lickers howled and followed along with the Dakspren.


    It was beyond anything no man in the group had ever seen. The darkness was scary, but it was nothing compared to a thousand discarnate souls, a hundred Dakspren and an unknown number of Lickers attacking at once. In front of them stood one man. He stood like a wall, like a shield. Colt¡¯s face hardened as he roared, ¡°Shields up.¡± His voice infused with arcane dragged the men out of their stupor.


    Shields were raised high, forming an impregnable barricade. Colt glanced at the guard and then at the creatures of darkness. They weren¡¯t visible to the men, but he could see them clear as day. His sword quivered as the wind touched it. Sparks formed around the edges. Jack¡¯s eyes widened as he too had never seen this side of Colt.


    Colt¡¯s feet finally left the ground. With him moved the wind, the air of mighty and the power of arcane. Nothing was holding him back. The years of silent lamentation released like a roar of a caged lion. The arcane suppressed by his heart bellowed and swept the field like a wave of fresh air cleansing everything in its way. The souls screeched in horror and fled. The Lickers shivered in fear and the Dakspren struggled to raise their voice.


    The Cimmerian narrowed his eyes. The same bale aura crept out of him and consumed the arcane suppressing his forces in a heartbeat. There was no fight for dominance. There was an insurmountable gap between them. Colt¡¯s sword flashed, and torn apart a dozen discarnate souls. The Lickers screamed and attacked Colt only to be crushed to death in a second.


    Colt¡¯s sword danced in the air, with overflowing arcane. It destroyed, killed and suppressed. He was a lone warrior fighting an army. Watching from behind the shields, men, women, and children alike held their breaths in awe. Although fear was in their hearts, at that moment, they were transfixed by the image of Colt fighting a thousand enemies, killing dozens in a heartbeat.


    Jack stood silently, and so did Ursula. Her eyes were confused and concerned at the same time. She had thought that she knew the man known as Colt, but only today did she realize that she knew nothing about him. Who was he? What was he? Where''d he come from? When did he learn Arcanum? She had no answers for questions popping in her mind. To her, the current Colt was an enigma.


    Em stared at Colt with an open mouth while Tim was frowning. Ragnar, on the other hand, was clenching his fist. He had seen the Dakspren before. He¡¯d seen it kill before. It killed the dozens of strong men guarding their caravan in a flash. Mystic water did no harm to them, and silver was useless. But, Colt was fighting them all alone. Arcanum, he thought. What is arcane?


    ¡°Enough,¡± said the Cimmerian drawing Ragnar¡¯s attention. He flickered his finger and the discarnate souls, the Lickers and the Dakspren disappeared. Colt watched in confusion. Only now did they see the numerous wounds on his body, blood soaked his clothes and the ground. But, Colt was looking at the Cimmerian.


    The devilish man closed his eyes and sighed. The world changed. The wind became a tempest. The clouds began to crackle. The trees splintered and the ground trembled. The arcane in the world became his and Colt¡¯s sword dimmed. It was the true arcanum. The Cimmerian was summoning the arcane from heaven and earth to seal their fate.


    ¡°My name is Vivaldi. It¡¯s a custom of my race to announce ourselves when we fight as equals. Colt, not many humans have witnessed my Arcanum. You being one of them. My true name means under the moon, I rule over everything in the moonlight.¡± Vivaldi announced. His voice was soft, almost guilty but make no mistake; he wasn''t pitying Colt. It was a farewell.


    *****


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    Kanna.

 Chapter 4 - Rune Artifact

    Rune Artifact:


    It was night. Cold, dark, and evil as it may be, it is inevitable. He was Black. Cold, evil and more, he was, but he was a part of him. Colt listened to Vivaldi in silence. The silence of the night, of the dark shadows and the old Milbury forests, reverberated with his own. The stormy winds, the cloudy skies, the crackling thunder and the rampaging arcane became one with his silence. A smile lit his lips. A voice laughed in his mind. His arcane dried up, his sword grew dark, and his eyes turned serene but were they truly silent?


    Colt glanced at the skies. His eyes followed the clouds, the thunder and the wind as they formed a hurricane, boisterous and unforgiving, but he remained calm. Colt, a voice called. Colt glanced at Vivaldi. Call me, it continued. Colt tightened the grip on his sword. Just like the past, it said. Colt breathed in. Let me out, it argued, Colt eyes narrowed. Call me Colt, it roared. And, Colt smiled.


    Blue eyes stared at Colt coldly. Lacking emotions, algid with a desire to kill. The hurricane carried his killing intent, and a second later he disappeared. It was silent as a grave for a second. People held their breaths; the screeching wind grew gentle, and the trembling ground turned still. It was the silence before a storm, like the northern sleet.


    ¡°Black,¡± Colt said breaking the silence of three parts. One, his own. The other belonged to the night, and the third resonated with the spirit unseen.


    A sigh reverberated in the air, and the still air quivered. Vivaldi appeared before Colt, his hands glowing in an otherworldly sheen of blue, resembling his hair and the arcane swirling around him. His eyes gelid with killing intent caught Colt unguarded. ¡°Vale meum,¡± he said in old Cimmerian. Goodbye, my friend.


    Colt glanced at Vivaldi closing towards him and smiled. Something changed in him that instant. A savage smile and a murderous killing intent lit his eyes. A black aura of infinite coldness surrounded him. A wild laugh escaped his mouth breaking the silence of Vivaldi¡¯s heart. The fearless Cimmerian instinctively took a step back, his pride and all left aside; he stood in silence.


    The arcane in the air shuddered. Ragnar felt a shiver down his spine as he somehow felt the change in the air. It wasn¡¯t just him. Jack, Ursula, and others somehow knew that something has changed. Vivaldi glanced at Colt; eyes narrowed in suspicion. What was that? He thought. I saw something in his eyes. Was it my imagination? He questioned.


    Colt raised his sword and looked at his dim reflection on the old steel. The sword was black, old and rusty it was, but he never used another. He smiled as he closed his eyes, or did he? But, he did glance at Vivaldi and said, ¡°Vale meum,¡± repeating the Cimmerian''s words and added, ¡°Requiesce in pace.¡± - Rest in peace.


    His hand moved, and the sword glittered. The wind screamed, and the arcane twisted. The ground shuddered, and the splintered wood rived as Colt bolted forward. Vivaldi¡¯s pupils shrank, and he¡¯d retreated before he realized.


    ¡°Veni forthe,¡± Vivaldi roared. Come forth. The Lickers, the discarnate souls, and the Darkspren sprang to life as the night suddenly became darker. Colt calmly lifted his sword, emotionless and swift, as he reached them.


    ¡°Colt,¡± Ursula screamed. She¡¯d shouted his name before she could stop herself. Ragnar watched in shock, and so did everyone. A hundred Dakspren, thousands of souls and unseen Lickers surrounded Colt in a blink of an eye. Vivaldi stood outside the storm of dark beings. But, he wasn¡¯t smiling, and his eyes betrayed his calm expression. He¡¯d remember that acute sense of danger forever.


    Colt scanned with his eyes and murmured something. His blade suddenly engulfed all the darkness of the night, of the space and beyond. It was at that moment, a piece of true black, a color which represented his Arcanum. He breathed in and kicked the ground and swept the Dakspren, souls and Lickers alike in a mighty swing.


    It started with a gust of wind. The sword strike, and it soon tore apart the air, making a partial vacuum. The black aura of the attack engulfed the dark beings; it did as Vivaldi watched in horror. It¡¯ll engulf me, he thought but instead the Lickers, the Dakspren, and the discarnate souls perished like moths. Screams and purple blood adorned the night, and Colt stood tall staring at the Cimmerian, with a true black sword in his hand.


    ¡°Ru.. Rune Artifact!¡± Vivaldi stuttered staring at the sword in Colt¡¯s hands. Darren''s eyes widened as he fell to his knees. He¡¯d seen and heard stuff of legends in a span of few hours and now he¡¯d even seen a weapon of legends, a Rune Artifact.


    Jack''s fingers tightened around his spear as he glanced at Colt. He¡¯d seen the sword before. It was old, black and a little chipped but Colt never used another. So you were a Rune Knight, Colt. He thought. It mattered not who held a Rune artifact; he¡¯d be a Rune Knight, the highest order of the Knights Radiant.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Colt glanced at Vivaldi and said, ¡°Leave, please.¡± His eyes were a little uncertain. Vivaldi clenched his fist, but he didn¡¯t attack. He was too confused, the black sword in Colt¡¯s arms added more to his thoughts. ¡°Who¡¯re you? He asked weakly. Rune Knight, you¡¯d be a general if you served the imperial army. But, you¡¯re leading a small mercenary group. Just who¡¯re you? He thought.


    ¡°Xarus of Decim.¡± Colt¡¯s calm voice answered him.


    ¡°How do you know that name?¡± Vivaldi asked with widened eyes. Colt smiled a little and replied, ¡°Who knows.¡± Vivaldi gritted his teeth, his hands reaching for something in his robes, but paused as he thought it out and then disappeared a second later. The gelid aura, rampaging arcane and the stormy clouds cleared within moments. Everything returned to normal as if it was all a dream but the destroyed grounds, uprooted trees, and bones of old told a tale of great battle.


    The men and women alike fell to their knees in exhaustion, but they were looking at each other and Colt in wonder. They¡¯d all surrendered themselves to fate, most of them had already said their prayers, but not a single life was lost. They¡¯d seen Lickers, Dakspren and countless discarnate souls, all capable of immeasurable destruction and they¡¯d seen Colt. He was an Arcane user, a Rune Knight and a warrior who bested a legendary Cimmerian.


    Colt glanced at his arms. His sword dimmed and returned to its old form. The dust and blood on the steel formed a viscous coating of sorts which slowly dripped down from the tip of the sword. He then glanced at everyone and smiled, his expression warm and his smile relieved.


    Jack ran forward, and Ursula followed behind. ¡®Colt,¡± Jack called. ¡°You..you¡¯re fine right?¡± Ursula asked in a small voice. Her eyes were red, her usual demeanor all gone and she was trembling slightly. Her eyes scanned the man again and again and more until she was certain he hadn¡¯t suffered any serious injuries.


    ¡°Is my body so attractive. Did you fall for me?¡± Colt teased. ¡°Again?¡± he asked. Ursula finally recovered, her face flushed with embarrassment. She¡¯d almost reached for her sword but stopped as she remembered the events of the nights. Her eyes darted to the ground; Colt was an Arcane user, a Rune Knight, and now a hero who saved thousands. He¡¯d undoubtedly receive praise, fame and more. Women, wealthy and beautiful would be by his side. What am I? Ursula thought. I¡¯m no one, and neither can I help him. What right do I have to stay by his side? She questioned herself.


    ¡°Stop thinking Ursula,¡± Colt said drawing her attention. ¡°I can listen to your thoughts,¡± he said as a matter of fact. Ursula''s eyes widened in shock, and Jack took a step back similarly startled. Colt looked at Jack in confusion and asked gravely, ¡°Why¡¯re you backing away? Don¡¯t tell me....wait, let me check your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Don''t!¡± Jack screamed at the top of his lungs and ran away before Colt could even react. Ursula gulped and looked at Colt like a frightened sheep. ¡°Since when?¡± she asked weakly. Colt looked into her eyes, smiled mischievously and replied, ¡°From the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Ursula screamed. She was trying to deny her fears. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Colt laughed.


    Ursula looked at Colt. Her frightened eyes soon turned red with embarrassment. Her body quivered in shame as she reached for her sword, but a hand caught her by the nape and dragged her into a warm embrace. She smelled his blood, sweat and more. The blood of the dark beings. But, she didn¡¯t care. Before she knew it, she melted into his embrace. Her hands traced his back, his shoulder blades and finally reached his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m back Ursula,¡± Colt whispered in her ear. Her eyes which tried their best to contain themselves finally burst out crying in his arms. ¡°You¡¯d better be, every time, else I¡¯ll kill you,¡± she said in between muffled cries. Colt caught the eyes of Ragnar, who¡¯d come to see him and smiled. ¡°I know,¡± he said.


    Em whistled as he followed Ragnar. ¡°Ah! Love birds, fortunately, we still have some tents. Want me to secure one for you? You do realize that this kid is watching you, right?¡± He said pointing at Ragnar.


    Colt laughed while Ursula hurriedly collected herself. Ragnar watched in surprise as he saw her flushed face. He unknowingly burst out laughing as he compared her current self to the scary woman he¡¯d seen the previous day. Ursula¡¯s face flushed more as she heard Ragnar. Cursing to herself, she quietly left to join the cheering mercenaries.


    Em sighed and ruffled Ragnar¡¯s hair. ¡°Do you have a death wish kid? That woman is the last person you should laugh at,¡± he said.


    ¡°Sir Colt,¡± Darren called from behind. Ragnar watched him as he respectfully bowed and greeted Colt. Darren was a Ranked Knight, the lowest order of the Knights Radiant. Being a Rune bearer, Colt surpassed his station by three ranks, but that was only on paper. In reality, a Rune bearer had a status comparable to a Duke.


    Colt glanced at Darren. His smile disappeared as he ordered in a calm voice, ¡°We march to Ashfield at dawn. For now, you¡¯ll follow my command. Is that agreeable, Sir Darren?¡±


    Darren looked confused, but he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Colt looked at the field. Purple blood and remains of Lickers littered the forest floor. Splintered wood and fallen trees were everywhere in the vicinity. I hope my fears are unwarranted, he thought and walked back to the camp.


    *****


    The next chapter is up on my website.


    [/url]


    [url=https://kannablogs.wordpress.com/chapter-5-forest-of-flames/]Chapter 5 - Forest of Flames</a>

 Chapter 5 - Forest of Flames

    Forest of Flames:


    It was a bleak morning. Frigid autumn air formed dew on the leaves as Colt silently walked past the camp towards the wrecked forest grounds. They were partly cleared, but it was all still there. Splintered wood, fallen trees, old bones and the cold bodies of the dark beings. The wind blew carrying the scent of the dried blood with it. It was a battlefield, peaceful compared to what may be ahead of them.


    Colt glanced at a tree. His eyes calm, and pleasant. Jack sighed and jumped down from his hiding place. He¡¯d followed Colt, but he knew that the latter had been aware of it. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked. Colt smiled a little. His eyes were serene, almost happy but in their depths was his despair, and his fears hidden away locked in his heart.


    ¡°Pass my orders, we march with the sun,¡± Colt said and went on his way. Jack narrowed his eyes as he gauged Colt¡¯s reply but didn¡¯t press on. He¡¯d been with Colt for years and knew that he needed some time to himself. Colt followed a trail used by wild animals and reached a small pond a little over half a mile away from the camp. His eyes became distant as he glanced at his reflection. How long had it been since he used an actual mirror? At some point in his life, he¡¯d stopped using a mirror and never bothered to buy one for himself since then.


    ¡°I guess I aged a bit,¡± Colt thought aloud. His skin was a little brown, black hair with some gray in between. A small stubble adorned his chin, and his brown eyes were bright. By all standards, he wasn¡¯t handsome but lord, he looked dashing, he did. Colt smiled, and the folds of his skin showed his age. They spoke of his past and his life.


    He unsheathed his sword and washed away the greasy coating in the clear water of the pond. Staring at the old sword, he caressed it with his fingers. ¡°Things are going to change Black,¡± he said as he glanced at the morning sun peeking out of the foliage and added, ¡°Sleep well until then.¡±


    By the time Colt returned, the whole army was in order waiting for him. Darren had recovered from the events of the last night and regained some of his former presence. Colt mounted Nelly, and soon a total of almost three thousand soldiers marched towards Ashfield leaving behind the forest which had changed their lives forever.


    ****


    Colt opened his eyes to a wintery snow and instinctively reached for his sword, but found himself unable to move. That¡¯s when he realized he was a child, only about eight. Before him was a sea of blood and corpses, more than he could count. Blood flowed beneath his feet, like a river, forming a pool on the expanse. Colt glanced back, feeling the breath leaving his body.


    It was war, and it was a battlefield. But, it resembled Hell. Screams, he¡¯d hear. He saw humans, and dark beings, in millions. And, he saw Cimmerians, in thousands. It wasn¡¯t just any war. Millions upon millions of soldiers were fighting all at once. Tens of thousands of lives were exhausted every second. And, then a rogue arrow silently pierced him from behind before everything went dark.


    Colt woke up with a start. He instinctively reached for the throat of the person above him but stopped midway as he saw Ursula brooding over him with worried eyes. Tim was there, and so was Ragnar. Colt sat up and shook his head as he realized that he was sweating all over. He breathed deeply and calmed down his heart as he tried to stabilize his condition. What was that? He questioned himself thinking of the battlefield.


    He¡¯d never dreamed so vividly. The war and the horror he¡¯d seen were too distinct to be a figment of his imagination. He remembered everything clearly as if it all happened before his eyes. He even remembered the moment of his death. ¡°Colt,¡± Ursula called in a worried voice. He glanced at her and noticed that she was looking at him, her hands clenched, worried about him. Colt smiled and patted her. ¡°I''m all right,¡± he said. No, I¡¯m not, his heart screamed. ¡°It was just a dream,¡± he added. It was a nightmare, one I fear isn¡¯t just a dream. He told himself.


    Colt glanced out of the carriage. The sun was a hazy orange. He¡¯d slept all afternoon. It was unlike him, but sleeping in the middle of the day was also unlike him. Was that all a dream? He questioned. ¡°Colt,¡± Tim called. Colt glanced at Tim and nodded his head. The old man¡¯s eyes spoke of unspoken words exchanged between them. ¡°Sir Colt,¡± They heard Darren¡¯s voice from outside the cottage as Ragnar stared at Colt and asked hesitantly, ¡°You alright?¡± Colt glanced at the boy and smiled. ¡°I am,¡± he said glancing at Ursula and got down from the carriage.


    Ursula studied Ragnar. She¡¯d always felt some connection between Colt and the boy. Even though they weren¡¯t related, Colt took care of him. By no means, Colt was a kind man. He was a mercenary leader, not a philanthropist. He¡¯d seen many atrocities and had turned a blind eye to them. But, Ursula never blamed him. Colt wasn¡¯t a god. He can¡¯t save everyone while protecting his men. The world wasn¡¯t a fairy tale, and there were no heroes. There were just those who live to see the next day and those who die in the place of others who managed to live.


    ¡°Kid, did you eat?¡± Ursula asked impatiently. Ragnar glanced at her. She looked unapproachable as usual, but he still shook his head. Ursula eyed him frowning for some reason. Even though Martha took care of Ragnar, years of negligence had left him with a weak and bruised body. Ursula felt a little guilty at the way she¡¯d treated Ragnar. He¡¯s still a child, she thought. I shouldn¡¯t have been so harsh. And, her expression eased a bit.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Wait here; I¡¯ll bring something for you,¡± Ursula said and rushed off towards the supply wagon. Moments later, she returned with bread, fruit wine, and some dried meat. Ragnar suspiciously took the food from her and began to dig in. Ursula glanced at him and narrowed her eyes. She¡¯d frown every time he coughed and seemed to be intrigued every time he did something. Her actions were as usual bizarre and watching the pair; Tim smiled to himself.


    Jack rode with Em to greet Colt. Everyone by now had a clear understanding of the relationship between Jack and Colt. Although Colt¡¯s strength masked Jack¡¯s achievements, they were all aware that this Deputy commander was much stronger than any warrior, perhaps second only to Colt himself. And, rumors were beginning to circulate that he was also an Arcane user. It made sense to them as Jack was able to defeat a Dakspren on his own and they thought it¡¯s plausible that he¡¯d agreed to serve Colt as he was a Rune Knight.


    And thus, Darren¡¯s position had fallen to third overnight. Colt glanced at the distant mountains. Beyond those mountains was Ashfield. He¡¯d already sent Neo to meet the Baron, so Colt wanted to hurry up and join the forces stationed there. Although additional troops of a few thousand wouldn¡¯t cause any drastic difference, his men would be a lot safer.


    ¡°Colt,¡± Jack called. Colt glanced at Jack and nodded his head after a moment of silence. Everyone thought that they had escaped the danger, but the reality wasn¡¯t that kind. Being a Rune Knight meant a lot of things. It meant a potential enemy to the imperial family. Rune artifacts were by tradition held only by the royal family, and the high princes who served the throne. Undocumented Rune Artifacts were rare, his being one of them. Even if they might not blatantly try to steal his sword, the knowledge of this artifact will result in many greedy eyes noticing them.


    And the person who might turn into their enemy was right before their eyes, Darren. Jack¡¯s eyes were cold. Em glanced at the duo; he could more or less understand the silent conversation going on between them. Darren was a Ranked Knight. He rose to his current rank from the station of a foot soldier. He might¡¯ve been scared, and startled the previous night but he''d already regained his calm.


    To Darren, Colt¡¯s Rune Artifact was a treasure trove, one which could change his future forever. He lacked the strength to obtain it for himself, but he could still benefit from this knowledge. If he traded this information for a military support which could obliterate them all, he could even fool others into believing that the events of the last night didn¡¯t happen at all.


    Jack¡¯s eyes made it clear. Let me take him out; he is an uncertain factor. We can¡¯t risk everyone¡¯s safety. Colt glanced at the Knight riding a little distance away from him. By all means, he appeared like a soldier who¡¯d never betray his men, but Colt knew from experience, appearances can be deceiving.


    ¡°Not now,¡± Colt said. Jack frowned, and Em maintained his silence. They trusted Colt¡¯s judgment. Colt watched the soldiers who were riding silently along with his men. He couldn¡¯t risk a rebellion at the moment, and if Darren was going to betray him, Colt would like him to be in his grasp. Like the eye of a tornado, the safest place in the face of an invisible enemy was by his side.


    Colt studied the sky. The faint smoke rising from beyond the mountains told him that they were near. The Ashfield was a small settlement, but it had far greater importance as it was a military outpost. The mountains facing north protected the settlement from cold northern winds and surrounded by rocky outcrops on three sides; it was a natural fortress.


    Wait! Colt thought as he stared at the skies. The amount of smoke didn¡¯t match the number of soldiers garrisoned at Ashfield. There was too much smoke in the air. He glanced back at the northern skies. The sky was clear behind him and yet it was foggy before him. The air wasn¡¯t moist, so there was no rain. And, the winds were blowing from the north towards south. It didn¡¯t match up. The smog in the air wasn¡¯t natural.


    Colt nudged Nelly, and the war horse galloped ahead of everyone. Jack, Em, and Darren were startled, but they immediately followed leaving the command to one of the officers. The four covered the remaining few miles within minutes and as they reached the mountain pass, a forest of flames greeted them to a reality of a mountain of corpses burning before their eyes.


    *****


    Chapter 6 - On the eve of Love </a>


    Note to readers: I release a chapter every monday and if possible an additional chapter will be released every Thursay/Friday. I prefer quality over quantity, and a lot of time is spent from my behalf to make sure that you only read my work at my best.


    You can know all about my schedule, future plans and such at my website.


    Please read my FAQ</a> - About</a> and TOC</a> pages for more info.


    Thank you.

 Chapter 6 - On the eve of Love

    On the eve of Love:


    Imperial Capital, Mogul Empire:


    ¡°Your Majesty, you indeed deserve the reputation of being one of the greatest patron of art on the continent. My father commissions artists, but I must admit, these paintings of yours are masterpieces.¡± Crown Prince Calvert praised in a modest voice. Standing beside Calvert, Belor smiled a little, neither accepting nor rejecting his praise.


    Calvert glanced at the young emperor and frowned a little. Belor was in his early forties, young for an emperor. It made it all the more difficult for Calvert to get his attention. Seeing that the emperor had no interest in art, nor his praise, he tactically diverted the conversation to other matters.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the hall awaits your presence.¡± A knight informed Belor in a respectful voice. Belor nodded and said, ¡°Crown Prince, we have hosted a feast in your honor. Our ministers and nobles will trouble you taking advantage of this occasion, but I request you to indulge their excitement.¡± He sounded troubled. Almost as if he didn¡¯t want Calvert to join the feast.


    ¡°Certainly, your Majesty,¡± Calvert replied in a polite voice. He wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to meet the nobles for anything. Since he failed to earn Belor¡¯s attention through praise, and gifts, he had no choice but to try the trick on the nobles. Who knows, everything might work out in the end. Belor was too young an emperor to ignore nobles and mingling with them might get his attention, Calvert thought as he followed Belor into the royal hall.


    Surrounded by nobles and the High Princes, Calvert maintained his presence. He praised and accepted some modestly. He spoke and listened moderately. He¡¯d to show them that he was worthy of being the next emperor. Although Vedan empire never had great relations with the Moguls, they weren¡¯t enemies either. It was a strategical peace maintained on thin strings for years. A good impression would help him later. It was an investment of the sorts.


    The Emperor soon left Calvert to his means and quietly disappeared into the crowd after a quick introduction to some important nobles. High Prince Delian being one of them. As a younger cousin of Boler, he was third in line to the throne after the two princes. Charged with the duty of guarding the Prince, Delian was also expected to be the watchdog preventing the nobles from getting too close to a potential enemy, Calvert.


    Calvert smiled to himself as he understood Boler¡¯s wishes, but remained calm on the surface. He¡¯d never believed Boler would just let him do as he wished, and he didn¡¯t. Calvert moved casually, greeting and exchanging words with various nobles. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a sweet voice greeted Calvert drawing his attention.


    Glancing at the owner of the voice, Calvert gulped slightly. Oh my God! That was all he could think about as he saw her. He¡¯d lost his wife almost ten years ago and never took another since then. But damn, the woman before him was beautiful. All his control lost in fumes; Calvert returned the greeting, ¡°Your Ladyship.¡± She laughed, her voice was the sweetest of all music to his ears. ¡°I¡¯m no lady, Sir. My name is Feya; I¡¯m the daughter of Duke Julian.¡±


    Calvert grinned, his smile, young and mischievous. ¡°May I?¡± he asked extending his hand. Feya grinned. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± she replied and took his hand. The music flowed in the air, and they danced. A prince and a princess, they were. But, they only saw each other. They grinned, and talked and danced. And, when the song was over, they danced to another.


    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t giving the wrong message here, Your Majesty?¡± Feya asked as she glanced at the hall through perked eyes. Calvert smirked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Too many nobles, and too many women trying to gain my attention. I¡¯d say this works just fine.¡± Feya laughed. Her blue eyes and blonde hair along with her perfect curves tempting Calvert beyond his limits. He¡¯d never been so tempted to lift off a woman and drag her to bed. But, Lord, she was worth more, a lot more.


    Feya sneaked a glance at Calvert from the corner of her eye. Her cheeks blushed ever so slightly. Ah! He was a prince, adept in politics, but his eyes revealed his grand thoughts as clear as daylight. Having realized that he¡¯d forgotten his position, Calvert smiled a little and took her hand and led her out of the hall towards the gardens leaving many guests chatting away behind his back.


    Heavens! My father better not hear about this. He¡¯ll rip me alive if he finds out I¡¯m chasing a woman instead of nobles. I must be going crazy; Calvert thought as he slipped past the guards into the open gardens. It was night, cool compared to the Vedan capital and the blue tulips adorned the path leading to a magnificent waterfall constructed artificially overhanging gardens.


    Feya was walking beside him. Silent, her eyes darting and drifting as she thought of something. Calvert nervously glanced at her. His heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears as the awkward silence continued between them. He was in his early thirties, not a boy in his teens and yet he was acting just like one. He didn¡¯t know why, and he¡¯d no idea how, but in an evening, she¡¯d stolen his heart.


    Love, he¡¯d never loved a woman. He cared about his first wife, but she¡¯d died too early giving birth to his son. Now that he found love, he didn¡¯t know what he was going to do with it. Calvert sighed deeply drawing Feya¡¯s attention. ¡°Are you promised to someone?¡± He asked. Directly, and without any hesitation. Daughters were considered as assets by most nobles. They were like cards, and chess pieces used to advance their purposes. Promising a girl to someone was a common practice, sometimes done even before their birth.


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    Feya glanced at the man. He was by no means heavily built, with black hair and brown eyes, he was every bit like a Vedan. In the faint light of the lamps, he appeared a little weak and uncertain. His eyes were dark waiting for an answer. He was a Crown Prince, if he¡¯d fancied her as some woman he can sleep with, he¡¯d never ask her the question. It would only take a few words, and willingly or unwillingly she¡¯d be by his side, but he asked her. He was considering her as a partner.


    Feya stifled a laugh, and her eyes moistened a little. ¡°Your Majesty, I wouldn¡¯t ask such a question. They can¡­.give a girl false hopes.¡± She said in a small voice clutching the hem of her dress in her little hands. Calvert glanced at her. She¡¯d tried her best to control her expression, and her voice but her eyes could never betray him. They were happy, and sad, and hopeful. Hoping that his answer wouldn''t betray her happiness. ¡°I would,¡± he said. ¡°Please answer me, Feya.¡±


    She smiled, and her eyes were moist. She laughed a little, her expression bitter. ¡°This wasn¡¯t in my calculations, Your Majesty. I must say this before you say anymore. I¡¯d first come to you to use you as an object to progress my plans. I was promised to High Prince Delian as his second wife, and for over a year, he¡¯d postponed our marriage citing insignificant reasons. It was evident to me that he¡¯d rather choose a woman of greater political leverage.


    Although my father is a Duke, he isn¡¯t rich, nor is he powerful. My union with the High Prince was a shield protecting us for many years. I¡¯d to seduce the man. Hate me, blame me and curse me, but Your Highness, I¡¯d to protect my family. So I choose you because you can ignite the flames of jealousy in Delian and yet stay out of his wrath. I¡¯d hoped he would come to drag me away, or at least show some signs of jealousy but you¡­you were not what I had expected you to be.¡±


    Feya¡¯s eyes became blurry as two streaks of tears rolled down her cheeks as she smiled happily and continued, ¡°I expected a cocky prince, one who wouldn¡¯t care about others. I expected a noble, one who¡¯d sleep with any woman. But, you were different. You treated me like a lady when I didn¡¯t act like one. You indulged me when I was difficult. You smiled, laughed, danced and looked at me with love. I¡¯d come to seduce you, and you loved me despite my immoral desires, and now¡­. I love you even though I know I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Calvert glanced at her. She stood before him, her head lowered, and her entire being trembled as she sobbed. The silence between them lasted for a long moment. Calvert sighed and closed his eyes. He¡¯d loved her from the moment he¡¯d seen her, but she¡¯d come to him with such desires. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she¡¯d completely fooled him. If she hadn¡¯t admitted it herself, he¡¯d have never found about it. A noble¡¯s daughter should know that keeping quiet was the best decision in such a case, and yet she admitted her wrongs.......for him. Calvert smiled and looked at her.


    ¡°You¡¯d make a fine queen,¡± Calvert said. Feya raised her head and looked at him staring back at her with more love in his eyes. ¡°One who wouldn¡¯t lose to my mother,¡± he added. Feya opened her mouth to speak, but his lips sealed away her apology, fears and more. And, she stayed in his arms until he stroked her head gently. ¡°You have already done everything. Now, it¡¯s my turn. Don¡¯t worry; I may not look like one, but I am still the Crown Prince of the Vedan empire. I¡¯ll convince Boler, Delian, and your father. Our wedding will be a sign of peace between the two empires.¡±


    *****


    ¡°Captain Gavril, His Highness would like to meet you,¡± a soldier informed one of the captains of Calvert¡¯s personal guard. Gavril stared at the soldier and nodded. A direct order from the emperor had to be obeyed. I¡¯d later inform the prince, he thought and followed the soldier out of the gardens. Even though they were in the imperial palace, they couldn¡¯t leave the security of the Crown Prince to the Moguls, and thus a minimum of a hundred Vedan soldiers followed him everywhere. Discreetly, of course.


    Walking up the stairs, Gavril said, ¡°The inner chambers are quite exquisite. You should have called the commander; I have no real authority to make any decision.¡± The soldier smiled a little, and his aura underwent an earth shattering change as if his previous persona was an illusion. Gavril felt a chill down his spine as he noticed the change in the man''s aura, and he instinctively reached for his sword, but he just knew he wasn¡¯t fast enough. His eyes were dark, filled with despair as a sword pierced him through the gap in his helm and he silently fell to his knees like a broken puppet.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna borrow your name for a while, Captain Gavril.¡± The man said in a small voice and proceeded to remove the helm.


    *****


    Chapter 7 - Twisted Fate</a>


    Note to readers: I¡¯ve been thinking that I should write faster. I understand as a reader, but as an author I¡¯m still new so please bear with me for some more time. Starting next month, I¡¯ll try to write 2 chapters/week.


    I''m still new and so is my work. It''s too early to ask for a favour but if you can spare a couple of minutes and write a review for others readers, I would really really appreciate it. In the whole RRL, where thousands of fictions are updated every week, I can only depend on your help to expose my work.


    Thank you bud,


    Kanna.

 Chapter 7 - Twisted Fate

    Twisted Fate:


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Serena asked as she studied Belor. She was concerned about her husband. Belor smiled and nodded his head, ¡°I am fine Serena, it¡¯s just a headache. We have a guest so I can¡¯t retire early. But, I saw Adalar earlier, and he didn¡¯t look too well. Can you accompany him to sleep tonight? With everything that is going on, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be happy if I order him to retire early. A mother will do a better job in these sort of things.¡±


    Serena smiled as she glanced at her husband. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Adalar, but you have to promise me that you¡¯ll take some medicine. I don¡¯t want to see you with a fever tomorrow, understood?¡± Belor smiled and nodded his head. He was an emperor, but she was also an empress. As his wife, she ordered him and as a husband, he¡¯d to listen.


    ¡°Mother, Father, I didn¡¯t know you were here,¡± Prince Hedin said in a cheerful voice as he walked into the balcony. Serena laughed while Belor maintained his smile. ¡°We were watching the Crown Prince Calvert¡¯s skills in courting a woman,¡± Serena said. ¡°He¡¯s a gentleman. You should learn from him Hedin,¡± she teased.


    Prince Hedin laughed and joined his parents on the balcony which had a grand view of the gardens and of course of Prince Calvert who held Feya in his arms. Hedin whistled and said, ¡°Holy shit! This dude is fast.¡± Belor coughed and said, ¡°Watch your language, son.¡± Serena smiled and said, ¡°Whatever, if the girl is happy then it¡¯s all good. She¡¯ll be an empress in the future. I¡¯ll go and find Adalar. Hedin, do you happen to know where the little monkey is?¡±


    Hedin laughed, ¡°My little brother is currently with the ladies of the Witch lounge. He¡¯s almost fourteen, so I let him join Uncle Felix. Mother, you should leave him alone. He¡¯ll learn to be a man tonight.¡± Serena smacked Hedin on the head, ¡°What man? Both of you are still kids. Stop speaking such vulgar language or I¡¯ll break your legs and lock you in your rooms.¡± She didn¡¯t wait any longer and walked out of the room furiously.


    Hedin glanced at his father confusedly and asked, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know about me, does she?¡± Belor smiled, ¡°No, I am also ignorant of your sex life.¡± he said. Hedin almost coughed up his wine as he heard his father. He was sixteen this year, and it was his father who arranged his first partner for him. He was told to experience it himself so that he won¡¯t get all excited like a teen who¡¯d never felt a woman.


    He was a prince, and that meant he was a potential enemy of his father. Hedin respected his father, but several nobles detested him. To them, he was the best weapon against his father. If they manage to get him to their sides then controlling the throne will be much easier.


    Weaknesses no matter how small had to be eliminated. Women were one of his weakness and so his father arranged a partner to teach him the arts of bed.


    ¡°What do you think of the Crown Prince?¡± Belor asked in a small voice. Hedin glanced at the distant figure of Calvert and narrowed his eyes. ¡°He appears like a good man. Modest, and likable but¡­¡± Belor studied his son, ¡°But, what?¡± Hedin rested his hand over the railings and said, ¡°He looks fragile, almost spineless. A Crown Prince with two brothers and an aging father can¡¯t be vulnerable. If he is as he appears, I¡¯m surprised he isn¡¯t dead yet.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Belor agreed. ¡°Good observation there. Everything he¡¯s done tonight is an act except for the matter regarding the young lady, may be. You can call it a farce of sorts. Learn from him Hedin. That¡¯s how you should act. Weak, and fragile but strong inside. You should let others believe that they can manipulate you. That¡¯s how you find a traitor.¡± Hedin nodded his head. He had much to learn from his father and the Crown Prince; both were warriors of great temperament on the battlefield and in the court.


    Everything appeared peaceful. The son and the father duo enjoyed their drinks and Calvert enjoyed his evening in the company of Feya. But, fate was supernal. The dark clouds in the distant skies were like the horrors awaiting them. The moment of peace in their hearts disappeared like an illusion the next moment.


    It all began with a scream, horrified, angry, filled with fury and an unimaginable sadness. It was a scream of a woman, of a mother, and of a person who¡¯d lost someone dear to them. Calvert stared at the inner palace in shock, his hand grasping Feya¡¯s as his instincts screamed of danger. He just knew at that moment that something had happened, one which would change everything.


    Belor rose to his feet, and Hedin shivered as he heard the scream. Their souls shook, and their eyes quivered as they felt the sadness in her voice. It was a voice very familiar to them. It belonged to Serena. It belonged to his mother. It belonged to his wife.


    They moved at the same time, but Hedin couldn¡¯t keep up with his father who disappeared before his eyes. Hedin ran and ran and ran until he reached the inner palace. The walls were destroyed, and guards laid lifelessly on the ground in his way. No..no¡­ he screamed. No..he cried in his heart as he saw Adalar¡¯s nanny impaled on a spear by the corner as he reached the inner chambers.


    He turned around and stopped in his tracks like a statue. He could hear the sounds of the guards running through the corridors. He could hear his uncle shouting his name, and he could listen to the sound of his heartbeat, but at that moment all he could see, think and hear was the cry of his mother as she held his brother in her arms covered in his blood and gore.


    Hedin then saw his father standing before her with a sword in his hands and an armor formed on him out of mist. He was facing a soldier with a blood-red sword in his hands. With armor, and a helmet covering his face, he looked like any soldier, but the mark of the Vedan royal family on his chest revealed his identity. A personal guard of the Crown Prince Calvert.


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    ¡°Arrrrgh!¡± a roar of frenzied ire escaped Hedin¡¯s throat as he grabbed his sword. The wind swirled around it as he charged towards the armored soldier. ¡°HEDIN!¡± Belor¡¯s roar woke Hedin from his furor. He stopped in his tracks and watched his father carefully for the first time. The armor on his body was a second Rune Artifact. His father was a warrior who¡¯d defeated many knights in duels, and he¡¯d to use a second Rune Artifact to deal with the assassin. It meant only one thing; the armored soldier had strength equalling his father.


    ¡°Serena¡­¡± Felix called out in a loud voice as he reached the inner chambers. His pupils contracted as he watched the scene. A roar escaped his throat as he charged towards the armored warrior. Hedin¡¯s face twitched as he saw his father fall back to his mother letting his uncle attack the armored guard. He''d trusted his uncle but not him. Why? Why am I so powerless, he screamed in his heart.


    ¡°Careful Felix, he¡¯s an Arcane user,¡± Belor warned as Felix¡¯s eyes changed color to red and his body slammed against the assassin blasting him out of the room and the palace into the gardens beyond. Hedin gritted his teeth and ordered in a loud voice, ¡°Kill every f*cking Vedan. I want every one of them dead, NOW!¡± His fury, his rage beyond his control.


    Amplified by arcane, his voice rang like thunder in the palace. The soldiers glanced at each other in shock, their expression changing radically from shock to anger to fury to uncontrollable rage as they charged out of the palace and into the gardens. The Emperor¡¯s personal guard alone stood by the nobles side while every other soldier surrounded the gardens from all directions.


    Blasted out of the palace, Gavril landed in the backyard a little distance away from Calvert. He glanced at the Crown Prince and bowed a little. His gesture didn¡¯t escape the notice of Felix who roared in frenzied rage and charged at the crown prince. It only took a moment for Calvert to realize what was going on. It was evident he¡¯d been framed but he¡¯d no time to explain.


    An armor formed on him in a second, and a sword appeared in his hand while tens of his personal guards surrounded him on all sides. ¡°Stay your hand, Felix,¡± Calvert said. ¡°I swear on my honor; I have nothing to do with this,¡° Calvert shouted. ¡°Shut the f*ck up!¡± Felix didn¡¯t plan on listening and attacked Calvert¡¯s guard killing a soldier in a single attack.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Commander Favian called in an urgent voice. Calvert glanced at the man and nodded his head weakly. It didn''t matter now if he was involved or if he was framed, he¡¯d to escape. Getting caught meant only one thing, death.


    He¡¯d heard the shouts, the screams, and the roars. ¡°Traitor,¡± they called him. ¡°Murderers,¡± they called them. He ordered nothing, and he knew nothing. Feya shivered in his arms, her eyes wet with fear and anxiety as she silently questioned him despite knowing deep in her heart that he wouldn¡¯t do such a horrible thing.


    It was then Calvert realized what he¡¯d done to her. He¡¯d courted her; he¡¯d promised to marry her. He¡¯d publicly showed his love to claim her. Everything he¡¯d done for her became her curse. Her family would be viewed as traitors and her as an accomplice. No, I can¡¯t let her stay here. I definitely can¡¯t, Calvert gritted his teeth.


    He held Feya in his arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything,¡± he said. His eyes were pleading as he added, ¡°Please believe me.¡± Favian glanced at Feya, his eyes hardening ever so slightly. He was charged with the duty of protecting the Crown Prince, and Feya was an uncertainty. He¡¯d seen them all evening, and she genuinely seemed polite and caring, but appearances can be deceiving. He didn¡¯t trust her. He had no reason to believe her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Calvert whispered. Feya glanced at her man, her eyes questioning his apology, but her vision darkened as she felt a sharp pain on her nape and a moment later, she lost her consciousness. ¡°Favian, you¡¯re now responsible for her,¡± Calvert ordered. ¡°Sir, I¡­¡± he argued but shut his mouth as he saw Calvert¡¯s murderous gaze. ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself Favian. If she is harmed, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Calvert added quietly.


    Come Belor, you won¡¯t let us leave like this, will you? Calvert thought as he turned his attention towards the palace. They were in the capital of the Mogul empire. Although they were no additional forces stationed in the imperial city, escaping from the nest of an enemy won¡¯t be so simple.


    As if he¡¯d come to answer his thoughts, Belor quietly walked out of the palace. Darkness in the depths of his eyes coming alive with each of his steps. He watched Calvert, his gaze growing murderous with each second.


    ¡°You murdered my son Calvert,¡± he said. His voice cold as ice, and dark as night. Calvert glanced at the man. He didn''t argue any further. He''d seen his eyes. They weren''t here to discuss; they weren''t here to listen. They were here to kill him, and they wouldn''t rest until his blood quenched his anger.


    *****


    AN: I''m sorry, I am a little late. Enjoy and be sure to share your opinion.


    If its possible, encourage me by rating my fiction.


    [/url]


    [url=https://kannablogs.wordpress.com/chapter-8-reagan-white/]Chapter 8 - Reagan White</a>


    Have a nice day bud,


    Kanna.

 Chapter 8 - Reagan White

    Reagan White:


    Calvert''s fist tightened around his sword as his eyes became algid, and his aura turned murderous. He could sense more than three hundred soldiers on the palace walls surrounding his men with crossbows in hands waiting for their orders. One word from Belor and they would be flooded with arrows. But, Calvert was more concerned about the nobles who were in the palace. If they decided to join, it wouldn¡¯t be a fight. It would be a massacre.


    They were all waiting for Belor. Attacking him was akin to starting a war. The outcome wouldn''t matter. Whether he lived or not, Belor will find himself facing a Vedan army. A single word will kill tens of thousands, if not millions and they were waiting for Belor to sow the seed of chaos.


    Calvert glanced at Helian and General Felix. Both were related to the crown and were in line to the throne. Besides them, there were many people including several High Princes who could all gain something from this incident. The assassination might have been their plan, but who could he blame? There were also his brothers. Unlike Belor, he didn¡¯t suppress or kill his brothers. He chose not to, but what if they were involved? It was also possible that neither of them was involved. A third party could have been behind the entire scheme.


    There were too many variables and too many possibilities. One thing was for sure. Whoever it was, they''d an ally within both empires. Gavril, Calvert thought. He studied the assassin and narrowed his eyes. The assassin had all the answers. But, how do he get them out? How to convince Belor? Calvert, however, knew that it was already impossible. He could no longer delay. Peace was a thing of past. No amount of proof will erase the hatred in the man''s heart.


    Delian soon arrived with a dozen men and studied the situation. His eyes briefly paused when he saw Feya in Favian''s arms. Calvert noticed his gaze and the killing intent flickering in their depths. It wasn''t directed just at him. Bastard, Calvert gritted his teeth.


    I have no choice, Calvert told himself. He looked torn and troubled as he glanced at his men. A hundred men stood by his side. They were all his people. They had families back home. They would die for him and trusted him. It was a matter of choices; he could no longer make one selfishly. Besides, there was Feya.


    Forgive me; Calvert prayed in his heart, and the last bit of conscience he''d in his eyes disappeared with it. He couldn''t win against Belor and his army, not in his capital. But, I just have to escape. Winners and Losers, they call men. I''ll be a winner even if I have to embrace the cloak of maleficence, Calvert thought.


    ¡°Gavril,¡± Calvert called. The assassin glanced at the Crown Prince, and so did Belor and others. Several men¡¯s eyes widened as they heard him. Calvert''s heart hardened as he ordered, ¡°Destroy any and all Arcane reactors you can find in the Imperial city. Escape and find me immediately.¡±


    His words were like thunder in the ears of every man present in that garden. Vedan soldiers believed that someone had framed their prince but what was the meaning of this order. Belor, Delian, and Felix trembled in rage. Only Favian closed his eyes and sighed. So you finally reveal your true self, he thought.


    He''d been with Calvert almost all his life. The guards were just soldiers, but he was the one responsible for his safety. The feeble and spineless crown prince they called him, but he knew it long ago. The man was anything but spineless. He was ruthless, cruel and cunning under his disguise. And he''d just shown his conviction by ordering Gavril.


    Ordering Gavril meant many things. The first and the foremost among them was accepting his crime. Calvert just announced to the world that he''d ordered the assassination of the Mogul prince. He''d to face Belor and the wrath of Moguls, so he instead chose to accept the crime he never committed rather than stay a victim. He was consciously choosing to become the instigator of the war shattering the peace of a century.


    Belor''s eyes widened, and then the air around him began to swirl in a frenzied whirl of raging arcane. Felix gritted his teeth, but he didn''t move an inch. All his attention was on the Crown Prince. He wasn''t going to let him escape.


    ¡°The minute you move will be the second I''ll swear to kill every last one of you,¡± Delian whispered in a cold voice. The whisper, however, was like a roar of raw anger in the silence of the darkened skies. Gavril looked at Delian and then at Calvert, the darkness of his helm hiding the smile in his eyes.


    It matters not who orders, Gavril thought. I''m just a defiled. I''ll sin in your name, but you''ll be the one opening the gates of hell here on earth. He nodded and ran towards the wall. His actions shaking the foundations of the fragile peace holding everyone in their place.


    ¡°K...kill him!¡± One soldier shouted before anyone else. His words were like embers of chaos, and soon all soldiers were roaring with killing intent. No orders were passed, and no sirens were blown. Belor just stared at Calvert, his eyes finally exploding with incomprehensible rage. His body moved, and so did the wind. Delian¡¯s body flickered and the next second he disappeared from the grounds following the assassin.


    The Arcane reactors were the epitome of the human arcanology. They were built using technology closely guarded by the royal family and were responsible for producing all the arcane power utilized by the humanity.


    Their only flaw was their small capacity. One reactor cannot provide enough arcane power for the entire capital and they''d to be built away from each other to maximize their ability to collect the arcane power present in nature.


    Destroying even one arcane reactor will be enough to destroy a part of the capital. An ordinary soldier will never be able to damage a reactor, but the assassin was a Rune Knight and an arcane user. What if he succeeds? He would cause the greatest disaster in Belor''s reign killing tens of thousands of people.


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    ¡°Fall back! Maintain formation around me and retreat. Evade and block. Don''t engage any enemy,¡± Favian¡¯s loud voice shook the soldiers out of their stupor. They were still confused. Did his Highness order the assassination? They questioned themselves.


    Calvert glanced at Belor charging at him. Felix''s body was emanating a crimson aura as he exchanged glances with Belor. They were going to attack to kill him. Two generals with Rune artifacts and Arcane powers. They were a force equalling the strength of a thousand men.


    A savage smile lit Calvert''s face. Weak, a voice responded to his thoughts. Calvert smiled. Pitiful, it said. I know, Calvert agreed. I didn''t raise a coward, it sighed. Calvert grinned. They don''t fear you. They think you''re their prey. Calvert, what''re you? It questioned. Calvert bent his body; his aura changed as he replied, ¡°White!¡±


    The sword in his hands shook with his words. The wind trembled, and his hair stood on its end as an aura of supernal power rose within him and flowed through his weapon. White it was, the sky and the ground. The heavens appeared white to his eyes, and he ruled it.


    Favian glanced back as he retreated. He could sense the deadly aura of Calvert. His eyes narrowed and he frowned but deep in his eyes was fear. Events of past flashed in the back of his mind, and a cold sweat drenched his back, but he pushed forward. He''d to protect Feya. He never once questioned Calvert''s words. If she were hurt, Calvert would kill him regardless of how many years he''d served him.


    Belor suddenly felt an intense sense of danger, and so did Felix. Years of living alongside death told them to stay away from Calvert. They could sense that something changed in him at the moment. He''d activated his Rune artifact, they knew, but it was unlike any other activation. It was as if he''d changed along with his sword. It was as if he was the sword and the sword was him.


    They saw a white flicker from the corner of their eyes. Then they were in a white world. Belor and Felix. It belonged to just them. It was obviously an illusion, they knew. But, how were they trapped? Was it the activation? Was it his eyes? Was it their minds? How do they cancel this illusion?


    Calvert narrowed his eyes. Belor and Felix stood still like statues, and their eyes were staring blankly at him. Kill them, the voice urged. No, Calvert replied. Not yet, he thought. He turned around and followed his men ignoring the stunned gazes of soldiers who were watching him in frozen silence.


    War is inevitable. I can''t kill them yet. Not when I''m unaware of the person who''d framed me, Calvert thought.


    "Kill him,¡± a commander shouted. Calvert glanced at the man. His sword flickered, and the man''s torso neatly slid down the palace walls. Calvert''s eyes were like depths of hell freezing every man in his tracks. Afraid and intimidated, they were unable to take a step forward.  Delian wasn''t present, and Belor and Felix were in a forced illusion battling unknown demons in the abyss of the white world.


    Calvert''s eyes grew dim as he stared at the soldiers blocking his men''s path. ¡°White Decimation,¡± he murmured. Arcane power swirling around him weakened as he reached his men. Favian prepared to receive the attack of the Mogul soldiers, but it never came. A hundred soldiers just watched with dazed eyes as they passed the palace gates.


    ¡°What''re your doing? Stop them,¡± another commander roared as he followed Calvert. Many soldiers glanced at the captain. Their eyes became a little bright as they raised their crossbows and fired. Not at the Vedan soldiers but Moguls.


    It didn''t stop with just that. Those hundred soldiers were like demented souls. They jumped down the walls and attacked with swords, and bows. They chewed and scratched and attacked in any way possible. Ignoring pain and deaths, they killed and killed. Even on the verge of death, they took another with them.


    Complete control over the fate of spirits trapped in the dimension of the white abyss. Reagan White.


    Favian noticed the clamor and then Calvert who caught up to him. Reagan White, he thought. Many knew of the arcane ruled by the Crown Prince, but none knew of its true limits. But, he knew, it wasn''t just powerful. It was terrifying.


    *****


    AN: Reagan means ruler/king in Irish. Reagan White translates to Ruler of White/ White Emperor.


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    [url=https://kannablogs.wordpress.com/chapter-9-neroblack/]Chapter 9 - Nero(Black) </a>


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    Thank you,


    Kanna.

 Chapter 9 - Nero

    Nero:


    It was a pyre, unlike any other. Sea of Flames masked the countless corpses burning away in the color of crimson. The clouds beyond the mountain peaks seemed to turn gray as the smoke rose to the skies. Jack¡¯s eyes hardened as he realized that most of the corpses were of Vedan soldiers. Darren and Em were stunned and shocked and horrified; they¡¯d never seen or dreamt of such horror. Colt, on the other hand, was silent, so calm that it was almost terrifying.


    ¡°Colt,¡± Jack called. He could instinctively tell that something was wrong. The fire hadn¡¯t been burning for long, and he could still differentiate the burning corpses. They were burnt and broken and sunken into the ground but he could still them apart.


    Those eyes were frozen in fear or struck with disbelief as they stared back at him through the curtain of flames. He stopped the scream of horror which rose in his heart and flowed through his veins as acid churned his marrows.


    But, the raging arcane in the air worried him. The crackling fire agitated it further with every passing second, and Jack¡¯s instincts screamed of danger. There was something in the air, around him and beyond those flames which tried to warn him.


    Colt studied the flames and the mountain pass with unnatural composure. His eyes were almost translucent, all his emotions trapped and bottled in his heart. They were his alone and at that moment he didn''t indulge them.


    The cave was a natural tunnel through the mountain, about thirty meters high and twenty meters wide. The fire lit the dark cave but the roof was still in a shade of darkness. As Colt raised his head, a pair of red eyes stared back at him and a murderous intent swept them all as a killing intent flickered to life in those crimson depths. Em, Jack and Darren froze in their tracks and the horses retreated to the other end of the cave unable to stand against their instincts of survival.


    The owner of those cardinal eyes smiled. Hanging from the roof on four limbs, he was like a lizard, and more like a hunter, waiting for the right time. But, he no longer tried to hide his presence. Licking his lips, he chuckled like a demon who met his prey.


    Colt alone stood in silence, Nelly grunted and groaned and tried but ultimately followed the other horses. The five men were now alone in the tunnel like the shadows of the fiery souls burning in the flames beyond them. Their souls resonated with those of dead and the fear in their hearts with their worst nightmares.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the man commented. His Mogul accent and foreign features announced his identity.


    Colt had his attention. Unlike others, he couldn''t sense any fear in his eyes. A spark lit in his heart as he narrowed his eyes, releasing his hold on the rock wall, he landed heavily a little distance away from Colt. The ground shook, and the mountain walls groaned at his weight.


    At the height of seven feet and a body which looked like it had been carved out of stone, his calm smile made him look all the more frightening. There was something about him, the way he walked, the way he moved, and the way he conducted himself; it was as if he was in control of everything.


    Darren staggered back; he tried to control himself but the pressure extruded by the man was beyond his level, it was almost godly, or like that of a demon. Killing intent and the evil aura which swirled around him was like a spear pointed at his heart and weakened his soul, in spirit and more.


    The man scratched his rough beard and laughed lightly. Jack tightened his grip on his spear, his eyes narrowing in suspicion and anticipation while Em nervously stood behind him. They¡¯d never met an adversary of his station except for Vivaldi.


    ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t here for introductions, Pyro Master,¡± Colt asked, his voice cold and emotionless. Pyro Masters were arcane users who commanded an arcane of fire. From the arcane swirling around him, it was evident he was the one behind the massacre.


    The man looked genuinely surprised, his stifled laugh failing to mask his surprise. However, those red eyes of his didn¡¯t try to hide his killing intent. He cracked his neck as he answered casually, ¡°I guess, I¡¯m not.¡±


    There was no sign of movement, and there were no signs of an attack, the man moved and with him moved the arcane. Em and Darren were too slow to follow him, and Jack was too slow to react. The man was like an eternal wind which vanished before their eyes.


    A flame rose in his hands, similar to the one which burned a thousand lives and the man¡¯s aura exploded with power. It was an attack, one which aimed to kill, and one which showed no mercy. He never once thought of mercy and sure enough the moment his body moved, he attacked with every bit of his power.


    But, he wasn¡¯t the only one who moved at that moment. Colt hand reached for his sword as the man disappeared. Like the monstrous forces of nature, their arcane¡¯s clashed mid-air. A blast of wind struck the walls and the ground smeared in broad black patches of ash.


    The walls trembled, and the ground cracked. The wind became a blade and attacked it''s counterpart while the killing intent in the air drowned the cave in a world of its own. A world of fire, a world of sin and a world of blood and suffering.


    The Pyro master¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t miss the killing intent hiding deep inside Colt¡¯s eyes, nor did he miss to notice speed with which Colt reached for his sword. They were equally matched in speed, but were they?


    His body involuntarily came to a stop just a step away from the reach of the latter¡¯s sword. A split second of silence and two pairs of eyes met each other and war of authority and dominance was waged in a flash. The man finally understood the reason for his uncertainty.


    Strong, that was the only word resonating in his mind. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he now no longer had the confidence to come out unscathed if he ended up facing Colt.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a soldier?¡± He asked. ¡°And, I presume you¡¯re not an enemy either,¡± he thought aloud. There was no reason to fight and if he decides to fight unprepared; he might end up giving up an arm or a leg or more. The man studied Colt for a minute and announced himself, ¡°Milad Weiss.¡±


    Milad could obviously see that Darren was an Imperial Knight, so he wasn¡¯t yet convinced that Colt didn¡¯t work for the Vedan empire. But, on the other hand, Darren alone was dressed like a soldier.


    Both men relaxed their guards, but they didn''t drop them. Their eyes were still sharp and they''d only taken a step back. The tension in the air spoke a thousand words. Attack me and I''ll kill you. No hesitation and fear could be sensed from either of them. They were like tigers born and raised to be fearless.


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    A kid with a small fire, a voice commented in disdain and continued, and he doesn¡¯t even command an eternal flame. Colt knitted his eyebrows; he looked troubled as the voice continued. Should I remind you who you''re, boy? It asked. No need, Colt replied coldly. His answer more of an order than before.


    Haha! Did my words hurt you? That mask you¡¯re wearing doesn¡¯t suit you Colt. Kind, sweet and a trustworthy commander- what a joke! A flicker of killing intent seeped out of Colt''s body as he heard those words, and an aura much more sinister touched his heart. Those sealed emotions attempted to break free as the voice warned, I shall remind you again boy, I didn¡¯t raise a coward.


    There was a moment of silence. The howling wind, the crackling fire and the hollow sound of the cave resonated deeply in Colt¡¯s mind. The words of Black resonated with the spirit of his soul sealed within. I know, Black, Colt answered in a small voice, his voice not concealing his anger.


    As he opened his eyes, it was all gone. All his anger, all his rage burning deep in his heart replaced with tranquility. Milad was patiently waiting for Colt¡¯s answer, but it never came. A rough, raw sound of an unsheathed sword greeted him instead, and a pale, frigid aura dilated his pupils.


    It was still a dull gray with a few chipped ends but to Milad, it looked like a blade straight out of fiery hell. He could sense the fluctuations of arcane around the edges, and the ever growing killing intent seeping out of its length. His body retreated involuntarily like a bullet and a flame tens of meters in diameter surrounded him blocking anything and everything.


    ¡°Don''t you fucking dare....,¡± he roared. Milad himself didn¡¯t know the reason for his fear, but he could just feel it. There was something about Colt and the sword that weakened his resolve and threw his mind into chaos. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint it nor could he guess it but he just knew he¡¯d to get away as soon as possible.


    ¡°You should,¡± a silent voice whispered in Milad¡¯s ears. Those two words were like steel which cut through his heart. His eyes caught Colt right beside him, the flames failing to stop the man. "Die.....,¡± Milad screamed at the top of his lungs as he used every bit of his power to block Colt. He¡¯d never felt experienced such fear all his life.


    Kicking the ground, he threw himself backward, but he could still see the image of Colt following him closely like a shadow, like a ghost. The flames couldn¡¯t stop him nor could any physical attacks. Milad¡¯s eyes were bloodshot; his body drenched in sweat as he landed on the ground once again. Breathing heavily he gathered all his power in his fist; fire raged in his heart, and a brilliant flame lit his fist but then again a sheering pain rived through his body as a sword slowly pierced his heart.


    The world, the wind and the cave changed before Milad¡¯s eyes. The shadow of Colt disappeared, and the destruction left by his attacks were his only clue to know that he was not dreaming. Although he knew who it was, he turned around and saw him. Colt was standing exactly on the same spot. His feet didn¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it was. This is your arcane,¡± Milad said coughing up blood. ¡°An arcane which shows me a reality other than my own. I fought you, but I didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t a dream; I did use my powers. I saw things, visions you wanted me to see. Different from an arcane which traps others in an illusory world, I can move, but I¡¯m still nothing but a puppet in your hands.¡±


    Colt stared at Milad coldly. Em, Jack and Darren were too shocked to react. They''d just watched Milad move as if he was fighting Colt while the latter was beside them all along. In the end, Milad delivered himself to Colt. It was a terrifying experience which made them question their eyes.


    Colt slowly pulled ''Black'' out and studied Milad. His eyes were emotionless and unreadable as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re right about everything except one little detail.¡± Milad glanced at Colt through hazy eyes, the loss of blood was already making him dizzy. Colt sheathed his sword and continued, ¡°It''s not an arcane I rule over, it is a power I¡¯m entitled to.¡±


    Doubts, questions, regret, and guilt. Emotions and more stormed Milad¡¯s eyes as he breathed his last. He¡¯d died wondering what Colt meant, and he¡¯d died wondering why his arcane resembled Prince Calvert¡¯s so much. An uncanny resemblance of powers with contrasting names. Black and White, they were called. But why?


    ******


    AN: Nero means Black. Why the chapter is titled Nero instead of Black will be revealed later.


    I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all wondering what is the difference between Reagan White and Colt¡¯s arcane. Well, I assure you, there is a difference. I explained it here. If you read between the lines, you can find the whole meaning, or you¡¯ve got to wait.


    And, these words ¡°It''s not an arcane I rule over, it is a power I¡¯m entitled to.¡± They hold a greater meaning.


    Chapter 10 - A Promise of two decades</a>


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    Look forward to more.


    Kanna.

 Chapter 10 - A Promise of two decades

    A Promise of two decades:


    A Compelling smell of cassis, jammy berries, chocolate, blue fruit and plums washed over Belor¡¯s palate as he was taken over by waves of plush, ripe, fat, sexy, round fruit of Grand Royal Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Said to be obtained by the first emperor of the Mogul empire from a famed wine collector during one of his campaigns, Cabernet Sauvignon was treasured by his successors.


    The six-litre bottle of red wine stored in an old rorin glass was only to be opened once every few decades by the reigning emperor himself. Like the earliest ancestor, he would sit at the same table, drink the same wine from the same glass and bask in the glory of his forefathers.


    The name Mogul represented a dynasty; it represented the sixteen generations of kings who¡¯d lived and ruled the land before Belor, and the wine had seen it all, their lives, their past, and their sacrifices. Above all, it represented that he was their successor, the person responsible for carrying on their dreams, and their ideals.


    Slowly rotating the silky, refined wine in his glass Belor listened to the ongoing discussion around him. Each emperor had a different view on when to have his share of Cabernet Sauvignon, some had it in the most joyous of occasions, some had it during their worst nightmares. The message behind having the wine meant sharing their troubles with his forefathers, and seeking their advice and blessings.


    Belor noticed Delian in one corner, and Felix in another. Their faces were clouded with anger, and fury burned their spirits. It had been a day since the direful events of the fateful night, but they couldn''t yet find him.


    Belor sighed in his heart and drank a mouthful. The taste of berries intoxicated him leaving him wanting more and at the same time made him forget some of his sins, but he could never escape from his pain.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Felix finally lost his cool and roared. General Klein glanced at the man but chose to remain silent. Felix himself was a general, but his position vastly surpassed Klein. As a HighPrince, he¡¯d multitude of generals under his command. His station as a general was nothing but a reminiscence of his past when he served the army under the orders of his father.


    Delian remained calm, but neither his eyes nor his aura could hide the intense anger storming his heart. The Vedan Crown Prince had escaped right under their noses and the Mogul soldiers who¡¯d chased after the Vedan army suffered massive losses thanks to the suicide squads of the pagans.


    They attacked like beasts, caring neither for life nor fearing death and were savage to the point of implausible reason. Killing any soul who stood in their path, men, women, and children, they paved a scarlet path for the Moguls who chased after them. Dead, they all were, but the pain and the suffering left behind by their actions would haunt hundreds of families for years to come.


    Reagan White, Delian later learned the name of the pagan power. A  power which caused the death of hundreds of his men, a power which had the godly ability to turn men against his family, a devilish ability to make a man into a mindless beast. It was the reason for his humiliation and his anger. Alone, Calvert had fooled, toyed and destroyed them. And yet, he''d escaped from their clutches.


    But, Delian wasn¡¯t in any position to blame others, he too had lost Gavril, the assassin. He¡¯d underestimated the man, he didn''t want to, but in the end, it turned out that he did. In the pretense of destroying the arcane reactors, he¡¯d made Delian chase him all night.


    Ultimately he didn¡¯t even approach the arcane reactors. Delian understood that he was on a wild chase but what could he do? He¡¯d to be sure. One moment of carelessness might cost him tens of thousands of lives and much more who''re haunted by those lost.


    Belor glanced at Delian and Felix. He then watched HighPrince Leon and Arbo sitting across them. Leaving HighPrince Edian currently stationed near Dry Bay and High Princess Violet who volunteered to join the army stationed at the Vedan border, four out of six HighPrinces were present before him. Delian, Felix, Leon, and Arbo.


    Upon noticing Belor¡¯s gaze, Leon¡¯s eyes widened for a second before he nodded and regained his composure. Leaving Felix and Delian, Leon was the only other HighPrince present at the imperial palace, but he was nowhere to be seen on the night.


    Not only did he not present himself before Belor, but he also advised other nobles to study the situation before they decide on their course of actions. Nobody could tell what would''ve happened had Leon come to help that night. Belor¡¯s gaze thus had a multitude of meanings. I¡¯m watching you, it meant. And, Leon understood it very well.


    Moving his attention from Leon, Belor rose to his feet. ¡°You can¡¯t find him,¡± he announced with a sigh. Silence dampened the room as every pair of eyes stared at the man shouldering the pain of a father, the burden of an emperor and the humiliation of a soldier. ¡°He is long gone," Belor added silently.


    ¡°But...,¡± Delian interrupted but stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Belor¡¯s gaze. The fiery killing intent breathing in his eyes silenced everyone. ¡°He¡¯s shown us what he is capable of. He came to my house, assassinated my son, killed my men, and escaped from my capital.¡± Belor said.


    Staring into every pair of eyes, he smiled. He looked tranquil, but for some reason, all they could feel was his hatred. ¡°He made me a laughing stock. I trusted him. No, I believed that no man could attack my family under my watch in my house, but he proved me wrong.¡± Glancing at Leon and Arbo, he leaned on the oak table and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that bastard with my two hands. You, and you and everyone else,¡± he pointed at Leon, Arbo and continued, ¡°will follow my orders.¡±


    His words were calm, serene like an early spring wind, like an old poem but there was a hidden edge of sharpness in his words which ruthlessly assaulted their spirits. Leon tightened his fist below the table as he heard Belor. Arbo narrowed his eyes as he understood the obscure meaning behind them while Felix and Delian sighed in their hearts.


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    They knew it was coming, and it certainly came. The actual words weren''t spoken, and no real orders were given, but every person in the room knew what will soon be upon them, War.


    Belor drank the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon and left. The minute he walked out, hushed breaths of reliefs resounded in the room. Leaving aside the HighPrinces, none of the generals and officials could maintain their calm under such pressure. Leon sighed while Arbo glanced at Delian and Felix. A moment of silence permeated between them and Arbo shook off the hold they had over him.


    ¡°Leave,¡± Delian ordered in a small voice. General Klein glanced at the young HighPrince, and a complicated expression rose in his eyes as he walked out of the chamber. The rest of the generals soon followed him leaving the four HighPrinces to themselves.


    Arbo rose to his feet, and so did Felix. They measured each other; their massive frame extruded a rough, raw pressure, unlike their fragile, costly garments. ¡°I trust you understood His Majesty¡¯s words,¡± Felix thought aloud.


    Arbo studied the man for a moment and smiled, the age old wrinkles on his face bloomed as his grin broadened but they did nothing to conceal the sharpness of his youth retained by his spirit. "Homines non gerere bellum, Imperii," he said. - Men do not wage war Felix, an empire does. And added, "Belor is too young a ruler for war. I hope he understands my reasons.¡±


    Delian frowned, and Felix gritted his teeth as the two left the chamber. They were furious, but what could they do? The old fox had an unknown amount of power. He¡¯d been a HighPrince even before the previous emperor ascended to the throne. Having ruled through the reign of three emperors, he was an existence second only to the emperor himself in the Mogul empire. War without his support was nothing but a pipe dream.


    Belor walked through a series of corridors in the inner palace. His expression changed between rage and peace and a myriad of other emotions as he thought of his decision, the events of the past night and more. Passing through a heavily secured corridor, he arrived at a secluded balcony which overlooked the distant mountains of the north.


    There he saw a glass and a bottle of Romanee-Conti waiting for him. A rare smile lit Belor¡¯s face as he poured himself some and joined the person waiting for him. They stood shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction and watched the distant mountains in silence.


    An air of solitude was around them. They looked troubled by their pasts and their decisions. They looked burdened by their decisions and the future but above all, their backs spoke of the bottomless pit of sadness looming over their souls.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man was the first to break the silence. Belor stared at the cherry red color of his red wine and laughed bitterly. ¡°It was my choice,¡± he said. ¡°My sacrifice and my sin. You are neither responsible nor the reason for my actions. I chose to do it and thus it is my sin and mine alone.¡±


    The man sighed. And the silence continued. They stood for a minute and then an hour passed between them. Neither spoke but for some reason, the silence made a lot of sense. The cold wind of the autumn night, the half moon of the starry skies and the desolate balcony gave them space and time needed to sort out their thoughts.


    Belor glanced at the man. He was as tall as him, moderately built, with an air of authority and power. But, the black vedan hair set him apart. ¡°Can we do it, Calvert?¡± Belor thought aloud. The Crown Prince glanced at his friend, laughed a little and similarly thought aloud, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The silence of that uncertain answer didn¡¯t discourage Belor. It instead reaffirmed his decision. A promise of two decades, a plan spanning a decade and a decision betting the future of two empires and the fate of the humanity. It was a gamble, and there were no certainties in such a bet.


    ******


    AN: It got to my attention that you feel that this chapter ruined the whole revelation because I wrote the previous chapter in Calvert''s POV which makes this a lame trick. BUT, I assure you it was intentional. There is a reason why Calvert was surprised and now acts as if he knew about it from the very beginning.


    I won''t ruin it but have faith in me, I won''t do such a basic mistake.


    The Wines I mentioned in this chapter are actual wines.


    Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon - World¡¯s costliest wine - 500,000$/bottle - sold at an auction in Napa Valley. It is the only wine which was awarded 100 points by the master wine reviewer Robert Parker.


    Romanee-Conti - one of the costliest wines - 224,900$/case of 8 bottles - made with the finest grape vines aged 53 years - only 450 cases can be produced, i.e., no more than 450x8=3600 Romanee-Conti can be prepared in the next 50 years.


    ** For the readers who think, It is inhuman to sacrifice your son for any purpose - I suggest you should hold your horses, there are many secrets I haven¡¯t revealed yet. Hehe¡­


    Chapter 11 - Shifting Tides</a>


    Rate, comment and share your opinion. Help me by writing a honest review here</a>


    Have a nice day bud,


    Kanna.

 Chapter 11 - Shifting Tides

    Shifting Tides:


    The northern plains stood isolated from the rest of the world by the Gin belt of mountains since years unknown. They separated the plains from the rich Cimmerian mountains. Spread throughout the north-western land; they provided a natural barrier against the icy, algid winds blowing from the north and protected the ecosystem of the southern forests and the lands beyond.


    It was in this frigid plains, where life may seem impossible, and where no man had ever dared to explore, a quiet city slept covered by the snow and the sleet. It slept there for decades, maybe even centuries. Time eroded it to some extent, but the magnificence and the grandiose of the past can never be erased completely.


    Surrounded by a frozen river, and two mountains on three sides, it was a naturally protected city with well-established trade routes seen from the wide roads and large gates leading into it. Deep within the vestiges of these ruins, a soul reignited to life.


    Like the dying embers kindled with arcane, it burned with the might of an undying will and re-emerged from the grips of the netherworld. The arcane in the air swirled around a coffin sealed inside a temple. Slowly it moved, bit by bit, inch by inch and a voice echoed in those hollow depths, ¡°Sexta venit ad te dominum meum huc ¡± - The sixth has come to you, my lord.


    With the wind carrying his words, they floated and traveled to places beyond the physical world. The coffin slid open after a moment of silence, and a dried up hand of a living corpse emerged from within.


    ****


    The Kingdom of Alamor situated away from the war trodden lands of Neptune enjoyed peace for a long time. They shared their border with the Kandahar, the Sikh, and the Moguls. The Vedan Empire had little to do with them, may it be in the trade or the foreign policy. Their lands were simply too far apart with multiple nations watching their movements and obstructing any fair trade.


    When the news of the assassination of the second prince of Moguls arrived, the king nervously passed over the decision to his queen. King Elijah Alamor was infamous for his fickle attitude; he was a coward and a fool. If not for the law which prohibited the Queen from assuming the control of the throne directly, he would have been long dead, or that is how people thought of him.


    Staring at the contents of the letter sent over by the Alamor spy stationed in the Imperial Mogul capital, Queen Leticia frowned a little. It made no sense to her, the entire events of the night were too haphazard and downright stupid. The Vedan prince who ordered an assassination, an emperor who didn¡¯t question the reason, an assassin who appeared out of nowhere and finally the crown prince successfully escaping from the empire despite his rash decisions.


    No matter how she thought about it, there was something amiss in the whole situation. It wasn¡¯t that hard to grasp that piece of fact, but what was amiss?


    It all makes sense if they were in cahoots, thought the Queen. But, that¡¯s impossible said her reason. The second prince is dead. And there is no reason to ignite a conflict intentionally, or is there?


    ¡°Your Majesty, please order a military statistics report, and ask for an intelligence report on the activities of all the nations,¡± Leticia requested in a calm voice. Elijah nodded his head, and the prime minister bowed in answer before the king could speak a word. Leticia¡¯s words were impromptu commands. And the unspoken rule in the Alamor court was that they meant business. Never entice the wrath of the Queen, was the other ironclad rule these men followed with all their might including the king.


    Finished with her business, Leticia walked out of the courtroom with a gloomy expression. Her pearl white hair and black eyes contrasted with each other like her mood and her appearance. She was strikingly beautiful, her bountiful body extruding the charms of a woman but the depths of her heart held the secrets and the burden of a ruler. I hope I¡¯m reading too much into it; she thought as she sighed in her heart.


    *****


    Vaani sighed as she stood in the corner of the royal hall. Beautiful women, dressed in silk from north and jewelry from East adored the hall like red roses which stand out amidst any number of flowers. Wine and exquisite cuisine were served on plates of gold and men, skilled in warfare and courtship indulged these women with smooth talk and charming smiles.


    She was a little jealous like any other girl; they were born with a silver spoon and would never know or understand the difficulties of someone like her. But, her jealously ended at mere thoughts. She never dreamed of having those jewels for herself or dressing in those silk garments. Live in reality, she repeatedly told herself but still, she''d always daydream because why not? I can''t live like them but I can still dream, she thought.


    ¡°You sigh too often,¡± a whisper hushed itself into Vaani¡¯s ears. Taking her eyes off the hall, she met a pair of blue eyes which stared back at her with incredulous curiosity and studied her with an unexplainable fervor. Vaani staggered back in surprise and almost lost her feet, but latching herself to a nearby pillar; she held on.


    ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± She asked confused and a little startled, and shocked. Those blue eyes didn¡¯t hide the smile which lit his face. Watching the incredibly handsome teen, she was momentarily stumped with a loss for words. The teen winked and replied, ¡°Just a co-worker. You can call me Neji.¡±


    Vaani opened her mouth but couldn''t speak a word. A wink, the boy who shouldn¡¯t be any older than sixteen, winked at her and was apparently flirting with her with the whisper and now his knowing smile. This kid, she thought. Damn it; I want to teach him a lesson but¡­...Arrgh! That face, why is he so cute? I can¡¯t punch him; It¡¯s impossible.


    Neji studied Vaani for a moment and laughed. ¡°What? In your dream world again. I¡¯ve been watching you all evening. You look like you live in there more than the reality. Do you have some kind of disease?¡±


    Mercilessly dragged out of her dreams, Vaani scowled. ¡°What a rude brat? Where is your mother? Didn¡¯t she teach you any manners? Is that how you talk to your elders? And what is with that weird hat? This is a dinner hosted by His Majesty; even if we are out of the guest''s view, if someone notices that you¡¯re dressed improperly, you wouldn¡¯t away with just a salary cut you know.¡±


    Surprised at her sudden change of behavior, Neji smiled and completely ignored her question. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re older than me, and when were you going to introduce yourself?¡±


    Vaani wanted to scowl, but a smile beat her thoughts. This boy knows how to talk; she thought angrily or rather that¡¯s how she wanted to feel. ¡°I¡¯m older than you, and why should I introduce myself to you?¡±


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    Neji laughed. Her words certainly didn¡¯t match the playful expression in her eyes. Leaning on the nearby pillar, he began to study her. They say you should never stare for more than three seconds unless you wish the other party to misunderstand your intentions. And, he was trying his hardest to make sure she misunderstood him.


    Even though he was only sixteen, he was still a man. A handsome man who can make women suffocated with desire. Being the target of his attention, Vaani tried her hardest to look uninterested but failed at it miserably. Sneaking glances at him from time to time, she fell harder for him. Those dreamy eyes sparkled the unseen embers in the air, and finally, she sighed in her heart and resigned her resistance.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m Vaani. And I¡¯m eighteen, so I¡¯m older than you. You better act respectfully towards me.¡± She said with a scowl. But, it was more like a cute pout.


    Neji smiled and walked towards Vaani. ¡°What? What do you want?¡± She hurriedly asked in shock. She couldn''t comprehend his actions. One moment, he was before her and the next moment, he was controlling her to this extent. Neji stood beside her and silently whispered, ¡°Go on a date with me?¡±


    Vaani was at a loss for words. She¡¯d just told him that she was older than him; well, there was no law prohibiting a younger male to court an older woman, but it was still uncommon. And what is up with ultra fast development? She¡¯d met him only a few minutes ago; she certainly can¡¯t go on a date with me, at least not yet. I have to refuse, she told herself.


    ¡°Tomorrow, five ¡®o clock. I¡¯ll pick you up,¡± Neji continued and started to walk away. Vaani hurriedly stopped him by grabbing his sleeve. ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t agree,¡± She argued. Half with herself who was jumping in excitement.


    Neji looked genuinely shocked as he heard her. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± he asked incredulously. Vaani stuttered as she thought about her reason and said, ¡°I.. have some work.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m handsome,¡± Niji argued.


    ¡°What does that have to do with this situation?¡± Vaani retorted.


    ¡°And I¡¯m rich,¡± Neji said as a matter of fact.


    ¡°Like I said, what does that have to do with this situation?¡± Vaani asked shocked at his reasons.


    ¡°And, I¡¯m loyal,¡± Neji stated proudly.


    ¡°You should be,¡± Vaani replied.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at five o''clock.¡± Niji declared and started to walk away.


    ¡°Okay. Wait! Hold on!¡± Vaani tried to stop him, but he acted as if he was stone deaf and soon disappeared into the crowd.


    ¡°What was that? Just what happened?¡± Vaani thought aloud in disbelief. Am I dreaming? No, I certainly am wide awake. Then what was that?


    Vaani wasn¡¯t particularly beautiful. She didn¡¯t have a slender body with exaggerated curves that all noble ladies seem to possess, but she was pretty in her way and had some suitors who made advances at her, but this was too abrupt, crazy and downright unbelievable. If she told her friends that a handsome teen had asked her out on a date within minutes of their first meeting, they would never believe her. And, if they could somehow see his godly features and that smile of his, they would think she¡¯d finally gone crazy from all her daydreaming.


    And, yet it happened.


    I shouldn¡¯t go. I cannot go for sure. If I go, I¡¯ll be seen as an easy-going woman. But...., if I don¡¯t go, would he think that I¡¯m acting spoiled. Would he be angry at me? Arrrrrgh! Just what should I do? Vaani was racking her brains out as Neji walked into the inner chambers of the Imperial palace with an intrigued smile on his face.


    ¡°Hoho! You appear excited boy. Can¡¯t you share a little bit off that with this old man?¡± An old voice shook Niji out of his world. Before he knew it, Neji was walking alongside the owner of that cardinal voice who was staring at the young man with an amused expression.


    Neji glanced at the man and smiled. ¡°It''s nothing grandfather; I just found an interesting girl.¡±


    The old man stopped for a second. He was genuinely surprised; perhaps he forgot the fact that his little grandson was already a splendid man. His towering figure shook with laughter as he asked, ¡°Oh! Now, whose daughter is this young lady? I can put in a good word for you.¡±


    Neji laughed as he thought of Vaani, ¡°No, It¡¯s alright. She is a tough one to crack, and I''ll do it myself. I¡¯ll introduce her to you later, grandfather.¡±


    Rubbing his gray beard, the old man smiled. He remembered his youth and the exciting times when love seemed so mysterious to him. I guess he is at that age, he thought. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t force you but just know that I¡¯ll be waiting and I¡¯m not good at waiting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your grandson. You of all should be aware my capabilities.¡± the youngster replied playfully.


    The old man laughed a little but inquired no further. He parted ways with his grandson and only then did he reveal a sharpness entirely different from his familial curiosity. "Fine her and investigate everything about her," he ordered coldly and a silent yes reverberated from the empty corridors.


    He loved his grandson and respected his choice, but the world was a vastly different place. Those who give love may instead be backstabbed ruthlessly, and Neji was too young to see through human cruelty. Even if he were to be at the receiving end of his grandson''s hatred, he would eliminate all who threaten his family. It was the conviction and the burden of the ruler of the Vedan Empire, Mehak Vedan.


    *****


    Author note: Check out my new work Mai Girl.</a> And, please rate and review it on [url= http://royalroadl.com/fiction/8486]Royalroadl</a>. [/url]


    This work of mine is intended to be fluffy, short and sweet. It is written in first person perspective which isn¡¯t my usual style.


    But, I enjoyed it very much.


    Sweet, cute and fluffy. Let''s enjoy this ride with Mai and Grey.


    Have  a nice day bud,


    Kanna.


    ******


    Chapter 12 - The News arrives.</a>

 Chapter 12 - The News Arrives

    The News arrives:


    Early the next morning, Neji exited his chamber in high spirits. No matter how long the eunuchs begged him, he wouldn¡¯t open his mouth regarding his plans for the day. Even eunuch Nolan who¡¯d served the prince since his early teens was baffled with his actions, but who were they to obstruct him. If the prince said the Phoenix was just a bird, he was probably right; or if he favored porridge over the seven delicacies, even then he was right.


    They as servants could close their mouths, but they couldn¡¯t hold their thoughts. A weird rumor that the prince was seen talking to a servant girl entered their train of thoughts. A dragon of the imperial bloodline cannot be attracted to a lowly maid, they thought but was it true? They didn¡¯t know. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to reprimand him. His Highness, the Crown Prince, was away negotiating with the Moguls, and His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, was seemingly lenient when he heard the rumor.


    The palace which was a jewel adorning the lands of the capital was a den of wolves and snakes acting their parts only waiting to reveal their fangs. The two younger brothers of the Crown Prince were ready to point their fingers at any and all faults. They would readily draw blood without staining their hands. By the time, the Prince was having his breakfast, all the palace maids and eunuchs had heard of the rumor.


    A Prince, a dragon among men supposedly fell for a seductress maid who overestimated herself.


    Neji wasn¡¯t aware of the ruckus that was happening behind closed doors and in the hearts of many but he did observe the slightly weird gazes of the servants. Usually afraid to even lift their heads in front of him, some women were a little too interested in him today. And, his gaze finally landed on Nolan.


    Eunuch Nolan had been waiting for a chance to reveal the matter but hadn¡¯t been able to say anything as the prince was in a happy mood. When he saw the prince¡¯s enquiring stare, he immediately kneeled down and explained everything down to the last detail.


    The other servants in the room were scared and bowed till they could only see their own feet. To them, Neji was a considerable master, but the people of the imperial family weren¡¯t so simple, one wrong word and they might lose their life; forget about justice, not even a dog would spare them a glance. If the emperor or the prince want them dead, then they had no reason to live. All servants were aware of this fact.


    Eunuch Nolan''s back was drenched as he held the greatest responsibility. He wasn¡¯t just sent to serve the prince but was also expected to uphold the prince''s reputation. He hadn¡¯t managed to control the rumors, and now the entire palace was like a gigantic machine creating false stories and absurd accusations.


    Sure, he¡¯d seen the prince talk to a servant girl last night and as the prince, he was the owner of all women serving the emperor. It was a short conversation; the Prince might have fancied the girl, or he was just playing around, he didn¡¯t know, but now it had escalated to the point where they were calling the girl a whore, and the prince a womanizer. Some even dared say to go as far as to say that the bloodline was already corrupted as the girl was pregnant with a son of the direct bloodline.


    If it were in any other situation, the consequences wouldn¡¯t be so bad but now that the emperor was aging and the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t at home; the two High Princes were like foxes waiting to tear at the Crown Prince¡¯s reputation from any side. A son¡¯s fault is a father¡¯s sin. And, certainly, everyone who sided with the second and the third imperial son was using this slight opportunity to scold and blame Neji.


    It was truly berating the mulberry when pointing at the little peach.


    But, unlike what they¡¯d expected Neji didn¡¯t burst into rage nor did he even frown from the beginning to the end. He only concentrated on his pigeon soup, and when he was finished, he rinsed his mouth with some warm water. Only then did he raise his head and glanced at Nolan who didn¡¯t dare raise his head.


    ¡°Rumors are rumors; send some of this soup to my uncles¡¯ palaces and pass on my reply. Don¡¯t mistake me for a motherless duckling, whoever I chose to be my woman shall be above them when she¡¯s mine and my son shall naturally inherit my grandfather¡¯s courage and intelligence, they need not concern over my well-being.¡± Neji said in a calm voice, his smile never leaving his face.


    The intention, however, was very clear; it was like a slap to all those who spread the rumors. Don¡¯t mess with me, was the most appropriate translation. But, Nolan and those servants couldn¡¯t help but think, Whoever I chose to be my woman shall be above them when she¡¯s mine and my son shall naturally inherit my grandfather¡¯s courage and intelligence. What did he mean? Was he telling others that he would choose his bride, or was he informing others not to touch the poor maid?


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.If she did end up with the prince, he was warning them of her status. As the eldest daughter in law, she would naturally be the official wife. And truthfully, her status would one day rise above them all. If they carelessly slander and get on his wrong side, he was warning them that he wouldn¡¯t be lenient.


    Nolan widened his eyes in shock; seeing the calm yet dangerous words of the prince he bowed his head and silently left the prince. The maids and the butlers who were waiting for the prince were moved and shocked by the prince¡¯s words. Their master had never said a word about this lady, and today, he almost declared to everyone that she belonged to him and that he wouldn¡¯t tolerate any disrespect towards her.


    Was this their little prince? They thought. When had he grown up? Some of the old servants smiled in their hearts.


    While Eunuch Nolan went to pass on his master¡¯s words, Emperor Mehak had a dark face as he heard the report on Vaani. She had no background. Her father was a drunkard; her mother died some years ago and at the age of fourteen, she entered the palace as a trainee. Quickly climbing through the ranks due to her sensible nature and intelligent choice of words, she was promoted to serve in the Imperial palace just a month ago.


    No matter in status, education, family or any other qualifications, she wasn¡¯t suited to the prince. She was someone a prince should never even glance at, and his grandson was chasing after this woman. Mehak couldn¡¯t believe ears for a while, but thinking of the conversation with his grandson, he calmed down.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t think the nobles were above common folk but the palace was truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers resided. An inexperienced, naive country girl would lose her life faster than a firefly if she unknowingly offends the wrong person. But, he still couldn¡¯t understand his grandson¡¯s way of thinking.


    ¡°Sir, Prince is still young. It must be a passing attraction,¡± seeing the Emperor¡¯s dark face and angry frown, the head Eunuch Ernnal convinced in a small voice.


    Mehak frown eased a little, and he sighed in his heart. If that was just that, then he couldn¡¯t be happier, but the ways of heart would sometimes go past the rationality of mind. He was an emperor, even if he didn¡¯t like some things, he¡¯d still do them. Born in his family, Neji would have to sooner or later understand that he couldn¡¯t do anything he wished. Being a ruler gives a man ultimate power and freedom, but nothing comes without a price, sometimes somethings have to be sacrificed to gain something much more important.


    Right at that moment, a shadow crept into the room silently and without any trace. Ernnal stiffened in fright but seeing the calm expression on the emperor¡¯s face; he struggled to keep a straight face. Mehak frowned slightly as he saw the shadow dancing before him and snorted. A laugh resounded in the study as if mocking the emperor frightening Ernnal to death but soon the darkness condensed and took the form of a small cat.


    ¡°Did I anger you, Your Majesty?¡± The cat asked in the raspy human voice imbued with sexiness and jumped on the table. Ernnal reacted at the sudden movement but stopped as Mehak lifted his hand. He¡¯d never seen the shadow or the cat but seeing the emperor¡¯s attitude; Ernnal concluded that the shadow was probably just a projection of someone¡¯s arcane. To be able to control the arcane to this extent, and even use telepathy, just who was this master? He thought.


    ¡°Enough Neem, what is it?¡± Mehak frowned and questioned. He tried hard to hide his irritation but still there was no mirth in his voice.


    The cat laughed but didn¡¯t seem to mind the emperor¡¯s anger. The cat licked its tail and paws as if it was a majestic creature of the night before finally saying, ¡°His Highness, the Crown Prince has sent me to inform you that the Moguls have broken the treaty and schemed to claim his life. But, he has not only escaped from the pagans but also claimed the life of the second imperial son of Moguls in the process and will be triumphantly returning to the Imperial court with Princess Feya.¡±


    Those words rang like thunder in the ears of Mehak. He rose to his feet in shock, confusion, and disbelief. He couldn¡¯t guess why the Moguls would break the treaty, but he understood what was upon them. At that moment


    of shock, as a concerned father he completely trusted his son but as an emperor, he questioned the news, but neither of them spared a moment of thought to his new daughter in law.


    *******


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    Kanna.

 Chapter 13 - Resolution

    Resolution:


    ¡°What do you mean Neem?¡± Mehak asked in a grave voice. Ernnal¡¯s back was drenched in cold sweat. The cat however laughed and said, ¡°The forces of Mogul are chasing His Highness Calvert, and I only delivered this message because His Highness promised me something in return. He was worried that you might hear rumors of his death or that he was the one who¡¯d ordered the assassination of the son of Belor.


    He has asked me to, however, assure you that both these rumors are false and have no credibility, they are being circulated to all the nations by the Moguls to hide their faults. Crown Prince will be back in a couple of days and asked you to take care of your health.¡± The cat concluded.


    Watching the ugly expression on Mehak''s face, it smiled and after a moment of thought, it mischievously continued, ¡°Neem has been in your care for many years, Your Majesty. How about this? I will share a piece of intelligence with you if you promise me a gift of my choice in future.¡±


    ¡°Speak,¡± Mehak answered coldly. By now, he didn¡¯t have any patience to play a game.


    The cat smiled contently. ¡°The imperial camp near the Ashfield is burning, and so are the three thousand or so soldiers. Another batch of troops are leading their way towards Ashfield and should arrive by tonight. What I¡¯m stressing is the fact that there is only a single enemy," the cat said in a calm voice.


    Not waiting for another second, it jumped down and declared, "Take care, Your Majesty.¡± The shadowy figure deformed and then disappeared like thin mist leaving an ashen-faced Eunuch and an emperor whose face radiated a killing intent which soared to heavens.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Ernnal called in a trembling voice. A single enemy killed more than three thousand soldiers and even more are marching to their deaths. Ernnal had been by Mehak¡¯s side for many decades and needless to say, he was very clear about the situation. Thousands of lives were lost just like that and a crazy arcane user was most probably rampaging near the border killing more as they speak.


    Mehak gritted his teeth, and his aura emanated his anger, but he closed his eyes and remained silent for a long moment before opening them. The fierceness was still there, and so was his resolution but he now had control over them. No matter how angry he was, he couldn¡¯t act as he wished.


    ¡°This issue shall remain a secret. Pass on my orders, find the root of all the current rumors connected to the Crown Prince and behead the person responsible. And, call for an assembly, this emperor will judge the situation in front of all officials.¡± Mehak ordered in a calm voice, but it carried the weight of thousands of souls.


    Seeing that the emperor had no further orders, Ernnal bowed deeply and silently left the study leaving the emperor to his thoughts.


    ¡°Lilin,¡± Mehak called in a soft voice after a long moment of silence. A figure appeared from the shadows and kneeled respectively. Mehak thought of Neem¡¯s words; the witch known as Neem was a seductress whom none had seen before. She will seduce men with mere words and would always appear in the form of cats. She was greedy, and won¡¯t swear loyalty to any man.


    Mehak didn¡¯t believe in these rumors, but he felt that no man could control Neem. Since she informed him regarding Ashfield, then it must be true. War was a painful process. Winning or losing didn''t matter, either way, the land would suffer, and people will die. Several thousand lives were already lost but what Mehak feared was the capability of this enemy. If he starts attacking civilian settlements or worse border cities, then hundreds of thousands of lives can be extinguished within no time.


    ¡°Go to Ashfield,¡± Mehak said in a calm voice. Only now did the figure raise its head. Covered by black clothes from top to bottom, and a black scarf which only left her eyes uncovered, one could still see the beauty of her soul from those eyes. Her elegant figure glanced at Mehak for a short moment before disappearing into shadows once again.


    Mehak frowned at the slight discomfort he felt when he thought that Lilin was no longer beside him. A smile lit his face, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. I guess I¡¯m getting old, he thought. Relying on a female, he sighed. Age works wonders, he remembered.


    When Mehak was worried about the events which might as well change the fate of the empire, within the royal palace, a commotion was going on. The prince¡¯s public reply to his uncles was like a huge slap to their pride. Some officials even felt that Neji was too straightforward but they still unconsciously remembered what he wanted them to remember.


    Siding with any imperial faction came with a risk. Most chose to remain as spectators while some opted to support the prince. Jean Vedan was a man of few words; as the third son, he was already out of favor. He couldn¡¯t compete with his eldest brother Calvert, and sighed as he thought of his second brother Dresden.


    When he finally got ahold of the news, he could only sigh at his second brother¡¯s foolishness. While it¡¯s true that they were waiting for an opportunity; the same could be said about his eldest brother. Fortunately, because of their father, none of the brothers tried to draw blood, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t do it in the future. When Dresden sought to defame Prince Neji, he should have thought about the latter¡¯s counter attack.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    It was true that what Neji did might anger some old-fashioned members of the court but everyone tactically understood that he was a prince and the woman in question was just a maid. What right did they have to interfere? Now, however, Neji had simply used this fact to slap them publicly. Who was the one who lost more with this encounter? Jean sighed and returned to his studies.


    As for Dresden, he was boiling with anger, but as Jean thought, he could do nothing. What Neji said was true, and he wasn¡¯t his father to scold him. He tried to drag his father, the emperor into this matter by reporting it to the head Eunuch but all he got in reply was silence. His Majesty apparently was too busy to deal with such a minor issue. What did this imply? Wasn¡¯t the emperor clearly siding with his grandson and indirectly telling everyone that this matter wasn¡¯t worth anyone¡¯s time?


    If he still tried to elevate it, wouldn¡¯t it be seen as going against the orders of his father, the emperor? So Dresden could only grit his teeth and drown the wine in anger. As Jean expected, no one raised the matter again in the imperial palace. Those with intelligence feigned ignorance and those with survival instincts kept their mouth shut.


    Between all this, one person was genuinely confused. Vaani, she had been in the imperial palace for only a month. Before this, she served in the harem and the palace in the suburbs. Although she was a maid, there were many stations among the royal servants. Vaani was only eighteen and started serving the nobles less than a year ago. Before this, she was doing chores in the back halls; it would be at least a decade before she should even dream of serving the imperial family.


    But, she was confused. Didn¡¯t they say that the imperial family cannot love? She thought. When she woke up for the day, everything was fine. Then she heard the rumor concerning the royal prince who¡¯d been seduced by a palace maid. Shock and a little bit of envy were among everyone¡¯s heart. Then they heard the prince¡¯s reply; every girl felt more shock and a bit more bitterness. Which girl wouldn¡¯t like a prince charming?


    As she thought of a prince charming, Vaani unconsciously thought of the handsome man who¡¯d invited her out on a date. No, no, what am I thinking? I¡¯m not going, Vaani repeatedly told herself, but as the day dragged on, and the sun slowly began to creep to the western hemisphere, she found herself questioning her decision.


    By the time, it was four; she found herself done with her daily quota of work. She¡¯d unconsciously worked extra hard to make sure she was done by four. Freed of her duties, she found herself rushing to bath. Then she found herself picking up her best dress, and then she found herself walking towards the back exit. Only when she stepped out of the palace did she notice that she still had a few more minutes to spare before the appointed time.


    Glancing at her figure, Vaani couldn¡¯t help but frown in disbelief at her fragile resistance. She as a woman was so weak, just a few words and she¡¯d come to put herself in his arms. A part of her wanted to go back and hide in a pit, but another part of her wanted to wait and see if Neji would show up. A lot of males make pretty promises in the heat of the moment, and she wanted to see perhaps if he would really keep them.


    Vaani of all was very clear of her position. She was just a little maid, and he might be a son of an official or worse, an official himself. Vaani still remembered that Neji told her that he worked for the emperor. The higher his position was, the tougher it would be for her. She never believed in dreams and fairy tales. A prince charming on a white horse saving a poor young girl and then they fall in love and live happily ever after, this was a bullshit story.


    Men were fickle with love. One day they would be deeply in love with one woman, the next day they might find their ¡®new¡¯ soul mate. And, the higher their status was, the more fickle they were. Vaani was clear about this matter. Neji might be interested in her but no matter what, he was still just a sixteen-year-old boy. After playing around for a couple of days, he might not even glance at her again.


    She knew this and yet she came. It might probably because she wanted Neji to prove it to her again that she was just a toy in his hands. She wanted him to break her heart so that she would never dream of love ever again. But, a quiet sleeping part of her heart held a tiny bit of faith in his words and Vaani let it dream. That way, when she is tossed aside, she would forever lose her faith in men like her father who killed her mother only to marry a slut.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a woman who looks beautiful even with such a scary expression,¡± a voice whispered her back to reality. Vaani glanced at the man who was impeccably dressed and hardened her heart. I won¡¯t fall for you, she thought. As if sensing her thoughts, Neji held her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got time. Plenty of it so tell me, who or what is worrying you?¡±


    ******


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    [/url]


    [url=https://kannablogs.wordpress.com/toc-the-arcane-archives/]Chapter 14 - The Secret of the Lords </a>

 Chapter 14 - The Secret of the Lords

    The Secret of the Lords:


    Neji had never seen Vaani with such a sad expression; rather than sad, it might be more appropriate to say that she looked desperate. She wasn¡¯t desperate for anything or anyone; she looked like she was desperate to escape from herself. A kind of pain that he couldn¡¯t imagine haunted her, and he would never know the reason behind it unless she believes in him. Neji knew what he had to do, but he didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Seeing her, Neji remembered the events of the last night. A casual party by the Emperor and as the Prince, he was expected to attend it. But, Neji was never one to follow the rules, and it was boring to deal with greedy nobles and their greedier daughters, so he escaped from the eyes of his attendants and went incognito in the clothes of an ordinary servant.


    It wasn¡¯t his first time slipping away without notice, but Nolan did somehow manage to find him. Scared of Neji, he, however, stood at a distance and discreetly observed his actions to make sure that he wasn¡¯t going to do anything dangerous or atrocious. That was when Neji first glanced at a girl standing right opposite him, on the other side of the hall.


    She looked a little older than him, but her figure was slender, and her face was too innocent so she could easily pass off as a sixteen-year-old. As a passing attraction, Neji started studying her from the other side; he had nothing important to do so why not this? Her big, round eyes weren¡¯t really the symbol of conventional beauty; the capital had many girls with sexy half-moon eyes. Neither was her bosom well endowed, but she did look beautiful or rather pretty adorable.


    Smiling to himself, Neji leaned on the pillar and began to observe her seriously. Over the course of the next two hours, she looked like a startled rabbit when someone called her, like a lioness when she was daydreaming. Her eyes envied the noble women and their wealth, but they didn''t enamor her, but merely attracted some of her attention. Those eyes knew her position, and that she wouldn¡¯t live a happy life if she dreamed of wealth beyond her station.


    Attracted by her personality, or rather by her, Neji went to greet her. He was a prince, and when he asks for someone¡¯s attention, the result is always according to his wishes. But, this girl is such a fool that she didn¡¯t even recognize him. Who doesn¡¯t recognize the members of the royal family while working in the imperial palace? Well, Neji just met one of those rare breeds.


    The more he talked to her, the more he found her charming. She rejected him, warned him to respect her because apparently, she was older than him. But, besides all her rejection, she couldn¡¯t hide the fact that she was fascinated by his looks. She tried her level best, but she was a poor actor. So Neji decided to indulge himself and asked her out on a date.


    Her reaction was so cute. Like a puppy; she obviously wanted to come but also didn¡¯t want to. Neji was looking forward to meeting her and know more about her. But, as Neji stood there facing her unreadable expression, a dark feeling rose deep inside his heart. Perhaps he was too naive; her charming, bubbly appearance may not be what she truly is. She was much more than a happy little girl, and she had secrets she didn¡¯t want to share.


    Neji wasn¡¯t angry or infuriated; he was rather ashamed of himself. Why did he think that she was just a happy go girl? He should have been keener, more observant than he was. So he decided to find about everything about her. But, he will have to wait. To truly gain her confidence, Neji will wait for her to believe in him.


    Vaani looked at Neji, and unconsciously a smile bloomed on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. Neji looked her back and followed her with a sigh.


    She dodged his request, and he couldn¡¯t blame her. Her life was her domain; he didn¡¯t have any right to probe her secrets. He couldn¡¯t blame her for hiding them, wasn¡¯t he like her? Only with darker, and more dangerous secrets. Neji glanced back at the palace, and his senses picked up at least three pairs of eyes keeping an eye on him.


    The royal family wasn¡¯t so easy going. Everyone believed in others, or that¡¯s how they always act like but beneath their smiles were their real intentions. Having lived for sixteen years in such a place, Neji understood one thing early on. Even if it were his grandfather or his father, they would only have his back as long as he didn¡¯t turn against them.


    Two people, a prince and a maid soon entered the busy roads of the capital. An extremely unlikely combination will lead them to a situation which will change the trajectory of their lives. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡­¡­¡­..


    Lilin stood beside a corpse and stared at the dying flames before her. A frown formed on her face as she saw the clean wound on the corpse of Milad, there were no signs of injury, and there were no signs of struggle on his body, but there were signs of a fight before her. She couldn¡¯t piece together the flow of the fight but finally concluded that the person who struck Milad dead was a level or two above him.


    She looked back to the road which leads towards Ashfield and imagined that whoever was coming here had changed their destination, but to where? Thinking back to the information she obtained from the spies, the only regiment in the surrounding area belonged to Knight Darren. Although it didn¡¯t make sense why he would suddenly move to Ashfield, however, that was now irrelevant.


    Darren was obviously not capable of killing Milad. There were only a dozen or so persons in the entire empire who can suppress Milad to such an extent. And, not one of them was around this area. So a new variable had come into the scene. Lilin glanced at the almost dying flames and waved her hand.


    A small wind arose from her sleeve and then the flames were extinguished the next second. ¡°I would rather deal with the aftermath than this guy,¡± she muttered to herself and glanced back at the southern skies.


    The sun was almost setting and at a distance, she could see a smoke trail. It was faint, almost invisible, but she could see it. Having made her decision, her figure disappeared along with the corpse of Milad Weiss.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    The lands of Neptune were divided into four major territories. The northeast was occupied by the Moguls while the southwest was under the control of the Vedans. Between the two, separating them from each other was a narrow strip of mountains and forests which is nothing but the vestiges of the Cimmerian forests which occupy the whole Northwestern part of the continent.


    The Cimmerian forests were an enigma to the rulers of the Neptune. Since the beginning of the Hoinbo era, many kings tried to conquer the lands and failed each time due to the presence of various tribal clans who worshiped the forest and the land. They called themselves the Cimmerian tribes, taking the name from an old legend rather than from the forests.


    It was unknown to many that the legend wasn¡¯t named after the forests but it was the other way around; the woods were named after the legend. Humankind is fickle in its nature; after a millennium of peace and prosperity, they forgot many, if not all warnings of their ancestors and only a few believed or even know the story behind the legend.


    The unconquerable Cimmerian tribes however never forgot their roots. They remembered their pasts, and they never breached the rule laid out by the ancestors who found their tribes.


    All humans were prohibited to go anywhere near the frozen plains in the deep north. Humanity didn¡¯t know the existence of this; the Lords of Cimmerian tribes protected this secret for a millennium.


    Standing on the edge of a mountain, Berthelot stared down with a frown. He glanced back to see an endless stretch of forests. Finally, he glanced at his master who was staring ahead with a pained expression.


    ¡°What is this, Rhilan?¡± Berthelot asked. He knew the answer, but he wanted to confirm that he wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    ¡°The truth; as your mentor and the previous Lord, it is my duty to pass on the secret of the Lords to the heir,¡± Rhilan said in a calm voice. However, contained within it was a dread which couldn¡¯t be explained in words.


    Berthelot didn¡¯t ask anymore; he looked at the empty space before him. A tens of kilometers deep nothingness lay before him and at the far end of his sight was a snowy field. An incomparably vast mountain range was cut in the middle separating the forests from the white plains along its entire length which stretched to the ends of the continent.


    Unless one can fly, no one can reach the snowy plains; but Berthelot wasn¡¯t thinking of the icy plains, he was thinking of the mountain edge beneath his feet. It was cleanly cut without an edge or a hold as if a sword cut it.


    Nothingness. Whatever laid beyond the Cimmerian forests was known as nothingness which engulfs everything into oblivion. Berthelot now knew that it was true. No man can reach the bottom of this hellhole which was tens of kilometers deep and travel across the nothingness only to climb the steep mountain on the another side to reach the frigid white plains.


    And, for some reason, Berthelot knew that even if one can fly, they can never reach the other side. The darkness underneath him told him so. It was as if something in there was waiting for him to take a step forward. It was truly the end, nothingness in its true meaning. There was no way to reach the other side.


    ¡°This is man-made?¡± Berthelot finally asked in a trembling voice. Rhilan looked at the skies and the distant, unreachable snowy fields and said in a small voice, ¡°Yes.¡±


    *****


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    The next chapter is up on my website - Kanna Blogs</a>

 Chapter 15 - An Enemy Within

    An Enemy Within:


    Calvert woke up in a room; unfamiliar and surrounded by a sinister aura and he instantly reached for his sword; thankfully White was still with him. His mind buzzed as he tried to remember where he was last when he was conscious. After a minute of thinking, he faintly recalled the shouts, the screams and the horrors of an assassination. He remembered Belor and he remembered trying to reason with him. The next thing he knew, he was in the room.


    Suddenly Calvert thought of Feya, his eyes darted to the other side of the room and found her sleeping in one corner. Other than a broken bed, and a few rotten books, he found a large shiny mirror which contrasted to everything present in the room. It was as if someone had only brought a mirror for some use. A horrifying thought rose in his mind, he glanced at himself and found faint blood marks on his body. He concentrated and smelled blood and wine in the room.


    One step at a time, he walked towards the mirror. Each step of his looked as if he was resolving himself to the worst possible nightmare. Finally, he stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. He saw his reflection, but it was smiling. Calvert staggered back in shock, dread, and confusion. He grabbed his sword but knew that the enemy wasn¡¯t someone he can kill with a sword. He wasn¡¯t someone visible; he wasn¡¯t someone he could point at because the enemy was within him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Calvert?¡± The reflection was the first one to break the silence. And, then he looked at Feya.


    Calvert too glanced at her; she was sleeping, her clothes were loosened, and her hair was in disarray. Rage burned his heart as he roared, ¡°What have you done?¡±


    The reflection smiled back at him. His eyes were radiating a type of insanity. ¡°I did whatever I had to do to keep you alive. After all, I die if you die. As for that little maiden, I saw that you found yourself a nice little toy, so I had some fun with her. You don¡¯t mind do you?¡± The reflection asked. His smile twisting with chagrin as he whispered, ¡°Since we share the same body, it isn¡¯t cheating or is it? Hahahaha¡­¡±


    Uncontrollable anger erupted in Calvert¡¯s heart, and the next second the mirror broke into many pieces. His eyes turned red, and his fingers dug deep into his palm as he imagined Feya in that man''s arms. But, his eyes turned round with disbelief as he found himself staring at a person similar to him, yet unlike him. He, rather it smiled, and Calvert''s heart clenched.


    ¡°How?¡± Calvert asked in disbelief. The mirror was no more so the reflection can¡¯t come out, he told himself.


    The reflection, however, seemed rejoiced by Calvert¡¯s despair. ¡°It has been fifteen years since we last met and you treat an old friend so coldly. I saved your life, and since we share a body, I played with your woman. Don¡¯t worry; I was really nice to her. She won¡¯t notice a thing.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Calvert roared. He couldn¡¯t bear to hear it any longer.


    The smile on the reflection¡¯s face turned cold, but nevertheless, there was a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m no longer bound by reflections Calvert. I no longer need a mirror to appear before you. In the fifteen years, you¡¯ve grown strong and so did I. Now; I no longer want your body Calvert. I want more, and you¡¯re going to help me.¡±


    Calvert listened with narrowed eyes. He couldn¡¯t kill the enemy; he couldn¡¯t control him nor could he let him go. He was bound to him, for all of the eternity. Having noticed that Calvert had calmed down, the reflection smiled widely and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back Calvert. This time, I won and grabbed your body. Soon it will be your turn to be imprisoned while I, the rightful owner live like you. We share everything Calvert but bear in mind; I¡¯m not you. I¡¯m Nero.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    Colt stared at the dark mountains, and the camps spread out among the recess of the forest depths. After dealing with Milad, he ordered all the troops to change directions and enter the small mountains surrounding Ashfield. Escaping undetected with such a large group is almost impossible.


    Hiding in the mountains came with its advantages and disadvantages, and Colt was betting that he would be the first one to find an enemy if someone did try to surprise them. So as the darkness crept in, Colt forced himself to sense every small presence within the range of his senses.


    He could sense Ursula, Ragnar, Martha, Em, Tim and Jack in one of the tents. Although it was dangerous to keep everyone he cared about in one place, it was also easy to keep an eye on them, so Colt had no choice but to separate them from others. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He also told Darren to make sure to divide the mercenaries from the imperial soldiers. Although he wouldn¡¯t like it, if the situation demands, Colt would rather choose his men over troops. It was an autumn night in the mountains and other than the distant wolf howls and the owl hoots, the silence dominated the night for the better part of the time.


    It was almost two, and the star East victory wasn¡¯t above him any longer. The moon was just a quarter of its full magnificence and in the shade of the age-old trees which grew to tens of meters, Colt was like a living ghost, with no presence but his eyes watched everything and everyone.


    Colt was confident in his skills, but suddenly, a small dagger appeared on his neck. And, a cold sweat drenched on his back. He could sense a hand on him, but he couldn¡¯t detect the presence even at such proximity. There was nothing but a shadow behind him. It was as if this hand appeared out of nowhere. After years of experience, he could sense a sharp killing intent of the other party, but it also wasn¡¯t keen on killing him.


    So Colt remained silent; his heart beat stabilized, and his breathing returned to normal. Not a single strand of arcane swirled around him, and he looked completely defenseless. The hand silently withdrew from his neck, but Colt didn¡¯t dare to move.


    He would have rather preferred if the dagger remained on his neck because that way, he would at least have been sure that the enemy wasn¡¯t confident of killing him but giving up such an opportunity was akin to declaring that the enemy needed no such advantage to take care of Colt.


    Colt slowly turned around and found a woman staring at him through a slit in her scarf. Her entire body was engulfed in shadows, and she had a small, unimpressive dagger in one hand, but Colt didn¡¯t dare underestimate her or her weapon. His sword was an example of an unimpressive weapon, and he didn¡¯t dare imagine what her arcane was.


    At some point, the corpse of Milad appeared between them. Colt glanced at it but remained quiet. Lilin stared at the man before her, and although her eyes radiated killing intent, she was impressed. Almost no one in the empire can sense her when she didn¡¯t want them to, and certainly, this man didn¡¯t sense her either. But, the speed at which he reacted was beyond normal and the calmness with which he handled the situation spoke a thousand words of his experience.


    ¡°Did you kill this man?¡± Lilin asked in a cold voice. She wasn¡¯t interested in the roundabout way of dealing with things. Although she already knew the answer, she wanted to hear it out of Colt¡¯s mouth.


    Colt glanced at Lilin. Her words can be interpreted in many ways, but he could sense her cold attitude and the lack of patience in her words. Colt narrowed his eyes, One minute, maybe two, he silently calculated the amount of time he can stand against her.


    If Vivaldi were to face her, he would have been obliterated within seconds, Colt concluded. Who is she? He thought. Although he could only see her eyes and make out a part of her face, he could tell that she wasn¡¯t old.


    ¡°I did,¡± Colt answered after a short moment of trepidation.


    Lilin studied the man and the men sleeping in the camp. Her figure suddenly disappeared, and Colt felt his instincts screaming of danger. He kicked the ground and jumped back in shock. However, he then felt the wind near his back and saw Lilin reaching for his neck from behind. Arcane swirled around Colt and Lilin felt a weird energy invaded her senses.


    A hint of surprise could be seen deep in her eyes but the next moment a cold snort rang out and Colt¡¯s arcane failed to find its target. Colt, however, only widened the gap between them taking advantage of the delay in her response.


    He already knew that it was impossible to control her senses with his arcane. Although his arcane was powerful, there were many limitations on it. And, it was almost impossible to control an arcane user of such level with it.


    The only reason he could easily control Milad was due to the latter¡¯s carelessness. He wasn¡¯t aware of Colt¡¯s abilities and underestimated him so much that he didn¡¯t even try to defend against his attacks. By contrast, his opponent was careful, and now she was aware of his abilities. It is impossible to control her, Colt concluded.


    Lilin moved like the soundless wind, one moment she was before Colt, the next second she was beside him. Colt¡¯s eyes widened as he saw her move out of shadows and for the first time, his eyes shone with understanding as he finally understood what Lilin¡¯s arcane was. Shadows, her arcane ruled over darkness.


    Lilin glanced at Colt. Her eyes shone with an understanding of her opponent''s ability. An arcane which tries to invade and influence her senses. Neither of them knew the true limits of each other, but after just an exchange, both of them had some level of understanding of each other''s abilities. Now who would win in a fight was unknown because neither Lilin nor Colt revealed their full might.


    Colt was waiting to draw his sword when Lilin strikes again, but the attack never came. He backed away and stared at Lilin who was studying him with an incomprehensible gaze. ¡°Come to the Imperial Capital; these are His Majesty¡¯s orders,¡± Lilin said in a faint voice and disappeared into the night.


    Colt stood in his place, and after a long moment he removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. Gazing into the darkness which hid her, and maybe many more secrets, he sighed. He didn¡¯t know what was worse, caught by Vedans or Moguls. Regardless of whose side he was on, Colt was sure of one thing; his life was going to change, and he was going to sin, a lot.


    *****


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