Tom's POV “Why do you have to go there in person, Captain?” Marcus asked. He was one of the southern soldiers that usually had the most questions. "Surely there must be one of us who could help you relay the message for you."I slightly quirked a brow as I kept my expression tough like Volkov. "We've lost many men. That is a very important mission and I do not wish to endanger any of you any further than has already been necessary. The message has to go through, and I have to be sure that the war minister and king who sent me on this errand can understand well enough."I could see my men look at each other but they quickly agreed to what I had suggested. I picked Marfeh and another shapeshifter I knew, a man named Liam to join me. Together we left the camp and started our journey to the South. The trip through the forest was relatively very silent. The chill of the air was countered by fragrances of forest and earth as the only noises were the quiet crunching of the fallen foliage b
Xeik's POV The morning twilight came in through the tall windows of my study, and even though the windows were wide open and the weather was bright and sunny, it was as if some unknown physical force, only the glow close to the edges of the darkness oppressing my mind. The light that was present seemed to falter against the darkness in my mind, the same way that the wind tries to blow away the fog. I walked back and forth, back and forth anxiously. Nothing made sense to me and it felt like my world was collapsing. I honestly wished I had never found anything out, I wished I had not been chosen as temporary monarch. The things I had found out last night tortured me—secret notes to an ally somewhere, receiving stolen money from Ghysem, having a base where shapeshifters were kept for them to be used and I could not forget the black veil that was on King Ares’ wrist. The visions remained fresh as scar. The more I thought about it, the clearer it appeared to me that I needed more informa
**Tom’s POV**As the sun started to rise and warm orange hue sprinkled the room I was given to sleep in. I knew it was time to go back to Ghysem. The fact that I was in the enemy's territory, pretending to be one of them had not let me sleep, my thoughts wove schemes and schemes of lies that formed a single maze in my mind.As I set out, with a new army behind me, a perfect aroma of flowering plants and birds called in the distance. My horse's steps seemed to be more nimble, weighted by the desperate need to push on. It felt as if every shadow in the forest knew the secret I had within me. It was silent other than the sound of the leaves, cracking beneath our horseshoes.Huge trees stood all around, their tops reaching for the heavens as if it were a temple built by the moon goddess herself with the sunlight coming through in spots on the forest floor. The ground was a woodland floor with a bed of fallen leaves.Once we got to Ghysem, I settled the men in and briefed them once more. A
Lord Xeik's POV"Oh," I mumbled, relaxing a little. Then suddenly my defenses heightened, what if Castilla was the one responsible for burning the papers? What if she knew about her father's involvement with shapeshifters, stealing from the South, and whatnot? I dismissed the thought from my mind as quickly as it came, feeling guilty. It was not like King Ares ever included her in decision-making. She did not even attend the early morning briefing that her father had with the noble lords each morning. "May I come in?" Her soft voice floated through the air."Of course," I stuttered, adjusting my robe. "You can come in my lady."The door creaked open slowly. She had a small smile etched on her face as she walked in. Castilla was undeniably beautiful. Her eyes were a warm blue color and her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders. She was wearing a long black dress cinched at the waist and I could not help but stare at how beautifully her body curved in those clothes. Getting a hol
Tom's POVI returned to the camp base quite late at night. The moon was surprisingly bright, illuminating every detail of the night. It cast the shadows of the trees of the nearby forest onto our camp. From a distance, I could hear the light snores of the southern soldiers, exhausted by the journey from the south to Ghysem. A few of them roamed the area to guard against our soldiers from the north. I had put on the appearance of Volkov as I neared the area. "You are back, captain." One of them had sighted me from a distance. He rushed over to greet me. "We had grown quite worried but did not want to leave the base.""Why would you be worried?" I asked without even a slight smile. From the time I had observed Volkov, I knew that he rarely smiled. He was a man who took every bit of life seriously as if he constantly had to prove himself to everyone. His discipline was behind control and he seemed very strict with his men. "I am quite alright.""Did you perhaps take a walk to clear you
Third Person's POVThe atmosphere at the camp was charged with unease as the soldiers stationed above ground anxiously paced back and forth. Time had ticked by since their fellow troops had ventured into the depths of the tunnels and a sense of dread loomed over them.Whispers of apprehension quickly escalated into a frenzy of fear when the first Ghysem soldiers emerged from the darkness, fierce and unyielding. Chaos ensued as the southern troops were caught off guard and filled with terror, scattered in all directions.There was almost no time for them to react or counter their attacks. Soldiers from Ghysem slaughtered them like animals, blood flowed in the land like a river contaminating the stream.Within minutes, the southern soldiers were dead.***In the southern pack, Lord Xeik brooded in his dimly lit chamber, frustration boiling inside him. A soldier has come to report to him that they had been ambushed by Ghysem soldiers and all of them were dead. Only the man who gave the r
Xeik's POVI dressed as quickly as I could, putting on my armor. It felt a bit heavier than usual but I knew it was just the anxiety that was gnawing at me. I stood in front of the mirror making sure everything was perfect, a part of me hoping Castilla would come in the morning to wish me luck but she did not. Knowing that my soldiers would have been ready and waiting for me, I dashed out of the room and went to the training field I had asked them to assemble. I surveyed them properly. The first line was going to be me wielding a sword, and two other swordsmen, and the first fifteen lines were going to have our best archers who were fairly good at sword-wielding. Then I arranged the best spear throwers after that the swordsmen and I kept repeating the formation till the end. "Are you ready?" I roared. They roared in response, eager to attack our long-time``` enemy. I climbed onto my horse and then we started to march out of the palace towards the border. When we got closer, we woul
Cyrus's POVAs we stepped out of the war room, our footsteps rolled heavily on the stone floor and they sounded eerily like the funeral bells before a war. We could not afford fear or doubt. Not now. Not when Ghysem's life depended upon it.We walked side by side and every now and then our hands would make soft contact. Eventually, I held her hand in mine. It was comforting. The illumination of torches was flickering along the walls and it was as if we were watched by the ghosts of the war."We'll place our swordsmen who can wield shields at the front," I explained, "They must be very good at defending rather than attacking. I shall let Drussus know immediately," I said glancing at Agnes. Her eyes, like precious stones gleamed in the dim light. "They'll block the arrow attacks from the south. I'm glad we revised our armor. It's now harder for an arrow to penetrate, except if shot from a greater distance, which increases the impact but is less accurate."Agnes nodded, her red hair sway