I led the men I had chosen, our footsteps cautious as we moved toward the village. Two of them veered left, their eyes scanning the horizon, while I made my way to the bridge. The houses stood like guardians, a little way off from the bridge, their windows like empty eyes staring back. The quietness was overpowering, punctuated only by the gentle lapping of the stream against the shore. The sun beat down upon us, its reflection dancing in the water like a thousand tiny diamonds as I walked on the bridge. I didn't know anything about the common people of enemies and it was frustrating. Were they the type to wake up late and then come to the stream to bathe? Or would they have done that early in the morning and gone about their daily business which was away from their look quarters? The uncertainty frustrated me. Looking down, I smiled wistfully at the beauty of the rural landscape. Ghysem was indeed blessed, Cyrus, their ruler seemingly caring about the living conditions of its peopl
The sudden, terrified neighs from our horses broke the silence, making Jonas and I to turn our heads around in unison. More than a hundred men appeared out of nowhere. They were fully armed and advancing toward us with cocky and victorious smiles. They targeted our horses ruthlessly, firing arrows into their eyes and slashing at their bellies, sending the animals crashing to the ground. Our men's anguished cries and screams filled the air as they scrambled to flee, but chaos reigned, making coordination impossible.Panic set in, and I found myself frozen in horror alongside Jonas, watching in disbelief as our men fell around us, their heads severed and bodies mutilated.The massacre was severe, with Ghysem's men seeming to toy with their victims, strolling into houses to finish off those cowering within. I dragged Jonas to the ground, seeking cover beside two lifeless bodies, their chests pierced by arrows. My heart raced wildly, threatening to burst from my chest, as I struggled to r
"What do you find so interesting?" Clinton implored in a tense voice. "We could get killed this way! Let’s get moving. We cannot remain at this distance from the border."I nodded and stepped behind him, looking around the vicinity we had only just left. That nagging feeling that something was off would not leave me. As we continued forward, the bloody tracks we had seen earlier got more pronounced, indicating that some of our people were able to go back to the pack. But we were never able to find them.For the next two hours, we fought our way through the unyielding green cover as well as the unforgiving land with increasing vocal struggles on both sides. Every movement made the growing commotion worse than its metallic drone, and the muted cries. Clinton and I exchanged glances of understanding, for ditching the southern pack and making the trip back including Clinton was risky.“Let’s go by the woods,” I said, attempting to steer clear of the heated confrontation.“That’ll take ano
King Ares POVPerched on the throne, I assessed the wreckage of the day’s events or the remnants of it. The once glorious chamber of command had now taken the gruesome toll of Lords Farkun and Matthews, whose lifeless bodies were there on the floor. The room was increasingly filled with blood smell and a distant war cry of anguish.I focus on the man who is the only person to survive the failed mission. He remained solemnly still at the sidelines. He was a man who fought to the ground—his cloak and outfit were ragged, dirty with blood and the fabric was stained, the sword which he wielded was once shiny and clean now worn down from usage.His face was thin and had deep lines of tiredness and stress indicating a terrible time that he had gone through. His eyes still showed the results of his hardships yet he had the look of a brave man determined to battle on. I knew he normally stood erect, but he was a little slumped at the moment, the tiredness that had him in its grip notwithstandi
Volkovs POVI found myself awake to the caressing ray of light that was falling through the curtains of my room. Food smells, especially the aroma of freshly baked bread, and the crackle of bacon resounded as positive signals of sanctuary amidst the storm. I then stood up and I began to stretch myself, the pain in all the muscles being a sure sign that what I had gone through the previous day was no joke. Despite this, the interior design was warm and very lavish – contrasting with the grim reality of war outside.To my surprise, just as I stood up, there was a servant who brought a tray and placed it beside me with a bow. “Good morning, Sir Volkov,” she whispered to him. “I’ve brought you breakfast.”"Thank you," I said. As soon as he left, I drank a bit of water and started eating. It was funny how one does not realize how hungry they are until they start eating and savoring every bite. The food was great, unlike other meals we had during the missions that was almost too horrendous
I woke up abruptly from a nightmare, the reminiscence of which evaporated as soon as I opened my eyes to the sunlight streaming through the curtains of my bedroom. What had happened in the past weeks alone would have been enough to transform the most sound sleeper into a restless one. I quickly washed up and proceeded to the room where Agnes had been kept to recover. She was my mate, the reincarnation of who I had loved with all my heart. I had to ensure she was given the best care. I smiled thinking about her but that changed the moment I opened the door to look inside the room and see what was inside.The bed was made, the sheets twisted and stained with blood. The room was clearly broken into with signs of struggle everywhere– a vase was smashed on the ground, and chairs were turned over. I wondered who had entered the palace undetected and abducted her. As I looked around the room, a wave of panic went through my body searching for any sign of who might have taken her. That was wh
Tina’s POV I was met with the silence of an empty house when I woke up. Usually, my children would have been awake and at my door, sometimes even in my room on my bed with me but today that did not happen. Confused, I walked down the stairs into the main quarters of the house to meet the maids' sober and pitiful faces. The morning sun was filtering into the room through the windows and was falling on the furniture which once was the sign of the happy family house. Today they looked unwelcomed and small. I scrubbed my face and blinked my eyes, still heavy from the night’s unrest, and dragged myself on the floor to the inner chambers of the house. Normally, the house would be filled with joyous sounds of children running around and the low voices of working women but today, things were different. What had happened? First, my kids were not in my room and now they weren't running around? There was no even sign of the man I called husband. I was trembling as I moved down the large marbl
I wandered around my bedroom, in the darkness only the candles were providing light. The quiet was stifling, a pressure that weighed on me like a physical presence Since then I had told everyone in the house that no one was to be admitted unless they had an appointment with me but I knew Philomena would not adhere to the instruction. She was my best friend and I told her many things, and I could not even imagine how could I get up and go to her now.I had to go out at night in an attempt to run away from the pain that ached me; however, this did not go as planned.Suddenly, there was noise from below, a disruption of the quietness of the house. The sound of raised voices and fast pacing rushed through the hall and became louder minute by minute. It was clear that it was Philomena whining her way through the chambermaids.My heart tightened with feelings of relief and regret all rolled into one and I immediately regretted saying anything at all. She was here, and I knew it meant I almo