They both stood in the dark cave that was illuminated only by a red light emanating from a glowing stone. The red light emanating from the stone was a dim glow, casting a warm hue in the cave. It seemed to pulse and flicker, as if alive, casting deep shadows across the rough, jagged walls. The light was intense enough to illuminate the immediate area around the stone, but the rest of the cave was plunged into a pitch-black darkness. The red glow had an eerie quality to it, almost otherworldly, casting the cave in an ominous and foreboding atmosphere. It seemed to give off a sense of energy that could be felt, as if it had some kind of supernatural power. The light shimmered and danced, casting shadows across Ragnar's face as he stood transfixed by its glow. It was an eerie and unsettling light, yet it was impossible to look away from it.The woman in her sixties was pounding something in a small mortar and whispering spells under her breath. Ragnar stood a few paces away, watching h
Gasher stood before Ragnar in the throne room, looking a bit haggard and worn out. His clothes were tattered, and there were some scars on his body, which looked like he had gotten from running swiftly in the woods and having his skin brushed against sharp leaves, thorns, and shrubs. His hair was matted and unkempt, and his beard was overgrown.Despite his disheveled appearance, Gasher carried himself with a sense of pride and confidence.His eyes were sunken and tired, but they still glimmered with determination. He looked up at Ragnar with a mixture of fear and respect. His posture was slightly hunched, and his hands were clasped behind his back. He tried to keep his breathing steady and calm, despite the pounding of his heart in his chest. He knew that he had to keep his composure if he wanted to make it out of the throne room alive.Gasher started, his voice low and even, betraying no hint of the fear and anxiety that he was feeling. He tried to keep his gaze steady.."Your Highn
"Kill that girl tonight."As Ragnar's words echoed through the room, Derek's heart felt as though it had stopped beating. His world felt as though it was crumbling around him, and his knees almost gave way beneath him. He had known that his father's rage would be great, but he had never imagined that he would order the death of Aurora. Derek's mind raced, trying to think of a way out of the situation, but he could see no escape. He felt as though a ton of bricks had been thrown onto his chest, weighing him down and suffocating him. His hands trembled as he tried to form words to plead with his father, but his tongue seemed to be tied.The despair and guilt that he felt were almost unbearable, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing Aurora, the one thing that gave him hope in a world of darkness."But, father, we need her to get the antidote," Derek said.Ragnar replied coldly, "I decide whom I need and who I don't. Get rid of her by tonight. This is the only way you can stop me fr
Derek watched in confusion, Aurora picked up the dagger that he had dropped and brought it close to her palm. Derek's eyes widened in shock as he realized what she was about to do. He tried to stop her, but she was quick and before he could even reach out to her, the blade was pressed against her skin.Aurora took a deep breath and then made a swift cut across her palm. The sound of the blade slicing through her skin echoed through the room, and Derek winced in pain, imagining the pain she must be feeling. But to his surprise, Aurora didn't flinch or cry out. Instead, she held out her bleeding hand towards Derek.Derek quickly held Aurora's bleeding hand, his eyes widening in confusion and concern. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice trembling. Aurora looked at him with a determined gaze and replied, "I'm showing you that I trust you."Derek was still confused."You don't have to do this," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. Aurora continued to let her blood drip to the
The diviner sat cross-legged on his mat in front of Magnus, his eyes closed in concentration. Magnus studied the man intently, his brow furrowed in confusion and concern."What do you mean my daughter might be in danger?" Magnus asked, breaking the silence in the tent.The diviner opened his eyes and looked up at Magnus. "There is a secret disease in the royal arena caused by the blue blade poison," he said. "I was called to find where the antidote was with my powers, and according to what I saw, the antidote seemed to be somewhere here in the Blood Moon pack."Magnus' eyes widened in disbelief. "What? You mean the blue blade disease actually exists?" he asked.The diviner nodded. "Yes, and it seems to be spreading rapidly. But what's more concerning is that I believe your daughter is in danger because of it. She may have been taken to the Blood Moon pack to be used as leverage to obtain the antidote."The dim light of the candle flickered and danced, casting eerie shadows on the fac
Ragnar lay in his bed, his body writhing in pain. The blue blade sickness had taken a severe toll on him, leaving him weak and helpless. His breathing was labored, and his eyes were shut tightly as he clenched his teeth, trying to endure the excruciating pain that coursed through his body.He let out a low groan as another wave of pain hit him, making him break out in a cold sweat. His hands trembled as he gripped the sheets, his knuckles turning white with the strain. Ragnar knew he was running out of time, and the thought of his impending death made him angrier than ever.Suddenly, there was a knock on his door.“Your Highness, can I come in?” Came the voice from outside the door. Ragnar quickly tried to compose himself. His face contorted with pain as he shifted on his bed, his breaths coming in short gasps. He clutched his stomach, feeling a wreck of havoc on his body. Despite the pain, he knew he had to maintain his composure and show no signs of weakness in front of his guards.
An awful smell hit them like a wave, as they approached the tunnel's entrance, causing them to recoil and cover their noses. It was a putrid odor, like rotting flesh mixed with something sour and pungent. The smell was so intense that it made their eyes water and their stomachs churn.Derek wrinkled his nose in disgust and muttered, "What is that smell?" Aurora replied, "It smells disgusting. I don't think I can handle it." Derek took a deep breath and said, "We don't have a choice. We have to go through it"When he lay down to crawl into the tunnel, he was hit again by the nauseating stench, and he gagged a little. He was struggling to keep his stomach under control as he slowly made his way through the tunnel. The smell only got worse as he crawled further. It was as if he was swimming in a pool of rotten eggs and decaying animals. The air was thick with the stench, and he could taste it on his tongue. tense Aurora followed Derek into the tunnel, feeling the wet, slimy groun
Miranda shuddered as the cold water hit her face and ran down her body. The shock of the icy liquid jolted her awake from her unconsciousness, and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. Her body was still weak from the tunnel collapse, and the cold water seemed to seep into her bones, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.As she opened her eyes, Miranda was greeted with the sight of the guard standing over her, his expression one of anger and impatience. She tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat, the cold water causing her to gasp for air. Miranda struggled to keep herself conscious, feeling an excruciating pain in her bones. Every breath was a struggle, and her body ached with every movement. The weight of the debris that had collapsed on her was still fresh in her memory, and the pain was too much to bear. She tried to move her hands and legs, but the ropes that bound her to the poles only made the pain worse.The pain felt like hot, searing knives running th
LAST CHAPTER.The market square was bustling with activity as people went about their daily business. The sound of merchants haggling with customers mixed with the clucking of chickens and the neighing of horses. Suddenly, a hush fell over the square as rumors spread that the king and queen were coming. People started to run frantically around, hurrying to catch a glimpse of the royal procession.As the excitement grew, people began to push and shove each other, trying to get a better view. Some even fell to the ground, but they quickly got back up and continued their attempts to see the royal family; the leaders of their pack. It was clear that many of them had never seen the Alpha king before, and this was a momentous occasion for them.As the excitement grew, people began to push and shove each other, trying to get a better view. Some even fell to the ground, but they quickly got back up and continued their attempts to see the king. It was clear that many of them had never seen the
Gasher's heart was pounding so hard that he thought Ragnar might wake up. Ragnar's guards were nowhere to be seen, and the room was eerily quiet. Gasher took a step closer to Ragnar's bed. He could see the veins bulging on Ragnar's neck, and his chest heaving up and down with each breath. He felt a surge of anger and hatred towards the man who had caused so much pain to his family.As he got closer, Gasher could see the sweat on Ragnar's forehead, and the look of tension in his sleep. He wanted to laugh at the sight, but he knew he had to stay focused. He couldn't let his guard down, not for a second.Gasher raised his sword, ready to strike. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say something. But then he realized that there was nothing to say. Ragnar had brought this upon himself, and he had to pay the price. Gasher looked down upon him with a cold, hard stare, and then he swung his sword down towards Ragnar.Gasher stood in the darkness of the night, sword in hand, rea
"Speaking of the queen, have you heard about what happened between her and Ragnar? I heard she attacked him in his chambers!"The group erupted in laughter at the thought of the petite queen attacking the powerful Ragnar. "I can't believe she had the strength to do that," one of them said between chuckles.Zen, the man who had noticed Gasher's distraction earlier, chimed in with a more serious tone. "I heard that the princess was stabbed by a guard.”Some of them nodded in agreement.“He's still at large, but who knows, one of us might even be the killer,” another added looking at the others with playfully suspicious eyes."But do you guys reckon Ragnar will do if the prince and his wife are eventually found?" one of them asked, his voice shaking slightly."I don't know, but I wouldn't want to be in their shoes right now," another replied.The conversation died down as they continued to walk in silence, the only sounds coming from the rustling of leaves and twigs under their feet. Th
The six rainmakers were travelling through the thick bushes in silence. They had all their ritual tools and materials being pulled in a cart by two men. Fred, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped walking. The other five members of the party looked at him with worry in their eyes as he remained silent, his gaze fixed on something ahead of them.One of the cautiously asked,“Why did you stop? What is going on?”There was no answer from Fred as he continued to look around warily. He then took out a small Dagger from his belt and soon after three more men did the same, taking out their daggers too. The two women held onto each other tightly as they felt fear rising within them about what might happen next. In a flash seven masked men jumped out of the bushes and charged towards them. The two men who were pulling the cart immediately ran for their lives, leaving the other four to fend for themselves. The attackers began slashing and stabbing at them mercilessly as they screamed i
The six people in white robes stood still, eyes closed, hands clasped together as they waited for Fred to start the eclipse calling ceremony. The burning pyre in the center of the square emitted a warm glow, casting flickering shadows on the ground. Suddenly, Fred began to dance around the square, howling words that were incomprehensible to everyone but him. He walked around, rattling the short stick in his hand, while the others in white robes began to sway to the beat of the music.Gasher watched from the sidelines, his face tense with anticipation. Fred's dance grew more intense, his howls louder as he worked himself into a frenzy. His feet pounded the ground as he twirled, his arms flailing around him.Ragnar watched from his seat, his eyes fixed on the spectacle before him. He was surrounded by Gasher and a few other guards, all of whom looked on with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As Fred's dance reached its climax, Ragnar leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he watch
92.Carissa stirred from her slumber as she heard the faint creak of the door opening. Her eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the dimness of the room. "Who's there?" she mumbled, her voice hoarse from sleep.A familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, and Carissa's eyes widened in recognition. It was Era, one of the maids who worked in the palace. Carissa struggled to sit up, wincing as she felt the dull ache in her bones. "Era, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.Era walked towards her cage, her footsteps as silent as a cat's. "The princess asked me to give you this," she said, tossing a key towards Carissa. The princess? Carissa thought, confused. Why would she give me a key?Carissa looked down at the key, hesitating before picking it up. She turned to Era, about to ask her what it was for when she spoke up. "What else would it be for?" Era said, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "It's the key to the cage. The princess
The maids frantically packed their belongings, the room filled with commotion. Some were shoving each other, while others were arguing about their belongings. One maid shouted, "That's mine, give it back!" while another retorted, "No, it's not, I had it first!" The room was chaotic, with everyone trying to grab their things as quickly as possible.Another maid was trying to pack her jewelry when she realized that her necklace was missing. She searched frantically through her belongings, but it was nowhere to be found. "Has anyone seen my necklace?" she asked the others, hoping someone had accidentally picked it up. But nobody had seen it, and her panic only grew as she thought about losing something so valuable.In the midst of the chaos, one of the maids accidentally knocked over a vase, causing it to shatter on the ground. "Oh no, what have you done?" exclaimed another maid, irritated. "Can't you be more careful?" The maid apologized profusely, but the others were already rush
Magnus furrowed his brows in a deep frown as he observed the vast plains below. The beauty of the land was undeniable, with its rolling hills and expansive fields, but Magnus couldn't appreciate it in his current state of mind. His thoughts were consumed with anger and frustration.Overlooking the vast expanse of the plains below the beauty of the landscape was undeniable - rolling hills stretched out before him, dotted with verdant trees and grassy fields. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over everything it touched. The sky was a canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples, with wispy clouds painted in hues of gold and silver.But despite the beauty of the scene before him, Magnus could feel a deep anger burning inside him. He clenched his fists tightly behind his back, his knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. His gaze shifted beyond the horizon, where the borders of the Scorpion Zeal pack lay. Hatred for his enemy burned within him, fueled by a desire for ve
One of the men, engrossed in the task of cutting down the tree, noticed a faint movement in the distance. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out what it was. Suddenly, he realized that it was a woman walking towards them. He called out to the others, "Hey, look over there, a woman is coming!"The others stopped what they were doing and turned to see for themselves. They chuckled amongst themselves, joking about who the woman might be and whose type she might be."Maybe she's into tall, dark, and handsome," one of them said, eliciting a round of laughter from the group."Or maybe she's into strong, silent types," another chimed in, earning a few nods of agreement.She appeared to be weak and disoriented, barely able to stand on her own two feet. Her movements were slow and unsteady, as if every step required all of her strength.Her hair was disheveled and fell messily around her face, which was pale and contorted in pain. Her dress was torn in several places, and blood had soaked t