King's Tree sat in the heart of King's City—shocking, I know—right at the center of the kingdom.
It's the first thing you see when entering the kingdom, so it was really hard to miss, but this would be our first time actually traveling there.
The invasion was moving so quickly, there was no telling where the orcs might appear next, so we stayed sharp the whole trip, just as it was with the wraiths in the Skylands.
When we finally reached the city, the tree looked even more majestic than before. Rising atop a broad hill, it towered above all the surrounding buildings, casting a vast shadow below.
High in its branches, elaborate wooden structures and suspended platforms were woven seamlessly into the bark itself.
The city sprawled outward from the tree's base in dense clusters of buildings and greenery. A winding river curved through the land, separating the bustling city center from the flat green fields that encircled it.
There were a lot of knights moving through the streets, corralling the remaining citizens away from the city in preparation for the coming battle.
I sighed in relief—at least the fighting hadn't started yet.
We approached a group of knights standing together.
"Please leave the—oh, wait. Are you here to fight?" one asked. He was tall, clad in battle-worn yet polished blue armor, a red cape flowing behind him. His long white fur and sharp triangular ears rose from his head, golden eyes gleaming above a pair of long whiskers. At his side rested a massive greatsword.
He was clearly no ordinary knight.
"Yes, sir," Talos replied.
"Good. I'm Legraddy of the Kingsguard."
"We're the Talos Party," Talos said. "I'm Talos. This is Alva, Uri, and Velara."
"A rogue, interesting," Legraddy said with a nod toward Uri. "Nice to meet you—and thank you for coming. These are unprecedented times. We need people like you. You look capable, and the fact you had the guts to show up here tells me you are. Not many other parties did."
That somehow didn't surprise me.
"You came just in time. Preparations are just starting. We got word the orcs are attempting a full-scale assault today. Do you need your horses?"
"No."
"Alright. They'll take them over there." He gestured to a row of squires. "The orcs have already taken Stripe City, so we're forming a perimeter around the north side of the tree, where they'll attack from. Fall in wherever you see fit."
As we made our way, I realized this was the most knights we had ever seen gathered in one place. Some rode massive bear mounts. Others were arranged in balanced formations—ranged fighters, frontline warriors, healers, with some other adventuring parties mixed in.
Even after everything we'd been through, stepping onto this battlefield made me feel like a child thrown into deep water. This was the real deal.
It was all happening so fast, I could hardly believe it.
The orcs really wasted no time.
We took our places somewhere in the middle, and Talos immediately turned to us.
"As long as we stick together, we'll be fine. Remember—we're the Talos Party. Nothing changes that."
He was right. I had to snap out of it. I'd learned more hexes overnight that might come in handy, and I knew Uri had been studying his scroll, too. As long as we had each other's backs, like always, nothing changed.
"So just to be clear—you're going to use simple swiftness on me, right, Vel?" Alva asked.
"Yes, and greater strength for Talos. But are you sure you can handle haste, too?" I asked.
"No. But if there was ever a time to test it, it's now," Alva said.
He was determined to live up to the reputation he'd recently earned.
In a way, it was endearing. He'd really come a long way.
While we waited, Talos spoke again. "I'm glad we stayed."
We looked at him, waiting for him to explain.
"I'm glad we stayed and helped those people," he said, his eyes flicking toward me.
"Thankfully, it all worked out," I replied.
About twenty minutes passed before the chatter and clamor of preparation died down.
"They're coming," Uri whispered, wide-eyed.
All eyes turned toward the tree line across the vast clearing, where the orcs were expected to emerge.
The world seemed to hold its breath. Even the air itself was silent—quieter than quiet.
Then—
OOOOOOOOOOOO!
A deafening war horn split the silence, reverberating through the air.
From the trees burst a massive host of orcs in spiked armor, led by riders mounted on tusked boars. Behind them, endless rows of soldiers surged forward—spears, clubs, and jagged weapons. Tattered banners fluttered overhead, showing exactly what they came for.
"Hold the line!" Legraddy roared, raising his greatsword.
I enhanced my party and we surged forward with the rest.
This was it. Everything we had worked for led to this moment.
The Battle for King's Tree had begun.
Within seconds, our line crashed into theirs and chaos erupted.
Grunts, metal, and screams filled the clearing in a storm of sound and fury.
For a moment we froze—overwhelmed by the sheer noise and violence—even Talos. But the pause ended when the first orcs broke through and charged us.
Talos blocked a savage strike in a blur and cut his attacker down.
Alva loosed arrows immediately, weaving between allies to keep his aim clear.
"I'm going up!" Uri said as he leapt up and over, landing on top of the fight.
"Vel, stay behind me!" Talos barked.
Uri darted through the fray, disarming orcs one after another while avoiding their counterattacks.
Alva continued firing, dodging just out of reach of the blades lunging for him, arrows finding their marks.
I stayed close to Talos, who gave me the space to both replenish Alva's arrows and heal wounded knights, getting them back on their feet.
The clash raged on, but after those first frantic minutes, we finally found our rhythm.
And things were going relatively smoothly.
Until they weren't.
Talos got jostled in an unexpected direction, and his halberd went flying—lost somewhere in the chaos.
He was left with only his shield.
In bewilderment, he frantically searched for his weapon while also trying to protect me with his shield.
I searched too, but it was impossible in the chaos. Countless orcs and knights pressed on in their relentless assault until an idea struck me.
I wasn't sure it would work—but like Alva said, now was as good a time as any to test it.
"Talos, I can't keep this up long, but I'll give you a chance! Get ready!"
"I'm ready!" he shouted back.
I cast a hex of slowness on everyone around us—knights and orcs alike—buying Talos the chance to find his halberd.
He immediately threw himself into a desperate search.
"W-whoa…" Alva shouted as he kept firing at the now-slowed targets.
Seconds passed, and I could already feel exhaustion setting in.
"Talos, hurry!" I called.
He kept searching until at last, I heard him shout, "Got it!"
I released the hexes in an instant, and everything went black.
Well, that was the last thing I remembered before I opened my eyes in a room with wooden walls — I guessed I was inside King's Tree.
The walls were carved with intricate, regal patterns. The floor was layered with ornate carpets. I lay on an embroidered cushion, surrounded by my party and several others — Legraddy, and… the king?
Those hexes drained me more than anything I've ever tried before. For the first time, I had been out of breath just from using magic.
"She's awake," Uri said, and everyone turned to me.
"Hello, Velara," a deep voice said. "I'm King Brar. Nice to meet you."
A king was addressing me. What was happening? He knows my name. He knows I exist!
He wore a dark blue tunic beneath a red, fur-lined cape. Long, tan fur flowed from his head down past his shoulders and chest — similar to Legraddy's, but much longer. He radiated royalty.
"Oh, uh, n-nice to meet you, Your Majesty," I said, sitting up while my eyes were still adjusting.
"Uh… what happened?"
Alva stepped forward. "Once you collapsed, I carried you out of the fight. I was being chased, but thanks to your swiftness enchantment no one could catch me. Without it, I wouldn't have gotten you out in time."
So what he's saying is I technically saved myself.
"And with my halberd back, and you safe, I was able to push forward and take on more orcs," Talos added.
"That swiftness boost really comes in handy. I feel so slow without it," Uri said.
Wow. Three compliments in a row. Was it finally time to change the title now? Do they actually recognize my greatness? If not, we're definitely getting close.
"Well, that's great," I said. "So… I assume we won?"
"We drove them off for now," King Brar replied.
"Thanks to you all," Legraddy added. "So many knights have reported to me the impact you made on the battlefield — especially your healing. Without you, well… I don't even want to imagine what might have happened."
"Well, that's good to hear. I'm glad we could help," I said.
"But the job isn't finished. When you're ready and recuperated, come find us in the command room, just across the hall," Legraddy said. Then everyone filed out, leaving just us in the room.
Wow. We won. I didn't know how to feel. I wanted to be happy, but it was still kinda embarrassing that everyone saw me pass out.
"Guys, isn't this place amazing?" Alva said, arms outstretched, eyes shining. "It feels like I'm royalty! Meeting the king and now this? I wouldn't mind staying here a bit longer. Take all the time you need, Vel."
"It is pretty nice," Talos said, running his hand along one of the carved walls. Then he turned to me. "Sorry for being so clumsy. If I hadn't been so careless, this wouldn't have happened."
"That's okay. We won — that's what matters. How were the enhancements?" I asked.
"It was much needed," Talos said. "With greater strength, I think I might actually be a little stronger than the orcs. But I still need to keep working on my natural strength too."
"What about you, Alva?"
"Oh, it was great — though it felt like every limb in my body was about to snap if I pushed any harder. But for some reason, I couldn't stop."
"So both of you adjusted fine."
I guess today was the day I learned that enhancements could last even after I passed out.
I pushed myself to my feet, and Uri quickly offered me a hand.
"I'm fine, thanks," I said.
"You sure? You can rest a little longer if you want," Alva asked.
"I'm sure," I said. "Let's go."
They nodded, and together we walked out of the room — ready for whatever came next.