Soldiers running through streets.
Banners flapped in the wind.
Soldiers moved in every direction, Some horseback, some dragging wounded legs, others desperately searching for carriage.
Armor bore different crests: Emberfall, Velmora,Ashen Reach,FrostVeil...
All 24 kingdoms were represented.
Sasha
Her eyes opened.
Cold stone ceiling.
Palace walls.
Her chest tightened.
"That Aura..." She whispered.
Her fingers dug into the bed.
"...Who the hell was that?" Her voice trembled,not with fear but with fury.
BOOOOM!
She kicked the door and the door got exploded.
"Lady Sasha! Please, lie down."
Two Healers rushed forward, hands glowing with green recovery magic.
"You need to rest! Your eternal Mana is shattered, if you move now you might..."
Sasha stood their, barefoot, bandages wrapped around her torso, her red hair a tangled mess.
"Don't you dare," Sasha hissed, her voice dangerous, "Tell me...What to do..."
One of the healers fell to his knees.shaking.
"M-My lady please."
"Where is he?" She demanded.
"Who...?"
"The king! That fat, useless bastard, where is Luther."
The healer swallowed, looking at the floor. "He... He is in the wine room,My lady. But
... The king gave strict orders not to be disturbed. He is entertaining..."
Sasha's lips curled in disgust.
"Entertainment. I know exactly what that sick fuck calls entertainment." She thought.
"Get out of my way."
She walked past them,her aura leaked out, cracking the tiles with every step.
The Wine Room
The room smelled of expensive grapes.
King Luthar Thero set on a velvet couch, goblet of dark red wine in one hand.
Before him, two elf girls haddled on the floor. They were naked, shivering, their skin brushed. Tears streamed down their face.
"... Please... My Lord..." One of them sobbed curling into a ball. "Please stop..."
Smack!
The cinematic whipped through the air, striking girls thigh. A Red welt appeared instantly.
"AHHHHH!" She screamed.
Luther swirled is wine, a sick, twisted smile spreading across his face.
"Music," he whispered, closing his eyes. "That's scream... It's better than any harp."
He looked at the other girl. She was shaking so hard Her teeth chattered.
"Hey,Babes," Luthur cooed, leaning forward.
"Give me a kiss. Right on the boot."
"P-Please..."
"Do it," luthar's voice dropped, turning cold.
"Or I will send a squad to the slave quarters and have your father skinned alive while you watch."
The girl sobbed, "No! No, Please!"
"Then crawl!"
She crawled. She dragged herself across the carpet, weeping, towards his leather boots.
Luthar threw his head back and laughed. "I love it! Yes! Cry more! Your tears make the wine taste sweeter."
"Now let's hear your beg..."
Knock! Knock!
Luthar froze. His smile twitched.
"Who is it?" He snapped. "I told you filthy servant I wasn't to be disturbed!"
A Voice came from the other side.
"It's your death."
Luthar blinked. "What do you mean by..."
CRASH!
The heavy double doors were blasted inward.
Sasha stepped through the debris, her red aura flaring like a demon's wings. You looked at the naked, weeping Elves.
"Sasha!" Luthar jumped up, spilling his wine.
"My dear! You are awake! I-I was told you were in a coma!"
She didn't look at him. She looked at the elves.
"Get Out."
The elves froze, too terrified to move.
"I said," Sasha turned her gaze to them. "Get the fuck. Out."
"Or I'll have to kill you myself to save you from him."
The two girls scrambled up, clutching their bodies, and bolted out the ruined door.
Sasha turned to Luthar.
"You are really a piece of shit," she said flatly.
Luthar adjusted his robe, regaining his composure. He sat back down, crossing his legs.
"They are property,Sasha. Toys. Don't look at me with those judgement eyes."
"I should kill you right now," Sasha said, stepping closer. "I could snap your neck before your guards even realize I'm here."
"But you won't," Luthar smiled. "Because you are a general. And you need to know what happened."
Sasha stopped.
"What do you mean?"
Luthar's expression turned serious. The creepiness vanished, replaced by calculating look.
"You felt it, didn't you?"
Sasha clinched her fists. "The boy."
"Boy?" Luthar chuckled darkly. "Sasha, the reports are coming in. It wasn't just you. It wasn't just Roric."
He stood up and walked to the window.
"Five and a half billion soldiers," Luthar whispered. "From all twenty four kingdoms. C ranks. B ranks. A ranks. S ranks. Even the hidden SS ranks I planted in the rear guard."
He turned to look at her.
"Unconscious. Every single one of them."
Sasha felt chill run down her spine.
"Impossible."
"Is it," Luthar sneered. "You were there. You were on the ground. Tell me, Sasha Warmen, strongest warrior of the world... Could you do that."
Sasha looked down.
"No. Even at my peak... I couldn't knockout a billion ants, let alone knights.
"No," She admitted.
"Exactly," Luthar slammed his hand on the table. "That creates a vacuum. A power vacuum. If this.... Creature decides to conquer the world, we are finished. All twenty four kingdoms. We are dust."
Sasha narrowed her eyes. "So? What is your plan? Hide in your wine room and beat slaves?"
"No," Luthar smirked. "Negotiation."
"Negotiation with who?"
"Roric Alfred."
The air in the room dropped ten degrees.
Sasha's Eyes widened. "You...You want a to alley with Velmora?"
"We have no choice."
"HE KILLED HER!" Sasha screamed, her aura exploding outwards, cracking the wine bottles on the shelves. "HE KILLED YOUR WIFE! HE KILLED MY MOTHER!"
Luthar didn't Flinch. He just watched the red liquid drip from the broken bottles.
"I know," he said softly.
"Do you?!" Sasha grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground. "You call yourself a king? You call yourself a father!? You want to shake hands with the man who put a spear through her heart?!"
"I'm not your father, Sasha," Luthar chocked out, stearing into her eyes. "And you know that."
Sasha froze.
"But," Luthar continued, "The only woman I ever loved was your mother. And Roric killed her. I hate him more than I hate the thought of dying."
Sasha's grip loosened slightly.
"Then why?" She whispered.
"Because if we don't ally," Luthar said, dropping back to his feet, "This new creature will kill us all. And if we are dead, we can't get revenge."
"We need to find this white haired boy. We need to see if he is a monster or human. If he is a monster, we pray. If he is a human... We buy him."
Luthar walked over and hugged Sasha.
"Don't worry, My dear," he whispered in her ear. "We will smile at Roric. We will shake his hand. And when we have the power of this new creature on ourside... We will burn Roric alive."
Sasha stood there, stiff as board.
"I hate him. I hate this place. I hate this world." She thought.
"Fine," she whispered.
One hour later- The palace corridors
Sasha Walked down the hallway, fully dressed in her uniform now.
Ahead, she saw to small figures. Huddled in the Shadows of pillar.
It was the two elves from the wine room.Mila and Hiliya.
They were wearing over sized maid clothes now, looking terrified, waiting for chance to sneak out.
Sasha stopped.
"You two."
The elves jumped, clutching each other.
"M-Mam!" Mila cried out. "Please! We were just leaving! We didn't steal anything!"
Sasha looked at them.
They were very young. Maybe eighteen. The same age she was.
"Today you are here. Tomorrow you will be back in that room. Or worse."
Sasha reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small, silver key.
She tossed it.
CLINK.
It landed at Mila's feet.
The elves stared at it.
"T-That is," Hiliya stammered.
"It unlocks the collars," Sasha said, her voice devoid of emotions. "It disables the tracking magic."
Mila's filled fresh with tears. "But... If we unlock them... The king..."
"If you stay, you die," Sasha cut her off."if you run, you might die. But at least you'll die free."
She stepped closer, towering over them.
"Don't ask questions. Don't look back. Go to the forest. Go to the Elven lands. Just get the fuck out of my sight."
Mila snatched the key. Her hands were shaking so hard she dropped it once before jamming it into the lock on her neck.
CLICK
The heavy iron collar fell off.
CLICK
Hiliya's collar hit the floor.
They rubbed the necks, Sobbing with relief.
"Thank you..." Mila grabbed Sasha's hand. "Thank you,Mam I'm Mila. She is Hiliya. We will never forget this!"
Sasha pulled her hand away sharply.
"I don't ask for your names.Go.Now."
The elves scrambled up and ran down the hallway.
(Chapter 14 Finished)