◆ Kael
Theron disappeared through the gates with the baby in his arms.
I returned to my position, holding the spear tightly. My eyes didn't leave the forest. The shadows kept moving. Faster now. Closer.
"How many do you think there are?" I asked, looking up.
"Too many." Gareth, the veteran archer of the watchtower, already had his bow ready, arrow nocked.
The roar came again. Louder. Closer.
My stomach tightened.
"Sound the alarm!" I shouted up. "Now!"
The bell exploded in sound. Three quick rings. Pause. Three quick rings. The confirmed horde pattern echoed throughout Arken.
Lanterns lit up across the city. Voices shouted. Footsteps ran. The entire garrison waking up for war.
"Kael!" Captain Rodrik appeared running, already in full armor. A man in his early forties, graying beard, scar crossing the left side of his face. A former adventurer who had been leading the guard for five years. "Situation!"
"Horde coming from the north forest. I couldn't count them, but there are many. And there's something big leading them."
Rodrik climbed onto the wall beside me, eyes fixed on the darkness.
"Shit." He spat. "Messengers!"
Two guards appeared running.
"You two, fast horses. One goes to the local lords, asks for knights. The other goes to the Guild, warns them we need adventurers. Any rank above C will do."
"Yes, sir!"
They sped off.
Rodrik turned to me.
"Has anyone been sent to warn the High Priestess yet?"
"Not yet—"
"Then go! Run to the temple, wake Eleonora. Then come back here. We're going to need every hand we can get."
I nodded and descended from the wall. My feet pounded on the stone ground as I ran through the streets of Arken. The city was waking up in controlled chaos. Guards ran to positions. Civilians locked doors. Children cried.
The temple was in the center of the city. A white stone building, the symbol of Aelthyr carved above the main door. I climbed the steps two at a time and pushed the door open.
"Priestess Eleonora!" I shouted. "Horde at the north gate!"
Silence.
Then, footsteps.
She appeared from one of the side rooms. Silver armor already on, as if she had been waiting. Blonde hair tied in a ponytail, blue eyes fixed on me. In her left hand, a round shield with the symbol of Aelthyr engraved. In her right, a war hammer that glowed with a faint light.
"How much time do we have?" Her voice was calm. Firm.
"Minutes. Maybe less."
"Then let's go."
She passed me in long strides. I followed behind.
When we returned to the wall, the situation had worsened.
The first line of creatures was already visible. Goblins. Small, green, armed with clubs and crooked knives. They came in droves, shouting in that guttural language. Behind them, larger shapes. Wolves. Not the common ones. Giant Forest Wolves. The size of horses, black fur, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Formation!" Rodrik bellowed. "Archers on the wall! Spearmen in the second line! Shields in front when they arrive!"
I grabbed my shield from the pile next to the gate. Wood reinforced with metal strips. Heavy, but it was that or die.
Eleonora climbed onto the wall next to Rodrik.
"How many guards do we have?" she asked.
"Thirty at the gate. Another twenty scattered along the walls. It's the dawn shift. We don't have everyone."
"Messengers sent?"
"Yes. Lords and Guild have been warned."
"Then we hold until they arrive."
She raised the hammer. White light began to shine on the weapon, then spread. I felt something warm touch my chest. It wasn't physical. It was... energy. As if my muscles had become lighter, stronger.
"Blessing of Aelthyr!" Eleonora shouted. "Strength and endurance to the defenders!"
The light touched all the guards at the gate. I saw tired faces gain more firmness. Shoulders straightening.
Sacred magic. Group buff.
The goblins arrived.
They ran like insects, climbing over each other. Arrows rained from the wall. Some fell. Many continued.
"Shields!" Rodrik shouted.
I braced my shield. Shoulder to shoulder with the other guards. The first wave hit like a tide.
The impact shook my arm. Claws scratched the wood. Deformed faces, rotten teeth, eyes full of rage. I pushed. The spear found flesh. The goblin screamed and fell.
Another was already coming.
"Hold the line!" Rodrik bellowed. "Don't let them break through!"
I pushed again. I thrust. I blocked. I repeated.
A wolf jumped over the line of goblins.
"Wolf! Right!" someone shouted.
The creature was enormous. Taut muscles, fangs the size of knives. It jumped straight on top of a guard. The man screamed. Blood spraying.
"Shit!"
I left the formation and ran. The spear hit the wolf's flank. The creature growled, turning to me. Yellow eyes fixed.
It pounced.
I raised the shield.
The impact threw me to the ground. Brutal weight pressing down. Claws scraping metal. Teeth trying to reach my neck. I couldn't breathe.
Then I saw light.
White. Bright. Warm.
The wolf was thrown away as if it had been hit by an invisible hammer. It slammed into the wall and fell, inert.
I looked up, panting.
Eleonora was beside me, hammer still glowing.
"Get up." She held out her hand. "The night is going to be long."
[•••]
◆ Arianne
After a whole day breaking recruits in the training field, I slept like a rock.
But my body was restless. Even in sleep, something screamed that danger was near.
I woke with a start.
I hadn't heard anything yet. I hadn't seen anything. But my body knew. Instinct screaming that danger was near.
I got out of bed and ran to the window. I pushed the curtains. The lightning stone lamp beside the bed emitted a faint bluish light — an expensive artifact, something for nobles — but I barely noticed. My eyes were already fixed outside.
Movement on the walls. Guards running.
Then the bell rang.
Three rings. Pause. Three rings.
Horde.
"Damn it! Finally!"
I wasted no time. I ran to the closet and started putting on my armor. Thigh. Shin. Arms. Chest. Each piece locked in place with speed born from a year of practice. My fingers flew over the buckles.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Enter!"
Sir Aldric entered, already armed. A man in his fifties, gray hair, former knight of the royal order. My father had sent him with me as captain of my personal guard.
"Your Highness, horde confirmed at the north gate—"
"How many?" I cut in, adjusting the last strap of the chest armor.
"Reports say thousands. Captain Rodrik has already mobilized the guard. Priestess Eleonora is on the wall."
Thousands.
My heart raced. Not from fear. From excitement.
"My men?"
"Knights, royal guards, and the Shadows are already preparing. All await orders."
I smiled.
When my father sent me to Arken, he didn't leave me alone. In addition to the fifteen knights of my personal escort, he sent twenty soldiers from the Royal Guard. And five of the Shadows — trained assassins who acted as knights in times of war.
Forty warriors in total.
Of these, at least twenty-eight were formidable. Three of the Shadows were Rank S. Two, Rank B. Of the knights, three were Rank S, the rest varied between B and C.
I was Rank A.
Not for my mana control — which existed, but I never had the patience to study circles and magical theories — but for the sword. No one in the capital could defeat me in direct combat.
That's why my brothers hated me.
Sixteen years old. Ninth princess of Asterion. Fifteenth in line to the throne.
Fourteen heirs ahead of me. Eight older princesses and six princes. The first in line to the throne was my older sister — skilled in both magic and sword. Asterion didn't care about gender. It cared about power.
And I had too much power for someone who should be irrelevant.
My mother was a maid. The only woman my father truly loved. The other queens poisoned her for it. And now they wanted my head too.
My father knew. That's why he sent me away.
"Gain experience. Come back stronger."
I picked up the sword leaning against the bed. Straight blade, one and a half meters. A gift from my former butler before he retired.
It had words engraved near the hilt. I read them in a low voice, as I always did before fighting.
"Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting despite it."
I fastened the scabbard to my belt. I picked up the helmet and extinguished the lamp with a touch. The bluish light died.
"Aldric. Gather everyone in the courtyard. We leave in two minutes."
"Your Highness, protocol requires—"
"Protocol can go to hell." I passed him towards the door. "Asterion is a kingdom of warriors. And I'm not going to hide while people die defending these walls."
He sighed. But he smiled.
"As you command, Your Highness."
I ran down the stairs. The corridors were busy. Servants carried supplies. Guards adjusted armor. A woman ran with a child in her arms.
I arrived in the courtyard. Everyone was already gathered.
Forty warriors. Knights in full armor. Royal guards in impeccable formation. And the five Shadows, hooded figures in black armor, almost invisible even under the light of the torches.
Everyone looked at me when I appeared.
I climbed onto the horse — a strong chestnut, trained for war — without help. Aldric mounted beside me.
"Horde attacking the north gate!" I shouted. "City guards and Priestess Eleonora are already holding the line. We're going to reinforce! Priority: keep the walls! If they break through, we retreat protecting civilians! Understood?"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Then let's show these monsters what happens when they attack Arken!"
I slapped the reins. The horse bolted. Forty knights followed me, hooves echoing through the streets.
We arrived at the north gate in minutes.
Total chaos.
Guards held the line while goblins climbed over each other. Arrows rained down. Screams. Roars. Blood.
And in the middle of it all, I saw adventurers.
They had arrived before me. Of course. The Guild was two blocks from the gate. I recognized some — Rank B and C, mostly. They fought alongside the guards, conjuring spells of fire, ice, and earth.
I got off the horse before it stopped completely.
"Form a line! Knights in front! Royal guards on the flanks! Shadows, free position!"
The five hooded figures disappeared into the shadows. They fought better alone.
I climbed onto the wall.
The sight made me smile.
The forest seethed. Thousands of creatures. Goblins. Giant wolves. Orcs in the background. And other things moving in the darkness.
"Princess Arianne!"
I turned. Eleonora was there, hammer glowing with sacred light. Blood stained her armor.
"Priestess. Situation?"
"First wave contained. But there's more coming. Much more. Something is leading them. If we don't kill the leader, the horde will only increase."
"Reinforcements?"
"Guild is already here. Local lords..." She grimaced. "They'll take a while. Probably trying to escape."
Corrupt lords. Of course.
I looked down. Fifty guards. Forty of mine. Maybe twenty adventurers.
Against thousands.
I drew my sword.
"Guards of Arken! Knights of Asterion! Adventurers of the Guild!" my voice cut through the noise. "Today we defend more than walls! We defend homes! Families! Lives!"
Faces turned. Tired. But firm.
"So we fight! And we do not retreat!"
The answering shout echoed throughout the wall.
The second wave advanced.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
"Let them come."