◆ Eleonora
Six hours of combat.
My hammer felt heavy. Not from the physical weight—Aelthyr's Blessing kept my muscles firm—but from the exhaustion that came from conjuring sacred magic non-stop. Every buff. Every heal. Every purification. It all consumed mana.
And the horde didn't stop coming.
Goblins fell in droves, but more appeared. Giant wolves were taken down, others showed up. Orcs had finally entered the battle—brutal creatures, the size of two men, armed with clubs and crude axes.
But we were holding.
Guards, knights, adventurers. Everyone fought as if their lives depended on it. Because they did.
— Eleonora! — Rodrik's voice cut through the noise. — Something's coming!
I turned my head.
The forest trembled.
Trees splintered. The ground vibrated beneath my feet. And then I heard it.
A roar.
Deep. Gutural. So loud it made my bones vibrate.
The creature emerged from the tree line.
A bear.
But not a common bear. Not even a Red Grizzly—those huge red bears that spat fire and terrorized forests.
This one was bigger. Much bigger.
Fur as black as night. Red eyes glowing like embers. Muscles tense beneath its skin, every movement exuding raw power. Dark smoke leaked from the creature's mouth, and the air around it seemed... rotten.
Miasma.
— What the hell is that? — someone shouted.
— Mutant Red Grizzly! — Captain Rodrik bellowed. — Keep your distance! Don't let it get close!
But it was too late.
The creature roared again, and the wave of pressure that came out of it made guards stumble. I felt it on my skin. It wasn't just sound. It was corrupted mana. Black magic.
Debuff.
I saw men around me begin to stagger. Movements slowing down. Breathing heavy. Strength draining.
I raised my hammer.
— Light of Aelthyr! Purification!
White light exploded around me, expanding in a circle. It touched the nearest guards. I saw color returning to their faces. Movements stabilizing.
Sacred magic nullified curses. It always had.
But I couldn't cover everyone. The area was too large.
— Eleonora! — Arianne appeared beside me, cutting down a goblin that was trying to flank me. Blood stained her armor. — We need to kill that thing!
— I agree. But not alone.
I looked around. Guards were busy holding back the smaller horde. We needed a small group. Fast. Strong.
— Rodrik! — I shouted. — Gather the best! We're going straight for the leader!
He nodded and started shouting names.
In less than a minute, we had a group.
Five royal knights. Three adventurers—two Rank B, one Rank A. Kael, the young guard who had fought well all night. Arianne. And me.
Twelve in total.
— The plan is simple! — I shouted. — I nullify the debuffs! You clear the way! We kill the leader, the horde falls apart!
— And if it doesn't fall apart? — one of the adventurers asked.
— Then we die trying! — Arianne replied, smiling.
The girl was crazy.
But efficient.
— Let's go!
We ran in formation. Me in front, hammer glowing with constant light. The aura of purification around me kept the debuffs away. Behind me, the others advanced, cutting down goblins and wolves that tried to intercept.
The black bear saw us.
And came straight for us.
The creature moved too fast for something so big. Claws the size of swords tore through the air. A knight didn't dodge in time. Blood splattered.
— Shield of Aelthyr!
I conjured a barrier of light between the creature and the group. The claw struck. The barrier cracked, but held.
— Attack!
Blades, spears, and spells hit the bear. Fire. Ice. Lightning. But the black fur seemed to absorb some of the damage. The creature roared, more annoyed than hurt.
Then it opened its mouth.
Miasma spewed out like a black wave.
— Fall back!
My aura of purification could nullify debuffs, but direct miasma was poison. It touched the skin and burned.
Two adventurers weren't fast enough. They fell screaming, skin bubbling.
— Shit! — Arianne dodged, rolling to the side.
Kael was on the other flank, spear in hand. His eyes fixed on the creature. Calculating.
A knight tried to attack from behind. The bear spun, too fast, and the claw hit him squarely. The man flew, hitting a tree. He didn't get up.
More goblins and wolves began to surround us, trying to take advantage of the chaos.
— Knights! Adventurers! — I shouted. — Hold back the small ones! Don't let them surround us!
— Understood! — Rodrik, who had joined the group, formed a defensive line with the others.
That left me, Kael, and Arianne against the bear.
The creature roared, black flames dancing around its claws.
The girl was fast. She dodged the claws by inches, slashing whenever she saw an opening. But the black fur resisted. Kael attacked from the flanks, spear hitting joints and weak spots.
But it wasn't enough.
The bear roared again, and black flames exploded around it. It wasn't ordinary fire. It was fire corrupted by black magic.
Arianne retreated, sweat running down her face.
— This thing won't die!
— Aim for the neck! — Kael shouted. — It's the only place without thick fur!
The bear charged. Arianne rolled. Kael dodged. The creature spun, looking for a target.
That's when I saw the opening.
— Kael! Lock its legs! Arianne, prepare the strike!
Kael understood instantly. He ran straight for the bear, spear low. The creature tried to attack, but Kael dodged at the last second and thrust the spear between its hind legs. The creature roared, stumbling.
Arianne was already in the air.
High jump. Sword raised. Eyes fixed on the exposed neck.
The blade came down.
Flesh. Bone. Blood.
The black bear's head toppled.
The immense body fell with a crash that shook the ground.
Silence.
Then, shouts.
The remaining monsters—goblins, wolves, orcs—began to retreat. Without a leader, the horde fell apart. They ran back into the forest, disorganized, frightened.
— Pursue them! — Rodrik bellowed from the wall. — Don't let them regroup!
Guards and knights advanced, cutting down those who tried to flee.
Arianne fell to her knees, panting. The sword still dripped black blood.
Kael leaned on his spear, breathing deeply.
I looked around. Of the twelve who had come, five remained. Seven dead.
But we had won.
I walked over to Arianne and held out my hand.
— Good job, Your Highness.
She looked up, sweat and blood staining her face. Then she smiled.
— Best battle I've ever had.
Crazy. Completely crazy.
But I smiled back.
◆ Kael
The afternoon was coming to an end when the last creature fell.
I sat on the stone floor next to the gate, spear lying in my lap. My arms trembled. Not from fear. From pure exhaustion. Twelve hours of uninterrupted combat.
I looked around.
Guards leaned on each other. Knights still standing, but barely. Adventurers fallen, breathing deeply. Blood everywhere—from monsters and people.
— Kael. — Theron appeared, offering a canteen. — Drink.
I took it and drank. Cold water. I had never felt anything so good.
— How many? — I asked, returning the canteen.
— Dead? — He sighed. — They're still counting. But I've already seen at least ten guards. Five knights. Three adventurers. And some civilians who couldn't reach the shelter in time.
I closed my eyes.
Eighteen that I knew of. Probably more.
— It could have been worse. — My voice came out weak.
— It could have. — Theron looked at the forest. — If they hadn't killed the leader, we'd all be dead now.
He was right.
The bell rang again. But it wasn't an alarm. It was the victory chime. Three long strikes. Pause. Three long strikes.
Shouts echoed through the city. Relief. Joy. Crying.
— Kael! — Gareth came down from the tower, smiling. — Collectors are already out there! Come see!
I forced my body to get up. Every muscle protested, but I managed.
I walked to the wall and looked down.
The area in front of the gate was a graveyard. Bodies of goblins, wolves, orcs, boars. Hundreds. Maybe more than a thousand.
And in the middle of it all, collectors were working.
They were civilians—butchers, artisans, merchants—who always followed after battles. They collected usable meat, hides, bones, tusks. Nothing was wasted.
I saw a group around a huge Wild Boar. The creature must have weighed half a ton. Thick fur, tusks the size of arms. Killed by a spear through the neck.
— Good meat, that. — Gareth commented beside me. — Succulent. Cook it right and it'll be a feast.
— Feast? — I looked at him.
— Of course. We won, didn't we? Tradition. After battle, if we survive, we celebrate.
Celebrate.
It seemed surreal after all that.
But when night fell, that's exactly what they were doing.
The central courtyard of Arken had turned into a party.
Torches illuminated everything. Tables improvised with planks and barrels. Jars of beer and wine passing from hand to hand. And in the center, over a huge bonfire, pieces of Wild Boar were roasting, fat dripping and sizzling in the flames.
The smell was incredible.
I sat at one of the tables with Theron and some guards. Gareth brought full jars.
— To victory! — he raised his jar.
— To victory! — we replied in chorus.
The beer was strong, bitter, perfect.
Someone brought meat. Thick pieces, still hot, succulent. I bit into it. Flavor exploded in my mouth. Really succulent. The best meat I had ever eaten.
— Guards of Arken! — Arianne's voice cut through the noise.
I looked up. The princess was standing on one of the tables, jar raised. She was no longer wearing armor. Simple clothes, hair loose, but she still had a commanding presence.
— Today we fought! We bled! And we won! — She raised the jar higher. — For those who fell! For those who live! For Arken!
— For Arken! — The cry echoed throughout the courtyard.
I drank again. I laughed. For the first time in twelve hours, I felt my body relax.
Beside me, Theron devoured meat as if he hadn't eaten in days.
— Can you believe we survived? — he asked between bites.
— No. — I answered honestly. — When I saw that bear, I thought it was the end.
— Me too. — He smiled. — But the Priestess and the Princess are monsters.
Monsters in a good way.
I looked around. Eleonora was talking to Rodrik, both with jars in their hands. Arianne was laughing loudly at a table full of knights. Adventurers were celebrating together, telling exaggerated stories of their deeds.
The final count had arrived before the party started.
Twenty-seven dead. Fifteen seriously injured who might not make it through the night.
During the battle, I had seen eighteen fall. But afterwards, they found more. Bodies under rubble. Guards who died of wounds while the fighting continued. Civilians who didn't reach the shelters in time.
Forty-two in total, if the injured didn't survive.
But the rest were alive.
That night, we celebrated the living.
I took more meat. I drank more beer. And for the first time since that bloodied woman had arrived with the baby in her arms, I felt like I could breathe.
The battle was over.
Arken had endured.
And tomorrow, the sun would rise again.