Chapter 25. Greatest foes invaded the Forteza Village

"Amiro Feren is my younger brother. While his Young Master's name was Darth Lancelot."

Her mouth dropped open upon hearing his words; then, she swallowed hard to calm her senses.

"Small world," she mumbled as she put down the cup of coffee, remembering his majestic countenance.

"What? What did you say?

"Oh, nothing. I just remembered someone," she reasoned out, and he looked convinced enough not to pursue it any further. She turned her attention to him fully, a small frown of concern tugging at the corners of her lips. "You said your parents died because of the Emperor, right? But why?"

"We are not digne of reverence because we are all drastic like a slave born to live according to his will. Everyone here had been loyal to him for decades, including my family. But when my father got injured and could not serve him anymore, he decided to take over our race by force and violence. We were powerless." he sighed heavily, his shoulder sagging forward slightly. His eyes darted toward her with controllable despiteous. And in spite of enduring the hell of the past, the pain in his voice betrayed how much the subject still pained him greatly.

Hera was speechless. She had never heard such a terrible story about anyone in all the millennia she'd lived. Her heart clenched in empathy, knowing how devastating the death of those closest to you must have felt. How painful would it be if there hadn't been a way to save them?

Silence settled between the two, filled only by her heavy breathing. Hera frowned, unsure of what to do at this point. The only consolation she could offer him was, "Well, I suppose there has always been more than one way to make things right."

"Precisely." Fajardo smiled faintly, although his expression was strained, the edges sharpened by sorrow. "And I hope my story proves you're not alone."

Hera nodded, delighted. The fact that he could talk about these matters so calmly, even though they were so tragic, left her in awe of him. She couldn't imagine being propelled to live with such tragedy constantly or having the bravery to face it every day while the memories of the past hurtled in his brain like a disastrous hurricane.

Suddenly, a loud noise broke the silence, accompanied by the rumbling shouts of the people outside.

They shared a look before jumping to their feet, keen to investigate. They walked to the nearest windows and caught sight of an unbelievable scene outside.

Numerous werewolves were running, eradicating everyone in their path in a frenzy. Many others attempted to fight, but they were all powerless. The sounds of the fight grew louder the more seconds passed.

What's terrifying scene are those dragons above, screeching as they spat out a burning fire indiscriminately at people who tried to flee. The explosions despatched shockwaves through the sky, knocking people off balance and sending debris flying everywhere. Screams and cries of terror resonated throughout the surrounding.

"Oh god! What's happening?!" Hera gasped in disbelief, clutching at the window frame to stay balanced. "The war… it's real. I thought it all ended."

Feeling shocked, she couldn't believe how this thing could happen in an instant considering she was still problematic from the last attack she'd had. Her problems regarding her father have not been resolved yet, but there is another dilemma for her to confront.

Fajardo took a deep breath as he stared into the mayhem.
"This is a terrible sign. You have to hide!" Fajardo grasped her hand tightly, practically yanking her into the corner but then she shook him off.

"No, wait! I have to see my Auntie. You can't just force me to hide without— "

"I will find her," he assured her, cutting off the protestation.

"Alright... thank you." she slowly bowed her head.

He nodded until he opened the door on the floor where a stair of a secret passage led to an unused room. "It's empty. Go ahead. Take the stairs and be careful."

He didn't linger for her response. In seconds, he had disappeared in the shadows of the room before her eyes, leaving her standing frozen in front of the opened secret doorway. She inhaled deeply before pushing it and descending the staircase.





HIDING at the small cave, Fajardo peered cautiously from behind the thick bushes and rocks lining the threshold. The battle raging outside made his hair stand on edge, and he couldn't help feeling anxious.

"Are you sure Hera is safe there?" Vera inquired, sounding concerned and apprehensive at the same time. "Perhaps it would be better for us to go back first…."

"She's okay," Fajardo reassured, although his voice sounded slightly strained. "Besides, she's safer than we are now."

Vere seemed to hesitate before nodding. "I hope she knows that werewolves and dragons are real. And we have to accept that for every arrival, a thousand people might die, and countless innocent lives fall under the claws of tyranny."

"I don't have much information about Hera. But by the ways she talks and perceives the world, she doesn't seem like an ordinary mortal. She is a wise and strong woman."

Those words soothed Vera somehow, despite the grimness of the situation.

This is the hardest part of living with no preventive measure of action. There was no guarantee that they could survive after this bloody war.

Just like Fajardo, Vera is alone now and can feel the weight of her life. Hera's mother and Vera were cousins.

With this grave reality, it's difficult to keep faith that one person alone has an aptitude enough against such monstrous forces, especially when the stakes are so high. And this war was the first time they faced such a cruel reality as the dragon's wrath and the werewolves' brutality.

Fajardo and Vera stayed at the small cave; they didn't hesitate to help whoever was nearby outside in any way they could. They even let a group of refugees from the other side of their land enter the cave, ensuring there was more than enough space to shelter them until they could devise a plan.

Everyone is brimming with tears, feeling lost, especially those who witnessed the carnage firsthand and, most notably, those who had no idea what happened to their loved ones after they fled.

And for a moment, Fajardo felt overwhelmed with sadness when he remembered those innocents who didn't know the bloody trouble they had stepped into without knowing why, along with those bitter questions that even his mind couldn't answer.

How could they fight dragons and werewolves without proper preparation? Without proper knowledge? Without any weapons or powers?

But even then, he managed to throw all those adverse feelings aside and continue his vigil, watching for any signs of activity in the place they currently hid.

But then again, how? How could they escape from the ruthless hands of monsters meant to destroy the very thing the people revered most?

As the battle outside raged on, Fajardo's thoughts inevitably turned into dark spiraling clouds of dread.