Chapter 119
Kaiden
We’d come back to see the packhouse in utter shambles…. All the Warriors were with their small pups outside, while they all desperately tried to wrangle them all… but at least out there, we had an endless supply of toys…and a yard to tussle in.
But we let them have their fun. Word had gotten out that Jerold was going to share some of his old battle stories, something that none of us here were alive to witness… All us older wolves, Warriors and the like gathered round Jerold. He was given more comfortable sweats by his mate, since they thought to pack light… and he had an instrument I hadn’t seen before. Mrs. Flowers, the pups’ old kindergarten teacher knew how to play it. being over 600.
“Do you know the Dark Ballad of the Warrior.” Jerold asked her. “It’s hard to bard these days.” He chuckled.
“I do your highness. The hurdy-gurdy was a fan favorite in my youth.” She said, being interested in the history of this world as well. She started tuning the instrument. “Though… I didn’t know the ballad had words.”
“It does… and Jerold is Fine.” He said catching Mini. She’d jumped into his arms. “You want to hear papa’s stories?” He grinned.
“Yes!” She beamed sleepily… They were getting a little old for naps, but we wouldn’t stop her if she did.
“I do too…” Caleb tugged on my pantleg, being the only pup besides Mini who was interested. She sat on her papa’s lap, while Noah got sodas.
“It’s ready Officer Jerold.” Mrs. Flowers smiled.
“I’ll try to keep it PG….” Said Jerold.
Many of us sat in the grass, as now that Mrs. Flowers played. Teen pups came to listen; she got their attention too…. the violin like sound… and the melancholy melody made my hair stand up.
“I guess I should start from after our first defeat… When Xaxas… The Tyrant King First rose to power.” He said leaning back. “I’ll try my best to translate the story to English.”
-----Jerald------
-----Many years ago-----
“Ash we’re out of food.” I complained shaking the buckskin satchel we used to hold dried meat… It was slim pickings even though all around us was death….
We were all called together by the visions of Gwyneth…. And we all starved together… we were a herd.
The courses that lined the battlefield were charred to a crisp. There was no grass, nor tree, nor smoldering half burnt deer… He’d killed it all with a beam of red light that turned the sky black for a moment….
“They must have angered him.” Said King Ashital, the Wolf King.
“Let’s Move on. I heard there’s still life in France.” Said Victor, the Vampire King. He was so starved he no longer held the ability to keep his eyes from turning red.
We walked through the dust of his destruction. It was the first time we’d seen what the power of a god could do. On a whim, temples were defiled…. Crops were burned… ashes rose so thick in the sky you’d choke.
Regardless that night, we trudged on until we got to an abandoned town. That was likely the epicenter of it, since the buildings were still so hot, that my hooves had trouble stomping over the coals.
We let Diana use her magic to cool down a patch of ground. We thought that it would be best to camp there, since everything was so desolate in this area. No one thought that we would be ambushed come sundown.
We made camp with what little rags that we had to put on the ground. We covered ourselves in tattered blankets we saved for warmth. All of us hungered together. We were a unit, chosen and handpicked to defeat this undefeatable champion, yet in that Sisyphean solidarity, we all managed to get some sleep… Very little sleep, but it was Something…..
After all, we may have failed this city that we camped in, however, there were many others who did need us. We all knew it would be a couple days before he would set out again on another journey to destroy another city, and we decided amongst ourselves to recuperate.
I had first watch.
I was the first one to see the horde that came like dust in the wind, with the swarm of locusts behind them. The air was so thick with the destruction the little insects brought, that if there was anything left to eat that we'd missed, we definitely would miss it now.
The only weapon I had, since the last club I had was destroyed, was only a singed, charcoal briquette of a stick. I fought them off as best I could, waking up the rest with the alarm we'd all agreed on. That battle raged for five hours, and by the time they decided to retreat, sleep was no longer an option.
Even though I no longer held first watch since so much time had passed, we still all stayed up awake together watching each other 's backs. It took us a three-day march to a small village where France now resides. There was still life there, but we knew that would be his next target.
The people there were actually very nice…. After so much war… it was almost unnatural.
They didn't know who we were, just that we were abnormally taller and stronger than they were. This area seemed to have been devoid of a supernatural presence that was negative, but we would soon find out why it wasn't.
I'd used what little gold I've scrounged up in the desolate city to give us some better raiment and food provisions. However, 1 stood out. She was a beautiful woman with hair that glittered like pure water… Many of the others now that I thought of it, had white hair ,something uncommon for people of this time period since hair dyes were not a thing.
They also looked very youthful, and they were joyous…. and vegan. That was odd because the idea of veganism had not yet caught on. Many had certain abstinence days where they withheld from meat, for religious reasons. However, these women did not hold any Sun God memorabilia.
They were not nuns… but their scent was one of Light….
They did have functioning Sun Church of the Light though. Many of the meat stuffs that I got were not for their consumption, but for trade. They traded with the other people who passed through this way, and their prices were very accommodating.
“IS IT QUEEN SKY?!” Screamed Isabel at the top of her lungs, interrupting my monologue… She dangled from her father’s neck like a talisman….
Everyone complained. Well, Everyone but Mini. She fell asleep. She stayed up the entire night in excitement for our weekend trip.
I snorted and rolled my eyes. That little girl was so obsessed with unicorns, that I wouldn't be surprised if her mate turned out to be one when she grew up.
“Don't ruin the story.” I said putting my finger to my lips and continued.
“…Okay….” She grumbled, unphased at all the disapproval.
Anyway, the leader of this village was also a little odd to say the least, as in this part of Europe, women were not typically in charge. At least not in charge of an entire people. She bowed her head low and respectfully when I approached her.
“I’m Queen Sky, of the Unicorns. The mortals and horse alike you see here Know who we are. We are creatures of the light, and I feel called to aid you.” She said, holding a pitcher of water.
“Then you should know of the danger you are in. The village of Grain Ridge was destroyed only three days ago. Surely, you have had the news of such devastation. None to the West are left. There is no grass, there are no birds, there are no trees, there is no life. If any of you value your lives you will leave this area and let him just destroy it. However, as a queen, you may accompany us and defend it.”
I said this firmly…. seriously, giving her the room to decide, but also letting her know of the right. I would not sugarcoat this for her so she could live in some sort of ignorance of the danger that was here at her doorstep.
After all, the most dangerous thing about the tyrant king is his boredom.
He was not a child, yet he enjoyed childish games. For him it was amusement, and for everyone else it was torment and terror. At this point I have already seen the unspoken truths of that statement and care not to share the details. However, I knew their time was already up. We were never given much time to rest between his rampage.
She gave the picture of water to a passing woman in servants attire. “Ready my armor and evacuate the city.” She said with a kind and gentle voice one would expect from a mother lulling a child to sleep, however her gentle eyes were fierce with determination.
The servants scampered off to do their Queens bidding, well she summoned the glowing white sword from nothing, using magic. “With all that I am, with all that I hold dear, I was given this gift for this day. I know we will lose this battle, however, I would rather lose and try than run and fail anyway.”
She said this like a true warrior that had been training her entire life, and I don't understand how she did cover but I remember just rolling with it.
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