[A few monts earlier...]
The thunder of hooves pounded fiercely through the forest as the warhorses surged forward, scattering snow with every stride.
Kyren, Adam, and Rafe navigated the last stretch of dense woods and burst into a clearing; a field stretched with white beneath the winter sky.
Rhen’s barking grew sharper and more urgent, echoing across the open plains. The puppy sprinted ahead with a stiff tail. His senses were locked in one direction, and his sprinting beca faster.
By now, they knew they were close to where Anna and Helen should be. Then, far across the white expanse, they spotted several dark shapes scattered against the snow.
At first, they looked like re silhouettes, but as the trio advanced, the devastating scene sharpened into grim detail.
The battlefield was carved into the ground itself; long trenches cut by violent magic, scorched patches where flas had seared through the frost, and deep furrows from clashing weapons.
Splintered shields, shattered arrows, broken swords and torn pieces of cloaks littered the snow, stained with sars of frozen blood. The nearer they rode, the more vivid the aftermath beca.
Several knights lay motionless, one of them cradled by Helen. Two others, Noah and Drystan, sat slumped on the ground, clutching their injuries. Even from afar, it was clear that both of them were severely hurt.
Rafe’s breath tightened. His gaze darted sharply, searching desperately for a flash of silver locks. Callis’s distinct hair was always easy to spot in any crowd, yet she was nowhere among the wounded knights.
A cold worry crawled up his spine. Anryr had told him she left with the group. So why wasn’t she here?
A limping knightess was hauling another weakened figure on her back—one with long, silver hair. Rafe didn’t need a second thought to recognise them. His heart plumted.
Why was Callis being carried? What happened to her? Why was she separated from the knights? And why were they all the way at the ridge?
Just then, Clara lowered the derian Princess carefully to the ground, steadying her trembling body and handing her the white bow.
Rafe froze in terror as the derian Princess nocked the arrow and aid the target towards the sky.
"I need to go to my wife!" Rafe shouted, yanking the reins hard as he veered off, breaking formation and racing towards the ridge.
Kyren did not stop him. Because at that exact mont, his own eyes caught movent on the opposite end of the plains—three figures slipping towards the tree-covered area. One of them was much smaller than the other two, swaying unsteadily between them.
His heart clenched. That walk and those steps... he could recognise them anywhere. It was truly Anna.
"Adam, tend to the knights!" Kyren barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
Without another word, the grand duke kicked his horse into a surge of speed, tearing across the snow towards the fleeing figures, dread and determination burning in his chest.
The two n split paths—Kyren swerving sharply to circle and intercept the fleeing Bargesians with Anna, while Adam charged towards the cluster of knights still gathered at the previous battleground.
Noah and Drystan spotted them imdiately. Both injured n lifted their arms desperately, waving with all the strength they had left as though trying to force a ssage across the snowy field.
But the Grand Duke never even glanced their way. His focus was fixed solely on his quarry.
Adam reached the knights first and leapt off his stallion, boots sinking into the churned snow.
"Turn back! Get to His Highness! Tell him not to pursue the Bargesians!" Noah shouted, his voice cracking with pain and urgency.
Every breath burned, but still he pushed the words out. He had scread earlier when he first saw Kyren, Adam, and Rafe enter the clearing, but none of them had heard him.
Instead of slowing, Kyren had vanished into the treeline after the enemy, while Rafe tore away towards the ridge where Callis and Clara were.
Watching them scatter in different directions stirred a storm of emotions within the injured group. So felt relief because help had finally arrived, but underneath, sothing heavier lingered.
It was the fear for the grand duke’s safety. As Callis had said, the dark magic could only be defeated with holy magic.
Although Kyren had the powerful Ro’an mana, he lacked the ability to cast the combat spell, which was a significant disadvantage.
The knights had suffered the terrible consequences of crossing blades with Brone. They were not ordinary n. Each of them was highly trained, and among them, Alex, Noah, and Drystan stood as high-ranked knights.
Even with Callis, a derian Princess who possessed magical capabilities and fought with the strength and skill of their calibre, they still failed to subdue the Bargesian leader and his mage.
Callis had not been wrong in her earlier warning before the battle began. And seeing the devastation now, her words about Kyren not having the upper hand against Brone felt painfully, undeniably true.
The Bargesians’ hatred for the grand duke ran far deeper than their hostility towards the knights, since he was the one who had once led the hunt to eradicate them. Their vengeance was personal, and it would be unleashed with full force.
Despite the warning, Adam didn’t do as told. Instead, he approached them.
"Are you all right?" the admiral asked.
His words abruptly stopped as his eyes widened in horror at the sight of those knights badly injured. Alex and Eli lay sprawled across the snow, unconscious and unmoving, while Damon, in the sa condition, was cradled by Helen.
"Are they still alive?" he demanded.
"They’re still breathing. Don’t worry about us!" Noah replied urgently. "Go bring His Highness back!"
"His Highness ordered to attend to you!" Adam countered.
"You don’t understand! He’s in danger!" Drystan snapped, voice strained with pain.
"What do you an?" Adam asked, confused.
Before anyone could answer, a sudden eruption split the sky.
’Thump!’
All heads jerked upward. A burst of white light glittered above the clouds... then shifted into a brilliant blue.
"Mrs Amares did it! She fired the signal!" Drystan cried, the anguish on his face giving way to raw hope.
"And it’s blue! His Highness Prince Kiev is coming!" Noah added, relief trembling in his voice.
Both knights seed revived by the sight—strength flickering back into their eyes despite their battered bodies. Adam, however, still looked lost, unable to piece together the chaotic fragnts of information.
Noah grabbed his arm.
"You must reach His Highness and tell him to retreat. He must not face the Bargesians directly!" he warned. "They will kill him!"
"You doubt His Highness the Grand Duke’s capability?" Adam asked, stunned.
"The enemies are using dark magic, and its source is the Khasif’s blood!" Drystan said grimly. "He can’t defeat them!"
"What?" The admiral stared at him, bewildered.
"It’s true, Admiral Jas," Helen cried, wiping her tears with trembling hands. "Look what they’ve done. Sir McQuinn is barely alive because of them. And Mrs Amares... she used up the last of her mana trying to save him. Only His Highness Prince Kiev can turn this around."
Adam pushed himself to his feet, turning sharply as the weight of their warnings pressed down on him. His gaze swept the clearing, searching frantically for Kyren’s silhouette, but the Grand Duke was nowhere in sight.
"Oh no... It’s too late," he said, voice tight with alarm. "I won’t reach him in ti. By now, he’s already at the Bargesians’ heels."
"Even so, you still have to go," Noah insisted. "Drag His Highness back or knock him out if you must... whatever it takes. It’s a gamble to leave Lady Raychard with the enemies, but trust . They won’t harm her. They need her alive."
Adam clenched his fist. The decision gnawed at his conscience. Running after Kyren now would be pointless; the grand duke had probably already engaged the enemy. Additionally, these individuals were severely injured and required assistance.
"I’ll go," he said at last. "But I can’t leave all of you like this. We need backup. The royal knights should be scouring the area for your trail."
He pulled the horn from his belt, placed it to his lips, and blew.
A deep, hollow signal rolled across the plains—an urgent call for aid. With hope that the royal knights would hear it, he lowered the horn and handed it to Noah.
"Keep this with you. Blow it again later if no one shows up," Adam said. "Stay put and wait for the royal knights, and don’t leave this area. You know what to do."
Noah nodded, gripping the horn firmly despite the tremor in his injured arm.
Adam had just turned to mount his warhorse when a sudden rustling in the field made all of them tense. A small, white puppy burst out from the snow, bounding towards them with energetic barks.
The knights blinked, stunned.
"Rhen? This... is the help we called for?" Drystan muttered under his breath, bewildered.
Adam swung onto his saddle and shook his head.
"Don’t be surprised. This little fellow is the one who led us straight to you."
Rhen circled Noah and Drystan, tail wagging vigorously despite the bleak atmosphere, letting out a soft, encouraging bark.
Noah breathed out a shaky remark, reaching down to pat the pup’s head.
"Arl left us a great companion," he murmured. "A loyal guide... and a stubborn one too, just like him."
Rhen barked again, almost as if agreeing.
Adam tightened his grip on the reins.
"Stay alive until I bring His Highness back," he ordered, then spurred his horse forward, racing towards the storm the grand duke was surely caught in.
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