Hounds of War [Yandere Generals x Female General Reader]

47. Sibling Rivalry.

The whimsical light in his eyes flickering out at once Eslinn jumped to his feet, his ears alert and his muscles taut as he listened to the person's approach.

The sound of the footsteps came closer and closer until they eventually stopped. Moments passed in silence, and then a familiar snide voice spoke, "Out for a walk in the moonlight, a bit cold for that, don't you think... Brother?"

"What do you want Esclave?" Eslinn growled, recognizing the condescending voice at once as he turned around, drawing his sword. "Why have you come?"

"Can a man not even go for a walk without having a sword pointed at him?" Esclave pouted in offense, as he looked mockingly at his older brother, "Tsk tsk, you're getting more paranoid by the day brother."

"He can't if he's wandering around in the middle of the night, especially if he's you," Eslinn growled, remaining on guard as he ignored the brunette's patronizing tone. Despite his frail appearance, he knew just how dangerous his brother could be if provoked. "You have always been a schemer, ever since you were a boy."

"Do you blame me?" Esclave chuckled, still keeping up the facade of politeness, though it gradually slipped away the more he spoke. "Growing up so scrawny among you and our other brothers who were practically giants in comparison, not to mention father. If I didn't scheme I never would have survived." He scoffed, glaring indignantly at his brother.

"Do you expect me to compliment you for being a dishonest wretch? Don't hold your breath," Eslinn snapped, growing tired of his company's passive-aggressiveness. Ever since Esclave had been born, he had always been his least favorite sibling. "Now what do you want?" He demanded.

"What do I want?" Esclave mused, his blue eyes bright as he placed his hand to his chin and pretended to think it over. "Hmm, where to begin. Well, I want you dead, but I also want Y/N as my lover and I simply can't pick between the two." He told his brother in a disgustingly honeyed voice, smirking.

"You Swine!!" Eslinn exclaimed, lunging forward and pressing the blade against the pale flesh of his neck. "I could kill you for saying something like that!!" He threatened and the cold look in his eyes made it clear that he was willing to act on it too.

"You wouldn't kill your own brother," Esclave chuckled, playing it cool even with a sword to his neck. "we both know that."

"Good thing I don't see you as my brother," The Esedict general hissed, pressing the blade more firmly against his tender throat. "You're nothing more than General Denlleonis's property, and she ought to discipline you better."

"You seem to think pretty highly of yourself," Esclave retorted, a touch of bitterness in his voice. His brother had struck a nerve, even if he didn't want to admit it. "And I may be nothing more than a slave, but my position at Y/N's side has given me access to things that you can only dream of."

"Like what?" Eslinn scoffed, lowering his sword and taking a step back, curious despite himself about what his brother could be referring to.

"Well, since she sees me as an extension of herself, I have seen her cry, and nursed her when she's been ill," Esclave said. Noticing that it only caused his brother's brow to crease he added after a minute's silence, "I have also seen her naked.~” he whispered smugly in his ear.

"Why you little-" Eslinn growled, taking hold of him and shoving him away on instinct as his rage and jealousy took hold of him. He took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. "Why would I care about your creepy obsession over your general?" He scoffed in disdain.

"You can't fool me so easily," Esclave continued to smirk, the poor light of the moon casting his face in shadow making his expression appear even more unstable and unsettling. "I know that you feel the same way about her, we're brothers after all."

"And so what if I do?" Eslinn shot back, beginning to lose his patience. "Do you honestly think that Y/N would ever choose you over me?" He snapped, an arrogant smirk appearing on his own face as he looked down at his brother.

Esclave tsked and looked away, clearly what his brother said had hit a sensitive spot. Seeing that he was finally able to get to him, he continued to press his discovered weakness. "You're a coward, you're submissive, you're deceitful, and you're weak!" He listed all the obvious reasons that Y/N would never love Esclave, even if she could.

He was caught off guard when Esclave suddenly started to laugh hysterically. Even though he was a seasoned warrior the sound of it sent chills down his spine, something about it was unnatural. After several minutes Esclave regained enough composure to say, "You have a point there, you are the obvious first choice, but you left out something critical in your assessment." His blue eyes glinted with pure malice as he looked at his older brother. "You are assuming that you will still be alive for her to pick you." He stated, his threat clear in his words.

Eslinn stood there in shocked silence. He would normally not have been intimated by such a preposterous thing, but the look in his eyes gave him pause, it was not the look of a man, but of a savage beast. Despite that, he was determined to stand his ground.

"Since you are my brother I am giving you a warning, unlike the other generals who will eventually meet that fate regardless," Esclave murmured, his aura growing more murderous by the moment as he thought of the Luccian generals that he had to side with for his own survival. "Give up your affection for Y/N, and I will let you live." He warned.

"Never!" Eslinn growled, forgetting to be cautious as he put on a brave front. "I will not be intimidated by the likes of you!"

"I see," Esclave said darkly. They stared at each other in frozen silence, waiting for the other to move. After several minutes, Esclave let one menacing sentence leave his lips before he turned around to leave, "well, don't say that I didn't give you a chance to live... Brother."

A/N

Ooooooo, things are really starting to get intense! I am so excited for the coming chapters, I have some big plans. ^~^

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~