After defeating Agrona, Arthur Leywin finally comes back to a Dicathen that is finally in a time of peace. But divides between the races, and the need for political discourse with a new continent means there is a lot of work ahead for the young lanc...
Footsteps splashed in the settling rainwater, lifting it up off the ground as they hurried away. The conditions of rain made it difficult to keep a fast pace, as members of the group ran from the area, slipping and wasting precious seconds trying to keep upright in the muddy terrain.
The sea of trees around them acted like an obstacle course, forcing them to veer left and right in order to evade them as the men kept a breakneck pace while running. Not towards a specific destination. Just away. Far far away. As far as their feet could take them.
They all prayed that the fog the forest of Elshire was known for was not playing tricks on them, not making them think they were going straight while in actuality they were rounding themselves up. Ready for slaughter.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream penetrated the silence.
Another followed soon after, echoing through the forest, closer this time. It wasn't an animal they were hearing, but something far more sinister.
Their hearts pounded in their chests, their feet pounding against the sinking forest floor. Branches whipped at their faces, and twigs snapped beneath their feet. The screams continued, each one closer and more haunting.
The men were easily 50-strong before everything went downhill. But now there were only about 10 left of them.
Exhaustion filled their bodies, and aches from their muscles screamed at them. But the screams of their comrades acted like a fire in their hearts. They will not be caught, each of them said to themselves. They said it themselves in quiet prayer, hoping that repeating their hopes constantly like a mantra their hopes would bring it to fruition.
It might have worked if they were chased by normal beings. But they were being targeted by the Godkiller himself.
The men had heard that the famous war hero had decided to continue in his role as a lance of Elenoir. But they had laughed it off, even when they heard the announcement that the lance would be focused on destroying the remnants of the slave trade that had picked up since the end of the war.
Surely the peace-loving people of Elenoir wouldn't do a thing to them even if caught right?
They laughed mirthlessly to themselves as they remembered their current situation, running for their lives in the forest.
Suddenly, a purple hue lit up the forest in a strange glow, but only for a second as the sound of crackling lightning followed soon after. All of them slowed down to a stop at the sound. They knew there was no chance of escaping anymore, and prayed that by surrendering they could make it out of this situation with their lives.
Out of nowhere, the auburn-haired man appeared, glowering down at the men that had been fleeing with their tails between their legs. Not one of the men dared to move or make a sound lest they grab the ire of the man in front of them.
"Where is your hideout? Where did you take the girls?" The lance said with an icy cold tone, eyes glowing in the nightlight, thrumming with power. He turned to the weakest looking in the group, picking on the one most likely to break the fastest.
Arthur did not even need to say anything more, not even a threat of harm. It was insinuated by his powerful glare. The legends of grandeur that made others look up to him as a hero worked to intimidate the men before him. If even a fraction they heard of his feats was true, what chance of survival did they have under the tip of his aetheric blade?
The young man's pants became stained a dark shade as the distinct smell of urine filled the air. "Th-There is a hideout in the Grand Mountains near Ashber. Then-They should be over there until a buyer comes around willing to pay enough for them."
Arthur nodded before standing up, releasing pressure from his core to intimidate everyone into obedience. "You will come with me to be locked up and charged for your crimes. As long as everyone listens to me, you all will live to see another day."
Arthur's voice was calm and assuring, but in his eyes was a vile hatred that spoke volumes. He hated with every fiber of his being what the men were doing and would have loved nothing more than for one of them to act up. To give him a reason to snuff all their lives out of existence.
Where others saw an angel, the boy targeted by the lance only saw the devil. The title mentioned in hushed furtive whispers in the underground seemed exaggerated when he first heard it.
But he now knew it was true. The Demon of Elshire is real. And there was no way to escape him once he views you as his prey.
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