A Kaskian Story: Leaon, the Kings General

Chapter Fifteen

"Sir!" A Soldier yelled, running towards Leaon. "The prisoner has escaped!"

"What!?" Leaon replied as he grabbed the man by the collar of his chest piece. "What do you mean he has escaped!? Where did he go!?"

"Na... Na... North... through the fog towards the mountains..." He stuttered, gripping Leaon's wrists as he tried to breath.

"Get your gear!" Leaon ordered Jarrant, Shizrin, and Sali as he tossed the man aside to grab his Sword. "We leave now!"

Leaon put his sword on his back, picked up the man he had tossed and ordered him to show them where the Prisoner was last seen. The group followed the Guard through the encampment towards where the rebels were being corralled back into the place they had been prior to Erik's daring escape. The General pushed his way through the Rebels, following the path that his prey had used, knowing too well how he thinks. Leaon knows that in battle the Anvil Warrior may be superior in skills, yet was lacking in strategic experience compared to him. Once he was shown the way that his captive had fled, Leaon followed the trail with his three comrades riding their horses closely behind him.

The Anvil Warrior burst from the fog as he sprinted as fast as he could, knowing that it would not be long before the General would be alerted to his escape and hot on his trail. His mind already made up, Erik fled away from the magical mist towards the trees that waited in the distance at the base of the mountains. The thought repeated in his head that the only way for him to stay free would be to reach the tree line and use his skill to out maneuver Leaon and his group one by one, as together, they would be too much for him in his current condition.

Erik pushed on, the trees creeping ever closer as the sun slowly moved higher in the sky, sweat drenching his brow, and light glistening off the sword he had stolen. His lungs burning from exhaustion, he trudged on, the thought of his family pushing him, urging him to continue, Aiden, Rina, and... And... his mind stumbled as pain shot through his body as if it struggled to remember something once lost. The Anvil Warrior fell to the ground only for a moment as he picked the sword back up and pushed on, knowing he had no time to rest. He knew he could not focus on the past, only hope for the future as the trees came closer, only moments away. Erik dared not look behind him as passed the tree line and vanished from sight of anyone who could have been following him.

"Faster!" Leaon yelled as he glimpsed his foe entering the woods in the distance. "He will be lost in the mountains if we do not hurry!"

The General pushed on, his allies close on his heels as their horses struggled to keep pace with the mighty Felein. As they neared the tree line, Leaon slowed his pace until he came to a complete halt only a few steps from the first set of trees. Surveying his surroundings, the Felein thought about what his captives' best options would be, knowing that continuing on at the rate he was going would not be among them. The Anvil Warrior could either head back towards Kaskia or turn to head towards Premus, both seemed unlikely to Leaon, from what he came to know about the man, the General believed that he would most likely head up the mountain a bit further and wait, catching his breath and preparing a trap of some sort. With that in mind, the Felein ordered Jarrant, Shizrin, and Sali to spread out and move into the woods but to stay within sight of each other as he led them from the center.

"Anvil!" Leaon bellowed as he placed his sword on his back. "I know you can hear me! Come out and return with us to camp and no harm will be placed on you or anyone else."

The group slowly marched forward, waiting for a response from their prey. All but Leaon had their weapons ready for any sign of Erik in case he decided to fight. They knew if Leaon said no harm would befall him that their leader meant it. They could tell that the General came to respect the legendary warrior and did not cherish what they had to do. Silence flowed across the woods, no sounds of animals or the escapee.