What Lurks Behind The Trees

Save this city

"We'll see you on the other side!" Celia saluted and climbed Zaveo's back as she waved at her brothers and the others.

"Stand back!" Venkalth told them as Zaveo started to heave, preparing to thrust off the ground. His feet kicked the snow beneath him as they ascended making it look like dust around them. Gregor covered his eyes from the snow.

"Ah! It's blinding me!" Aden yelled, rubbing his eyes frantically. Everyone rolled their eyes in unison.

Zaveo flapped his wings, Celia was still waving at them from the sky. They flew up and over the forest until they were behind the clouds, out of site.

"Come one, let's move!" Julian said to the men, "Foot soldiers, assemble!" Julian yelled as he walked past the soldiers.

The soldiers on horses assembled on the sides, the foot soldiers were in the middle and finally Serlon's men were at the back, riding on polar bears to Gregor's surprise.

The cursed men, Julian and Raymond walked to the Queen of Aigronyth, they bent the knee in front of her.

"Thank you, my Queen, for everything you have done for us," Raymond said.

"Rise, King of Osledel," Evidelia said to Raymond.

He lifted his head and smiled at her.

"That's right, you're king!" Aden said and clapped him on the back.

Raymond stood up.

He turned to all the thousands of men that stood before him, he filled his chest with oxygen with one big inhale and smiled.

"Victory is awaiting us!" He said with a clear and loud voice and everyone cheered "We will not let our people down!" and with that, he walked away to resume his position on one of the birds.

"Is that his speech?" Aden whispered and Alan elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch! I thought it would be more moving," he frowned at Alan.

The eight cursed men, Julian and Raymond, took their places on the giant birds, each one of them riding with a soldier.

"WAIT!"

They all turned around and saw Seefe, but behind her, there was crowd of Malifs, all carrying weapons and all dressed in armour.

"Seefe, what's going on?" The Queen asked.

"I convinced them!" She laughed "I convinced them to join you! You helped me find my mother, that's the least I could do!"

"We're fast in the river, we can use the river that runs through the forest to travel," one of the Malifs said.

Julian broke into a smile, he looked at Raymond to see that he was also smiling.

"Let's do this again then... victory is awaiting us, we must not let our people down..." Raymond said smiling "We are short on food and supplies, we all have different fighting techniques, we are all different, but we have one goal and that is to win against an evil man who has the power to destroy Osledel and possibly invade Aigronyth and all the neighbouring kingdoms, we will not let him! Losing is a possibility, but we must bury that thought far away in a place where it will not trigger the fear in us, we must think of the victory and only victory!" Raymond cried out, lifting his fist in the air.

The soldiers of Aigronyth cried out and lifted their weapons in the air, their weapons lit up blue row by row, like a wave in the colossal sea. Raymond almost teared up at the view. A sea of glowing weapons, ready to advance. The Queen smiled from the side at her men.

"Now that's a speech," Aden said, wiping a tear from his eye.

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"Master Cedric!" A guard barged into the quarters, sweat dripping down his face as he panted for breath.

Cedric stood up, sensing a problem "What is it?"

"Master Cedric! King Edmund is on his way, he bought his entire army, he's going to attack Cruin!" The guard panicked.

"What? How did I not know of this before?!"

"Master, the spies only just told us," The guard gulped nervously.

Cedric closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He walked from behind his desk and out of the room.

"Assemble all archers on the fort, close all openings and ready the ships." Cedric ordered.

"Yes, master,"

"I want you to inform Venkalth, we need his help,"

"Yes, master,"

"Tell the people to gather their things and go to the ships, it's likely that the battle will happen here, we don't want to risk anyone's life,"

"But master, why don't we also escape using the ships,"

Cedric turned to him and glared "Our city is facing calamity and you want me to run away? Ridiculous!"

"I apologise master," The guard walked away.

Cedric walked to the yard where he found his pregnant wife sitting by the fountain, her short hair tucked behind her ear as she read a book. Cedric sat by her, she closed the book and smiled at him, but once she noticed his troubled face she held his hand.

"What's the matter, dear?"

He squeezed her hand and breathed deeply "You have to leave, Olivia, you can't stay here, take your mother, take our children and leave," he touched her pregnant belly. 

She frowned "Why I don't understand?"

Cedric looked down "I'm sorry, my love, the king is coming for Cruin, he's on his way, he will attack,"

She saw the hurt look on his face and her heart broke to pieces "Oh Cedric..." She hugged him "I'm sorry... but I can't leave you-"

"No, no you have to leave Olivia, Cruin will be destroyed... you can't please,"

"Then what will happen to you?" Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Don't worry about me, I need to save this city..." a single tear fell down his face. He couldn't lose his home, he couldn't lose his father's hard work, the great city of Cruin.

"Master! He's here!" A guard came rushing to him.

Cedric's blood went cold, he snapped his head to look at Olivia "Olivia leave now! Please!"

She hugged her husband once again and looked at his face one last time "I'll see you again,"

Cedric didn't say anything, he just looked at their intertwined hands until one by one, their fingers seperated and their hands fell apart and she was gone. 

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