What Lurks Behind The Trees

Red sky

It didn't help that the day was particularly windy. The wind carried the stench of burning bodies and rotting corpses through the air. The rays of the rising sun hit the clouds, making them red as blood. The sky was red and the smoke rose and rose until it faded to nothing. The sound of metal clanging and scraping continued.

The fighting had not stopped, the killing had not stopped and Cedric was exhausted. He couldn't open his eyes, he couldn't move his limbs. His sword felt a thousand pounds heavier scraping against the ground as he dragged his feet through the bodies of fallen soldiers.

He knew what this game was, a game that Edmund was playing. To destroy him and his city until he surrendered, no, he didn't want him dead, he could easily kill him and every last soldier in his army, he wasn't even using half of his army. It was a shameless display of power and Cedric scowled at the image of a smirking king. He felt sick. He felt so sick that he threw up a load of blood and saliva. He heaved and coughed, grimacing at the pain it gave his body. He just wanted to curl up and fall into a deep slumber.

His eyes snapped open when he saw one of the king's men sneak up the ladder. He managed to climb up to the walls and Cedric used his final bit of energy to pounce on him from behind and dig his sword deep in his back. The man fell, but so did Cedric. He lay over the bodies of the dead and his vision went black.

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"Zaveo!" Venkalth called for his dragon and a blue flame slithered from the centre of his palm. Within a few seconds, Zaveo was fully formed, puffing and growling in restlessness. He was sensing Venkalth's mood.

Lazarus did the same to his fire dragon who spewed fire out of his mouth as soon as he was released. "You ready, Zander?" Lazarus smirked at his dragon.

They were ready to finally attack the king's army. From where they stood they could see the smoke lifting into the sky. They walked down the hills wearing their black cloaks which had purple designs on them and beneath their short cloaks they wore light armour.

"Father, I want to join you," Celia told her father, her voice serious and determined.

"No, Celia, you can't its too dangerous,"

"Father, please-!"

"No! Celia, this is a war! People will die! you can't and this is my final answer," Dyron looked away from her, his eyebrows knitted together angrily.

Celia's lips pressed together in a thin line. They would never let her fight, after all, she was a child. Her father was right. She felt a lump form in her throat but she swallowed it back and bit back her anger.

She looked towards her sister who gave her a sad smile, but Laina turned away from her to look at Evindal. Celia grunted, she took out her dagger and stared at it.

"I'm sorry, Celia, your father is worried about you," Eroan's horse moved closer to hers.

"It's fine, I'll stay here," she said, putting her dagger away.

"Stay here and wait for your brothers to come," Eroan ruffled her hair.

"LET'S GO! ASSEMBLE!" Venkalth yelled from where he sat on the back of Zaveo.

The magicians stood in their arrangements, rows upon rows of determined men and women who were ready to fight.

"Let's not waste any more time, our ally needs our help!" Lazarus said.

"ADVANCE!"

Dyron gave Celia one last glance before his horse galloped away with the rest of the men. Zaveo and Zander soared up to the red sky, leaving behind lone trails of ice and fire.

Celia's eyes welled up with tears as she watched them go.

The magicians stomped their spears in the ground, making a drum-like sound. Celia shivered, it sounded like thunder, it made her the slightest bit more confident that they were going to win, like they had a chance of winning this unfair battle.

On the other side of the walls of Cruin, Cedric's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at the dull sky, he smacked his dry lips together and reached blindly for his sword that lay on some dead man's back. He used his sword to stand up, legs wobbling as he tried to steady himself.

"Master! We looked everywhere for you!" one of his men ran up to him and passed him a flask of water.

Cedric gulped it down "What is happening? Did we lose?" he croaked out.

"Not yet, master, we're holding them back well, but even with that, many of them have climbed over."

"Good... good, I thought we lost-"

A noise erupted from the horizon, a growl, a screech and Cedric snapped his head towards the loud sound. His eyes widened and his legs gave way as he collapsed to the ground.

"They're here," he whispered in disbelief, he thought he would die before they arrived. "They're here!" he laughed. Cedric waved at the two dragons that appeared.

Everyone in the battlefield turned their heads, their expressions either that of pure horror or pure relief. Cedric's smirk widened, he reached the edge of the wall and watched as Edmund's men dispersed away. His body shook, he laughed to himself.

The king shook his head slowly, smirking to himself as he watched his plan go exactly how he wanted it to go.

"You fools." 

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What do you think the king is planning? 

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