-Apollyon's Legacy- Book 2 of Apollyon x male warden reader story

Chapter 1: Humble beginnings

Many years have passed since Apollyon's Blackstones were in control of Ashfield, everyone knew of Apollyon and her Blackstones she was known throughout each region both out of fear and by the many who despised her.

Even Annora knew about her.

She used to have nightmares about the demon woman when she was still in that damned orphanage.

She had found herself standing in the middle of a destroyed village her blonde hair loose and crazed, her (e/c) eyes welled up with tears as she held a wooden doll close to her chest. She was always a hopeless child in these dreams leaving her unable to fight as she wandered the streets of a village she did not know.

She could hear faint screams in the distance in the fog that covered alleys and streets and shrouding buildings.

Then she could see it.

Or more accurately her.

First, she could see the glowing yellow eyes of the helmet, smoke radiating from the glow, blood was on the warlord's armor as she dragged a bloodied longsword along the cobblestone road scraping it along.

Then she would stop and stare at her and speak.

"Ah, there you are my dear, I had to kill the whole village to find you..it would have been easier if you had just come out sweetheart. Now their blood is on your hands.." Apollyon would say in an eerie soothing voice.

It only unsettled her.

"Now come here..." Apollyon said making a come here gesture with her claw armored finger. 

Annora instead stood still, she could hear her own heartbeat as she blinked back fearful tears and held back a whimper.

"I said...COME HERE!" The demon woman growled in anger her voice booming hurting Annora's ears as she closed her eyes and flinched. 

When she opened them (e/c) eyes met the cold scowl of Apollyon's helmet.

"Hello my dear.." Apollyon said with a smile in her voice.

Annora held back the urge to scream until she looked down to see herself with Apollyon's longsword through her chest.

Then she did scream but could still hear the sinister laugh of Apollyon in the background as she fell back into darkness.

Annora jumped up out of her cot panting scanning her surroundings for any type of danger. Annora let out a soft sigh as she attempted to calm herself knowing she was safe in her employers' castle.

Yes, she used to be a warden and yes she was now a mercenary for hire.

And she currently was hired to be a part of an army meant to protect an old fortress originally owned by many leaders, the previous leader's name was Daubeny. 

The current leader was a man named Arthur Allbrooke, an unkind individual. Annora did not complain however, it was his money he was paying her after all.

Annora laid back down on her back as she sighed, why did the warlord plague her dreams? What about her kept her lurking in her dreams turning them into nightmares?

Annora closed her eyes as she hummed a soft tune to calm herself then remembered what she was taught when she became a warden.

"A true warden is someone strong even in turmoil," Annora repeated this lesson in her mind over and over to remind herself who she was.

But who was she truly?

She was not a warden at least not anymore she moved on from that to find out who she was, who her family was.