Meera deposited Brison and Nisaya with the rest of the Wardens, who were still in their bubbles. From the outside, it looked like most had been healed fully, aside from Tekton. His cuts and bruises were still raw and would take some time to heal. But if the enemy king had brought his forces to attack, she would need their help. For each one of the Wardens was worth fifty men, if not a hundred.
To the side, the armies of Azeria had started forming ranks. Attacking them would be a little difficult as a mound of corpses littered the field before them, acting as an impromptu wall. It would give them a slight advantage but not much. The enemy would overtake the corpses before long.
Meera shook Brison. “Hey, wake up!” He groaned weakly. “Brison! I need you. Please wake up.”
After shaking and calling out to him a few more times, he finally stirred. “Huh…”
“Brison!”
“Yes, I’m awake, though deathly tired,” he groaned.
Meera fished out a Stamina potion. “Here, drink this.”
His eyes popped open as he gulped down the potion. “Okay, that was what I needed.” He got a faraway look in his eyes. “Oh…” He pulled out a vial with a blue liquid—a Mana potion. “Okay, I’m back. I’m still deathly tired, but at least I’ll keep my feet beneath me.”
Meera nodded. “Good.” She quickly explained the situation to him and what had happened with Doromar.
“I need you to wake them up and send them after me, please,” Meera said.
He drew a deep breath. “Meera, I don’t know how to put this lightly, so I’ll tell you straight. I’m grateful to you for all that you did to help us eradicate the Cosmarians. I’m sure the others are as well. But our Lady does not permit us to get involved with a war between two kingdoms.”
Meera gave him a blank stare. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”
He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry, Meera. I wish I could help but…”
“Fine. I’ll do it myself.” She stood up to leave but stopped. “Wake Delkoris and send him at least. Oh, and Numheia told me to tell you to take Queen Nisaya to the Master Keeper and do all she can to heal her.”
“I know, and we will.” He offered her a small smile. “Good luck.”
Meera nodded and raced off toward the army. They were tired, but more than that, they looked dejected. Draros had brought the whole might of his kingdom, and thanks to Meera, they didn’t even have their fortress to hide in. Many gave mournful looks to the melted heap of metal. Fumes still rose from it, and it was red in some places.
She took to the air, and as she got closer to the frontline, she broke out into a cold sweat. Draros’s army must’ve outnumbered Azeria’s ten to one, and they were fresh after a good night’s sleep. On Azeria’s side, there was not a single soldier whose armor wasn’t banged or dented. The ones in the front, closest to the fight, supported many injuries. Worst of all, their courage teetered on the edge of breaking. She wondered how many would break formation and run.
She found Narikas, just as she’d left him—bare-chested, with a single sword in hand, at least his wound had been sealed. He stood in front of the mound of corpses with Hilnoa, and three men in full armor on horses approached them with a bunch of other soldiers. One of whom waved a white flag.
Meera shot down to Narikas and reached him before the others arrived.
Narikas’s eyes widened. “Meera, you made it. Does that mean…”
“Yes, Doromar is no more, and before you ask, the queen is alive, but she’s comatose—uh, in a deep sleep. I’m not sure when she’ll wake up. But I—”
“Not now, Meera,” Hilnoa interrupted her. “We don’t know if they’re listening.”
Meera nodded but was internally happy about the fact that this was the first time Hilnoa had used her name.
The enemy king’s procession arrived, and it was easy to tell who Draros was. He rode a black stallion, which made her miss Onyx even more. He was a handsome man with a thick white beard, which was neatly kept. Despite what Narikas had told her about his reputation as a warrior, he hardly had any scratches on his face or hands. He wore an immaculate but practical armor with various dragon imagery. His build was broad but not too heavy. He wore a curved sword at his hip, which he unsheathed and tossed to the second rider. He jumped off his horse alone and walked to them.
Stolen novel; please report.
Meera used Identify on him, hoping she could see his level.
[Blood Berserker – Level 387]
“Prince Narikas,” he tilted his head. His voice was heavy but gruff. “Either you have one great story to tell me or your troops have been practicing war by desecrating the dead. Not to mention, you’ve melted down your stronghold.”
Narikas bowed his head. “I’m afraid it’s both.”
Draros raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
Narikas drew a deep breath and told him the truth about everything—the battle with the Cosmarians, the queen’s capture and possession. He kept the part about the armor torturing him and said that Doromar unleashed his wife, and she destroyed the fortress. Meera figured he didn’t want to appear weak before the enemy king. Draros listened intently without ever breaking eye contact. The man might as well have been a statue. He didn’t move for one single moment as Narikas spoke.
“It is quite a tale, I admit,” Narikas said. “But every word of it is true. I will state again as I did at Karai Tower, Azeria does not have any quarrel with you, nor did we have any aim at taking over your lands or those of your friends. It was totally out of our hands.”
Finally, Draros moved. He ruffled his beard. “I would have called you a liar if I hadn’t seen the dead rise and march towards your forces and engage your men. I would have called you a liar if I hadn’t heard the thunder that must’ve leveled your fortress. I would have called you a liar if I hadn’t received news about your border wall evaporating into the air and your Mistblades along with it. And I would have definitely called you a liar if these words had fallen from your brother’s lips. Where is your cowardly king?”
“The situation was totally out of our hands, so we asked His Majesty to lead the nobles out of here,” Hilnoa said.
“You mean, he tucked tail and ran at the first sign of trouble,” Draros said.
“Regardless, as the situation stands, we have no reason to continue this war,” Narikas replied.
“No, we do not,” Draros said. “But we faced a lot of casualties getting here, thanks to your Mistblades. Not to mention all the loss of life of my poor citizens who your Mistblades gutted mercilessly.”
Meera sighed inwardly. Just when I thought I might finally get some rest, she had half a mind to pull Narikas aside, make him tell her where Neel went, and leave to let him deal with this on his own.
“I would say your men did get their revenge.” Narikas motioned to the corpses of Draros’s fallen soldiers.
Draros gave Narikas an intense look, then finally smiled. “Aye, that they did…”
“If you wish to press the matter further, then let’s do this, you and I,” Narikas said. “Why increase the loss of life when we can settle this one-on-one? What do you say, Your Majesty? I’ve always wanted to test myself against the great King Draros, the mightiest warrior on Rhione.”
Draros gave Narikas an intense look, and for a moment, Meera thought he would even take him up on his offer. She was worried that if he did, Narikas had a slim chance of survival. He was not up for a fight of this caliber or any caliber.
Finally, Draros sighed. “If I were ten years younger, I would have relished the thought. But truth be told, Narikas, I’ve had my fill of war. This was to be my last war, and I didn’t even have to fight.” He smirked. “The old borders will be restored, and Azeria will pay a tribute to us, in the amount of ten thousand gold coins.”
“That is fair,” Narikas said.
“So, I’ll call this matter to a close if you call your king back. I want to smack that uppity brat upside the head.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, that is non-negotiable,” Narikas said. “He is my king, and I’ve sworn to protect him with my life.”
Draros shrugged. “It was worth a try. Though, take my advice, slice his throat the first chance you get, and take the kingship for yourself.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compassion you’ve shown me and my kingdom,” Narikas replied. “I wish you a safe journey home. Your men are free to collect the bodies of their brothers. We will not stop them.”
Draros turned to leave but nodded to Narikas. “At least the Shadowsteel Overlord will not haunt you anymore.”
Narikas’s composure broke for a moment. “Indeed.”
Meera watched him get on his horse and leave. “Did he know? About the armor...”
“He must have,” Hilnoa said. “The first Shadowsteel Warlord, Damantes and Draros, were close friends before the war between our two kingdoms. Who’s to say they didn’t reconcile after the war? But we don’t have to worry about that now.”
“Yes,” Narikas said and turned his soldiers. “Men…this war is over!”
The soldiers roared as they thrust their weapons into the air. Some hugged each other. Having survived certain death, some measure of celebration was definitely warranted.
Meera celebrated by falling flat on her back.
“Meera, are you okay?” Narikas asked with a furrowed brow as he came down on a knee beside her.
“Yes, just tired of all this fighting. Can you please promise me that one of your soldiers doesn’t trample me as I relax?”
Narikas looked to them. “Can’t promise that. It seems they need this, after all they did.”
Meera came up on an elbow. “After all they did? What about me?” I literally saved your ungrateful ass.”
Narikas couldn’t back his laughter and laughed out loud. “Oh, that was too easy. I’m going to have so much fun—”
Then, the smile evaporated from his face as the soldiers took up the call.
“Make way for the king!”