I have evaded the manhunters for the time being. Initially, I thought the guard would catch me while I hid in the bushes. They have found the cave in which I resided and as a consequence, I have come further north searching for a place to live through this winter. Fortunately, I have found an abandoned, thatched hut to spend some nights.

The sudden news of the King's death made Leon fall deep into sorrow. It was the worst day of his life. A dead friend and bodyguard, a broken shoulder and now the assassination of his father. The fact that he was not able to save his father tormented him. He was not by his father's side when he had taken his last breath. Leon moved towards the messenger and coldly told him to repeat the information, unable to believe and comprehend it. The royal messenger did what he asked.

The troops fell into disarray. They murmured among themselves as to who would have sent the assassin. The future of their kingdom concerned them, so did it concern Leon and Ironheart. On hearing the news of Lucius' death, Ironheart did not change his expression, behaviour or demeanour. He waited and watched Leon succumb to emotional pain. After physicians had done treating the wounded and consoled Leon that his shoulder would heal, Ironheart ordered an immediate return to Loa.

The bloodline of Ironheart is unknown. Some say he has descended from God, from the womb of Power itself. That would explain why he never got injured in any battle whatsoever. Some say he is from the lineage of Clement and Claudia. There are also rumours that he is the bastard child of Pindar the Great and Queen Pavetta. Either way, Ironheart was the favourite of Pavetta and the go-to general of Lucius. It was no surprise when Lucius publicly conferred his own title of "Ironheart" to him. As for his real name, only Lucius and Pavetta knew and they decided to keep it a secret. Nobody dared to ask the aloof and callous Ironheart.

"You alright kid?", asked Ironheart when he saw Leon immersed in his thoughts.

Leon was annoyed by such a question. He considered Ironheart as a big brother rather than a general but such a question from his mouth made him fall from his graces. How could he be 'alright'? His father was dead. Assassinated! He has to be a king now and manage an empire of which he barely had any knowledge. He wished he had not spent his youth with young maidens and learned administration and war tactics instead. Pavetta said he will "buckle up" in time. But she never told me when will be that time. He longed for the comfort of his family at such troubling times but his main pillar of comfort and support, his father Lucius, had gone to the afterlife leaving him bereaved and helpless.

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Their journey back to Loa was devoid of any action. Leon and Ironheart barely spoke. Similarly, the wearied soldiers conserved their energy as much as possible by not initiating any talk. Their pursuit of Karakas, their fending off the ambush and then their way back to Loa, had exhausted them. The silent procession reached Loa early morning. Decomposing bodies lay on the ground with vultures feasting on them. A dead silence hung over the battlefield. Lucius' pale face could be seen from the pyre. Although the Firebornes and their subjects buried their families, it was not the case when it came to assassinations. According to their belief, immolation is the sole way for a person who has been assassinated to find heavenly peace and salvation. Else, his soul would wander in search of its killer and will never rest until justice is brought to the assassin.

Leon spurred his horse towards the funeral pyre of his father, scaring all the vultures away from their buffet. The troops moved away in haste, making way for the galloping horse. Enraged, he unmounted, unsheathed his sword, and declared:-

"I challenge the heathen that killed my beloved father. I challenge you, cur, who was too afraid to face my father, taking the cowardly act of poisoning him instead. Come out of hiding and fight me. End the Fireborne lineage if you can! Show yourself, assassin!"

Nobody came to the front. Ironheart had halted his army. There was no noise except the gushing of the wind and the shaking of the trees. The royal bodyguards hung their heads in shame. They had failed in their duty. The cook was already taken into custody for interrogation. His yelps, which was the effect of lashes on his body, came from a nearby tent.

Leon calmed himself. He unmounted and approached the pyre. With tears in his eyes, he took a stick of fire handed to him by a soldier and set the pyre on fire. He watched the flames engulf his father's deceased body. The soldiers stood silently with their heads bowed.

After the funeral ceremony had been done, Axel, the torturer, approached Leon to tell what the cook had chirped to him. He informed him that a different person had made the King's meal that day, as the cook was sick. Unfortunately, the person responsible was nowhere to be found. On the other hand, fortunately, Axel revealed that the cook had seen only four fingers in both the hands of the runaway individual.

Leon processed the information. Assembling the quickest cavalry in Loa, he set out to hunt for the person. He knew that the escapee would have not covered a long distance on foot. Ironheart shouted for him to stop but did not take any action:-

"The people of Ember need you, Leon. You can't risk your life away at such a moment!"

Leon turned a deaf ear to Ironheart. He was done taking orders from a general and wanted to take independent action.

With vengeance in his mind, he spurred his horse to race. Following his intuition, he advanced in a specific direction.