“Mmm…” I droned as I laid my eyes upon a fairly large encampment that was right next to a large lake.

We were about ten kilometres north of Coh and it was still dark.

Our men patiently stood behind Yna and I as we planned our next step.

“Here’s what’s gonna happen. Yna and I are going to go around the camp and see if Petrus is in one of those larger tents. We’ll then deal with him accordingly. If it turns out that Timí was lying and there are other golden knights, we won’t send up the signal and you’ll all retreat assuming we’re dead. However, if Petrus is really alone, we’ll lure him out and send the signal up. I want you all to follow the sixths and sevenths into the camp while they… siphon everything they need. Protect them at all costs while freeing any Rendaro you find.” I said and once again, no one raised their hands to speak or anything.

“Alright. Yna-“

I rapidly blinked my eyes and saw that Yna and I were standing by lake.

In front of us was a rather large tent which was surprisingly unguarded.

We walked towards as muffled coughs and groans filled the air.

I walked behind Yna as we sneakily approached the front of the tent.

I glanced at the rest of the encampment and saw countless Rendaro men sleeping practically on top of each other on the forest floor while their humans guards carelessly and loudly bantered around small, dim fires.

Yna opened the tent's entry flap and my face twisted upon seeing the tents insides.

Piled on top of each other were countless naked Rendaro women who’s bodies were blackened with bruises and scars.

The tent itself smelled like piss and shit with the only source of light being Yna’s eyes.

“What the-?” I gasped as my face twisted with both horror and disgust.

Some of the women could be seen nursing each other in the farthest reaches of the tent while other remained unmoving.

I knew they all needed help, but if Petrus found us sneaking around, we may be put into a disadvantageous situation.

“Let’s check out the other tents.” I said before following Yna towards the next largest tent in the encampment and this time, muffled moans and pained cries filled the air.

Yna’s eyes brightened as we entered the tent to find several more half dead Rendaro women, but sitting on top of several of them was a gigantic naked man, who’s body was covered in scars and thin golden lines.

“Mmm?” The man sounded as he turned to face us. His voice was a low, thunderous growl.

This revealed his rather rugged, beardless face.

Like all golden knights, his messy hair was white and his eyes glowed dimly on the darkness. Although his hair looked far thinner.

I looked beneath him to find a woman who’s body periodically convulsed.

“Yna?” The man who I definitely knew was Petrus called while standing up with the Rendaro woman still in his hands.

“Yes. It’s been quite some time, captain of the Regal Thorns.” Yna said as Petrus dropped the woman.

“Indeed. The fact that you are not dead means that either the Blood Ravens failed to kill you or you killed them.” He said as he moved several unconscious women aside. He then grabbed a silky golden gown which he carelessly slipped into.

“No, we simply had a nice chat and they returned to Medelona.”

“Is that so? Well, that aside, I know you did not come all the way here just to say hi.” Petrus said as he grabbed a large golden Lance.

“So... How should we do this then?” He asked.

“However you want.” Yna said with narrowed eyes.

“How kind of you. Would you mind if I said goodbye to my daughter?”

“Hoh? You speak as though you know you’re going to lose.”

“Ah, that’s the thing, Red Death. I am going to lose.” Petrus said as he stared at Yna, who squeezed her dark blade so hard, then darkness within cried out to me.

“Fair enough.” Yna said before following Petrus out of the tent.

“Mmm…” He sounded before leading us into a smaller and much cleaner tent where a young Rendaro woman slept in a bed made from clean, silky yellow sheets embellished with the sigil of a crown surrounded by thorns.

Petrus knelt next to the woman before gently brushing aside some hair that had fallen on her face.

“The Regal Thorns… Proud knights all born in a small town not too far north of here. Llendor. I lost my men in a den of strange Deathwings far to the north some odd twenty five years ago. They were smaller, faster and had four ashen wings. Not to mention the fact that there was a lot of them. I tried telling the Grandmaster about what we found, but strangely enough, when the scouts returned, they said they saw no such dragons or even their corpses. The Grandmaster blamed me for the deaths of my men and even insinuated that I killed them. I was then sent to Rendaya to do some clean up and that is where I found my precious little star, Aevana-“

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Why are you telling us all this?” I asked through gnashed teeth.

“Oh? I do not entirely know. I just wanted to share what I knew with someone. Anyway, unfortunately, I was smitten by sweet little Aevana after saving her from my fellow servicemen. Look at her. Those small lips… smooth skin… modest breasts and perfect hips…” Petrus said before deeply sighing.

“But alas, I could not bring myself to harming a hair on her body-“

“And so you turned your lust toward the Foph?” I snarled.

“Yes and thank you for taking the time to listen to me. Mmm… since my life is almost at a close, I would like to ask for one more kindness.”

“What?” I spat.

“Take care of my dear Aevana.” He said before standing.

“Come. Let us settle this by the lake.” Petrus said before leading us towards the lake.

“Yna, the signal.”

Yna nodded before raising her hand and creating an orb of light above the forest which was so bright, it looked like a false moon.

“Oh? I feel as though I have to inform you that my defeat means almost nothing. I came here with my own goals in mind.” Petrus said with half open eyes.

“and those were?” I asked as he and Yna stood ten metres apart.

“I wanted to finally take the Foph for myself.” He said as his eyes brightened.

“Ah well.” Petrus sighed before raising his Lance in an awkward way.

I quickly noticed that he was trying to stab himself, but before I could open my mouth, Yna dashed towards him before grabbing his Lance wielding arm and forcing it backwards in a flash.

A loud crack filled the air, but Petrus didn’t scream out in pain. Instead, he used his other arm to punch Yna in the gut, but fortunately for her, her armour absorbed most of the impact.

Yna kicked the Lance away before kicking Petrus in the face.

I quickly backed away as the knight tumbled forward.

Yna then grabbed and broke his other arm and stepped on his face.

“AH! Do you not seek to kill me?” Petrus asked as he tried crawling away. His body started glowing and it seemed as though he was trying to use space magic to get away, but Yna stabbed his right leg with her black blade and just as the space around Petrus distorted, his body disappeared before reappearing immediately after only his leg was no longer a part of his body.

“You do not deserve the mercy of death.” I hissed before flooding his lungs with darkness.

I then turned the smoke into a bed of spikes and I watched as Petrus writhed and convulsed in pain.

“Katsíki.” Yna called prompting me to release the darkness in Petrus’s lines.

He loudly coughed blood as I bound him in dark chains.

“Papa?”

I heard a voice call as Yna picked Petrus up.

I turned to find a small Rendaro woman, dressed in a thin peach gown in no shoes.

Aevana approached us with a pained expression and teary eyes.

“What are you doing to him?” She asked.

I turned to Yna, but she shrugged.

“Your father is a really bad man and we’re taking him with us to punish him.” I said only for Aevana to lash out at Yna.

I created a dark chain around her legs, making her fall flat on her face.

“Let him go!” She cried, but I wasn’t in the mood for any daughter drama and so I flooded her lungs with darkness before releasing it.

Aevana promptly passed out and after deeply sighing, I grabbed her by her small arm before dragging her back to the camp with Yna in tow.

There we found a dark army of Rendaro.

Their weapons coated in the blood of their enemies.

I saw that many of them were carrying the once captive Rendaro and were headed back south.

Han approached me with sharp eyes which he quickly turned to an unconscious Petrus.

“Men, we have another one-“

“NO, this one is different. Have her sent to our cabin. Leave her just outside the building. I’ll have to talk to her later.”

“Oh- OK.” Han said as his men took Aevana away.

I quickly noticed that the Foph Troops were gathering around Yna and I.

“Yes, it is as you see. This is indeed Petrus and he will face justice.” I said, but the Foph didn’t look very convinced and the darkness of the night only made their glares even scarier.

I wanted to lock Petrus away forever, but I knew that wouldn’t be enough to sate the rage within the hearts of the Foph.

“After ensuring Coh is safe and secure, we will take Petrus to the Oasis where under my supervision, you will all torture and humiliate him to the content of your hearts.” I said only for the Foph soldiers to grin.

“To that, we cannot argue.”

“Only the Dark Vessel himself could think of such an appropriate way to punish that man.”

“So be it.”

Such things were said by the Foph. They all spoke in low reserved voices and it all scared me beyond what I could take.

Plumes of black smoke poured out of my mouth as the Foph all walked away.

I looked around to find that most of Petrus’s men were dead, the tents had probably been thoroughly searched and all the captives had been taken to safety.

Yna and I followed everyone as we made our back to Coh and from all the way here, I rang the bell once, altering everyone that we had emerged victorious.

.

..

“Will that do?” I asked as I reinforced the binds that held Petrus in place.

Yna grabbed one of the many chains and squeezed it for a moment.

“Yep.”

I nodded before looking at the now armless, legless Petrus.

I clicked my tongue before turning to leave the expanded dungeon. It now had ten cells, three of which were occupied.

We’d be taking Petrus to the Oasis later in the day after we sent our small army back to the base and made sure everything else was in order.

Yna and I emerged from the dungeon only to be met with a sea of applause and cheers.

Countless Rendaro stood before me with bright smiles and raised fists.

“That was an amazing victory!”

“I heard that none of our men got hurt.”

“What spectacular leadership from lord Katsíki!”

“I’m sure our battles against the real army will be as well executed as this one.”

Such things were said by the many Rendaro under my care.

I simply watched as the cheers died down.

“Yes. Today marks our first victory as a unified people, but do not think that this is anywhere near over. Petrus’s men were weak, poorly armed and without a competent leader. This is not the time for celebration. We should be preparing more than ever.” I said and almost instantly after, the faces in the crowd stiffened.

I nodded to myself before making my way back into Coh with Yna in tow.

“A victory is a victory regardless, right? Don’t you think they are allowed to celebrate even a little?” Yna asked as we made our way towards the hall where the Rendaro women we found were being treated.

“I know and yes, we should.”

“So… what’s with the doom and gloom attitude?” She asked prompting me to stop.

The sun slowly rose to the east, bathing Coh in the sky’s pale grey light.

“I’m being as serious as I am because I won’t know what to do if we lose. I won’t know what to say to those who are mourning the losses of their sons, sisters, mothers and fathers. I…”

I didn’t know what I’d do in any of those scenarios.

All I knew is that I had to keep going. Keep working. Keep trying.

Yna nodded before gently rubbing my head.

“I know. But you need to learn to enjoy the victories you have otherwise the losses will hurt that much more.”

I nodded.

“Why don’t we celebrate tonight. Just you and me?” Yna asked.

“What do you propose?”

“First off, I want you to stop speaking to me so formally.”

“O….k…”

“Why don’t we have a picnic by the waterfall after you finish your duties?” Yna asked with glowing eyes, but something was different.

It looked like the light in her eyes was swirling around.

“Alright.” I said before making my way to the town hall where Han, his men and several healers tended to the Rendaro we’d rescued.

Han walked up to me with a frown on his face.

“They’re all healed up and we’ve fed them.”

“How many are there?”

“Five hundred.”

“I see-“

“But… they’re not… they’re…” Han struggled to say.

“They’re broken, Katsíki.” He said with trembling eyes.