Antama walked up the stairs seemingly tired of the day’s ordeal. He opened the room into his bedroom to see his wife sprawled across the bed covered in blood. He rushed to her side to examine her body. Her stomach had been ripped open leaving her organs exposed.

“Cierra…” He trailed off wondering what could have possibly done this.

He saw a figure crouched by the window holding a child in its arm. “Slaves should not birth Sovereigns.”

Antama looked at the figure as it revealed itself, and saw a grotesque creature holding his child. The creature had only one eye, its skin was torn and decayed; he wore a sadistic grin revealing its sharp teeth that were crooked and jagged.

“You let my child go.”

The creature opened its mouth its tongue wrapping around the child. Then it swallowed the child. Antama could see the bulge forming in its neck tracing it down to its belly. The creature then jumped at him. Antama awoke in a cold sweat holding up his knife ready to fight.

One of his soldiers walked into his tent seeing Antama in his current state. “Nightmares?”

“Yeah…”

“Scouts picked up Dawon’s trail again looks like he’s moving west deeper into Zulthur.”

“Zulthur? Not Amani? What the fuck is he doing moving west?”

“When we catch up you can ask him youself.”

“Tell the men to move out now. I don’t want to lose the bastard again.”

“Yes sir.”

Fire, ash, and smoke covered the village as Antama gazed from his vantage point atop the hill with his band of soldiers looking at the destruction below. A soldier ran towards the group as he finally approached him he kneeled before him.

“Report.” Ordered Antama.

“All dead sir it’s as you guessed it Dawon’s been getting bolder. These people never stood a chance.”

Antama looked at the village once more. The few buildings and houses that were still standing suddenly collapsed as the flames consumed them. How could he keep his country together when the Sovereignists, the Gaericists, and the Gaists kept killing each other? It was days like these that he wished he wasn’t the Black Knight of Albion, although it certainly was better than being awarded the title of Sovereign Knight. Lamia was always wrapped up in politics between the three groups. He did not envy her position, nor did he want it.

“We’ll wait for the fires to fade then bury the bodies and make camp.” He ordered.

After a few hours the fires faded and he, along with his soldiers, scoured the burned debris and dragged out what few bodies had not been turned to ash. It was simply a mercy at this point. They gathered all of the bodies and buried them in a mass grave.

“We’ll rest for today and move at first light tomorrow.” Said Antama.

“Sir shouldn’t we be trying to catch up to Dawon?” Asked one of his soldiers.

“True, but the horses need rest otherwise it will be a short ride… And a really long walk.”

“Understood sir.”

“Aradesh!” Yelled Antama calling for one of his lieutenants.

“Aye sir!”

“I want a full perimeter sweep three man teams, then set up patrols.”

“Aye sir.”

Antama noticed one of the few houses still standing remained largely intact. The fire had only burned the stone to what was once a grey color to a charcoal black. He scraped the surface of the stone and noticed a few grains falling off. One could barely notice the grains of stone on Antama’s black armored gauntlet. Antama reached for his belt and opened a small pouch attached to his belt. He pulled out a pendant with a small black stone. He compared the two colors. His pendant was still darker than the stone house.

“Maybe someday I’ll find something darker than black.”

Antama walked inside the house and saw the giant mess that it was. All the tables, chairs, and the rest of the furniture was all destroyed and tossed around most likely the residents fighting back against the Gaists. He took a step forward and felt her foot step on top of some type of small cushion. He lifted her foot and looked down to see a small doll. He crouched to get her hands on the doll and get a closer look. As he picked up the doll he noticed the ash and dust falling off. He cleaned off the rest and saw the red stains covering the doll’s face and body.

“Black Knight Rylos!”

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“Report!” He ordered.

“We found drag marks leading outside the village.”

“So? What of it?” He asked.

“Sir we think they may have taken prisoners.”

“Prisoners? Dawon doesn’t take prisoners! Show me.”

“Right this way.”

The soldier led Antama to the edge of the village down a road that led straight towards the nearby mountains. The marks themselves trailed north leading further into Zulthur. There were many places nearby that these people could have gone.

“I need two dozen men with me we’re going to follow these tracks and see where they lead.”

“You men come with me. The rest of you stay here and finish cleaning the mess here. Aradesh you’re in charge while I’m gone. As soon as we find the son of a bitch I’ll send a runner.”

“Aye sir.”

“Let’s move out men those prisoners may not have a lot of time.”

The group followed the tracks leading to the mountains. Dawon never took prisoners that was a new tactic; unless of course they were animalists that refused to join his ranks. Antama and the rest of his men followed the tracks up to a mountain cave surrounded by trees with very odd looking ornaments. Antama rode up close to inspect the ornaments and saw that they were small figurines of dragons made of bone. Antama and the rest dismounted and examined the trees and the cave entrance. Antama walked up to the entrance and saw a strange glyph painted atop the cave entrance. It resembled a doorway with an eye at the center.

“I think that’s a Dragon Eye.” Said one of the soldiers.

“Dragon eye?” Asked Antama.

“Yeah like the tribe of Zephyrus before the other Divines killed him they all had Dragon Eyes.”

Antama remembered his wife Cierra, who also had that ability. “Alright I want two men to report back to Aradesh and ask him for reinforcements. Ten men stay out here and watch the entrance. The rest with me form two lines and watch your corners. If they do have Dragon Eyes it is best to take them down from a distance, so arm up with crossbows everyone.”

The men advanced in three rows of four ready to fire volleys should they be overwhelmed with Dawon’s sheer numbers. As they moved deeper and deeper into the cave they heard something truly. The sound was unlike anything they had ever heard. They were no words being spoken, at least not in a language that they knew of. It sounded guttural, visceral, and it was definitely not human. They could see a light approaching the end of the tunnel and the noise got louder and louder. Antama and the rest entered the chamber and saw a tall man in black robes with a bone mask that resembled a dragon to be the source of the noise. To his right a tall and muscular man armed with a massive and thick sword who wore furs and a bone helmet that also resembled a dragon’s head with horns. To his left a young girl with strange markings on her left arm armed with two short swords. There were at least twenty other armed enemies gathered around the ten surviving villagers right in the center.

“Okay spread out and surround them do not open fire until I say so. We need to see if Dawon is among them or at least one of his other lieutenants.”

The soldiers nodded and took positions surrounding the enemy. They remained unnoticed and the man in black robes kept speaking in that strange and haunting language. There was no way he was human. Not if he made those noises. Finally the man stopped and walked down to meet the villagers. The villagers all huddled together scared of what he might do. The man stopped placed his hand on his mask and raised it slightly. Then a red light emanated from his mouth and all the villagers screamed in agony as their bodies began changing. Their skin turned black and decomposed, their hair fell, and their bones became visible. They all suddenly fell to the floor as if their life had been sucked from them.

Antama gulped that was magic that man used. Magic hasn’t been seen since the end of Corrax’s reign. That man must be a descendant of a Champion from the Mythic Era when the Divines still ruled. Antama readied his crossbow and aimed it at him and opened fire. Soon the rest of his soldiers did the same. A few of the enemy combatants fell, but others were quick on their feet and were able to evade with ease. They were fast, perhaps too fast as they jumped and scaled the walls to meet Antama’s soldiers. Antama saw as the man in black robes walked to the other end of the chamber leaving only the muscular man with the massive sword behind.

“Sir what do we do?” Asked one of the soldiers that rushed next to him.

“Go outside and call for backup that asshole’s mine.” Ordered Antama.

Antama jumped down ready to face his opponent. The man drew his sword ready to face Antama. Antama drew his in return and looked at the man’s eyes and saw them change.

“Dragon Eyes. Shit!” Said Antama.

The man swung his sword and Antama blocked it with his only for it to break in one hit.

“Fuck!” Exclaimed Antama as he tried to dodge to man’s swings.

Antama drew a knife and threw it at the man’s chest. The knife landed in his heart and he stood there looking at it. He pulled out the knife from his chest and his sword began to glow. Antama noticed that the wound began to heal as the sword glowed an ominous red.

“That’s not good.” Said Antama as his situation turned from bad to worse.

As the man was preparing to charge several arrows rained down upon him. The man stumbled back as several arrows pierced his body. Antama looked back and saw Aradesh along with the rest of his reinforcements. Antama drew a second knife and firmly gripped his broken sword ready to fight. The man howled and fled immediately. Anatma chased him down to the opposite side of the chamber where the black robed man escaped as well. After a few minutes the man jumped down a large chasm and looked up towards Antama. Antama looked for a way down but found none, and jumping down was definitely not an option as the drop was at least three hundred feet. Antama walked back exhausted and terrified at what he just witnessed. He saw Aradesh with two other soldiers in tow walking towards him.

“They’re gone.” Said Antama as he walked past them.

“Well we captured one of them alive.” Said Aradesh.

“Let’s see what the prisoner has to say.”

Antama met the rest outside the cave and saw the prisoner all wrapped up in rope. The prisoner wore a similar mask to the robed man except his was not as ornate or detailed, his robes were a dark red almost the color of blood, and like the man with a glowing sword he had Dragon Eyes.

“Talk.” Said Antama.

The prisoner simply glared through his mask at Antama. Antama pulled the mask off of the prisoner and was shocked by what he saw underneath. His skin was nothing but scales. He resembled a lizard or a dragon in this case.

“What the fuck are you?”

The prisoner smiled. “I’am one of the chosen.”

“Are you an animalist? Gaist? Are you with Dawon?”

“I’am my master’s sword and shield.” He answered.

Antama walked towards Aradesh. “Get a cage ready for this freak I’m taking him back to Albion. I have to meet with the rest about this.”

“What will you have me do?” Asked Aradesh.

“Have second and third battalions follow Dawon’s trail. I want you to take the first, fourth, and fifth battalions and find those assholes.”

“Got it.”