Duke Aldan, Rhys, and Nathan returned to the Aldan family estate with all the evidence that had been collected from the Reapers Draught. Their plan was to analyse all that they had collected back at the estate with guards they trusted and wait for Nox Reges to come to them.
Micah had dropped back and then stealthily made in a different direction to the caravan of wagons as they made their return, he was carrying a short sealed letter addressed to Bjorn, asking him to quickly head to the estate if he wished to settle the debt he owed, however the contingent was that he disguise himself and agree to move in secret so as not to tip off the would be attackers.
Whilst Micah was delivering letters Henrick was receiving messages from Cedrick. He quickly tore it open hoping for good news that they were on their way. Even with one arm he was one hell of a swordsman. “Cedrick can’t join us” he turned to Rhys. “Duke Zelos has returned and locked down the castle. Nobody in or out until he says so. It was everything Cedrick could do to be allowed to send this one letter to us. If it wasn’t for the fact he holds Crius I’m not sure even this word would have reached us.”
“So we fight with one less on our side?”
“Not nervous are you Rhys?” Duke Alden clapped his hand on to his friend’s shoulder.
“No, no. I just feel bad for Cedrick. He bet me 200 gold pieces that he would take more of the, oh what were his words, ah yes ‘vile, maggot sucking, sewer smelling, scum’s lives’ than I would.” He chuckled in response.
“Looks like you owe us all some food and drinks after this then.” Duke Aldan couldn’t help joining in the laughter at his brother’s expense.
Another three minutes of travel and then Duke Aldan, sensed movement running along rooftops and tailing them through dark alleys that ran adjacent to the main street.
“Rhys?” he queried in a hushed tone.
“About four hundred, from my senses and about ten holding back. The weakest of the ten is giving off energy equal to a sergeant in the King’s Guard and the toughest. Henrick, the toughest feels like you.” He answered apprehensively. “Are you sure? It’s not too late to divert to the castle?”
“We’d be too vulnerable in the streets now. They have the rooftop advantage. We stick to the plan.”
“Yes General.” He nodded. “Okay everyone, up the pace. Last stretch.”
*****************************************
“They have sensed us and are upping the pace” Two spoke to the nine who stood on a rooftop overlooking the operation.
“Shall we give the order to close in?”
“No, let them think they are safe. It will be more fun for us if they are beaten down while thinking they hold the superior position.”
“But their defenses?”
“Are nothing. We’ve already surveyed it all. They have three strong fighters and less than forty in total. We out number them all eight to one and we ten can suppress the three leaders no problem.”
“But Duke Aldan is a monster like One isn’t he?”
“I would guess that my new strength puts me equal to Henrick Aldan, that self-righteous noble good for nothing. His power is just for show whereas mine comes from fighting and killing just to survive. It’s the main reason we cultivate such a cutthroat environment.”
“He has a bloodline though.”
“And, I have means of my own.”
Almost the entirety of Nox Reges, baring their leader, Reges One, stood covered in shadows, alert and ready, outside the walls of the Aldan family estate. They almost held their breath in anticipation of what came next, then the shrill call of a bird rang out through the night. The assault had begun, figures garbed in all black that would be immediately recognizable to Duke Aldan, broke cover left and right and sprinted at the wall but as they got close, they didn’t even show signs of slowing. With three bounding steps they were running vertically up fifty-foot-high walls, and just as it looked like they might lose momentum they held out their left wrists and tiny steel cords on hooks fired upwards, propelled by a tiny explosion and as the head of the hook hit it exploded outwards creating a sturdy hold that allowed them to continue running.
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As they hit the top of the wall, they were surprised to find it unmanned however their leader for the operation wasn’t.
“Don’t worry.” Two called out “They have taken a defensive position just outside the main house. They clearly think in the open they are our superior due to all their training for war. Show them just how skilled you all are in combat. I’m going to show them just how useless their so-called rankings are.”
Two had already picked out Henrick Aldan from the crowd and was making a beeline straight for him. He drew two short swords while running at full pelt hoping to cut down the main threat in a quick swipe but as his sword came arcing straight at the Duke he found it blocked by a glowing orange sword, his hand bleeding and numb as a wave of energy reverberated back through his hand and up his arm forcing the muscles to twitch and before he knew the tendons to tear.
“How?” Was all that Two could cry out before Aldan’s sword came in from another angle at an incredulous speed that Two could barely follow. This wasn’t a lightweight sword either. This was a giant two-handed claymore he was elegantly weaving towards Two like it weighed no more than a wooden cane.
“You shouldn’t have come after my family is all you need to know. I’m not one for monologuing though, so just know as soon as I’m done with you, I’ll remove the rest of your self-styled Kings from existence too.”
“Three, Four? On me.” Two quickly called out across the battlefield panic creeping in and hoping that they weren’t too far away. Luckily they had already sensed the danger and had closed down the gap so that as Duke Aldan’s next cut came in at Two’s neck having beaten his defenses, Three’s sword was in place to deflect the blow while Four was already pulling Two back from the swords path.
“Can we?” Three asked
“No” Two answered abruptly. “It appears his power is compressed ready to burst forth.”
“So?” Four spoke while they barely defended as a trio.
“We have no choice but to delay him and hope that the others can reduce the numbers. With less allies we can then overwhelm him and slowly bleed him to death.”
“Ha!” Duke Aldan mockingly laughed. “There will be no delay” and just as he spoke Bjorn broke through the house doors a red mist surrounding him.”
“Blood Bear Bjorn” Four yelled in alarm.
As Four was distracted a torrent of flame burst forth from Aldan, his power unleashed and given physical manifestation as a set of armour. His physical armour burnt to cinders. Duke Aldan was done talking, his teeth clamped together as he forced his aura to break its former limits. A touch of blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth but he shot forward with twice his previous speed his blade slicing through the air, almost seeming to cut time and space for Three who was held in place under the approaching blade. Two returned the earlier favour and deflected the blade yet the blade fractured and as Three was pulled back it shattered into several pieces.
The swords trajectory curved and came back in from the deflection. Three had just breathed a sign of relief as pain shot through his calf on his front leg. His trousers were aflame but he saw no other issue, until he pulled his leg back and his lower leg and foot remained on the ground. Aldan stabbed his sword into the foot and his flames burst forth once more, incinerating it in less than a second the so that it was merely a pile of smoldering ash. No way for two to have it reattached.
Two, seeing Three crippled launched an all out assault, they weren’t exactly friends but he’d need Three to compose himself and find a way to fight if they were to escape this with any semblance of life.
“Too late.” Aldan called out as his palm struck out to block the fist of Two. Instead of stopping at the point of contact though Duke Aldans’s palm continued toward Two as he used his feet to accelerate turning defence into offence. Two’s wrists shattered then his forearm, elbow until his hands were driven straight though his diaphragm and blood sprayed from his mouth. Duke Aldan’s strike had lifted Two from the ground and his furious, burning eyes stared into Two’s. “You’re done.”
Seeing Two dropped so easily Four and Five were quick to grab Three and make a hasty exit. Unwilling to leave the defenders short they chose against giving pursuit.
“We’ve dealt them a heavy blow. There is no need to chase them. Besides their number One wasn’t here today, we still need them to draw them out.”
“Are you sure this is okay? I’m not sure their number Two is going to make it!” Rhys queried.
“He won’t. I shattered his core and forced all the energy into his organs. They’re failing as we speak.”
“But?” Unsure how to continue.
“It won’t be a problem” Bjorn called out. “He has done it to show all the others we captured tonight that this is the fate that awaits any who cross House Aldan. Two was the least likely to speak based on his rank and therefore served more use as a message.”
“Bjorn is right, my original plan was to capture one of the Kings alive but I soon realised the level of zealotry I was up against made that a nonstarter.” Duke Aldan answered in a scary, calm tone.
“But you said the Council of Justice would come knocking.” Rhys was puzzled, his brow crinkled.
“Oh they will, in fact it wouldn’t surprise me if a messenger was already nearby, in fact let’s meet them on route, grab all the prisoners, we’re moving out."
What about this body?” Micah chimed up kicking Two who had now taken his final breath.
“Bring him too. I’m sure there is a bounty to collect from the Kings plus it justifies everything we’ve been up against this last day.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”