Hooves thundered as he galloped across the open plains chasing down his routed enemy, this unholy alliance of his three western enemies. Normally he would rule happily from his capital, but they had forced him, the Tempest King, to leave his seat of power and personally travel to the front lines. Fourteen months he'd spent on the blasted battlefield until finally this opportunity came. He'd completely defeated two of their three commanders this day but the third and probably the greatest threat of them all remained.
"Faster, we mustn't let him enter the Glenwald tree line or he'll escape. If given even half a chance he'll become a gathering point for their remaining armies and we'll be forced to persist on this damned front." He demanded of his generals, shouting as the cold wind whistled past their ears. He knew they were just as spent as he was, yet they'd still given everything they had and more to finally see the end of this war.
The dark forest of Glenwald marked the edge of his Kingdom. It was a quiet and gloomy place most of the time but the elite cavalry of the two armies had broken that silence entirely this day.
Still even over the noise of clattering armour, pounding hoof beats, and gasping breaths he heard it. Twang It was clear as day in his ears, almost like a bell tolling for his demise. He reacted without thinking, leaning slightly to the left of his horse, he could not throw himself off or he risked being trampled by the horses of his own men.
Thwack! A slick black arrow punched through his armour and into the right of his chest, driving him up and off the back of his horse.
He felt himself floating briefly as his generals whizzed past.
Is this the end? He pondered briefly before his body was harshly slammed, deep into the ground by that never ending force known as gravity.
He wheezed as the air was forced out of his lungs and that single arrow moved deeper, grinding against his bones and cutting apart his organs and muscles.
It built deep within, a metallic taste, low in his throat before he choked and coughed up a mass of dark crimson blood.
"The King is down, all healers on me" He heard his closest friend and leader of his generals, Duke Arien Zelos, shout out. "General Caster, lead the men and bring me that archer's head along with the head of their Commander."
He smiled at his friend's words and then slipped into darkness, thinking of his daughter Eluna and whether she had given birth to his grandchild yet.
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Arien leapt from his horse and rushed to the side of his best friend, his King, pulling off his plumed helmet as he went.
He knelt down at the side of Sturm, the current Tempest King taking in his condition. The King was a tall, powerful man at 6ft 4 and he carried the common grey hair and eyes that went with the Tempest Bloodline. Currently he had a short scruffy beard due to not shaving for a few days with the constant battling and it was filled with black blood. The veins coming up from under his armour were starting to show signs of turning black.
"Poison" he spat "I'll rip them all limb from limb".
He looked up for the healers but they were nowhere to be found yet. They'd opened up more of a gap with the main troops than he had expected.
Arien had no idea how the King had managed to sense that arrow. The first he'd recognised it was as it struck Sturm in the chest. It shamed him to say that although they were there to protect the King he was on another level when it came to the power he wielded. Finally he caught sight of the rest of the troops catching up.
"Healers to me" he summoned as they got within earshot.
"The King has been poisoned." He informed them as the four healers came to his side. "Two of you suppress the poison and the other two focus on stopping the blood loss when I pull the arrow out."
"Understood Duke Zelos."
The four healers got to work utilising the best of their magic to keep the King alive. Once he was sure the King was stable the lead healer gave a nod to Duke Zelos. Upon receiving the signal, he pulled the arrow in one fluid movement back out of the wound.
A primal roar escaped the Kings mouth as the arrow was removed briefly bringing him back to consciousness before the shock to his body once again sent him under.
A few moments later the lead healer spoke.
"Duke Zelos, we have managed to stop the bleeding however the poison is extremely toxic and is doing severe damage to the king's organs. We're currently suppressing it but unless we can find something to completely cure it I'm not sure how we can save the king."
"Understood, just do everything you can for now. As soon as the Commanders reports in we are going to settle the front lines and focus on getting the king back to the capital. I'll also send the arrow on ahead to the chief herbalist to see if we can't concoct an antidote.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
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The Duchy of Aldan was experiencing a terrible storm, the main estate was absolutely besieged with thunder and lightning while in the master bedroom a beautiful young woman was in labour. Her icy blue eyes and matted blonde hair showed the physical pain she was currently experiencing. It wasn't a standard child birth but then again all those of the Tempest Bloodline were supposedly quite difficult often resulting in either the mother or baby dying and sometimes even both. This young woman was Duchess Eluna, formerly known as Princess Eluna, daughter of King Sturm Tempest. As someone who had failed to awaken the Tempest Bloodline she had no claim to the throne however that didn't mean she was spared from the pain it brought expectant mothers.
"You're doing great my love." The gruff, yet tender voice of her husband spoke.
Duke Henrick Aldan, a tall and powerful man with fiery red hair and flaming red eyes, the symbol of the Ember Lion bloodline he carried. It was a minor bloodline, unlike the Tempest bloodline where the carrier would be both a mage and a warrior, the Ember Lion only allowed you to be one or the other. Still it had allowed Duke Aldan to become the third most powerful man in the kingdom, after The King and Duke Zelos.
The two midwives came rushing back in carrying fresh water and towels just as Duchess Eluna experienced another wave of pain.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Duke Aldan asked them.
"I'm afraid not Your Grace, at this point nature will take its course. We've turned the baby into the right position and it seems the cord is no longer wound around the baby. Until the baby comes out we can't start to stitch up any wounds although we have summoned for the healer to come and help promote blood replenishment and stave off any infections."
Another hour later the baby was finally born, although it was without a breath.
"Oh no, it's all my fault, Crius my little boy" Duchess Eluna wept as she saw the lead midwife looking to get the baby breathing again.
The midwife was shaking her head and about to turn to the mother when a bolt of lightning struck the tower where the master bedroom was located. Sparks of electricity filled the room and the little baby boy glowed from head to toe, his body crackling with lightning as his eyes lit up and he cried out for the first time. Breath drawing deep into his lungs.
"It seems even the heavens are looking out for this little boy Duchess Eluna."
"Crius, his name is Crius after his great grandfather." She smiled and looked into the eyes of her husband who smiled back, some of his worries now abated.
It took the healer and the midwives all night to ensure both mother and baby were past the worst of the danger but it'd still take a few days for the mother to get to full health and even longer to ensure the baby hadn't suffered any long lasting effects from the trauma.
The next morning Duke Aldan, knowing his wife and son were safe, wrote a letter to the King informing him of the birth of his Grandson and that his daughter was okay following the birth. It would first be sent to the castle in the Capital and then following that sent out with the next supply run to the front lines.
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Two months on from the birth of Crius, Duke Aldan and Duchess Eluna were seated having breakfast when a deep purple crystal lit up on the dining table.
This was a long range communication crystal given to Duchess Eluna by the King when she left home. Unfortunately it didn't have the ability to communicate with the sheer distance to the front lines such was the vast size of the Tempest Kingdom but communication within a few hundred miles was possible.
"Father" Duchess Eluna answered the crystal by touching its base.
"Princess Eluna, this is Duke Zelos."
"Where's my father? Is everything okay?" She panicked, tremors in her voice.
"The King was struck by a poison arrow while we chased the remains of their army. He's alive but in a bad way. We just received your letter this morning and in one of his more alert moments he requested you come to the Capital. We should arrive within the week."
"We will be at the Capital Duke Zelos" Duke Aldan answered for his wife who was in a stunned state. "I'll make the arrangements for the estate and hopefully be there in six days at most."
"Thank you Henrick, and congratulations. I'm sorry this message couldn't be sent under better circumstances."
"I appreciate it, Duke Zelos."
"You're not my subordinate any longer Henrick, we have equal standing. Please just call me Arien."
"Understood."
As the communication ended Duke Aldan summoned his butler.
"Michael, we'll be going to the capital for a few days. Please make the arrangements and take charge of the estate while I'm away."
"As you wish, Your Grace." After a small bow, he stepped out of the room and began making the necessary preparations.
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Meanwhile in an underground room with the subtlest lighting ten dark human shadows stood in a circle around a tabletop map of the Tempest Kingdom. Finally after a long silence a harsh, gravely voice spoke. "The plan worked, the King is fatally wounded and heading back to the capital. A slight hiccup has appeared though, a child, born of the King's daughter."
"Is the child a boy?" A sweet female voice filled with lust and desire spoke.
"It is believed so. The only question is how do we proceed?" A third voice spoke, this one male, and plain.
"Lady Kimaris you are to deploy and monitor the situation, hopefully someone else will make a move and we can remain in the shadows otherwise it's your job to remove this… obstacle."
"Understood Lord Paimon. I shall depart immediately." And with that the ten shadowy figures became nine.
"Do you really trust Lady Kimaris to be successful? It is her first true mission since being promoted and taking on the seal of Kimaris."
"She has so far done everything asked of her Lord Malthus, however follow her and if she should fail kill her and bring back the seal. Meeting adjourned."
"As you command Lord Paimon."
"But should she be successful Lord Malthus, you will owe me two fingers. I will not tolerate discord being spread in this room amongst our members." Lord Paimon's gravelly voice echoed in Lord Malthus's ear as his shadow faded away and the room became pitch black.