" where's brok team? "

One of my comrade in arms,brian, ask me a question while holding a unconscious woman in his shoulder 

" ...what you gonna do with her? "

I replied with another question as I divert my attention back to my sword, polishing it so that it won't dull and broke in the most critical moment when I will have another battle 

"are you a fool? It's obvious right? Do you want to have a taste of her when I done later?"

He scoff at me for a second, then back to looking at the woman with lust writen all over in his face 

"....I'll pass "

I say that to him while give him a shooing gesture with my hand. He just snicker at me as a response and walk to the forest direction, humming in the way.

As a veteran soldiers, I'm not surprised with an event like this. Fed up actually, to see all this happened all the time when we come out victorious. It's like we are not different with bandits much. But I know that it's important for something like this to happen. Soldiers risk their lives in battles and wars, we could die any moment, and we need something to keep the moral of the soldiers. As well as motivation. 

But aren't this too cruel? I'm here to become a soldier, to protect my homeland, not for butchering helpless peoples. It's like all my hard work to become one of the elite is gifted with more deaths and more rapes, not to protect, but for killing. 

I sighed at my own reverie as I look upward towards the sky. It's still midnight, we the knights rank, coming here with 100 of us to infiltrate our enemy kingdom, Elesta. The plan is to make shortcut way to go the Elesta most weapon supply and trading point town, Sherath city, as fast as possible. Then we will take an convenient hiding spot that already planned and wait till the main army attack in front of Elestia door, the fortress that border our Arcaest territory and Elestia territory, blackwall fortress and declare the war with action . Soon when all Elestia attention go to the blackwall and utilise all available soldiers to the fortress, we will strike to the town when it will be become unguarded because lack of soldiers. With that, our armies will surround Elestia, being attacked in the front and back. That's why, even though if the shortcut will have villages in the way, we'll destroy it. Even if it's just only to make the journey one day faster

I sigh again in the thought of destroying and killing another villagers. With that, I look around me to see my fellow knights. They make party with foods we ravaged from the houses, make a big campfire with woods from the village building we destroyed, and chatting in the area where we killed most of the villagers. I can even hear three or four of woman cry and man panting sounds from there and there 

Night still long, it will be better if I quickly finish maintenance of my sword and go to sleep 

______________

After I done with those scums and buried mom, I walk to the man that now become my master. 

" my lord, let me go for a while to get my revenge...I'll kill all the bastards that destroy my village and my life "

I kneel in front of him and lower my head while say so. Silence filled the area as master didn't reply my permission to go 

" ....lord? "

I raise my head and saw him looking other direction, I follow his gaze and see that the direction he look now is the direction to my village 

" just call me master will do for now. I see many life signatures that at least will be more than 80 peoples, how you fight and kill those many soldiers? "

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I grit my teeth when I hear that and my voice sounded out 

" so... Even with this power, I can't kill all of them?.... "

I bit my lip when say that, head and shoulder dropping down and disappointment come to my heart 

" sure you can "

I hear master voice that bring hope, I quickly turn my head to him while giving an excited face 

" you won't die. Not with those shitty iron swords they use. But it will take too long for you to kill them... let me help you with that "

He walk to my right and take some distance from me. When he seem satisfied with the distance, a black book appeared out of thin air in his right hand. The book cover is pitch black with some intricate designs around it. He open the book and flipped page by page. When he found the page he search for, he placed his right hand straight in front of him and chanting some unknown words I never heard before 

"heed the call O the dark one" 

He clench his hand and black liquid flow from his hand, more and more of it streaming down until it become small pool below him 

" I conjure thee, for thou the one shalt bore destruction to my foe "

The small black liquid moving as if it has mind on its own and change to a shape of humanoid creature that have two pair big bat wings, two big horn and two small between the big ones and long tail. Shortly, the liquid surface changed to black scales, make it alive. 

*GROOARR*

The creature howled with a loud roar, open its big wings and bring its first yell in this world. Blood drained from my face when it look at me with its bright glowing eyes that made of flames. Master looks satisfied with the creature appearance and turn his head to me 

" now, we are ready for the party "

___________

" jord, it's your turn for night watch "

One of my fellow knights wake me up. I open my eyes wearily, still sleepy. I get up from the bed of one the villagers house. I nod my head to him and rub back of my head, yawning. He gone to take his turn to sleep after seeing my nod. As he left, I took my sword that lying beside me when I sleep and go outside the house. 

The campfire now quiet with only few people that only still wake because night watch duty. I see two knights talking about something, they only give sidelong glance to my direction and continue the conversation. 

" so... Did you guys already cleaned up the mess of your guys " fun " ? "

I take a seat in the opposite direction of them, check if they are not careless enough to forget because of their 'fun' 

" don't worry about that, we are not idiots you know " 

One of them with short brown hair clicked his tongue in front of me while saying that, if I'm not wrong he called Gerry . Not that I'll bother with his childish reply 

" hey jord, it must be hard to be a good guy huh? I never see you take part in the fun " 

The one just spoke had elongated face, same color hair with Gerry, brown, and have that annoying smile is Steph. After Steph said that, Gerry make a mocking smile and chimed in 

" yeah, it must be harsh to have the nobel personality. I know you come from a nobel family, but aren't you just the third son? Kicked from house for not inherit the land and become soldier. And nobels always more cold hearted than us, the soldiers. They always look down on commoners and see commoners is just goods aren't they ? "

" shut up "

I glared at them, each of them. Hands in my sword sheath and handle, ready to pull it anytime. 

" easy jord, we don't want to take a fight here. Not with the mission still ongoing " 

Steph take a back down gesture and Gerry only snorts at me. I let go of my sword handle but still glaring at them 

" by the way, I don't see our leader, Brok, for some time now? Brian ask me about him before but I don't know where's he "

I take other topic for conversation. They just don't know to shut their mouth and not to cross the line 

" well, I hear he's chasing one family of  the villager? Maybe he's having fun and play some " games" with them. Hahaha "

Steph glossed over the topic with a joke. But chasing a family of random villager? Well, we must not have witnesses for this mission. Hope the leader not to harsh on them 

Gerry and Steph chatting continue again. Talking and boasting that this woman had a nice hip for the moves or that woman had nice boob and ass to grab. I only can stare at the flames dancing in front of us, dozing off. Better than hearing the talk of maniacs 

*GROOAARR* 

A loud howl ring out in the surrounding and we suddenly sprung into action. Quickly stand up, we see a shadow of creature that has big pair of wings flying out from the forest. It circling around above us and its flame eyes stare sharply into our very being 

" WAKE UP!! WE UNDER ATTACK! " 

Steph shout loudly to alert others. Me and Gerry unsheathed our sword, ready for the sudden attack of the creature. 

"Gerry! Let's take our bow to- "

My voice cut off as I turned my head to Gerry, his head is gone. Blood splutter from the headless body and the body fall to the ground. When the body fall, behind the body is a man wearing black robe, holding Gerry head in his left hand 

" hello sir Knight. Nice to meet you in this night "

He lean down his body a little, make it like a small bow. He look at me with smile in his face while licking his blood stained finger from his right hand 

" aarrghh "

Steph pained sound sounded. As I turn my head to Steph, I see a small girl with blonde hair, red eyes as red as blood, ripping off Steph right arm and bite his neck while clutching him from behind and throttle him with her left hand 

" aaahhh my armmmm"

" look out! Watch your head! "

" shoot! Shoot! "

I turned my head to my fellow knights direction, body trembling. My comrades already come out and bring swords, spears, and bows. They engage in fight with the creature as the creature movement is fast. Its so fast and agile to dodge most of their arrows . Even though some manage to land in the creature body, the arrows can't pierce its scale and so the creature only shrugged off the arrows. With the fast movement, it will plunge down sometimes with heads or body parts of knights, it's like a view of eagle catching up its prey 

" what the hell is that ?! "

" hiiiii, it's a demon! "

" noo! Joeeeee! "

" someone save meeee "

Panic, confusion, disorder filled the entire formation of the knights. As if that creature don't enough, the small girl joined the array and killing many knights while smiling 

" well well, if they so fast killing them all, it will be make the party less guests, right,mister Knight ? Let's call back our guests that already dead " 

I shudder as I hear his voice. Bring back the dead? I look at him as if he's a madman. Reading the black book in hands, he let out weird language from his mouth. Shortly, a hand pop out from the ground. More and more hands popped out near him , soon peoples come out of the ground near him but the peoples features is missing a lot of their body parts 

My god 

"aren't the party become more enjoyable if more people coming? Well let's enjoy it together, mister knight "

He give me a gentle gaze and a warm smile. I can only shiver uncontrollably as I see all those dead people eyes staring at me. The mysterious man clap his hands and yelled 

" let's the dinner party, begin! "