^{Chapter 20}_{Descendants of Kai}


The week had been a lonely one. Without the hatchling by my side or Erixeth's jovial voice accompanying me wherever I went, the tent felt eerily empty. My assumptions that Erixeth had not made it through the battle only gnawed away more at my happiness, and, part of the way through, I had lost the ability to smile. Not even the most awkward of force joyful expressions could make its way onto my face.

It was something that Erella was quick to comment on that morning. She sauntered over to me, her blue eyes sparkling like the ice crystals of her kingdom.

"Candy, do not fret. We shall succeed in defeating Kaidelus; any deaths of close ones shall not have been in vain." Sensing that I was still displeased with our situation, she continued to attempt to motivate me. "The prince may have appeared to have abandon us in our time of need. Indeed, that is saddening. But we must look forward, and remember that our combined strengths and ideas shall end Kaidelus' regime."

"Our potential loss is not my concern." I turned my body so that I was facing her completely. "It is what has already been lost.

"I think, every time I look to my side. What could have been, and what should have been." I paused, contemplating my words carefully. "I have lost friends. My guards, Taensina and Jjanis, who I most likely sent to their deaths, were the first. Erixeth, the Sylvorpa, who I befriended whilst in Prince Rysxaro's camp. Many more have died for this cause." I tilted my head away, breaking eye contact. "Brethren, too. Errikin... and Kaidelus. And... and that poor hatchling, whom I nurtured until he hatched, only for him to be torn away from me. To him, Kaidelus, although his father, was a stranger, and I, with very little relation, his mother." Erella placed a paw on my shoulder, however I did not feel comforted by this gesture.

"We cannot bring them back, Candy, and you know that. But we shall do our best to avenge them, and make sure that Kaidelus is brought to justice for his actions." All I could do was nod.

We did not have long alone, as we were approached by Kritholxo. I had not seen him in so long, worried that perhaps he had died in the raid on the castle, but he seemed as healthy as ever, striding towards us. Though I sensed that the energy that powered him forwards was not a positive one, as, when he slowed, he was grim-faced, a spark of urgency in his eyes.

"Princesses." With a formal bow of the head, the Kelpari's blue eyes did not meet either of our gazes. "I have two things to report. Firstly, some good news. Prince Aritael's condition has improved somewhat, however he is not yet fit to leave the bed." My heart leapt up from the ditch of sorrow that it had been stuck in for so long. For the first time in a while, a smile wound its way across my face. "Though I regret to inform you that we are no closer to discovering who poisoned him." Despite the second piece of information, the relief stuck, and I let out a sigh, as all of the pent-up emotions floated away from my body.

"That is fantastic news!" I exclaimed. The sudden shift in temperament surprised Erella for a moment, but she too seemed just as joyful as me as the news sank in. "It does not matter that you were unable to find the perpetrator; you have succeeded in bringing my kin back to health, and, for that, those who accomplished that have my thanks - please, tell them." Kritholxo nodded, then continued with his message.

"I have a second thing as well. A request, from a stranger who was spotted by the outskirts of the camp. He was detained by one of the guards on the border, and claims that he has information that would be of use to us, and perhaps condemn Kaidelus even further." My curiosity grew with his every word. My first instinct was to immediately accept audience with the strange Sylesti.

"Take me to him," I confidently said. Erella glanced at me.

"As much as I too would like to be present, I have many duties to attend to, including keeping an eye on King Pyris." Her eyes drifted to Kritholxo. "Send a scribe with her. I would like to be informed on this as well."

--

Accompanied by a young Luffox with an array of tools to write with strapped around his waist, I entered the somewhat dark tent. It was pleasantly cool inside, in contrast to the heat of the outside.

With Kritholxo stood at the door, watching, I felt more confident in the presence of the cloaked Puffadore. When I sat opposite on a cushioned stool, his lips split apart in a grin, showing white fangs, seemingly bleached that way, as his gums were a disgusting charcoal.

"Princess, I thank you for allowing me to speak with you. Many others would not express the same kindness." The hood concealing his head was brushed back with one paw, revealing a face that was unexpectedly handsome. When he brushed his front down, it revealed a symbol - a blueish half-moon on what could only be a red pentagram. I was not familiar with it, however he swiftly informed me. "I am Kai, of the Descendants of Kai. The only true necromancers left upon this world." With a haunting chuckle, he kept speaking. "Judging by your expression, you have not heard of us. Our name is rather self-explanatory, but our customs are unique. For example, did you perhaps know that all of us are called Kai?" He laughed again, as if he was unable to control his urges to show his emotions. "Makes it interesting to address a crowd of us, does it not?"

"Why have to come here?" To my left, I heard the scratching of an inked feather on parchment as the scribe took notes.

"To tell you something that you might want to hear." I was uncomfortable with the way the necromancer was speaking, but I had accepted his request to speak, and so I needed to continue. His murky purple eyes glinted with mischief and madness. "You see, Kaidelus contacted us not too long ago, somewhat distressed. He asked of a crystal - green and glowing. We are famed for making them, as they have... certain properties that can lead to the revival of one who is dead, along with a few others."

"And you sold one to him?"

"Indeed. However, once a brother of mine informed me that you may harbour some sympathy for us law-breakers." Leaning forwards a little, a sudden darkness seemed to fall over all of us. "As such... We have decided that we will happily corrupt the crystal at your command, provided that you grant us permission to continue our rituals in Malledus." I shivered. I cannot call upon illegal forces to do my bidding! That would be absurd! I would be shunned by all, never to be forgiven, or my treachery to be forgotten. "We can end this war as swiftly as it started. All it takes is your promise, and Kaidelus will be dead. Not a single civilian or soldier more will have to die, and you will have some loyal protectors." The grin on his face widened. "What do you say, Princess?"

Erella. What would she do?

I cannot do this, it is against my morals. It is cheating the system, dishonourable even... I hate Kaidelus, but I could not give him a death so terrible. He deserves to die in battle, not...

It may have been how he wanted to kill Aritael, but two wrongs do not make a right.

"I... I will consult Princess Erella and King Pyris on the matter." I could not fully refuse his offer, the thought of losing no-one else appealing to me more than I wished it did. "Until then, if you wish, I will allow you access to the camp, and a place to stay. However, that is on the condition that none of your brothers or sisters come. We cannot have anyone on the camp being worried by the presence of too many necromancers."

"I understand. I thank you for your offer, and I will gladly accept it." He flashed me another smile, before being approached by Kritholxo.

"Kritholxo," I said, "Take him to one of the spare tents. He may reside there for now. I shall find King Pyris." I glanced over to the scribe, whose round green eyes were looking up at me. "Go. Inform Princess Erella. Present her with the script, then bring her to the meeting tent, along with the parchment. We shall have a private discussion."

^{Chapter 21}_{The Crystal}


"You... You're crazy!"

King Pyris' jaw hung open, his crimson eyes aflame with horror. Erella's gaze was directed at the floor, yet she did not wilt under the intensity of his stare. She shook her head gently, and justified her decision with a final conclusion.

"It is against all of my morals, however... For the sake of the greater good, it should be done. Each soldier we lose is another family devastated. This is a chance to put an end to the massacre, and we should take it." The King's expression was of abject terror, unable to fathom what she had just uttered. His traditional values recoiled at her support of an illegal act, and his honour spurred him into action. He stood at once, eyes wide in disbelief.

"What you propose is insane! You would cast aside your reputation and potentially be banished for the sake of a few soldiers?!" His voice was rising to a shout. Erella gestured to him to keep quiet, but he paid her no notice, his outrage boiling through his veins. "These Sylestis have pledged their lives to fight for us, and, in the process, have acknowledged that their death may be a result of taking up the position." Jabbing the table at every other word, he made his anger clear to Erella and I. "And so, we have their consent to use them for whatever we demand!" He turned his head to Erella. "I have put up with this fragile friendship for the kingdom. I have done all that you have requested. But this is too far, Princess! If you are seriously considering this, then I refuse to co-operate with you any longer, and I shall form my own plans to bring down Kaidelus without the use of necromancers." His distaste for the illegal mages twisted his face into an ugly scowl. Tail waving from side to side like an enraged snake, he bared his fangs slightly, awaiting Erella's counter to his words.

"It is a shame that you would sacrifice your people for your honour. I am placing the civilians of Kyarin first, and, as such, I will place everything that I have worked for on the line to bring peace." With a stare as cold as her kingdom, Erella's icy eyes met his. "Do as you wish. Go on your crusade - but do not turn to me when your army lies dead at your feet."

At that, King Pyris left.

With a sigh, Erella glanced over at me, waiting for me to speak.

"It is unfortunate that we have lost his forces..." I began, the words hardly coming to me, "and I cannot be sure as to whether we can trust this Descendant of Kai. I am also not keen on his terms, but this war cannot continue, especially when Kaidelus has such power at this point." Placing a paw on my forehead, I closed my eyes, thinking over everything, though, before I could continue, Erella already had something to say.

"Trust me, this is a noble way to go about things. King Pyris does not see this, as he is too entangled in his traditional views. He may have won many battles with his methods, but he has never won a war. We are placing only ourselves at risk - but should we die, we will die having done everything we could have, even if our methods were illegal." My ears twitched at the mention of death. My courage was beginning to falter, unsure of if that was a punishment that I could face.

I decided to change the subject, eager to keep my mind from the negative consequences. "We need to bring in Kai, and tell him of our decision. We cannot keep him waiting."

--

The necromancer's grin split across his face at out acceptance of his offer.

"If you have any doubts about our allegiance, if it will please you, I can show you the ritual in which we corrupt the crystal." The shadows shifted underneath his hood as he tilted his head upwards. "And I will make certain that news of our alliance does not spread." His teeth glinted in the low light. I shivered though Erella maintained her composure.

"I have my duties to attend to, however... Princess Candy will go with you." I didn't have any say in the matter, but my morbid curiosity to see inside the world of a forbidden art meant that my mouth stayed firmly shut. "Though, as a safety measure, she must be accompanied by a guard. Kritholxo the Kelpari is perfectly sensible and loyal - as such, if he is to see the process, he will not speak of it if we command him to." I gave a slight nod, showing my approval with the simple gesture.

"That is fine." The necromancer also nodded, mimicking the swift and somewhat stiff movement of my own head. "The way is dark, and must be that way in order for... certain events to be triggered. If it is not too much to ask, we should depart now."

"I do not have any qualms about it," I stated.

At that, the two of us exited the tent and slipped out of the camp and into the cover of the forest.

In the night, the world was very different. Small, insignificant shrubs were transformed into blade-leaved pillars; trees became snakes, hissing as the wind blew; the air was still and silent, almost crushing in nature. The necromancer was familiar with this strange place, but I, a powerless Puffadore with only a Kelpari guard by my side, jumped at every shadow. Kai seemed amused every time I flinched away from a rustling patch of grass, but did not comment as we picked our way through the tangle of nature.

We reached a solid stone door, with multiple inscriptions etched carelessly onto its surface. The messiness of the symbols made it clear that whomever had made the door was not one who had a particular talent for carving. Kai pressed his paw against the slab, then read aloud the words.

"Yayel bvaris miatcha lazis lapvaris uta pradis, myavol xezxol kravkis apposis, wrey das." There was a creak, a squeal, then the immense mass rolled to the side, and, immediately, the stench of blood assaulted my nostrils. I had expected somewhat of a smell to the lair, but it seemed... fresh, rather than musty, like I expected. Even Kai seemed taken aback by it.

As soon as I placed a paw inside, I knew something was wrong. Kai seemed on edge, showing more real emotion than he ever had. His actions seemed rushed, as he descended the mossy steps two at a time, following the scent that engulfed us.

There was a splash. All of a sudden, the ground was wet.

Kai meant to scream out of dismay, but all that escaped his throat was a choke. His entire being was trembling, his legs suddenly weak as he observed the scene before him, struggling to take in all that he could see.

Bodies. Bodies everywhere.

Motionless. Blank-eyed.

Wheezing a little, Kai closed his eyes. When they snapped open, they glowed a brilliant purple, some sort of aura radiating from them. He gasped, as if stuck in a memory of some sort, and, when the colour faded, he ceased all movement, staring blankly.

"How..." He glanced over at us. "That... King... He was here. He found this place... But... How? How did he get in? How did he know...?" Jittery, shaken by his vision, he averted his gaze. "I did not even tell you... So..." Steeling himself, he shook his head in an effort to clear his mind. His voice lowered to a mutter. "N-No matter. We have far more important things to worry about. I can revive them another time, as a brother would be expected to do for his kin." Seemingly now unconcerned, he motioned for us to follow.

Squelching through the crimson puddles, I felt uncomfortable amongst the fallen necromancers. They had all died in such freakish positions, twisted like creatures from an alternate reality. Each pair of staring eyes shook me to the core.

We arrived at a crudely-decorated altar. In the centre of said altar was a skull mounted firmly on a pole. Scribbled in a red liquid was a single word - 'Kai'.

Kneeling by the stone slab, Kai proceeded to mutter more words of a strange language. Slowly, he descended into a trance-like state, rocking backwards and forwards on his hind legs as his lips moved.

Vibrant explosions came from nowhere, vanishing and appearing. Soon, an image was projected onto an invisible screen. It wasn't easy to make out, until the necromancer continued his spell.

Kaidelus. He was sat next to a bed, with Queen Caiphe's body lying on its side. He seemed to have his head bowed in prayer, and a green crystal strung about her neck was softly glowing, illuminating her face with an emerald light. There was no-one else in the room with him, though, occasionally, it seemed that some figures drifted past the tent.

Kai's chanting became louder, and more intense and angry in nature. To me, it sounded like he was trying to summon the Underworld itself. I could not understand a single thing that he was shouting, but his focus was undeniably strong.

It was then that there was a subtle flash of purple on the crystal around Queen Caiphe's neck. It startled me, but I did not comment, watching, strangely fascinated by what was going on. I was apprehensive, the thoughts of what could come next tumbling around in a whirlwind of imagination in my mind. My heart hammered in my chest.

Pale eyes opened. Queen Caiphe drew in a sharp breath.

She was alive.

Kaidelus bounded off of his seat, shaking her with tears of joy in his eyes. There was no sound, but one could see that he was calling her name, trying to work out if what was before him was true.

Kai was clearly becoming exhausted, but he kept going, the words pouring out of his mouth as he worked. The crystal flashed again, and, this time, it caught Kaidelus' attention, as the Queen had rolled over to face him.

At once, her docile smile turned into a sneer, and, judging by Kaidelus' reaction, she was growling at him. Within a moment, she leapt up, throwing aside the blanket that had been draped over her body, and tackled him to the ground like a savage animal. Kai's eyes flickered open, and he watched the chaos unfold.

She snapped at his throat, clawed at his body, and spat in his face. Kaidelus was yelling, trying to push her away, but the enchantment had somehow given her an alien strength, despite her fragile-looking body.

At once, two guards rushed in. The first was given a horrific scratch across the chest, slicing through layers of armour. As he backed away in terror, crimson bubbling up from within him, the second tried to grab Queen Caiphe from behind.

He was successful. Kaidelus shouted an order, and the guard carried it out.

Queen Caiphe's body slumped to the ground, the crystal smashed, and her neck irreversibly damaged by he blunt force of the guard's hoof. For a moment, she lost her rabid look, and whispered something, before falling silent.

The image dissipated as soon as Kaidelus let out a shriek of emotional agony.

I am a monster.

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Author's note:

Sorry if this chapter isn't particularly great - it's my birthday, so I've been busy all day, and so I'm writing this quite late at night.

I changed so much about what I had planned for the plot. I wasn't really going to have King Pyris leave so soon... But oh well. Let's see where I go with this now... (I don't usually plan my chapters, so I have no idea what is going to happen ninety-nine percent of the time XD)

^{Chapter 22}_{The Force of Two Kings}


Despite the thick blanket over my shoulders, I was trembling. The cold was not from the air, but from the thoughts of what I had done. Erella was staring over a hot bowl of some sort of herbal drink, unsure of how to respond to what I had just told her.

"I see... I see..." Placing her paws firmly on the table, she shook her head, almost completely speechless. She cleared her throat, then continued somewhat shakily. "We... Word cannot reach Kaidelus, or anyone who may lean towards his cause. Ideally, no-one should hear of this, but we need to keep it under control." Erella glanced over to Kai, who was waiting patiently by the entrance.

"I did as you commanded. You willingly accepted my methods, disregarding the fact that they were illegal. You made a promise." It was clear from the way he was stood that he felt threatened. "I will happily continue to serve you, as the massacre of my kin demonstrates that King Pyris - or perhaps even King Kaidelus himself - has no intention of upholding an alliance with the Descendants of Kai. Once I revive those killed, I shall provide all of our strength, and will not question y-"

"We will not continue any further with you." Erella interrupted the necromancer sharply, flattening her ears. "When we said that we would ally with you, you said that you would ensure the swift death of Kaidelus. Instead, all you did was fuel the fires of war. Kaidelus will come for you, provided that it was not him that wiped out your kind. Then, he shall be drawn to us, as you had no reason to attack without provocation. You do not understand what you have done, Kai."

"H-However," I stuttered, wanting to add my own opinion, "we will allow you to walk free. But y-you are not to return to us." Kai pulled his hood up and sighed.

"So be it, princesses. I shall return to my cave. Though I must say, this is a shame. You could use our help more than you realise." At that, he slipped out of the tent. Kritholxo muttered something to him, but he did not pause to answer.

I placed a paw on my cheek, trying to steady my voice.

"We have lost King Pyris' forces, all for nothing. We cannot bring him back now, considering that we placed faith in a necromancer over him. I doubt he will side with Kaidelus, but... He does not know the results of our actions, but he is fully aware of the fact that we have used illegal methods, or, at least, we have planned to." I shut my eyes, trying to calm myself with the darkness. "We need more soldiers to win this. We could reach out to the other rulers of Kyarin, but they will be more concerned with the famine in Lyapol and the epidemic in Xyavis. There is enough pressure on them without including a war that could destroy this system that so many have worked so hard to create."

"We could reach out to Anuki." Sipping the herbal drink, Erella's icy-blue eyes met mine. "Indeed, you left him in charge of your castle, and it would leave it unprotected. But in times like these, we need more forces, and if we have to lose some land to gain on our enemy, then so be it." With a satisfied sigh, she pushed the empty bowl away from her a little. "Alternatively, I could ask someone from my own kingdom. Indeed, we have the the mages from The Great Spire of Yterria, but... I do not feel that it would be fair to include those who did not sign up to be dragged into a situation as dire as this one."

Our conversation was broken by the young Luffox scribe, who, as it seemed for today, was a messenger. He bounded through the folds of cloth, and swiftly set a scroll in front of Erella.

"A message from the outpost close to the west side of Kaidelus' camp, Princess!" Standing like a guard on alert, he did not let his curious gaze drift to the words on the page. Erella's ears flickered backwards as she looked from the parchment to me.

"It seems that our worst fears have come true. King Pyris appears to have allied with Kaidelus."

I felt like the floor had given way. As my heart sank further and further in my chest, time ticked on, anticipating the moment at which I would realise the enormity of the situation. Suddenly, a jolt ran rampant through my veins, and I choked on the bitter taste of the truth.

"What... What shall we do?" I spluttered, left winded by the news. "King Pyris' army alone made up at least three quarters of what we had... And Kaidelus, his forces were almost equal to the combined might of yourself and King Pyris..." Panic seized my muscles. "They could be upon us in hours, knowing that we have been weakened by our failure. But not just that, we are severely outnumbered."

"It makes no sense." Erella shook her head. "It just doesn't. King Pyris hates Kaidelus' values as much as he hates necromancy. Besides, I remember him speaking of finding his own ways to bring down Kaidelus if we went ahead with using Kai's abilities... In no way has he ever hinted at joining him. There has to be more." Turning to the Luffox, grim-faced, she issued a command. "Go. Go to the barracks. We need a message from one of our spies in the camp. Send more spies if that is what is required. We have to know more." The messenger nodded, then, in an explosion of energy, dashed away to perform the task.

"The mages in the Spire. We need them." Shivering more than before, I pushed the blanket off of my shoulders. "We must send something to them to alert them of this. Even if we can get only a few to join, it will be better than nothing. Mages are invaluable." I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my jittery nerves. "They may not reach us in time, but we must still try."

--

It took many hours before everything was finished. I handed out the assigned messages to various different Sylestis, most of which were winged. Each note was hastily scribbled and barely readable, but it was better than nothing.

Malledus. A clawed hand took the neatly-folded piece of paper. The Great Spire of Yterria. A narrow snout clamped around it. Eyrir-beyond-the-shadowlands. A beak plucked the parchment carefully, then placed it in a holder.

My message to Malledus was the most vital one. Prince Erukin and Maxwell would hopefully still be at the castle, and so I had appealed to them to mobilise the forces of Vyseri and Tyris respectively. I didn't expect Anuki to leave, as I had expressed in the letter.

I also had my doubts about Eyrir-beyond-the-shadowlands, as they were on the brink of civil war, but I hoped that perhaps it would unite the kingdom against the evil that was Kaidelus' regime.

Darkness was falling as night descended upon the camp, leaving only the crimson glow of the flickering torches visible. I was more relieved than anxious about sunset - travelling under the cover of the lack of light, the messengers would be less likely to be seen or attacked by Kaidelus' or King Pyris' soldiers. And if the two kings were advancing upon us, then their army would be visible from this distance, unless they too used the night as their shield.

I was too terrified to sleep, however. I was nervous of what was to come. I was tormented by my thoughts. The fear of what may have happened to Jjanis and Taensina, my guards that I had sent potentially to their deaths, had been haunting me for so long, repressed until my moment of solitude in which the air was clear enough of sound to think.

Even thinking of Jyarris, or of my friends in Malledus, did not help. It only made things worse, as I had not seen them in so long, and quite a few of them had been lost in battle. With Aritael's condition still as it was, anything that appeared in my mind relating to my kingdom brought tears to my eyes.

Erella and I had not discussed the possibility of Prince Rysxaro appearing. At this point, he had been gone so long that he may have perished along the way to battle, and so we were not resting our hopes on him. However, I, secretly, was praying for his return - provided that he had not moved much, he would be close enough to reach us.

He was our last hope.

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Author's note:

Sorry that this chapter is a little late! I've been on holiday for a bit, and my motivation to write has been a bit... meh.

I started writing it last week, but it wasn't really that great, and it needed much more thought. But now I know where this is going, and oh boy, this is going to be fun! Hopefully now that I have some direction to the story the chapters will improve in quality.

^{Chapter 23}_{Sleepless Nights}


Scratching. Scraping. A shadow danced across the wall of the tent, pausing every few seconds. A curved ear flicked backwards and forwards, taking in the sounds of the sleeping camp.

Every night, I would rise as carefully as I could, and pick my way across the uneven floor, before swiftly lunging out of the entrance, hoping to catch the strange figure. But every time, my eyes met nothing.

It wasn't just me, either. Upon my exit, and during my further search of the area to check that whatever that creature was was certainly gone, soldiers stumbled from their tents, groggily murmuring to each other across dim torch fires. All that I met recalled the same series of events, and implored me to find a solution to the disturbances.

"Erella, this must be Kaidelus' doing. Who else would wish to wear down our forces without having to fight them directly?" Sipping another watery herbal drink, Erella was struggling to keep herself conscious. Not only had she too been affected by these shadow creatures, but she was also having to rush around and inform everyone of every step she took to discover their origin.

"I have done all that is possible." I had never heard her voice so weak, nor had I seen her appearance so frail. Her dull eyes flickered up to a mark on the table, then back to the bowl placed in front of her. "I have lain traps. I have posted guards." She dipped her head. "Regardless of what measures I take, these monsters simply best us."

"Then we should strike while we still have something left within us." Mustering as much energy as I could, I sat tall, trying to mask my own exhaustion. "Let me lead the charge. You should rest, Erella."

"Do not say such foolish things." Lifting her muzzle from her drink, Erella flattened her ears. "Don't you think that perhaps, if these things are to be attributed to Kaidelus, that he will know if we try, and will do everything in his power to stop us? If his power is as it is claimed to be, then he would halt our progress, would he not?" Draining the bowl of the last of its contents, she placed one paw on the table. "These shadows may be spies as well as a distraction, and therefore we must eliminate them. And there shall be no reliance on unknown mages. I shall not have a repeat of what that Kai caused." She slipped down from the chair, placing her paws down carefully as she went. "And what would a charge achieve? We have received no word from any of those we have attempted to contact. We would be slaughtered."

With that, we were left to the mercy of the creatures.

Though one night, I was not awoken by the usual noises or movement, but by a distressed cry, and the thudding of hooves.

I followed the noise. Some had poked their heads through the folds of the tents, watching with round eyes, but no-one had decided to confront those who were making it.

I arrived at the scene, to find Kritholxo stood with his back to me, towering over a shivering figure.

"What is the meaning of this, Kritholxo?" I did not speak with the authority of an heir, but rather the broken voice of a frightened child. My eyes refused to focus on the body at his feet, the clouds of exhaustion preventing my thoughts from leaving the inner depths of my mind. The Kelpari's head turned, his mouth turned downwards at the edges.

"Princess. I caught this spy roaming outside of my tent, and managed to apprehend him. I have reason to believe that he knows something about this recurring incident." The onyx-black Vulnyx squirmed underneath the guard's hoof, his scarf left in tatters by the fight. With wide red eyes, the stranger let a flood of complaints dribble from between his jaws.

"I know nothing!" he cried, his wings twitching as he tore a chunk of earth out of the ground with his claws in a pathetic attempt to escape. "I was just passing through! I swear! I swear on the life of Kaid-" He cut himself off, but it was too late. Fear had released his inner secrets, and he now lay frozen. In a desperate attempt to redeem himself, the Vulnyx continued to drivel. "Kaidaylia! Kaidaylia, the Princess of Lyapol! I come from her - yes, I swear I do! - to tell you that we... we... we are sending forces! Yes, we are sending forces to help you!"

"... And an army of thousands shall rise from the earth and aid us in our time of need!" I already felt my patience burning away as I listened to the Vulnyx's endless excuses. "My ears have been blessed by the words of many terrible liars, but you, sir, are amongst the most unbelievably stupid. Do you really think that, after simply wearing us down a little, you can convince us to believe such outrageous things, and dance right through our lines with no difficulty?" I exhaled slowly, steadying my heart beat. Releasing my built-up annoyance had cleared my mind, and I was ready to give my orders. "Kritholxo, take him away. I want answers from him."

"As you wish."

--

It seemed that, that night, no other shadows decided to roam the camps. I did not sleep however, as I simply could not.

Over the horizon. I had warned Erella many times that Kaidelus was inching himself closer, and that is what he had done. The orange pin-pricks of torches scattered throughout the camp could not be immediately spotted by even the most observant eye, but, upon watching for a few minutes, the flickering flames drew attention.

He was not particularly close, by any means. The ground was flat, and one could see for many miles. But the sheer size of the camp, even at this distance, was daunting. And neither was I comfortable with knowing that he was in view of us.

I cannot look away knowing that he may be staring back. He knows what we have done, and he will be infuriated. He will come for me.

I shivered, the cold slowly seeping through my pelt.

He will come for me. And I am defenceless.

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Author's note:

I thought it would be fun to re-visit this after leaving it for a bit, since exams have left me a little stressed, and I finally managed to get the wording and structure of this chapter right! So here it is, the first chapter in a long amount of time. I don't think I'll ever go back to regularly posting it, and I'll keep the 'On hold' notification on the front post until I genuinely think that I'll give it more attention, but hopefully I'll get it finished at some point (there's still quite a long way to go though lol).

^{Chapter 24}_{The Slumbering Army}


My restless sleep was not broken by the sound of a war horn as I had expected, but rather, excited nervousness and somewhat concerning chattering. Outside the tent, accompanying the break of dawn, the air buzzed with anticipation.

I poked my muzzle out from between the folds of the tent, and almost immediately, I was met with the backs of swarms of soldiers. They appeared to be watching something up on the hill; something that I swiftly became aware of upon stepping outside.

Kaidelus' army was still. There was not a single glow from a dying torch, nor the shadows of the waking inhabitants. The silence was disturbingly eerie, and certainly not something to be celebrated.

"Erella?" I caught a glimpse of the Princess amongst the crowd, her solemness standing out amongst the multitude of smiles and confused looks. Padding over to her side, I attempted to match her line of sight, but found nothing that I had not already observed from my previous position.

"Candy, might I give you the responsibility of organising the search parties?" Her head turned sharply to face me, her gaze unusually icy. "I am frightened that Kaidelus may have taken the opportunity to flank us during the night. How he managed to move such an army without a sound - even if he did indeed use magic - is very much questionable, but I do not doubt that he was able to find a way." At that, the princess' expression grew grimmer still. "We need to find out what happened, but, most importantly, if he did use magic, where he managed to acquire such power. With magic like that, he could be upon us in seconds without us even realising." I pondered over this for a moment.

"I presume that our spies have vanished with the army, correct?" I thought of it as rather strange that we had not received any messages since they were dispatched.

"Indeed they have. Contact with them at this present moment in time would be most useful, however, it may be unlikely that they have the chance to warn us in time, considering that they may not be able to send messengers from their current locations. Though there is a chance that Kaidelus may have discovered them already." I nodded my head in response. I turned to begin organising the group of soldiers gathered around the area, but a sudden thought held me back.

"Have we received any responses from those who we requested aid from?" I myself had been surprised to hear very little after I had directed messengers to the separate kingdoms, and as such, I expected that Erella would have heard something.

"Nothing," she answered quietly. "I have reason to suspect that those we sent out may not have made it very far, knowing the extent of the land that Kaidelus is able to cover. And no doubt, Kaidelus probably has his own spies amongst us." The princess shivered visibly. "Be cautious, Candy. If you intend to partake in the search parties, please, stay close to Kritholxo."

--

Some time had passed before I had finally managed to group the soldiers. Most were still captivated by the sight of the desolate camp upon the hill, and as such, did not seem to respond fully to my commands the first time. Further chaos ensued when I attempted to explain to each squadron what path they should take in order to gather as much information as possible, but, after raising my voice a few times, each had already departed.

I was left with a small group of five, including Kritholxo. I would have preferred to have the party much smaller, but the insistence that I was well-guarded prevented me from assigning the extra soldiers elsewhere. Clearing my throat, I briefed everyone on my plan.

"I intend for us to enter the camp," I began. Two stirred, somewhat disturbed by the idea of walking among the presumably empty tents, but did not interrupt to comment. "We are to search for anything that may give us information as to the whereabouts of Kaidelus. Of course, we need to be prepared, in case this is an ambush, and as such we need to be extremely thorough with our searches. The most important factor will be making sure that all surrounding tents are clear - if needs be, we will advance slowly, even if it means that we risk spending more than the designated time to carry out the task." I paused for a moment, inspecting the expressions of the soldiers to be certain that they were paying attention. "If you discover anything - even if you consider it to be insignificant - report it to me. Do I make myself clear?"

As a chorus of startlingly simultaneous "Yes Princess!"s erupted from the group, I caught a glimpse of Erella. When we made eye contact, she gave a nod, and a slight smile. I returned the gesture, then motioned for the soldiers to follow.

--

My sense of paranoia faded only a little once we had reached the edge of the camp. Part of me was relieved to find that, indeed, the camp was as devoid of life as it had seemed from a distance. Though the feeling that all was not sound refused to dissipate, even as I continued to confirm that every tent appeared to lack everything, including bedrolls and supplies.

But why leave the tents? There was something awfully strange about the manner in which the area had been abandoned. Of course, the tents would have been far more difficult to carry, but they had clearly managed to transport what must have been armouries worth of weaponry and numerous crates of all sorts of other equipment. I supposed that there was always the intimidation factor to it - after all, leaving like this had indeed unnerved some - but nevertheless, it was wasteful to leave items in such good condition.

I expressed my concerns to rest of the group, and they seemed to share similar thoughts.

"If they left the tents, then what are they sheltering in?" Kritholxo commented. "Perhaps there is an alliance that we have not considered yet, or one that we simply have not been aware of. In that case, they may have retreated to a castle in close proximity."

"We still can't rule out the possibility that they simply have just vanished," one of the soldiers said, shuffling impatiently on the spot. "It is unlikely, but it would be a rather useful miracle at this point, would it not?"

The conversation's focus was suddenly shifted by Kritholxo.

"Princess, do you hear that...?"

It took a moment of silence before I picked up the faintest of noise. A low thundering, like the movement of a large force.

My blood ran cold.

The soldiers awaited my command nervously, but I was rooted to the spot. One of them spoke up, asking repeatedly about what was an appropriate course of action, but I did not respond.

Even if we run, we will not make it to the edge of the camp in time. They will see us.

Despite the likelihood of escape being incredibly slim, I shouted to the others, and took off in the direction of the home camp. Though I didn't take many steps before I halted at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Candy!"

My gaze snapped to the voice's source, my heart fluttering momentarily with dread and joy.

It is him!

"Prince Rysxaro!" I called back. The rest of my group had also paused some distance away from me, but, recognising the prince's bright pelt and dark attire, they slowly made their way back over.

Though the thundering sound had not stopped. As the prince approached, something else revealed itself over the horizon. A grey mass began to extend upwards, various features catching the light as it seemed to grow. I had expected them to stop, but this form seemed never-ending in height. Though as it stepped forwards, finally showing the last few inches of its height, I let out a gasp.

"Impressed?" The prince chuckled loudly. "Candy, meet the giants of the Shadowlands."

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Author's note:

Quite a long gap with updates there ha ha. I haven't really written much for a while, I thought it would be interesting to return and maybe even eventually finish it. Not sure that this chapter is quite up to the standards of the rest of the story (I haven't done much writing at all in the past month, I've been focusing more on art lol), but I hope you enjoy it regardless :)

I will change the 'On hold' text on the front now to something like 'rarely updated', since I suppose that will more accurately describe this story '^^