Chapter 14 - Sin

[Living a life haunted by nightmares of the yore as they eat away your sanity, is worse than a thousand deaths.]

After dispatching the assailing party led by Rein, Halius immediately head towards the southern yard. He walks hastily like a dog which neck was pulled by a chain. His attendants accompany him, carrying his weapons and some parchments.

As soon as he arrived at the southern yard of the building complex, an army of 199 men was already on standby, waiting for his command. All were no one but battle-hardened warriors donned in glistening armor. Men with countless scars covered in flawless silver and blue mantle. The most exalted warrior of the sky kingdom, The Silver Legion.

" Attention! Fall in! "

" To His Majesty, King Halius of Edessia! Present arms! "

Captain of the Silver Legion ordered his troops to give salutation to the king. Hence, they stomped the ground for one time and then bashing their shields with their spears. Beneath their intimidating masks lies hearts of undying loyalty to the king.

" Avshin! "

The king answered in an old language which means 'with all might', after pulling out his sword and bashing it to his shield twice.

" Order arms! "

The Silver Legion shift their arms to their side steady. Halius stands on a podium, sharply glares in flame upon the proud legion. The braziers surrounding the yard give off an even more tense vibe to the stiff air, making any normal person would find it hard not to trembles on their feet.

" Son and daughter of Edessia…! "

Louder than the thunder itself, the king's voice echoed through all rows and columns in crystal clear.

" I shall not bid you any good words... nor grandeur speech... nor pleading tears. "

" You all have been forged in hardship...! Doused in pain...! And nurtured in pride! "

King Halius fell silent before slowly lift up his sword forward. The faint and wavering light of the braziers are reflected in the lustering sword of his, hides the greater blaze within.

" Today, we shall heed the hailing of our motherland... to answer its screams and weeps...

Today...! Is the greatest day to die underneath the stars of our fathers!

Today...! We will stand like we did countless times in the past! "

Halius swung his sword up to the sky, creating a surge of air with that simple gesture. Witnessing how the king has returned into his prime, their morale soars higher than ever.

" Rise my men! Take up arms! Devote yourself once more! Avshinhala! "

" Avshinhala! Avshinhala! "

Successfully rallying his men, Halius set his eyes to the plaza. In dashing footsteps of the horses, they march. Roaring with their hymns and yells.

The king's entourage arrived on the western gate of the Emerlyn District, approximately 500 meitel from the center of the plaza. Even though the scenery of the gate has long been seen since before, the previously informed foul stench has grown extraordinarily intense the second they stepped into the district as if it was multiplied by dozens of times.

Halius was passing through the dead district along with his legion when he sees a horse rider coming from the opposite direction of the marching entourage. It was a woman, Halius recognized her as one of Argil's steward that often act as his messenger.

Judging from the distressed look on her face, and the flag colored in red with a cross mark that she's raising, she must have something to be personally delivered to the king. Halius raised his hand, giving a sign for the captain to halt the march.

It's as if the woman has encountered something truly depressing, enough for her to lose her awareness. The woman gallops her horse without decreasing her speed, even though she's already close enough to the halting entourage.

Worried that she might be possessed by some extraordinary power, one knight of the legion get off from his horse and stand in front of the others. He waited and waited for the messenger to cease her speed, but it seems that she has no intention to do so. Therefore, he charges towards the galloping horse. With a might of a bull, he empty-handedly shoulder block the horse until it tumbled backward, smashed into the concrete of the main road. This much display of strength is nothing to the fabled Knights of the Silver Legion.

The messenger bounced off several meitels backward before eating the dirt. She finally regained herself, but only to see a pair of spears already pointed at her, only a finger away from her eyes.

" Who are you?! State your intention!! "

The captain snapped at her like a mad man, ready to dip his spear to the back of her skull. The messenger was frightened. Her mouth stutters and her eyes on the brink of tears. Failed to respond to the question, the captain swings his spear, aiming for her throat.

" Stop! "

The king stopped the captain in the nick of time. Seeing the king has presented himself, the captain bowed and took a few steps back.

" Rise. "

" Y-Your Majesty! "

The woman gets on to her knees, begging forgiveness for her insolence. But the king knew that something had happened. He let it slide, thinking that there must be some urgent matters that he needs to tend to. After the woman had collected herself, the king allows her to speak.

" Speak. "

" Yes, Your Majesty! This would be hard to believe but... "

" What happened? "

" Lord Argil has fallen to the enemy. "

Although he thought that Halius had prepared for the worst, he didn't expect this to happen. Argil was a Field Marshal, holder of the highest rank in the army. Hence, let alone to fall in a battle, it doesn't even actually necessary for him to personally step in one.

Thus, the question that rise the king's mind is, 'How powerful is the enemy, to be able to break through the line to slay the commander himself?'.

" To think that they said the situation was under control. "

Truly unbelievable about how misleading the earlier report was, Halius glad that he decided to head for the plaza by himself. Upon hearing the given message, the king squeezed the horse bridle.

" Now you have no master, decide by yourself... what are you going to do?

...Let's hurry! "

Leaving the traumatized messenger behind, the king spurs his horse faster. There's nothing on their surrounding but the remnants of buildings and dead bodies that were burned to crisp, which roughen the already putrid smell.

They are getting closer and closer by every second, a few turns left and they should arrive at their destination, the vast ground of the kingdom's plaza. It was at this moment when they are about to turn in a corner, suddenly the air surged like it was sucked into the center of the plaza. As the knight’s experiences have honed their sense of dangers, their instincts instantly went wild.

" Incoming! "

The captain yelled before he and the outer row of the group jumped off forward of their horse, creating a barricade with their shields. Their presentiment was spot on, a very powerful shock wave is coming from the direction of the plaza. The buildings on its path were bulldozed, uprooted from their foundations.

The shock wave sweeps clear of everything that stands between the legion and the gate. But the power of the spell was not the thing that surprised Halius, it was the sight of a man that stands before the gate that is.

" Brother? "