Chapter 87

"He really brought two battle masters here?" said Kanto.

"It appears so" replied Bushivo.

"How did they manage to get past us without being detected? Their power doesn't seem as strong as ours. They are probably in the middle tier."

"I don't know Kanto. They seem to be as strong as our newest General. Perhaps their art is focused on stealth."

"That would make sense for the hooded man but that giant?! No way. Anyways that kid who joined our ranks is strong for his age. He managed to become a general after all. If Sir Kane has two men who are battle masters that could rival the kid then how strong must the generals of the Iron Rose Kingdom be?"

"Hmm, your right. Their kingdom's strength must be vast. It would be beneficial to befriend them not fight them" said Bushivo.

"Good thing they are fighting with us. For now, let's defeat those Kokarian scum."

"I concur," said Bushivo.

A couple of minutes passed and Kane walked out the door followed by the two battle masters.

"Sorry for the wait gentlemen," said Kane.

"It's fine Sir Kane. We were hoping you could help us in preparing the town's defenses" responded Bushivo.

"I would be happy to help. Where do you need me?"

"I have a detachment of guards and a few knights. Could you lead these men during the battle? We need to cover the entire town and with your experience leading we thought you could help with the chaos. There is a gate in the far northwest of town. It's small and not used much so we don't normally guard it but it leads to a cluster of homes. We want to make sure it's well protected."

"I understand and I will gladly do my best in defending the gate. Are my men recovered?"

"For the most part yes but one has lost an eye. They are currently resting."

"That's fine when they are ready to fight have them stay there and protect the wounded."

"Thank you, Sir Kane," said Bushivo.

Kane walked over to the group of soldiers that Bushivo gave him. They were a ragtag bunch with most of them wearing low-quality armor with a few in full plate.

"Sir Kane we are ready," said one of the knights.

"Well let's head over toward the gate then. I want to see what we have to work with."

"This is perfect. These guards were nothing. Let's go quickly. We need to find the mayor and princess."

A group of cloaked men was standing over a pile of corpses. No distinguishable marks were seen on them. They carried bloodied blades and crossbows. A gate was wide open behind them.

"You three clean this up and make sure no one wonders over here. The rest of you follow me." A tall, slim figure gave orders to the group. His hood covered the majority of his face but you could see that he was pale as snow and seemed to be in his 60s.

"Sir what about the generals? There are two of them here?"

"Do not let fear seep into your thoughts. We will take the nobles, hostage before they even release we are here. Soon the Sparrow Kingdom will fall."

"As you say, sir."

The majority of the group dispersed into the shadows of a nearby house. The three left behind began to deal with the bodies and blood.

"Sir something seems strange. We originally had 6 guards on duty here. There are only three right now" said the knight next to Kane.

Kane looked ahead. He felt the familiar sensation of danger. His battle senses were tingling.

"Where are the rest of you lot?" asked Kane.

The three guards turned around.

"Are comrades have gone to check out a disturbance in the forest. We are still waiting for them to retur.... uh!"

The first guard fell to his knees. A blood-red cut appeared on his neck. It started gushing before his entire body fell to the ground.

The two other guards were in shock and had no time to react before one was launched into a wall and the other lifted up by Galters huge hand.

The guards and knight who were following Kane and his battle masters were staring at the scene that had just unfolded. Their mouths gaped wide and sweat dripped down their faces.

"I knew I smelled blood," said Othes. He was wiping his dagger clean after killing off the first guard. "It seems that this town has been infiltrated."

The Sparrows soldiers still seem shocked and confused.

"Your guards have been killed. It seems Kokarian assassins have gotten through the defenses. We need to head over to wherever the princess is. They are probably after her. The generals and Mayor must be alerted."

The soldiers showed worry on their

"Have some guards stay here and a few to get the people in their homes."

Kane quickly got the guards organized and they headed off to deal with the invaders. It seems the battle has already begun.