Chapter 107

"Please...don't! Ahhh!"

The soldier was engulfed in flame yet death was not granted when he needed it most. The pain kept going and his screams filled the night air. The surrounding knights watched on as their leader tortured their comrade. Their minds we in a state of turmoil. They were horrified at what they saw but didn't dare show it. Mistress Boitata hated non-compliance, which included showing remorse or fear when she was "disciplining" her troops.

"M...Mistress he speaks true. We are short on troops and our arrangements for the invasion are unable to be utilized. We should retreat and get reinforcements. We discovered several groups of our men assassinated. It was truly gruesome. They were prepared. I am afraid that they are so confident in our defeat that they have opened their gates and asked to speak with you," said Boitatas knight captain. He had a duty to report to her but his voice faltered and his forehead started to weep sweat. He knew what the battle master would do when she was unpleased with something.

The fire grew brighter and the men watched as their comrade were finally granted eternal rest. Boitata took a deep breath and turned toward her knight captain.

"Let's meet this false king. I will deal with him myself."

"Mistress Boitata we do not have the forces to fight their congregation. They have asked to meet with them unarmed. We either must leave now or surrender."

"They have not won yet," Boitata gritted her teeth and angrily strode toward where the entrance to the Iron Rose Kingdom was.

The knight captain quickly gathered the remnants of the former invasion force and hurried after her. He hoped she would not attack as even though there is an opening in the wall now, they were vastly outnumbered. He knew that if they were confident enough to step out from the safety of the wall then they were confident enough to finish off his mistress and soldiers.

Boitata hated defeat. She had experienced more than ever before in these last few weeks. She had been punished by the leader of the 12 and now the chance for her redemption seemed to be moving further and further away.

"What the...?"

"Look!"

"Why are there...?"

"Orcs!"

"Those...Trolls!"

"Look at all those soldiers!"

"Who are these people!?"

Boitata was also shocked. They had little intel on the enemy and only really knew they were a new group that had forcefully taken over the Iron Rose Kingdom. She never thought the forces were filled with a mix of humans and non-humans. The number of orcs and other beings made her feel uncomfortable. Who is this king? Is he not human? The group waiting for them was armed to the teeth and she had to admit that chances of her victory were almost non-existent.

"Mistress this force is not human. I fear we have run into something that the gods may have forsaken. You must flee. We will do what we can to st...!"

"One more word and I will send you sooner than later!" Boitata hissed at the captain.

She turned back to the entrance. It was time to meet the king. She was prepared to pounce, at least that is what she kept telling herself. Hidden deep in her mind was fear. The animalistic sense to flee from a storm had appeared. She was no longer a wolf. She felt like a rabbit.

"Ah! It's you. How exciting that we have the pleasure to meet again."

Boitata stopped in her tracks. The voice, the energy, the man was familiar. He who had shown her shame and made her feel weak. He who she hated and that had caused her distress and dishonor. It was the battle master from her earlier defeat. She knew it! His face may be covered but it had to be him. Her teeth gritted so tight that they could break. Her fist clenched so that any who copied would feel immense pain. Her battle energy clashed with his. The fire in her soul faltered before fueling her lust for vengeance. There would be no fleeing nor would there be any surrender. Only blood and battle.