The Battle for Bahoz (9)

Ilyada stood up with decision and took a few steps forward. When she reached the middle of the street, she paused for a moment. Her eyes were focused on the ground. She moved a few inches, carefully adjusting the position of her feet. After making sure she was in the right place, she lifted her right leg and brought it down with all her might.With the impact of the kick, a cloud of dust suddenly covered the street. A deep crunching sound was heard through the dust, as it became blinding. The warriors watched in amazement. As the dust cloud gradually dissipated, a tunnel entrance appeared in the middle of the street.The tunnel entrance appeared to be protected by a hatch. But the hatch, if there was one, had been shattered by the force of Ilyada's kick. Still, Ilyada felt something strange about the arrangement on the ground. The whole structure was different from an ordinary secret passage. When she kicked the alley, she didn't just feel as if she had hit a stone floor. She felt a vibration from the Lightstone energy in the device beneath her feet.This was something Ilyada had never experienced before. But Ilyada did not dwell on this detail. She had to move to corner her enemy. The tunnel had a steep entrance that went down to a depth of several meters. Ilyada jumped into the tunnel without losing a second. The warriors behind her followed, matching their leader's determination.It was dark inside the tunnel, but that was no obstacle for Ilyada. Thanks to the Lightstone's superior senses, she could feel even the slightest movement around her. The warriors moved cautiously behind her.The air grew heavier and more humid as they moved through the tunnel. The sound of footsteps echoed around them, making the silence even more tense as Ilyada and her warriors moved carefully through the narrow walls. After a few minutes of progress, they reached a crossroads.At the intersection, there were two roads, one leading to the right and the other to the left. Without a moment's hesitation, Ilyada continued on her way. She was still following her enemy; the blood trail was enough for her to track her prey. They went on for another ten more minutes or so, the trail unbroken. Eventually, however, the road split into two separate branches, causing them to pause once more.There were two roads leading to the right and to the left. Ilyada felt an intense Lightstone energy from both directions. However, Ilyada made a decision at that moment: She would not go in either direction. After a brief glance around, she gestured sharply for her soldiers to retreat. "Step back a little," she said, her voice calm but authoritative. The warriors took a few steps back without objection.Ilyada looked up intently, like a wolf. She once again activated all her senses to find her prey. Then, with determination in her eyes, she jumped up and brought her sword down with all her might into the center of the ceiling.The echo of the sword's impact caused a deafening rumble in the narrow tunnel. Then, once again, a cloud of dust covered everything. The warriors raised their arms to shield their faces from the dust. But Ilyada's gaze was fixed on the point where the dust dispersed.When the dust cleared, it revealed the presence of an exit hidden in the center of the ceiling. Light was seeping through the hole Ilyada had made with her sword. This light illuminated the dark atmosphere of the tunnel for a moment. The exit must have been a way their enemies had used to escape before. Ilyada looked back at her soldiers with a faint smile on her face. As their leader, she had once again proved how resolute she was and how right her intuition had been. Without wasting a moment, she started climbing towards the exit above. The warriors behind her quickly prepared to follow.As Ilyada stepped out of the exit, the fresh air hit her in the face. She looked around for a moment and knew immediately: they were no longer in the city. The tunnel had taken them away from the city. But they were not far away; Bahoz's silhouette was faintly discernible through the fog a little further ahead.Ilyada's brow furrowed as the warriors surveyed the surroundings carefully. It strained her nerves that the enemy was still out of sight after all this pursuit. She took a deep breath and focused on the tracks on the ground. When she followed the blood trail for a few more meters, she noticed something new: fresh hoof prints. Ilyada's eyes scanned them carefully. They clearly showed that the enemy had rode away from here on horseback. At that moment a wave of anger rose inside Ilyada. If she had a horse with her, she could have continued to pursue the enemy. But that was not possible now. She looked in the direction of the tracks, trying to guess where the enemy was, but it was now impossible to catch up.Ilyada was infuriated that so much effort had been wasted. She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fists. After a moment of silence, somehow she couldn't suppress the anger that exploded and she kicked the tree next to her with all her might. The kick left a deep mark on the trunk of the tree, bending it significantly. But this did not calm Ilyada. The anger in her eyes grew even bigger. Then she kicked a few more times. With each kick, the trunk cracked a little more, the tree came closer to the ground. Finally, when the tree collapsed, Ilyada's breathing was heavy. But her anger had not yet subsided. Clenching her fists, she found it hard to accept the fact that her enemies were one step ahead of her. But there was nothing left to do.Ilyada took a deep breath and turned to the warriors behind her. There was still a spark in her eyes, but her voice was cold and full of anger."Back to the city!"As soon as she gave the order, she headed towards Bahoz, her men afraid to make the slightest sound. The warriors followed her without hesitation.When they reached Tanar's mansion, Ilyada asked where Corvus was, to share the information she had and to find out what to do next. Franz was the one who answered. Her eyes were red and her face was covered with deep anger and sadness. Her voice was like that of a woman who was trying hard not to cry; the turmoil of her emotions was reflected in every word. Franz's pain-filled eyes were fixed on Ilyada. The anger in her gaze was clearly palpable, but Ilyada didn't care. That kind of look meant nothing to her."Follow me." Franz said.Franz in the lead, Ilyada and the others behind her, they made their way to where Corvus was. When they reached the backyard of Tanar's mansion, Ilyada was overcome by a familiar but disturbing feeling: the desire to kill. With each step, this feeling grew stronger, manifesting itself in the trembling that spread through her body. When she stepped into the garden, she immediately recognized the source of this feeling. It was Corvus, crouching on the ground with his back to her.In front of Corvus, on the ground, lay the lifeless body of Kragan. Next to him was Belisarius, standing silently. Corvus seemed to sense that Ilyada had come into the garden. He stood up with slow movements and slowly turned around. When Corvus's face turned and his red eyes locked on Ilyada, the atmosphere suddenly changed. The aura in the air became heavy, even breathing became difficult. Even Ilyada's always cool demeanor was crushed by the atmosphere. Belisarius and Franz could not stand the pressure and fell to their knees.Ilyada found it difficult to stand in the face of this power. With every step, the invisible pressure from Corvus increased. Ilyada's body began to tremble; every muscle tensed, every breath became harder. She was straining so hard to stand that a thin trickle of blood began to ooze from her nose. But she refused to back down.By the time Corvus arrived in front of Ilyada, Ilyada's body had almost collapsed. But somehow, she managed to lift her gaze to Corvus' face. Instead of seeing a face full of anger, as she expected, she saw a completely different scene.There was not a trace of anger on Corvus' face. Blood oozed from his lips as he used his Lightstone powers on his still unhealed body. There was only deep pain and regret in his eyes. The fear Ilyada felt at that moment was replaced by a kind of bewilderment. The destructive aura that covered Corvus' entire being now seemed to be only a carrier of deep sadness."Why... Why didn't you bring him to me sooner?" Corvus said, his voice almost a whisper, slow and emotionless. But behind that emotionlessness, there was pain woven into every word.Ilyada continued to stand, straining her trembling body. Her breathing quickened, trying to control herself despite the chaos rising inside her. Gathering her strength, she said what she believed was right. Her voice was firm but cold at the same time."As a warrior... I did what I had to do."These words caused a change in Corvus' face that only Ilyada could have noticed. The deep pain in his gaze gave way to an unexpected expression: pity. It was as if Corvus was looking at Ilyada with pity. This look sent a wave of anger through Ilyada.Why does he pity me? she thought. Corvus' gaze was like an invisible burden on Ilyada's shoulders. The discomfort of this gaze turned into a single question echoing in Ilyada's mind: Why? If anyone should have been pitied, it should have been Kragan, who had died young, or Corvus, who was burdened by the loss of his friend. But Corvus pitied Ilyada. It was not something Ilyada could make sense of in her world."I understand you..." Corvus said, his voice soft and full of deep sorrow. These words stunned Ilyada for a moment. But Corvus' continued words were sharp enough to shake her world:"This country... Rhazgord raised you as an emotionless animal. A dog of war."With Corvus' words, the pressure that had filled the air suddenly lifted. Everyone, except Ilyada, who had just felt almost glued to the ground, got back on their feet. Franz and Belisarius slowly sat up and tried to regulate their breathing. Ilyada, however, could not move. She didn't know what to do. The thoughts in her head were colliding with each other. She had done what had to be done. It was her duty and the basis of her existence. Emotions were unimportant. At least, that's what her father had taught her. She had been taught to fight, to defeat her enemy, to triumph. But now, Corvus' words made her question everything. What she had done was not to be pitied. It shouldn't have been. Why? Ilyada's mind could not silence this question.Trapped in her thoughts, Ilyada didn't even realize that Corvus had collapsed in front of her. His tired and still unhealed body was paying the price for Corvus' forceful use of the Lightstone energy. Slowly he fell to his knees, then collapsed completely. Belisarius and Franz reacted quickly to this sudden situation. They both ran towards Corvus and tried to lift him up. But Ilyada was still motionless. Her eyes were glazed and her mind was overwhelmed by Corvus' words.Corvus' heavy breathing somehow pulled Ilyada back to reality. But what she felt was not anger or discomfort, but deep confusion. The moment when Corvus took pity on her echoed in her mind. The thought pushed her into a silent but dark void.