Rune master

In the days that followed, each warrior and knight under Drake's command went through a rigid and demanding training, strengthening their physical abilities and sharpening their minds.

The army transformed quickly, shaped by the vision of its leader, Drake was focused on expanding his domain, and the flames of ambition burned in his eyes.

One night, at the fort, in a dimly lit room, Drake observed the map of the kingdom.

His red hair, intense as fire, seemed to shine under the light of the torches, and his tall and imposing figure emanated an air of absolute authority.

He traced the next steps, but something bothered him: he needed information. A solid espionage network was essential to know what was happening in rival territories.

Drake looked up and saw Sarah in the hallway. A young blonde with a breathtaking figure was at your disposal. With a slight smile on his face, he called her.

"Sarah, come here."

"He thought about it while looking at Sarah in his hallway.

With a smile Drake called her.

"Sarah, come here."

"Yes, sir."

Sarah was wearing a maid's outfit that suited her.

"Get closer."

She approached with a blush on her face.

"Do you think I'm a bad governor?"

Liking to provoke her, he began to caress her hair.

"Noooo sir"

With a groggy voice she replied, with apparent shyness.

With a quick pull by the waist she sits on his lap.

"From today I want you to stay here while we are alone. Do you understand?"

An air of dominance was shown.

"Yes sir.. if you like me, I will respect your orders."

With a coquettish air in her voice she said.

A different air formed in the room.

Drake smiled and approached her, touching her face gently before placing a brief kiss on her lips. Sarah blushed, surprised, but visibly enchanted.

"Sir..." she murmured, with a hesitant tone and her eyes shining.

"Don't be afraid. I'm Drake Page. And never forget that," he said with an audacious smile.

'Unfortunately, now is not the time for that.'

"Sarah, since we'll solve this, call Throne my brother, I need to talk to him."

"Yes, sir."

She answered distractedly.

Shortly after, Thorne entered. He had a similar appearance to Drake's, but his features were softer, carrying a mysterious air. He was the kind of man who went unnoticed when he wanted to, making him perfect for his brother's intentions.

"Thorne, I want you to create a spy network. You're the ideal person for that. With your ability to mix and observe, I believe you will succeed."

"Me? But I've never done anything like that"

"I believe you're the ideal guy for that. Just trust your potential."

"It's a lot of responsibility, brother. But if you trust me, I accept."

Thorne nodded, although a touch of insecurity was still noticeable in his voice.

"Great. I'll give you the necessary resources. Assemble a team and spread them throughout the kingdom. I want to know everything even before anyone in this territory."

Drake said with conviction.

Thorne left with new visions in his mind.

As soon as he left, Drake turned his attention to Sarah.

"I want the army's armor to be dyed black. I want this color to be the mark of our troops and that fear runs through the hearts of our enemies when they see us arrive."

"I'll tell that to the tailor, sir."

At the end of that afternoon, he watched the city through the window. The city that would be just the beginning of something much bigger.

'I can't get too attached to this place.'

He thought.

'When we defeat the Draxelers, this will be only a small part of our domain, a crossing point for something great.'

At night in Drake's sister Elara's room.

Elara took a deep breath while looking at the incandescent runes engraved on her arms. After weeks of exhausting training, she had finally mastered the basics of the Draconic Spirit Rune.

Each symbol that shone on his skin was a mark of his dedication and a proof that the power of the dragons began to flow, albeit timidly, through his veins.

She recalled the instructions in the book: "At the basic level, the runes awaken your spirit and prepare your body. They will give you resistance, and your mind will be protected from interference.

With each exercise, the runes pulsed lightly, filling it with a new and unknown force. It was a calm energy, almost like a whisper, but that already brought a sense of mental resilience. Little by little, Elara noticed that negative thoughts and external invasions lost their effect, being blocked by the silent protection of the runes.

One night, while meditating, he felt a different presence around him - an almost warm breeze, like the breath of an ancient creature watching from afar. For a brief moment, Elara visualized a majestic dragon, resting calmly in the middle of an ethereal fog. She knew that that vision was more than an illusion; it was a sign that her spirit was being noticed by the dragon ancestors.

"I'm on the right track," he murmured, with a glint of determination in his eyes.

She knew there was much more to learn, but that was the first step of many, and the beginning of a force that no one could ignore.

Elara smiled when she felt the runes in her arms shine with a renewed intensity. She had finally mastered the basics of the Rune of the Draconic Spirit. It was a victory that few achieved and an honor that she had conquered with dedication and sacrifice.

"Thank you," whispered Elara, with a straked voice. She felt that that moment was the beginning of something much greater, a link that would only increase with each advance in the domain of the rune.

When he returned to reality, he felt more confident and safe. Now that she had unlocked the first level, the next step would take her deeper into the understanding of the draconic spirit.

When she finished the preparations, she went straight to her brother's office.

"Brother!!! This time you'll be very happy with me hehe."

"Come on little girl, don't leave your brother waiting."

With a smile on her face, Elara begins to conjure the runes.

"Is that.. is it serious? Did you manage to dominate the runes?"

"YES Yes Yes!!"

"Show me, let your brother see!"

That said, the runes on his arm began to burn, and with his hands he managed to conjure a rune on a piece of paper.

"This is amazing my sister, with this our warriors have become stronger."

And to know that few families have rune masters, like an ancient art they are very requested if difficult to master.

In the kingdom where Drake is, only the dukes and the king have rune masters, other nobles buy to be able to use them in their knights.

"What runes can you do, sister?"

"I can at the moment only two, of strength and speed, only the basic ones, which increase by ten percent."

"This is already very good, how many could you produce in a week?"

"Hmmm... I think about twenty sets of each."

"Perfect, already ask Sarah for the materials, what to produce by the end of this month, for our knights, then join that we will give to our elite warriors."

"But warn them, for now, put the runes in hidden parts of the body, we don't have the strength to be able to show that we have a rune master in our family yet."

"Yes, brother!"

Drake then stopped to think about every piece he had moved so far. Drystan trained the new recruits, Michael led the training of elite warriors and knights, Thorne set up a web of espionage through the kingdom, and Elara, with her mastery of the runes, began to equip the best soldiers.

'There's only one week to go next month, I'm going to the citadel to see how the situation is, from there we'll go to the Novaes territory. I'll leave my uncle in the city and two knights at the fort to protect the family.'

'Take my brothers and cousins, they need blood to become men. And to know that in this world what moves is the force.'

The next day Drake left with his entourage, his younger brother Korin and his two cousins, along with two knights.

A day of travel was enough to see the citadel from afar.

After a few weeks, she was already with an air of militarism, the noises of swords and warriors, she would leave those who see with an more care.

"The lord of the territory, open the gates!"

The archers on top of the walls said.

Drake with an exuberant black horse along with his knights entered. His imposing figure leaves his soldiers with admiration and respect when passing.

"Attention warriors sense!"

"Patriarch of the family! I Michael receive him on behalf of the warriors."

Michael his brother the first in command answered him with respect in his voice.

"You can feel free, brother. And how about the training, how are you?"

"Brother, their training is already finished. With our family's lineage, they became stronger and more resolute in command. Thus facilitating the ready of these two hundred elite warriors."

"Very good, prepare a meeting, later I will talk to all the knights about our next steps."

An air of a leader shaded him.

"Yes, brother."

At dusk of that day, the largest room was full of red-head men, some lighter and others darker.

'So this is the power of the lineage... I feel more comfortable seeing everyone like this anyway.'

Drake was surprised by the redheads in the living room, feeling more and more at home.

"Well, our family is prepared for another attack, with our forces ready with plenty of energy, I don't see a better moment than this."

Pointing to the map in the room he said.

"This is the territory of the Novaes, a land surrounded by the ocean, with three villages on the outskirts and a city between the mountains and the sea. Thus showing the separation of civilization."

Everyone paying close attention to their words, he continues.

"They have a weak strength, with only eight knights and only three hundred warriors, we completely overcome him."

"I want a total attack, bringing down the city and villages completely, without distractions, because the main one is not yet them."

A strange air in the room, no one understanding where the patriarch wanted to get with this.