Powerful army
Looking at the map on the table.
Pointing to the city further down, he said.
"Our enemy is them, the Draxeler, I want to go down after the defeat of the Novaes directly to them, there is no way to have two governors in one place."
Having said that, he looked at everyone in the room and with a movement on his ring, took the runes.
With a serious look, he stared at the knights.
"Today, you will receive a gift that carries the power and responsibility of our lineage. Each rune I will give you represents strength and speed, something that will strengthen you in a way that few in this kingdom can understand."
He opened the box, revealing the scrolls with the carefully engraved runes. The knights watched in silence, some with their chests stuffed with pride, others with their eyes fixed on the ancient symbols, as if they realized the power they contained.
Drake began to distribute the runes, delivering them to each knight with a silent reverence. As each one received the parchment, he instructed them with a firm tone.
"Keep these runes in places that no one can see,"
He said.
"On the back, under the armor, or in a discreet place - any part where they remain safe and hidden. It's not yet time for us to reveal our true power."
Each knight waved, folding the parchment and keeping it carefully.
Those runes were more than a symbol of strength; they were a promise of mutual loyalty and a secret weapon that they would carry on behalf of Drake and the Page family's mission.
When the last knight received the rune, Drake watched them for a moment.
His eyes shone with a mixture of pride and expectation; he knew that this was a new era for his family.
The knights were now connected to something bigger, linked by the power of the runes and the secret they would keep with devotion.
"From now on,"
He said, with a voice full of authority.
"You are more than warriors. They are the extension of the power of our lineage. Remember this at every step, in every battle."
"Yes, sir!!"
The knights in the room confirming her heart her loyalty to the house, and the nape of her leaving her.
"That said, I want you to get ready, tomorrow morning I want the whole army armed and equipped for the battle, you are dismissed."
The sun had barely appeared on the horizon when the first signs of preparation began to echo through the citadel. The loud sound of drums resounded in the fresh morning air, calling the warriors to gather in the central courtyard.
Each man and knight was already dressed in his dark armor, polished like a mirror, reflecting the dim light of dawn.
The deep black armors had been modified, exactly as Drake had ordered, to instill fear in the enemies' hearts.
Drake watched the movement from the top of the walls, the cape flying behind him, his eyes went through every detail.
In front of him, an army of men with red hair like embers, a mark of the Page lineage, aligned himself with precision, each warrior firmly holding the sword next to him, each knight adjusting the weight of the shield and ensuring the firmness of his mounts.
Their presence, united and imposing, seemed to double the power of that place.
On her right, Elara watched, proudly, the men who carried the runes in secret, hidden under the armor, recorded in discreet places so that the enemy had no idea of the advantage that those warriors had.
She knew that those runes would go beyond increasing strength and speed; they would protect them and connect them with the ancestral strength of the dragons.
Those were men who were no longer just knights, they were pieces of a greater force, chosen to carry out their family's ambition.
When the last soldier was in position, Drake raised one of his hands, and the sound of the drums ceased.
Silence took over, a dense silence, loaded with expectations and oaths. He went down to the courtyard and stood before his army, his eyes firm, his imposing presence dominating the environment.
"Today, we leave as a united force,"
He said, his voice clear and strong, reaching every man and every knight.
"You're not just soldiers. They are the extension of our lineage, our determination and our power! Every step we take towards the Novaes territory will be a step to conquer our future, a step to build our own history."
The men listened to him with absolute respect, knowing that they were not only following a leader, but a visionary. Drake advanced between the ranks, lightly touching the shoulders of the chosen knights, observing the flame of determination in each other's eyes.
When he returned to the front of the army, with a deep breath, he raised his sword to the sky.
"For our lineage! For our glory! Today, no one will stop us."
The unison cry of the warriors spread through the walls of the citadel, echoing in the surrounding hills.
With the first orders, the army began to march, leaving in ranks organized by the main gates, which opened to let them pass.
The trail that led to the territory of the Novaes extended in front of them, but each one knew that the path they followed was also that of a legacy that would last for generations.
As the army disappeared on the horizon line, Elara, at the top of the walls, watched with a fixed gaze, feeling that that was the beginning of a new era.
"High!!"
A Captain Drystan told the army.
Looking at the landscape in front of them, a city with simple houses and a port assured them of poverty, leaving the inhabitants with prosperity without feeling the danger haunting them.
The city of Novaes, known as Porto Lúgubre, stood in a simple way by the sea. The houses were built in aged wood and stone, with simple but solid architecture, adapted to the maritime climate. Dark roofs and chimneys that released fine traces of smoke lined up through the narrow and winding streets.
It had no imposing walls or watchtowers; instead, its defense seemed to be its isolated location and the ability of its inhabitants to make quick and prudent agreements. There was a feeling of tranquility, but also of vigilance - the awareness that the city lived more from exchanges and alliances than from strength.
"Send the warriors to attack with full force, I want to see the terror in your eyes."
Drake, increasingly resembling a dominant, said.
"Yes, sir!"
A fear in your voice.
"Attention warriors, today is the day to show them the power of our family, all together."
"Attack!!!!!!"
On the front line, the elite soldiers marched with firm steps, their eyes cold and focused on the target.
Right behind, the riders, mounted on dark horses and armed to the teeth, formed a ruthless wall of steel and determination.
Under the armor, they felt the increase in strength and speed of the runes that carried discreetly, each one hidden under the protective pieces. His horses, chosen among the most robust and well trained, followed the rhythm and command without hesitation.
The plan was simple, but effective: elite soldiers would be the tip of the spear, opening the way and spreading chaos in the narrow streets, while the knights would advance, crushing any resistance.
Finally, the remaining soldiers would invade en masse, capturing and subduing the key points of the city.
When crossing the limits of Porto Lúgubre, the city woke up to a nightmare. Screams echoed as elite soldiers passed through the first houses, subduing guards and any brave people who tried to resist.
Swords crossed and armors creaked, but the invaders were ruthless. The residents fled, in panic, through the alleys while the shadows of the knights blocked the way of any escape.
In one of the docks, a group of fishermen tried to improvise a barricade, but the riders destroyed it in seconds, making way without losing the formation.
The sound of metal meeting metal mixed with the razing of the sea, which now seemed to be the only escape but even that was out of reach.
Drake watched the scene from a higher position, his eyes fixed on the city.
Each advance was a confirmation that his plan worked, and the power of the runes in his soldiers was palpable, almost visible in the relentless pace and precision of the attacks.
The city of Novaes fell under the strength of the Page family, each street taken, each defense undone with a superhuman force.
In the central square of Porto Lúgubre, the Novaes family met, with their last warriors around, forming a desperate barricade. They were people in simple clothes and distressed expressions, but in their eyes there was determination.
Standing in the center, the patriarch, Lord Alfredo Novaes, kept his head held high, despite being surrounded by the sounds of destruction and the screams of his soldiers falling one by one.
Page's army advanced through the city, ruthless and without hesitation. As Drake's knights passed through the last defenders, they left no survivor.
With surgical precision, they paved the way, leaving behind a trail of fear and death. The Novaes, realizing that the defeat was certain, turned to a last act of despair.
Drake Page approached, his haughty bearing and cold look, a presence so oppressive that it made even the most hardened warriors tremble.
Eldric, trying to hide his despair, took a step forward and raised his hands.
"Please, Lord Page,"
Eldric begged, his tone respectful, but loaded with urgency.
"We surrender. We're just a small family. Spare us, and we can become your vassals, pay loyalty to you. Everything we have will be yours. Just let us live."
Drake watched Eldric and the other members of the Novaes family for a moment, as if he was considering the proposal. Then, with a cold smile and without hesitation, he shook his head.
He took a step forward, his eyes fixed on the Novaes.
"Weakness and supplications do not change the fate of those who are in the way of my family, blame yourself for your bad luck."
Before Alfredo could say any other word, Drake raised his sword.
With a lethal precision, the blade cut the air, and the body of the patriarch of the Novaes fell to the ground, inert.
Screams of horror echoed as the other family members retreated, trying to flee, but Drake's guard quickly surrounded them, blocking all exits.
One by one, the Novaes tried in vain to beg for mercy. Some cried, others screamed, but Drake remained impassive, ordering his men to carry out the massacre. No plea would be heard, no life would be spared, the rise to power of the family would be stained with blood.
When the last voice fell silent, and the Novaes family was destroyed, Drake looked at the silence that had fallen on the square.
"This is the consequence of challenging a Page,"
He said, cleaning the blade.
"Now let's go to the next ones?"