Calm after the storm

The last of the attackers fell, their forces completely broken. Bodies covered the ground… Too many lives lost on all sides. The Drayton army had suffered heavy casualties, but the attackers had been wiped out almost entirely. Even the Devotion army had its share of losses, although they should never have drawn their swords.

Both sides slowly retreated to their original positions, weapons still drawn but no longer raised. Only the doctors remained, moving carefully among the wounded, caring for the living, and close the eyes of the dead.

Kevin stood at the edge of the battlefield, his sword still in his hand, the blood of fallen enemies staining the ground beneath him. His sharp eyes scanned the destruction, the corpses, the wounded, and the confused soldiers on both sides still clutching their weapons. The battle was over, but the real trouble was just beginning.

Yuri approached him, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "You know that wasn't us." His voice was calm, but firm.

Kevin let out a slow breath, nodding his head. "I know." He turned slightly, looking at the Devotion troops in the distance. "This was the work of a third party. Someone who wanted this trade to fail." He tightened his grip on his sword. "And they almost succeeded."

Yuri studied him carefully. "Then you know what happens next."

Kevin exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "That's the problem. My father…" He paused, as if weighing his words. "He won't care about the details. He only cares about strength. He'll see this as a betrayal. And if I can't convince him otherwise…" He clenched his jaw. "Things will get out of hand."

Yuri's gaze didn't waver. "You don't seem like the type to let things get out of hand."

Kevin let out a dry laugh, but there was no humor in it. "You've never met my father." He turned to face Yuri fully, his expression colder now. "Drayton doesn't hold back. If I don't handle this properly, war is coming."

Yuri was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Then I will trust you with this."

Kevin held his gaze, understanding the weight behind those words. He had to find a way to stop Drayton from going into a full-scale war… But deep down, he wasn't sure if that was possible anymore.

A short distance away, Andrew leaned on his sword, exhaling as the last bit of tension left his body. Crimzo approached, slinging his bow over his shoulder.

Andrew glanced at him. "You got them just in time."

Crimzo smirked, rolling his shoulders. "What, did you think I'd miss?"

Andrew let out a short laugh. "No. Just wouldn't have minded if you were a little faster."

Crimzo raised an eyebrow. "Next time, maybe don't get yourself into a storm of arrows then. And by the way let's check out Roy".

Andrew shook his head, chuckling. "Noted and let's goo"

Sophia crouched beside Roy, carefully examining the wounds on his arm and shoulder. The bandages she had brought were already in her hands.

"This doesn't look like (nothing) to me" she muttered, pressing a cloth against one of the deeper wounds.

Roy didn't react to the pain. "It doesn't hurt much; the pain is tolerable."

The princess was standing nearby while Elena stands silently behind her.

Lily's arms crossed, worry filled her face, watching him closely. "You're still bleeding."

Roy met her gaze but didn't answer.

Sophia sighed. "Two of these cuts are deep. You need proper treatment. We might have to burn the wound."

Lily flinched slightly. "Is that necessary?"

"If we don't, it could get infected," Sophia replied, tightening the bandage around Roy's arm.

Sophia set a small fire, while Roy arm resting on his knee as Sophia prepared what was needed.

At that time, Andrew and Crimzo walked over, Crimzo's bow still in hand, eyes scanning Roy's bandaged arm. "You good?".

Before Roy could answer, Andrew scoffed. "He's fine. Took a few arrows, not his first time."

Crimzo raised an eyebrow. "Does he ever react to pain?"

Andrew smirked. "I don't know let's ask him."

Roy adjusted his coat and said flatly, "Are we done here?"

Before anyone could reply, Yuri approached, his gaze passing over Roy before settling on Crimzo and Andrew. "Roy will live," he said, as if that settled the matter. Then his tone shifted, more authoritative. "Come with me. We need to count our losses and take care of the prisoners."

Andrew straightened, his smirk fading. "The trade?"

Yuri nodded. "We finish it here. Both sides will exchange the rest of the prisoners at the same time. No delays, no risks. We need this handled properly."

Crimzo slung his bow over his shoulder. "Let's finish this fast. I'm starving."

Yuri exhaled, shaking his head. "Then move. The sooner we're done, the sooner you eat."

Without another word, they moved, leaving no room for mistakes. The battlefield was stained with blood, but order was being restored.