chapter 9

Chapter 9

The morning mist thickened over the northern plains as Elion rode at the head of the column. Her dark armor faintly reflected the pale glow of the nascent sun. At her side, Veyla advanced in silence, her keen gaze roaming the surroundings with a suspicious air. Behind them, a line of horsemen and foot soldiers stretched for several hundred meters, their banners slamming faintly in the cold wind.

Elion squeezed the reins of his horse, feeling a slight tension in his muscles. It wasn't just a skirmish or a patrol. Count Alrik had been clear in his message: a horde of creatures had gathered at the northern border. He did not specify the number, but the pressing tone of the letter revealed the magnitude of the danger.

"We should arrive in an hour," Veyla said, consulting a map. "The last patrol reported activity near the Black River."

Elion nodded, his gaze hardened.

"Have you ever met these kinds of creatures?" he asked.

"Wild beasts, yes," Veyla replied. "But a horde large enough to worry a Tier 4 count? It's something else."

Elion pointed his horse towards the front of the column, raising a hand to attract the attention of the officers who were following him.

"Listen to me!" he said in a clear voice.

The soldiers stood up, silence quickly set in.

"We're going to face an unknown threat. Keep your formations tight. Archers, stay back until my signal. Horsemen, hold your flanks. We don't know what to expect, but we will remain disciplined."

"Yes, Majesty!" answered the soldiers in chorus.

Elion guided his horse to Veyla as the column started moving again.

"Do you think they're ready?" asked Veyla.

Elion had a cold smile.

"They must be."

They progressed another hour before the landscape changed. The low hills gave way to a more open valley, framed by black stone cliffs. A dark river snaked in the center, its water tinged with a disturbing reddish shade.

Elion felt a tension in the air. The mana in this area was different, heavier. He frowned.

"Stop the march!" he ordered.

The troops came to a standstill. Veyla landed and scrutinized the horizon with intensity.

A thud, like a distant rumble, echoed in the air.

"It comes from the north," said Veyla, a hand on the pommel of her sword.

Elion got off a horse, putting a hand on the handle of his blade.

The rumble turned into a heartbreaking scream.

Then they appeared.

Massive creatures emerged from the mist, their silhouettes distorted and threatening. They were over three meters tall, with muscular bodies covered with a black bone shell. Their glowing eyes shone with a malicious glow.

"Black ogres..." whispered Veyla.

Elion felt his pulse accelerate. Black ogres were classified as Tier 3 to Tier 4 creatures. Only one of these creatures could wipe out an entire unit of lower-ranking soldiers. But there wasn't one. There were about twenty of them, forming a compact line along the river.

One of the ogres stepped forward, grunting.

"They're organized," said Elion, his deep voice. "It's not just a random attack. Someone or something controls them."

"What are we doing?" asked Veyla, her hand resting firmly on the guard of her sword.

Elion stepped forward, slowly pulling his sword out of the scabbard. The blade gave off a slight blue glow when he infused his mana into it.

"We're testing their strength."

He projected himself forward, his body moving with lightning speed. The soldiers watched in amazement as their king directly charged the head creature.

The black ogre raised a massive arm to crush it, but Elion pivoted to the side, dodging the attack with a fluid motion. He planted his blade in the creature's side, releasing a wave of sharp mana that split the air in a brutal whistle.

The ogre screamed in pain and fell to his knees. But a second ogre leaps forward, his claws falling into a rapid movement.

Elion straightened up, concentrating a mana pulse in his legs. He jumped back just in time, the ogre's claw ploughing the ground into a violent impact.

"Archers! Fire!"

In Veyla's voice, a volley of mana-soaked arrows whistled through the air. The arrows hit the ogres with full force, causing explosions of light. Several creatures shrieked back, but none fell.

"They're resilient," rumbled Veyla.

Elion pivoted, his eyes shining with a cold glow.

"We must divide them! Cavalry! Flanque them!"

The horsemen set out in motion, their bright spears lowering as they headed for the flanks of the enemy formation.

Elion threw himself back towards the center, his blade lighting up as he released a powerful mana discharge. The wave of energy hit the head ogre, projecting it back.

Another ogre leaped at him, but Elion skidded cleverly, thrusting his blade directly into the creature's throat. He felt resistance, but applied extra pressure, releasing an explosion of energy that ripped the ogre's head off.

"He killed a tier 4 ogre... alone?" whispered a soldier.

"It's the king," replied another with admiration.