chapter 20

Chapter 20

The sky was tinged with a dark red as the south wind carried a smell of ash and blood. Sky's military camp, established on the southern border, was teeming with life. The soldiers repaired their armor, sharpened their blades, and trained under the dying light of twilight. The blue and silver banners floated in the heavy air, contrasting with the heavy silence that had set in after the news of the attack.

Elion stood on top of a hill overlooking the camp, his gaze plunged into the mist that covered the plain beyond the palisades. Veyla stood by his side, one hand resting on the guard of his short sword.

"Three patrols missing in a week," whispered Veyla. "No survivors, no trace of battle... just silence."

Elion squeezed his jaw.

"They're not hiding anymore."

A Sky captain approached, his face grave. His armor was marked by recent fighting, a large gash through the breastplate. He knelt before Elion.

"Majesty. The scouts came back. They found... something."

"What?" asked Elion, his glance piercing the captain.

"Bodies. But not ours."

Elion exchanged glances with Veyla before rapidly descending the hill, with the captain following him closely. They passed the rows of tents and the makeshift forges where the gunsmiths worked under the light of the torches. The soldiers stood aside in silence as Elion walked through the camp, his imposing aura naturally imposing respect.

They crossed the reinforced wooden fence that marked the boundary of the camp. The air was colder on the other side, and a smell of decay was floating in the wind.

"There," whispered the captain, pointing to a small grove on the edge of the camp.

Elion and Veyla moved forward cautiously. When they reached the clearing, the spectacle that presented itself to them made them stop short.

Dozens of corpses lay on the ground. Volgras soldiers, recognizable by their red and black armor, were scattered in grotesque positions, as if something monstrous had torn them apart from the inside. Traces of deep claws roamed the ground, and blackened blood had seeped into the earth.

Veyla knelt beside one of the bodies, her gaze coldly analyzing the wounds.

"Claw marks... and fangs." She raised one of the dead soldier's hands. "The fingers are broken. He tried to defend himself."

Elion bent down in turn, passing a gloved hand over one of the open wounds. He detected a slight residual energy - a dark and corrupted essence.

"Demonic magic," he confirmed.

"It's impossible," said Veyla. "How could they break through the border so quickly?"

Elion stood up, his face hard.

"They didn't break the border. Someone paved the way for them."

A heavy footsteps sounded behind them. Elion and Veyla turned around with the same movement, their hands going straight to the guard of their weapons.

Eridan Volgras was advancing through the mist, followed by ten knights in dark armor. His face was impassive, but his eyes shone with cold anger.

"Skyless," he scolded. "These corpses are my men."

"I can see it," Elion answered calmly.

Eridan stopped a few steps away from him, his gaze heavy.

"This is not an isolated attack. Three more Volgras garrisons were wiped out this week. No trace of the attackers. Just... blood."

Elion squinted his eyes.

"Are you thinking about a demonic incursion?"

Eridan crossed his arms, his black armor squealing under the movement.

"If it was a simple incursion, they wouldn't have been so methodical."

"Someone controls them," whispered Elion.

A tense silence set in. The Knights of Volgras stared at Elion and Veyla with suspicious expressions, but no one moved.

"We need information," Elion said after a while. "If we don't understand what's going on, we'll all be swept away."

Eridan watched Elion for a long time before answering.

An ancient crypt exists beneath the Volgras Mountains. That's where we found the first signs of corruption. I will send a squad. You can accompany me if you wish."

Elion smiled slightly.

"If it's an invitation, I accept."

Eridan smiled in turn, a cold, humorless smile.

"We leave at dawn."

Elion nodded and turned his heels.

"Veyla, prepare a team. We don't know what awaits us in this crypt."

"Do you think it's a trap?"

"Probable. But if Volgras is hit, Sky will be hit as soon or later."

"All right." Veyla bowed her head slightly before disappearing into the darkness.

Elion stood still for a moment, watching the mist sliding along the ground. He smelled the smell of blood and death lingering in the air.

Empire of Demons...

It wasn't just an attack. Something much bigger was going on in the shadows, and Elion was determined to find out before the kingdom was plunged into chaos.

He turned his heels and went up the hill towards the camp, his mind already focused on the preparations to come.

The dawn was approaching. And with it, the beginning of a conflict that could redefine the balance of the entire kingdom.