What was their plan now?

  Tucker didn’t know. They had done their job and fulfilled what the Order had requested of them. In theory, there wasn’t a need for them to stay any longer. Tucker wiped the blood off his blade with his fingertips. He stared at Alex and Blaire as May and Mark entered the building with sweat dripping down their chins.

  “This is all the Order asked of us,” Tucker said. “If we follow procedure, then our orders are to return to the keep.”

  Alex gazed at the battered watchmen. “It would probably be for the best. All that’s left is for us to confirm that Ray and the others have made it out.”

  “We can still fight,” May protested.

  Blaire examined Mark, the giant, who was struggling to keep his composure. “No, you can’t. We’re done.”

  Tucker glanced over at Alex. Both of them locked eyes for a second before moving towards the exit. Everheart soldiers stormed the gates, flooding into the courtyard like a raging river that refused to yield. From the doorway, they could see knights occasionally stop before bringing their hand to their temple and delivering a sharp cut down. A simple salute filled with nothing but gratitude.

  “Should we leave, Alex?” Tucker asked.

  “Truthfully, it doesn’t sit well with me to tuck tail and run, but if we lost three out of twelve watchmen in Alexandria, then our numbers are only dropping with each engagement,” Alex replied. “Knowing Ray, he probably led the prisoners back the way we came, so the chances of him running into the other watchmen are high.”

  “Even after I told them to continue with their hit-and-run tactics once they recovered?”

  Alex let out a small chuckle. “You think Ray would let them do that when he’s leading a herd of sheep around? Knowing that lad, he would conscript them into his cause.”

  “Ray has always been a strong-willed guy.”

  They made their way out of the gatehouse. Tucker stared at the soldiers advancing into the inner sanctum of the city. All of the Avalon Empire’s forces were retreating, running back to the safety of their castle. The battle at the walls had already been concluded with bells tolling in the distance. Carrying a deep rumble that echoed through the burning city.

  Flames ignited from one rooftop to another, searing the slanted rooftops as smoke climbed to the sky and blocked out the stars. Homes became nothing more than hollow structures of ash. Their foundations a tombstone for those who used to live there. It was like he was watching Stafford burn to the ground once more. Watching as the once beautiful coastal city of Alexandria drowned beneath a wave of wildfires.

  “This place used to be a vacation city,” Tucker said. “It’s a shame it’ll be reduced to nothing more than rubble.”

  “Have you ever been here before the war?” Alex asked.

  “Nah, never had the chance. Maybe my family did, but I spent most of those days to myself.”

  “Who knows, perhaps in the future you’ll get a chance,” Alex said, patting Tucker’s shoulder.

  The sound of hooves striking the ground entered their ears. A wagon came to a halt beside the gatehouse as dust rose from the stone bricks. Knights dropped off the side of the seats, wood creaking with the weight disappearing from the frame.

  “Commander?” A voice called out to Tucker.

  Tucker tilted his head. “Brian?”

  “It seems fate just keeps bringing us together,” Brian said. “You really should have been a knight!”

  Tucker stared at the heavily armored plates, noting the two long horn-like extensions that rose from the side of Brian’s helm like a pair of antlers. The gold and black accented steel helm was the exact same as what he had seen in the bastion, with an azure cloak shrouding the majority of his body. Around him were knights, all bearing the sigil of a hearth resting in a wreath.

  “I didn’t think we would run into each other so soon, but that’s right. You did say you were joining the Sword Saint.” Tucker held out his fist as Blaire returned the gesture with a light tap. “I take it Max is here as well?”

  “Yeah, he’s here as well.” Brian glanced to the side. “In fact, he’s coming this way.”

  Tucker followed Brian’s gaze. From a few steps away came another order of knights. All wearing a heavy cylindrical helm with a golden decoration around the eye slit with a series of perforated holes near the bottom. The runic armor shone beneath the moonlight. They drew closer with each step while escorting an old man with long white hair wearing a simple white robe with long sleeves. The seams had azure embroidery that blended into a dragon on the left side of his chest.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Is that…” Tucker narrowed his eyes at the old man. The man’s golden eyes pierced through the night.

  “That’s the Sword Saint,” Brian replied. “Claude Tharion Auguinare, General of the Everheart Southern Realm.”

  “And I’m guessing the Lionheart knights are escorting him.”

  “Indeed.” Brian crossed his arms, turning his head to the Lionheart knight at the front. “That’s Max leading the group.”

  Max stood there with a stern gaze. “Commander, did you come to serve?”

  Tucker lightly laughed. “How did you know it was me even with my helm on?”

  “I recognized your aura from a mile away,” he said. “It’s hard to forget.”

  “I take it you’re doing more than just guarding.”

  “Saying I am guarding the kingdom’s strongest man is a bit of a stretch,” Max admitted. “I’m merely following the Sword Master’s code and performing my duties as a knight.”

  “You were always one to stick to your roots.” Tucker brought his hand to his temple and gave a simple salute to the Sword Saint. “Is there anything you need us to do?”

  “Hmm…” Claude’s eyes drifted to the injured watchmen to the side. “No, not in your current state. Besides, the Order is pretty stubborn with its procedures. If you folks have accomplished your task, then you can leave the rest to us.”

  “Are you sure?” Tucker asked. “If you need assistance some of us can still fight.”

  Claude raised a brow before bursting out in a roaring laugh. “Your commander’s funny, Sir Maystone. I can see why you like him.”

  “He’s also a man with a good heart,” Brian chimed in. “Didn’t leave a single one of his brothers out for the wolves, and accomplished feats beyond recognition.”

  Max gave several stern nods. “It would be an honor to fight alongside you again, Commander, but we can’t let you have all the fun.”

  Claude’s gaze shifted to Alex and Owl. “Besides, if you two were sent here, then that means the Order must be stretched thin.”

  “It’s been a while, Sword Saint,” Alex said. “I apologize for being unable to locate your disciple.”

  The Sword Saint’s eyes seemed to carry a hint of sadness. He waved his hand to the side, dismissing the matter. “Forget it. You two chased countless leads with that paladin from the Souldom. If he’s not in the kingdom’s lands, then there’s no telling where he is now.”

  “If we find any clues that aid in the investigation, we’ll let you know as soon as possible,” Blaire said.

  “Hmph, you need to be alive for that to happen,” Claude said, staring at the castle perched on the hill of Alexandria. “I have work to do, so if we meet again, we’ll continue our conversation then, if the situation allows it.”

  All the watchmen gave a firm salute to the general of the army.

  “We’ll pray for your victory,” Blaire said.

  “Pray?” Claude scoffed. “That won’t be necessary.”

  He gestured for the knights to stand aside. The Hearthfire knights formed a line to the Saint’s left, while the Lionheart knights mimicked the formation on the other side. “Take the wagon and head back to the main camp. There’ll be a makeshift teleportation platform for you to use to return to the capital.”

  Alex nodded while grabbing hold of the side of the wagon. “There’s still a few of us in the city. They should be in the process of rescuing some prisoners.”

  “If you’re talking about the red hair brat with a bit of an attitude then he should already be back at the camp,” Claude said. “I heard he caused quite a commotion with my men, so if you can give him a stern lecture or two for me.”

  Alex slowly exhaled while glancing at Tucker. He then turned to Claude. “I’ll make sure to do so.”

  “Good.” Claude watched as the watchmen boarded the wagon. “Best of luck on your future endeavours.”

  “The same goes for you,” Alex said.

  Tucker sat down on the wooden seat as Alex tapped the side of the wagon twice, signalling for the wagon to take off. Yet, the moment they began to leave, Tucker heard a soft voice.

  “I never thought a day would come like this where I would have to kill an old friend,” Claude mumbled while shaking his head. “To think the Empire would become this rotten.”

  The sight of Claude’s back seemed to shrink. Not with anger or discontent, but with disappointment at how everything turned out. And Tucker couldn’t blame him. The strife between the two nations would leave a scar that would never heal. He gazed at Alexandria one last time. Smoke continued to rise to the sky in dark, thick batches, suffocating the moonlight that failed to reach the ground.

  He could feel a heavy pressure pressing down on his shoulders from a hundred meters away. Auras flared from the two knight orders, but the force didn’t come from them. It came from Claude. The only man whose aura wasn’t visible to the naked eye.

  “It’s begun,” Alex said, staring at the Sword Saint’s fleeting figure. “Take a good look, Tucker. This is the summit for aura users.”

  Tucker focused his aura into his eyes, strengthening his vision. The wagon moved further away from the city, and once it was several hundred meters away. He could see it. Two thin, dense layers of aura enveloped the entirety of Alexandria in their embrace. One of golden radiance and another of pale tranquility.

  “Anyone who isn’t a squire would get crushed beneath the sheer pressure of their auras,” Blaire said. “That’s what happens when seven-star aura users enter a fight.”

  “What about the citizens?” Tucker asked.

  “You were always one to care about unnecessary things.” Blaire’s gaze fell to the wooden planks beneath his boots. “You should know by now that they’re dead if they haven’t left by now. That’s just the reality of the situation.”

  Alex softly exhaled. “The responsibility for its citizens falls upon the nation. If they fail to evacuate their people despite the slow march to Alexandria, then the fault lies with them. Not us.”

  Tucker nodded, watching as a pillar of white light emerged from the gates of Alexandria. They were right. It wasn’t his burden or concern if the Empire’s citizens died from the battle between the two aura masters. With their covert forces, they should have known better than to not evacuate their people. The tragedy that followed was unfortunate but completely avoidable if they had just taken the right precautions.

  Even as the column of light fell towards the castle, splitting the ashen clouds that swallowed the stars. Tucker felt the weight tighten in his chest. In his mind, he knew it was pointless to dwell on such thoughts, but his heart couldn’t help but ache.

  Bitterness and remorse were all that remained as he watched the moonlight aura tear through the sky, colliding with hundreds of buildings along the path to the castle. Unreinforced homes crumbled in an instant, raining brick and timber upon the men marching through the ruins.

  And seeing this, a part of him wished for the war to end. If not today, then perhaps a day sooner.

  Alas, I thought about having the gang take part in the fight so that you guys could see what the fight would be like.

  But then I realized... I would actually end up writing a fourth book!

  Yeah... there's actually a lot I would still need to cover in the third book, so it'll be a fair bit longer too...

  Anyways, thanks for reading, and I'll see ya in the next one~

  120 Ratings Goal - Bonus Chapter (Owed Chapters -> 0)

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