Page 75 of A Rising Hope

She will hate you if you kill me. She will always love me.

I am willing to take that risk.

My eyes darkened as I watched him slowly die,drunk on his fear, on the sheer horror he felt.His mind, stripped of any solace, of any protection, at the mercy of my call. Mercy, I did not grant.

My sword swung, and his head dropped to the ground in an instant.

There was no relief in his death, no easing of the hatred that had grown since I’d learned of his existence.

I let the shields fall around us, letting the creatures hovering over us flock to his fresh body, tearing it apart like vultures. I speared his head on the tip of my sword. His greased hair swayed in the wind as I rose it high above for everyone to see.

“This is what happens to deserters! Fight for your honor or you shall die as cowards!” I shouted. A flick of my fingers and the full strength of my flames ran free, burning everything in their path. “Lachlan is dead. Submit to my rule or die,” I declared, thewind carrying my mighty command. “Bend the knee or die now!” I roared at them and my flames surged higher. Lachlan’s soldiers dropped to their knees, surrounded by my flames.

I didn’t care that the creatures ripped and clawed at their bodies, taking the moment of their submission as a chance to prey on them. Those cowards weren’t going to survive the end of the day either way. I saw their feelings as clear as day. Fear, surrender, defeat.

If they hadn’t bent the knee, they would’ve already died by my hand. No trial, no judgment, just pure unleashed fury.

They feared Death, but they should’ve feared me because I was her executioner.

The muscle in my jaw tensed. But soon enough, they all submitted, returning to their posts, fighting for their survival.

“Kill everyone who crosses that line,” I ordered Broderick and his remaining battalion. A snap of my fingers and a line of burning fire erupted—a clear mark. No retreating back.

But the ones that stayed alive wouldn’t do that. They already knew the only way to leave this battlefield was either victory or death. The head of their general swaying on a spike, a vicious reminder of the cold promise awaiting them should they attempt to retreat.

No retreating. No surrender.

“Our front line broke through!” Voices roared and my eyes darted to the tree line, where our armies mingled in a deadly dance.

“Fuck,” I snarled, fighting off a creature clawing at my face.

My heart thrashed and screamed her name.

Zora. Zora. Zora.

Like a bucket of ice water, my reason sounded the alarms.I pushed through the crowds of racing soldiers for the tree line. Every single soul still alive funneled into the bloodbathexploding between the tall trees. Air laced with guttural, pure craving for survival.

Like lions, every soldier fought the enemy with everything they had. To them it was no longer about winning, or glory, but their existence. That meager line of trees, the only salvation from the demons that haunted the skies. Destroyers were much easier to kill than the monsters with sharp feral teeth and long, curled claws that would maul your body to shreds.

The enemy soldiers fell back, losing the ferocious battle that exploded there. The Destroyers who watched the carnage in their safety knew that those of us who survived the deadly creatures were no match for their useless swords and shields. We craved their souls, their utter and complete destruction.

They were mere soldiers, but the men and women that survived the carnage were their nightmares. Brutal, cruel, savage.

No mercy. No hesitation. No regret. Only death and vengeance.

I frantically searched the waves of crowds for that familiar small figure, silently cursing every god known in hopes that her fate would be spared.

In the blink of an eye, I saw her. She swung her chain at another soldier, never missing a mark, always bringing them to their knees. Like a machine, Zora moved with skillful precision. Her curved blades, like claws, tore into their bodies, killing everyone she confronted without even a moment of contemplation.

I pushed through the bodies of soldiers, my sword and fire cutting a path through the enemy towards her. Heart frozen mid beat until I could reach her, until I’d feel her comforting aura meddling with mine.

My sword swung—another body fell to the ground, his armor melting at the fire I summoned from the depth of the wellsI held. Never had I let the rage burn so brightly that it was blinding me. Only led by a single thought. Zora.

Another horn ripped through the sound of clashing metal. An enemy horn. A call for aid.

Fuckers were worried. And they had reason to be. We had pushed them back step by step. Like wild dogs cornering their prey, our swords mercilessly killed everyone in our way, feeding off their fear and the metallic tang of blood that stained the air.

Another loud horn. One that made me glance back. A little chill went over my skin and I knew that there was another army marching towards us.

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