Chapter 19: My word!

13 January 5555
[Florencis Forest]
[King Claude IV]

(Nightfall)
The king and his trusty aide had made haste after sensing danger approaching them. The moon shone brightly amongst the night sky, as if guiding the sovereign out of danger.

A loud, bloodcurling cry was heard in the distant.
"My Leige! My Leige!"

A well-built knight staggered out from the trees, although the night had reduced the vision of the king and his army, everyone could evidently noticed the abnormal amount of blood that the knight was losing every step he took. His arms were dangling as if ready to fall off any moment.

"He is one of the Baetos Knights!" one of the soilder exclaimed. The "Baetos Knights" of Claude's battalion were famous for their high endurance and battle abilities.

"My Leige! Everyone is dead! Everyone is dead!" The knight coughed as he spoke, staggering slowly towards the army. A trail of blood could be seen.

"Explain yourself knight!" Blaine commanded.
"The recon.. The recon group was wiped out by-"
"Spears." came a voice from amongst the trees where the knight had previously emerged from.

Three long spears flew out from the darkness and hit the knight from behind, one at the back of his head and two going through his knees.

"DEFEND THE KING!!"

A frail looking man appeared from the darkness, he was dressed in an orange singlet, and a yellow pair of skinny trousers matched with sandals made of fur from an unknown creature. As he advanced towards King Claude, the army could notice that he was missing an eye and a ear from the right side, but however no injuries were present on this strange man.

"Identify yourself!" Blaine bellowed. The young King just sat on his carriage, too shocked to utter a word.

"My, My, even after seeing what I have done to the knights your empire is so proud of, do you still recognise what I am? Burn. Fools!" A gigantic ball of fire was formed above the man, and it flew towards the army.

"Seperate." muttered the man, and the gigantic fireball split into two smaller scorching orbs of fire and hit Claude's front soilders, sending them flying away in charred pieces. The entire army was taken aback by the sheer power of this man.

"Archers! Fire at will!" Claude finally commanded, however this command was improper and sudden as archers begun loading their arrows into their crossbows and they fired without a certain pattern.

The man raised his hands at the oncoming arrows and muttered yet another line. " Arrows, snap."

At this very moment, every single arrow that was fired towards the man snapped into two like twigs, even in midair.

"I know what he is! He is a Word-Mage!!" Screamt one of Claude's soilders.
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20 January 5555
Borders of Rubyworth Forest
[Zach McCarthy]

For the past four days Zach had been travelling with his new-found companion, the mercenary. Although his motives were unclear. The mercenary had been travelling with Zach without asking for any form of payment. The only information that Zach had on him was that his name was "Dhor".

"So Dhor, where are you headed to?"
"I'm looking for something Zach."

Zach assumed that Dhor was not ready to answer Zach, and therefore decided to not probe any further as they made their way towards Callistoria.