Chapter4: long ride

When Zellrid regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a cold, hard surface, which he immediately recognized as the stone floor of the castle, but when the arcanist struggled to sit up, he felt a sharp pain in his skull that pulsed like a second heartbeat.

Every inch of his body throbbed fiercely, making it difficult to move. The world spun around him like a carnival ride gone awry. He could feel his bones grinding against each other, protesting even the slightest movement.

While he lay there, zellrid was powerless when he saw the new state of Serana. She looked better than before, making him wonder how long he had been gone When he rose off the floor, zellrid saw her tears streaming down her cheeks. Even in her slumber, he moved closer to her body, wrapping his coat around her with his only remaining arm. He hugged her tightly.

letting her know she was safe He desperately pondered what he could do to help her when suddenly she seized his hand in a desperate grasp and uttered a frail plea in a trembling voice, "Please end my life, for I am a threat to others. My craving is infinite and must be stopped before my desires take over again," he smiled.

"Don't fret, Serana I'm here. You have nothing to fear. I cast a spell before offering you my hand so that you would not be repulsed by it. You don't even register the scent of blood other than mine."

Serana looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise."You did what ?"She whispered in disbelief, "You cunning fellow If I don't eat, I'll end up dead. Very smart of you."

Zellrid chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll be giving you my blood whenever you need it."Following that, they heard a peculiar sound from outside the castle It was a sound that Zellrid had heard before—the sound of horses galloping towards the castle gates.

He quickly got up from the floor, his body still aching from the recent battle, and helped Serana to her feet, holding onto her tightly as they made their way toward the window.

Looking out, they saw a group of soldiers riding towards the castle. "Zellrid's words were laced with sarcasm while he was speaking,

"Figures. This is my life: constant trouble, and now I've got a bare-skinned vampire woman before me." Listen to me, Serana; put on the coat I gave you and come with me. Don't say anything; let me do the talking. They know who I am."

Serana quickly put on the coat and followed Zellrid through the castle's winding corridors until they reached the main entrance. The soldiers had already dismounted their horses and were waiting at the gates. Zellrid recognized the leader of the group, a bald-bearded man with a stern expression and a scar across his cheek.

"Zellrid, by order of King Edwin Nedin the 5th, we have come to collect you and bring you back to the kingdom," the leader spoke in a commanding voice.

Zellrid felt his heart sink. He didn't know what they wanted from him. He said, "Leader Maro, you know this isn't the best time for that."

Maro's face twisted into a grimace. "I'm afraid I don't have a choice in the matter, Zellrid. The king's orders are absolute."

Zellrid glanced over at Serana, who was watching the exchange with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. He took a deep breath and turned back to Maro."Very well," he said.

He motioned for Serana to come closer and put his arm around her, shielding her from view."This woman here is an apprentice of mine; I want you to take us both back together."

Maro cast an apprehensive eye toward Zellrid and Serana before eventually offering a blunt acknowledgment."Fine, but we will want to interrogate her too. Let's go."

As they walked past Maro, Zellrid leaned in and whispered,"I know something is wrong—something that happened in Xeris, the capital, and that the king himself sent you to find me."

Maro's face became serious, though he didn't speak. Zellrid went on, "I can only assume it has something to do with me." Maro sighed and looked away, abruptly steering the conversation in a different direction."What happened to your arm? Why is there only one?"

Zellrid replied sarcastically, "Why don't you take a look at your ass?"He was about to continue when Maro suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face turning pale. After a few moments of tense silence, he finally spoke.

"You don't know what happened in Xeris? You've been missing for weeks." He looked away, unable to meet Zellrid's gaze."The king is dead, Zellrid. Assassinated."

Zellrid felt a chill run down his spine. The king had been a fair and just ruler, well-liked by all."Who did it?"

He asked through gritted teeth. "We don't know for sure yet," Maro replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"There are rumors of a shadow organization working behind the scenes, but no one knows for sure. That's why the king was so desperate to find you. He believed you might have some insight into what was happening."

Zellrid's heart pounded in his chest. The thought of the king being assassinated and a shadow organization, and why the king, why him He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Maro, we must journey to Xeris at once."

they said before hopping up onto their steeds and setting off for the kingdom. Serana was thinking about what lay ahead for them while they rode, with the king's murder and the potential existence of a covert organization dominating their thoughts. As dusk fell, Zellrid led them off the main road and into a thick forest.

"We'll camp here for the night,"

He said this while dismounting his horse and searching for a spot to set up camp. The others followed suit, setting up tents and starting a fire. When they got settled in for the night, Zellrid couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He scanned the surrounding forest, his senses on high alert.

"I'll take the first watch," he said. Eventually wanted to make sure his friends were safe, but Maro had other plans.

"No," the commander said firmly. "I'll take the first watch. You get some rest, Zellrid."

He could see the reluctance in Zellrid's eyes, but he also knew that his friend was exhausted. He needed to rest, and Maro was determined to keep him safe.

"Alright," Zellrid sighed, handing over his sword to Maro. "Wake me up if anything happens."

After Zellrid settled into his tent and closed his eyes, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. His mind was racing with thoughts of the shadow organization and what they might be capable of. Suddenly, he felt a strange energy pulsing through his body.

He sat up and looked around, but everything appeared to be normal. However, when he looked up at the stars, he saw them swirling and dancing in the sky. Zellrid quickly fell asleep from exhaustion.

But his dreams were still filled with wonder as he watched a phoenix soar through the sky alongside a storm pegasus. While he watched, the sky turned an eerie shade of red and a fierce wind picked up.

Zellrid felt his heart racing as he saw a figure cloaked in a fire start to approach him. He gasped and stepped back, only to wake up with a jolt from his dream Zellrid let out a breath of relief and lay down again,

trying to steady his beating heart. The soldiers were still in the same positions as before, and there was no indication of any impending danger Just as Zellrid stepped out of the tent, he spotted Maro sitting on a rock, gazing into the flickering orange flames of a campfire.

The smoky scent of burning wood lingered in the air Zellrid approached Maro, taking a seat on the boulder next to him. They both sat in silence for a few moments, gazing into the flames as they cracked and popped.

"You awake, commander?" Zellrid asked, breaking the silence. Maro nodded, his eyes still fixed on the fire. hold "I couldn't sleep. I have a bad feeling about what the future holds.

Zellrid let out a long, frustrated sigh and slumped against the boulder. "I understand what you're saying, but why did you lie? Why'd you lead us to believe that the king was alive if he was dead? And how did he demand I come if he was already gone?"

Maro squirmed in his seat, not taking his eyes off the flames. " his son commanded you to come; he has taken the reigns of power now. But you know Xerise is not the same as it was when you left.

If the king dies and twelve others stay alive, that would be unbalanced; the gods need to be equal Zellrid furrowed his brow in thought. "Equal? What do you mean?" Maro finally turned his gaze away from the fire to look at Zellrid. "It's an old legend, one that's been passed down through generations of our people."

Maro began.