Drexo did not walk out of the temple. He rushed. The still air of the shrine broke behind him as he pushed through the entrance, boots striking hard against stone before hitting the open path. The trumpet still echoed in his head, sharp and urgent, like it had carved something into his chest.
The enemies are here. The words would not leave him. By the time the shore came into view, the world had already shifted.
Maria stood at the front..Not moving. Not pacing. Just standing there, like the tide itself would have to answer to her.
Her jaw tightened slightly. "Archers!" she roared..The response was immediate..Men stepped forward in unison, boots digging into the sand as they took position. Bows lifted. Strings pulled back. Arrows notched with practiced precision, the faint creak of tension filling the air.
Drexo slowed as he approached, his breath still uneven, but his eyes fixed ahead.
"At my command!" Maria's voice cut through the noise again.
No one moved. No one spoke..All eyes turned to the horizon. The ships were coming.
Dark shapes at first, rising and falling with the waves. Then clearer. Closer. The creak of wood and the distant rhythm of oars began to carry across the water.
Maria watched them..Her gaze narrowed slightly. Something in her expression shifted.
"They are attacking with just the seik," she said, almost to herself. "Where are the Northern forces?"
Cedric let out a soft chuckle beside Drexo. "They must have underestimated our strength."
A few of the generals nodded, their confidence rising with the sight of the smaller force.."It is pride," one of them said. "They didn't come with the whole of their army."
A murmur of agreement followed. Drexo felt it too. That small lift. That sense that maybe, just maybe.
But Maria did not share it. Her eyes stayed locked on the ships. Unblinking.."This is not an underestimation," she whispered.
The words barely carried..But Drexo heard them. "This is a war strategy." He frowned, turning toward her. "What are you talking about?"
Maria did not look at him.."You won't understand." It was not harsh. Just final.
She turned slightly, her voice rising again. "Claudia.".Claudia stepped forward instantly. "Activate plan B."
Claudia bowed once. No hesitation. Then she turned and hurried off, disappearing into the movement behind them.
Drexo watched her go, confusion tightening his chest, but there was no time to ask more.
The ships were closer now. Close enough to see faces. Close enough to see him.
Robert, standing at the front, watching. His eyes found Drexo across the distance, and something in them hardened immediately. His fist tightened at his side, the movement small but sharp.
"Prepare yourself," Robert said, his voice carrying over the water to his men. "They will shoot black water and fire at us."
The soldiers around him shifted, their grips tightening on shields and weapons. "If you dive into the water, you have a chance of survival," he continued. "But if you do not, you might not survive."
A beat.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Grace!" they echoed.
The ships pushed closer, and closer..The distance shrank.
Maria lifted her hand slightly. "Aim!" The archers moved as one. Bows rose. Strings pulled taut. Arrows aligned toward the approaching ships.
"Shield wall!" Robert roared. The response came fast. Shields lifted, locking together in a solid barrier of iron and wood. "Loose!"
The command snapped through the air. Arrows flew. A dark wave cutting across the sky before crashing down onto the ships.
The sound followed. Thuds. Clangs. The sharp crack of impact. Most struck shields. Some slipped through.
A few found flesh. Men staggered. One fell from the edge of the ship, his body hitting the water with a heavy splash.
"Draw!" Maria called again. The archers moved without hesitation. Another line of arrows set.
"Loose!"
Again, the sky darkened with the release. Again the shields held. Again a few slipped through.
A soldier cried out, dropping to one knee before being dragged back by another.
Robert did not flinch. He stood there, watching. Then he smiled. "Is that all you got?" he called out, his voice carrying across the water. "You will need more than that to stop me."
Drexo's grip tightened on his sword. Maria smiled. Slow, and calm. "No, darling," she said, her voice softer but no less sharp. "The best is yet to come."
She lifted her hand. "Bulk throw!" The archers stepped aside instantly, clearing the line.
Behind them, men stepped forward, each holding small sachets. Dark, and heavy.
They did not hesitate. They threw. The sachets arced through the air, landing across the ships, splashing against wood, shields, armor.
For a brief second, nothing. Then her voice rose. "Fire!" Maria's voice rang out.
Archers moved again. This time, the tips of their arrows burned. Small flames flickering against the wind. They drew, then released.
The arrows flew. And then, fire answered. The ships ignited. Not slowly. Not gently.
It spread fast, like the sea itself had caught flame. The black water clung, burned, refused to die. Flames climbed the sides of the ships, licking at sails, swallowing wood whole.
"Jump now!" Robert roared. His men did not hesitate..They leapt..One after another. Bodies hit the water, splashing hard as the fire raged behind them.
Drexo watched it unfold. The heat. The screams. The chaos.
Maria smiled. A small shake of her head. "Poor Robert," she murmured. "It was easy to predict your move."
Then she raised her hand again. Above them, along the cliffs and hidden ridges, other hands rose in response.
Waiting, and ready.
Maria dropped her hand. The signal. Blades swung. Ropes snapped. And the sea changed. From beneath the water, it erupted.
Spears, and sharp wood. Traps hidden beneath the surface surged upward, slicing through the waves.
Men who had just escaped the flames now found themselves caught.
Pierced, and Dragged.
Some tried to swim. They could not. The water churned. Screams tore through the air. The sea turned red.
Drexo stood frozen for a second. Just a second. Then Maria turned to him. "You are in charge now."
The words hit him harder than the battle itself. She did not wait for a response. She turned, and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Drexo asked, the question leaving him before he could stop it.
"To face the other army."
He blinked. Confusion rising again. "Is there another army?"
Maria paused. Just briefly. She turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder.
There was a faint smile on her lips. Amusement. "You think my brother will truly abstain from a war he started?"
She did not wait for him to answer..She turned back. And kept walking.
Drexo watched her go, the weight of her words settling slowly.
Then, it clicked. His eyes widened slightly.
At the eastern edge of the river, the water moved differently.
Quieter, and deeper.
And there, ships. More of them. Larger, and Stronger.
The Northern forces. They moved steadily toward the shore, their formation tight, their presence heavy.
But they did not reach it. Not immediately. Because something stood in their way.
An army, waiting.
"How did they know we were coming?" Edmond lamented.
Claudia stood at the front. Her bow was already drawn, the arrow steady, aimed forward without a tremor.
Behind her, warriors held their ground, weapons ready, their silence louder than any battle cry.
On the lead ship, Edmond stepped forward. His eyes scanned the shore. Took in the formation. Settled on Claudia.
"What now?" he shouted, his voice carrying across the water. "Are you going to shoot at your Warden now?"