The terrified villagers huddled together in the center of the stone courtyard. Sefa wrapped a thick wool blanket around Elias to stop the old baker from shivering. The freezing rain continued to fall from the dark sky but the high stone walls of the estate offered absolute shelter from the violent storm.Jamie stood in the wide breach where the reinforced oak doors used to hang. The burning splinters of the obliterated gate hissed loudly as the sleet hit the ruined timber. He looked down the sloping cobblestone road leading back into the lower district.The surviving squad formed a tight defensive line across the shattered entrance. Nine capital soldiers remained standing. The loss of Doku and Mera hung heavy over their exhausted formations. Emeric braced his iron tower shield against the slick wet stones. Godric held his wooden bow steady despite his trembling fingers. Camilla wiped a mixture of rain and blood from her chin as she stood beside the remaining recruits.A massive horde

The pale morning light struggled to pierce the toxic gray fog blanketing the settlement. Jamie stood near the shattered entrance of the High Estate and watched the demonic horde test the invisible boundary.A massive possessed wolf charged the open archway. The beast crossed the threshold and instantly disintegrated into a cloud of fine gray ash. The dark energy evaporated before it could touch the stone tiles. Dozens of shadow clones followed the beast in a blind frenzy. They threw themselves at the perimeter and pulverized into dust upon impact.The ancestral wards held firm against the assault. The invisible barrier provided absolute protection against the threat of the Abyss.The demon warlord standing in the lower street let out a frustrated growl. The intelligent creature realized it could not breach the compound with brute force. It commanded the horde to stop charging.The beasts did not retreat into the outer sectors. Hundreds of thousands of void eyes stared through the free

Jamie stood in the freezing rain and counted the final seconds of his ultimatum. He kept his eyes locked on the grand hall where Lord Bastian stood safely behind a long wooden table. The local noble adjusted his thick bear pelt and crossed his arms over his chest. Bastian did not reach for the heavy iron key strapped to his leather belt. He anchored his boots to the polished marble floor and refused to yield a single inch of his authority."Your minute is up," Jamie announced. His calm voice carried easily over the howling wind of the storm. "Open the vault."Bastian smirked and leaned forward against the table. The rich smell of cured venison and fresh water drifted out from the hall to taunt the starving villagers in the courtyard."You are bluffing, commander," Bastian replied loudly. The corrupt lord waved a dismissive hand toward the young knight. "You are a capital soldier bound by a strict moral code. You will not torture a defenseless prisoner just to prove a point. My vault r

Soren pressed his blistered wrists into the freezing mud. The burns throbbed with a sickening rhythm but the pain in his chest ran much deeper. He stared through the driving rain at the grand hall. Lord Bastian stood behind his long wooden table without a shred of concern on his aristocratic face. The corrupt lord adjusted his thick bear pelt and turned his back on the courtyard. Bastian was going to let him rot. Soren had spent two decades executing his father's brutal will. He remembered burning the grain silos of a rival merchant in the lower district. He remembered shattering the knees of a dissenting blacksmith to collect exorbitant taxes. He had sacrificed his own morality to be the ideal heir. His reward was a pair of searing iron chains and a locked door. The blind devotion he held for his bloodline burned away in the steam rising from his scorched skin. The cold rain washed the ash from his face but it could not wash away the sting of the ultimate betrayal. Jamie walked acro

Two hours had passed since the young commander disappeared into the overgrown eastern gardens. The freezing rain continued to batter the stone courtyard of the High Estate. Elias stood near the extinguished cooking fire and rubbed his empty stomach. The old baker looked at the doors of the grand hall and then turned his gaze toward the remaining capital knights.Emeric stood like a rusted iron statue near the shattered front gate. Godric paced nervously along the stone awnings with his bow clutched tight in his hand. Camilla sat on a wet bench with her eyes closed and her hands resting on her knees. They offered no answers to the starving crowd."Where are they?," Elias demanded. His voice cracked from the bitter cold. "Jamie took the hunter and Sefa into the shadows two hours ago. They should be back by now."Godric stopped pacing and offered a tight diplomatic smile. The archer wanted to project confidence but his own stomach was twisting with anxiety. "The commander is securing a s