As we approached Kedrone, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. They knew. They could see it. They had anticipated our foolish choice and perhaps taken action beforehand.

Many days had been spent on the sojourn from Kedrone. Now we would have to return and make it in lesser time. If the gods are kind, Blue Clover Keep would still stand.

While our strive was held up, all that lingered my mind was Keiya. Would she be home? Was she safe? Was this hunch burning within my belly nothing but a meaningless panic?

We took very little rest and camped few hours each day. That effort birthed us quick arrival to the lands of the North. House after House we passed till Kedrone was presented.

The state of the Kingdom told differently from my tormenting hunch. Kedrone still stood. Her walls suffered no dent. Yet I refused to be at peace...not till Keiya was before me.

We gained entry into the city. I took quick assessment on the points. The defenses were fair, but not entirely impenetrable. It still suffered few flaws. Yet, there was no time to correct those errors.

As we approached the Castle, my worries returned harder. The presence of few men standing watch on the top wall told absurdity. Few guards were barely the number on patrol on the wall of the castle.

Leaving men in few numbers on our greatest defense was not just insane, it was protesting in nature. Any commanding officer on post would be well acquainted to this fact.

My thoughts flew aimlessly as a wind with no direction. But the strange men barely gave my instincts the pleasure of full deduction when they flashed out arrows at us.

"Take cover!" I managed to let out.

My comrades responded sharply to my order, taking cover as hoped. A few men fell to the enemy's arrows, but our archer majors fought back with precision.

"Charge!" I roared to the other men.

My infiltration team moved swiftly, waiting for the archers to provide cover. As soon as the crossbow bolts were fired, they took off, using the projectiles as holds for their climb. The vigorous projectiles punctured through the wall nailing itself firmly, and offering the chance for the climb. Every nailed bolt was a step climbed by the team. Soon, they were upon the wall.

Wedged to a corner, I and the rest of my comrades waited. The enemy was few in number, barely a hundred. But our anxiety came to an end when the gate rumbled and opened.

The last man of the infiltration team invited us with his last breath, blood spurting from his mouth. Multiple arrows shone upon his body. The others were dead. He would join them soon.

Flustered by the loss, I led the men through the presented entrance with shields high. I froze with awe as we drew in. A massacre had set into the palace.

But how had they infiltrated the city and reached the estate without alerting a single city garrison? They must have sneaked in, perhaps underestimating our forces, and rightfully so.

Without restraint, we clashed with the invasive forces. Their numbers were not significantly larger than ours, which explained how they had managed to sneak into the city undetected.

However, the devastation they had wrought spoke volumes about their proficiency and brutality. They were elites. This was indeed Dakor's special squad.

I fought my way through the inner court, uncertain where Keiya might be. I would search every chamber, no matter the cost. Coming out of one chamber empty-handed, I quickly entered another. But what I found was nothing short of horrific.

Several lifeless bodies lay scattered, and my anxiety spiked. My fingers twitched around the hilt of my blade as I navigated the corpses. My thoughts grew more intense, more brutal, and bitter. Fear stabbed at me like a torrent, and I couldn't shake the questions: Who had committed such atrocities? Where was Keiya, and what had become of her?

A/N: Hello friends. Thanks you for stopping by to consider this book.

This chapter seemed pretty short. What do you think would be the fate of Dorack and Keiya now? Prepare for what comes next!

And please comment on your thoughts and suggestion on the plot. Also vote!