They knew. They could see it. They had anticipated our foolish choice and perhaps taken action before hand.

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. 

Perhaps we should have rested in our fortresses. Karmadin had beckoned and the Houses of Kedrone had raised their banners with him, and he had led them out. His suicidal conviction being stirred by his ambitiousness. This could have been our boldest step or our glorious mistake.

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? The Heavens knew I hoped it so.

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 he 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 was fair, but entirely impenetrable. It still suffered few flaws. Yet, their was no time to current those errors.

We pressed on through the city for the Keep. As we approached the Castle my worries returned harder.

The presence of few men standing watch on the top wall appeared told absurdity. Few guards were barely the number on patrol on the wall of the castle. We were at times of war, the palace walls was our greatest salvation and thus expected to be our most guarded site.     
 
Leaving men in few numbers on our greatest defence 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 were sharp as a razor, their response to my order came as hoped. Few men notwithstanding fell from brusque invitation. Whilst taken to cover, my archer majors fought back the imposters.

  "Charge!" I roared to the other men.

My infiltration team moved. The five man squad waited for the archers. As soon the crossbow bolted and shot, they took off. The vigorous missile punctured through the wall, nailing itself firmly. The squad used the piece as a hold for their climb. Every nailed projectile by the archer, was a step climbed by the team. Soon, they were upon the wall.

Wedged to a corner, I and the rest comrades waited. They were few men...barely a hundred. But our anxiety came finally to an end when the gate rumbled, and then opened.

The last man of the infiltration team invited us with his last breath yet to be taken. Blood spurted from his mouth. Multiple arrow 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 shield high. I froze with awe as we drew in. A massacre had set into the palace.

But how had they come into the city and made for this estate without a single city garrison knowing? They had sneaked in perhaps.

Apparently, not only us found fear with this confrontation. Imaginably, they might have thought more of our forces were coming.
 
Without restraint we engaged the invasive force. Their number was no greatly larger than ours, and it made me understand how easy it had been for them to sneak through into the city. But the calamity these ones had yet wrought, spoke well of their proficiency and brutality.
 
I cut through few men before seizing my way through the inner court. I couldn't tell for certain where Keiya would be. I would go through all chambers in anyways.

Coming out from a chamber disappointedly, I jumped quickly into another. But my weirdest amusement struck. Several lifeless bodies laid scattered.

Wrapped upon the pommel of my blade, my fingers twitched in anxiety as I walked through the corpses. My thoughts were more intense -- more brutal and bitter in their sting. Torrents upon torrents came the stab of fear. Who had rendered such monstrosity? Where even was my Keiya and what even was her fate?

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!