Its hooves dug into the mud with an easy pounce. I sighed in exhaustion as the stallion led us deeper.

Days had rolled faster than we could consider normal. But I guess it had been our anticipation that made it feel so.

Karmadin had been more than confident that we had struck a weakening blow against our contending kingdom. In their vulnerability another blow at them would be wisdom. We would have to take the blow to them.

The Houses of the North rallied with him and our formidable army was raised. Two hundred thousand strong. Karmadin himself would lead this crusade.

But the road for Amlyxone was a desperate one. Many fortresses along its border fell. Those that yielded and granted us passage, and those that choose the swords way.

On my end I battled with conviction. Purpose as a tide was sure to consume us. But I knew better -- this war was mine.

At Jerkonyl, North of Amlyxone, we made the final camp. By the orders of Prince Karmadin we raided the lands and took it. But the Prince had given orders that none be taken prisoner, and only the one's that resisted should fall.

And so exactly we did!

News surely met King Hadero, and he responded as supposed -- and rather too quickly at that -- mobilizing his host to stop us from driving deeper.

He dispatched his host and they had come out to face us at the Valley Goor. This was where our patience was tested with their formidability. Their army was no inferior to ours. We had battled this men once -- I myself was versed of their prowess. So before hand, I could tell this fighting would be no cheese and milk.

Gboom!

The giant catapults let their turbulent ball masses -- high in the sky, blazing harshly, it crashed down with a resounding boom.

Waves of the calamitous blow were exchanged  by either party. The devastating sweep spoke well of the cruelty of the war engines and the industriousness of its makers. Yet its curse was upon either of us and ours to pick.

Karmadin himself believed this moments to come someday. In his craftiness and ambitiousness, his build of an army and war engines persisted even beneath the overseeing of Amlyxone and its King. Now this was the reward for his proactive mind.

King Hadero was a fool to think his sly brother would remain loyal forever. Credit to Karmadins guile -- the war had taken a savage turn to our favor.

Victory may yet lie at arms reach -- a ladder set for the climbing, and all that was needful was to climb. Howbeit the ascension needed men crass in style and resolute as myself.

The stretch of blood dented blade across my face almost catching my orbs, yanked back my consciousness with a shiver, to the tumultuous ground wherein I stood.

A tactical stick of my dagger to the assailants throat sent the perfect response. Yet with one man dead I found myself surrounded by ten's of the same kind of men -- desperate.

It was the beauty of such kind of war -- when nested amidst foes death was always lurking.
  
Drawing my blade back from the groins of the death slipping man, I braced to evade the feeble attempt of another infantry enemy. Yanking off his lance from his grip, I thrust my sword in descent.  
  
With the quick maneuverability of my beast, I made view of more charging foes. The single hurtle of the lance in my hand, claimed no less than two men. From my right, my sword held up steady thrust.

Blood splattering upon face and body like it were a shower...the sight of gore rather enticed me. Driven already deep into enemies line, I descended from my beast and chased after my glory.  
 
Blades danced upon my grip with prowess that matched up my audacity. I willed myself even deeper, for my arrogance and ambition snared me.

Howbeit, in the moment of my show of dexterity, the noise of chants and guttural cries were made stronger. With a sudden peep at the unknown turbulence, I realized more of our men were breaking through and gaining hand.
 
Victory was surely ours, and more men were purposed as myself to make the climb.

"Captain, they are pulling back," Pedrel called to me, while I mounted back my beast.

"We would show them no mercy. No mercy! Pursue!" I turned to him with darkened gaze, while I rested upon the back of my beast to behold the calamity I had joined mighty hands to wrought.

The land held it all. Blood. Scattered flesh. Bones torn from doomed victims. Heads rolled off from upon shoulders, amidst the thick smoke of the rumbling artilleries. All of it in harmony with the filthy earth.

I watched as our forces swallowed the foes -- our banner raised high to the heavens. But my worry came strong with the approaching victory. Goor might have been a win, but it was certainly not for me, for my arch enemy laid absent the lands.
 
My efforts had been for nothing. All that killing. All that strive. All of it...and for disappointment.

I was settled in exhaustion. My body ached from the hours of fighting. My pale hands were rusted red and the stench of death clung to me like a cloak.

This was me - Dorack, in my true self -- a brute, a mindless killer.All the death, and for what? A single woman! Still, all deaths dealt on that field, I still dared consider nothing but a means to an end.

Thoughts of Dakor and what I might have done to him had we face off still plagued my soul. Muddled yet by the insane rage and disappointment, a thought struck me bitterly.
It was first the sheer feeling of doubt. A strange feeling that this war of ours came to us rather too easy -- much easier than we had anticipated! 

A slight debate ensued within my mind as I watched the fields been plundered of our men. With the supposition flying unresolved in my head, the true consciousness dawned on me that something verily was wrong.

It was a meaningless hunch, still a torturing one. Jerkonyl was a small town to die for, but too many soldiers had been guided down that path. If sacrificing hundreds of men at this Valley be nothing but a snare luring us to our defeat, what then were our enemies true plan?

But this certainly wasn't all to Amylyxone's forces.

All the thoughts roaming my mind stung bitterly. Agitated by the conception of these fact I felt it yet to be the only rational reasons why we had broken the mighty Amylxone forces -- and so easily at that.

"This is not all the troop!" I proclaimed worriedly, as I rode to where Karmadin was with his sons and few officers.

"This is not all the troops." Their glances held refute for my assumption.

"Of course it isn't," Commander Girod smiled. "Perhaps today is just to test our strength. More men would come for their deaths soon. Be patient young blood." He teased.

The assumption of victory was clearly intoxicating all of them and blocking their minds to pure reasoning.

"King Hadero is no fool to play war like it were a game. Too many men died on this ground. I fought this men before so I know that all the knowledge they have on warfare is win. Two lose is a bitter record the proud King will be willing to keep. Except..." I paused as multiple assumptions -- all terrifying struck me.

"What are you saying? We crushed bitterly their forces by our might." An officer retorted.

I paid less concern to his tone, and went on to explain my feelings.

"We defeated the enemies too easily. For a kingdom known to be fierce, their army and efforts were feeble."

"What are you saying?" Prince Karmdin demanded now. The truth had struck him too, but he was consciously refusing its acceptance

"Dorack is right!" Jeron broke in. "Something is wrong father." His eyes were filled with terror. "This battle was too easy."

"Call back the men to line." Karmadin turned agitatedly to his commander.

Commander Girod and the other officer didn't hesitate. While they made efforts, we contemplated what may be the snare the enemies had set.

"Another wave of army might have laid hidden somewhere. Perhaps waiting for us to be exhausted both in strength and ammunition." Prince Brone spoke.

There was no rationality to this very supposition. Sacrificing few forces would be to better their advantage against us. Well we still stood a horde, strong and agile. It meant their plan failed -- and badly even. That couldn't be it!

That wasn't it. As the plundering men fell back to formation, my mind danced unrestrainedly.
Dakor. The thought of that vile man slammed my existence.

He wasn't in this war too. This was his war! The man I had combated last at The Unending Night would do anything for the trophy. What if he really was doing something?

"If the enemies are not on this ground, its because perhaps they are tending for another," Karmadin's eyes suddenly flashed with the strangest horror I had seen that day. "Blue Clover Keep." He breathed heavily.

His decree brought treacherous verity. But it fixed the puzzle. How else could we have defeated the enemies so easily had they not used this battle as a mere decoy? And where else would Dakor rather be except striving to claim his prize.

No!

"Keiya," I bristled. Dread enveloped me as a cloak.

I didn't wait a moment. I charged on my beast striking it's flanks hardly. Whether  here or there, I didn't care anymore where the enemies would come from. My place was always to be beside my wife...now she needed me most.

A/N: Hello friends, thanks for stopping by to check out this book. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

What do you think really is Amylxone' plot? What do you think is at stake for Keiya?

Leave your comments and vote.