In past few months, Zorya was working on her book, writing down every myth she could remember from her childhood, writing about her life in Gora Nevskaya, about pagan customs, about her parents, about their bond with nature, about the fierce pagan warriors. She wished to represent pagans in a new world, showing people that they weren't just uncivilized people. Zorya wanted everyone to see them as warriors, who were molded by the wars and winter.

Zorya wanted to show people, that no matter what, pagans were forced to become tenacious and dangerous people, so they could protect themselves and their loved ones.

Zorya enjoyed writing, it helped her feel calm when she needed to take a break from her own mind, it made her feel like she was back home, being a child again, surrounded by her family. She loved that feeling, be she would never trade the family she has now.

The summer was coming, and Zorya was planning to finally take a trip to Gora Nevskaya with Darius and her children.

But the summer brought something or someone in Walnia, that will change the fate of everyone who lived there.

In early morning, while Darius was hunting with his brothers, Zorya was helping woman train, she was interrupted by the herald, who came as faster as he could, to inform the Queen about the recent events in their Kingdoms.

"The bandits my Queen! They were spotted near some of the villages! They attacked some of our woman and raped them! We need help!"

"The bandits? That is unusual, are you sure?" Zorya asked already taking the weapon in her hands.

"Yes, please my Queen, I am begging you, we need help!" The poor man said.

"Please, remain peaceful my friend, I shall help the villagers. Everything shall be alright." Zorya assured him.

"Thank you my Queen, may God bless you and your family." The man answered before the maids took him in the castle to have some rest.

"Go, you heard the man, find the King and inform him about what happened, me and my army shall leave to the village immediately." Zorya ordered to one of the soldiers.

"Mum, what is going on?" Cyrus asked.

"Everything will be alright honey, take Snezika with you and remain here, I need to take care of something." Zorya said.

"Will you be alright?" Mira asked.

"Of course, I will come back before you even notice I am gone." Zorya winked.

Not wanting to risk, Zorya decided to take enough soldiers with her.

"I want to come with you. I am ready." Mary said.

"Jonah would never forgive me if I brought you in danger Mary, please remain here." Zorya said gently to her godmother.

"Please, Zorya, don't make our training for nothing. Take us with you, let's fight together." Gwen said.

"Alright, but only those who I consider ready for the battle." Zorya said.

A few woman, who Zorya considered strong and trained enough, were given horses and weapons, before Zorya decided to take them to the battle.

"I want to come as well!" Yolanda argued.

"Yolanda, you are young and you are not prepared to take someone's life away. You only fool yourself that you are ready, but you are not. Stay here, that is an order. I don't want to lose you." Zorya said as gently as possible.

Yolanda, was an orphan, and Zorya felt responsible for her.

"Please, you are like a mother to me, I am begging you to allow me to fight by your side." Yolanda begged.

But Zorya still refused to allow her to participate the battle no matter what, she hugged Yolanda and the twins. promising them that she shall return soon. Zorya got on her black horse, and her soldiers followed, together they left in the battle.

The army leaded by The She-Wolf of Walnia, arrived to the village tormented by the bandits, ready to defend those who are weak, they pulled out their weapon. The screaming of the poor woman, being raped and murdered echoed in their ears, the village was already in fire, as the bandits were running around freely.

"May the God have mercy on their soul, because I shall not." Zorya said, feeling anger boiling inside of her.

Then, they attacked.

As soon as Zorya saw the bandits, and observed them, she knew that something was wrong, those people were not bandits, and they were not from Walnia. They were tall, strong, dressed differently, and their eyes, there was something different about them, never before Zorya saw such a people, and she knew that they were foreign.

Zorya suddenly remembered the demons, the gypsy told her about.

"Stay close to me! We can defeat them!" Zorya assured her soldiers as the fight between two of the armies began.

Zorya had more soldiers, but those foreign people fought like lions, and they had no mercy. Being in a position of a woman, Zorya knew that her female soldiers would rather die than be caught by them.

The members of foreign army screamed something on their own language as they began fighting back.

"Don't let them near the villagers!" Zorya ordered cutting the head off from one of them. Afraid that these people, could become the worst menace of Walnia, she fought as hard as the Queen should, staying close to the woman that she brought to participate the bloodshed.

Zorya was proud of her female warriors.

Becoming the untouchable goddess of war, she was already covered in the blood of her enemies, screaming in the name of freedom and every weak person who suffered under the touch of the foreign army.

"Stay away from my people!" Zorya yelled slitting a throat of her enemy, immediately jumping to the other one.

"Yolanda! What are you doing here?!" Mary yelled as she killed one of the so called "bandits" proudly, using the sword of her dead husband.

"I told you to stay away!" Zorya yelled in anger running to protect Yolanda.

"I wanted to fight! You cannot stop me!" Yolanda yelled as she emerged into the raging battle.

For a moment, Zorya had to admit that she taught her well, but she still remained close to the young red-haired girl, she wished to protect. With warriors like this, Walnia could never fall, these woman were strong, and the man as well, they all fought like wolves to destroy their enemies, staying together, protecting each other like the a pack, just like Zorya told them to do.

The bloodthirsty woman soon ended the battle, and the foreign army started running towards the forest.

"Chase them down!" Zorya ordered, and the army started running towards the forest, but King Darius the Dark already awaited for the intruders with his brothers, and started cutting them down, even though his vision was damaged more, he was still as skillful, he was the same, cruel warrior that Zorya meet on the battlefield years ago.

In the blink of an eye, their souls were taken away by the swords of the dark Walnian King and his brothers.

"Zorya!" Darius called the name of his wife, and Zorya warped her arms around his neck, trying to calm her heartbeat down.

"I am fine my love." Zorya answered.

"Who are these people Darius?" Jonah asked hugging his wife.

"I haven't seen faces like this before, and I travel a lot. Who are they?" Avram asked holding his wife close to him as well.

"I am quite unsure brother, but I hope they will not come back, in case they do, we shall be prepared." Darius answered.

"Enough talking, we should take care of our wounded soldiers, come on." Zorya said, not even wanting to imagine being forced to fight battles again, instead of being happy with her beloved family. The soldiers who were still standing managed to put the fire down with the villagers.

Yolanda, was wounded, her face was covered with a big, bloody scar, and she seemed frightened. Zorya hugged tightly.

"Shh, it is fine my dear, you were brave."

"My face is destroyed! Nobody will ever love me like this." Yolanda answered shaking, covered with blood and tears.

"From this day on you will be known as Scared Warrior of Walnia, and I promise that everyone will love and respect you." Zorya answered stroking her long, red hair.

The villagers who were trying to overcome the shock they felt from everything that happened, took care of wounded ones, giving them food and water to reward them for the magnificent battle.

"Darius, did you know that I had a brother before, who died from illness as a child?" Zorya asked approaching her husband.

"No, my love, I didn't, but why do you mention that now?" Darius asked.

"The gypsy knew, she knew everything, even that I was pregnant with twins, she knew that Snezika gave birth to four puppies and that only two survived, she simply knew everything." Zorya said, feeling the panic raising in her voice, and her hands trembling.

"Zorya, what are you talking about?" Darius asked taking her hand in his.

"She said that the demons will attack Walnia, and that their leader will be the one who is made of iron and yet, they call him a blacksmith." Zorya said.

Darius was a religious man, he never believed the nonsense gypsies said, but this prophecy sounded, sounded like the answer on the question, he was asking himself since he saw these people...

"I think I know who are we fighting with." Darius said.

Hey guys! A bit of a cliffhanger, because it is always nice to have them in stories! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please support me by voting and commenting, I would highly appreciate that, and I am really grateful for every support I could get!

Stay safe!