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nFjordhelm Kingdom – Hours before Archer arrives

nHarald Eriksson, the reigning monarch of Fjordhelm, convened with his council of generals and advisors, grappling with troubling news.

nA man with piercing dark eyes and cascading, sun-kissed locks among his assembly rose to address the King.

n“Your Majesty,” he began, “the white dragon has successfully subdued every realm within the alliance, with our kingdom being the sole exception. The mysterious man’s plans have fallen short, leaving us to deal with an angry dragon who knows where we are.”

nHarald looked at his top general and gave him a nod before Duke Sweyn Jansson of the northern region spoke.

n”Rumors say he has given the kingdoms to the Avalonians, but that doesn’t surprise me as he’s known as the white prince of the empire and is engaged to their princess.”

nWhen everyone heard the Duke, their eyes widened before the general who spoke before commented.

n”My King. I don’t know what nefarious plans that odd man had, but what I predicted came true, and he abandoned us when things went south.”

nKing Harald sighed as he thought to himself. ‘Why did I listen to the other kings and join this foolish crusade? The boy wasn’t meant to return but it looks like they underestimated him.’

nHe stopped thinking to himself and issued his orders. ”Tell the castles and forts to watch for the boy and alert me when he’s been spotted.”

nAll the generals and nobles bowed before leaving the hall. Once they were gone, he walked over to a window and looked out over the peaceful city.

nHarald found himself in an unenviable position, desperate to prevent the destruction of his beloved kingdom and his rule.

nYet, he felt trapped, with two stark options: engage in a battle for survival that might end in his demise, or reluctantly yield and choose the path of surrender, ensuring his continued existence.

nThe king sighed as his wife appeared and spoke with a concerned look. ”What is bothering you, my love? You can talk to me.”

nHarald turned around and saw his beautiful wife standing there. She had long blonde hair and emerald-green eyes. .

nShe was an older woman, yet he held a deep and abiding love for her. As Herald gazed upon her, a rush of memories and emotions overwhelmed him.

nHe reminisced about the day they had first crossed paths at the College of Magic. At that moment, he decided to surrender to the empire and embrace the uncertainty of the future.

nCommander Gudbrand Ivarsen – Northern Coast – Aesirheim Castle

nGudbrand Ivarsen, the castle commander, stood atop a battlement tower, perusing the freshly arrived royal directives, only to crumple them in frustration.

n“Why does he insist on surrendering? It’s just one dragon, and this castle’s defenses are more than capable of handling it,” he muttered.

nHe shifted his attention to his second-in-command and issued a resolute command, “Gorm. Prepare the cannons and ensure the artillery is primed for action. We will vanquish that dragon and demonstrate our capabilities to the king.”

nGorm nodded before rushing off to pass on the commander’s orders. Hours passed by before a bell started ringing on the southern wall.

nEveryone in the castle prepared for a fight as Gudbrand rushed there and asked a soldier what was happening.

nThe man turned to him with wide eyes before commenting. ”Somethings flying toward us. Our mana traps were activated a mile away.”

nWhen Gudbrand heard this, he shouted. ”Fire everything!”

nWith that command, the mana cannons came to life, crackling with energy. Brilliant bolts arched through the sky, illuminating the darkened sky as they lanced toward the threat.

nMana blasts soared toward the incoming threat and collided with it, causing explosions to erupt everywhere.

nThe ground shook with each detonation, and the air filled with smoke. They couldn’t see anything, so they all waited.

nGudbrand stood at the forefront, his voice ringing out with panic. “Fire at will! Keep firing.”

nIn a final, awe-inspiring display of force, the mana cannons and artillery combined their might in a simultaneous barrage, creating a storm of destruction.

nWhen the explosions died down and the smoke cleared, everyone saw a boy hovering in the air, staring at them with a big smile.

nHis eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the boy zooming towards the walls with sharp claws, a sight that made the soldiers there retreat.

nA few mages attempted to repel him with their spells as he landed on the wall, but they rebounded.

nIn response, Gudbrand issued a resolute command to every soldier in the area, “End him!”

nThe Fjordhelm soldiers swiftly closed in on the enemy, but in a sudden and eerie display, violet lights materialized around the boy and shot forth with deadly accuracy.

nHe could only watch in horror as the lights impaled his soldiers, sending them crumpling to the ground, lifeless.

nGudbrand looked at the boy, who stood still, his irritating smile never leaving his face. The boy’s violet eyes were locked onto him, surrounded by the fallen soldiers.

nThat’s when the remaining soldiers noticed the boy didn’t draw a weapon, but a realization dawned on them when they realized he didn’t need one.

nHis fingers ended in razor-sharp claws, and with startling speed, he lunged at the nearest soldier, who let out an unmanly scream.

nGudbrand winced as he witnessed the boy’s swift, brutal slashes, leaving his victims bloodied and lifeless.

nThe boy’s teeth were as perilous and menacing as his razor-sharp claws, presenting an additional deadly threat.

nIn a horrifying display, he sank them into a soldier’s throat, silencing the man’s cries and draining the life from him.

nGudbrand’s heart raced as he realized that the boy’s danger extended even further than he would have ever expected.

nA strong dragon tail emerged from behind the boy and struck out, slamming into a soldier sent flying.

nIt struck another soldier, sending him crashing to the ground, unmoving. Gudbrand and the surviving soldier’s minds raced, considering how to combat this new threat.

nHe clenched his jaw and motioned to the archers stationed on the battlement tower. “Ready your arrows!” he ordered, hoping to slow the boy’s advance at least.

nThe archers aimed and released a volley of arrows, but to Gudbrand’s dismay, they rebounded off the boy.

nThat’s when a chilling sense of foreboding washed over him, leaving him deeply troubled.

nThe seemingly unstoppable white-haired boy continued his relentless assault, leaving a path of devastation in his wake.

nNothing was stopping him as he went wild in the castle. Gudbrand watched in horror as the boy tore his soldiers apart, and blood sprayed all over the place.

nHe moved with uncanny speed, a force of destruction among the fallen soldiers. His claws and teeth left a trail of death and chaos, and his tail struck out with deadly precision.

nThe boy’s violet eyes remained fixed on Gudbrand as he methodically dismantled the defenses of Aesirheim Castle.

nSoldiers gave up fighting the boy and escaped the castle. That’s when he witnessed the boy casting powerful spells on the walls and pillars.

nWalls started to crumble, and towers collapsed in fiery devastation, painting the scene with ruin and despair.

nHe rushed out of the castle, followed by three dozen survivors who watched the castle that guarded the northern road and coast vanish.

nThey grouped together and decided to flee to the Frostfang Castle. But before they could start their journey, they heard a joyful laugh.

nAll the soldiers turned toward the noise and saw the white-haired boy hovering above them with the same smile as he opened a violet-colored portal.

nIt was a scene straight from the depths of a nightmare as Gudbrand stood with his soldiers, their faces etched with dread and disbelief.

nThe air crackled with an eerie energy, and the ground beneath them quivered as the portals to another realm began to open.

nAs the portals expanded, monstrous shapes emerged, grotesque and formidable. These were nightmarish beings that seemed to defy the laws of nature.

nTheir dark, chitinous carapaces glistened with a sickly sheen, and their many limbs bristled with sharp, serrated appendages.

nA multitude of eyes glowed malevolently, exuding an aura of relentless hunger. The beasts walked through the portals, casting a pall of fear over the soldiers.

nThe air seemed to chill in their monstrous presence, and a sense of impending doom settled upon the assembled troops. .𝒎

nGudbrand watched in horror as the beasts encircled them, their cruel maws agape and ready for bloodshed.

nIt was a nightmarish picture, a horrifying sight that would haunt his dreams for years to come and, in the future, would be used to scare the Fjordhelm children to behave themselves.

nAt that moment, the soldiers knew they faced an unimaginable and relentless foe that defied all reason and logic.

nThat’s when they all heard the boy above speak cheerfully. ”Kill all but ten my soldiers.”

nIn a gruesome and harrowing scene, the beasts descended upon the beleaguered soldiers, their chitinous forms moving with a terrifying grace.

nGudbrand and the soldiers fought valiantly, but the odds were overwhelmingly against them. One by one, the beasts closed in on their prey.

nA

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