Aeron moved quietly, he was careful with his footsteps so as not to draw attention. He followed the strange group of men who were dressed in dark robes like assassins. There were many of them, far too many to count, and they made no noise while moving. Something felt wrong, he couldn't tell what it was, and just kept on following them.
Soon, they reached a path that led out of the village and connected many roads. Aeron hid behind a bush as he watched the assassins crouching low and hiding themselves as if they were waiting for someone. Their faces were half-covered with black cloth and only their eyes were visible. Ambush, Aeron realized. They were preparing for an ambush.
Then he saw them.
A group of riders approached from far ahead. Aeron's jaw dropped. These weren't ordinary soldiers. Their armor shone, polished and crafted with symbols he had never seen. Even their swords looked unique and expensive, they gleamed like silver.
But what truly stunned him… were the women… Female soldiers.
There were several of them, riding with their weapons strapped to their backs. Among them was one woman who stood out, riding at the center. She looked very young and wore white armor with gold trimmings. Her hair was long and braided.
She was indeed breathtaking.
"Is she a noblewoman? A warlord's daughter? A general?" Aeron said to himself, in awe.
But before he could finish the thought, everything happened at once.
The black-robed assassins suddenly pulled up their hoods tighter and raised their bows. Arrows quickly flew through the air. Screams rang out as the first of the riders fell. Horses neighed and stumbled, and chaos broke out.
The assassins charged next, drew their swords with their masked faces, so, so the group.
Aeron's heart pounded. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. It was like a scene from one of the war stories the villagers used to tell, only that this one was more real and bloody.
Despite being caught off guard, the elite soldiers fought back fiercely. Their swords moved very fast in the air. They were skilled, no doubt about it. But they were outnumbered heavily.
The men in black robes swarmed around them, slashing the riders with brute numbers. Then Aeron noticed the woman, the leader, being pulled away by two of her soldiers. They cleared a path for her through the fight.
"She's escaping," Aeron muttered. "Wow… lucky you."
But just as he thought she was gone, she came back.
"What? Are you mad?" he gasped.
She rode back into the battlefield with anger. From her saddle, she drew her bow and loosed three arrows in one go, three assassins fell instantly. She wasn't just brave. She was deadly.
Then he saw him.
A warrior stepped into the middle of the fight. He was tall wore heavier armor, and had unique carvings. In his hands, he carried a long spear, and with a single swing, he knocked down five men at once.
Aeron's mouth fell open. "Who… who is that?"
This man was like a moving mountain. His strikes were heavy and terrifying. But the assassins noticed him too. They surrounded him, pressing from all sides. He fought hard, but even he couldn't hold out against so many. An arrow struck him in the side. He staggered as blood bloomed on his armor.
Still, he didn't fall.
And then, the lady who had returned ran toward him. She had a sword in hand now and fought like a general. Her movements were precise. She stood beside the injured man, protecting him, and together, they fought back-to-back.
The way that the man with the spear moved reminded Aeron of Varek. How he saved them the previous day with a single sword and pulled 5 men down. It all clicked. Varek must've come from a place like this, or from them directly. He figured Varek could not have been raised in their village.
Aeron crouched low behind a tree, his heart was beating very fast, and he had a full view of the battlefield from where he was hiding. The group of warriors, those brave strangers he had watched from afar were locked in fierce combat against the assassins. Clang… Clang… Steel clashed with steel, and everywhere was stained with blood.
They were winning… at least, that's what he thought, until the second wave came.
A new group of assassins surged into the arena. Reinforcements. Dozens of them. Aeron's stomach turned. The warriors were fast and skilled, but they were exhausted, and their movements had slowed.
They couldn't hold out for long.
Aeron clenched his fists. He wasn't a warrior. He wasn't trained for battle. But something stirred in him "You can't just watch them die." He thought to himself.
Suddenly, his eyes darted to a fallen archer almost at the fighting arena. He saw a bow and arrow and, without thinking, he sprinted for it.
He snatched the bow and drew an arrow with his fingers trembling.
Thwack.
One assassin fell. Another arrow. Another hit. A third. Then a fourth. They didn't even know where it was coming from at first. But then, one of them spotted him.
He shouldn't have stayed in one place.
"A kid?" the assassin growled and went for him. Aeron held on to the bow and ran.
Aeron dashed through the chaos with his legs moving in panic. He heard fast footsteps behind him. The assassin was chasing him. He tried to zigzag through the fight, hoping to lose him in the confusion. But amidst the distraction, he tripped over a stone and fell. The assassin was right behind him now, with his sword raised high.
Aeron froze.
Then, clang!
A blade intercepted the strike, and Aeron looked up. There she was.
The girl… The one who had first taken his breath away.
Then she said annoyed, "Are you going to lie there all day or help yourself?"
That snapped him out of it.
He scrambled up, just as more assassins closed in. She was already swinging her sword again. Aeron stayed close to her. He didn't know why, but being near her made him feel safer and gave him more courage. There, he continued shooting his arrows.
But it didn't last.
They were surrounded again. Assassins on every side. One leapt at Aeron with a sword aimed at his chest. The girl deflected it, but in doing so, left her own side exposed.
Another assassin saw the opening and slashed. She screamed.
Her right arm was cut and her sword fell to the ground. Aeron caught her as she stumbled. Blood poured down her sleeve.
Before he could think, another assassin charged at him. Aeron's breath caught. He couldn't move. His legs refused to respond.
The sword rose, and time slowed. This is it, he thought. This is how I die.
But then, a sound… A deep, terrifying sound. Everyone halted, even the assassins. They looked up and saw a shadow that blocked the sun.
Something was descending from the sky, something huge. It had Wings… Massive, scaly wings. Its eyes glowed.
As it kept getting closer and closer, they trembled, and as it reached them, flames burst from its mouth and fire erupted everywhere.
The air was filled with screams. No one could make sense of what they were seeing, assassins flying in every direction.
Then the beast flew higher, turned in the air, and unleashed another torrent of fire. Chaos filled everywhere, and both assassins and the soldiers scattered in panic.
Aeron was surprised at first, then smiled. "Draco," he whispered. His dragon had found him.
Taking the chance, he grabbed the wounded girl by her uninjured arm. "Come on!" he shouted and they ran.