Third Person's POV
Two years later
War was upon the continent yet again and it started right where it finished. Remnants of Lino's old King and second Prince gathered outside of the Kingdom and heading to Yalki.
King Lanin blamed himself for not clearing them out sooner and no one discouraged this thought. It was indeed his own fault.
Feri Kingdom once again stayed out of the mess, and no one touched the merchants coming out or going in. Their Kingdom was responsible for seafood, a delicacy that everyone enjoyed before the long months of winter. Ojun Kingdom was also off limits. Their mines were the reason for iron, gold, silver and coal.
Heln had vast minerals, glittering even the roads in the Kingdom. The King of Yalki wasn't doing this only for the wealth the Kingdom held; he was always a perverted man. The women in the Mineral Kingdom were the most beautiful on the Continent. He wanted a taste.
The remnants wanted revenge since Lanin killed their masters. Although their wants and needs were different, they were strong and united. Lino wasn't nicknamed Bandit Kingdom for laughs, in the earlier years of their Kingdom's history, they were nothing short of bandits. They were extremely strong and brutish, just wielding axes, hammers and machetes as their weapons.
The first battle started in the month the flowers bloomed. Due to a mole alerting someone in Heln, close to the Third Prince, they managed to evacuate the villages and towns from the east and northern-east side.
Barely a month after everyone was evacuated, those villages and towns were attacked. Soldiers disguised themselves as villagers, so the ambush was swift and easy. No one got away alive. That was the first battle won beautifully.
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"Your Highness!" A general rushed into the study only to be met with a cold gaze, which made him quiet down instantly. In his arms laid a sleeping child, just over a year old and next to him, with her head in his lap was his wife. "What is it?" The prince asked.
"We just got a report about the Yalki Kingdom." The General spoke softer this time. The prince nodded. After the first battle was won, another battle took place three months later. This time was different. The horses didn't stop, didn't show fear, they ran forward like they were possessed.
Everyone suspected that these horses were a new breed they somehow managed to create using improper means, so the prince commissioned the Pendant Tower to find out what was happening.
"Those new horses weren't a new breed or given medicine. They're crazed. They're feeding the horses small animals. They have even upped the number of small animals for a crazed horse so that their weird state would last longer which makes them even less afraid of anything.
The prince scoffed. "Only those wild dogs would try something like this. If they are trying to make this state last longer, it means that they're trying to end this quickly before any other Kingdom can intervene on our behalf once again." The General nodded.
The prince looked at the papers on the table. "That actually works in our favor." He pointed to a stack of papers on the right corner of the table. "Take those papers and give them to my sister. She'll know what to do once she's read them." The General bowed.
"I shall take my leave now." The General said after picking up the stack. The prince waved him off. "Is that man so foolish that he's risking his people's starving just to get between a woman's legs?" Ruby asked, she woke up when the prince spoke.
"Those remnants plus his soldiers altogether still number a hundred thousand. We've cleverly won a few battles, but the war isn't over yet." Ruby slowly sat up and looked at the prince.
"Melire, I think something is going to happen soon." Ruby said, concern threaded through her tone. "Something like what?" He asked as he turned to her. "The Pendant Tower here doesn't sell information. Why would it suddenly do that?" She asked, bringing this point to his attention.
"I was told that in special circumstances, the Pendant Tower would change in some Kingdoms." He told her but she shook her head. "Something's wrong." She stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at the garden.
She closed her eyes and listened to the noise outside. Melire remained silent, watching her. Ruby opened her eyes; her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She jumped out of the window and climbed onto the roof. She moved from roof to roof until she reached the highest point and looked out at the city.
A soft, yet high pitched sound came from her right. She knew that sound. A figure in all black stood on a rooftop of a mansion and looked in Ruby's direction. She recognized that mansion. It was one of Poloria's. The sound sounded twice more and the person disappeared.
Ruby returned to the study. "I need to leave." She said instantly. "What happened?" Melire asked as he stood from the couch. Ruby walked over to them, kissed the child on her head and kissed him on the lips.
"A calling signal specific to us." She explained simply as she stepped back. "Don't ask anymore because I can't say, just know that I'll be back." Melire looked her in the eyes for a few seconds before nodded.
He grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her towards him and kissed her again. "Come back in one piece." She nodded and left without changing her clothes.
Melire stood there for a minute before leaving the study. Outside stood Ruby's personal maid, one of her people that followed her here. Melire placed the child in her hands. "Keep the Princess safe." The maid nodded and Melire made his way to the main study.
"Brother, I was just about to call for you." The Crown Princess, Melire's sister said as he stepped in. He bowed to his sister and father. "Our plans will have to change a bit." He said as he walked towards the table. "You just sent these over, has the situation worsened in such a short time?" The Crown Princess asked, her voice held a bit of panic.
"The Pendant Tower has shut down." He said, pointing on the map where the Pendant Tower was. "We should be getting the news soon but the Pendant Tower in the other Kingdoms will be as well." He said with certainty. "Ruby confirmed this?" The Crown Princess asked her brother.
"She just left, said it was a calling signal specific to only them." The room fell silent.