Bitter Wars- Ashes Read online

  Published by KDP

  Copyright ©K M Burns 2020

  No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblances to actual characters, places or events it is entirely coincidental.

  The journey starts with

  The Fallen Flame

  Her quest for truth scattered like

  ASHES

  A hero will

  RISE

  BITTER WARS

  ASHES

  Chapter 1

  South Realm

  ‘What’s the point of even being here?’ A soldier groaned as he threw a used wooden bowl over his shoulder. ‘We’ve been here months and not a single thing has happened.’

  ‘King’s orders, the Tainted are still be in there and if they get out, we’re the first line of defence.’ They looked up at the looming fortress above, red smoke bellowed out from the walls has it has done since the battle, but still there was no movement from within. Since Kinlan took over as king there had always been soldiers stationed at South Realm, the soldiers were always taught that they were the first line of defence but those who knew that battle knew that they were just giving Alexander more time before the inevitable. There was barely a whole army here as most of the Alexandrian army were called to fight Reckson which was proving fruitless as they did not have the fortress of South Realm to rely on. Kinlan was a general, not a naval commander, many have been lost to the storms or Reckson’s much superior fleets. ‘Besides, some men have been stationed for years so quit your whining.’ The younger soldier rolled his eyes and looked up at the fortress once more.

  ‘Dormant for seven- nearly eight years now and nothing? They used to be everywhere now they’re just-.’

  ‘Quiet.’

  There was always the occasional bang and clank from the fortress, many thought that they were building, crafting, for such barbaric creatures the army could feel that they were plotting something. But this was something else, a roar louder than any creature any of the soldiers had ever heard rumbled the very earth then, silence. The soldiers gulped as they stood to position, nervously clutching their weapons expecting some enormous creature to burst forth and slaughter them all yet the silence continued.

  ‘W-what the fuck was that?’ a soldier trembled.

  ‘Whatever it was, it sounded big…Really big…You there, send an urgent message to his majesty, tell him of this creature we just heard, we will need reinforcements.’ Another soldier said to a young squire that was barely even a man.

  ‘Y-yes sir!’ he scrambled to a nearby horse and made his hasty escape to the capital.

  ‘Divine protect us all.’

  Kinlan sat in his lavish study, he clutched at his hair in frustration as hundreds of letters were scattered across his desk.

  ‘Y-your majesty?’ an elderly man knocked at the door, more documents trembling in his hands.

  ‘What now?’

  ‘L-Lord Adan is here to see you; he wants to speak with you urgently.’

  ‘I don’t have time for him, send him away I have more important things to look over.’

  ‘Then you will make time!’ a young elf stormed into the room and slammed his hands onto the desk. He was youthful in appearance like all elves are, so it was impossible to determine his real age, his hair was long and golden, and his eyes shone a fierce blue, but this was because of his anger.

  ‘How dare you? Remember who you’re speaking to!’ Kinlan snarled as he stood up from his desk and laid his hands down just like Adan before him.

  ‘You are no King of mine Kinlan, you’re just a noble that has taken a title that is not rightfully yours.’

  ‘The Hardgraves are dead, I tried my hardest to protect and save Adonia, but she ran away to be with her husband, I tried Adan.’ Adan gave a sigh but remained frustrated.

  ‘I didn’t come here to discuss your human politics.’ The elf said as he pushed himself from the desk. ‘I came here for my people; I tire of hearing their pleas for help.’

  ‘Then be a leader and help them-.’

  ‘It has been since your rule!’ he snapped. ‘My brothers and sisters cannot hunt, you’ve taken away all of the game, come winter they will die!’

  ‘I cannot control nature, you’re not the only one who’s aware that since the Tainted attack animals have migrated north, we need food for the armies.’

  ‘It isn’t just hunting either, people in the cities have their food taken from them all for the cause what is your excuse for that?’

  ‘Again, my armies need food to support them in these dire times.’

  ‘And schools need to be demolished? That’s for the army too?’ Adan snarled as he leant back on the desk.

  ‘We simply don’t have the funding for elvish schools, we need every piece of gold.’

  ‘To fund an army facing an enemy we don’t have! My men don’t want to fight against Reckson, they want to defend their homes from the Tainted.’

  ‘Did you not see what Reckson did to the Hardgraves? Slaughtered them like animals! How could I not take action?’ Adan angrily looked down and saw the letters strewn across his desk, nearly all were financial, he was making more gold than any monarch ever had.

  ‘I tire of my people being forced into segregation once more, Talin fought tirelessly for our rights and-.’

  ‘Talin is no longer here, neither is Greymire, Alexander cannot afford unnecessary luxuries.’ Adan quickly eyed around the room, he had been here before with pervious kings and never was it this luxurious.

  ‘Luxuries Kinlan? You call having basic rights a luxury? My children lay starving in the streets, people can’t afford to hire them so they cannot afford food, clothes or homes they’re no better than the days of slavery!’

  ‘And my people are not the same?! Look around humans suffer the same fate, we must stand united to defeat this enemy, I don’t need you of all people to stand against me now.’

  ‘Give my people their rights back Kinlan, let them eat let them study!’

  ‘…I can’t do that Adan; the army needs our funds.’ Adan snarled at this and stood back slightly. ‘Kinlan, consider this a warning. If my people continue to suffer in this way there will be consciences.’

  ‘You dare threaten the King? Watch your words Adan, elven leader or not I could have you hanged for treason for such behaviour.’ He knew he was being watched; he could feel the anxious eyes of the guards against his back.

  ‘What do you expect us to do? We’re all stranded here; we cannot venture south we can’t escape on ships. You’ve doomed us Kinlan.’

  ‘Insult my rule any further Adan and I will have you removed from the palace!’ guards entered the room now which made Adan sigh angrily, he knew he had to leave.

  ‘Fine have it your way…But Kinlan.’ He said as he went to walk away but looked over his shoulder. ‘I will not leave empty handed.’ He left the study and took to the halls, Kinlan watched in an angered curiosity as Adan gave a simple head gesture to any elf he passed. At first, they were nervous but soon began to follow, this is why he was their leader.

  ‘Adan!? Adan what in the Divines’ good name are you doing?!’

  ‘Follow me home my brothers and sisters.’ The elven servants all halted their work, they laid down their equipment and all began to follow.

  Adan’s true power was unknown to many, even those closest to him. Legends always told that the elven leader had powers that matched or even outdid the strongest mage. Every elf from the castle followed him like a beacon while Kinlan followed angrily, his work force depleted.

  ‘ADAN!’ he yelled from the stone steps outside the palace where the congregation of elves gathered, Adan stood in the centre and loo
ked up at the king.

  ‘I will not have my brothers and sisters taken advantage of any longer, if you will not help them then they will not help you.’ He continued on his way with the elves following close behind.

  Kinlan knew that Adan was a dangerous force to take on, with such unknown power it was hard to imagine what he could do.

  ‘S-sire what will we do? How can we run the palace?’ the elderly man quivered behind his king which made Kinlan turn in anger then gave a heavy sigh.

  ‘Employ any woman and child looking to work, human only, if this is the game that Adan wants to play then let him play it. The fools will soon realise that they cannot survive out there, there simply just isn’t enough food to go around for everyone.’

  ‘My King! My King!’ a young soldier yelled as he fell from a galloping horse, still frantic from his ordeal.

  ‘You’re from South Realm? Speak boy.’

  ‘My King, there’s something within the fortress, something monstrous like nothing we can even imagine! Please my lord we need every available soldier to help us.’

  ‘Has the Tainted advanced at all?’

  ‘W-well no sire, nothing has come from the fortress since we’ve been stationed but none of the soldiers- even the veterans have never heard such a creature, please sire I’m begging you.’

  ‘We have no more troops.’ The elderly man hissed to Kinlan which he gave a nod of acknowledgement.

  ‘Then we must conscript every available man within Alexander…We will send soldiers out to South Realm as soon as we can boy, but for now you must be patient, they haven’t moved in seven years I highly doubt that they would do anything just yet.’

  The fortress erupted; the once mighty structure of South Realm burst forth as the Tainted spilled out into the world. Fire burned in the night sky as the screams of those surrounded were muted by the monstrous screeches and roars of those who brought forth the bloodlust.

  ‘Fall back! Fall back!’ a desperate soldier screamed to his men as the oceans of Tainted spewed forth, but there was no escape as the army sprinted forward, devouring anything in their path. But it wasn’t just the north that they charged for, thousands poured into the chasms to the south making their way to Reckson. The armies that protected the neighbouring countries barely stood a chance even with their advanced technology, a small portion fled to warn their nation while the rest of the army understood their sacrifice and gave their lives for the faint hope of saving their land, even if it was all in vain.

  The army had been growing, breeding for years to the point where the massive expansion of South Realm could no longer contain them all. But it was one final push that caused the chaos to erupt into the world like an untameable natural force. The land was no longer the mundane landscape it once was, no tree had life for they grew black and crooked, the earth underneath their feet crumbled and turned black, the sky red with the blood of the fallen and the fires of the Tainted army caused the ash to fall like rain. This was the world of the Tainted, the world the Mother would bring forth.

  ‘We have to alert the King!’ a young soldier tried to scramble away to deliver their desperate cries to the king who was safely tucked behind the walls of Nebine. But this young soldier was swiftly shot down by the precise aim of the Tainted commander that stood on the walls of the fortress, watching them run, fleeing for their lives.

  ‘I like your tactic commander.’ The elegant voice of the Mother soothed as she stood next to her creation, yet it remained silent. ‘Never in my time have I seen our army so vast, the time you gave us has multiplied in the thousands…’ she smiled at the bulk of black armour who continued to stare down at the death and destruction. She placed her demonic hand against its chest and looked up with her seductive glowing red eyes. ‘I need her alive.’ The creature growled under the armour, an inner fury boiled under the creature’s voice, barely human, this monster was out for blood, yet the Mother only smiled and pointed to the north.

  Chapter 2

  The Badlands

  The trip would take a day at most, she gave Midnight rest where he needed it, if she came to an area with water, she would let him drink as well as filling up her own water container for the travel. As she travelled, she noticed several settlements that laid abandoned, many probably feared the threat of the Tainted below but dared to travel north, the world around her seemed vast and empty. Abandoned wheat fields, bare houses, small toys and tools still laid across the floor, dropped and left in the rush of leaving. It made her wonder what she had truly missed after being concealed away for so long, the people were truly frightened even with a leader on the throne.

  As the sun began to set, Adonia knew she had to stop and make a shelter, she spotted a group of trees in the distance and decided to make a quick lean-to to protect her from the outside. There were plenty of dead branches around to make her foundation, she leaned several large branches against one of the larger trees and began to cover the lean-to and the floor of her shelter with various leaves and moss that had gathered around the area. Before the sun truly began to disappear Adonia quickly prepared a small fire to protect her from the cold of night. As she laid in her small shelter Adonia could barely concentrate on a single thought, Griffiths’ betrayal, how she would get to him and of course her son Argonar. These thoughts danced throughout her mind, but she still concentrated at the task at hand.

  I can’t walk straight through the front door, as far as I know Griffiths thinks I am dead and for me to go to him directly he’ll know something is wrong…I need to get inside quietly, but how? Such thoughts and plans spiralled until exhaustion completely took over and forced her to sleep.

  In the early hours, Adonia was violently awoken by the sound of Midnight whinnying, as she quickly stirred awake she noticed a man trying to capture the horse but Midnight would rear and try to kick the thief, but before she could even react she was pulled out of her shelter by her feet by two other men, surprised and excited to see a woman.

  ‘Weren’t expecting a pretty face out here.’ they laughed as they pinned her face into the ground, she struggled and cried out, but she was alone out here in the wilderness, no one would hear her cries for help. Adonia struggled desperately as she felt one man trying to unbuckle her trousers, she thrashed her legs which only made them pin her down harder.

  Not like this, Adonia thought, she knew these men would rape her and most likely kill her after they were done, she didn’t come out all this way to confront her enemy only to die by the hands of lowly thieves. She stiffened her entire body, making it hard for them to move her legs, it took her all of her strength but Adonia knew she could not keep this up forever and by doing this it made it impossible for her to fight back.

  ‘Someone help!!’ she screamed as she continued to struggle. One man practically sat on her back, using all his strength to keep her pinned down, while the other still struggled to keep her legs still while trying to undress her bottom half.

  ‘What is taking you so long?! It’s not that hard to fuck a woman!’ the man trying to steal the horse yelled as he looked over his shoulder.

  ‘Bitch is strong!’

  A grunt broke the struggle, which was followed by Midnight’s frightened whinny, the men looked up to see their companion who tried to steal the horse kneeling in a pool of blood, his throat had been slit. As they stared over, a figure stood in a dark cloak a bloody sword in hand, they shot up to their feet and attacked the figure. Like a ghost the figure dodged their attacks as if they weren’t even there, it parried their attacks with brutal force, but it slashed and stabbed in a violent manner that Adonia had not seen since the time of the battle. She was used to more finesse in battle, even if the result was the same, this was brutal, this person certainly knew how to kill someone in harsh, almost barbaric ways. The figure was certainly quick on its feet as it spun around another man, slitting his throat with just this one flow of movement. Adonia quickly stood to her feet, her arms out ready to attack, but the figure only stood and stared, she c
ould sense that it didn’t want to harm her.

  ‘…Thank you, kind sir…Without you they…’

  ‘Turn around now if you know what’s good for you.’ his voice was smoky and broad, she tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but the only thing she could truly see was his illuminous bright green eyes that glistened against her small fire. They pierced right through her, stern, almost disciplining her.

  ‘I must travel forth.’ he only slowly shook his head and started to loot from the men he had just killed. ‘W-what are you doing?’ Adonia asked him puzzled and startled that he would steal from dead men.

  ‘Dead men don’t need gold, no doubt they would’ve sold your horse, sold that sword.’ he said as he leaned over and saw the shimmering weapon by the shelter. ‘Then raped and killed you…So I’ll only tell you this once more, turn around, if you carry on and the same thing will happen but I won’t be around to help you.’ once he had picked up some money pouches he quickly stood up and walked to his own horse that moved silently through the night. Without saying anything else he left just as quickly as he came, no introduction nor goodbye. Adonia was still shaken from the events as she looked at the bodies of the fallen men, she was out of practise, so long it’s been since she had to weld a sword or protect herself, she grew so used to the clan’s protection.

  Greymire would have been disappointed, she thought. She shook off her experience and kicked dirt into the fire to put it out before readying herself to travel forward once more.

  The sun had already started to touch the sky as Adonia came closer to the mountains, the cold crisp air filled her lungs as she looked up at the snow tipped mountains before her that trailed the edges of Alexander. The land here was vast and untamed by human hands apart from the small village that gained the land its name, The Badlands. She kept her hood up and her weapon close the further she travelled until she saw a heavily fortified castle in the far distance. This was Griffiths’ castle, she examined the exterior walls which is all she could barely see at such a distance, they lived in fear of the bandits that surrounded them and built heavy fortifications because of it. She knew she could not go there directly, but as she looked closer at the mountains, she could see a small village, a place to take refuge while she planned her attack. She rode across the dirt track to the village, until she came to the spiked wall made from tree logs that’s fortified the surrounding area. To the far perimeter of the fence was an enormous gaping hole, she was unsure what such a massive pit was used for, waste disposal?