HATRED TOWARDS THE GHOST

"Scaldris, if you don't want to talk about it then we can talk about something else, I don't want to be the one reminding you with disturbing memories.", Said Leonora in a caring manner.

"Don't bother yourself with this, most of the Legnicans know about this accident, even some know about it outside of the kingdom, besides, you progressed a lot lately and earned my respect and trust, your royal highness.", Said Scaldris in respect for princess Leonora who decided to let him talk, he put his right hand over the cut in the helmet.

"He was my mentor, he taught me everything even though he wasn't a spiritual knight, even after his tragic death I was surprised that his majesty ordered that I should be the one succeeding general Mailon, it appeared that general Mailon was expecting this to happen and told his majesty that I should be the new general, I was still 19 years old, the youngest army general ever in the kingdom and the continent as well, he trusted me with everything.", Said Scaldris while smiling sadly, he was still looking at the helmet, Leonora smoothly put her left hand over his shoulder in caring way.

"I really mean it, Scaldris, we can drop this conversation, I'm returning home soon and I don't want to leave while reminding you with this.", Said Leonora while looking worried at Scaldris' face from the side, he didn't react to Leonora's words.

"It all started 30 years ago, when his majesty ordered that the Corvus brotherhood members should be eliminated seriously and putting an end to all of them as they were getting more aggressively active than before as they have already killed many politicians and nobles, his majesty was afraid that they may turn into a dangerous religious cult like the Cragmoore zealots so it was best to get rid of all of them as they grew stronger during the 170 years since they were created after Selkath Corvo established the negative abyss forbidden dark art, I wasn't born yet at that time, I was born two years after that, it was Mailon who was assigned for wiping the Corvus brotherhood across the kingdom, he wasn't general back then but he lead a massive purge campaign across Legnica to hunt down all the Corvus hunters.", Said Scaldris before pausing for a moment, Leonora gradually lowered her hand after she noticed that Scaldris is already talking without hesitation.

"In one year general Mailon was able to terminate most of them and their activities completely disappeared, they were escaping from one place to another but he always found every single runner, their numbers completely diminished and there were no accidents after what happened to them, it was expected that the remaining ones won't be able to achieve anything from their goals that we don't know anything about.", Said Scaldris.

"Because they always committed suicide after they were arrested.", Said Leonora.

"Exactly, they increase the dark energy flow in their bodies in a crazy manner without trying to control it and so causing an immediate death for the user, they let the dark energy consume their souls without trying to resist.", Said Scaldris.

"That's a horrible way to die.", Said Leonora while looking shocked.

"Yeah, that's what they were trained for, a complete devotion for their creed, the Corvus brotherhood remains one of the largest mysteries ever to exist in Legnica, anyways, shortly after the hunt general Mailon was promoted to the major army general and over the years whenever a Corvus hunter was spotted he was tailed until they find and finish him, everything was fine and back to safety, they were going to change into a myth told to kids before sleep to warn them from the dangers of the dark energy, by the time I grow up and become a close officer to general Mailon, he treated me as a son, everything was perfect, we thought that nothing could tear that peace.", Said Scaldris before pausing.

"Until?", Asked Leonora, she felt the tension behind Scaldris' tone.

"Until he appeared 9 years ago.", Said Scaldris angrily while looking at the helmet intensely, the hatred inside his heart was easily detected by Leonora.

"The ghost?", Said Leonora in worry.

"He appeared from nowhere, he targeted several military outposts, there were rarely any survivors that could escape from him, they said they suddenly weren't able to see anything except a pair of glowing red eyes and strange breathing sound, they claimed it wasn't for a human but what actually killed them was a human, at least biologically, all of the targeted outposts shared the same terrifying gruesome fate, their body parts and armor was cut like they were pieces of cake.", Said Scaldris angrily.

"By the gods, why weren't they able to stop him? They were outnumbering him.", Said Leonora in fear.

"They said they weren't able to see anything except complete darkness, there were barely any light, and they felt his tremendous speed beside them, not a thing for normal soldiers to deal with, we thought at the beginning that this was the doing of the Cragmoore zealots, but after the repetition of these attacks and the few soldiers that witnessed what happened we were able to make sure that this wasn't even connected to the Cragmoore zealots, we were dealing with a terrifying Corvus hunter that only left blood behind him.", Said Scaldris while still looking angry.

"We stayed like that for a couple of months, me and general Mailon tried to find anything about him but there was nothing to find, that's why we called him the ghost of the Corvus, he used to appear suddenly at a random outpost, kill every living soul in there then before anyone could come he disappeares, just like that, thousands of soldiers died by his sword without mercy, his strength was evident as the cuts on the bodies and the armors were made by a sturdy sword and also immense pressure applied to it, he was like a butcher that by the time every single soldier was standing in his post afraid from hearing the voice of the ghost, but it all ended after that day.", Said Scaldris while rubbing the cut over the helmet, Leonora was feeling sorry for Scaldris but she didn't know what to say.

"General Mailon was checking the security in one of the outposts as he knew that the soldiers need all the possible support after the latest events, he told me to check the watchtower on one of the hills so I flew over there, I wasn't able to see anyone inside so when I approached I found the soldier's dead body with his head by his side on the watchtower, I suddenly felt terror inside my heart and just while I was rotating my head towards the outpost I started hearing those cold breathes and loud cries of pain and fear, I saw a large mist over all the outpost but it was black in color not white, you could see nothing from outside about what's happening inside and of course no one inside is able to see anything, I immediately flew back while my heart was beating very fast and just before I land to help them I saw his eyes at one of the ends of the dark mist, the red glowing eyes of a sadistic demon, although he was a human by the silhouette but that wasn't a stare of a human, I landed aggressively on the ground and my body was wreathing in flames while looking directly at his eyes angrily before I felt a bit of a chilling and it was that moment that I felt he wasn't alone, there was something else there that I wasn't seeing, the thing that was producing those strange breathing sounds and chilly atmosphere, and suddenly before I do anything, the mist dispersed like a storm around the place and he was gone, but he left after causing a disaster.", Said Scaldris while grasping the helmet tighter.

"I gradually realized that I was standing between a blood pool, body parts everywhere, not a single soul breathing, and before I could even think, I found him.", Said Scaldris while clearly suppressing his tears but Leonora could feel it.

"He was laying down with his hand over the hilt of his sword, he didn't even have time to draw it, a large cut was done vertically over his forehead and head, his brain was scattered out because of the strength of the strike, it's like he was hit by an axe except it was the same weapon, the same sword, the same person, or I should say, the demon.", Said Scaldris sadly before pausing.

"Then what happened after that? Did you find anything about him?", Asked Leonora.

"No, he suddenly disappeared again without any reason, the same way he appeared, but there was a conclusion for all of that since this was his last attack and until now he didn't appear again.", Said Scaldris.

"He was avenging his creed.", Said Leonora.

"Precisely, since his last outpost was the one that general Mailon was in then he finished what he started, he murdered the one who was behind killing most of his brotherhood hunters, but what makes it harder is that I wasn't able to do anything, with all the strength provided to me I wasn't able to feel him around and it took only seconds for him to wipe all the outposts.", Said Scaldris in regret, all this time he was looking at the helmet.

"Scaldris, you were still 19 years old, that means you were already younger than me now and I'm still struggling with my power, you were dealing with someone that all the kingdom wasn't able to find a single clue about him, you already said something about a large dark mist blinding the people inside, that's something we don't hear about everyday.", Said Leonora in a caring manner, she didn't want Scaldris to keep blaming himself especially that it has been 9 years since that accident.

"Then what do you want me to do? Cheer myself for failing?", Said Scaldris angrily, Leonora wasn't surprised by this harsh reply and she was expecting it.

"No, but be better, you always say this to me, your time will come, maybe he will appear again then you will have your chance for revenge, but you should be ready, general Scaldris that I know doesn't look defeated like that.", Said Leonora while putting her hand again over his shoulder, Scaldris looked at her in surprise from her positive reply.

"We all lose people we love by the time, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make them proud even if they are in their coffins, he would have been proud if he saw how much you have progressed, just look at your loyalty to him, you brought his helmet here while you're watching the soldiers train, I guess it was a hobby for him, right?", Said Leonora while smiling, Scaldris was surprised but gradually he smiled back then looked at the training drill.

"Yeah, it was his passion to observe the training drills, on the memory of his death each year I bring his helmet here with me while watching the drills before returning it back beside his burial site, maybe one of the angels could have taken his soul into this helmet and he would have seen all of the drill like the good old days.", Said Scaldris in affection, Leonora was impressed by Scaldris' loyalty, they say that a Legnican soldier is loyal to his men in arms more than the loyalty of the king to his kingdom, Scaldris here is a live example about it, she just smiled while looking at the drill like him.

"Thank you, princess, it really means a lot to me.", Said Scaldris while still looking at the drill, Leonora looked back at him with a little blushing over her cheeks and smiling happily that she talked it down with him.

"Sometimes you need someone to talk with and relief all the negative thoughts weighing you down, my father used to tell me that, he told me that keeping whatever is making us sad will keep pulling us down until we won't be able to move anymore.", Said Leonora, Scaldris looked back at her.

"His majesty king Walt was always a wise man and looks like his daughter inherited this wisdom.", Said Scaldris while smiling, Leonora blushed even more before turning her head to the drills again, Scaldris' smile widened even more and he looked back at the drill.

Back at Bernia, the town were Emelia is living in, at the outside of her house someone was standing, a hooded person with an intense look, Vossler already reached Emelia's house! He gradually started controlling the dark energy and Bethra's ember started glowing from both of his hands and eyes, people around noticed something strange about the hooded person then they noticed the green fire and started panicking!

"With due respect, captain, I can't tolerate someone calling my wife a liar even though if he was someone as respectful as you, my wife is a pregnant woman that has just lost her father in a massacre at Ebonmere that no one knows the people behind it, sorry, captain, but she suffered more than enough to bear extra false accusations.", Said Troy angrily while talking to captain Adam inside the house, Emelia was sitting speechless after hearing her husband's firm attitude against one of the most important men in the kingdom, someone who can change anything by the king's order, that's why she married him, he truly loves her and will do whatever it takes to protect her.

On the other hand, Adam was standing boldly while looking at Troy talking angrily before looking back at Emelia who was afraid to meet Adam's eyes.

"As I told you before, I can detect if someone is hiding something from me.", Said Adam boldly while looking back at Troy who didn't like what he heard now.

"Troy, relax, we don't want captain Adam to think we're impolite.", Said Emelia politely while looking at Troy who looked at her in worry, Adam noticed the tension in the atmosphere but suddenly another thing caught his attention.

"ADAM, DARK ENERGY OUTSIDE, ON YOUR WEST.", Said Guiscard in his royal sound, Adam is the only one who can hear, Adam looked in worry at Emelia because she was the one on the west!

"GET DOWN!", Shouted Adam seriously while a faint silver shinning emitted from his left hand before suddenly a great explosion from Bethra's ember destroyed the house in a second!

People were screaming outside while running away as they witnessed what a single spell of dark energy can do, and that's not a simple spell, that's a one created by a hell grade dark caster blessed with Bethra's blessing, Vossler stood there silently while watching the house burn in green flames.