Chapter 23

Azul stood frozen. Another army—what was she meant to do now? If she split their forces, it would cause chaos. She frantically ran through the various options in her head. Every scenario led to the same conclusion: there was no way to win this battle. Desperation clawed at her chest, and for the first time, she felt truly helpless.

She didn't notice the tent open as Ragnar rushed in, blood on his hands and armour. "Khatun!" He placed his hand on her shoulder, turning her around. "What do we do—" He was shocked to see her eyes were full of fear. 

He had never seen her scared before.

"Ragnar... I don't know what to do." Her voice was small, so small. 

He realised in that moment how much he had relied on her; the weight on her shoulders was insurmountable. Seeing her like this made him understand that this battle might be lost. He hugged her, her eyes widening in surprise. "It's okay," he said. "I probably pushed you more than you could handle. Just leave this battle to me."

This battle was lost, did he plan to fight till his death?

He left the tent, and she followed after snapping out of her shock. Ragnar looked around and called quickly to find Arthur and then Khan Jarek. Azul only looked around, confused about what he planned to do.

"Ragnar, what are you going to do?" She asked.

He looked at her, his gaze tender. He wanted to hold her closer but didn't want to get more blood on her. She was beautiful, in the midst of the chaos, she was his wife. 

Arthur came rushing at Ragnar's order.

"I have a mission for you," Ragnar said coldly. He lifted Azul up and placed her on Arthur's horse. "Take her and leave."

"Wait, Ragnar! I can still help you!" She said desperately, if he sent her away now how would he survive?

Ragnar stilled at her desperate, wide eyes, his heart stinging at her words. "I know you can, Khatun, but you have done more than enough. As your husband, I should be the one protecting you, so I want you to leave this place."

"No, you don't understand, Ragnar, if I leave—" she choked. How would she tell him she was going to leave this world once the battle was over? Her mission was to survive, not to win. Irrespective of whether Ragnar lives or dies, she would still leave this place.

But she didn't need to vocalise her words; he had a feeling. "Is there a chance I will see you again?" His words surprised her; she didn't think he would understand her plight. But who else could understand her if not her husband?

"I don't know."

There was a chance she would come back to this world, but that wasn't what she was afraid of. She had meddled excessively; she did not know if he would survive.

He smiled, as long as there was a chance. "Then, Khatun, I will wait for your return. You are the only woman who can stand by me as Queen."

His words were sincere. His blue eyes, the scar on his face, his armour—this was a man she could never forget in her lifetime.

"Go, Arthur, protect her with your life."

"Yes, Khan." Arthur set off with the horse, going straight across the steppe.

"RAGNAR!" Azul screamed. "YOU MUST SURVIVE!"

He watched her leave him with a sad smile. "As long as my Queen wishes, if you ask me to live, then I'm afraid that I must."

Jarek arrived just then, and the two men quickly strategized. They knew they needed a bold move to counter Jeder's ambush.

"We need to take the fight directly to them," Jarek said, his eyes fierce. "If we can disrupt their formation, we might stand a chance."

Ragnar nodded. "We need to target their leaders. If we take them out, their ranks will falter."

With the plan set, Ragnar mounted his horse and led a charge towards the thick of the battle. The clash of steel and the cries of warriors filled the air. Amidst the chaos, Ragnar spotted Jeder, his old rival, and spurred his horse forward.

Jeder saw him coming and met him with a vicious smile. "Ragnar! Finally, a worthy opponent."

Ragnar did not have any words for him, the scar on his face was a grim reminder of their animosity.

They clashed, their swords meeting with a force that sent vibrations up their arms. The duel was fierce, both men equally matched in skill and determination. Around them, the battle raged, but for a moment, it seemed the world narrowed to just the two of them.

Meanwhile, Azul was being evacuated by Arthur, who did not once look back to the battle. He pushed the horse hard, knowing that their survival depended on speed and distance. The sounds of battle grew faint until they were non-existent.

"Hold on, Khatun," Arthur urged. "We'll find safety."

Azul clung to him, her eyes still filled with hope, until the system's notification, she knew Ragnar was still alive.

Arthur rode hard, the horse's hooves pounding the earth in a relentless rhythm. The horizon stretched endlessly before them, but the sun was already dipping low, and the cold night began to set in.

The horse began to slow, its breaths coming in heavy, laboured puffs. Arthur urged it on, but he could feel the animal's exhaustion. They had covered a significant distance, but it was clear they could go no further without risking the horse's health.

"We need to stop," Arthur said, glancing back at Azul. His voice was firm but kind. "The horse can't go any further."

Azul nodded, understanding the necessity.  Arthur guided the horse to a small cluster of trees that offered some semblance of shelter. The dark night crept in as the stars decorated the sky. 

Arthur dismounted first, helping Azul down gently. Taking a flask he gave the horse some water, as much as he could afford to give. Azul looked around, the vast openness of the steppe was beautiful.

"We should set up a small camp here," Arthur suggested, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. "It's not much, but it will do for the night."

"There is no need." She said. 

"Are you really going somewhere Khatun?" Arthur asked. He had picked what he could from her conversation with the Khan, but he still did not understand why she spoke like her existence would be erased off the surface of the earth. 

"Arthur, how many stars do you think are in the sky?" She asked softly. 

Arthur frowned, "they are too many for me to count Khatun." 

"That's right, there's so many, If I find a star today, will I be able to find it again tomorrow?"

Arthur looked at her, trying to grasp the meaning behind her words. "I don't quite understand, Khatun, but I assume if you search for long enough, you will."

Azul smiled faintly, her eyes reflecting the distant stars. "Perhaps. But sometimes, no matter how hard you search, you can never find the same star again."

Arthur remained silent, not knowing how to respond. The weight of her words hung in the air, she shook her head slightly, as if trying to clear her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I must sound strange to you."

Arthur shook his head. "No, Khatun. I just wish I could understand better. If there's anything I can do..."

She smiled, having someone to talk to helped her feel more at ease. "You are doing more than enough, Arthur. Just being here means everything."

As the night deepened, they sat together in silence, watching the stars. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows around them. Arthur watched her deep in thought, she was still thinking of the battle; he knew it. 

She sighed, her breath visible in the cool night air. "Arthur, do you believe in destiny?"

Arthur thought for a moment before answering. "I believe we all have a path to follow, Khatun. Some of us may stray from it, but ultimately, we find our way."

Azul nodded, her eyes fixed on a particularly bright star. "I wonder if my path will lead me back to Ragnar."

Arthur's expression faltered for a moment. "If it is meant to be, Khatun, you will find your way back to each other."

She smiled at his words, finding a small measure of comfort in them. "Thank you, Arthur."

[The battle is over.]

'Who won?'

[I don't know]

'I see..'

So she had no choice but to put her faith in him, that he would survive and he would wait for her to find him. 

[It's time to go.. ]

[Congratulations]

"Arthur." 

He looked up at her, he had dosed off and seemed guilty looking at her. " Yes Khatun?"

She giggled at his reaction, he must be exhausted from the battle. "Thank you for bringing me here; I hope I see you next time." 

"Are you leaving now, Khatun?"

She nodded, standing up to look at the night sky. "I hope to find this star again. Until then." 

"Have a safe journey, Khatun." 

'How cute.'

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Tutotial Mission: Complete

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Extracting user

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Congratulation on completing the tutorial

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Calculating points...

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Calculating bonus points..

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Grade: A 

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Tutorial passed 

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Next world is ready

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Proceed? Y/N

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"Yes." 

Arthur watched as the woman before him disintegrated into stardust, merging with the breeze as inexplicable sadness filled his heart.