HIDDEN CLUES

Kingdom of Riana

Riana Castle compound

"Lord-father." Prince Richard yells out as he approaches the balcony, were King Eric was seated.

"What's with the foul mood Richard?" King Eric asked calmly.

"Michael and Thomas are dead."

King Eric laughed out then looks back at Prince Richard who was furiously glaring at him.

"Why is this funny Lord-father?"

"I know an occult group was responsible for Jerrod's death, acceptable, you can't just walk up to me and tell me two well-known Sri are dead."

"I wish it were a silly joke father, their bodies were seen floating in the brook at the farmlands."

"What was the report?"

"They have been dead for a long time; Michael was poisoned while Thomas was poisoned and gutted. It has been concluded that someone close to them was involved, their families have been taken into custody."

"Very good my son."

"I see a pattern here father," Prince Richard walks over to the balustrade, "Sir Jerrod, the massacre, the occult group; now Thomas and Michael, Something is definitely wrong."

"Why this sudden pattern?" King Eric asked with a straight look.

"It seems connected to the same occult case with grand-father, the one you told me about."

"I had a hunch." King Eric stroked his beards.

"We have to act fast Lord-father, the people are losing hope in us."

"Let me think on this Prince Richard, I'll get back to you."

"As you wish," bows "has any news reached you from Fredrick?"

"Ah-yes, Fredrick has reached the South-west plains waiting for the cult group to return."

"Good, they must be the master mind of these activities."

"I couldn't agree more." King Eric smirks.

"I'll see you soon Lord-father" Prince Richard assured, stepping out of the balcony.

King Eric gazed up at the sky, "Come over to your grave Isaac Lupin, the sight shall spark glory in the nights."

In the cool of the evening chaos reigned in the north section of the second district, a large crowd of people yelling out 'answers' gathered in front of a chalet shielded by seven Riana soldiers. Elmond Osis, a man in his late sixties and Chief of the second district tried calming down the crowd but it was to no avail. Amidst the crowd Rashik stood quietly observing the situation.

BEGINNING OF THE END

Kingdom of Aylon

On the steep edge of a cliff, Allas holds a scroll firmly, viewing through it when a man approached him from behind.

"A good evening to you commander Allas," the man greeted with a bow.

"Ozil, what brings you here?" Allas didn't bother taking a look, he'll recognize that baseless voice anywhere.

"There has been a mix up."

Allas immediately stops what he was doing then turns to Ozil, "What happened?" Allas asked crossly.

"Team seven happened to have tracked down a large occult activity in the middle-east."

"Make yourself clear Ozil."

"It seem more dark souls are being made, a Dux may probably be involved."

"Send word to team seven not to engage, team six is to meet up with them and scout the activities and report, nothing more than that."

"Aye Sir, there's also a problem in Rune Clan."

"As long as its not an event beyond the natural…"

"A Prince of the Levia house has appeared."

"Why? What is his objective?"

"He is searching for a boy who is suspected for killing a Sri and bleeding a district section."

"All the way in the South-west?"

"Yes Sir."

"Well then, inform King Samson a Prince from a Western Kingdom has ventured into his land."

"Will do sir."

"He would be safe and have more chance in finding the criminal. In the meantime make yourself at home here then continue your journey tomorrow."

Ozil responded with a bow then walks away, not quite long from then Irison approaches Allas with a bald man having black beards covering half his face, this average bodied figure had an unblemished brown skin, and his looks were innocent but his dark brown eyes conveyed wrath.

"Long time no see Allas," the man spoke with a gentle voice.

Allas quickly turns around on hearing the voice, "Aaron!?" he moves to embrace him, "It's so good to see you again friend."

Withdrawing himself from Allas, Aaron took a good look at him, "You look too well for your age Allas."

"I can say the same for you, where have you been?"

"You know the usual, looking for stuff here and there."

"Really," Allas narrows his eyes to Irison who stared back at him then narrows it back to Aaron "You left your beautiful wife and dashing son for a whore."

"She was out of this world Allas." Aaron marveled.

"Mend your ways Aaron, the end times is neigh." Allas warned.

"Always the good guy." Aaron rolls his eyes.

"What brought you back from your sinful trip?" Allas asked with a straight gaze.

"I sent word to him of how a demon massacred a group of neighbouring mercenaries on his land."

"I knew Master Irison would not lie to me and I've heard stories of you and your team battling demons, so I had to come back."

"Indeed Aaron, the battle finally got to your doorstep." said Allas with a smirk.

"After all these years," sighs "what are we dealing with here Allas?" Aaron asked anxiously.

"These class of demons are of the lowest rank, they don't move to lunch attacks but two attacks in a particular place, now that's wrong, someone is leading them."

"What do you mean leading?" Aaron asked.

"There are seven commanders under the leadership of Ethan Roy, the lord of these low rank demons. But luckily they have been reduced to three, team one of my squad killed one here in the south, team two and three joined forces and defeated another up north, an unknown group managed to kill another in the Waste-lands and I and my team killed the fourth in the Eastern-lands."

"Your team?" Aaron asked, staring in surprise.

"Yes, my team of seven, back when I had one."

"I never knew, what happened?"

Allas sighed, "It was our first encounter with the dark soul bastards, we cleared as much as we could in the Northern-lands, Southern-lands and Western-lands; we knew all the demons and grouped them in ranks, but then it was down to the Eastern-lands. A King sent for us, his report was slightly amusing, a troop was massacred by ten men."

"We journeyed there, thinking the ten men were summoners - even though it was unlikely for ten summoners to massacre a troop. The King showed us the bodies, most had just their bones, burnt all over as though they melted; we knew this was a new evil. I got excited, with two troops we searched the surrounding lands and forests. Then we came across them, dark souls I called them, eyes hallow as night, blood dark and thick as darkness, skin as pale as death."

"The only way to kill them was beheading or giving a good slash - deep enough to bleed them out, this we learnt at the cost of lives even one of us and they were just twenty. We retreated and prepared for a new attack, this evil is not one to leave roaming, we searched for days and found their hide out in the deep lands of the East, couldn't count how many but we were victorious at a great loss, when we thought it was over, a Dux came by, as I called their commanders, fast, quick reflexes, strong healing, every sense went high in his control unlike the dark souls, who were mindless."

"He wiped every Knight out, it took the death of my team to kill it, a stab to the heart was the only way to put a general down completely, beheading is a death trap even though he goes down, I was badly injured but I can never forget the words it uttered and the name - I am the birth of darkness, Lord Ethan Roy shall prevail, probably their acclaimed master."

"That's a lot to take in Allas." Aaron's hands were still shivering, "who is leading this attack on my kingdom then?"

"Two attack means they were sent by a general to test the defense of the environment."

"Why?" asked Irison.

"From previous encounters just ten of them are enough to massacre four troops of untrained Soldiers."

"You call that the lowest rank?" Aaron was even more troubled.

"Yes my friend, but something has changed, Ethan Roy needs more, so he may be launching an attack on growing kingdoms like yours Aaron."

"Did you see the town by the river side?" Irison asked

"Yes, it was devastating" Aaron assured

"That was done by just one," Allas guaranteed.

"You got to be joking." Aaron replied

"How many does a, Dux, need to launch an attack." Irison asked

"Twenty at…"

"Twenty, the same number you fought with your team?" Aaron interrupted

"If need be thirty." Allas continued

"I have just three troops Allas, three and none of them are below forty."

"Master Irison is older but he's guaranteed to take down four."

"He's the bloody Commander Allas, he trained both of us, what did you expect?"

"Then he will do the same to your soldiers."

"This is hopeless," Aaron shakes his head.

"Don't worry, you and your family will be safe and your citizens as well" Allas assured

"What guarantees that?"

"Team four and five will be here soon."

"Hope so, enough talk for today, let's have drink." Aaron holds his head.

"Lead on Aaron cheat." Irison urged

Aaron and Allas responded with a laughter then strolled down the hill towards the Keep alongside Irison.