Iris had a quick breakfast and went back to the town square with the rest of her family. They stopped by the local cemetery where their father's remains were buried along the way. Chosen maidens like her were forbidden to bring anything on their departure, so Iris didn't bother to pack anything, but dressed herself in a pale blue shirt, black trousers and leather boots.
This time, the town square wasn't as crowded as yesterday. This was a common occurrence as the rest of the townsfolk would usually try to avoid the darklings that would come to take the chosen maidens away out of fear. Even Junifer and Ren clung to both of her arms, wary of the darklings who had yet to arrive.
"Iris."
Someone called her attention and Iris turned her head to see who it was. She found Luca and his parents with crestfallen faces.
"I'll take care of Junifer and your family. I'll work harder to provide for them." Luca exclaimed, his fists clenched so tight that his nails dug painfully into his palm.
"Just make Junifer happy and keep her safe."
Tears welled in Junifer's eyes again and she held Iris's hand tighter this time. Whether her sister was afraid of her departure or the darklings, Iris wasn't sure.
Prince Rupert, who had arrogantly looked bored yesterday, looked distressed. Iris figured that even the royal family feared the darklings. Unlike maguses like her, mortal humans stood no chance against these darklings anyway. At the very least, magic could help her buy some time to escape from dangerous beings like the direwolves she and her friends recently encountered.
Waiting for the emissaries of the Court of Shadows was pushing everyone to the edge, except for Iris. It was odd that unlike her fellow townsfolk, she didn't feel any fear at that moment. She had yet to understand the purpose of this millennia old treaty that Dravial had with the thirteen demon lords and why they needed virgin maidens.
Conversations around her reached Iris's ears. It sounded like bees playing in a field. Ever since that night when she unleashed her magic, Iris noticed that her senses were heightened somehow and she could hear sounds more clearly, see things, even from afar, much more accurately. Her sense of smell remained the same though, which Iris was grateful for because she already had a hard time tuning out the sounds that were coming from the woods.
Suddenly, Iris stiffened, which wasn't lost to her siblings. She could sense several darklings' presence drawing near Calaren town. One part of the iron fences was opened, expecting their arrival.
"What's wrong, Iris?" Junifer asked her worriedly.
Iris turned her attention to her sister and shook her head, forcing a smile on her face. She was somewhat relieved that her siblings didn't have any magic like she did, because the darklings' aura were quite frightening.
"Look there!" Someone shouted, which gave Iris the opportunity not to answer her sister. "The darklings have arrived!"
All heads turned in the east direction and they saw a small legion marching towards the town square. Humans made way for them, faces blanched with fear as they fled for their lives. The legion was being led by a man who rode a black steed, which was covered with dark tendrils of shadows around it and its rider, like a mist that was forming and fading with every step it took.
The man had long white silvery hair that fanned across his shoulders and fell over his back. Iris could see a hint of blue as the sunlight shone on it. There was no crown adorning his head, but he gave off the impression that he was a noble by birth. His pointed ears were a give away that he wasn't a human and his blue eyes looked so cold and intimidating at the same time.
This man was nothing like the darklings Iris and Junifer had seen ten years ago. His face was ethereal, handsome and hard as a diamond. However, the aura he radiated was enough to make a mortal man soil his own pants and make Iris shiver in fear of how terrifying his presence was.
"Announcing the arrival of Lord Kieran Fleurnoir of the Court of Nightfall, Leader of the Frost Guards!" A royal guard officially announced their arrival.
From the corner of her eye, Iris saw Prince Rupert rise from his seat and stood at the edge of the platform, his face one with uncertainty and fear. Her eyes then returned to the leader of the emissary.
Lord Kieran Fleurnoir. She had heard of this name before.
It was said that Lord Kieran was one of the ancient and most powerful demon lords Asnar ever had. He was also the one assigned to lead the Frost Guards to make sure that no darklings would enter the Kingdom of Dravial to feed on the mortal humans or force them into slavery.
He sat atop of his steed, looking down on the townsfolk as if they were nothing but insects in his eyes. A legion of darklings in different species followed after him, dressed in armors and armed with weapons, which Iris found ridiculous, knowing that her kind was obviously no match against them.
As Iris stared at his face, something about him triggered familiarity. A sheen of sweat dampened her skin, her fingers twitched on her side. She could swear on her father's tomb that she'd never seen this man before, but this feeling of familiarity was too strong for her not to notice.
Lord Kieran dismounted and Iris thought that she'd never met a man like him before. She wondered if he glamored himself to look like this, but immediately rejected the idea. His features were hard, but his movements were as fluid as the black coat that was draped over his shoulders. He scanned the crowd until his eyes met hers, making Iris hold her breath.
She realized why he felt familiar.
He was the white wolf darkling in the woods.