The gloomy clouds had vanished, and the sky was shining brightly once more as if the planet had risen from the dead.
Everything was peaceful, and it appeared to be a pleasant day in the sky, but it was still agonizing on the ground.
There was nothing but blood for thousands of miles.
Alexios was standing in silence, watching at the dead bodies of his people who were once his friends and family.
He was digging the graves of his loved ones behind the huts into their lands.
They were the only people he ever cared about and burying their cold bodies made him break into tears,
the guilt he had in his heart was tearing him apart because it was his duty to protect them and he failed.
He buried every last one of them with dignity and traditions and left the village because it was better for everyone.
Before he stepped foot out of his village, he turned back for the last time to say goodbye forever.
But Suddenly, his body started to shake violently as if he was drugged, his veins begin to pop out, his hands begin to tremble, it appeared as if an evil soul was departing his body.
His vision got blurry and his head started to ring like bells and with a little groan he fainted, but before he crashed on the ground someone caught him in their arms.
***
The gates of yorkan city were being opened with a big sound of wood cracking. It was about time when the city opened its gates for traders and pilgrims, but today was different…
The gates opened, but only one man was standing alone with his body severely wounded. The horse he was riding had worn out and was resting behind him.
He was dressed in the armor soldiers of yorkan kingdom wore, but his armor was almost on the verge of breaking, it was pure steel and copper armor that was popular for its resistivity and the condition of his armor was concerning because it meant something bad had happened.
As the castle guard saw him, his face turned yellow, and he rushed to him with a blanket in his hands, and covered him in it.
He was no other than the soldier who Alexios had let free, but his condition was worser.
It appeared as if he was attacked by some bandits or had a fight with a cave bear on his way to the castle.
"Take me to the ki-king… I have bad news…" he stuttered and started shivering with pain and cold as he spoke.
"Yes, but you should get yourself treated first, or you won't survive… tell us the bad news. We will deliver it to him," the castle guard replied as he supported him by walking to the infirmary.
"NO! I must deliver it myself, I can't risk it!" He said as he walked.
"SLAM"
The door of the infirmary was slammed opened by one of the guard who held the soldier with his hand.
The slam was so loud that it made the maestro angry, and he came running to them
"WILL YOU BREAK THE DOOR! YOU MAGGOT!"
"Huh? What happened to him?" The maestro's anger cooled down as he saw the soldier's condition.
Even though he was a maestro who treated patients everyday he was shocked after getting a look at him.
"Put him here on the table. And close the door I will check on him!" The maestro wasted no time and ripped the armor of his body and began examining his wounds.
When the maestro examined the soldier's wound, his frown of worry appeared on his forehead, as if he sensed something weird.
One of the guard questioned him, "Do you think he'll make it, maestro?"
"It's a grave issue. I mean, he has lost a lot of blood," replied the maestro.
"you need to do something! He can't die. He has information that the king must know, supposedly from Yskiu…" the guard slammed both of his hands gently on the table and looked at him with serious eyes.
"Hey… hey open your eyes! Tell us something!" The guard knew the maestro was useless and anyone who could do anything was him, so he pushed him to the side and started shaking the wounded soldier in order to wake him up.
"Call my brother, I will tell him… quick…" the soldier still was not persuaded by them.
He was still keeping the secret, even though he knew he had no time.
"WHO? Who's your brother?" the guard inquired.
"The white knight of the kingdom of yorkan…" The soldier held the guard by his collar and spoke in a choking voice and fainted.
As the guards heard the name White knight… all their faces went pale, their lips dried and mind went numb for a moment.
"This can't be happening… No… he will kill us," the guard started to walk around the room in panic while the maestro treated the white knight's brother's wounds.
"STOP MOVING AROUND! We must inform him before he dies. Come with me quick," the other guard quickly dragged him and ran out of the room to the white knight.
The guards knew they were in peril because the white knight was a hotheaded man and when he will find out about his brother, he would lose his mind and rage destruction like a bull.
The White knight was something people would call the pride of a kingdom.
Every kingdom had a white knight. But the white knight of yorkan was someone one would call mighty or godly.
His physical strength was immeasurable and the mana capacity of him even surpassed many wizards.
He was second in command after the king, not because of his power but also influence.
***
Footsteps were heard in the main corridor of the outer palace. And with every passing second it got louder and in just a few moments the door of the barrack was slammed open.
"who the hell is that?" someone yelled from the inside of the room as they polished their sword.
He sheathed his sword in his scabbard on the waist and looked back and walked toward the door; it was a tall, muscular man in his late twenties. It was the white knight.
"My lord… something terrible has happened! It's your brother, he's injured."
As the white knight heard about it, his calm mood turned into a horrifying one, he was scared his breath was heavy, his eyes were not even blinking and his powerful voice had cracked down.
He was still a person, with emotions even though he was strong and mighty.
Hearing about someone close to being in pain hurt him exactly the same way it would do to a regular person.
Without wasting a single second, he arrived at the maestro's cabin, where his brother was dying slowly.
As he gets a look of his brother, his face went numb and every expression, every line of his face became straight as if he was expressionless.
He slowly takes his brother's arm in his hand and looks at the wounds and slashes on it. The wounds on his arm were deep and brutal. Watching his brother in pain, his heart breaks into a million pieces.
"Who did it? WHO DID IT!!!?" he yells aggressively.
Nobody even takes a breath in. The room comes in terrifying silence. Every guard who stood there was terrified because nobody wanted to be the scapegoat.
"THE DEATH STOR...ORM IS COM...INNG," his brother mutters in a painful voice.
"Yes, brother, I'm here. Don't worry, you'll be alright," he grips his brother's hands as he tries to speak to him.
"DEATH STORM...IS...COMING," he repeats again, this time in a hushed tone. But before he could explain it all, his eyes become gray and his soul leaves his body, leaving his body away.
Everyone stood there like a statue in the maestro's cabin, which had become the quietest place in the kingdom. Nobody ever saw tears in the white knight's eyes before, but now everyone was feeling his grief.
***
Deep inside the palace, a guard runs to the king's quarters with the last words White knight's brother had said.
"KNOCK…KNOCK"
"Who is it?" someone from the inside of the room inquires cautiously.
"I'm a guard from the castle keep, and I have some information that the king's ears must hear," the guard replies.
With a slight noise, the door opens and a big brute stands in front of him and checks him before allowing him to pass.
"My lord, the white knight's brother passed away," the guard remarked.
The king was sitting on the couch, gesturing to the fireplace.
"my condolences, anything else?" the king asks,
"yes my majesty, before he died, he said something that he wanted to tell you eagerly. It was "storm is coming," the guard added.
The king stands up and turns around in a startled and enraged manner
"What exactly did he say? WHAT DID HE SAY?" The guard was screamed at by the king. And it frightened him and he quickly repeated,
"he... stated the death storm is coming."
"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE," laments the king.
-to be continued