Cassian kept on looking at Stern as he rode his horse. Who was in Stern's body? "Cassian, do not think about it too much. Stern should not be your priority. The war is your priority" Soteria said and Cassian looked at him, "You are right, my friend" he said and turned his attention back to Stern who was now looking at him.
Those eyes...those eyes...those eyes reminded Cassian of his brother's dark eyes.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"My Lord, Cassian would soon near our fort" Nola said and Isander nodded, "Hmm...it took longer than I had expected" he said and munched on a grape. "Pardon me for asking but, if you have already anticipated what will happen in this war, why not just end it?" Nola asked and Isander let out a loud and long laughter.
It made her uncomfortable. "Oh my dear Nola, you should be a joker!" Isander cleaned the tears that were coming out of his eyes. "I have longed for a war since the time my dear brother stabbed you and he lost. I want to finish what I started and that is killing Cassian" "Why do you hate him so much?" she asked and Isander grabbed his goblet and flung it at Nola.
She saw it coming but she knew better than to avert it. It struck her on her forehead and blood trickled down her face. Isander stretched his hand to the table behind her and it moved with speed and hit her, behind her knees.
She fell to the ground and he dragged her up with her hair, "He took everything from me" he yelled in her face. "Because of him, I was locked up in a laboratory for so long...because of him, I almost lost my sanity, because of him, my parents forsook looking for me and went to him instead. He took my place as the golden son. They loved him more...and so, I killed them" he let go of her hair and laughed, "I even gave him a trauma" he grabbed her hair again, "But when I thought I had made him miserable, he fell in love and got married. He became friends with the crown prince, now the king, he was a renowned general and he was even expecting a baby. Oh! And let us not forget the fact that he was the man every woman wanted to marry, even the king's betrothed wanted him. But I...I lived a lonely life...no friends, no women, just drugs, needles, horrid smell of dust and cold and so I decided to take it all from him" he said and let go of her hair.
His hands caressed her face, "I took the one thing that had brought joy to him...you" he sneered then he laughed, "And everything fell apart! Everyone thought he was mad! He was treated as an outcast! He was miserable and lonely like me...till that night...the night he met that other woman. He started smiling again. He was happy and he is expecting a baby" he grabbed her hair again, "So this time, I shall destroy everything he loves completely and keep him as my prisoner till he dies of loneliness...and you are going to help me" he dragged her hair and she grunted in pain.
Isander's eyes flashed green and he let go of her and staggered back. His head hurt like hell. The body that had part of his subconsciousness, was not good enough for him.
Nola got up and held him, "My Lord, are you alright?" she asked and he saw a map. Cassian was talking about the battle strategy with Azrael and Soteria.
Isander pushed Nola away then he started laughing. Everything was going according to his plan. Nothing could stop him.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Halt!" Azrael said to the soldiers as Cassian stopped. Cassian turned to them, "Let us set our base here. We should not get too close to Isander's fort. He will use it to his advantage" he said and turned to Soteria, "Stay here with some soldiers and set camp here. Azrael and I will infiltrate the fort. Protect the doctors" "But I want to fight alongside with you" Soteria said and Cassian raised a brow, "You dare disobey your general?" he asked and Soteria bent his head, "Forgive me, but I do not feel comfortable leaving you al---"
Cassian pressed a piece of paper in his hands, "Stay back and build the camp" he whispered then he looked at his soldiers, "Azrael's unit and Stern's unit will accompany me to Isander's fort!" he said "Yes sire!" the soldiers said.
Cassian took out his sword and pointed it at Isander's fort, "Un cour!" he said and the soldiers shouted with their raised weapons and they ran into battle.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Isander saw Cassian running towards his fort and he smirked, "Let the blood bath begin" he looked at Nola who bowed and left. The soldiers at the front of the throne room, followed her.
Cassian saw someone standing at the turret of the fort. "Remember, Isander's head is mine!" he growled and the soldiers charged. Azrael's and Stern's unit ran to make a way for Cassian.
They drew out their swords when they saw soldiers around the fort. Swords clashed against each other.
Riders were thrown off their horses and stabbed. Azrael jumped off his horse and slashed the soldier that was running to him. Stern was quite swift with his hands and feet. He ran to one and pierced his hand through his abdomen, then he held another's head and with a swift movement, broke his neck.
Azrael sighted a soldier running towards the back of Stern who had just prodded a man's eyes with his fingers. Azrael ran and immediately slashed his back.
Stern turned and saw Azrael, "Use your sword else you shall end up like them" he gestured at the dead bodies on the ground.
Swish! An arrow struck down one of Azrael's soldiers. Swish! Another one was down. Stern saw an arrow coming to him, so he dragged one of his soldiers and raised him up. The arrow stabbed his heart.
Azrael was shocked. That was his comrade. "Hmm..." Stern shrugged and threw the soldier down then he ran. Azrael looked at the dead soldier on the ground then he looked at the direction which Stern had ran in.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Cassian and his soldiers walked stealthily in the fort. "Oh please, there is no need to walk cautiously in my domain" a voice said and the men behind Cassian flew to the wall behind them. As they were about to fall to the floor, metal stakes flew to them and stabbed them to stay on the wall. Blood trickled down the walls and Isander came out of the darkness.
"Ooh! I hate blood staining my walls. Cato, can we get Gertrude to clean that?" Isander chuckled and Cassian took out his sword from its sheath, "Gertrude?" he was surprised and Isander smirked then he stretched out his hand to his right and Gertrude's unconscious body hung in the air.
"Gertrude!" Cassian was about to run to her but Isander shook his head, "Look closer, little brother" he smirked and Cassian saw a dagger floating close to her neck. "Drop your sword" Isander sneered and Cassian dropped his sword. The clanging sound of the metal echoed in the empty room. Isander shushed him, "Not so loud!" he smirked.
He clenched his fists, "Coward!" he spat out, "You always hide behind a woman" "I suppose you are right!" Isander laughed, "Remember that time I literally hid behind a certain woman with short dark curls and bluish-green eyes". Cassian's nails dug into his palm. He was talking about Nola.
"Oh! And might I add, she was pregnant" Isander grinned sadistically and Cassian picked up his sword and charged towards him, "Bastard!" he yelled and Isander smirked and moved out of the way.
Bluish-green eyes greeted Cassian and he gasped, "Nola?"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Azrael released an arrow and it hit one of the archers. He looked down, his soldiers were holding off Isander's cronies. The archers had stopped aiming at them and was now aiming at him.
He got up and aimed his arrow at one of the archers and was about to shoot, but one shot at him. He quickly ducked down but one grazed his head, taking few strands of his hair away.
He counted to three in his head then he got up and fired an arrow at the person who had shot him. More arrows rained in his direction. He sighed and looked at the next turret, if he could get there, he could take all of them down...the problem was how was he going to get there.
He held his sword out slightly and arrows flew at him. Their aim had become more precise, which means they were moving towards him.
He crossed his bow over his chest and clutched his sword then he closed his eyes and took deep steady breaths. He heard footsteps approaching but he kept his breathing steady.
He heard the grazing sound of a stone against the ground and he sprung up, an arrow in his hand. He stabbed the knee of the one closest to him then he cut his throat. One arrow flew past him, grazing his arm and he grunted in pain. He ran to the man who had shot him and slid under to collect one of his arrows on the ground. He stabbed his shin and dragged the man down to meet his dagger.
He heard a thud behind him and he turned back and saw Stern with a crossbow, "I thought archers are based on distance" he lowered the crossbow and Azrael looked at the man who Stern had shot, then he dragged out the bolt from the man's flesh.
"Where did you run off to?" Azrael asked and Stern smirked, "We are at war. There are always places to run off to" he turned and walked away.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Cassian rolled back as Nola swung her sword to hit him. She tsked and moved swiftly to him, her sword raised up to cut him down. When she brought her sword down on him, he blocked it.
Isander clapped, "Use your sword, dear brother". Cassian could not use his sword against the woman he once loved. He'd rather let her stab him than use his sword. "...promise me you will come back alive" he remembered Zemira's words. He could not die here, he had a wife and an unborn baby waiting for me.
He pushed Nola back and Isander's eyes lit up in excitement, "Finally" he clapped gleefully. Nola tsked, he was fighting for that woman.
Cassian dropped his sword and Isander cocked a brow, "I am not going to fight you!" Cassian said as he stared directly at Nola. "We have been apart for so long...and I have questions and so many things I want to say to you. You can fight me, I shall not fight back" "What if I try to stab you?" Nola asked and Isander looked at her.
She glanced at him, he had told her not to speak to Cassian, but she wanted to know if he would fight her just for him to get to that woman.
Cassian sighed, she knew about Zemira, "Nola, I thought you were dead...when I had married Zemira, it was because she was pregnant with my baby. Things happened and I fell in love with her...but that does not mean I have forgotten you. She loves me too and we are having a baby together. So the answer to your question is I will not let you stab me...but I will not pick up my sword to fight you either"
Isander looked at the two lovers, No! If Cassian kept on hitting Nola with those words of his, she would back down. "If you truly loved Nola as you claim, why did you sleep with another woman? Did you even feel a tad guilty?" Isander asked as he looked at Nola waiting for her response.
"I..." Cassian was saying but Nola punched him. "If you will not fight me, then I guess this will be a one-sided fight" she said and punched him again. He fell and she straddled him and started punching him.
Blood spluttered everywhere as Nola's fists kept on slamming into Cassian's face. He was not fighting back like he had said. Tears trickled down her eyes, "Why? Why? Why?" she cried. Why was he not fighting back? Why had he left her and slept with another woman? Why was he letting her punch him? So many why's.
She brought out her dagger and was about to stab him, but he flipped her over and was now holding the dagger at her throat, "I am now at your mercy...kill me" she said and he stared into her eyes...those eyes that were full of life and joy, now looked dead and will-broken.
He shook his head and dropped the dagger then he was about standing up but Nola swiftly grabbed the dagger and stabbed his side then she twisted the dagger in him and he fell down.
Tears streamed down her face, "I can not let you go to her...you belong to only me" she smiled sadistically and Cassian's vision began to blur.
Isander burst into fits of cackles. Everything was going according to plan. This war was his.
Swish! An arrow passed him, grazing the side of his face. Isander touched the small cut where the arrow had made and looked at it. Blood. His blood. His eyes darkened as he turned to who had shot him.
Azrael took out another arrow from his quiver and held it against his bow and was about to shoot, but Nola took her sword and held it to Cassian's neck, "Not another arrow else your precious general dies!" she threatened and Azrael lowered his bow.
Isander laughed, "I can not remember the last time I bled" he looked at Stern and smirked. The crossbow he was holding slowly turned to Azrael and Stern squeezed the trigger and a bolt was fired into his arm.
Azrael fell down and Stern quickly dropped the crossbow, "Are you alright?" he asked and Azrael held his bloody and limp arm then he bit on his lip and dragged the bolt out. Blood spluttered on the floor and when Azrael looked up, he saw another bolt floating in front of him.
"Fall back or die trying" Isander said and Azrael looked at Cassian who was in Nola's arms. "When my king gave me the position and title of a duke, I had sworn to bring down those who disturbs him...you will not be an exception" he said as he dragged himself up
Isander released the bolt and it stabbed Azrael's thigh, bringing him down. Nola looked at Cassian whose eyes were slightly open, "Azrael..." he mumbled and Azrael looked at him, "Cassian!" "Fall back" Cassian struggled to say. He had lost so much blood and it seemed that the dagger was poisoned.
"Cassian, we have almost taken the fort. We can not fall back now" Azrael said but Cassian repeated, "Fall back" "Cassian, no!" Stern held Azrael's wounded arm, "The general told us to fall back...do whatever your general tells you to do" he smirked. He had used Azrael's words against him.
Stern let go of Azrael's arm and Azrael dragged himself up, "I shall come back for you" he looked at Cassian who gave a weak smile and then passed out. Azrael took out his sword and held it for support then he limped out of the fort.
Stern looked at Cassian then at Isander, and then he followed Azrael.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Your majesty, they are back!" a soldier said to Soteria. Soteria ran out of the camp and saw soldiers walking towards the camp. They were not smiling. Soteria's eyes moved to Azrael who looked faint.
He fell to the ground and Soteria rushed to him, "Azrael!" he called out and looked at Azrael's wounded arm and thigh. Stern alighted from his horse and Soteria looked at him, "What happened?" he asked and Stern looked at Azrael, "What happened?!" he yelled. "We lost the war, Cassian was stabbed and taken captive...Azrael was wounded in his arm and thigh" "You do not look injured" Soteria eyed Stern, "That is because I am more competent than those two" he smirked and walked away.
Soteria glared at him as he walked away then he looked at Azrael who was writhing in pain. Two soldiers came with a stretcher and helped into Azrael on it, then they carried him away.
Soteria got up and took out a folded piece of paper from his inner pocket. It was the same piece of paper Cassian had given him before he went to war.
He opened it and read; "If I do not come back, go back to Thurtian and ask about Stern. I shall find out something while I am here".
Soteria looked at the tent Stern had entered. That was definitely not the man who partied about with Zemira.