As the Subedar strode into the village, his gaze fell upon Daalia. "What a formidable presence," he mused, his eyes tracing her silhouette. "A figure carved to quench my deepest yearnings."
Daalia, sensing the weight of his stare, approached the Subedar. "Excuse me, sir, may I inquire about your intentions here?" she asked.
The Subedar's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Your voice, it has the perfect pitch of defiance, ideal for someone in servitude," he taunted.
Daalia, masking her discomfort with a strained smile, replied, "I must decline, sir. I am already pledged to a master and a king whom I serve with devotion. Please, convey your other affairs."
"Another master? How amusing," the Subedar scoffed. "Know this, I am a Subedar; I take what I desire. And creatures like you are meant to bow and heed our commands."
"I must protest! Such decrees hold no sway here," Daalia retorted with firm resolve.
"Guards, bind her!" the Subedar commanded.
"As you wish, my lord," the soldiers echoed, advancing towards Daalia with ropes in hand.
Daalia's mind raced. "To resist would imperil the village. I must call for aid," she thought desperately.
"Help! Help! Help!" Her cries pierced the morning air, stirring the villagers into action.
In moments, Grey, Lilly, Helina, Maria, the Mermaid, the Triad, Lina, and others amassed, forming a formidable throng.
"Cease this at once!" the Triad demanded, their voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
The Subedar's eyes widened in awe as he surveyed the village's enchanting beauties. The sight of such exquisite women and mystical beings was beyond his wildest dreams, igniting a storm of forbidden thoughts.
He pointed imperiously at Helina, Lilly, Triad, and the Mermaid. "Henceforth, you exist solely to fulfill my desires!" he proclaimed.
Their retort was fierce. "Ridiculous! Our fealty lies with our king, and him alone shall we serve!"
"Silence, you imbeciles!" the Subedar thundered. "Guards, capture them!"
Tien entered, his voice cutting through the tension. "Subedar, your purpose here is tax collection. Take what is due and depart."
Maria concurred, her tone unyielding. "This is beyond your authority. Accept the payment and vacate our lands immediately."
A mocking laugh escaped the Subedar. "Have you gathered the 5,000 gold coins I demanded?"
Maria's voice trembled with disbelief. "5,000? But you specified 50!"
Oikawa interjected, his voice laced with urgency. "Sir, it was indeed 50 gold coins, not 5,000!"
"Did I now?" The Subedar feigned confusion, turning to his servant. "What was the levy I imposed upon them?"
The servant began hesitantly, "You decreed fif—" but a menacing glare from the Subedar coerced him into deceit. "5,000 gold coins is their due, my lord."
"Listen carefully you peasents" the Subedar sneered, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
"No, you deceitful fiend, you uttered not a word of five thousand!" Oikawa's wife wailed amidst her tears.
"Guards, take her as well," the Subedar commanded coldly. "I have forewarned that all would be taken away If they fail in their dues. And If anyone dare to challenge me, they shall face the full might of the king's army, for I am but the Subedar, the king's voice."
As the guards approached, binding the women's wrists, a villager's plea rang out. "Chief Maria, we beseech you, aid us!"
Maria was torn. 'To act against him risks our entire strategy, yet inaction would mean their abduction,' she pondered in turmoil.
"Release my sister this instant!" Grey's challenge was fierce as she confronted the soldiers.
"You dare defy me, you base-born scoundrel?" the Subedar roared, enraged by her audacity.
Grey responded with a swift kick, felling a soldier with a single blow to the abdomen, rendering him senseless.
"Cease, Grey, we beg of you!" the villagers cried out in desperation.
But Grey's resolve was unshakable. "I serve but one ruler—King Aqua. I will not kowtow to a swine of your ilk!" she bellowed, charging at the soldier.
"Apprehend her!" the Subedar's command resounded with venomous wrath.
What is this sorcery that has left me paralyzed? Grey thought, confusion evident in her eyes.
a soldier struck her with a brutal punch, followed by a kick to her gut. Grey's eyes welled up with tears as the relentless assault continued, leaving her helpless and unable to defend herself.
Hellina, bound and helpless, could only watch in horror as her sister suffered at the hands of the cruel soldiers.
Maria's voice rang out in protest, demanding an end to the brutality, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
The onlookers murmured in distaste at the violent scene unfolding before them.
"Strip her and give me the whip. I will teach you a lesson in obedience," the subedar commanded, brandishing the cruel instrument in his hand.
As Grey lay exposed and vulnerable on the ground, cries of anguish pierced the air, her back torn open and bleeding.
Aqua! Save us!" the desperate plea echoed through the chaos.
chomp!
With a gulp and a crunch, Night, the oversized furball, made a quick snack of the soldier clutching Grey. The crowd gasped, their eyes popping out like cartoon characters.
"Night…" Maria uttered, her voice trailing off as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Night is here," Hellina announced, stating the obvious.
"Ah, the master's furry shadow!" Triad quipped, a smirk dancing on his lips.
"Master has graced us with his presence," Daalia sang out, as if narrating an epic.
"Look! It's the wolf that moonlights as King Aqua's sidekick. That means the king's in the house!" The villagers buzzed with a mix of relief and glee, like they'd just won the medieval lottery.
"Night, our hero!" Tien cheered, nearly taking a dive but for Aqua's timely save.
"Bravo, Tien! Stand down, I've got it from here," Aqua said, flashing a grin that could light up the darkest dungeon.
"What in the seven kingdoms?!" The subedar's jaw dropped as Night commandeered his personal space. "Aaahhh!"
"Attack that… that thing!" the subedar stammered to his soldiers, his voice quivering like a leaf in a hurricane.
"I'd rethink that," Aqua warned, cool as a cucumber. "Anger the big bad wolf, and I might not be able to save you from becoming his next chew toy."
But the mages, with the wisdom of a sack of potatoes, launched their spells. Night found their efforts as bothersome as a flea circus, swatting them away and then, well, let's just say he didn't need dinner reservations.
"Fools! Should've listened," Aqua tsk-tsked.
"Who are you, and why do you have a monster?!" the subedar squeaked, looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"First things first," Aqua replied, sliding out a paper with more seals than a beach during mating season.
The subedar read aloud, his voice shaky, "By royal decree, the bearer of this paper is granted all lands and resources within a 10 km radius for their generosity. They are now nobility, and all must obey or face a fate worse than bad tavern food."
"You? Nobility?" the subedar whimpered, his knees knocking together like a pair of castanets.
"Yep, that's me. Not a fan of the title, but it keeps the pigs like you at check," Aqua said, with a nonchalance that could make a dragon shrug.