The thunderous crash of the gates being assaulted echoed through the town, causing the assembled townsfolk to shudder in fear. Before them stood Derek, Alexander, and Liam, their weapons at the ready.
"Liam," Derek said, his voice calm amidst the chaos, "keep Lady Sai safe. Stick with the bow."
Without hesitation, Liam nodded, his sweat-soaked face betraying his fear, but his obedience unwavering. He turned and made for the compound, leaving Derek and Alexander to face the impending battle.
Derek turned to face the crowd of young men behind him, fear and uncertainty etched on their faces.
"The enemy out there, think they can trample on us and make us bow. Not this time. We will fight back, we will protect our friends, wives, sisters, families, and those taken from us. You may never have fought before, but keep this in mind, if we fall - what becomes of your wives, sisters and mothers."
"We shall be victorious!" A man screamed from amiss the crowd.
With a loud war cry, the crowd raised their weapons in unison, their cries of "Freedom!" reverberating through the town.
With a thunderous roar, the gates burst open, revealing the charging mercenaries, their cries of bloodlust ringing out.
"Charge!!!" Derek yelled, leading the townsfolk into the fray.
Derek's knife pierced the first mercenary who dared to stand before him, while around him, other townsfolk engaged in a ruthless, brutal battle. Steel clashed against steel, blood splattered, bodies fell, and yet, the townsfolk fought on, their courage fueled by a desire to keep their home safe.
Derek glided through the battlefield, avoiding the attacks of his enemies with an unusual agility, his strikes swift and deadly.
But as the battle waged on, the toll on Derek's body became apparent, an evidence of his lack of experience in battle.
"You move no further." A mercenary withstood Derek, persistently striking at him.
Derek had no opening to avoid them, he kept deflecting and checking each strike.
A wilder slash from the man cut through his guard sword, slashing his shoulder - which brought him to his knees with a cry.
"You can't win against me with a stick boy." The man drew closer to Derek.
Derek felt the ground beneath him tremble as his foe loomed over him, sword pointing at him. His body ached, the wound on his shoulder taking its toll. His faced grew pale - his mind filled with fear, it can't end like this, Alexander, Victoria, those he swore to protect. His fight was just beginning and now was not the time to accept whatever fate awaited him.
He raised his eyes to meet the gaze of his foe, a look of ranging fire on his face. His foe hesitated, taken aback by the sight.
"Don't get cocky with me boy!" The man screamed out as he plunged his sword into Derek.
Splatters of blood sprayed into the air, the thrust halted by Derek's bloodied hand, which guided his own knife into his attacker's throat.
Kneeling, Derek's gaze swept the battlefield, his heart breaking at the sight of the townsfolk struggling to hold their own against the battle-hardened mercenaries.
He caught glimpse of Alexander, wavering against two foes, with just his knife.
As Derek's vision began to fade, the certainty of defeat loomed over him. The wails and cries of those around him pierced the air, drowning out all other sounds. But just as his last breath was poised to leave his body, salvation came in the form of a small army of men, their black padded armor and short swords a stark contrast to the mercenaries' weaponry.
As they descended upon the battlefield, cries of "Victory!" echoed through the air, the mercenaries falling before their onslaught.
"The time is neigh, the time has come, the time for blood is here and now, awake thou who shall wield the fury of gods." A still-calm voice echoed in the darkness.
As the world slowly came back into focus, Derek opened his eyes to find himself beneath the protective embrace of the blossoming tree, his hand and shoulder bandaged, his pain a constant reminder of the chaos that had ensued.
Lady Sai, her warm smile a soothing balm for his weary soul, knelt beside him, holding a cup of medicine.
"You look so helpless. I'm beginning to miss the man who grabbed me earlier." She teased.
"I've seen worse." Derek groans, holding his shoulder.
"Don't try act all tough on me Squad leader, drink, it'll help with the pain." she tenderly offered a cup of medicine.
Derek, his voice laden with regret, could only reply, "A lady shouldn't be doing this. You should be consoling your people, not tending to a nobody."
"You are not a nobody, Derek," Sai's voice was firm and gentle. "You are sacrificing your life to protect my people, and that makes you special. Please, drink." She insisted.
As Derek drank the medicine, he couldn't help but lose himself in the depths of Sai's almond eyes. The world around him seemed to fade, only the bond between them remaining.
It was then an elderly man appeared, his face weathered by age but his resolve unwavering. He was cladded in black leather armor, two others stood by his sides.
"I am glad to see an Azma Ranker uphold his oath. You are willing to die for us," he said, his voice low and serious. "You have earned the respect of Gandal Olraf, former Commander of this esteem clan."
"My warm thanks Sire, if it wasn't for you, I'll be dead by now." Derek assured.
With a respectful bow, Gandal continued, "If you believe Lady Sai is the way forward for our clan, I will follow your judgment."
Derek turned to meet Sai's gaze, a fierce determination burning in his eyes. "She is a good leader," he replied, his voice steady and unwavering. "I want everyone to acknowledge her and live in peace."
Gandal nodded, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I will take your words to heart, Squad Leader. I trust that she will be better than even you say."
Gandal and his men bowed before Lady Sai then departed.
"My lady," a maid said, holding out a bowl of water with a damp rag.
Sai dismissed the maid and began to wipe Derek's face, squeezing out the excess water and leaving just enough moisture to cleanse his skin.
"You're doing too much," Derek's voice was a whisper, his eyes darting around, aware of the curious gazes that lingered upon them.
"Says the man who united my clan," Sai replied, her chuckle light and carefree. "If you're worried about what Liam and Alexander might say," Sai continued, a playful smirk curling her lips, "they're busy putting things in order."
Derek frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on the curious onlookers before returning to Sai. "I'm not talking about them. You're a Lady, this is a little far... For someone of my status."
"If you think this is too far, then you'll be speechless when I personally deliver your gift tonight." Sai's smile widened.
Derek squints his eyes, "Gift?" He voiced out.
Sai's eyes danced with mischief. "I heard Catherine intervened with the gift I sent. Probably to get information from you."
"That still doesn't mean you have to deliver the gift yourself," Derek countered, as he tried to puzzle out her meaning.
"If only you knew what I was talking about," Sai replied, a teasing edge to her voice.
Just then, an unexpected arrival shook the town's foundations.
The sound of thundering hooves announced the arrival of Captain Ramsey and Commander Kanlor, with Ivan and their Azma Knight squad in tow. Derek, despite his injuries and Lady Sai's support, rose to attention, his salute befitting of his Azma discipline.
"Glad to see you alive, Squad leader," Commander Kanlor spoke with an air of respect. "Our enemies have been subdued, most killed, and the others captured. The girls have been rescued, and Taven's body recovered." He dismounts his horse.
Derek's countenance dropped instantly, he was almost forgetting Taven.
"Explain yourself Squad leader," Commander Kanlor stood before Derek, hovering over him. "What happened to keeping the team alive?"
"He's still recovering Kanlor." Lady Sai came forward.
"You will be silent on this matter, My Lady." Captain Ramsey bellowed - seated high on his stallion.
Sai bowed. "Your highness."
"It was miscalculated...." Derek tried explaining.
"You disobeyed orders, Derek," Commander Kanlor thundered, his voice booming with the authority. "Your miscalculation cost Taven his life and the innocent their blood."
Derek's throat tightened, his world shrinking to the sharpness of Kanlor's gaze. "Sire, I only tried to seize the opportunity to capture the buyer and bring justice to..."
"Justice?" Kanlor spat the word out like a curse. "Justice would have been served had you followed orders. Now, a promising life has been waisted."
The blame hung like a yoke around Derek's neck, and his eyes betrayed the turmoil within. "I... I didn't mean..." he stammered, his voice breaking.
Derek's fists clenched tightly as Commander Kanlor continued his tirade, each word a poisonous arrow, fired into his already wounded soul.
"It's only a death wish because the royals were involved in this." Derek eyes blazed in defiance.
As Derek's words echoed through the compound, silence stretched taut, Kanlor's countenance turned grave, his voice low and dangerous.
"Choose your next words wisely, squad leader." The warning hung heavy in the air.
"I'm done playing by their rules," he spat. "The royals treat us like pawns in their games, and I won't stand for it any longer."
In an instant, Derek's world exploded in pain, his body reeling from the heavy blows inflicted by Ramsey.
Lady Sai's eyes pleaded with Alexander as he approached, her silent cry for peace like a silent wail in the wind.
Ramsey, fists balled in rage, snarled, "Do you ever shut up?" before raising his fist to strike again.
"That's enough, Prince Ramsey," Lady Sai's voice quavered with the weight of her words, a shimmering steel blade held fast against Ramsey's throat.
The air trembled, the drawn steel of Knights and guards ringing in a chorus of tension.
Ramsey's jaw clenched, his gaze hard as he measured the tension in the air. He turned to survey the scene, the townspeople rallying together.
"My Lady," Ramsey narrows his eyes at Lady Sai. "Do you realise this treason is punishable by death." His voice stood cold.
Lady Sai, chin held high, met his gaze head-on. "If protecting the man who saved my people is treason, then so be it."
Ramsey's icy stare held Lady Sai's for a moment longer before a scoff of derision slipped from his lips. With deliberate disdain, he turned his back on her, stalking towards his mount.
"Pack up," Ramsey ordered, the words sharp and bitter on his tongue. "Our job here is done."
Lady Sai's shoulders sagged with the weight of her defiance, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Commander Kanlor, his eyes catching hers for a fleeting moment, seemed to understand the depth of her anguish. He slung the unconscious Derek over his shoulder and departed.
All Rare guards were gathered in the courtyard of Camp Eve, standing in a ten man formation. Not even a single person had a feint smile on their faces, there was no much guess at what happened, the reduced numbers proved not only Derek's team lost someone.
Derek began the fifth line with his teammates, his face, beaten and weary.
"Congratulations on your promotions further up the rank, prepare to lose more friends and team mates." Captain Ramsey stood unphased as he spoke. "Forget the title of being Second Rare Guard, the inevitable truth now is you all are now Azma Soldiers, death walks with you daily. What did you all think? Being an Azma Soldier gives you rest." He scoffed. "There are troops out on our boarders, scared shit less, not knowing when an invasion may arise, they piss and shit in groups with the fear of an ambush. You all signed up for this, now deal with it, Azma has alot of enemies. Suck it up and wipe those pitiful looks off your faces, swear your allegiance!"
They all saluted, "As the moon slays the night, the stars shall keep its life."
In the stillness of the courtyard, Captain Ramsey's voice cut through the air with clarity and authority. "Derek Owems."
With the quiet obedience of a soldier, Derek took his position before Ramsey, standing at a safe distance from him.
"You have been charged with insubordination against your superior and speaking against the Royal Families," Ramsey said, his words casting a shadow of finality across the courtyard. "An act punishable by death," Ramsey intoned, his eyes betraying nothing but the cold severity of his judgment.
As whispers of surprise and dissent rippled through the crowd, Derek remained stalwart, as did Alexander and Liam, standing resolute, a shared defiance etched in the line of their jaw. It was as though they knew the judgement coming.
"But due to your success in the mission at the Ryue clan, your punishment shall be confined to solitary confinement." Ramsey cast a sidelong glance to the knights at his side, "Take him."
The knights saluted their captain before moving to collect Derek.
As Derek was led away, a hush descended upon the courtyard.