The Survivor Camp
Prince Edward and his men arrived at the survivor camp in the late afternoon, the air filled with the faint smell of burnt wood and damp earth. The camp was nothing more than a gathering of makeshift tents, with weary faces peering out as they approached. The people here had lost everything, their homes, their families, and their livelihoods.
Duke Albert took the lead, speaking to the village elder, an old man with sunken cheeks and tired eyes. "The king has heard of the suffering of our people and specifically sent the crown prince to send supplies to the people. The crown prince is here today to visit you.*
When the people heard that the crown prince had brought supplies they began to come out of their tent and bowed to him .
"We thank his Majesty' for remembering his people and we thank your highness for coming to see us," the people said as they bowed one after the other.
"You are the people of Nexie, the King cares about your safety. I am only here to fulfill my duties," the prince said with a gentle smile.
Hearing his kind words the people final had smiles on their face. "Long live the king and the royal family," the people replied feeling touched by the king's kindness.
"You all will cooperate with the officials to get your supplies," Prince Edward said after the people quit down
The people immediately started organizing themselves, while Duke Albert directed his men to set the stand to share the supplier to the people.
Walter helped organize the people. He took the opportunity to ask an old man who seems to be well recepected a few questions.
"Did you notice anything unusual before the war broke out?" He asked.
The elderman shook his head after thinking. "I can think of anything, we have just settled in the new area for a few years. Although new people were sent to settle in our village but since the Duke made the move to start a new settlement, we always have new famers willing to go over seeing that we have better harvest." He said.
Walter smiled, "it must have been hard on you, do you have any young man in your family?"
"I had two sons, but they both died in the war. Fortunately I their wives and children survived. Otherwise I would have been left alone. At least with the king's blessing we would not die of hunger," the old man said.
Prince Edward stood aside and studied the survivors closely. Most of them were women, children, and the elderly. He guessed that men who could fight had either perished in the war or joined mercenary groups to survive.
"There is a rumor about a mines, Do you know of any hidden tunnels or areas that were kept secret before the war?" Walter lowered his voice and asked.
The man had a puzzle look in his face. "You seemed to have joined the first set of settlers. Surely you would have heard or noticed something?" As he spoke he showed the man the gold bag in his hand.
The elder sighed. "Mines? We are farmers, not miners. We worked the land, not the mountains. If such a thing existed, none of us would know about it. When we just moved in, we heard the mountain was hunted so we never go there. Even the hunters among us, have to return to the house before it was completely dark," the man answered.
Walter and his subordinate continued questioning others, but the answers remained the same. Fear, loss, and uncertainty. Whatever they were searching for, the people in this camp did not have the answer.
As the sky darkened, Duke Albert turned to the prince. "Your Highness, the supplier are been distributed, do you want to wait until it's finished or shall we return?"
Prince Edward shook his head. "No, I want to check the ruin settlement and send a detailed report to my father,"
Duke Albert agreed without questions. Of course he knew what the prince was looking for but he just gave to act ignorant and allow him to act he please.
The Ruined Settlement
The road to the settlement was rough, the ground uneven and littered with debris. When they finally arrived, the once-thriving village was nothing but an empty shell. Broken walls, shattered pottery, and scorched earth stretched before them.
The silence was unsettling. Even the wind carried an eerie stillness, as if the land itself mourned its dead.
Walter dismounted his horse and kicked a charred wooden beam. "Whoever attacked this place made sure nothing was left behind."
Prince Edward walked ahead, his eyes scanning the ruins. "Search for anything unusual. Even the smallest clue might tell us what happened here."
The knights spread out, checking the remains of houses, wells, and storage sheds. They found nothing but remnants of destruction, blackened walls, abandoned tools, and old bloodstains.
As the last rays of sunlight faded, Walter approached the prince. "Your Highness, it's getting late. We should return before nightfall."
"Your highness, he is right this place is still not safe and we did not bring a lot of men," Duke Albert supported. He did not question any of the Prince decision from beginning to end. The more he acted this way, the more the prince would not be able to link anything to him.
Just as Prince Edward was about to agree, a faint sound reached his ears. A rustling noise, quick and deliberate.
"Did you hear that?" Walter asked, his hand moving to his sword.
Before anyone could respond, an arrow shot through the darkness, embedding itself into a wooden post near one of the knights.
"Ambush!" someone shouted.
Suddenly, masked figures emerged from the shadows, their blades gleaming in the moonlight. Arrows rained down, forcing the knights to scatter for cover.
"Stay together!" Prince Edward commanded, drawing his sword, but the chaos of the battle quickly separated them.
The attackers moved with precision, cutting through the prince's forces with practiced ease. Duke Albert fought near the entrance of the settlement, while Walter defended against two enemies at once.
Prince Edward blocked a sword strike and countered, cutting down one opponent. But before he could react, another attacker lunged at him from behind. He barely dodged, but the force of the attack sent him off balance.
A sharp pain struck his back, and then—thick smoke erupted around him. His vision blurred, his lungs burned.
"Prince Edward!" Walter's voice rang out, but the prince couldn't see him. The last thing he remembered was the flickering torchlight and the figures moving through the smoke.
Then everything went dark.