“ushed back the drakken for now, but we will o reinfororth Fort,” King Solomon said, looking over the battle map. His silvery hair had been cut short at the start of the war, but had grown back to its medium length during the campaign against the drakken and the skywyrms.

  ander Roger sat at his side, motioning to the gold on the map. “King’s Sword should still be pressuring Bck Sword, the one known as Mirin.” His auburn hair had been cut short during the start of the war as well, though it had remained short due to his weekly grooming.

  “We should send another hundred soldiers his way sihe fort should be safe.” General William said, taking a small grey block from where the North Fort was, and pushed it up to the gold . It was hard to pick up the block with his armoured fingers, but he had growo it over the years.

  “We need all the soldiers at the fort,” Lady Bckheart said, motioning to the small red wooden cubes beyond the fort. “The Iyrmen are bloodthirsty, and I do not believe they will return any time soon. If the fort is attacked by the dragon as it out paces them, we will need as many soldiers as we gather to defend ourselves. This Antalia is a retive of the dragon which had attacked previously, and should know the weaknesses of our fort.”

  “Isn’t it your responsibility to equip the fainst all threats?” General William asked, looking towards the pale skinned and bck haired Lady. He was simirly bck haired, though his skin was tanned from being out in the sun and the fields, living the soldier life. “If you are uo equip the fort, then perhaps I should be given and until it is up to the task of holding back a dragon?”

  “You seem to have fotten how many wars we have fought,” Lady Bckheart said. “Though we have received assistance during those wars, some even by your hand, it was only after we were able to defend the Northern Passage for weeks as your soldiers marched up towards an untouched Northamber, General. The fort has been torn apart nearly ten times i tury, and once we Bckhearts had taken trol of it, it has yet to be breached.”

  “Do not fet whose blood the Bckhearts share, General,” King Solomon said, staring at the map still. Though he liked the General, there were times his words slipped too far.

  The General coughed into his fist. “I meant no disrespect, yrace.” The General and Lady Bckheart had been like this ever sihe war ten years ago, and even at peace they would ofte each other’s throats.

  “Cousin, please five his words,” King Solomon said. “The General has a point, but I uand that you have been w hard to defend the North since randfather’s time.” King Solomon tapped the map. “Ohis war is over, I will send funds to further strehe North Fort. The North Fort has been under siege tless times sihe founding of the Kingdom, and it is time that we spend the resources to make it more powerful.”

  “Such a promise will o pass through the Court,” Lady Bckheart said. “I hope that yrace will remember these words and the sacrifices we of the north have made. The other three forts collectively have yet to face the threats we have faced.”

  The King nodded his head. He uood how much of a pain in the ass it would be, but it was true that North Fort had been attacked the most. The West Fort was mostly for show, though it did possess a rge navy, just in case. The East Fort and South Fort were just big enough to deal with a threat for a few weeks, long enough for the army to arrive, but the North Fort was much more difficult to march towards and assist as quickly, and its enemies were far more dangerous.

  “I will believe in the North Fort’s ability to hold out, and in the ability of the Iyrmen to keep the drakken at bay for some time. Send the Ironfist pany to support King’s Sword and the Swordbearers Battalion.”

  General William raised his brows for a moment, but bowed his head. “As you wish, yrace.” He looked to a soldier nearby, handing out a badge to them.

  “Sir, yes sir!” The soldier quickly retreated to find Sergeant Ironfist, who was no doubt drinking himself into a traiupor. “We will form another Battalion to be sent to North Fort,” the King said. “oal was to destroy their forward base and drive back the silverwyrm. The Iyrmen who have gone north are aiming to sy it flory, which is fine by me. If they sy it, then the greatest threat is dissipated, and we force Dark Wing into a peace, and cim tribute from his hoard.”

  “We only pray for the Iyrmen to sy it,” ander Roger said, staring down at the map, his eyes focused on the various different blocks. Each block was a pany, and the rger blocks were a battalion. The golden represehe King’s Sword and his Swordbearers Battalion, the greatest for their possession. They would have been useful against the silverwyrm and the drakken under his and, but they had aask to deal with.

  “If they don’t sy it, we will receive a fresh batch of a hundred Iyrmen, isn’t that right?” Lady Bckheart said, referring to the treaty.

  “That was the deal,” King Solomon said, recalling the treaty which had been signed before his birth during his grandfather’s time. “Either way, it’s a win for us. An Iyrman is worth five soldiers, so you’d have two fresh Battalions supp you.” The King picked up a small red block, which always defihe Iyrmen, those who were so thirsty for blood, and pced it at the fort on the map.

  Lady Bckheart smiled. “I will still pray for their success so that the war ends quickly.” A hundred Iyrmen were a great boon, but the end of the war was a greater boon.

  King Solomon nodded, gng towards the Majors who had remained silent. The table was for the four of them, the King, the ander of the Royal Guard, the General, and the Fort Master, who held the same rank as the General. There was also another seat, but the Iyrmen had tiheir fight, so their representative was missing. However, now that the general pn of a was called for, the Majors could finally speak.

  “King’s Sword has returned!” came a shout through the hallway. The soldier almost tumbled into the room, panting as he nded on his knees. “King’s Sword has returned!”

  The King’s lips grew wide into a smile, and the Majnced between one another. It seemed their input would not be required for a moment. There were only two reasons why King’s Sword would return.

  King’s Sword had succeeded.

  King’s Sword had failed.

  The heavy steps of King’s Sword echoed through the hall as he appeared, his armour not quite as gleaming as it had been when he had arrived north with his King. His bde was at his side, the only man who was allowed to remain armed at all times. Not even the ander of the Royal Guard, Roger, could be armed at all times in front of the King, for when he would present himself in front of the King at the Royal Hall, he would o disarm.

  King’s Sword.

  It was the title given to a single warrior in the nd, typically the childhood friend of the King, who would swear to defend the King until his death. It was different to the Royal Guard, who swore the same oath, for this position was for the right hand of the King, his most trusted fidant. None were allowed to speak the King’s Sword’s name, even the King would refer to the title, for it had bee his new name.

  King’s Sword dropped to a knee, bowing his head. “My Liege, I have returned!” he decred.

  The tone of his voice caused King Solomon to grin even wider. He approached the kneeling King’s Sword and grabbed onto his shoulder. “I expected as much!” The King ughed a relieved ugh. “Stand up, quickly now! A kneeling sword is no good to me.” Even if the King’s Sword was his servant, willing to die if the King a, he still couldn’t fet their childhood.

  King’s Sword stood up at the King’s words, taking off his helmet. His face ale, his hair like liquid strands of gold, and his eyes like pierg blue sapphires, sparkling brightly. “We have dealt with the Dark Wing’s army,” he said. “We’ve destroyed the nearby vilges and have captured a hundred of the best drakken we could find.”

  King Solomon turo Lady Bckheart, who had rexed slightly. “Good news, Lady Bckheart!” The King tio ugh, not minding how casual he was being in front of the Majors. “I trust there is more? You wouldn’t be so happy if it was just that much.” The King’s face was a rge grin.

  “I have brought you a gift,” King’s Sword said. “If you would allow me to present it?”

  “Present it at once, King’s Sword, for I am not as patient as my name suggests.” King Solomon was known by three monikers. King Solomon the Wise. King Solomoient. King Solomoe. The st niame was oered by his detractors, and o his face.

  King’s Sword dropped to his knee once again and held out his hands. F from the King’s Sword’s ring was the bde of a drakken, but not just any drakken.

  The King stared at it, blinking. “It couldn’t be…”

  ander Roger stood up quickly, smming the map, causing pieces to clutter. Lady Bckheart’s eyes went wide, and even General William’s mouth e.

  “Is it really that sword?” ander Roger’s eyes were greedy.

  “I present to you, ander Bck Sword’s Bcksword,” King’s Sword said. It was awkward that Mirin’s name was also his niame, which was the same as the name of his sword.

  It ure bck, made of a single gemstone, which had been worked as though it were metal by some unknown legendary smith. The Bcksword was iructible, and was an artefact of great power, something which even surpassed the King’s Sword’s Sword of Light.

  “Not his head?” King Solomon asked, his lips still wide in a smile. Even if Bck Sword Mirin was alive, the fact that his sword had been taken, it was enough to decre the war as won.

  “I gave my word to him that I would bury him peacefully,” King’s Sword said. “I have buried him secretly, but I have cimed his bde as proof.” King’s Sword had fought quite the battle against Bck Sword, and through their battle to the death, there was a level of mutual respect. Bck Sword had asked simply to be buried away from all the war, from all the noise, a pce where no one would find him. It was not something the King’s Sword could do, for Dark Wing would easily find the body, but he had made sure none had seehe Bck Sword had been buried, sying the people who had dug the grave.

  “You’re far too good to be King’s Sword,” King Solomon said, smiling still ever so widely. “I will respect the wish, and I shall accept the bde.” The King reached down to take the sword into his hand, feeling its great magic. How King’s Sword resisted the allure of the on was beyond him, but he had plete faith in the man, his closest ally.

  “I am gd you are pleased, yrace.” King’s Sword bowed his head once again, standing at the King’s motion.

  “Pleased? I’m rather annoyed,” the King said, rubbing his forehead. He sighed dramatically.

  The others looked up at him, their eyes curious and slightly worried. The Majors each exged gnces between one another.

  “Do you know how hard it is going to be to reward you for this?” The King pced the sword at his side, inhaling deeply as he felt his strength grow. The magic within the sword was slowly filling him, c through his body.

  “I only did what was expected of me, yrace.” King’s Sword smiled. He had done something which other King’s Sword may never be able to beat. He had takeefad had ha to the King. That alone would put him down in history, o be fotten.

  “I want to make it so that you aren’t so formal, but that would only brirouble.” The King shook his head. “I’ll figure something out.”

  “What are your ands?” King’s Sword asked.

  “My ands are to celebrate! Dark Wing will soon e for peace! With this, I will return to the capital with the Swordbearers Battalion and the Royal Guard. The rest of the army will remain here uhe and of Lady Bckheart and General William,” the King said, making sure to hem in order of importance. “General William, you are to act as her Sed General, as you have done for me.”

  “As you wish, yrace,” General William took a knee as the King waved an invisible sword over his shoulders, itting him to his role. He uood that he would be under Lady Bckheart, as was expected. At the North Fort, it was only right for him to be us Master’s call.

  “I will make a request of the King to also take along Sir Florence, Knight of Death, with him on the journey back,” Lady Bckheart said. “Though he is not as powerful as your King’s Sword, I would feel relieved if you were to take his squad with you.”

  Sir Florence was someone who could be spoken in the same breath of King’s Sword. He was cssed as the sed greatest warrior in all the nd, after King’s Sword. Some would say the Red Knight was his equal, but they had never cshed sword. The Death Knight Squad was also extremely powerful, and the King recalled the tour where ander Roger had been brought to a stalemate by the Death Knight Squad’s Sed.

  “With the Swordbearers and King’ Sword, my journey will be safe enough. Sir Florence should remain here, at your side, defending the King’s Fort. It would keep my mind at peace.”

  Lady Bckheart bowed her head. “I will do as you and.”

  The Lady had to offer the escort back, as part of being a good noblewoman, and the King had to refuse, si was meant to be a gesture of good faith. There had been a moment where he was going to accept, just to see what would happen, but it would ioo much panic.

  “Now…” The Kind raised the Bcksword. “I and you all to drink!”

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  I'm still trying to fix my sleep...

  Wow, everything seems so fun and light. Haha, seems like this story isn't going to be dark at all =)