Everlasting (Volturi Kings)

Ch-77 Forever And Always

Lokriveii was a place that people avoided talking about.

Death was something better than to speak of the wretched lands.

Perched on the edge of a cliff with a views that stretched many miles and more, Claudia could see why.

Winter in Lokriveii was like a dark curse, where there was white snow everywhere else, it was black here.

The clouds were black with no signs of a storm, acid rains were common, people died by just inhaling the putrid air, the volcanoes didn't help the situation, forests were destroyed way before she was born.

From her viewpoint, she could hear the simultaneous steps of both sides as they marched, she could see the metal clad armor, the flags, the canons, the catapults, everything.

Their choice of battling was a desirable one in the winter, a dead desert that streched thousand of miles, no life signs other than the vultures that flew high in the sky awaiting their food, Claudia thought they were quite smart creatures.

Hopefully, neither her nor anyone she loved or cared for, would be their meals, winters were supposed to be cold but the princess felt the opposite of a chill, there was no water in this heated land.

It felt like a furnace, if there was a hell like people believed, she would imagine such a place as this, the rocky ground had cracks that threatened to devour anyone which added to the fear of both sides of an excruciating death.

Claudia knew that there was no turning back, her enemies were here as were her allies and they would have to fight their fiercest to survive.

Her eyes on the barren desert, now shined with the polished armor of Ceryscathia and Wilhestia on the right, she tried to decipher all the familiar faces there was.

At the very front of it all, riding Phobos, armed with the most prestigious metals and weapons was her Marcus. She couldn't see his face as it was helmeted, his glare was fixated on the other side.

Following her lover's eyes, it came to the other side, the people she once called family, Dominicia.

Arlus was saddled on a black mare, arrogantly deciding to avoid a helmet, his face wasn't clear to Claudia but anyone could make out the pompous expression who thinks he could win anything without much work.

Claudia wanted to be the one to end him, she wanted him to suffer, she wanted to feel the steel burn of every time she sliced, she wanted him to feel what Fenix had felt for months.

If anyone had told her that ten years from when she was eight, that one day there would come a time where she would stand against those whom she held a title over.

She would've never believed them.

Eight year old Claudia was a naive one, for her Dominicia was everything and she took pride in being part of such a kingdom, one she would later loathe.

Claudia felt like a goddess watching over the war, like Athene.

Like a thief in the night, Dominicia came for Ceryscathia, to them it felt powerful to draw first blood.

She heard the thundering roar from Marcus, as he raised his sword, pointing it at Arlus.

"ATTACK!"

All two thousand of Ceryscathia and Wilhestia charged forward with their weapons, Marcus went directly for Arlus as was any war where the two leaders would go against each other.

Claudia watched with bated breaths as Marcus skilfully slashed through the infantry on Phobos.

The artillery from both sides made their moves as canons were shot, hundreds of narrow spears pierced the air, ultimately landing in the hearts of men.