A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 43: POISON

Xander stood still as the winged horses that he had raised flew about him, they congregated around him, waiting for their orders. Xander could talk to them with his mind and they understood him. Beautiful, majestic creatures that had left all the soldiers on the grass clearing in awe.

He had heard from his spies and scouts that General Dimerion was successful in gathering the battalions loyal to him and now they fought to protect the capital and guard the elegarii. That news brought a slight consolation to him.

"They have begun the attack, Commander!" a soldier came running. "Myrana soldiers hava launched attacks on the coastal towns, while some groups of soldiers have gone on rampage on the capital. Soldiers loyal to you are now fighting them, Commander."

The hissing of the winged snakes were heard again. The winged snakes that had come earlier to kill the children had been destroyed by the winged horses, and now there came more of them.

Xander grabbed Zeus' sword. He was ready.

He looked up to the horses, and the horses gathered in almost a perfect circle above him. There were about fifty horses now up there.

He closed his eyes, quietly spoke his command to them, and the horses understood. They turned around, and flew in high speed to meet the incoming snakes head on. The battle had begun up on the sky. Loud roar, shriek, and yelp filled the sky, as well as sounds of wings flapping furiously.

"Kill them all, my friends. Kill them all ..." whispered Xander while his eyes, burned with fury, trained on the winged horses on their way to destroy Ares' pets.

Loud cries of war were heard, and the battle began in all parts of the capital, as well as in the palace ground.

Myrana forces were strong, they bulldozed Halgard's forces who stood on their way. Leidra's sorcery had caused quite some Halgard's soldiers to fall under her spell and failed to fight to defend their kingdom. That dirty trick caused holes in Halgard's defense. Loyal soldiers fought hard, and these were well-trained, experienced soldiers who were battle-hardened. This high level of skills helped them hold off at least some of Myrana's forces advance.

When soldiers of Myrana arrived on the edge of the forest close to the main palace, Xander took a deep breath. "It is time," he whispered to himself. Then he turned around, took one look at the forest on the other side where Airin and the rest had run to. Rovan was wounded because of Leidra's dark sorcery on his mind and body, but he was well-trained enough to be able to protect the children and Lyanna, the future queen. Elisthia's sorcery would help them.

But it was Airin that worried him. She had no battle training, no sorcery, no weapon skills. "Be careful, Airin. Please survive this. I am fighting for you now."

Though one thing bothered him when he examined the incoming Myrana forces: Those forces were commanded by Queen Leidra's top general, her second-in- command.

Leidra was not with them.

Where would she be? Strategically this would be the most important battle because he was here, as well as Rovan and Lyanna, those who could lay claim on the throne of Halgard. And Lyanna was someone she had targeted for the purely evil reason of wanting to destroy the little girl's childhood and turn her dark. Where is she? But Xander did not have much time to ponder possible answers because Myrana had arrived.

The battle begun on the ground and up in the sky with the winged horses started to face off with the just-arrived winged snakes. The horses' furious neighing mixed with the hissing of the snakes, and the whooshing and flapping of the wings caused gust of wind that blew across the battlefield.