Myshka

Chapter 2:Aftermath

All around there was a mass destruction. She dropped her swords after killing the last enemy soldier surrounding her. All her people were either dead, injured or captured. Her limbs were about to give out but no one dared to touch her.

Body soaked in blood, her clothes torn down to just her very basics,her long raven hair plastered to her face sticky with sweat, her eyes shining with an unnatural murderous glint, daring someone to come touch her she looked deadly and dangerous. It was true that the enemy soldiers around her thought of her as a demoness and that is why they refused to capture her. These were the people who had seen her fight. She knew as soon as a new batch of soldiers came in the aftermath of the battle, she wouldn't be able to scare them off with just a look.

So abandoning her swords she ran away, towards her house praying that most of it still remained. It was a long run and helped clear her mind. The adrenaline was still flowing through her blood but she knew as soon as it wore off she'd be dead tired. That was as good as being dead in this situation.

Yet, she couldn't die. Not just yet. Though she had failed to fulfill her duty towards her clan and that alone was enough for her to want to kill herself there was one more duty she still had to do. One duty she hoped wasn't too late to be done.

On reaching the other end of the village where her house was situated her worst fears were confirmed. It was burned to the ground, hardly recognizable from the charred remains.
She was not known to be sentimental. Truly no one had ever seen her cry or laugh. Atleast not for a few years since her father died. Now though, seeing her childhood home in ashes along with all her memories she felt a strong overwhelming urge to just break down.

She wouldn't though. All the things in her house might have been ashes and completely useless but there was one thing that had to be salvageable.

Had to be. She told herself.

Jumping right into the ashes interspersed with blood and gore, she searched for the hidden latch in what used to be the floor of her house, now sooty and covered by debris.

When she found it, she saw it was open. Her heart gave her hope. She heaved open the trapdoor ,with a creaking sound, that was attached to the latch and looked inside the dark chamber underneath it. She looked and looked but found not what she had come searching for. She became frantic diving inside with a wooden beam on fire to provide light.

The inside was damp due to the nearby lake and surrounding forests inspite of the fires that had raged over it. It smelled musky and burned but not of burned flesh, so she sighed in relief.

Relief that was shortlived as she realised the meaning of this. She wasn't here! What was she to do now?

This time she did fall on her knees on the damp floor and broke down.
************************************************************

Prince Emtilov of Great Kingdom Dramero stood outside his tent pitched outside the village of Burnall looking at the aftermath of the great battle.

Yes the battle had been great indeed for they had lost thrice the amount of soldiers they had anticipated. Not a very large number in comparison to the rest of his army which was at the moment interspersed in various parts of Rubesco doing the same thing his army here had done. Conquering,pillaging,destroying, killing mercilessly.

Even then he had underestimated the Khashas which he shouldn't have done. The last time too they had been on the verge of being defeated by them. Thank God, he had kept a backup team ready which had made sure that he had won this war. There was no great battle tactics, no brilliant strategy, he had simply worn them out with his sheer number.

Did he feel any remorse for the lives that were lost or the houses that were destroyed?
Absolutely not. For to feel remorse one needed a conscience and he had lost his a long time ago. He had no fear of anyone, even God himself. All he cared for was territory and he had gotten what he wanted.

The Kingdom of Rubesco was a small but rich kingdom. It wasn't that he had any need for riches for he had gathered enough riches over the years to keep his next ten generations comfortably. No, it wasn't because of riches.

Deep inside he knew it wasn't because of territory either. Rubesco was too far off to be made a part of his Kingdom. He would probably have to ransom the King, make him swear his fealty and let him go with only a once a year tribute from this country. After all, the revenue of this country must be very high and it would be foolish to let go of it altogether.

It wasn't money nor was it territory that pulled him here after nearly five years. Yes, it had been nearly five years since he had last come to this village. He remembered the last time he came like it was yesterday. He hoped to meet the reason he had come back again.

His army was tired and he knew they longed to go back home. Him, not so much. Yet, he knew that he couldn't put it off for much longer. His mother's letters hadn't ceased for the last year. All of them pleading,all of them insistent that he come back home. Come back home to take his 'rightful place' as King and marry. There was a plethora of nobleman's daughters ready for that purpose.

For the Great Kingdom had been without a King for ten years now. Ten years without a King makes a Kingdom restless.That was the excuse that his mother was giving him though he knew the truth. The Kingdom had been left to his brother, not him even though he was the elder son. It was his rightful place though he had forfeit it for the sake of his father.

His spies had informed him of the reason why his hypocrite of a mother was calling him back now. It was also the reason she insisted he get married. Fate had played in his favour for the first time in a very long indeed.

He hoped that Fate stayed in his favour for a bit more till he got what he was looking for.

While waiting for his commander to give him a report of the aftermath of the battle, he heard a huge commotion at the border of his camp. On instinct he put his hand on his sword case and ran towards the noise to investigate. Now was an ideal time for fights to break out between his own soldiers because of the war spoils. Many a time he had had to settle disputes over wenches and who would take them first. Sometimes they would fight over coveted weapons or things they had managed to recover from the villages they pillaged.

As soon as he saw the reason for the commotion surrounded by his soldiers with her long raven hair fluttering in the wind, he smiled for he knew that Fate really was on his side right now.

************************************************************

It's a late update because I had my medical exam on Sunday and yesterday I kind of just passed out from the stress but no matter here's an update.

Prince Emtilov is introduced! Yay! But what does he mean when he says he came five year before? ?
Did he meet our warrior before? If so when?
And why?
*in TV presenter voice*
Stay tuned to find out next Sunday only on Wattpad. ;-)

"I published this on Tuesday only to realise that somehow it didn't get published. So sorry. "